>>18518020
>as well as met
derp

You're feeling rather pleased with yourself over your accomplishments for the day. Heading towards the coordinates that Eri had given you earlier to ready yourself for the battle tomorow. It's a few hours away, but you still have plenty of daylight left.

Feeling the need to occupy yourself, you idly switch on your radio for some nice relaxing.

["Mayday, mayday! This is HR-106, someone please respond!"]
The message from an open channel has you bolt upright, working the console to lock onto the signal's source as the message repeats.

["Mayday, mayday! This isAUGH!!"]
The man on the other end is cut off mid sentence and you make out something resembling weapon impacts over the static.
["I'M HIT! GAME OVER, MAN, GAME OVER!"] The distressed pilot is panicking.

Your console informs you that you have locked on to his radio frequency. You can talk to him via closed channel now.

>What say?

>>18518203
I tune in to the closed channel and ask him his status and his attacker

>>18518340
"This is Gerald DeFlynn. Pilot, do you read?"

You can practically feel his elation through the speaker.
["Oh thank god, you gotta help me, bro! These two guys jumped me on my route and started blasting me. I'm at 32/63, bearing East-North-East."

You enter the information into your console and a map springs up on your hub, showing his and your current position.

>How do you direct him?

Have him head east towards the ridge while you head north. You'll pop over the ridge to take his pursuers by surprise.

shit what would the best system be to run a Zoids Campaign? I want to play the shit out of a New Century Zero tournament with my friends.

>>18518586
["I'm on it, bro. Just be quick, I've been buying distance with my thrusters but they're running out of fuel."]

You head directly north of your position, only to run into a canyon, your age old nemesis. The current of the water flowing through is not that strong, but your not sure if you can make it across in your Molga.

>Chance crossing here.
>Try further north for an easier crossing.

>>18518621
I think d20 modern has a mecha sourcebook

>>18518705
Just hold on for a few minutes, and try to find some cover

>>18518705
and I head north for an easier crossing

>>18518747
No heroics in drowning yourself. You opt to head along the northern ridge. You come a considerably narrower gap, with the opposite side at a slightly lower elevation.

Gunning your Molga's wheel drive, you attempt to ramp across. You don't completely clear the water, but your tail is able to find purchase and push you out.

Clambering up the ridge edge, you see in the distance your rescue e. You can just barely make his zoid out.It's a civilian Merder, used for express deliveries by transport companies.

At maximum zoom you catch a glimpse of his persuers. You scowl a bit. Helcats, a bandit favorite.

Normaly his puruers would eat his dust, but you can make out some damage sustained by one of his legs, significantly lowering his gate.

>>18518957
I have the computer start calculating firing ranges and targeting vectors then angle my Mogula to come in behind the Helcats

have him head south while you head west.
Less distance to travel.

It looks like a harder climb though

>THis molga doesnt have the missiles in the tail?

>>18518957
Map is your current position, as well as the bandits and the courier.
You don't think the bandits have spotted you yet.

>What do?

>>18519099
>headesk

>>18519113
Are my weapons in range?

>>18519068
I'm going by the anime, where they have a turret instead of SM Missiles under their second shell.

Always wanted a Zoids pen and paper game.

An Armored Core or Front Mission is fine two. I tried to adapt the Mech Warrior rules to them but it didn't go very well.

>>18519145
Technically they are, but a shot at a moving target at this range would be nearly impossible.

>>18518957
Dig in for ambush and tell him to run towards you

>>18519206
I hug cover and attempt to move into an optimal range for weapons, and over the channel, ask the pilot his condition and his zoids condition.

>>18519235
>>18519253
You ask him if his Merder is in good enough shape to make a run strait down at you.
["I'll give it a try, bro. If I burn the rest of my fuel I might make it."]

You mean while burrow through the ground close to the slopes past the canyon ridge. You can see him coming quite clearly now.
Unfortunately this curve put him in firing distance, and the bandits open up with their beam cannons. Some shots find their mark, and his pace is slowed further. The little runners holds fast though, and just as he makes it past your position, the bandits now find themselves in your range

>FACE OFF!

(roll a d10 for the shootem good)

rolled 6 = 6

>>18519388

>>18519496

>How combat works
For a shooting attack, you must take an enemy's zoid Maneuverability, plus the enemy pilot's Maneuver skill, then subtract your shooting skill from it. After aplying any bonuses and penalties, the number you have left is the number you must beat. Since you are shooting at optimal range, and the enemy has no cover, they get no bonuses. And since this is a suprise attack, you get a plus one bonus to shooting.

In short, its a score of 9 minus 6. which means you must roll a 3 or higher to hit.

You rolled a 6. So yeah.

>Back to the action!
(contin.)

>>18519616
Awesome! Also, how much are zoids, as far as purchasing goes? Like, about how much would a Rev Raptor cost, as an example? Are Zoids in the hundreds of thousands if not millions of Credits, or hundreds to thousands?

>>18519616
The shell from your 35mm punches right through the dirt over you and nails the leftmost Helcat in the front shoulder. It comes to an immediate halt, its commrade soon doing the same. They don't see you, but they know you're there, and that you have guns big enough to take them out.

["Good job, bro!"] the courier congragulates you as he continues to limp down the ridge edge. ["I'll stay out of your way, let em have it."]

Map shows current possitions.
>What do?

>>18519710
You know how much a tank costs in real life?
Yeah. They're even more expensive.

>>18519724
>map shows current positions
>no map

My god, the Helcats are using their stealth fields!

>>18519753
So, millions and millions. Looks like we're a long way from getting something better than our Molga then.

>>18519754
I hate myself...

rolled 10 = 10

>>18519774
Aim for their weapons, then fire again! Rolling.

>>18519816
Awe shit son is that a nat 10?!
a natural 10 on a shelling atempt is critical shot. It's an automatic hit, does aditional damage, and hits whatever specific spot you aimed at without fail.

"Fuck, Kenny!" The other bandit belows as his comrade takes further damage, the rear beam cannon shearing off from its placement.

"Quick, engage cloak fields!"
Well damn. You half hoped they didn't have working ones. They disapear from your sight, and likely know your position now.

>What do?

>>18519998
Shit. Bury ourselves underground and try to circle around behind where we last saw them. Also, I gotta sleep now, but I love this Quest OP!

>>18519998
2 can play this game, and I burrow

>>18519998
How much of a dust cloud can be created by our digging machinery and if it's big enough I say burrow, reposition, dust cloud reposition fire on targets in dust.

>>18520117
As you engage the Laser cutter and burrow deeper, both of them spray you position with their laser machine guns. Some pierce through the dirt and strike your armour, but your built Molga strong, and the armor shrugs most of the damage off. You dig down and along the edge of the plateau, eyes on your sensors for any hint to where they are.

They dance around and pepper at the ground randomly trying to flush you out, but they're not even getting close.
Your at a standoff.

>How do you figure out their position?

>>18520117
Your digging with a suped up laser torch, so not much at all.

>>18520154
Use my sensors to detect the vibrations they make as they move around and attempt to find me

>>18520154
Check the plateau for any unstable rock formations that we can break up and drop on the area to both limit movement and cause minor damage hopefully immobilizing at least one.

>>18520154
Try to detect where they are by where their shots are coming from.

>>18520187
>>18520225
You manage to guess their relative position the seismic sensors, but not anything definite.
You spot a rock formation north of your position that seems unstable, but you'd need to lure them to it to have any effect.

["Gerald, bro, you read?"] crackles your com.
"I read, what's your situation?"
["Heading around to get up this slope, with some altitude I might can spot those creeps for ya. I'll just be a few more seconds."]
You offer your thanks.

>What do?

>>18520318
Wait for his information while I use my sensors to focus on the most likely area. I also start scanning for thermal readings

>>18520368
After a tense few seconds, your com crackles once more.
["There! Movement 30 yards from the rock face, point 51/49!"]

You take aim with your 35mm and fire.

(roll d10 and state following actions)

rolled 6 = 6

>>18520582
lets do this

>>18520582

Aim for the cockpit with our biggest gun. Don't nobody fire at Gerald DeFlynn.

>>18520653
Oh right fire so the front legs are damaged at the joint

>>18520653
You just manage to land the shot, knocking out the rear left leg of the Helcat, its cloak short circuiting and becoming visible.

However it seems you've used up your luck, as right afterwards, the other Helcat fires on your position with its beam cannon. Your cockpit rocks as your hit directly behind the canopy. Your armor buckles, and your hub screeches warnings of armor breaching.

The good news is that the other Helcat is more or less out of the fight, as it limps around on only 2 functional legs.

>What do?

>>18520816
Burrows again and check my damage read out, (is the second hellcat visable or just the damaged one?)

rolled 2 = 2

>>18520816
We do this- >>18520653
and go for the remaining Helcat's cockpit. Hopefully we can take them both out and do some reverse banditry.

Also, how do I know my dice roll will be low?

>>18520844
The undamaged one is not visible, but you know its position
>>18520844
>>18520849
You return fire as you pull away, but the shot goes wide. Continuing to burrow through the ground, the remaining bandit fires both his guns to try and pin you down. Some glancing blows strike your armor plates, straining them to their limit. You manage to make it behind a rock formation giving you some cover.

["He's following after you bro, be careful!"]

>What now?

>>18520959
(is this the previously mentioned unstable formation?)

>>18520991
No, but you are near it.
The enemy should be close enough now to make use of it.

rolled 4 = 4

I target the formation with my 35mm

>>18521242
(You are very lucky rocks can't dodge)

You hold for a moment, until your sensors confirm the Helcat has rounded the slope, then fire at the formation. The rocks come tumbling down, kicking up dust.
Because you are Sandwise, you can easily pick out his silhouette as he leaps away from the rocks.

And thats the end. You burst out from the ground, alpha striking with your quad guns as you fire the 35mm.

Mid leap, he has no chance, and your shots decimate his zoid. The cloak drops, and the Helcat falls over in the fashion you are well familiar with. He's out of commision.

>What now?

>>18521464
I establish a comm link with the pilot Ive been helping, and asking him his name,destination and status

>>18521494
Help that there courier out.

We should also tie up those rogues that were accosting the courier...and then maybe we can loot their Helcats?

>>18521464
What kind of storage capabilities do we have, depending on the size loot the zoids for stealth generators and weapons. Also check on the guys we just took out and find out if they are organized or random and if organized the location of the base.

You realize you don't even know the guys name. You start to call him up, but see that he's already making his way over to you.
You wonder why, when you suddenly see a small object fly past your field of vision, heading away from you. Realization hits you as you find the other Helcat, slumped on the ground.
The head, which is also a detachable escape craft, is missing. Looks like one got away.

["Ah, damn. Sorry, bro, I tried to stop him before he limped away, but he ejected."]

"That's alright, he won't be doing anymore harm for a while. What's your name, kid?"

He comes up to you and gets out of his zoid. He's a young guy with a brown ponytail and squint y eyes.
"Names Rob." he waits for you to get out and greet you properly with a firm handshake.
"And it goes without saying, but I'm you man for life, bro, I mean it."

>Do you have any questions for Rob?

>>18521863
Where you headed to lad? And whtcha got that them damn bandits went an attacked ya for it?

>>18521904
Rob scratches his head.
"That's just it, bro, I already drop off the components i was delivering. My storage unit's emptier than my fuel tanks. I was heading back to my company's base when they jumped me."

He looks over at the other Helcat. "Hey, we should probably do something about that guy before he wakes up."

You agree and fetch some rope as well as your pistol. Rob grabs a stick thats handy and follows behind. After forcing the hatch open, you find the man inside unconscious from head trauma. You tie him up all the same.

>Actions?

>>18522011
I haul his ass out of the cockpit and drop him on the ground. Then I check his zoids readouts looking for transmissions and status of the cloaking field and weapons

Carefully remove him from the cockpit, we might be able to get some information from him about where his buddy went later. After that, let's see what toys his Zoid has.

>>18522081
You find no logs other than the short ranged communications he'd had with his partner. No trace of anything that would disclose his origin.
Looking at the diagnostics, the cloak is ofline, but seems repairable. Both Beam machine guns and beam cannons are working. Rob's Merder has plenty of space for both, though you don't have the equipment to take out the Cloak shield at present.
Do you:
Affect repairs?
Scavenge other parts?
Try to wake the bandit for interrogation?
others?

>>18522211
I check the fuel tanks and see if Rob wants to siphon some. I also ask if he would mind helping me transport the weapons and cloaking to a repair shop. After all this, I smack the bandit with the grip of my pistol to wake him up.

>>18522293
I agree with most of this, but why would you pistol whip someone with head trauma? Let's not severely injure the prisoner.

>>18522345
I was thinking more allong the lines of hitting one of his ribs

>>18522293
Rob's Merder only needs fuel for boosters. You have no boosters, and no fuel to syphon.

Rob asks you to not inflict further head injuries to the man, as this might kill him, and leave you with no one to interegate

Rob says he's cool with helping you transport your loot once he can patch up the Merder's legs some. He suggest you do the same for your Molga.
As for the cloaking device, he suggests removing the head and limbs of the less damaged Helcat and pulling it on a litter till you can get it to a proper hanger to dissect it.

After spending some time on dismantling and repairs, you are both patched up and ready to go, and your spoils save the cloak.

Do you want to take Rob's suggestion and pull the main body along, or leave it here for now? Niether of you have the tools or expertise to remove it yourself.

>>18522376
He's already unconscious from head trauma. We don't know how serious it is, it could be as simple as he hit his head or it could be much, much worse. Do you really want to take the chance that jostling him anymore could seriously cripple or kill him? We can either take him with us into the nearest town for a) medical attention or b) turn him over to whatever passes for the law around here. Or we can wait for him to wake up so that we can grill him about his partners likely whereabouts.

>>18522415
Hell yeah, just drag the body, ought to be some air lines or electrical cables to drag the sum' bitch.

You know...we could always bury the two Helcats and mark this location on our map and then come back later with some help in moving them...then we'd have a fully functional Helcat plus extra parts.

>>18522500
>>18522538
You opt to drag the body of the helcat with you, and bury the remaining parts to pick up later. Burrowing a few crossing tunnels, you manage to cause some of the grand beneath the sand to cave in. Pushing the remaining parts into the makeshift pit, Rob uses his Merder to kick sand and dirt on top of it. Not exactly inconspicuous, but anyone who stumbled here would have a hard time taking anything out.
Tying off the body of the remaining zoid, and stowing the bandit in the Merder's storage compartment, you both head out.

"So where we going, bro?"
"To this hanger someone told me about when I was getting my battle license."
"Oh yeah? When was that?"
"Today."
He's quiet for a moment. "You just got your license today?"
"Yes."
"Dude, you're badass."

>Elsewhere

A balding man sat in a luxurious chair smoking a cigar.
"Kenny," he states after exhaling, "I gave you and Todd a very, very simple job. Hell, I did most of the work for you."
He stands up and casually strolls towards the other man. "I went through a lot of trouble finding the route that courier would take. I spent a lot of money to get you the equipment you needed. All I asked for in return is you bring me one. Little. Defenseless. Merder."

The man named Kenny shivers nervously as his employer reaches out and takes hold of his jaw.
"Not only do I not have my Merder, but you got the nerve to crawl back here with your tail between your legs, having lost the zoids I provided you with my own, hard earned money."

"Boss, wait, I can explAAUUUGH!" Kenny is interrupted as the other man jabs the end of his cigar into his eye. He crumples to the floor, writhing in pain.

The boss snaps his fingers, and someone steps out from the dark and lights another cigar for him.
"I'll deal with you later." he spits, as he brings up the holoscreen that shows a Molga. "So you think you can come in and mess with my operation, do you? Kai."
"Sir." Another man with black hair cut military style steps forward.
"Find out who this guy is. If he gets in the way again, kill him."
"Understood."
(cont.)

"Audrey." the boss calls, a young girl with dark hair and skin comes forward. "I'm counting on you tomorrow to make back some money. Understand?"
"..." the girl keeps her head lowered. The man cocks and eye.

"Answer me when I talk to you!" he shouts as he backhands her. She falls to the ground with a shriek.
"Yes sir..." she replies weakly.
"That's better." He walks off and exits the room. Aubrey's eyes well up, when a hand reaches down to her.
"Up you go, princess." the man named Kai says with a smile. "Don't take it personaly, you know how the boss get's when his plans don't go right."
He helps her up, and whispers some thanks before running out of the room. Kai sighs, and offers a pittying glance at the man on the floor.

so i guess thats it for tonight. works gonna keep me busy all week long, so there wont be a new thread till next friday

thanks for playing, everyone