Kaiten (Heavy Metal Magellan)

This page describes a mech for the game Heavy Metal Magellan, from a mostly in-universe perspective.

Kaiten

About Kaiten.

Overview

Name:	Kaiten
Model:	Custom
Chassis:	Mitsubishi TS-28-tokko
Weight class:	medium
Weight:	45 tons - 49 tons (fully armed)
Height:	16 m
Top speed:	90 Km/h without thruster and 170 Km/h with thruster

Description

The "Kaiten" is a bipedal two manned unit, one pilot, the first pilot, the striker or "arrow", is in charge of fighting the enemies in front of him, pretty much like the standard mecha-pilot; the second pilot, the assistant or the "bow", is in charge of the main radar screen and other electronic pieces, to receive and send complex messages and turn it into simple orders for his partner and keep an eye on the battlefield and specially to ensure that the particle cannon be shot in the optimal conditions available during battle. It is a secondary role but still can influence the result of the battle. We could say that the arrow is the tactical aspect while the bow is the strategical one, that commands the mecha, However the mecha can work pretty well with only one man in the fighting aspects, but the radar and sensors information is given in screens over the head of the first pilot, which cannot show the whole picture or give the details as another pilot could.

It was developed to be an elite assault unit, able to advance over no-man's land faster than other mechas, but also to penetrate the enemy formations through superior firepower and stop a potential counterattack in close ranged combat.

Armaments

Standard armaments

Particle cannon

(Fixed.) Located in its head is probably the most powerful gun available for this mecha but certainly not the main nor the most useful gun. It fires a concentrated beam of electronic particles, as it doesn't fie a solid projectile it has no recoil and an effective range of 4 km. but its effects are better if shot closer, at the end of the 4 km it produces 2nd degree burns as much for people, probably a hot surface for mechas. Although it's powerful and got a descent range, it devours the energy reserves of the mecha and also, due that overheats easily, it can be only shot 3 times before the electronic matrix (the core of the particle cannon) had to be replaced (and as those are produced in specialized in the colonies it is almost no way to replace them on Earth), a fourth shot is theoretically possible but its consequences might be from a blackout to an explosion in the energy system. It has also another problem, being a particle cannon, it can only shot straight and doesn’t have the parabolic inclination of a cannon shooting solid ammo.

High vibration knives

(Fixed.) A set of metal blades of a modest size which can vibrate using the same particle technology of the particle cannon, capable to slice enemy mecha’s armor, it cannot pierce deeply but it is useful to cause damage on precise points. Are located in each arm of the mecha and are not hold in their hands bit comes from their wrists. Its slicing/vibrating capability is underdeveloped due to the fear that its vibration may damage the mecha's arms.

Gattling gun

(Fixed.) A slug-firing cannon with multiple barrels. The Gatling has a very high fire rate, using up ammunition with surprising speed. It has recoil and can be fired from point blank to medium range, but is located only on the left arm. It is not a big gun, for the mechas standards, actually is relatively small, designed to deal with small mechas or enemy infantry, it is a bit bigger than the size the of Miniguns used in helicopters. Its bullets are contained in a cartridge which is charged in the forearm. It can shot explosive or solid ammunition.

Missiles pods

(Not fixed.) attached to the thighs of the mecha it can carry 6 missiles of medium range.

Non-standard armaments

High vibration spear

(Not fixed.) A long spear which use the same technology of the vibration knives. It has more power and it's probably the main weapon of this mecha.

Subsystems

Main thruster

(Not fixed.) a part almost of the same height of the mecha itself it can provides an remarkable speed, it allows to perform jumps to some notorious height or to provide an equally impressive acceleration while advancing horizontally. It was not thought to be used like a jet thruster, which is in use permanently while the airplane is flying, but to be used during a few seconds to allow the mecha reach the enemies or escape of them.

Strategical propulsors and repulsors

(Fixed.) set in different places of the mecha play a key role to get maneuverability and perform the uki-ashi or floating feet. It was a samurai technique which focuses on fighting while standing only on the toes, and then being able to react and change position suddenly for attack or defense. For this mecha using the thruster to move fastly. The propellers and repulsors also help to change direction suddenly.

Twin radar system

(Fixed.) the mecha has a twin radar system, the first, in the left shoulder is long ranged and reaching 5 to 6 km. but there is a gap of 8 seconds between every radar pulse. The second radar system, in the right shoulder, is of close ranged, but aims to read more precise details and the gap is of 1.5 seconds, reaching only between 500 and 600 m.

Other detection systems

(Fixed.) Besides the radar, it has thermic sensors and sensors which can read the electromagnetic activity (like those produced by intense electrical activity), although it has both, only one of these 2 can work at the time, is up to the pilots to switch one another depending of the situation. Both work relatively well in close range, are very imprecise in medium range, and don’t work beyond 400 m.

Combat effectiveness

Strengths

Firepower

Even with its limitations it has a good firepower in close range ( the gattling) and a reasonable firepower in medium range (the missiles) its particle cannon also provides a limited but important support in long range, its potency surpass most of what you can expect in a mecha of that size since it was developed to pierce that even the heaviest mecha can offer.

Speed and maneuverability

Its main thruster makes it a fast mecha capable to reach good speed and also to move on the battlefield with great skill which makes it capable to evade shots and to move into favorable positions to attack or defend itself, of course with a good pilot.

Versatile

Having many options means be able to alternate among them and build complex strategies to obtain the most of each weapon, being a two manned mecha, also helps to think in strategies even in the worst of the fight

Some weapons are easy to repair and charge

Some weapons like missiles and the Gatling gun are cheap to maintain and their ammo is cheap and easy to find, some others like the knives and spears works directly with the power system of the mecha.

Weaknesses

Armor

this mecha has firepower and speed, but some of the armor protection had to be sacrificed, its armor is lighter than in other mechas of its size. This weakness was supposedly compensated by a speed that should make it a difficult target and style of fighting that emphasizes eliminating the enemy in one blow if fighting in close range.

Spare parts

it is not easy to find all spare parts, besides, it is not easy neither to find spare parts for a machine which is not in the market. Some of them could be found in very specialized companies, a couple of them only in the colonies.

Test type

although most of the gun systems could work pretty well, the Particle cannon are still in test and development phase, therefore failures are to be expected.

Page owners: King Serperior, Saria, akirakaneda