Aestavalis - Heavy Artillery Unit

Name: Aestavalis - Heavy Artillery Unit Species: Human - Nergal Technology: Robot

Background

The Heavy Artillery Unit is the most powerful of the Nadesico's standard design Aestavalis, in offensive and defensive power it is only matched by the Lunar Frame enhanced Aestavalis.

To withstand the rigors of ground combat, the Heavy Artillery Unit carries enhanced armour and carries heavier weaponry than the other standard designs of Aestavalis, though this significantly reduces its mobility and increases its power consumption.

As with all standard designs, the Heavy Artillery Unit does not have an internal power generator which would further reduce its maneuverability, it carries a Graviton Power siphon engine capable to drawing power from an external power source, usually a command vessel or ground base  with its  own internal Phase Transition plants. Power is siphoned from a graviton power beam and used to charge internal batteries and power the robots sensors, movement and weapons systems. The use of a power beam limits the radius of the Heavy Artillery Unit, though its caterpillar tracks allow for low energy use when moving, and is main weapons are conventional (The Heavy Artillery Unit does not carry energy based cannons) giving it the ability to survive in combat close to the edges of the graviton power beam, where the level of energy is far lower than in the centre.

Heavy Artillery Units can be equipped with enhanced batteries to prolog their combat time outside of the range of their power supply, though these are depleted rapidly by shielding and are usually reserved for long ranged missions with limited or brief combat potential.

Armour

To withstand intense ground combat, and to swing the balance because of its lower maneuverability, the Heavy Artillery Unit carries additional plastic and ceramic armour plating over its entire surface. In Addition it carries shock absorbing mechanisms on its legs and arms to absorb the recoil from its shoulder mounted rockets and portable howitzer (main weapon). This armour further decreases the the Heavy Artillery Unit's mobility, but serves to substantially increase its survival rate. It can stand sustained fire from all light and medium weapons currently used by the Jovians, and can stand light fire from heavy Graviton weapons.

Defensive Field

The Heavy Artillery Unit carries a factor fitted Distortion Field, it is possible that it is stronger than the fields used on the other standard models but since the suit carries a factory standard Graviton Power siphon engine, it is likely that it has the same upper limits on the power of its shield.

Weaponry

The Heavy Artillery Unit is capable of carrying all standard Aestavalis weaponry and has an additional range of mission specific (Heavy) weapons for combating enemies.

Mission Specific Weapons

Medium Guided Rockets.
120MM Armour penetrating Howitzer.
Magnetic Contact Explosives.

Standard Weapons

Rocket Claws (Modified).
Assault Rifle (optional).
Combat Knife (optional).
Field Penetration Halberd/Lance (optional).

The Heavy Artillery Unit carries a 120MM armour penetrating Howitzer capable of penetrating the shielding around all Jovian insects, and capable of attacking light Jovian ships, though its effectiveness against frigates and larger vessels is limited to attacking them once their shields have been neutralized by another attacker, or have been damaged by other Aestavalis. Several Heavy Artillery Units are capable of defeating a Frigate or even a larger warship.

View Heavy Cannon View Rocket Thruster

The Nadesico deployed two Heavy Artillery Units and three Land Units in their successful attack against the Jovian Graviton Rale Gun, which managed to thwart all previous attempts to attack it, both from the air, and by ground based forces. However the ammunition limits placed on the robot by its solid round weapons meant that the mission almost ended in the destruction of the Nadesico.

Due to the increased load from its heavy armour, The Heavy Artillery Unit cannot perform the same feats of maneuverability as the other standard models, it however is still able to use its thrusters for short flights, and can climb buildings or other large objects with the aid of its modified rocket forearms.

This Aestavalis was first introduced during the Nadesico's first voyage to Mars, and has since been used in the defense of Earth.

Additional Components

Enhanced Armor.
Enhanced Targeting systems.
Recoil suppression and adsorption motors.
Enhanced stabilizers (lower body).
Ammunition storage and feeding units.