The following material is an adaptation of mecha from MACROSS DYNAMITE 7 a sequel of the original Japanese MACROSS TV series (which became Robotech in the U.S.). Please feel free to use, copy, and distribute it as you see fit, but please give credit to the author/s. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
VF-5000B STAR-MIRAGE ATMOSPHERIC VARIABLE FIGHTER
- RPG Stats by MARK MCALISTER
- Layout Style Adapted from
DAVE DEITRICH (deitrich@mcs.net)
- Background info provided by the
MACROSS ONLINE COMPENDIUM
- Edited by DANIEL HENWOOD
(dhenwood@hotmail.com)
BACKGROUND
The VF-5000B Star Mirage is the first venture of the new aerospace conglomerate Shinsei Industries. Designed as a low cost general-purpose lightweight support and air superiority fighter that would be affordable to a wide range of customers, the VF-5000B was turned out in great numbers to the UN Armed Forces and Colony worlds. Making its first flight in 2018, and entering mass production in 2020, the VF-5000B assumed the United Nations Forces' main fighter designation from the VF-4 (due to its lower costs) beginning in the later half of the 2020s until the VF-11 Thunderbolt's introduction, with mass production ending in 2029. After production ended the VF-5000B took over as the main aggressor and training fighter of the UN Armed Forces
The VF-5000B features an excellent
mix of speed and maneuverability for a fighter, together with enough firepower and combat endurance to endure any combat situation. Especially as it was the first fighter in the UN Armed Forces to utilise internally mounted micro-missile launchers. By the mid 2040s, the VF-5000B has become obsolete within the UN Armed Forces from a frontline combat perspective, however many VF-5000's still exist for training purposes. The VF-5000B is more than capable of keeping up with the more advanced fighters in terms of manouverability, but it suffers from a lack of speed. The singular upgrade package of the VF-5000B, the VF-5000G however is still very much in use with Colony World Defence Forces
RPG STATS
Vehicle Types: VF-5000
Class: Variable Atmospheric Interdiction Fighter
Manufacturer: Shinsei Industries
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System
MDC BY LOCATION:
Head Laser 30
(1) Head 75
Arms (2) 100 each
(2) Main Body 300
Legs/Thrusters (2) 200 each
Main Wings (2) 125 each
Tails (2) 50 each
GU-13 Gunpod 100
Reinforced Pilot Compartment 175
NOTES:
- Destroying the head of the fighter will knock out the mecha's major
sensor systems, including all of the optics systems (infrared,
nightvision, thermal). Radar and communications will be unaffected.
- Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha. The pilot
and cockpit section/escape pod will be automatically ejected from the
doomed mecha before it explodes by the mecha's main computer.
SPEEDS:
- RUNNING, BATTLOID CONFIGURATION:
- 100 mph (160 kmph)
- LEAPING, BATTLOID CONFIGURATION:
- 55 ft (17 m) high or 80 ft (24.5 m) long without thrusters.
- FLYING, GERWALK/BATTLOID CONFIGURATION:
- Mach One (670 mph/1072 kmph)maximum speed limit in an Earth-like
atmosphere. Can also hover in place indefinitely.
- FLYING, FIGHTER CONFIGURATION:
- Mach 2.85 max speed at 10,000 meters or less
above sea level. Mach 4.73 max speed at
30,000 meters above sea level. Max altitude of 48,000 meters
without rocket booster assistance.
With FAST Packs attached speeds are Mach 4 below 10,000 metres, Mach 8.5 at 30,000 metres and above, and also allow the fighter to attain orbit.
STATISTICAL DATA:
- LENGTH:
- 14.03 metres in fighter configuration.
- PHYSICAL STRENGTH:
- Equal to a P.S. of 50
- CARGO:
- Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings.
- POWER PLANT:
- Two Shinsei Industries/Pratt & Whitney/Rolls Royce FF-2015RB
thermonuclear turbine engines, each rated at 12500 kg, plus 10,000 x 4 from FAST Packs. Several additional Pratt & Whitney
HMM-3A high-maneuverability vernier thrusters for additional mobility
are mounted at key positions along the mecha's hull.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
- ANTI-AIRCRAFT PULSE LASER: The VF-5000B mounts a single pulse laser for
use in air combat skirmishes and for defensive purposes. The laser is
mounted on the head of the mecha in battloid mode, and is located in
the central dorsal section of the main body pointed rearward in
fighter and gerwalk modes. The laser can only fire to the REAR of the fighter in these modes; it cannot be turned to fire along another arc.
- PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
- SECONDARY PURPOSE: Point Defense
- RANGE: 4,000 feet (1,200 m)
- DAMAGE: 2D6 M.D.
- RATE OF FIRE: The laser can be fired in rapid pulses up to 4
blasts per round. A rapid fire blast counts as a burst of up to 4
shots.
- PAYLOAD: Unlimited
- GU-13 MULTIPURPOSE GUN POD: The GU-13 hand-held gunpod unit is a
smaller version of the GU-11. The GU-13 fires armor piercing 55mm
shells and is the direct predecessor of the the GU-15.
- PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
- SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
- RANGE: 4,000 feet (1200 m)
- DAMAGE: 4D6 M.D. for a short burst, 1D6x10 M.D. for a long burst,
or 2D6x10 M.D. for a full melee burst.
- RATE OF FIRE: Equal to the number of combined attacks of the
pilot.
- PAYLOAD: 400 rounds per clip equals 40 short bursts, 20 long bursts, or 10 full melee bursts. Additional ammo clips can be
inserted, but exchanging clips requires 2 melee actions.
- MICRO-MISSILE LAUNCHERS (4): Four seperate micro-missile launchers are
carried internally by the VF-5000B, one in each limb. While the
internal magazine is small, they nevertheless provide additional heavy
firepower. The loss of a limb will result in the loss of the
respective missile launcher.
- PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
- SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
- RANGE: 1 mile (1.6 km)
- DAMAGE: 1D4x10 M.D.
- RATE OF FIRE: Volleys of 1 to 4 missiles per launcher. One volley
counts as one attack.
- PAYLOAD: 6 missiles per launcher, 24 missiles total.
- WING HARD POINTS: Three fixed hard points are mounted on each wing of
the VF-5000B for a total of 6 hardpoints on the fighter. These
hardpoints can be used to hold a variety of different ordinance types,
including long, medium, or short ranged missiles, or even the new
intermediate-ranged high-maneuverability (IRHM) missiles (after 2040).
One long ranged, one IRHM, 3 medium ranged, or 5 short ranged missiles
can be mounted per hardpoint.
- LONG RANGE MISSILES
- Primary Purpose: Heavy Assault
- Secondary Purpose: Anti-Spacecraft
- Missile Types: Any type of UN Spacy Long
Range Missile can be used.
- Range: Varies with missile type.
- Damage: Varies with missile type.
- Rate of Fire: One to six (all) missiles.
- Payload: One per hardpoint; 6 maximum.
- MEDIUM RANGE MISSILES
- Primary Purpose: Assault
- Secondary Purpose: Anti-Mecha
- Missile Types: Any type of UN Spacy Medium
Range Missile can be used.
- Range: Varies with missile type.
- Damage: Varies with missile type.
- Rate of Fire: 1-3 missiles per hardpoint.
- Payload: Three per hardpoint; up to 18 maximum.
- HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the pilot of the VF-5000B can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The variable fighter is extremely agile and can execute most typical hand to hand combat moves, such as punches, jump kicks, leap attacks, rolling with impacts, etc.
DAMAGE:
- Restrained Punch: 1D4 M.D.
- Full Strength Punch: 2D6 M.D.
- "Booster" Punch: 3D6 M.D. (counts as two attacks)
- Tear or Pry with Hands: 1D6 M.D.
- Kick: 1D6 M.D.
- Leap Kick: 2D6 M.D.
- Body Flip/Throw: 1D4 M.D.
- Body Block/Tackle: 1D6 M.D.
- Stomp: 1D6 M.D. (only effective against small objects)
FAST PACKS:
The VF-5000B was designed with a FAST pack with aerodynamics in mind, due to the primarily atmospheric role of the fighter. The top mounted FAST packs are designed to hug closely to the body of the fighter, and feature air intakes for the engines of the FAST pack which allows the fighter to fly at much faster speeds in both an atmosphere and in space.
The internally carried missiles on the dorsal packs exit from a central piece connecting the two packs, whilst the leg mounted packs feature two forward mounted launch ports per leg pack.
- MDC VALUE: 100 (each)
- WEAPONRY:
- HMMM-Mk 5 MICRO-MISSILE LAUNCHERS
- PRIMARY PURPOSE:
Assault/Defense
- MISSILE TYPES:
Any type of Short Range Missile
can be used.
- RANGE:
Varies with missile type, typically 2.5 miles (4 km).
- DAMAGE:
Varies with missile type, typically 1D6x10 M.D.
- RATE OF FIRE:
Volleys of 1 to 6 missiles. (2 for the top FAST packs, and 2 per leg mounted pack)
- PAYLOAD:
12 missiles.
STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE VF-5000B:
- AUTO-PILOT: The VF-5000B is equipped with a computerized auto-pilot.
Although not as complex as those equipped on some other VFs, it can be
reasonably trusted to get the fighter from point A to point B safely.
The onboard computer will alert the pilot when the fighter is near its
destination, and can also be set to automatically signal when sensors
detect objects near the mecha.
- COMBAT COMPUTER W/HUD DISPLAYS: The VF-5000 is equipped with a combat
computer that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile
forces. The entire cockpit canopy of the VF-5000 is a large HUD
display, which allows the computer to display large amounts of data to
the pilot and even highlight enemies and missile attacks with overlaid
graphics. The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy
targets, and has a database of over 10,000 images stored in memory.
The computer can identify and track up to 250 targets simultaneously.
- ESCAPE POD: The entire reinforced cockpit of the VF-5000 is a
detachable escape pod that can be jettisoned when the mecha is
destroyed. The ejected cockpit does not contain thrusters, but does
contain a powerful locator beacon and an integrated life support
system that can support the pilot for up to 24 hours after ejection.
The pod is also equipped with parachutes in case of ejection in an
atmosphere. The combat computer is programmed to automatically eject the escape pod if the mecha is destroyed (main body MDC reduced to 0),
but this can be overridden if the pilot is feeling suicidal for some
reason.
- EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification
system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
- HEAT AND RADIATION SHIELDS: Special shielding prevents the penetration
of life threatening heat and radiation. A radiation detection and
alarm system are linked with the shields and will sound an alarm if
there is a rupture in the shields and what the levels of radiation
are.
- HOMING SIGNAL: The escape pod of the VF-5000B is equipped with a homing
device that enables rescue teams to locate a disabled craft or ejected
life pod. The range of the signal is 400 miles (640 km). Most UN Spacy
ships and variable fighters can locate and track homing signals, and
the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a
signal is detected.
- LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Range: 100 miles (160 km). Used for increased
accuracy in the striking of enemy targets and is partly responsible
for the mecha's strike bonus.
- LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can
be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
- OPTICS: INFRARED: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). This optical system
projects a beam of infrared light that is invisible to the normal eye,
but detectable by the mecha's sensors. The system allows the pilot to
detect hidden/concealed objects by their IR reflectiveness. The beam
will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics, however.
- OPTICS: NIGHTVISION: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive light image
intensifier that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient
light which is electronically amplified to produce a visible picture.
- OPTICS: THERMAL IMAGER: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive optical
heat sensor that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects
and converts that data into a false-color visible image. The system
enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows, and through smoke,
and also adds a +10% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill.
- RADAR: 200 mile (321 km) range.
- RADIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATION: Long range, directional communications
system with satellite relay capabilities. Range: 600 miles (960 km) or
can be boosted indefinitely via satellite relay.
- SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture of a variable fighter by the enemy,
the pilot can activate the VF-5000's self-destruct system, which will
cause the fighter to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time
is set by the pilot). The explosive damage is contained within a 20
foot (6 m) area and inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the
radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated. The
escape pod will be automatically ejected prior to the explosion unless
the pilot overrides the ejection sequence.
- STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All UN Spacy variable fighters come equipped
with a portable survival kit. Inside the small reinforced box is a
medium-sized flashlight, two hand flares, one rocket flare, a compass,
infrared distancing binoculars, a small mirror, a pocket knife,
dehydrated and concentrated food (can be stretched into a five day
supply for one person) and basic first aid items (aspirin, bandages,
disinfectants, etc.)
- TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM: The VF-5000's cockpit is pressurized,
and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that
provides him with pressurized breathing. The UN Spacy flight suit also
contains an upper and lower g-suit that promotes blood circulation
even during high-g turns, thus decreasing the possibility of pilot's
blacking out in combat.
COMBAT BONUSES FOR VF-5000B COMBAT TRAINING:
BASIC VARIABLE FIGHTER COMBAT TRAINING
- Basic training for non-pilot military personnel.
- 1 attack per melee (plus those of the pilot).
- Add one additional action/attack at levels three, nine, and fifteen.
- +1 on initiative.
- +1 to strike.
- +1 to parry
- +1 to dodge in battloid mode, +3 in gerwalk, +5 in fighter mode.
- +1 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by
half.
- No leap dodge.
- No leap kick.
- Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.
- Body block/tackle/ram - 1D6 M.D. plus a 50% chance of knocking an
opponent down, causing him to loose initiative and one attack that
melee round.
ADVANCED VF-5000 COMBAT TRAINING
- Advanced training for pilots specializing in the VF-5000.
- 3 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
- Add one additional action/attack at levels three, six, eleven, and
fifteen.
- +2 on initiative.
- +2 to strike
- +2 to parry
- +2 to dodge in battloid mode, +4 in gerwalk, +6 in jet mode. +1 to
dodges in all modes when used in an atmosphere (+3 to dodge in
battloid mode, +5 in gerwalk, +7 in jet mode).
- +2 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by
half.
- +2 to leap dodge. A leap dodge is an automatic dodge which causes no
loss of attacks per melee. The new generation variable fighters are so
maneuverable that the pilot can dodge an attack while moving to
counterattack an enemy.
- Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.
- Body block/tackle/ram - 1D6 M.D. plus a 50% chance of knocking an
opponent down, causing him to loose initiative and one attack that
melee round.
REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN