Yes, its
been a while, but I finally got my hands on one of the newer 30MM
kits. And while this was a less involved project than the last one, I
did find this a very satisfying experience.
As both a
kit and a robot model, the Rabiot is very much cut from the same
cloth as the Alto and Portanova. This is mainly due to the common
joint sprue being retained for compatibility, while the visuals are
akin to the Alto but bulkier. The main functional change involves the
weaponry, which sees both the Roy Roy and the unconvincing melee
weapon being dumped in favour of a larger shotgun type weapon. Those
options return in other kits, and there is an adaptor present so you
can swap out the gun barrel if that's something you want. Like most
30MM kits, the Rabiot is largely flawless as a no-nonsense grunt
project, and if you've built one previously, you know what you are
getting here. With one exception.
Bandai
seems have taken the opportunity to go a bit weird with these "2nd
gen" kits, and the Rabiot is clearly not intended as a straight
iteration on the Alto. You do get armour sets, but these, for
reasons, feature crotch mounted digging equipment. This is
hysterical, but it's not without precedent. Combat engineer variants
of the Zaku for example have been around longer than I have, and the
idea of "subarms" goes back to Zeta and the Titans Test Team. Then you realise that one set is in yellow, while the Rabiot is
in orange...... JCB! CONSTRUCTICONS MAYBE LATER! BUT RIGHT NOW, JCB!
So, I got
the Orange Rabiot, and two of the yellow armour sets, my research
indicating that you could easily double-up. The result is this
asymmetrical but unambiguously construction themed mecha. Observant
readers will note the use of stickers, which come new with these
armour sets. As stickers go: they aren't bad, but I was glad to have
a spare sheet. Actual paint would look much better, but the yellow is
very bright, so that would have taken time. Even more
observant readers will also note the lack of “before” pictures of
the unmodded Rabiot. Ummm, well.... I've left those bits on
the sprue for future projects.
I know
this is one of the shorter and less intellectual blog articles I've
wrote, but hopefully the pictures will make up the difference. Its a
JCB that would kick your ass, and I love it.
Ever roll
a dice on an eBay listing? I'm a little vague on what this actually
is. I know its Russian, a wargaming piece, and a giant robot.
Robogear is a name once associated with Airfix circa 2007, although
more recent information is behind a language barrier. The model kits
of that line have a certain reputation as good conversion fodder for
Ork units, but it seems in never really caught on in the west. The
lack of context for this gives me pause for thought, but here's how I
got on with it.
First
impressions? Not great. The plastic is thick, but there is some nasty
ass flash, big obvious mould lines and the parts fit is lacking. This
could be some form of bootleg, or just really cheaply made, either is
credible. Nothing is difficult to manage, but adds to the “toyish"
feel that comes from the joint design. The good news is you can build
this in sub assemblies before painting, and pose it later, not
requiring glue. The bad news is that these joints are based on
friction, not glue or polycaps, and you need to use a bit of force.
Force isn't something I was happy applying here, because the plastic
marks easily, but paradoxically, I'm reasonably certain an assembled
model would survive the drop test. I'm hesitant to be too harsh or
too kind here, knowing so little about its providence, buuuuuut I've
handled far less robust models than this. Its got the build quality
of a robot toy you find in a random papershop somewhere for a fiver,
one that maybe holds up better than you'd expected, but one that
could appear on a Knockoff Beatdown.
Visually,
the kit evokes a Heavy Gear design, although its quite generic with
other bits suggesting Gundam. It's not without its own flair however,
with the gun seeming attached to the hand by a nut and bolt. It's
wide shouldered and stocky, although I ended up ditching the
oversized ankle guards. Articulation meanwhile is basic, leading me
to the fixed pose you see here. I can see this kit being mainly of
interest to kitbashers, mainly fans of Warhammer 40K looking for
conversion fodder.
In terms
of painting, I opted for basically what I always do for ork vehicles:
dirty metals paired with bright blue. It's the same technique as The Last Gorkanaut, although using a black undercoat this time. I don't
it came out quite as well, buts it certainly not bad. This is also
the first time I've tried making camouflage netting from fabric
bandages. I found the process messy, but worth the effort, and I
think I know how to do it better next time.
This is not a review, as I am
somewhat irrational about this series. It was the last anime I
unreservedly loved, and despite its problems, I still do. It was one
of those zeitgeist moments, where I had the good fortune to be on at
the ground floor. In 2007, Gurren Lagann exploded onto the Internet,
promoting a thousand memes, and a million shouts of "fuck
yes!". A Saturday morning Cartoon from Studio Gainax. A loving
tribute to super robot shows. A deconstruction of robot shows. A
relentless parade of explosions, drills and fan-service. It was all
this, and somehow more. But I want to tell you why it means so much
to me, and why I've returned to it in times of depression and stress.
Gurren
Lagann starts out as a comedy, but turns up the dials to maximum,
especially the one marked "passion", so it flips over to
earnest and incredible. Plotwise it's about the nervous Simon and the
bombastic Kamina, two teens whom live underground in the far future.
When a giant robot falls through the ceiling, closely followed by a
lass in minimal clothing, they get to see the sky for the first time
and embark on a grand adventure. Collecting allies and mecha as they
go, Team Gurren starts in a hole in the ground, and ends up fighting
at the very ends of the universe. Mere words are insufficient to
express the sheer crazy, creativity, and technical skill on display.
But what people always want to talk about is Kamina. The godlike
Kamina. Highly memetic Kamina. The Kamina I would follow into hell.
Kamina the SPOILER ALERT FOR A DECADE OLD SHOW, decoy protagonist
whom ends up pulling a Gai Daigoji.
Kamina
overshadows the meek Simon. Kamina overshadows mountains. Kamina
struts around bare-chested in a red cape and sunglasses, with a sword.
Kamina cares not for logic, or matters of brain. Kamina cares for
manliness and boobies. Kamina can out meme Chuck Morris, and cause
BRIAN BLESSED to go deaf. His speeches could motivate the dead. He
has given motivational speeches despite being dead. But while
being bravado personified: its an act. Kamina radiates positive
reinforcement and cool Big Bro vibes. He seems all talk, and he is.
But the reason why the talk is there is because he knows people,
especially Simon, need that. And Kamina needs Simon, both as an
inspiration, and as the real power of the partnership. We didn't see
this, the other characters didn't, nobody saw it, despite the
narrative shouting it, but Kamina did. And he spends almost his
entire screen time trying to unlock Simon's potential. Just as Simon
spends much time ensuring Kamina's actions actually work. If you've
ever been depressed, this should speak to you. It certainly spoke to
me. And how does this all manifest? In an escalating chain of
masculine insanity where something incredibly awesome happens at
least once an episode.
Sadly, there is an obvious and immediate problem to note. The
downside to Gurren Laganns OTT masculinity, juvenile but endearing,
cis refuge in audacity is however the way it treats non-bloke
characters. I dread mentioning this, as it's the sort of thing that
summons angry incels in the comments, making the false equivalence
fallacy. About Kamina's chest. But, as the most obvious example, let us consider for a moment
the character design of Yoko, the de facto female lead.
Did I mention this show was originally broadcast at half 8 on Sunday morning? Yoko is
introduced with the Male Gaze in full effect, Kamina's to be
specific, and is generally animated for sex appeal. This is an area
which I find both embarrassing and problematic about anime in
general, and Gainax works in particular. I wrote a lengthy digression
about this topic, but decided to shelve it until I can do the matter
justice. As such, I'm limiting myself to the following. Gurren Lagann
is a bit off-putting in its sexual politics, just on first
impression, and doesn't look any better if you start digging into the
details. To be fair on the show, I have seen much
more tasteless and inappropriately sexualised works than this one.
But as I age I find myself less able to tolerate such things, and I
don' t feel that such a tolerance be the price of admission for
watching anime. Perhaps I've matured, maybe I'm just prudish, I
dunno, but I felt it would have been dishonest not to raise the
issue. This article is about my feelings, and that's one of them.
Gurren Lagann does mature into such a show that this does not detract
from its merit, but let's acknowledge it for what it is. Its like an
adorable puppy whom insists on humping your leg, or perhaps a mate
whom makes dirty jokes in McDonald's while eating a Happy Meal.
Please stop, stop, stop. Damn, you'd be so much easier to live with if
you'd just dialled it back.
But that's
not all that it is. What Gurren Lagann is, at least to me, is
uplifting. The characters are often machismo personified, but it's not
toxic masculinity. It's defiance in the face of unjust authority, of
old men telling you it has to be this way, and defiance in the face
of despair. Gurren Lagann is full of authority figures whom are
wrong. They think they have good reasons, but their methods produce
needless hardship for their people. It's not really a matter of
personal power either, these people aren't actually evil, with the
better examples being visibly depressed or conflicted. The
protagonists are mainly orphans, who have hard lives, and don't want
to take it any more. But it's never the motive at fault, it's the
refusal of people to attempt a better way or to simply step aside for
someone else. The universe of Gurren Lagann is one where millennia of
needless pain has been caused in the name of the common good, fearing
terrible consequences. The protagonists challenge and defeat this,
but it's ultimately not framed as history repeating. It's the start
of hope, as those old fears get addressed in a way that's better for
everyone. This theme is above all personified by Simon, the actual
protagonist. And yes, I know its odd to find a life-affirming message
in a cartoon THAT ALSO has a bikini sniper and relentless phallic imagery, but its there.
Not
confident in the first place, Kamina's death in battle breaks Simon,
sending him straight into a pit of self-hatred. Kamina falls to a
sneak attack, but Simon blames himself as it was him that placed
Kamina in that spot. Its understandable, but ultimately not his
fault. But seeing Simon overcome his grief, mainly thanks to his love
interest Princess Nia, meant a lot to me. So many mecha protagonists
start or end up as angst-ridden pricks, but Simon came out the other
side as a more complete person and this is a joy. Then things get
subverted: Simon's won the war, its seven years later, but nastier
foes await, and he's loosing the peace. Nia is claimed by this new
threat, as an avatar, while co-pilot Rossiu has decided its up to him
to make the hard choices, even if those choices involve throwing
Simon under a bus. A bus Rossiu is also driving; it was so very
easy to hate Rossiu during those episodes. Things get bleak, only
for despair to be again defied. Simon rises to the occasion, and
Rossiu realising he's made a lot of bad calls. The strain of this
leads him to attempt suicide, only for Simon to intercede in what can
only be described in the most Gurren Lagann of ways, a sliding punch
to the jaw. This is a callback to Kamina's last moments, and it's not
an act of hate, or a judgement. It's saving a friend, and telling him
you understand. The following and final story arc sees the despair
and defiance theme repeat. Oh shit, we're outmatched, people are
dying. Yes, they died, but they wanted you to live, and they'd make
the same choice in an instant. The powers you invoke will doom the
universe, is the girl worth it? Yeah, who are you to present that
choice? We can save both! The ending is bittersweet? Well, if that's
what it costs. The next generation won't have to deal with your
bullshit, and we'll step aside so they can make their own way.
Things can be better, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
There is so much more to say, but that's why
you need to watch Gurren Lagann.
Periodically,
I wonder if I should give the Gundam SEED universe another go. This
was an alternative continuity circa 2004, which more or less
functioned as a de-facto remake before going in its own direction.
Japan loves it, although the Western fanbase is far less keen, and
I'll admit to following the herd on that issue. Truth is, I don't
think I ever saw enough of it to have anything more than a gut
feeling about its merit. Then again, SEED as a whole was not exactly
known for creativity in its mecha designs, and has a genetic
engineering theme I find troubling. Case in point: the ZAKU Warrior,
a Zaku remake with no pretence of originality, operated by a
faction of GMO teens whose existence and story role has some
unfortunate implications.
Looking
back, the Warrior was both a warning sign and a hate sink for the
series SEED Destiny. Nobody disputes that Zakus are cool, not least
me, but this gave the impression of creative bankruptcy, as Seed
already had an obvious Zaku expy. This is best represented by the
almost aggressively acronymic arglebargle of its name. Its called the
ZAKU warrior, so what does ZAKU mean? So, what does ZAFT armed keeper
of Unity. What does ZAFT mean? No, it's not a bathroom cleaner, it
means Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty. But wait, there's more! The
Warrior has a modular "Wizard Pack" that this kit omits,
basically weapon kits, and assorted variants. Depending on which
variant and/or weapons it has, this Mobile Suit could gain prefixes
and suffixes lengthening its name further. And, in a hopefully
unique case, a suffix acronym too. Somebody needed a slap. This could
so easily have had its own identity, if only they'd gone for a less
stupid naming convention, and possibly different colours.
Now, I've
spent the above 300 odd words badmouthing SEED, and if you're
previously familiar with that setting, nothing I've said will be out
of the ordinary. So, here I will say something controversial: The
Zaku Warrior is more up my street than the Zaku II. Yes, it is so
obviously a copy of the original, true, but what changes they make
are to remove the more dorky and impractical aspects. This is a
"tacticool" Zaku, which is possibly missing the point entirely, but it's still a good look.
Opening
the box proved to be a bit of a pleasant surprise. This is a 2006
kit, but colour accuracy is notably good in places, with an unusual
effort for the thrusters. Seam and mold lines are a thing, and the
knees don't like staying attached, but the plastic presented few
problems in the area of stubs, especially the light green. This was
definitely a therapeutic build, as nothing clever is being done here,
there 's a lot of petty irritations and needless complexity which
just aren't present here. This makes for an interesting comparison
with its forebear, which came out at around the same time and just
didn' t do it for me. As sacrilegious as it is to suggest, the
Warrior is more satisfying, because while it does require touch-ups
to look its best, what it does require are no-nonsense newb stuff
that I can wind down with. At least until we start talking
accessories, anyway, which are mainly cast in black and/or require a
white trim.
Acknowledging
that such details would not be addressed on a HG kit; there are few
colours more of a nuisance to work than white, especially when atop
black.
While no
wizard pack is present, accessories are more than adequate. The beam
rifle has two spare batteries, storing on the inside on the shield,
while the rifle can fold to store on a concealed butt port.
Articulation is solid if unremarkable, so you can do the poses you'd
want for a grunt, with the shield being on a flexible mount, which I
love. There is also a beam axe, and 4 decorative grenades, which is
about the point where the colour separation runs out. I experimented
with a beginner gundam-marker set and other techniques to compensate.
This had mixed success, with the white marker behaving like a tipex
pen, and the axe ending up in blue rather than the intended
fluorescent magenta. (Long story.) Mind you, I left the grenades on the sprue
before attempting their trim, and they turned out OK. I can see
myself using that marker again, for small details.
I'm not
gonna say the Warrior is necessarily a great kit, see the loose
knees, but they definitely put effort where they didn't have to. The
shield and thrusters are good examples, and I've seen much worse
shortcuts than casting weapons in black. So, yeah. This was kinda
fun, and more interesting to talk about than some other kits. Give it
a go.
Some
styles of game I'm fascinated by, even though I'm terrible at them.
Your average 2D spaceship shooter, circa the 90's, is the sort of
thing I mean. I love watching letsplays of these. While games such as
this do have their modern descendants in the bullet hell genre, its a
form of game that has basically been extinct since the PS1/3D era,
having previously been as common as muck. The reason why I'm terrible
at them is due to poor reflexes and a difficulty processing all the
info on screen, versus the precision required. Spaceship shooters,
regardless of viewpoint, leave little margin for error due to their
arcade origins. The reason why I'm fascinated by such things is
because of that same difficulty, and because these games were kinda
cinematic. The best ones were always distinctive to look at. And
amongst the most distinctive was a game I played on the old Sega
Master System: a port of 1987's R-Type.
When
you got right down to it R-Type had no plot to speak of and some very
disjointed visual design. This is not unusual for the genre, but
worth mentioning. I mean, narratively it's just "Blast
off and strike the evil Bydo Empire!“,
and it's a bit of a trope blender. Why do some Bydo look like
vehicles, and others angry meat? Why are some levels high tech, and
others look like the inside of someone's digestive system? Am I
fascinated with this specific game only because of this discordant
stream of techno-organic imagery? Does it matter? Is this all
superficial? Maybe not, but it did have subtly complex gameplay. The
active ingredient is the "Force", a little multi-purpose
attack drone that's your first power up. This can attach to the front
or back of your ship, acting as a shield, and boosting your
firepower. Attached, it can block most bullets, but detached it can
help destroy lesser enemies by firing at a different angle or with a
spread effect. Meanwhile, you have probably the most destructive
weapon in the game immediately, a charge cannon which is devastating
to bosses if you time it right. These tools make R-Type a decidedly
methodical and unforgiving experience, and one few have dared to
copy. As the game gives you more or less everything you need in the
first five minutes to master the game, you are expected to
master the game. Play its way, and play
flawlessly. I never could. Thanks to its level design and approach to
difficulty, it's possibly as much a single solution puzzle as a
shooter.
R-Type got
a fair number of sequels, but these skipped Sega platforms, so I didn't
touch base with any until the supposedly last game: R-Type Final.
During that gap, the franchise became known as a uniquely hard-core
and somewhat creepy example of its genre, a big name that was always
remembered despite lengthy gaps between instalments. Final, released
in 2003, was very much a nostalgia product, although you could say
that about the franchise overall. By this point, it was played in a
2.5D view, with graphics rendered in full 3D, but gameplay being
resolutely 2D. To my eyes, this only makes things more challenging,
in an unearthly vertigo sorta way. The original R-Type could be oddly
disturbing for its time, but Final seems to delight in using camera
movements to heighten a sense of unease. I could not complete this
one either, a bit of a shame that, given the fricking dozens of ships
you could unlock. But then again, perhaps the R-Type franchise was
too set in its ways? Being aggressively difficult just because you
can, is not necessarily a cool thing in game design these days. Well,
unless we're talking Dark Souls, but it's not like you can reasonably
complete that in under 30 minutes of play time.
Did R-type
end with Final? Dear me, no. At the time of writing, there's a
kickstarter project making Final 2. I'm sure it will please its
backers, although it remains unclear if this will be a success on the
level of Sonic Mania or Streets of Rage 4. It looks rather a lot like
Final, or that remastered release Dimensions, only with better
graphics and less creative risk. Irem did however mix things up
things up in the 16 year interim with R-Type Tactics, aka R-Type Command. This is a game I want to play, as its a turn-based strategy
game, which is one hell of an unexpected detour. It even got a
sequel. Sadly, untranslated. Sadly, both on PlayStation Portable.
<sigh>
So, should
you play R-Type? Or an instalment thereof? Well, probably. I've been
somewhat dismissive above, but I can't deny it's strong appeal. Which
it obviously has, because I wouldn't be writing about something I
suck at if it didn't.
You know, it seems having a red background when photographing a red model isn't too clever. Who'd have thought it?
Anyways. The
original Gundam series threw at lot at the wall, and not everything
stuck. Some concepts returned for its immediate sequels, or for the
assorted new continuities, but some did not. While a hero unit, the
Guncannon was one that kinda did not. I mean, there's always a
need for a robot with big shoulder guns, but the Guncannon does not
get the same degree of homage as some things, and probably falls into
the same category of unremarked-upon obsolescence as Zeon's mobile
armour menagerie. Its family tree did however bear some fruit, before
being assimilated into the GM line, like today's subject. Hailing
from the same anime as the rather nice Zaku 2 FZ, with all that
implies, this Guncannon has the unusual distinction of being
measurably better than its prototype. As I've previously noted,
that's not how it tends to go in Gundam. Official stats point to
better mobility through increased thruster output, with the costly
and questionable core block system removed. Mind you, they did take
out the luna titanium and the beam rifle, but do you need those on a
walking artillery piece? Having a machine gun makes some sense as a
back up too. What? You're being flanked? Leg it while spraying
bullets!
But what's
it like to build? Well, I found it oddly similar to the GM I ruined
a while back, having largely identical red plastic, but none of that
ghastly green. It's a middle of the range, mid-2000s, kit. Nothing is
especially good or bad, by the standards of its day, although a
modern revamp would likely include better sprue design and
translucent plastic. Nothing especially complex in the build,
although I still managed to mark one of the feet, and there's some
nasty seamlines. Colour separation and sticker use is similarly
standard, with recessed areas and the inside of thrusters left to
paint. A lot of this is at the“dab of black/grey paint” level,
which means it doesn't take much to make it look decent, but this
another one of those designs where they thought the inside of a
thruster should be a bright colour. In this case yellow. On the
subject of annoyances, there's a sticker for the head symbol. I left off the squad markings, applied two colour correcting stickers, and then applied paint and marker.
The end
result is a bright but robust thing, meaner and more practical
looking than the original Guncannon, with a few quality posing
options. The shoulder guns are separated and articulated, while
storing vertically, so you can get some good looks. The bullpup
machine gun is beautiful companion to this, making a lot of sense for
close range defence and asymmetric poses. Mind you, while no-one
would expect an artillery unit to be a ninja, its true to say
"dynamic" is hard to do with this kit. It is however
possible to separate the front skirt armour for a bit more freedom.
All-in-all?
Perfectly fine, maybe a decade out of date, not my best work, but I'm pleased with it regardless.
So, this article
started as another attempt to stave off boredom. My Mecha Hack
campaign was running ahead, my blog was also running ahead,
and I was otherwise atop of my chores. Lest I fall into another deep
dark hole of anxiety, I decided to set myself another task, see if I
could adapt my old favourite animes into The Mecha Hack. That was
around the time I was writing my mini-review of the system, and after
some faff, I decided to apply the same minimalist approach as the
rules proper. That's making the simplest possibly change to get the
effect I want. And what I ended up doing was a take on the
“Rollerblade Good” sub-genre of Japanese robots. Mecha of this
type are often relatively small, and rely on foot wheels for sudden
bursts of straight-line speed. Examples include Martian Successor Nadesico, Ghost in the Shell, Front Mission and Dreampod 9's Heavy
Gear series of games. The codifier for this is probably Armored
Trooper Votoms, a somewhat obscure 80's work otherwise notable for
treating mecha as utterly disposable. I'm gonna insert a video clip
of that now, I hope remains up it.
OK, so, putting the
bleak stuff to one side, how would you run something that in The
Mecha Hack? Here's what I came up with.
Dogs of
War: a “Rollerblade Good” Modification for The Mecha Hack
1) All combat is to
performed with a grid map, see Tactical Distances on Page 6. All
mecha gain access to the new “Turbo Heels” action.
TURBO HEELS: as a move
action, immediately move 12 (Far) squares of movement in a
straight/diagonal line, ignoring Opportunity Attacks. Note: This is
subject to terrain.
2) The normal
classes are replaced with the three following below.
BULLDOG
A variant of the
Terrier designed for close range combat in urban environments.
Relatively tough, scrappy, although operating time is compromised.
d8 HIT DIE
d8 DAMAGE DIE
d6 REACTOR DIE
STARTING HIT POINTS
1d8 + 4
WEAPONS AND ARMOR
All armor, all weapons,
shields
LEVELLING UP
Roll your hit die to
gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase, rolling
twice for Power and Mobility. At levels 3, 6, and 9, gain a new
module.
COUNTER! : After
resolving a melee attack against this mecha, it may immediately spend
1 armour point to make a melee attack back, as an Opportunity Attack.
TERRIER
The standard Trooper
seen on thousands of planets, in their hundreds of thousands. Fast,
powerful, and a good performer in all things except pilot safety.
d8 HIT DIE
d8 DAMAGE DIE
d8 REACTOR DIE
STARTING HIT POINTS 1d8
+ 4
WEAPONS AND ARMOR Light
armor, all weapons, shields
LEVELLING UP Roll your
hit die to gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase,
rolling twice for System and Presence. At levels 3, 6, and 9, gain a
new module.
RELIABLE When you roll
a 20 on a test, you can choose to reroll the die. You must use the
new roll.
AGILE As a move action
immediately move 6 squares (Near) in straight/diagonal line, then
change direction to move 6 squares in another unbroken line. Note:
this is subject to both terrain and opportunity attacks.
MASTIFF
A heavy class of
Trooper, intended for the most intense battles or countering enemy
tanks. Big, tough, and faster than it looks, the Mastiff relies on
its defensive machine guns against melee attackers.
d10 HIT DIE
d6 DAMAGE DIE
d6 REACTOR DIE
STARTING HIT POINTS
1d10 + 4
WEAPONS AND ARMOR All
armor, all weapons, shields
LEVELLING UP Roll your
hit die to gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase,
rolling twice for Presence and Power. At levels 3, 6, and 9, gain a
new module.
STARTING EQUIPMENT
Basic radio, Bazooka (heavy ranged weapon [+2 attack and damage]),
heavy armor (+5 AP)
DUAL MACHINE GUNS As a
ranged attack action, test power to inflict D6 damage on a target.
Range is 6 squares (Close/Near).
MORE DAKKA When you
roll a 1 on a damage die, you can choose to reroll the die. You must
use the new roll.
3) Use the following replacement modules only.
Light Missile Pod
As an attack action,
test System. If you succeed, deal 4d4 damage, divided as you choose
between enemies at Far range. Roll your reactor die.
Heavy Missile Pod
As an attack action,
test System. If you succeed, deal 3D8 damage to a single Far target.
Roll your reactor die.
Shaped Demolitions
Charges
As a use action, plant
a Charge. Roll your reactor die. On your turn, as a use action, deal
2D10 damage to 1 enemy within close range of the mine. The charge is
then destroyed.
Auxiliary Machine Gun:
As a use action, test Power to inflict 1D4 damage on a target. Range
is 12 squares (Near/Far).
Expanded Stowage
Increase your reactor
die by one die type.
Camo-netting
You have Advantage on
Mobility Tests to become hidden.
Lucky Furry Dice
Once per session, gain
advantage on a single roll.
Distinctive Paint Job
Gain Advantage on
Presence Tests to intimidate/impress, Disadvantage on attempts to
hide or otherwise go unnoticed.
