REF ZENTRAEDI Z1 BATTLE POD

(Version 1.02 - Last updated: 08/11/01)

Concept and Background by Kenneth Olson

Background Information from Robotech Technical Files 

BACKGROUND

When it left Earth, nearly a tenth of the Robotech Expeditionary Force was comprised of Zentraedi warriors. Because all of these had been micronized to allow for a longer life-support supply than could otherwise have been the case, and also because the flimsy armor on their battle pods was unacceptable to their new human allies and friends, the old Zentraedi mecha could no longer be used by those warriors.

The simplest solution would be to issue human mecha to the Zentraedi, and while this was done for the Fighter and Power Armor pilots, who were issued veritechs, the Zentraedi refused to take delivery of the new REF Excalibur, Gladiator and Catapult Destroids, not to mention the older UNDF Tomahawk, Defender and Spartan models. As the Zentraedi leader Breetai put it, these mecha were not optimized for the Zentraedi tactics; they featured too much of a different design philosophy to really suit his warriors. He then proposed that the UNDF/REF would adapt their old Battle Pods to micronized pilots, as well as to take the opportunity to up-armor the old mecha. Naturally, the UNDF/REF was not so enthusiastic about this plan, but Breetai pressed on, stressing that the Zentraedi had always, and with success, fought in very fast, mobile, and heavily armed mecha, and that the Destroid series simply had too much accent on armor and survivability to possess the same characteristics. Breetai also pointed out that while the Destroids might have sufficient firepower available, the Zentraedi were more used to the direct-fire particle beam armament than to the UNDF's large projectile weapons.

The REF planners then gave in to Breetai, and had several development groups design the mecha the Zentraedi wished. Those began with an examination of the efficacy of the Tactical Battle Pod's armament. This analysis showed that the main particle beams were easily the most used weapons, with the auto-cannon only being used when firing at many 'soft' targets, like cars and people. The anti-aircraft lasers were so weak they were hardly ever fired at all. Their first proposal was then for a mecha with two 10 MJ particle beams on top, and two (more powerful than before) anti-aircraft lasers on the back. Unlike the Regult, this design also featured arms and hands, because this made the mecha far more versatile, and also made additional hand held weapon pods possible. When submitting his proposals to Breetai, however, the Zentraedi leader suggested that the auto-cannons be retained after all, because the REF mission, should it enter combat, would be certain to be vastly outnumbered, and the idea of an integral back-up weapon system was comforting in this light. However, because of the mediocre performance of the Zentraedi standard light 22.3mm AC-L autocannon, the engineers installed two GU-14 35mm single barrel cannons in their place. These cannons would use the same caseless ammunition as the GU-XX, which also made their inclusion a sound logistical decision.

Especially because of the improved armor, this design was greeted with enthusiasm by the Zentraedi warriors. Two-thirds of the Zentraedi ground mecha in the REF consisted of Z1 Battle Pods. This mecha served everywhere the REF went, and completely justified Breetai's insistence on mecha with the Zentraedi battle-philosophy in mind. These mecha were often used as flank mecha or recon mecha for the ground forces, because the human Destroids could not generate the speed and mobility needed for these jobs. The quantity of fire the Z1 could sustain also compared favorably with the human Destroids, and although this was a primarily Zentraedi mecha, some human pilots took to piloting these craft.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: One man, all weather ground and space combat mecha

Class: Destroid
Manufacturer: Robotech Expeditionary Forces
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System.

MDC BY LOCATION:

Location	Z1
Top-Mounted Particle Beams (2)	75 each
Rear Lasers (2)	30 each
Front Auto Cannons (2)	50 each
Upper Arms (2)	50 each
Forearms (2)	75 each
Hands (2)	30 each
Legs (2)	150 each
Rear Engine Thrusters (2)	100 each
(1) Sensor Eye	50
(2) Main Body	225
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment	150

NOTES:

1. Destroying the sensor eye of the Z1 will knock out the mecha's major sensor systems, including all of the optics systems (infrared, nightvision, thermal). Radar and communications will be unaffected.
2. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING:

140 kph

LEAPING:

70 meters without thrusters.

FLYING:

300 kph

MAX ENGINE THRUST:

2 x Pratt & Whitney ZBPT-1 vectorable reaction thruster with an output of 130 kN. fusion plasma-air/reaction mass intermix turbines in the legs.

Assorted maneuvering thrusters.

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:

8.52m 

DEPTH:

5.4m

BREADTH:

5.2m

WEIGHT:

18.7 metric tons

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:

Equal to a P.S. of 60

CARGO:

Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings in addition to the cyclone storage compartment

POWER PLANT:

2 x RRL-1P Miniaturized Protoculture-cell energizer

16 standard canisters of Protoculture
200 liters of  D2O reactant for fusion engines.

Delta V:

50kps

COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS:

None

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. 2 x RRG PBC-15 PARTICLE BEAM CANNONS: are mounted on top of the Battle Pod. Each can rotate over 140 degrees of arc and elevate over -15/+65 degrees of arc. Each cannon draws power directly from the main protoculture generator, thus giving them effectively unlimited ammunition.  Each cannon fires beams of 10 MJ up to 50 times a minute; however twice as many shots many be fired at 1/2 the power setting, divide damage by 1/2.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: 3000 m
   • DAMAGE:  1d4*10 for each single shot or 2d4*10 for each dual shot.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: Unlimited
   
   
2. 2 x COLT E-19A LASER CANNONS: are located in the back of the Z1. Each laser cannon can fire 4.5 MJ pulses every 1.5 seconds, 10 times per melee. These weapons are designed to protect the mecha from attacks from the rear.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: 1200 m
   • DAMAGE: 3d6 for each short burst, or 6d6 for dual short bursts.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Up to 10 short bursts for each gun per melee
   • PAYLOAD:  Unlimited
   
   
3. 2 x GU-14 SINGLE-BARRELED 35MM GUN POD (VBF-9A, 9T and VBE-9A): located in a chin mount. Each cannon can rotate 100 degrees to the left and the right and elevate form -130 to +60 degrees. They fire 500 rounds per minute. Each cannon can store up to 800 rounds, but usually only carried 450 rounds per cannon. Ammunition is a mix of Tungsten-coated depleted Uranium Armor Piercing Spin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APSSDS), High Explosive Armor Piercing (HEAP) and tracer rounds.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Armor Piercing Spin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Rounds (APSSDS) 3500 feet (1100 m), High Explosive Armor Piercing, Standard, and Tracer 3000 ft (900m)
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 1d6 short burst, 2d6 medium burst, 3d6 full melee burst. HEAP 2d6 short burst, 3d6 medium burst, 6d6 full melee burst. Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%. Standard 2d6 short burst, 3d6 medium burst, or 6d6 full melee burst.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: (800 rounds) 320 short bursts, 160 medium, or 80 full melee
   • NOTES: APSSDS does x2 damage on a modified 18, 19, or 20; and x3 damage on a natural 20. Tracers add +2 to strike.


4. OPTIONAL HAND HELD: 1 x MM-12: a hand held four tube launcher with 3 short range missiles per tube for a total of 12 short range missiles.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: Varies with missile type
   • DAMAGE: Varies with missile type
   • RATE OF FIRE: One at a time or in volleys 2, 3, or 4
   • PAYLOAD:  Each tube has three missiles for a total of 12 short range missiles.
   
   
5. OPTIONAL: 1 x GU-XX THREE-BARRELED 35MM GUN POD: firing 2000 rounds per minute, 600 round capacity stored in the pod itself and in a non-detachable 'clip'. This weapon was most common on the earlier models of the Z1 from 2017 until 2035.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Armor Piercing Spin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Rounds (APSSDS) 5000 feet (1500 m), High Explosive Armor Piercing, Standard, and Tracer 4000 ft (1200m).
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 3d6 short burst, 5d6 medium burst, 1d6*10 full melee burst. HEAP 4d6 short burst, 1d6*10 medium burst, 2d6*10 full melee burst. Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%. Standard 4d6 short burst, 1d4*10 medium burst, or 2d4*10 full melee burst
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: 40 short bursts, 20 medium, or 10 full melee. 
   • NOTES: APSSDS does x2 damage on a modified 18, 19, or 20; and x3 damage on a natural 20. Tracers add +2 to strike.
   
   
6. OPTIONAL 1 x EU-13 THREE-BARRELED 80MM PARTICLE GUN POD: Can fire 170 rounds per minute in full automatic mode, also capable of firing all three barrels simultaneously in semiautomatic mode at approximately one shot per second.  This weapon fires 3.2 MJ pulses per barrel with its own dedicated protoculture cell and capacitor banks in the 'clip'.  This weapon, built into an external shell identical to that of th GU-XX, was developed in 2032 by the REF, but did not see wide use until 2037.  By 2041, the EP-13 had almost completely replaced the GU-XX as the main cannon of the Z1  in the REF's inventory.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: 1200 m
   • DAMAGE: 2d4 for each Single blast, 1d6*10 for each triple blast, 2d4*10 for each medium burst (up to six times per melee), or 4d4*10 for each full melee burst.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: Conditionally unlimited.  The protoculture cell is estimated to have enough power for 3000 single shots, 1000 triple shots, 300 long bursts, or 100 full melee bursts.
   
   
7. HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the Z1 can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The Z1 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:  1D6*3
   • Power Punch:  2D6*3
   • Kick: 2D6*3
   • Leap Kick: 4D6*3
   • Body Flip/Throw: 1D6*3
   • Body Block/Tackle: 1D6*3
   • Stomp: 1D4*3 . (only effective against small objects)
     

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE Z1:

• COMBAT COMPUTER: The Z1  is equipped with a combat computer that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces. 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. 
• 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 head 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 Z1  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 REF ships and veritechs can locate and track a homing signal, and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
• LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Thomson LT-5 multi-frequency laser ranger and designator range 25km.
• LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
• 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: Westinghouse TPG-307 (50 km) UWB phased array pulse-Doppler for detection and tracking of targets with battlefield surveillance modes.
• 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 an advance variable fighter by the enemy, the pilot can activate the  Z1 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 REFs mecha 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 Z1's cockpit is pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that provides him with pressurized breathing.
• ELECTRONICA RADAR WARNING RECEIVER (RWR)
• OLDEFT INFRA-RED WARNING RECEIVER (IRWR)
• WESTINGHOUSE ALQ-250(V) ACTIVE SENSOR JAMMER
• CHAFF AND FLARE DISPENSERS: 24 chaff and 24 flares are stored in the lower legs
  

COMBAT BONUSES FOR Z1 ELITE TRAINING:

• 3 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels five and ten.
• +1 to strike
• +1 to parry
• +3 to dodge
• +5 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.

COMBAT BONUSES FOR Z1 BASIC TRAINING:

Random Hit Locations

When there is an equal chance of hitting both sides from 1d6.

• 1-3 hits the right side
• 4-6 hits the left

When there is a preferred side, roll 1d10

• 1-8 hits the preferred side
• 9-10 hits the opposite side

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• Robotech Technical Files: Z1
• Palladium Books:  "The Sentinels"