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| RZ-030+ Gunsniper Heavy Armor Type: Raptor Total Length: 12.0 meters Total Height: 7.5 meters Weight: 55 metric tons Speed: 165 kilometers per hour 45.83 meters per second Equipment AZ144mm Sniper Cannon 8-Shot Fly-by-Wire Missile Pod x2 Auxiliary Generator x2 40mm Beam Machine Gun x2 AZ80mm Cannon Multi-Blade Sensor Antenna Heat Sinks x18 Armor Description: This zoid is covered in thick slabs of armor. Roughly as durable as that found on the Blade and Shield Liger, it is responsible for doubling the Gunsniper’s weight. While coverage isn’t the best, the only really large gaps are on the hips, where only a cowl over the joint protects it, and the underbelly. There were even plates applied to the tail’s segments. Its structure is softer than that on the Ligers, and its lower mass means it is more easily thrown about. Still, a vast improvement over the original. The cockpit was changed from the normal canopy type to an enclosed Imperial-style canopy to allow for more electronics gear. Much of this gear is absent from the civilian version, cutting down the visual arc for no real purpose. Mobility and Power Source Where the standard Gunny is a nimble little gymnast of a zoid, the Heavy Armor version is something more along the lines of a turret. On par with the Saber Tiger, the Gunsniper’s jumping ability is sharply reduced to only about twice what a normal zoid can achieve, though the strengthened myomers allow it to continue moving at very nearly the same speed as before. Fortunately, it’s a bit more stable. Even better, the additional generators mounted on the back in place of the rocket boosters allow the already-tireless Gunsniper to pump out unearthly amounts of power for a zoid its size. Equipment: AZ144mm Sniper Cannon This large and long cannon is integrated into the Gun Sniper's tail and is protected by a decent amount of armor when not in use. It possesses a great deal of power and accuracy. However, the Gun Sniper must be in longshot mode to use it. To get into longshot mode you must have your back to your opponent, lock in with your talons, straighten the tail and extend the cannon outwards and then switch over to the rear-facing cockpit with the rotating seat. All in all, the entire process takes three to four precious seconds. It’s best to choose a good sniping position high up and far away from your opponent. While the process is long, the results are worth the wait. The shells fired from longshot mode are not only extremely effective at piercing Zoid armor and capable of bringing shields down in three hits, but are also completely silent. Even if the shells do hit a shield, each comes standard with a miniature electromagnetic scrambler to pass somewhat through the shield and strike the Zoid behind it. The shots can only be heard via standard sensors at ranges below 100 meters. Muzzle flash from this rifle is also much more difficult for the enemy notice. 8-shot Fly-by-Wire Missile Pod x2 This is one piece of equipment that saw a sorely-needed improvement from the original. Each of these racks sits in front of the generators, embedded in the armor and structure. A hatch pops open and reveals the missiles sitting in rows of four. They pack standard warheads, launch vertically, and are fly-by-wire. Their maximum range is approximately five hundred meters, the ultra-light fiber-optic cables trailing behind like spidersilk in the breeze. The pilot handles the missiles, controlling them through small cameras built into the missiles’ noses. The missiles’ cameras feed into a small television screen above the viewports. It didn’t occur to anybody to use the communications system. A beginner can usually only handle one, maybe two missiles at a time while the zoid stands still, but a more expert pilot with military training could usually handle four to eight, some even all sixteen, but the best can usually only pull off four or so as the Gunny moves. Auxiliary Generator x2 Equipped on the Gunny’s back, nestled under the armor where few things can get to them, these two generators pump out more power than the Gunsniper can really use. They were designed in that rare instance where the engineers foresee someone actually wanting to mount some sort of external modification onto a zoid; they are easy to hook up to a weapon or three as a dedicated weapons generator. Together they increase the Gunny’s power output by about thirty percent. It’s worth noting that they’re also a neat little soft spot on the Gunny’s back where a high-penetration weapon can smoke somethin’ real good. While the generators won’t explode, they’re certainly not as tough as armor or structure. 40mm Beam Machinegun x2 One mounted on each wrist, these machineguns have nearly unlimited horizontal movement and rely on the arms themselves for vertical movement. Though each individual shot is powerful, being beams, they suffer from a low firing rate of five shots per second due to internal space constraints. Also, due to the Gunny's bouncy velociraptor gait, these are very inaccurate while running. AZ80mm Cannon Situated in the underbelly and protected by a plate of armor everywhere except at the front, this cannon is locked in a forward facing position. It's a powerful gun for such a small Zoid, but the downside is that due to ammunition constraints, the cannon has only thirteen shells available. It fires at a mundane rate of one shot per second. Multi-Blade Sensor Antenna This is a pair of simple antenna blades on the head. The Gun Sniper can make use of infrared, 3D mapping, and radar to see most stealth Zoids and map out the nearby terrain. This is especially vital when sniping, as all the sensor data makes the pilot's job a lot easier. The infrared and 3D mapping provide an overlay of the standard scope allowing the pilot to pick out and fire at targets much easier, with increased accuracy. Overall, quite a valuable piece of equipment. Heat Sinks x18 Something vital to the Heavy Armor’s survival, the heat sinks are located near weapons and joints to help dissipate excess heat. There are four on the back, three on the hips, two on the backs of the thighs, one on each generator, one on each beam machinegun, and the last two are on the soft underbelly. Though the vents are armored, they’re still softer targets than the surrounding area. Unfortunately, you’d need real close range or a sniper-quality weapon to make use of these holes. Either that, or luck. |