MDR-17 Unicorn Civil Defense Battloid

(Version 1.0 - Last updated: 11/05/01)  
Concept and Background by Kenneth Olson
Background Information derived from Robotech Technical Files

BACKGROUND 

While designing their own force of non-transformable mecha, the Armies of the Southern Cross examined closely the effectiveness of the RDF destroid forces during the First Robotech War and subsequent engagements with rogue Zentraedi.  The ACS came to the conclusion that future conflicts would be fought by highly mobile units and that the large heavily armed and armored but slow destroids were not effective in meeting these roles.  The Armies of the Southern Cross would, as a result, design smaller, highly mobile and maneuverable battloids.  The ASC battloids would not only be capable of defense, but possess the capability to assist with other civil duties such as construction, rescue, and crowd control.  Because of this dual function roll, the military planners of the ASC decided that their battloids would supplement the Southern Cross's veritech forces and not be equal partners as the destroids were in the RDF. 

The MDR-17 "Unicorn" was the Civil Defense's non-transformable mecha.  Designed in 2020 and first introduced in 2022, the Unicorn was produced for urban duties and base self defense.  Like all ASC battloids the Unicorn mounts few internal weapons but instead relies on the external gun pods to increase its combat performance when warranted.  The two internal weapons that the Unicorn does mount are the EU-18 pulse laser and two 40mm grenade launchers.  The General Electric EU-18 pulse laser was designed primarily for an anti-missile defense.  In addition, two Vicker 40mm Grenade launchers are mounted in each arm underneath the armshield.  These launchers can either fire tear gas and smoke grenades when operating in civil duties or high explosive, HEAT, or Anti-personnel rounds when in combat.  

The armor on the Unicorn is a low-mass composite Chobham plating which provides excellent protection from all light anti-mecha weaponry.  However, the armor is easily pierced by medium or higher class weapons and often a single shot from such a weapon will disable the unit.  The Unicorn does posses two armshields which are capable of parrying direct blasts from medium or higher class weapons.  The Unicorn is protected from all biological and radiological hazards using a fully enclosed environmental system.  The system can protect the pilot indefinitely; however, the internal oxygen supply will only last up to one week.

Over 25,000 MDR-17 "Unicorns" were produced before 2030; however, production stopped at the beginning of the Second Robotech War as factories switch to units with more focused combat roles.  Military planners discovered that the Unicorn was completely outclassed by the Robotech Masters bioroids and most were held in secondary roles while a majority of civil defense was taken by VH-1 Spartas Hovertank and MBR-13 Salamander of the Tactical Corp.  As a result, some 15,000 units survived the war and took up their original duties protecting the urban areas which most were assigned before.  Unfortunately, most of these units were destroyed while protecting their towns from the Invid invasion only a couple of years later.

 

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: Civil Defense Combat mecha
Class: Non-transformable Destroid
Manufacturer: Vickers, Cadillac Gage, Chrysler
Crew: One
Service History:  ASC Civil Defense Unit from 2022-2033
 

MDC BY LOCATION:

Location Unicorn
* Head 50
Head Mounted  EU-18 30
Upper Arms (2) 100 each
Forearms/Shields (2) 150 each
Legs (2) 150 each
Hands (2) 30 each
Thruster Front 50
Thrusters Rear (2) 50 each
Thrusters Legs (4) 25 each
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment 100
** Main Body 200
Optional GU-13 or EU-20 50
Optional EU-10, EU-11, or EU-22 75
		 
NOTES: 
  1. *Destruction of the head will destroy all of the external sensors for the unit, except for seismic and acoustic.
  2. ** Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha. 

 

SPEEDS:

RUNNING:
130 kph
UNDERWATER PERFORMANCE:
20 kph
LEAPING:                              
30 m w/o boosters
Typically 80 m long and 26 m high with boosters
FLYING:
The Unicorn can fly at low altitudes (less than 500 meters) for up to 2.5 hours at a maximum speed of 200 kph

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:
6.2 m
DEPTH:
2.6 m
BREADTH:
3.0 m
WEIGHT:
13.2 metric tonnes
PHYSICAL STRENGTH:
Equal to a P.S. of 60
CARGO:
None
POWER PLANT:
SCE-29 Micronized protoculture generator with a fuel capacity of 6 canisters
PROPULSION IN SPACEBORNE OPERATIONS: 
3 x BRT-3  Two thrusters mounted on the rear and one on the right front torso of the unit producing a maximum thrust of 60 kN each
4 x BRT-10 Two thrusters are mounted on each leg.  Each unit is capable of producing a maximum thrust of 15 kN each
DELTA V:
30 kps
GENERATOR ENDURANCE:
 250 hours of operational use
BOOSTER UNITS:
None

 

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. EU-18 GENERAL ELECTRIC PULSE LASER:  The only internally mounted weapon system is a single EU-18 pulse laser is located in the head of the unicorn. The EU-18 is capable of firing 3 MJ bursts of energy up to 60 times per minute. 

     

  2. 2 x VICKERS 140mm DIRECT-FIRE MORTAR:  Two Vickers 140 mm mortars are mounted in either arm.  The launchers can fire up to 50 mortar before needing reloading.  The mortars fire laser guided shells of 34kg out to a maximum range of 1590 meters.  Payload for riot control will include smoke, tear gas, and fire suppressant rounds while combat load outs will include High Explosive, HEAT, and Fragmentation rounds.

     

  3. (Optional) GU-13 THREE-BARRELED 35MM GUN POD: Although rarely used, the Unicorn can mount a GU-133.  Each GU-13 is capable of firing 2000 rounds per minute, 600 round capacity stored in the pod itself and in a non-detachable 'clip'. 

     

  4. (Optional) 1 x MAUSER EU-10:   The EU-10 is the primary weapon of the Unicorn.  The weapon can fire energy pulses of 10 MJ blasts up to 150 times per minute.

     

  5. (Optional) 1 x MAUSER EU-11:   The EU-11 was designed primarily as an upgrade to the VHT-2 hovertank.; however, the Unicorn is capable of using the weapon.  The EU-11 is capable of accurate fire out to 3.5 kilometers.   The EU-11 can fire 12.5 MJ blasts up to 110 times per minute.

     

  6. (Optional) E-20 GENERAL ELECTRIC  PULSE LASER: Designed primarily for the VF-9 Logan, the E-20 is capable of firing a 10 MJ blast up to 60 times a minute.
    • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
    • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
    • RANGE: 1200 m
    • DAMAGE: 1D4*10 for each single shot or 2D4*10 for each short burst bursts
    • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot. (up to 15 single shots or 5 short bursts per melee)
    • PAYLOAD: Conditionally unlimited. 

     

  7. (Optional) E-22 GENERAL ELECTRIC  PULSE LASER:  The E-22 was specifically designed for use with the Armies of the Southern Cross non-transformable battloids.  The cannon is capable of firing 12 MJ pulses up to 130 times per minute.  The cannon uses adaptive pulse technology to decrease atmospheric attenuation effects and thus increasing the effective range of the unit over the similarly sized E-20.
    • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
    • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
    • RANGE: 2000 m
    • DAMAGE: 1D4*10 for each single shot or 2D4*10 for each short burst bursts
    • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
    • PAYLOAD: Conditionally unlimited. 

     

  8. HAND TO HAND COMBAT:.  The Unicorn is capable of powerful hand to hand attacks. 

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR UNICORN


COMBAT BONUSES FOR UNICORN: 


RANDOM HIT LOCATIONS

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

When there is a preferred side, roll 1d10

 

Unicorn

FRONT

BACK

SIDES

TOP

BOTTOM

Head (Main Body)

01-05 01-05 01-10 01-15 -
Head Mounted EU-18 (Head) 06-07 06-07 11-15 16-20 -

Upper Arms (Main Body)

08-15 08-15 16-25 21-40 01-02

Forearms/Shields (Upper Arms)

16-30 16-25 26-40 41-55 03-15

Legs (Main Body)

31-55 26-50 41-60 56-65 16-50
Hands (Forearms) 56-58 51-52 61-63 66-67 51-55
Thruster Front (Main Body) 59-63 - 64 68-69 56-57
Thrusters Rear (Main Body) - 53-62 65-69 70-75 58-60
Leg Thrusters (Legs) 64-67 63-65 70-71 - 61-67
Pilot's Compartment - - - - -
Main Body 68-95 66-96 72-94 76-94 68-94
Hand Gun (Hands) 96-00 97-00 95-00 95-00 95-00

SOURCES USED IN CREATION OF DOCUMENT


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