INCOMING TRANSMISSION LOG



Today we are pleased to introduce the Grizzly manufactured by Northco/Shaian Mechanics and the Spitting Cobra manufactured by Territorial Arms.These Northern and Southern chassis are the heaviest close combat brawlers featuring impressive fire support. They often accompany recons and light support Gears into battle.

These new Gears feature a new gameplay mechanic which is the tracked foot. The tracked foot is a unique foot featuring tracks instead of wheels. The tracked foot required new animations and updates to our Gearbay. The track gives the heavy Gear wearing the foot a unique advantage on loose terrain such as sand and snow - as well an advantage in that it does not loose speed driving up inclines. As we introduce our weight system the tracked foot will be incredibly useful on open terrains.

The tracked foot and the Grizzly & Spitting Cobra will be revealed over the next 2-3 patches. We will keep you informed as we roll out these new features. We are also pleased to announce that this release marks the official production of our second season of Gears. More on this soon.

HACS-02HG-MPS GRIZZLY



Code Name: Grizzly
Faction: Northern
Production Code: HACS-02HG-MPS
Production Type: Mass Production
Cost: 199800 TEC
Manufacture: Northco/Shaian Mechanics
Use: Close fire support Heavy Gear
Height: 5.1 m
Width: 3.8 m
Average Armor: 70 mm
Armor Material: durasheet with alloy ceramic
Standard Weight: 9210 kg

Description:
The first result of cooperation between industrial giant Northco and Kenema's Shaian Mechanics, the Grizzly heavy fire support Gear has been a mainstay of the Northern armies since its introduction in the TN 1870s. Designed to replace the Bear, the Grizzly brought a combination of raw firepower and thick armor to the battlefield. The basic armament of the Grizzly was generally based on that of the Bear featuring a Riley M225 heavy autocannon as its main direct fire weaponry, supplemented by twin GH-8 rocket pods. In addition to the unguided rockets, indirect fire capabilities are provided by TD-76 mortar unit, capable of lobbing guided high-explosive shells up to two kilometers. This long-range guided weaponry makes the Grizzly extremely dangerous when paired with a forward observing unit using a laser designator - such as a Cheetah or Ferret scout/recon Gears. The Grizzly’s S-V22OOZ engine was a distinctive improvement over the Bear’s troublesome S-V790T and managed a mild speed improvement, despite heavier armor. The Grizzly remains slow and lumbering compared to trooper and scout Gears and even to motorized infantry. To provide point defense, the Grizzly was equipped with a GU-10 gatling machinegun.

Despite its heavy armor and impressive weapons load, the Grizzly is usually deployed with lighter machines as defensive escorts. Tank hunting enemy Gears can be frighteningly effective if they are allowed to close range with the Grizzly, because of speed and maneuverability advantages. The standard tactical deployment remains in mixed companies, using squadrons of Grizzly in secondary positions, with strike squadrons moving forward and including at least one forward observing unit to relay coordinates and laser targeting data to the Grizzly. The successful use of the Grizzly has led to the progressive decommissioning of the Bear, but has entailed corporate difficulties for Northco. As Shaian Mechanics has become an active competitor, the long term contracts that bind the two corporations to the Grizzly line has become a matter of great contention -and possible litigation.


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OACS-01H/SU SPITTING COBRA



Code Name: Spitting Cobra
Faction: Southern
Production Code: OACS-01H/SU
Production Type: Mass Production
Cost: 199800 TEC
Manufacture: Territorial Arms
Use: Fire support Heavy Gear
Height: 5.0 m
Width: 4.0 m
Average Armor: 90 mm
Armor Material: armoplast with alloy ceramic
Standard Weight: 8990 kg

Description:
The Spitting Cobra is the heaviest mass-produced Gear chassis currently in service with the Southern MlLlClA and Republican Army. Designed to fill the operational role of a heavy weapons platform, the Spit (as its crews invariably call it) is designed to wield devastating medium to long-range firepower on the modern battlefield. The Spitting Cobra's main fire-support weapon is a massive SCRP-98 back mounted rocket pod. Although unguided, the heavy rockets can saturate an area with ease and can take out heavily armored targets. More precise is the secondary fire-support weapon, a shoulder-mounted Vogel-H series guided mortar. Although less powerful than the SCRP- 98 rockets, the Vogel-H fires high-technology guided munitions capable of in-flight course corrections, allowing the Spitting Cobrato make full use of laser-designator data provided by forward observers such as infantry or scout Gears Both major weapons have an effective range of 1200 meters. Short to medium-range firepower is provided by a second pair of weapons more typical of a general purpose Gear, comprised of a MR60 autocannon and a shoulder-mounted FSRP-36 rocket pod. These weapons provide an excellent defense against assault Gears and other units. Close defense capabilities are provided by a MGU-77 minigun fixed to the Cobra's upper torso, allowing the Gear to fend off infantry at very close range.

The heavy weapons load of the Spilling Cobra required a high-strength chassis so Territorial Arms used concepts developed by Mandeers Heavy Industries and thoroughly tested in their Desert Viper and Python Gears (and related models). Thick armoplast armor over a hulking frame are the mainstay of the Spitting Cobra. Developed in a time of concerns for pilot safety, the Cobra features a very heavily armored cockpit, allowing the Gear to shrug off the most dangerous attacks. Unlike the Python, the Cobra uses a standard sensor pod arrangement, with the pilot's head within the Gear's The Cobra required a very powerful engine so the WV-l500TC/A V-engine, with its 940 Hp output, was chosen to fit the bill along with a half-track secondary movement system.