Mecha Terminology

A continuation of the Terminology page due to the length and relative importance of this particular section.

Mecha Types

Arm Slaves: Arm Slaves are functional humanoid combat machines, made for military operations on a large scale or in squadron deployment. They function primarily due to the use of Black Technology, and were developed in the 1980s by the Reagan Administration, though it took several iterations of the basic model before the Arm Slave was adopted as an official military vehicle. They are equipped with mecha-versions of actual weapons and are used in the same way as a soldier with that weapon type would be, such as infantry, scout, point man or sniper.

Armor:

Armored Modules: Bian Zoldark and his supporters created the Armored Modules to be used as a new type of fighting machine to be used as the Divine Crusaders main mobile weapons. These were based on fighter jets, but with humanoid appearances so it would be a cheap, and effective mobile weapon. These mobile weapons are equipped with the Tesla Drive, created by the Tesla Leicht Institute, which allowed sustained flight.

A.G.W.S.: "Anti-Gnosis Weapon System", an armored combat platform similar to Mobile Suits.

• E.S.: "Ein Sof" (Infinite), an advanced Mobile Weapon with capabilities well beyond that of normal AGWS units. They are powered by a device known as an "Anima Relic". Only certain individuals are capable of piloting ES units.

Battlemech: Similar in capabilities to units such as Mobile Suits, Personal Troopers, Variable Fighters, Knightmares and other similar units. It falls in terms of scale between the Knightmare frames, and most mobile suits. Battlemechs are focused primarily on ranged combat, and are often bristling with a diverse array of weapons. They are generally built Armor on Frame, and tend to be less graceful than many of the aforementioned machines. Their construction tends to be heavy and ruggedized, their armor and structural composition lends itsself to easy repair, and the materials used are damage neutral, taking damage equally from beam, laser, solid and explosive sources.

• Omnimech: a subset of Battlemech, standard battlemechs are fixed-configuration and require time and effort in the hangar to reconfigure. Omnimechs are designed for rapid reconfiguration and repair. Modularized, an Omnimech is set up to rapidly change its weapon and equipment loadout to suit its pilot's desires and the constraints of a mission.
  

Evangelion: Artificial or Synthetic Human, Evangelion, is a cybernetic entity designed from Angel DNA to combat the threat of Angels, and prevent Third Impact. They are highly maneuverable, and agile like a human, as well as gifted with divine power in the form of an Absolute Terror Field, a near-impregnable barrier that the EVA pilot can generate at will, able to use it offensively as well.

Gears: Mobile Weapons with capabilities similar to Mobile Suits. They range anywhere from utilitarian, civilian machines to full combat suits with heavy weaponry and advanced combat computers.

• Omnigears: Omnigears are regular Gears which have been merged with an Anima Relic, a power system with incredible energy output. Upon merging with Anima Relics, the Gears undergo a physical transformation, acquiring armor, frame, and internal system enhancements which correspond to the will of the Anima Relic and its pilot. Anima Relics are attuned to people with specific genetic characteristics and cannot be piloted by persons without a matching characteristic.
  
• M-Class Gears: In a class of their own, M-Class Gears are fully-autonomous Gears controlled by an advanced Artificial Intelligence. The only known M-Class Gear known to exist is Seibzehn, piloted by Maria Balthasaar.
  

Knightmare Frames: Knightmare Frames are humanoid war machines developed by the Holy Britannian Empire. Unveiled during the invasion of Japan, Knightmare Frames are almost exclusively used in place, and sometimes on par with the practically obsolete main battle tanks. The name "Knightmare Frame" is a play on the word nightmare and a knight's mare. There also exists a derivative type of war machine based on the Knightmare Frames called Knight Giga Fortress.

LEVs: An acronym for Laborious Extraorbital Vehicle, the LEV was originally designed as heavy construction machinery, but came into military and police use as the systems became increasingly refined, and especially after Metatron-based electronics made computer pilot-assistance relatively cheap and simple. LEVs use only a limited amount of Metatron technology, usually limited to relatively simple Metatron Quantum Computers and perhaps Metatron-enhanced fusion reactors for power. LEVs have a characteristic external cockpit which allows the pilot to keep an upright orientation however the LEV moves, a throwback to the machine's use in construction.

• Hybrid LEVs: Essentially a LEV but with some number of Metatron technology enhancements, the Hybrid LEV is sort of an intermediate step between the LEV and the Orbital Frame. Typical additions are Metatron-based weapons, Compression Shielding, Vector Traps, and low-end Photonic Reactors. Since the design philosophy of a Hybrid LEV is usually to be able to compete with Orbital Frames while cutting costs, Hybrid LEVs are particularly likely to exhibit peculiar gimmicks intended to give the pilot an unexpected edge.

Mobile Suits: Humanoid war machines, built to be as versatile as humans, for close quarters combat in a space where long range battle is a near impossibility. Mobile Suits are among the most versatile and adaptable designs out there, with every model built for a purpose, some mass produced, others unique in design and goals, and even some as testbeds of new and improved technology.

• Gundam: The Icon. Through several worlds, the Gundam returns. Usually a top of the line Mobile Suit, Gundams have a reputation in many worlds, often times one of great renown. Gundams are designed to be adaptable and one-mecha armies, capable of taking on most challenges and coming out on top, with some built for balance and others hyper-specialized at what they do.
  
• Mobile Armor: Giant machines using familiar MS systems on a larger or more mobile frame. These are usually either support weapons.. or superweapons. A Mobile Armor built for destruction can usually lay waste to a battlefield, and one built for support tends to work in coordination with other MS or Gundams.
  

Orbital Frames: Humanoid combat machines evolved from the design of LEVs. The distinguishing characteristics of Orbital Frames are their slim design, very high power-to-size ratio, and the use of very large quantities of Metatron. Another identifying characteristic is the use of the external cockpit, derived from LEV design but exaggerated to shield the pilot from Metatron radiation during combat. Nearly all an Orbital Frame's systems are Metatron-based. Even the most basic Orbital Frames include a Metatron-based Photonic Reactor, Compression Shielding and Compression Thrusters, some kind of Metatron-based weaponry and Self-Supporting Armor, and a Metatron Quantum Computer serving either as controller AI for an unmanned Frame or as tactical support computer for a Frame Runner. Elite-level unique Frames often have more advanced systems from the relatively common Vector Trap up to the (currently) one-of-a-kind Vector Cannon used by Jehuty or Advanced Vector Trap installed in Anubis.

Personal Troopers: Earth Federation based humanoid combat machines, 'Personal Trooper' is the name of all tactical mecha used by the Federation. They come in all shapes and sizes, but most are based off the Gespenst design and include the Huckebein and Exbein models, as well. They are supposed to be versatile and adaptable more than powerful or invincible, and are meant for military operations.

Variable Fighters: A variable fighter is a fighter that transforms into two or more modes. It usually has a humanoid form called Battroid and an in-between mode called GERWALK, in which the fighter has a pair of reverse-articulated legs extending underneath to enable VTOL. The reason behind the development of the variable fighters' Battroid mode was the discovery of the SDF-1 Macross and its accommodations for humanoid giants justified the development of a weapon that could enable mankind to fight the aliens in land and aerospace combat.

Battlemech: Similar in capabilities to units such as Mobile Suits, Personal Troopers, Variable Fighters, Knightmares and other similar units. It falls in terms of scale between the Knightmare frames, and most mobile suits. Battlemechs are focused primarily on ranged combat, and are often bristling with a diverse array of weapons. They are generally built Armor on Frame, and tend to be less graceful than many of the aforementioned machines. Their construction tends to be heavy and ruggedized, their armor and structural composition lends itsself to easy repair, and the materials used are damage neutral, taking damage equally from beam, laser, solid and explosive sources.

• Omnimech: a subset of Battlemech, standard battlemechs are fixed-configuration and require time and effort in the hangar to reconfigure. Omnimechs are designed for rapid reconfiguration and repair. Modularized, an Omnimech is set up to rapidly change its weapon and equipment loadout to suit its pilot's desires and the constraints of a mission.
  

Super Robot: Super Robots are machines, usually unique, built on super-technology and using esoteric or incredibly potent energy sources, built from a limited and superior material such as Z Alloy or even of alien origin. It is a vague term that generally refers to a machine with specifications no conventional science can match, and with the development costs to create a single robot that could've been used to field an entire battallion of lower end machines. What makes a Super Robot is generally subjective, but they are, generally, to other soldier machines like a superhero would be to conventional military forces.

• Buster Machines: Machines developed to fight the STMC horde, Buster Machines are some of the most powerful machines ever built, capable of fighting sun-eater aliens and withstanding the explosion of a Black Hole Bomb.
  
• Ganmen: Machines powered by Spiral Energy, made to function in space, they are designed with a 'face' as a man body (explaining their name, which means 'Face Man'), they can be used in almost all environments, and despite their oft-times bizarre appearances, Ganmen are very powerful and mobile combat machines.
  

Antagonist Mecha

Angels: Adam’s children (???????, Adamu no kodomotachi) refers to the Angels originated from the Seed of Life Adam. Adam's children encompass the Third through Seventeenth Angels. The first thirteen are Adam’s natural offspring. Adam's children began appearing around Tokyo-3 fifteen years after Second Impact, starting with the 3rd Angel, Sachiel. It is assumed that the Angels' intention is to cause Third Impact and reclaim Earth from Lilith's children (Homo sapiens). They all share regeneration, blood and A.T. Fields.

Mechabeasts: The Invincible Mechabeast (also known as Kikaiju) army of Doctor Hell, developed from lost Mycaenaean technology from Bardos Island, are the upgraded form of the Talos mecha also taken from Bardos and the source of the legend! They have been improved and will be unleashed upon the world as per the will of Doctor Hell, the future ruler of the world! Their designs are varied and their power is immeasurable, and only MAZINGER Z, the Castle of Black Iron, stands a chance to stop them and save the whole world! ...hrm. Mechabeasts are one of the armies of Dr. Hell. They are powered by a biological computer entity known as 'Kedora', the unevolved form of which resides inside the Talos Mecha.

• Ghost Mecha Beasts: Mechabeasts actually harvested as-is from Mycaenaean technology. These designs are actually considerably more powerful than Dr. Hell's rebuilt versions, and tend to have special abilities which make them a match for even the Photonic Powered, Super Alloy Z Armored might of Mazinger Z.