ABW-2 Hood

A primitive bipedal walker design, the **ABW-2 Hood** was an early Mecha used by the UEDF.

## Background

The early period of the development of Robotechnology was one of experimentation as the UEDF engaged in numerous programs to develop new weapons systems. While some of these were very successful, such as the Veritech and Destroid programs, there were others that were at best qualified successes, or even failures like the Slepnir tank. However, there were also a few very eccentric developments that proved to be evolutionary dead-ends even if they did produce viable systems. The ABW-1 Hood was one such example.

Much like the Daniel, the Hood was born of the many obstacles that the UEDF had faced in the development of their line of proposed Bipedal Weapons Platforms. While they were fully conscious of the potential threat from a Zentraedi attack and the need to develop weapons to counter such an occurrence, these systems represented a massive technological leap over current technological capabilities. As such, even with access to Robotechnology, the program was suffering from numerous delays and setbacks.

Shortly after the Daniel had entered production, engineers made several breakthroughs in control and balance systems that allowed them to develop a viable walker platform. Their first testbeds fell well short of the giant war robots that the UEDF were hoping for, but still represented a very real advance. Acutely aware that an attack could come at any time, the UEDF ordered development of a weapon system based on the bipedal test platform to serve as an interim design until something closer to what they wanted was ready.

The end result still fell well short of their ambitions, but represented a major breakthrough no less. The design was a fully mechanical bipedal walker which, unlike earlier designs such as the Stoneman or Cestus, was not dependent on the pilot for mobility or balance. It possessed the full all-terrain capabilities that the designers had hoped for, giving it mobility unmatched by conventional tracked or wheeled platforms. And, unlike the Daniel, it was a step forward towards the final goal, rather than a lateral move.

However, it also fell short in many ways. The design could only be described as ‘humanoid' in the most generous terms. While it had humanoid legs, its body was little more than an armoured platform that lacked any sort of arms (not even achieving the crude weapon arms of designs like the Defender or Phalanx). Furthermore, its ground speed was limited, while issues with the power system limited it to conventional weapons. Finally, the Hood’s cockpit was completely exposed to enemy fire. None the less, the UEDF put it into service as the ABW-2 Hood, seeing it as being a step in the right direction.

The Hood saw action alongside both conventional designs and other early Robotechnology examples against the AUL's forces on a number of occasions. While its performance was still limited by its design, it proved to be capable due to the mobility offered by its bipedal frame. The UEDF developed tactics around combining it with the Daniel and Stoneman as a test for the circumstances that they might face under operational use against a hypothetical alien invasion.

Those tactics were never tested, however. Once the first Destroids entered service, the Hood was rendered instantly obsolete, having been simply outclassed in every single way. Production was halted with lines converted over to building the newer Mecha. Those Hoods in service were shuffled to second-line units, where they were deployed alongside the conventional weapons systems that they were intended to replace. No Hoods were on Macross Island or the SDF-1 at the start of the First Robotech War, and the design saw no action during that conflict.

While most extant Hoods were destroyed during the Rain of Death, those that survived found a new lease of life. They were pressed into service with emergent nation-states, militias and other groups who could not afford to discriminate when it came to their weapons systems. As expected, the Hood was hopelessly outmatched by Zentraedi Battle Pods and other Mecha, but it was still effective against conventional opponents, such as bandits, insurgents and micronized Zentraedi on foot. Despite its obsolescence, the Hood was put into production by the Mercantile Republic, who sold the design on to non-UEG nation states and other clients. As a result, the Hood saw action into the 2020s in the various brush wars of the period.

While most existent Hoods were destroyed in the Invid Invasion, incredibly a few examples survived and were used by resistance fighters during the occupation. While almost completely ineffective against anything larger then the Soldier Power Armour, the Hood's limited capabilities were still more than a match for the limited arsenals typically used by collaborator forces who often lacked heavy weapons of their own.

## Capabilities

Only humanoid in the broadest of terms, the Hood could be best described as a bipedal gun platform; somewhat akin to the HWR-00 Monster, only far smaller. Even by the standards of early Robotechnology weapons systems, the Hood's design was primitive. Standing about three meters tall, it had two legs, while its body was little more than an armoured platform for the crew, weapon and an early Protoculture reactor.

Due to its design, the Hood did possess full bipedal mobility, complete with all-terrain capabilities, allowing it to traverse obstacles and other situations that more conventional vehicles could not. As an unintended advantage, its compact size allowed it to operate in crowded conditions where larger Mecha could not. However, it also lacked any sort of close-range weapons systems or ability to defend itself at point-blank range. The UEDF (and other forces) would often pair Hoods with Stoneman battlesuits; the Hood would act as fire support, while the Stonemans could defend it at close range.

The single crew was protected only by an armoured front-plate, and lacked even the roll-cage found on the Daniel. As such, the Hood also lacked any sort of NBC protection, and the pilot had to rely on their own armour and equipment (if any) to protect them. Similar to the Daniel, a shield on the right side of the Mecha provided some protection, but was more intended to cover the gun than the pilot. The Hood featured entirely conventional sensory systems, including a short-range battlefield radar, low-light and thermal optics as well as a laser rangefinder and simple searchlights. Communications were provided by contemporary battlefield radio technology.

The Hood's armour was made from a combination of conventional materials and advanced technologies derived from the SDF-1. The armour is immune to small arms fire, and provides fair to good protection against heavy infantry weapons (such as a 12.7mm machine gun round) and moderate protection against heavier weapons (such as a Zentraedi 22.3mm autocannon round). In addition, as noted above, the Hood's crew had no protection at from enemy fire save for from directly head-on. Consequently, many Hood pilots wore some sort of body armour in the field.

## Weapons and Equipment

* **90mm Snub-Nosed Cannon:** Mounted on the right side of the walker, facing forwards. The Hood's only weapon was a conventional 90mm cannon designed for both direct and indirect fire use. Typical range was about 4 km direct with indirect fire out to about 12 km. Rate of fire of approx. 16 round per minute, fed by an advanced autoloader. Typical load was blast-fragmentation rounds for fire support use, but other loads such as HEAT, HESH and smoke could also be used.

## Game Statistics

* **Required Rank:** 1

* **Designation:** ABW-2

* **Stats**
	+ **Armour – Light:** 8
	+ **Structure – Light:** 8
	+ **Hardware Points**: 2
	+ **Speed** – **Running:** 50 kph / 80m / 8 Ground Units

### Weapons

* **90mm Mortar Cannon:** The Hood's only weapon is a 90mm Mortar Cannon mounted on the right side of the Mecha. The cannon fires high-explosive shells in a ballistic arc out Long Range. The weapon inflicts Mecha-Scale damage. Destruction of this weapon destroys the Saturation Fire Equipment Suite. [B5] [H]

* **No Melee:** The Hood cannot engage in melee except to make Ramming attacks.

### Features

* **Terrestrial:** The Hood can only be used in an Earth-like environment

* **Smoke Launchers:** The Hood is equipped with smoke discharges it can use to help conceal its profile [H]

* **Shield:** The Hood is equipped with a shield on its right side to help protect against weapon fire. The Shield can be destroyed to negate all damage taken from a non-area based Light Damage Attack. [H]

### Equipment Suites

* **Saturation Fire:** The Hood may rapidly fire its Mortar to saturate an area with explosive shells. Use this Equipment Suite at up to Medium Range. When all uses of this Equipment Suite are expended, it can no longer make attacks with its 90mm Mortar Cannon. [B10]
	+ **Uses:** 2
	+ **Skill:** 3

* **Smoke Mortar:** The Hood comes equipped with the ability to launch smoke. This helps the tank advance into or leave a combat zone. Use this benefit to defend against enemy fire. Destruction of the Smoke Mortar destroys this Equipment Suite
	+ **Uses:** 2
	+ **Skill:** 3