Mech Legs

*Note: Not to be confused with **Sprinter Legs**.*

## Overview

Mech Legs are very large ground movement cubes, each with extremely high base health. Mech legs have the advantage of being able to efficiently travel on any terrain as they magnetise themselves to the ground.

Mech Legs have the ability to jump extremely high and to crouch during which speed is reduced.

Mech legs can only be placed upright and, although only one Mech Leg provides sufficient stability for movement, it is best to use 2 or more. The turning center for Mech Legs is the point equidistant from all the Mech Legs placed on a robot.

Unlike other movement cubes, mech legs do not significantly increase their ground speed with the use of thrusters as their base speed is very low. Although mech legs themselves to have a very large speed boost. However, neither is this speed boost significant in changing speed because, as previously stated, mech legs have very low base speeds.

## Leg Number

Although it is possible to make a robot that can move with only 1 leg, the minimum needed for balanced and easy motion is 2.

Additional mech legs do not affect the motion of the robot across terrain, other than providing additional attachment points and moving the turning center of the robot. More mech legs make a robot less likely to slip or fall when on difficult terrain.

When climbing, changing geometry may make your bot change directions, so if you're running back and forth up a hill to dodge shots and fire your own, beware the direction changes while doing so.

## Jumping

Pressing the SPACE (or another, custom choosed) key will cause a mech to jump into the air. The initial impulse provided by the mech legs is greater than what can be delivered by thrusters.

While airborne, mech legs have a strong self-righting effect that keeps a robot legs-down so that a robot lands on it's feet.

On their own, mech legs are capable of rotating side-to-side without the aid of thrusters. Thrusters can slightly increase the height, duration, and distance a mech can jump.

Jumps are always more or less vertical, with slight variation if jumping off angled terrain. That is, a jump off flat ground will go up, where as, if you are clinging to the side of a cliff wall, you will go up and slightly sideways.

If you jump and do not release the SPACE(/custom) key, your mech legs will stay in a stowed position and will not grip the surface when you land.

## Crouching

Pressing the SHIFT(/custom) key will cause a mech to crouch down, how well a robot can crouch depends on how much structure the bot has below the attachment points off its mech legs.

A robot can only crouch down until it's lowermost structure collides with the ground (or other surface). Large robots with many widely spaced mech legs can crouch over smaller robots and pin them to the ground (Doing this to teammates can get a player kicked/banned if caught by a moderator or other server staff).

Mechs can still move whilst crouching, though at a reduced speed. This gives them a smaller profile, allowing them to duck down below rocks or barriers, and can offset the fact that most designs will have taller profiles than most Cruisers, Tanks, and low-flying Hovercraft designs.

## Stowing

When airborne, tipped, flipped, or any other situation where mech legs cannot grab a surface to attach to, they fold up into a stowed position. This can slightly reduce the profile of a robot and makes a legged jumper a slightly smaller target.

Stowed mech legs are easier to roll and tip over when righting, but are still significantly impede the righting of a robot. If the jump key is pressed and held down without releasing, the mech's legs will remain in a stowed position till the jump key is released.

## Poor Maneuverability

Combining mech legs with other movement cubes can modify the steering behavior of mech legs in ways that make a robot difficult to control (but adding Hover Blades is a good way if using Thrusters).

### Features

* Mech legs grip surfaces, however do not cling to them nearly as well as proper insect legs.
* When jumping from a cliff face, mech legs will aim to self-right during the fall – like a cat – so you land on your feet.
* When overburdened, mech legs have a slower top speed, have a lower ride height, and do not jump as high.
* More legs can be used to increase weight bearing capacity.
* Thrusters don't improve your speed on the even ground but do help a very slight amount with with jumps (e.g. down-facing and forward-facing thrusters for slightly extended jump height and length).

## Statistics

### Additional Statistics

* All mech legs have a 1350 Base Health/CPU relationship
* All mech legs have a 30 Mass/CPU relationship

## Trivia

* Mech legs were released on 22/10/2015 as a part of the League of Mechs update.
* Sprinter legs were released on 29/09/2016.
* Carbon 6 Hermes Sprinter Leg were added on 13/04/2017.