Battle Mastery: Tausendfussler unharmed
Graien in the president's office is agitated that aliens have occupied the White Star. The fleet was overwhelmed, and Graien orders an immediate counterattack. President Midcrid hopes there's still room for negotiation and asks Nibhal Mubhal to contact the Inspectors and Graien to talk to the Neo DC.
On the Moon, Arado is healing well and demanding triple helpings of food despite doctor's orders. Radha asks about his past and Arado is very relieved it's not more yoga lessons. It seems that his main teacher at the school was a computer named Magus Kenus, a prototype of the Magus Gebo computer core of the Earth Cradle. Also, Aguilla Setme and Cuervo Cero. Radha reacts like she knows these people. In fact, she was an early test subject in Cero's research on Man-Machine Interfaces. She hasn't seen him since he joined the EOTI (Extra Over Technology Institute).
Elsewhere, Rio is testing the Huckebein Mk III and having trouble with the T-Link system. That thing never works quite right on any mech, does it? Dr. Marion Radom and Dr. Kirk Hamil are in charge of testing this mech that Ryoto designed. Marion is almost done with the Wildwurger design, but it needs more armour to really be considered a successor to the Alteisen.
CEO Mao Ring is yet another face reacting to the battle at the White Star. She orders an immediate evacuation of all staff since the aliens may be coming to attack Mao Industries again. During this escape, she will pilot the Huckebein 008L herself, while Rio takes the AM Gunner module (more on this one later), while all the other prototypes go on a transport. However, Radha takes the Schutzwald they were going to abandon and engages the enemy Gunsects (basically walking insectoid gun mounts) while the other mechs warm up.
Radha has nature SP Regen and Focus for 10 SP. Nonetheless, the Schutzwald is terrible at dodging and I turtle up on some buildings that grant big defense bonuses (30% defense and evasion, 20% HP and energy regen).
On turn 2, Arado sorties in a Huckebein Mk II M carrying some neat weapons, like an assault rifle that's basically the old M95 machine gun with an extra point of range. And the Boosted Hammer, which is actually a giant spiked ball on a chain like the Gundam Hammer from the original Mobile Suit Gundam. Ok, if Arado kills all the Gunsects, the Boosted Hammer is yours to keep. Radha can bring their HP down, but she can't actually kill anything. Some FAQs say you have to use other weapons to make the kill, but I've always used it heavily and still gotten the Hammer.
On turn 4 (or when the last Gunsect goes down), a line of Huckebein Mk II Ms appears at the bottom of the map. Rio and Mao launch, escorting a Tausendfussler transport. They've also replaced all of the factory's data with dummy files and viruses. Mao's Huckebein is one of the originals with a Black Hole Engine, so it's pretty powerful. Rio's AM Gunner is basically an X-Wing. Incidentally, Ring has the same battle music as her ex-boyfriend Irm; they both debuted in SRW 4 according to this wiki.
The Tausendfussler moves on its own, and the BM is basically impossible without a shit-ton of luck. So, fuck it. Oh, wait, the fuckwits in the Huckebeins somehow miss two shots at an enormous transport. All the others are either dead or distracted by my escorts and I earn my BM after three turns even though the Tausendfussler is well short of its destination.
A giant enemy approaches. It's Mekibos in his Graterking, there to take down the transport. In talking with Ring, he reveals that the loss of the Huckebein 008R when Rai lost his hand may not have been an accident, and he's surprised the Huckebeins are so small for the amount of power they have.
When the cutscene's over, I finish off the enemy Huckebeins. One drops a Servo Motor. I'm getting a lot of these for some reason. On the next turn, Mekibos says he's going to get serious. In the transport, Ryoto refuses to run and tries to start up the Huckebein Mk III with the T-Link system offline. I'll just turtle up while he works. After a few turns, he gets it going and tries to attack Mekibos. It goes badly until he activates some secret system Kirk built into it to generate large amounts of power at dramatic moments. Then he docks with Rio's Gunner to pull off an attack that knocks Mekibos around enough for everyone to pull out.
Afterwards, everyone speculates on the aliens' goals and motives. Mario calls them cheap for seizing Earth factories and mechs to fight with instead of bring their own. The Hiryu catches up with them and there's more talking: all the Moon bases are gone, but cities are intact. The Hiryu will be heading to the L4 sector to rendezvous with a fleet that hasn't been attacked yet to plan a counterattack. However, Gilliam suggests going to Earth to protect TLI, which is another obvious target for these aliens.
Hrm... looks like I took too long to kill the Gunsects or something and I didn't get the Hammer (one FAQ suggests a four turn time limit). Ah well, it's useful but not worth replaying this damn stage for. Anyway, on to the intermission.
If Arado can get 55 kills by stage 24 (and some other conditions), I can get the red Wildwurger-L, which is a pretty good mech. He's sitting at 29 kills here, so it'll be tricky but not too bad. I have him learn SP Regen and Attacker and stick him in the Huckebein for now; it gets energy and mobility upgrades.
Rio and Ryoto get SP Regen and a few mech upgrades. I don't use them much. I guess they're just not my favourite people or something.
Radha learns Resupply and Focus since she's another great support character. I beef up the Schultzwald just a bit, but it's best kept out of most fights.
