The Cordoba, made by Frontier Service Corporation is a medium-sized mecha designed for combat on both terrestrial and in-space environments, primarily to protect large installations. It made its first appearance at the end of YE 41, and the Cordoba was developed in conjunction with the Recoilless Graviton Howitzer. Both of these weapon systems were created based on the knowledge gained from lessons learned during the Kuvexian Invasion of YE 41.

Unlike other FMS offerings this is the first humanoid mecha they have brought to market. Conceptualized to make up for the close range deficiencies of the Bulldog Light Weapon Platform the Cordoba was finished late YE 41 after a very troublesome development cycle. The complexity of its gravitationally based propulsion system interacting with its shield system caused many sleepless nights in the FMS Propulsion Lab. With the ever present threat of invasion by the Kuvexian Military and NMX production team of this mecha was heavily funded and pressured to complete the project to fantastic results. After many prototypes lay crumpled, twisted, and shredded in the scrapyard one had finally survived being turned on end even flew. In time the Mecha was ready for production and exceeded all performance benchmarks.

Named after an extinct breed of canines with a propensity for fighting, this mecha was designed to for just that. The Cordoba is built around immensely powerful graviton projection systems to enhance the mech’s agility and speed. On the field, pilots use these attributes not only to outmaneuver opponents but often to take enemies head on, using their agility to dodge incoming fire. Off the field, the Cordoba is relatively expensive and difficult to repair and maintain without proper facilities. It makes up for this deficiency by being able to be fielded for long periods of time between maintenance cycles and its redundant systems that allow it to suffer grievous damages without becoming combat ineffective.

This mecha is capable of both terrestrial use along with usage in space. It’s hermetically sealed cockpit and life-support system allows it to operate in both dirty atmospheric conditions and vacuum while its gravitational propulsion system and GPD equipped feet enable it to achieve very respectable flight characteristics in most environments.

The Cordoba is a complicated machine. While still being constructed with off-the-shelf parts available at nearly every modern industrial supplier and fabricator, its internal structure is chock full of shock absorbing equipment with sophisticated equipment woven throughout. While still adhering to the manufacturers' doctrine of prioritizing ease of maintenance as much as possible, the densely packed arrangement of such parts causes these mechs to need more time to repair after combat the the Bulldog Light Weapon Platform. Despite the delays, most severe repairs can be completed in less than 6 hours at a fully equipped repair facility.

In combat, the Cordoba is best used against other mecha in mid to close range combat where its durable chassis appreciable speed and immense strength can be used to gain an advantage over adversaries. In terms of speed, its quick movements are achieved by heavy usage of graviton projectors installed throughout its body allowing it the ability to 'muscle' its weight around via the manipulation of its local gravity. This demanding, high performance machine is best assigned to experienced pilots who can match this mecha’s aggressive design with an equally aggressive style.

The Cordoba is a medium mecha and is openly available for civilian purchase that was intended to combat military grade equipment.

Its overall appearance is humanoid with a domed head, its face pointed with a transparent slit for sensors and cameras to look out. Its thick armored paneling is sloped and slanted for the hopes of deflecting incoming fire, with occasional gaps revealing bits of its internal structure and joints.

• Modular weapon systems.
• Agile handling on the ground.
• Powerful joints and limb actuators for heavy weapons and melee combat.

• Expensive, higher cost of maintenance.
• Overall speed is lower than other contenders.
• Civilian communications equipment requires additional OpSec measures.

The propulsion mechanisms of the power armor go here, as well as any specialized movement capabilities the armor has.

• Ground Speed (Running): 100 KM/H
• Ground Speed (Hovering): 350 KM/H
• Max. Atmospheric Speed: Mach 1.1
• Max. Sublight: 0.30c

See Damage Rating (Version 3) for a guide to damage ratings to include.

DRv3 body and shields Tier: 8, Medium Mecha

The cockpit hatch is located in the topside of the torso directly in front of the head. The pilot would ideally have a gantry but thanks to the FMS Pilot Companion AI the mecha will normally lower a hand to the pilot to climb onto and elevate him to the hatch. During ejection the hatch with burst open using explosive bolts and the seat will escape via rockets. A can be connected via the pilot seat when inserted to a slot behind the back.

The Wahoo double joystick controls proved to be very useful for the FMS mecha and in its stock configuration, the right-hand joystick controls aiming while the left joystick controls leg movement. However, Cordoba pilots tend towards more inhuman means of piloting often getting cybernetic implants to gain direct control. Some pilots have even used digital mind transfer technology to directly inhabit the mech. Despite the horror stories of inhumane pilot augmentation pilots will still voluntarily receive them and the undeniable performance gains that come with. Unfortunately, this practice has marked the reputation of this machine and its pilots.

The Cordoba’s cockpit has only enough storage space for its food and water provisions within a sealed overhead compartment big enough to hold a briefcase-sized container. Additional storage can be attached to the hull by straps, cargo pods, or any other imaginative ways. The Cordoba has more than enough horsepower to drag two of its own kind in tow. The cockpit contains the following equipment:

• FMS Aerospace Seating System
  • First Aid Kit
  • Liquid Ally Container
  • Modonafil Tablets
  • Bracket for a small rifle
• Fire Extinguisher 🧯

Though simple in design and built with generic parts that are compatible with most industrial machinery, the Cordoba has many parts.

Just like the Wahoo, Cordovas use a cluster of datapads for computing power. This hardware comes with a suite of programming tools to help adjust the behavior of the mecha, setting systems to automatically deploy under certain conditions, automatically take defensive action, and generally assist with piloting and maintaining the unit.

As always the computer system has support for the Pilot Companion AI. While it isn’t necessary to the general operations of a Cordova the collision avoidance features from the Wahoo are very useful when in close quarters combat as it was generally take the most appropriate action to avoid being hit by a melee strike. A particular advantage to equipping a PiCo is the ability to move and act autonomously. A well trained PiCo can process orders given verbally from the pilot and learn how to operate independently to achieve its orders. Naturally, there are dangers associated with this type of function, therefore it is recommended by the manufacturer to follow the PiCo training guide closely as damages incurred during autonomous usage are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

The armored hull of the Cordoba is made of a thick Durandium Alloy alloy infused with ADNR (Aggregated Diamond Nanorods). As with all vehicles made by FMS, the hull is built according to the FMS aerospace insulation method that arrests potentially dangerous electromagnetic radiation and channels it into the units power supply as electricity. As a result of this when a pilot is in a pinch he can quickly recharge his shields from the splash of electromagnetic radiation or electrical discharge into their hull.

The endoframe is made of titanium-durandium alloy, maximizing the weight reduction while maintaining the load-bearing ability of the internal structure.

The Cordoba is in general not a stealthy vehicle, however, the hull can be painted in any variety of camouflage paint jobs if the owner should desire. In terms of optical camouflage, none is provided by the manufacturer as the hull is expected to take damage and the cost of projection equipment would increase the burden of combat repairs, though such aftermarket features could be sought out.

The default cockpit provides a breathable atmosphere by the use of the Liquid Ally Container built into the pilot's seat. Food and water rations can be stored in the overhead compartment for roughly a week along with a weeks supply of Modonafil Tablets to combat exhaustion. While a pilots bathroom needs cannot be accounted for within the cramped confines of the single seat cockpit, the answer to life support limitations is one week before something runs out. Luckily, the liquid ally set to plant mode will provide clean air for a month at most before needing to eat.

The standard Cordova uses a single size 8 FMS Gravity Engine for propulsion, power, and gravity manipulation. The engine and integrated graviton systems replace the need for a reaction control gyroscope for balance and naturalizing the mecha's movements. The gravity engine requires little fuel and generates abundant power while also granting basic flight capabilities. The provided flight control is fluid and natural enough to increase running speed, skimming, and at low altitude can combine its power with its graviton projectors to push and pull off of the ground to achieve supersonic speeds. Additionally, the engines will passively lighten the entire chassis. With this engine the mecha could theoretically operate indefinitely, however, in order to maintain proper and safe performance routine coolant replenishment must be a part of the unit’s regular upkeep.

Inspired by lessons from both the YV1 and YM1, the YM2 Cordoba uses a subspace radar built into the head to detect objects, exotic particles, and space-distortion at extreme range in a 270-degree arc in front of the mecha. Small Optical and Thermal sensors equipped in the head and inside each gunpod provides navigational data, imaging, and targeting information. A step up from the Bulldog, the Cordoba has an improved networked mapping system for increased squad coordination and relaying telemetry for artillery.

The Cordoba uses standard subspace communication equipment for communicating and networking with squad-mates. As a result communication security is never guaranteed. Manual encryption methods and using callsigns and code phrases are important to maintaining operational security with the standard comms gear. In order to compact this deficiency an upgraded comms security package can be installed in a shoulder hardpoint that uses basic electronic warfare AI to ensure communications are not being monitored by automatically adjusting encryption protocols and combating cyber attacks. One comms security package can protect a single squad’s network.

Returning to the tried and true design method FMS swears by, the Cordoba has no weapons that are truly “for the Cordoba” but rather the designers chose a hand design that embraces the widest range of weapon systems possible. A universal hand system. The hands on the Cordoba are possibly the single most flexible mechanism on the mecha as they can automatically adjust to nearly any mecha-scaled handheld weapon system including the entire lineup of Origin Industries frame accessories. To make room for this highly flexible system there are no usable forearm hardpoints. In an effort to promote unrivaled multirole flexibility and continue utilizing weapons developed for the Wahoo Interceptor FMS developed a series of gunpods and shoulder pods with the ability to be built around various weapon systems into a variety of configurations along with full compatibility with Ashigaru Weapon Systems and Origin Industries Starfighter accessories. These variable gunpods ability to combine a staggering amount of weapon systems into a singular weapon package paired with the Cordoba's immensely strong arms makes for a deadly multirole mecha.

• Pistol Gunpod: Lightweight weapon pod that excels in fast paced, close quarters engagements. These small gunpods allow for quick and precise weapon handling.
• Rifle Gunpod: The addition of a stock and arm clamp along with the ability to be used one or two handed grant this platform excellent midrange performance and additional pod space for mixing weapon systems.
• Heavy Gunpod: Bazooka styled weapon pod that sporting support immense weight and possess shock absorbing components for superior recoil control at the cost of the quick handling needed for close range combat. If a gunpod is loaded too heavily it will overtax the power system and overburden the arms causing the mecha to slow down greatly and miss shots more frequently. A lightly loaded gunpod will allow for greater agility and more power availability for shields and propulsion systems.⁵⁾

The Cordoba is designed for combat in close quarters has only 2 hardpoints for active weaponry on its shoulders with 1 utility hardpoint on its lower back 1 utility hardpoint on each hip. These utility hardpoints cannot be fire weapons but can be used to store inactive weapons, ammunition, or accessory parts. Similar to gunpods, the two shoulder hardpoints can be fitted with modular weapon pods called Shoulder Pods. These Shoulder Pods can mount all of the same weaponry of the arms and fire from their position. Additionally there exists the special Artillery Mount for the massive Recoilless Graviton Howitzer and similarly sized weapons.

In an effort to generate more revenue by way of weapon sales the Frontier Manufacturing Service included a list of recommended configurations for clients to choose from based around this chart:

Article created by Rizzo on 2023/09/29 17:04

The article was approved by Andrew on 2023/10/05.¹⁸⁾

Art done in Midjourney by Rizzo.