As the original models start to show their age and make way for newer models, the mecha arms race continues. Whether they’re looking for an edge or racing to break the status quo, sooner or later mecha designers find themselves tapping into new technology, experimental weapons, and unique equipment. They’ll need above-average pilots to master them, but soon enough the Super Prototypes will arise to conquer the battlefield. We’re going to need some sharp test pilots for this Genesys Mecha System Hack!

Of course, in order to stand out from the pack, these machines are going to need something unique. To manage that we’ve got two new Traits that, while not impossible for other machines to acquire, come as part of the CHX package.

New Traits

G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor

The Generation Enhanced: Nuclear Evolved Super-Yttrium System, more commonly known by the acronym of G.E.N.E.S.Y.S., represents the next step in mecha power and weapon design. Older reactors are capable of providing mecha with their famous endurance and long range, but their weaponry and other equipment remained mostly as scaled-up versions of traditional weapons. A G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor provides enough power for cutting-edge energy weapons and a host of other advanced technologies.

Weapons and equipment with the G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Quality require a G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor to function. A G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor can be installed in any other mecha at the cost of 2 Hard Points.

Orbital Alloy

A product of mankind’s relatively newfound ability to produce material in space-based facilities, Orbital Alloy is the latest innovation in mecha armor. It incorporates both metals easier to acquire from off-planet sources and new techniques unique to forging in zero gravity. It remains for the time being unfortunately (or fortunately depending on which side you’re on) rare, and quite expensive; some captains’ dream of an entire ship covered in the material remain far off indeed.

A mecha with the Orbital Alloy quality is immune to the Breach Quality, and grants the mecha a rank of the Durable Talent. Equipment with the Orbital Alloy Quality is immune to the Sunder Quality. Orbital Alloy can be applied to any other mecha at the cost of 2 Hard Points; at the present time Orbital Alloy Equipment has to be built from from scratch.

CHX-01 Paladin

Silhouette: 3

Crew: 1 Pilot

Skill: Driving/Piloting

Hull Threshold: 25 Strain Threshold: 25

Brawn Characteristic: 3

Traits: Unwieldy 4, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor, Orbital Alloy

Armor: 5 Handling: +2 Speed: 5

Ranged Defense: 2 Forward, 0 Rear

Melee Defense: 2 Forward, 0 Rear

Hard Points: 5/5

Weapons: CHX Fist (Clash; +1 Damage; Critical 4; Range [Engaged]; Built-In) x2, Energy Rifle (Gunnery; Damage 7; Critical 2; Range [Long]; Accurate 1, Breach 2, Vicious 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S.), Energy Blade x2 (Clash; Damage 5; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Accurate 1, Breach 2, Sunder, Vicious 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S), CHX Shield (Clash; Damage +2; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Defensive [Fore] 2, Deflective [Fore] 1, Orbital Alloy)

The CHX-01 Paladin is the testbed unit for both the G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor and Orbital Alloy armor. While it is exceeded in one way or another by the newer CHX machines, it maintains a balance of abilities that has managed to outshine CHM-model machines in weaponry, defenses, and performance.

CHX-02 Warlord

Silhouette: 3

Crew: 1 Pilot

Skill: Driving/Piloting

Hull Threshold: 25 Strain Threshold: 25

Brawn Characteristic: 3

Traits: Unwieldy 4, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor, Orbital Alloy

Armor: 6 Handling: +1 Speed: 4

Ranged Defense: 1 Forward, 1 Rear

Melee Defense: 1 Forward, 1 Rear

Hard Points: 5/5

Weapons: CHX Fist (Clash; +1 Damage; Critical 4; Range [Engaged]; Built-In) x2, Energy Gatling (Gunnery; Damage 6; Critical 2; Range [Long]; Autofire, Breach 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S.), Shoulder-Mounted Missile Launchers (Gunnery; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Long]; Guided 3, Linked 3, Breach 2, Blast 3, Limited Ammo 12, Built-In), Energy Blade (Clash; Damage 5; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Accurate 1, Breach 2, Sunder, Vicious 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S)

The CHX-02 Warlord is the artillery and heavy-weapons model of the CHX line, with an experimental Energy Gatling and long-ranged missile launchers. The Warlord’s design includes an Energy Blade for close combat, just in case, but it’s preferred mission profile is shredding enemies from a distance while shrugging off enemy fire.

CHX-03 Avenger

Silhouette: 3

Crew: 1 Pilot

Skill: Driving/Piloting

Hull Threshold: 25 Strain Threshold: 25

Brawn Characteristic: 5

Traits: Unwieldy 4, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor, Orbital Alloy

Armor: 6 Handling: +2 Speed: 5

Ranged Defense: 0 Forward, 0 Rear

Melee Defense: 2 Forward, 0 Rear

Hard Points: 5/5

Weapons: CHX Fist (Clash; +1 Damage; Critical 4; Range [Engaged]; Built-In) x2, Energy Axe (Clash; Damage 8, Critical 1; Range [Engaged], Breach 4, Vicious 4, Sunder, Defensive 2, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S.), Shot Lancer (Gunnery; Damage 6, Critical 1, Range [Short], Breach 3, Vicious 4, Limited Ammo 6, Built-In)

Equipment: Jump Boosters

The CHX-03 Avenger is to date the deadliest melee-focused mecha to be fielded, capable of cleaving through even CHM-03 Perens with contemptuous ease with its Energy Axe. It was also designed from the frame out to use jump boosters to hurl itself across the battlefield to reach its targets before they escape; if they manage to dance just out of reach, the waist-mounted shot lancer can impale them with explosively-launched spikes.

CHX-04 Ardent

Silhouette: 3

Crew: 1 Pilot

Skill: Driving/Piloting

Hull Threshold: 25 Strain Threshold: 25

Brawn Characteristic: 3

Traits: Unwieldy 5, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor, Orbital Alloy, Flyer

Armor: 4 Handling: +3 Speed: 6

Ranged Defense: 1 Forward, 1 Rear

Melee Defense: 1 Forward, 1 Rear

Hard Points: 5/5

Weapons: CHX Fist (Clash; +1 Damage; Critical 4; Range [Engaged]; Built-In) x2, Twin Energy Cannons (Gunnery, Damage 6, Critical 2, Range [Medium]; Breach 2, Accurate 1, Linked 1, Built-In, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S.), Energy Blade (Clash; Damage 5; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Accurate 1, Breach 2, Sunder, Vicious 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S)

Equipment: Scramjet Thrusters

The CHX-04 Ardent leaves even the CHM-04 Capax lagging behind as the fastest mecha on the battlefield. Aside from its high top speed, its experimental Scramjet Thrusters provide it with complete control and pinpoint maneuvering. Its Twin Energy Cannons provide heavy fire, and being built into the frame don’t run the risk of being lost during a high-speed maneuver.

CHX-05 Warden

Silhouette: 3

Crew: 1 Pilot

Skill: Driving/Piloting

Hull Threshold: 25 Strain Threshold: 25

Brawn Characteristic: 4

Traits: Unwieldy 4, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor, Orbital Alloy

Armor: 7 Handling: +0 Speed: 4

Ranged Defense: 3 Forward, 1 Rear

Melee Defense: 3 Forward, 1 Rear

Hard Points: 5/5

Weapons: CHX Fist (Clash; +1 Damage; Critical 4; Range [Engaged]; Built-In) x2, Energy Scattergun (Gunnery; Damage 5; Critical 2; Range [Medium]; Blast 3, Breach 2, Vicious 2, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S.), Energy Blade (Clash; Damage 5; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Accurate 1, Breach 2, Sunder, Vicious 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S), CHX Shield (Clash; Damage +2; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Defensive [Fore] 2, Deflective [Fore] 1, Orbital Alloy)

Equipment: Energized Armor

The CHX-05 Warden was designed to be able to hold its ground against all comers, and so far it has performed admirably in that role. It’s Energized Armor makes even ‘normal’ Orbital Alloy armor seem flimsy, using the G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor’s energy to deflect incoming fire and strikes before they can even touch the Warden. From there, it simply shreds its hapless opponents with its Scattergun.

CHX-06 Seeker

Silhouette: 3

Crew: 1 Pilot

Skill: Driving/Piloting

Hull Threshold: 25 Strain Threshold: 25

Brawn Characteristic: 3

Traits: Unwieldy 4, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor, Orbital Alloy

Armor: 5 Handling: +1 Speed: 4

Ranged Defense: 0 Forward, 0 Rear

Melee Defense: 0 Forward, 0 Rear

Hard Points: 5/5

Weapons: CHX Fist (Clash; +1 Damage; Critical 4; Range [Engaged]; Built-In) x2, Energy Sniper Rifle (Gunnery; Damage 7; Critical 2; Range [Extreme]; Breach 2, Accurate 2, Vicious 5, Prepare 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. ), Energy Pistol (Gunnery, Damage 4, Critical 2, Range [Medium]; Breach 1, Accurate 1, G.E.N.E.S.Y.S.)

Equipment: Assassin System

The CHX-06 Seeker is the evolution of the CHM-01 Sharpshooter Ogo’s role, pinpoint fire from the horizon. The Seeker is not a machine that ever wants to find itself in melee combat; while it carries an Energy Pistol for emergencies, the devestating power of its Energy Sniper Rifle is too effective to not be used as often as possible. To that end its Assassin System cloaks it from sensors, and even makes it difficult to spot visually.

By design, these units push the limits on a few different fronts. They’re immune to Breach, the premier vehicle-killing quality. Their weapons, in turn, universally have Breach, several are Accurate, and most have Vicious. That’s before you even get into the experimental stuff like the Energized Armor and the Assassin System (all of these new weapons and pieces of equipment have, of course, been added to the Genesys Mecha Armory).

They also don’t need to spend hard points to benefit from the G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactors and Orbital Alloy, while other machines do. If/when I get around to creating Mecha Creation Rules, the difficulty for a CHX Frame that comes with those Qualities built-in will be the most difficult and expensive; getting either Quality on a non-CHX frame will probably require at least one Triumph.

So! Do the CHX mecha push the limits too far? Do they fall short? Where do they need to be sent back to the mechanics for refinement? What do you think? Send them up against swarms of Ogos, and lets find out!

We’ve spent a good bit of text on designing and upgrading the front-line mecha for this System Hack, but what about the craft that back them up? Don’t worry, we’ll soon see just what kind of carrier(s) you need to bring your mecha to the battlefield. Next time on System Hack: Genesys Mecha, it’s Support Craft and Ships!

Thanks to reader Mark Brandau for helping to name the G.E.N.E.S.Y.S. Reactor! If you like what Cannibal Halfling Gaming is doing and you’d like to support us, tell your friends about us! You can also support us on Patreon, where you can find early releases and bonus material, which will include a few System Hack extras like the amphibious CHM-01A Aqua Ogo!