Part 148: Liu
Wanzer Retrospecticus: LiuBuild Cycle #1: Missions 10-18
"Secret Agent"
Submitted by: Abundance of Gokus
Parts
Body: Zenislev
L. Arm: Jinyo Mk 110
R. Arm: Shangdi 1
Legs: Jinyo Mk 110
Backpack: BX002
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: DGS-25
R. Shoulder: Empty
R. Hand: Mk 9 Sniper
MVP of Missions 14, 16
Fatal Flaw: A high-powered wanzer never meant for mass production. Too weird to live, too rare to die...
Actually, I really did like this wanzer. For all of the terrible ideas you people had for Liu, this one was pretty good. The problem of the rifle's accuracy was fixed by the machine gun and Double Shot II. It even had a high-HP body to help it absorb damage, making up for the lack of a shield. I'll always remember, you, Secret Agent. Always.
Build Cycle #2: Missions 19-24
"Aegis Knight"
Submitted by: Nick Buntline
Parts
Body: Genie
L.Arm: Zeros
R. Arm: Zeros
Legs: Enyo Mk109
Backpack: BX002
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: Buckler
R. Shoulder: Type 10 GR
R. Hand: Buckler
Fatal Flaw: Affront to all that is good and right in this world.
By the way, Buntline, Shield Attack only triggers if you have a melee weapon to attack with, so there was no chance of Shield Attack going off to save Liu's bacon.
Anyway, this is the worst wanzer ever submitted. It would be almost impossible to come up with a worse design...and if anyone tries, I'll make up a new rule to prevent it from ever being used.
The issue here is that Liu had no levels in grenades, so couldn't do any real damage. That's not good, but it's survivable. Putting a grenade launcher, a weapon with the worst accuracy in the game, onto arms with the worst accuracy modifier in the game was a recipe for disaster.
On the plus side, having two shields meant it was great as a decoy, because it could block attack after attack. Then again, that's like saying that the Hindenburg wasn't much of a safe form of transportation, but did make a lovely light source as it burned.
Build Cycle #3: Missions 25-28
"Mr Waffles"
Submitted by: thetruegentleman
Parts
Body: Kyojun Mk 107
L. Arm: Grapple M1
R. Arm: Yongsai 3
Legs: Jinyo Mk 110
Backpack: BX002
Computer: COMB554
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: SN-100G
R. Shoulder: Empty
R. Hand: Mk9 Sniper
MVP of Mission: 26
Fatal Flaw: Used rifle.
This won an MVP? Further proof that the MVP voting procedure is wholly corrupt and not to be trusted.
Anyway, this is a bad idea, executed poorly. It's supposed to be a simple rifle wanzer, now, that's a pretty bad idea by itself, but it also uses the wrong parts to even be good at using its rifle.
The Yongsai arm is great...on a machine, shotgun or flamethrower arm, where it's skill can make up for its relatively low accuracy. On a rifle arm, though, it's a bad idea, because RoF III can't go off on a rifle shot. For that matter, Liu would have been better off with Rekson body instead of the Kyojun body.
Also, it used a rifle, and, absent some sort of gimmick to make it good, that's just not going to fly.
Build Cycle $4: Missions 29-34
"Rifles Forever"
Submitted by: DrivenBatty
Parts
Body: Meledyne
L. Arm: Foura
R. Arm: Tiandong
Legs: Foura
Backpack: BPT3A
Computer: COMB603
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Type 13 GR
L. Hand: Laohu 3
R. Shoulder: Empty
R. Hand: Heavy Shield
Used in Missions: 29-34
Fatal Flaw: The latest in a long line of wanzer to try to prove the worth of the rifle. It failed. They always fail.
Well, I guess this is a bit better. The Foura Arm at least give Liu the accuracy he needs, and also...wait, why does he have a grenade launcher? Ugh. Why?
Anyway, I'm pretty sure this design has Leg Smash, which would be great if wanzers mounted weapons on their legs...which they don't. I don't know, I appreciate that people are trying to make a useful rifle wanzer, I just wonder if it's even possible.
Build Cycle #5: 35-41
"Double0Commie"
Submitted by: tanasinn
Parts
Body: Foura M12A
L. Arm: Shangdi 1
R. Arm: Shangdi 1
Legs: Jinyo Mk 110
Backpack: Mk5 E-Pack
Computer: COMB603
Weapon
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: Huida 3
R. Shoulder: Empty
R. Hand: Chongta 3
MVP of Mission: 40
Fatal Flaw: Much like Timothy Dalton's version of James Bond, the DoubleOCommie was critically acclaimed, but not a hit with the fans...and it's all about the fans.
The problem, like a lot of wanzers that were submitted at this point in the game, was that Liu had little experience with machine guns, and none with shotguns, which meant that he couldn't do much in the way of damage.
Also, the weight of two guns meant that this wanzer had a really fragile body unit, and that tended to end tragically for poor Liu. I'd say more, but, due to the vagaries of the plot, it only was used in two missions.
Build Cycle #6: Missions 42-50
"Aegis Lord"
Submitted by: Aremtheman
Parts
Body: Genie
L. Arm: Grapple M1
R. Arm: Rekson M4F
Legs: Genie
Backpack: BX002
Computer: COMG10
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: Mk10 Shield
R. Shoulder: Type 13 GR
R. Hand: Big Buster
In a vacuum, this is a fine wanzer, but, like all things, the stains of the past are not so easily scrubbed out. (Okay, that was a terrible simile).
Liu, by this point in the game, had no levels in melee and almost none in grenades. That posed certain difficulties in doing damage. He did, however, did have great accuracy, so there's that. Oh, and if I ever remembered to use items, I could have reloaded the grenade launcher, but, well, that wasn't going to happen. It wouldn't be fair to blame you guys for my mistakes, though.
Or would it?
Build Cycle #7: Missions 51-55
"White Devil"
Submitted by: Nick Buntline
Parts
Body: Hoshun Mk112
L Arm: Hoshun Mk112
R Arm: Hoshun Mk112
Legs: Hoshun Mk112
Backpack: BX090
Computer: COMB652
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: Heavy P-Gun
R. Shoulder: Empty
R. Hand: SN-107G
Well, when you put all of the best parts on one wanzer, you're bound to end up with something overly-powerful. But seriously, this wanzer is capable of winning missions by itself, as will be shown at some point.
My only complaint, it doesn't really need that shield, and I can think of a better use for that arm....
All-Star Endgame Showcase: Missions 56-59
"White Devil Zeta"
Parts
Body: Hoshun Mk112
L Arm: Hoshun Mk112
R Arm: Hoshun Mk112
Legs: Hoshun Mk112
Backpack: BPT9MAX
Computer: COMB652
Weapons
L. Shoulder: Empty
L. Hand: Heavy P-Gun
R. Shoulder: Empty
R. Hand: Fatal Buster
I guess I probably should have given Liu a rifle for his final wanzer, but, well, I just oculdn't say no to the thought of vaporizing everything in my path with a death ray.
I also swapped out the shield for a fist, and the item backpack for a power backpack. Why? Well, for fun, mainly. The fist allows the White Devil to attack even when it doesn't have enough AP to fire the Heavy P-Gun, and the power backpack boosts the damage it does with its melee attack.