Name: Aquadon
Alignment: Helic Republic
Family: Frog
Registration Number: RMZ-05
Crew: 1
Height: 2.9 Meters
Length: 9.8 Meters
Weight: 5.9 Tons
Top Speed: 90 kph (land), 60 knots/111 kph (water)
Weapons: Dual 20mm Laser Rifles, Hardened Alloy Legs
Special Abilities: Swimming, Active Sonar System, Jet Fins
Level: 1
The Aquadon is an odd little frog-typed Zoid, originally created by the Helic Republic specifically for aquatic combat. It has the distinction of being the very first mass-production Zoid ever made for specifically that purpose, and initially led the Republic to dominate the seas and make large strides towards hindering Zenebas assaults on the Europa mainland.
The Aquadon was designed for both aquatic combat and seaborn assaults on beachheads, and for a time gave the Republic the edge it needed over the Empire. However, these victories were short-lived. The Aquadon has the dubious distinction of being the only completely unarmored Zoid. (The only exception to this is protection around the cockpit and core areas.) While the structure was and is relatively sturdy, the Zenebas Empire recognized and exploited this weakness by resurrecting torpedoes. Mounting them on the newly developed Sinker, the Zenebas quickly thinned the ranks of the Aquadons, and regained the upper hand.
However, Aquadons still have their uses: aside from being inexpensive, they’re well-armed for Zoids of their class, and are hard to hit with conventional weapons due to their size. Also, they’re distinguished as being one of the only Zoids around with wheels, used for beach landings. Lastly, the unique frog-design of the Aquadon gives it considerable jumping and kicking power.
Weapons:
Dual 20mm Laser Rifles:
The Aquadon, while unarmored, has two potent weapons for its size: two 20mm Laser Rifles. Fixed and mounted to the main body on either shoulder, each rifle boasts a fully automatic firing rate of roughly 12 shots per second (each!), making them among the most potent weapons available for a Zoid of this size.
Hardened Alloy Legs:
While scrawny-looking and unarmored, the legs of the Aquadon are actually the toughest part of the Zoid. The powerful kicking mechanism used by the Aquadon for swimming allows the Zoid to use its legs as bludgeoning weapons (though they can’t actually penetrate too well) and kick away pursuers. They’re also difficult to blow off: they’re thick and the structure is very tough.
Special Abilities:
Swimming:
The Aquadon can swim, and quite well, too. Being a dedicated aquatic combat Zoid, the Aquadon is surprisingly maneuverable for its design, sparring with even the manta ray-like Sinker in that department. It uses powerful kicks from its legs to propel itself through the water, at a comparatively slow 60 knots. However, one might want to pay more attention to its much poorer performance on land: with only wheels to rely on, maneuverability and speed are sacrificed. Also note that its not recommended that you take the Aquadon more than 250 meters below the surface, for safety reasons.
Active Sonar System:
When it developed the Aquadon, the Helic Republic was on the forefront of sonar technology. The Aquadon’s unique sonar system has been upgraded over the years, and is still more advanced than any other aquatic Zoid around. It allows the Aquadon to actively “ping” or bounce sound waves off of other Zoids underwater. This allows the Aquadon to pinpoint them, despite any stealth systems they might have (including conventional sound suppression). Also, the Aquadon can do this as frequently as it wishes: when activated, the Active Sonar System sends out several pulses per second. However, it should be noted that this effectively gives away the Aquadon’s position. Lastly, the Active Sonar System is useless out of the water, and cannot track, find, or target opponents out of the water.
Jet Fins:
Located on either side of the Aquadon, next to the 20mm Laser Rifles, are the Jet Fins. These are effectively underwater turbo boosters, allowing the Aquadon to move at speeds of up to 167 knots (309 kph) for a short period of time. However, the Jet Fins can only be used for a maximum of 6 seconds at a time, and requires a second to regenerate energy for each second it was used for. (Seconds used = Seconds cooldown)
Available Modifications: Minigun(*2)
