Katyusha


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Katyusha
Height: 65 meters
Weight: 38,000 metric tons
Gender: Female
Combat Style: Ranged/Charging
Primary Attacks: Metal Claws
Secondary Attacks: Bite
Primary Weapon: S.C.U.D. Cannon
Secondary Weapon: S.C.U.D. Missiles
Energy Style: Stamina (auto-injurious)

Overview: Katyusha is a Jerboa mouse fused to an experimental Sentient Combat Unit Device (S.C.U.D.) which draws power from its host's central nervous system.  In Katyusha's case, the S.C.U.D. has evolved into a gigantic particle cannon on a hinge, which can alternately fire a variety of energy blasts, or flip backwards to act as a zero-inertia propulsion system.  Katyusha's conscious mind still appears to be dominated by her terrestrial mouse instincts - but as the S.C.U.D. system continues to increase in power, it is only a matter of time before she evolves into something much more aggressive.

Origin: Katyusha was originally one of 25 mice grafted onto experimental Sentient machines in a remote research lab under the jurisdiction of the USSR.  These machines drew power from their hosts and displayed an impressive ability to adapt - though with such tiny hosts their maximum energy (and thus their maximum creativity and problem-solving skills) were limited.  Katyusha's S.C.U.D. unit found a way to overcome this energy limit - by manipulating its host mouse's DNA to accelerate growth - simultaneously providing more power to the S.C.U.D.  One evening the amount of available energy from the host became great enough to power a small laser, with which Katyusha broke free of her cage, gained access to the other S.C.U.D. units and their hosts, and devoured them.  By the morning, Katyusha had escaped into the wild.
It has been more than a decade now, and Katyusha has grown to such an enormous size that she cannot remain hidden from the human military forces that hunt her much longer.  But will the S.C.U.D. unit she powers have achieved sentience by then?  And if so, what does it want?

Energy System: Katyusha's bio-organic weapons are powered by her organic physiology.  In normal circumstances, her massive body produces plenty of excess energy to power the S.C.U.D. system.  In combat, when energy requirements peak, the S.C.U.D. system can draw emergency power from Katyusha's organic body in a way which can cause her significant internal damage.  In a prolonged battle, this auto-injurious energy draw can become a significant liability.

Ranged Combat: The S.C.U.D. system has evolved Katyusha into a ranged-combat specialist.  The S.C.U.D. Cannon is used as both a versatile projectile launcher and a propulsion system allowing for quick movement along the ground and/or limited flight.  These options allow Katyusha to change her combat range in an instant (at the cost of energy) and employ powerful blasts from any range.  (at the cost of energy).  So long as her energy pool remains full, Katyusha is a combat dynamo!

Grappling: Katyusha's strength is still proportioned like a mouse, and as such she has very little of the upper-body strength necessary for lifting or applying torque.  She can quite effectively shake off grappling attempts through quick blasts of her S.C.U.D. jets, which makes her harder to hold on to than her light weight might imply.

Melee Combat: Katyusha's melee abilities have been augmented by the S.C.U.D. to include two sharp mechanical arms, which have very fast striking and reaction times.  Katyusha has not, thus far, developed mechanical armor to protect against hand-to-hand combat, presumably because she has not been exposed to such dangers.  This probably means that a well-armored melee kaiju could gain a significant advantage against her in hand-to-hand combat.

Weaknesses: Katyusha's massive bulk was developed to power the S.C.U.D. unit, not as a response to any external threats.  This means that she is optimized to survive and develop her capacity for reason, not for combat with other kaiju.  In combat she relies largely on her mouse-sized instincts, which are not necessarily optimized to her incredible abilities.  She has emphasized evasion over damage output, like a mouse.  But unlike a regular mouse, her abilities are ultimately tied to the S.C.U.D. unit's ability to draw power from her living systems - which are finite resources in a combat situation.

Animation Guidelines: 
  • Personality: Katyusha is a fusion between sentient technology, and mouse.  The mouse aspect acts like a mouse - she would rather hide than fight.  Her melee attacks come across as desperate acts of distraction - giving her an opportunity to jet away.  But the S.C.U.D. unit has its own agenda - and it can assert itself over the mouse brain in several ways.  When Katyusha roars, it's less about aggression, and more about being pushed out of her instinctive comfort zone by the symbiotic relationship.
  • Combat Focus: Katyusha is driven by the two primary functions of the S.C.U.D. cannon - blast, and propel.  She can fire from range, or up close for huge knock-back.  She can close distance in a flash with a jet-powered charge from the air or ground, or shoot away to regain distance.  Her energy can draw from her health - so overly aggressive actions can leave her vulnerable.  Her melee attacks with the arms are quick and light, and her kick attacks are only slightly stronger.  Her tail is not used in a combat role.
  • Special Considerations: Katyusha's S.C.U.D. unit animates into two positions - this needs to be supported in the base model.


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