Originally a military logging robot used to exploit the Amazon valley after the Zentraedi Holocaust and to open up and maintain jungle transportation routes. Southern Cross research and development made the Dryad for a combat engineering robot to clear paths for the conventional armour and still be capable of wielding a gun pod into battle. Due to lack of integral weaponry, the Mk. II refit was devised to fill near-term requirements for a jungle combat battloid with the imminent departure of the REF forces.

There are carabineers points on the thighs and reinforced bars at the ankles and shoulders to provide anchor points for support infantry to repel down cliffs from the Dryad. Dryads tend to operate well integrated with the infantry support due to the dense environment in the jungles of the world. The Dryads would provide fire support while the infantry could access terrain the battloid was either too heavy or too large to traverse.

Many Dryads were destroyed during the Second Robotoech War by Bioroids, or during the Invid Invasion. Several Dryad equipped units did survive the invasion, and managed to carry on gurilla campaigns against the Invid using forests and jungles as cover from their sensors.

RPG STATS

M.D.C. BY LOCATION:

		*Head			50
	Head Lasers (2)		20 each
	Hands (2)		30 each
	Arms/Grapplers/Saws (2)	120 each
	Legs (2)		150 each
	Missile Launcher	150
	**Main Body		250
	Rear Thrusters		50
	EU-10 or E-21 Gun pod	100

*Destroying the head of the Dryad will destroy all the mecha’s radar, communications and sensors. The mecha is now -2 to strike, parry and dodge.

**Destroying the main body will shut down the mecha.

SPECIFICATIONS

WEAPON SYSTEMS

1. EU-10 Gun Pod. The main weapon of the Dryad is a hand-held EU-10 Energy Rifle, very similar to the EU-11 used by the VHT-1 Hover Tank.
• Purpose: Assault.
• Range: 1800m
• Mega-Damage: 1D6 x 10 MD
• Rate of Fire: Equal to the total hand-to-hand attacks of the pilot.
• Payload: effectively unlimited.
2. Short-Range Missile Launcher. The Dryad has a short-range missile launcher in the chest.
• Purpose: Assault.
• Missile Type: Any type of SRM can be used.
• Range: Depends on missile type
• Mega-Damage: Depends on missile type
• Rate of Fire: One at a time, or in volleys of 3, 6, 9 or 12.
• Payload: 15 Missiles
3. Grapplers. While designed for towing trees rather than combat, the Dryad’s grapplers can be used as weapons, but only do minimal damage.
• Purpose: Logging
• Range: 240m
• Mega-Damage: 1D4 MD
• Rate of Fire: Once per turn each.
4. Hand to Hand Combat. Rather than use any weapons, the Dryad can opt to engage in hand to hand combat.
• Punch: 2D4 MD
• Kick: 2D6 MD
• Leap Kick: 3D6 MD
• Body Flip/Throw: 2D4 MD
• Body Block/Tackle: 2D6 MD plus knockdown.
5. Optional E-21 Gun Pod. Rather than use the EU-10, the Dryad can use the E-21 Gun Pod. The E-21 has it's own built-in targeting system, adding a +2 bonus to strike with the gun pod.
• Purpose: Assault.
• Range: 1200m
• Mega-Damage: 1D4 x 10 MD
• Rate of Fire: Equal to the total hand-to-hand attacks of the pilot.
• Payload: effectively unlimited.
6. Optional Chainsaws Optionally, the Dryad can use Chainsaws in place of the grapplers. The chainsaws can be used as a vicious anti-mecha weapon.
• Purpose: Logging
• Range: Melee
• Mega-Damage: 4D6 MD
• Rate of Fire: Equal to the total hand-to-hand attacks of the pilot.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE DRYAD:

• There are carabineers points on the thighs and reinforced bars at the ankles and shoulders to provide anchor points for support infantry to repel down cliffs from the Dryad
• Radar: Range: 50 km. Standard operation.
• Radio/Video Communications: Wide band, directional radio and video telecast capabilities. Range: 2000km, or can be boosted by satellite.
• Laser Targeting System: Close range; 3 km
• Combat Computer: Calculates, stores & monitors data on the control panel computer screen or Heads-up display
• External Audio Pickup: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
• Loudspeaker: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
• Searchlight: All of the battloids have a high-powered searchlight mounted in their heads. Range: 50 meters.
• Optics: Infrared: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). This optical system projects a beam of infrared light that is invisible to the normal eye, but detectable by the mecha's sensors. The system allows the pilot to detect hidden/concealed objects by their IR reflectiveness. The beam will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics, however.
• Optics: Nightvision: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive light image intensifier that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient light which is electronically amplified to produce a visible picture.
• Optics: Thermal Imager: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive optical heat sensor that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects and converts that data into a false-colour visible image. The system enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows, and through smoke, and also adds a +10% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill.
• Protoculture Engine: The Dryad is powered by a Protoculture engine, giving is an average life span of 12 years. Constant use will cut that time to about half.
• 180 Degree Rotation: The Dryad can rotate its torso 180 degrees.

HAND TO HAND COMBAT BONUSES:

Designers Notes

Japanese Name: TC-FoS Dryad Super Dimensional Cavalry: Southern Cross

Episodes Seen in: #60

The Dryad was completely omitted from the RPG. The only appearance of it in the series was the back of the foot seen with a group of TC-FoS soldiers in Catastrophe, but it may have appeared elsewhere in SDC: Southern Cross.