Robot Viking

When you’re seeking an animal namesake for your war mech, cuddly koala bears are probably not the first critters that leap to mind. So how did Heavy Gear’s 08th Airborne Regiment end up with a bunch of mechs called Killer Koalas?

Operation: Drop Bears Dive! is a supplement for the 2nd edition of the Heavy Gear RPG. It also contains a lot of material for Blitz!, the tactical combat version of Heavy Gear, so whichever flavor of Heavy Gear you prefer, you’ll find something of interest.

The 08th Airborne Regiment is the primary focus of the book. Their operational history from St. Vincent’s War through the development of the Drop Bear modification and official creation of the Koala Heavy Gear and the Interpolar War is explained. Famous NPCs are given full statistics and histories, along with a sampling of generic NPCs to flesh out the unit. The level of detail here is amazing. What are the induction ceremonies, both official and unofficial, when someone joins the 08th? When and where does the unit hold their reunions? What are the rank insignia, uniform colors and typical infantry trooper’s loadout? If you win a medal, where on your uniform should it be placed? You won’t be left guessing — it’s all explained and demonstrated with full-color diagrams.

The story of the Koalas in a nutshell is that the regiment relied on airdropping units into combat as a primary tactic (what with them being an airborne regiment and all). At some point they were stuck with some mechs called Bears that weren’t really suited to airdropping. They undertook to modifying them for this purpose, and some Gear manufacturers got involved, creating an official variant. The 08th’s commanders had been gifted a pair of Terran koalas that became the unit’s mascots, so the name seemed like a natural variation of the old Bears the new Gears were based on. There’s also an Australian legend/joke about “drop bears,” fictional carnivorous koalas that drop on people from the trees. The story is mainly used to get gullible tourists to perform goofy anti-drop bear measures like rubbing toothpaste behind their ears.

While the bulk of the book is focused on the RPG, with lots of RPG hooks, characters and scenarios, there are many of sections set off with the Blitz! logo. Each NPC, for example, has a set of Blitz! rules for use in the tactical game. There are ten new scenarios for use with the Blitz! rules and a section explaining how to modify units to make them part of the 08th and fit them into preexisting armies. Painting guides and miniature galleries abound, and the end of the book is filled out with printable unit cards and NPC sheets.

Operation: Drop Bears Dive! is Dream Pod 9′s first ebook only release, and can be purchased from DriveThruRPG.

Here’s a gallery of sample pages to give you a sneak peak at what you’ll find inside O:DBD!

Related posts:

1. Gear Up for the Heavy Gear Arena Giveaway Winner Announcement
2. Win the New Heavy Gear Arena Two-Player Starter Kit!
3. Gen Con Heavy Gear Gallery
4. Gear Most Heavy — the Dream Pod 9 Interview, Part 2
5. Heavy Gear: Military Mechs on a New Earth