Heavy Gear

Heavy Gear is a game scenario published since 1994 by the Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9. In this fictional universe, a tactical miniatures game, a role-playing game, a card game, as well as a series of computer games published by Activision in 1997 and 1999, developed after the aforementioned company lost the rights to the BattleTech/MechWarrior series. It also led to a 40-episode computer-animated television series in 2001.

One of the most well-known aspects of Heavy Gear is its humanoid combat vehicles: the 'Gears' and 'Striders' used by the military forces of the scene. The roborts' designs are similar to those found in anime of the mecha genre.

The role-playing game is currently in its third edition. The second edition was translated and published in Spain by the Seville publisher Edge Entertainment. The latest edition of the tactical game is titled Blitz!.

Plot

Heavy Gear begins on a distant planet called Terra Nova, some 4000 Earth years in the future. Terra Nova was the main colony of the United Earth Government. However, the economic collapse forced the Earth government to abandon Terra Nova and its other colonies centuries before the period covered by the game setting. Finally, City States emerged from the ashes and through agreements or force, joined to form national units called Leagues. These Leagues would ally (again, peacefully or by force) to form the meganations that would dominate the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet.

For the year 6132 AD. C. (the year 1936 TN in the local calendar), the Confederation of Northern City-States and the Alliance of the Southern Territories recover and rebuild after the Alliance War, a brutal (and failed) attempt by the Earth government for gaining control of their former colony. Despite a common enemy, the two meganations bear mutual fear and animosity, while independent city-states in the equatorial region known as the Badlands simply try to survive the crossfire.

Finally the plot leaves the planet, when special forces from Terra Nova are sent into space to try to contact other human colonies to unite against the fascist government that controls Earth.

Heavy Gear Mysteries

The setting has many unsolved mysteries, some of which are listed below. It is not known if they will be revealed in the next developments of Dream Pod 9.

• Stone heads: the planet Terra Nova is plagued with huge stone heads, similar to those found on Easter Island, but of a more Asian style. Its origins date from the beginnings of the colonization of the planet or possibly before and the meaning of these huge monoliths is unknown.
• The Koreshi, or sand riders, a nomadic tribe of the desert, similar to the Fremen in the Dune universe. His existence in Terra Nova is a mystery.

Game system

All editions of Heavy Gears use a variant of the generic Silhouette game system from Dream Pod 9. The first and second editions of the game contained the rules for role-playing and tactical game of miniatures. The third edition of the RPG uses a separate rulebook from the Silhouette system, which is required to play the game.

Heavy Gear: Blitz! Locked & Loaded is the latest release in the series, which contains no role-playing material and is designed as a dedicated miniatures game.

Animated series

Later, an animated series of Heavy Gear was created which was made by computer, this series deals with two teams (Los Dragones de las Sombras and La Vanguardia de la Justicia) where the members use Gears to win different championships that are held In each chapter.

In Latin America it was broadcast on the Fox Kids channel (now called Disney XD).

In Argentina it was broadcast by El Trece, in Paraguay by Telefuturo and in Uruguay by Teledoce.