Mecha Tengu

The Mecha Tengu is an anti-infantry robot used by the Empire of the Rising Sun in Red Alert 3 and its expansion, Uprising. It can transform into the Jet Tengu, an air-superiority fighter.

Background
One of many weapons designed to exploit the weaknesses of the Empire's enemies, the Mecha Tengu is a dual-form pilot-assisted combat robot. Named after a Japanese mythological creature known for causing harm and mischief, as well as for its protruding air intake, similar to a long nose.

The Mecha Tengu is made of an alloy that is highly resistant to smaller weapons. Its "arms" and "legs" primarily serve as stabilizers. The Tengu's boosters and stabilizers allow it to hover a few meters above any surface. By skating across this layer of air, it can ignore many types of terrain obstacles that would normally slow down infantry or simpler vehicles. When engaged in combat, the Tengu fights using a pair of burst-firing autocannons mounted on either side of its air intake.

In the blink of an eye, the Mecha Tengu can switch to Jet Tengu mode, which has the much-more-conventional shape of a fighter aircraft. This configuration lets the unit travel at much greater top speeds and at high altitudes, such that its weapons can be brought to bear against other aircraft. In effect, no area is safe from this unit.

Piloting a Mecha Tengu must require a tremendous amount of skill and training since it is essentially two vehicles in one. Excellent physical fitness must be needed to withstand the G-forces involved in transitioning from one form of the vehicle to the other and back, especially since the Tengu's full-body cockpit apparently translates reflexive motions directly to combat maneuvers. However, it is widely known now that the allure of piloting such state-of-the-art craft drew out volunteers by the millions from the ranks of the Empire's youthful nationalists (and thrill-seekers). And even the very small qualifying percentage from that number proved to be enough to change the face of war.

Game unit
"Don't worry commander, these Tengus can take anything the Soviets throw at us."

- Kenji, observing the Tengu in action

The Mecha Tengu's autocannons are effective against infantry and light vehicles, meaning it can hold its own against most tier 1 units. However, they should never be used against main battle tanks, which can make short work of them. Its ability to transform into Jet Tengu allows it to quickly escape a losing battle, as long as there are no enemy anti-air units nearby.

The Jet Tengu is no match for the Apollo fighter and the MiG fighter one on one. However, it is cheaper to build than both of them, do not need to reload, and can be built without limit, meaning they can simply overwhelm enemy fighters with numerical superiority. As with its Allied and Soviet counterparts, it is defenseless against ground-based AA weapons, and must avoid them at all cost, due to its fragile armor.

Since the Tengu's transformation has a cooldown time of 15 seconds, it is important to avoid engaging the enemy during the cooldown time, so the Tengu can quickly transform during an emergency.

Changelog

 * Red Alert 3 beta patch 1.3:
 * Mecha Tengu land speed increased to 125 from 100
 * Mecha Tengu water speed increased to 100 from 80
 * Red Alert 3 beta patch 1.5:
 * Mecha Tengu land speed reduced to 100 from 125
 * Mecha Tengu water speed reduced to 80 from 100
 * Red Alert 3 patch 1.05: Jet Tengu damage increased from 15 to 23
 * Red Alert 3 patch 1.11:
 * Mecha Tengu vulnerability to gun damage now reduced to 25% from 50%
 * Jet Tengus now much less deadly against each other
 * vision range increased to 225 from 200

Created

 * Ready, Mecha Tengu?
 * Mecha Tengu, let's go!

Select in Mecha mode

 * Smooth ride!
 * Let's go have some fun!
 * The stuff of legends!
 * Come on, let's fight!
 * Looking for some fun!
 * Got a score to settle!?

Select in Jet mode

 * Jet Mode, no complaints!
 * Hey, hey!
 * Jet Tengu here!
 * Flying high!
 * These skies belong to us!

Moving in Mecha mode

 * Just cruise'in'!
 * We go where we please!
 * Who's gonna stop us?
 * Mecha Tengu, go!
 * Let's go!
 * Alright!

Moving in Jet mode

 * Jet Tengu, top speed!
 * Fly!
 * Iku zo! (Going!)
 * Hitting the boost!
 * Burning air!

Attacking in Mecha mode

 * Watch this!
 * Tear them apart!
 * Open fire!
 * Spray 'em!
 * Next firing rate!
 * Drop 'em!
 * Blast them, Mecha Tengu!

Attacking in Jet mode

 * Ima da! (Now!)
 * Time for a dogfight!
 * Shoot them down!
 * Full force!

Move to Attack

 * They need to be taught a lesson
 * Tengu, going in!
 * Let's go after them!
 * Looks like an easy target!
 * They're looking for some trouble!
 * I got this one!
 * This is our turf!
 * I don't like the way they look!
 * Zero tolerance!

In combat

 * Autocannons locked on!
 * We got this, no problem!
 * Keep it up, Tengu!!
 * No survivors!
 * They have nothing on us!
 * We're in charge here!
 * Don't give them a chance!

Retreating

 * Let's get outta here!
 * They won't catch us!
 * Spread out!
 * Let's take off!
 * Gotta go!

Under fire

 * I'm hit!
 * Hold on, Tengu!
 * They think they can take us?
 * Who do they think they are?
 * They're fighting back!
 * I felt that!

Shot down in jet mode

 * Kiwatta! (Oh, no!)
 * No way!!!
 * Catch me!!!
 * You'll pay!!!

Trivia

 * The heaviest influence on the Tengu's mecha form is undeniably Macross as it closely resembles a VF-1 in Gerwalk mode, down to using the engines as legs for enhanced VTOL capabilities. Both aircraft are also influenced by the F-14 design in Jet mode which features the swept wing design and the lack of rear elevators.
 * One of the lines said by the Tengu pilots, "Who do they think they are?", might be a reference to the Anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, in which Kamina, Simon as well as the other characters of the Dai-Gurren Brigade has the following catchphrase: "Who do you think I am?"


 * Another line, "Time for a dogfight," is a pun, as Tengu (天狗) means sky-dog or heavenly dog.