Kurogane

Kurogane
Classification
Archetype	Space Noah-Class All-Purpose Combat Mothership
Specifications
Overall Length	552 m
Armor Material	Super Drag Alloy
Armaments	Anti-Air Autocannon Chaff Grenade Bow Torpedo Homing Missile Secondary Battery Twin Impact Cannon Super Giant Rotating Ram
Real World Info
Mechanical Designer	Kazutaka Miyatake
SRW Debut	Super Robot Wars Original Generation
Unit BGM	Hagane no Hakobune Hagane no Hakobune (Ver.M) Trombe!

The Kurogane is a Banpresto Original Mecha debuting in Super Robot Wars Original Generation. It is the third Space Noah-class battleship created, and one of the 3 motherships of the Steel Dragon Squadron.

Technological and Historical

OG Series

With the threat of hostile extraterrestrial lifeforms becoming apparent with the battle at Pluto's orbit and the descent of Meteor-3, the Terra Federation Forces set out to build specialized anti-alien battleships, later known as the Space Noah-class. Ships of this class were constructed using the Super Drag Alloy, giving them excellent durability to operate within atmosphere, in outer space or under deep sea, in addition to withstanding normal combat. A gigantic cone-shaped Tesla Drive mounted on the rear is utilized for basic levitation, while primary propulsion is provided by the 8 main rocket engines surrounding it. When escaping the atmosphere or during an emergency, the Tesla Drive and rocket engines can be pushed to full power and provide maximum thrust, a process knwon as "Overboost". Particularly, Space Noah-class ships excel in ISA (Integrated Synchronizing Attack) tactics, involving a mobile mothership capable of rapidly deploying and working with humanoid mobile weapons to carry out blitzkrieg attacks on enemy positions. Regarding the development of the Space Noah-class, there were 2 main polar opinions, which were to either purpose the ships as escort for the Earth Escape Fleet, or as Personal Trooper-loaded anti-alien combat motherships. In order to undermine the Earth Escape Project favored by politicians, the Space Noah-class developers gave the ships combat capabilities as proposed with the Earth Sphere Defense Project. As a result of these two overlapping opinions, the ships were designed with a swappable bow module system, allowing them to quickly and flexibly fulfill various roles as the situation dictates.

The Kurogane is the third Space Noah-class battleship created, equipped with the massive Super Giant Rotating Ram bow module. The Rotating Ram's characteristics also enables the Kurogane to easily burrow and travel through the ground when required. The ship's callsign is Iron 3.

SRW OG1/SRW OGs1

The Kurogane served as the DC's flagship throughout the DC War, making its first appearance during the battle of Aidoneus Island. Using the Super Giant Rotating Ram, the Kurogane inflicted heavy damage on the Hagane, making it miss its Tronium Buster Cannon blast and forcing the Hagane's mobile weapon squadron to finish the battle themselves. The Kurogane evaded capture from the Terra Federation Forces after the DC War and hid beneath the Izu-Ogasawara trench for the time being, as its crew watch the L5 Campaign unfold.

With Kyousuke Route, the Kurogane surfaced to assist the Steel Dragon Squadron at Wake Island Base after the Cybuster acted as a decoy to lure out Aerogater forces. After the battle, it remained behind on Earth as a last line of defense while the Hagane and Hiryuu Kai ascended to space to participate in Operation SRW. With Ryuusei Route, the Kurogane made their appearance during the latter stage of Operation SRW, aiding the Squadron in clearing out enemies within Nevi'im's vicinity. After the damaged Hagane fired its TBC at full power to breach Nevi'im's barrier and purged its bow module, the Kurogane switched crews with the Hagane so that the Hagane crew can continue fighting. With its temporary crew, the Kurogane infiltrated Nevi'im and engaged in the showdown against the R-Gun Rivale, then exited the White Star to battle Judecca, before heading back down to Aidoneus Island on Earth to confront the Septuagint.

SRW OG2/SRW OGs2

Following the L5 Campaign, the Kurogane was docked at Izu Base for repairs, and then Ratsel Feinschmecker took it out right before Mission Halper. It appeared once more during the latter stages of the 4-way conflict of OG2. It came to the damaged Hagane's support following the disastrous Operation Plantagenet. The Hagane's crew switched to the Kurogane once again to carry on fighting, with Tetsuya Onodera now becoming its new acting captain following Daitetsu Minase's death during Operation Plantagenet. The Kurogane and Hiryuu Kai then temporarily parted ways to recapture the Earth Cradle and Moon Cradle respectively. After burrowing through miles of desert sand and repelling enemy forces, the Kurogane arrived at the Earth Cradle and used its Super Giant Rotating Ram to pierce through the Cradle's outer layer. After the successful capture of both Cradles, the Kurogane regrouped with the Hiryuu Kai to embark on the final showdown at Nevi'im, against Inspector, Shadow Mirror and Einst forces. In OG2, the Kurogane destroyed the Shirogane commandeered by defector Lee Linjun in a frontal clash outside Nevi'im, though with OGs2 the Shirogane did not fully sink after the clash and still managed to get away.

SRW OGs2.5/SRW OGG

After the end of the 4-way conflict of OG2, the Kurogane ventured around the world while keeping a low profile, battling DC remnant forces here and there, as well as going through small skirmishes with the Shura and Duminas' group. Since they were former DC soldiers, Yuuki Geghnan and Rilcarla Borgnine joined the ship's crew to have somewhere to stay. It arrived to provide support during the siege of the Hellgate space facility against the swarm of Bartolls, as the Steel Dragon Squadron put an end to the Bartoll Incident. With the start of the Shura Turbulence, the Kurogane arrived at various places to fend off Shura forces and Duminas' Techniti Paides. After regrouping with the Hagane, the Kurogane left the scene.

Armaments

• Chaff Grenade (チャフグレネード)

A special projectile used to reduce enemies' accuracy.

• Anti-Air Autocannon (対空機関砲 | Taikuu Kikanhou)

Twin-barrelled anti-air turrets mounted around the ship used to intercept enemies within close proximity. Two of them are located on the deck, four more surrounding the bow drill's holding frame, and the last pair below the side wings. From 2nd OG, the deck guns have been relocated in front of the ship's catapults (the grey protrusions just below the deck Impact Cannons).

• Bow Torpedo (艦首魚雷 | Kanshu Gyorai)

Torpedoes fired from launching tubes located at the bow drill's holding frame. Unlike the Hagane's, the Kurogane's torpedoes are drill-shaped.

• Homing Missile (ホーミングミサイル)

Missiles fired from VLS launchers built in the Kurogane's side wings. Has high accuracy.

• Secondary Battery (連装副砲 | Rensou Fukuhou)

The Kurogane's secondary weapons, twin-barrelled cannon batteries firing solid ammunition. 4 of them are mounted next to the Rotating Ram's sawblade.

• Twin Impact Cannon (連装衝撃砲 | Rensou Shougekihou)

The Kurogane's primary weapons, an array of large-caliber twin-barrelled beam cannons. A total of 4 cannons can be seen, with 2 on the deck and 2 below the ship. Only the 2 upper deck cannons are used during battle animations. ALLW Attack from OGs onwards.

• Super Giant Rotating Ram (超大型回転衝角 | Chou Oogata Kaiten Shoukaku)

Also known as the Anti-Ship Anti-Bedrock Excalibur Drill Ram (対艦対岩盤エクスカリバードリル衝角 | Taikan Taiganban Ekusukaribā Doriru Shoukaku). The Kurogane's ultimate weapon, a massive drilling mechanism fitted onto the ship's swappable bow module, consisting of a rotating drill bit on the front and a large sawblade right behind. Overboost is initiated when using the Ram. Furthermore, by raising the Tesla Drive's output, a powerful T-Dot Array Break Field can be applied onto the Ram, which proves useful for piercing through defensive barriers surrounding enemy fortresses. The Kurogane is also capable of burrowing and travelling through the ground with this. From OGs onwards, before charging into enemy units with the Rotating Ram, the Kurogane first unleashes an intense barrage from all of its weapons.

Special Equipment

• Tesla Drive (テスラドライブ)

A device capable of separation between gravitational and inertial mass and provide spatial propulsion by spreading action points throughout a specialized T-Dot Array field. Standard equipment on many mobile weapons. Reflected in-game as the Kurogane's flight capability.

• E-Field (Eフィールド)

Short for Energy Field. Protective energy barrier deployed around the ship for defense. Reflected in-game as a Special Ability.

Appearances

Video Games

• Super Robot Wars Original Generation (2002)
• Super Robot Wars Original Generation 2 (2005)
• Super Robot Wars OG: Original Generations (2007)
• Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden (2007)
• The 2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation (2012)
• Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers (2016)
• (Unit icon) Super Robot Wars DD (2019)

Animation

• Super Robot Wars OG: The Animation (2005)
• Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars (2006)
• Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector (2010)

Print Works

• Super Robot Wars OG Chronicle (2006)
• Super Robot Wars OG: Record of ATX (2007)

Trivia

• Kurogane battleship has an almost similar look to Gotengo from Toho movie, Atragon (1963).