Are energy shields such as those seen on the SDF-1 and the Robotech Masters’ flagships meant to be standard on Robotech warships? The Zentraedi didn’t have them on the ships of their armada and seemed to be completely unfamiliar with them, but the Robotech Masters had such shields outfitted on their own larger warships and implied in their dialogue that they were also built into the SDF-1 by Zor (not by Dr. Lang after the people of Earth had taken possession of the space fortress).
There are 3 types of shields seen in Robotech. On ships built after the macross saga it is mentioned in dialog that they are equipped with shields. Even the drop ships in the landings of new gen were said to have them. It would seem that the Omni-directional barrier, the proto-plex shields used by the Invid and seemingly by the Masters in one episode on the crashed mother ship, as well as the Masters’ standard web shields are all significantly more powerful. Considering what the SDF1’s shields were able to withstand, and comparing that to the performance of the others it would seem that in Robotech the more powerful the shield the more visible and distinct it becomes. This is borne out in the show as the ships with the invisible shields are shown to be damaged by far less than what the other shield types were able to withstand.
I forgot about the Hadonites’ shields seen in Shadow Chronicles. These were invisible like those on the human ships until struck, which would seem to indicate that they are more capable than those of the REF.
The Tirolians seemed to make energy shields standard on their ships, but didn’t bother sharing this technology with the Zentraedi Armada (for understandable reasons). It was a mixed bag with the Terran Robotech ships. The larger REF ships seemed to have them, but not all the smaller ships did. The Army of the Southern Cross didn’t seem to have them outfitted on their ships at all.
The Army of the Southern Cross didn’t seem to.have them outfitted on their ships at all.
That is incorrect. We know from dialogue in The Outsiders that Major Carpenter’s ship has shields. Visuals seem to indicate the Tristar-class Large Cruisers (as shown in The Hunters) and the more common Light Cruiser (misidentified as a Destroyer; as shown in Mind Games) both have them. In comparison, visuals in Dana’s Story and Clone Chamber seem to show what happens to the medium-sized Battlecruisers when caught by surprise and unable to activate their shields.
Didn’t Major Carpenter and his spacecraft originate from the Robotech Expeditionary Force rather than the Army of the Southern Cross?
Yes, but the ASC also utilizes the Tokugawa-class Battleship (as shown in Catastrophe) and the REF uses the same cruisers (Light, Battlecruiser and Tristar) as the ASC as shown with Transport Squadron 85 and the T-Squadron (Mind Games).
True, but the shield could have been developed on the REF mission and a retrofit.
Which is also conjecture…
Using the same class of ships doesn’t prove they both have shields
We know they both have FTL-Comm (and DO talk to one another), spacefold systems, use the same warships, use many of the same mecha and vehicles. They both have access to Robotech Repair Factories (likely made from chopping up the Automated Factory Satellite or capturing others). So really, how likely is it they somehow cannot/do not share technology?
Well, the REF also had alphas, betas, garfish, etc developed at least by 2022, which the ASC didn’t have, so how much was shared?
The REF tooled up and left, where as the ASC had time to field designs that were likely in development at the time. The AGACs was a brand new design at the beginning of the Masters Saga. There’s also the factor of differing missions, the ASC had different needs than the REF, so we should expect to see at least some differences in the weapons and vehicles they choose to field.
Also, the REF also had vessels equipped with reflex cannons while the ASC didn’t. Why wasn’t that shared?
They had one when they left Earth that I know of. They got the synchro canon tech from the Haydonites among other things. The fact that the ASC decided not to build ships with reflex canons is more easily attributed to them choosing not to rather than them being unable to, considering the fact that the SDF2 was completed complete with reflex canon prior to the REF leaving. One can easily make the argument that for the ASC’s purposes a ship capable of mounting the canon would be wasteful. They weren’t expecting another large scale attack.
Like I said, I believe they probably do have shield technology, but the REF isn’t proof that they do.
The character dialogue specifically mentions shields, that is proof enough.
Well, the REF also had alphas, betas, garfish, etc developed at least by 2022, which the ASC didn’t have, so how much was shared?
Navy uses different kit Coast Guard uses different kit. I’m not saying ASC is comparable to Coast Guard, but different branches have different kit based on their requirements.
Also, the REF also had vessels equipped with reflex cannons while the ASC didn’t. Why wasn’t that shared?
There’s also an implied minimum ship size before you can mount a Reflex Cannon. ASC’s main line Tristars are way below that at less than half a kilometer. Even the REF’s Ikazuchis don’t have them.
Well, the REF also had alphas, betas, garfish, etc developed at least by 2022, which the ASC didn’t have, so how much was shared?
But we know the REF took ASC mecha with them (Hovertanks and Logans) as well as ships and air/ground vehicles. Transport Squadron 85 came back equipped with Ajax’s. There is plenty of crossover between the two.
Also, the REF also had vessels equipped with reflex cannons while the ASC didn’t. Why wasn’t that shared?
You’re making the incorrect assumption that the ASC couldn’t build ships with Reflex Cannons installed in them. That is nonsense. They may have chosen NOT to build such ships and instead rely on a larger fleet of smaller capital vessels and tens of thousands of starfighters/veritechs. The idea is to get more bang for your buck vs. enemies that use swarm tactics (which the Zentraedi did and was the intended enemy of the ASC).
It’s also worth noting that Grel emphatically stated that they’d never before encountered a shield like the SDF-1’s omni-directional barrier. The Robotech Masters clearly had shields, but it’s entirely possible that the Zentraedi had never even seen the Masters or their ships given their conditioning against contact with micronians.
