the VF-1 was build according to the Zentraedi median size. The zentraedi were a big target, and their pods really large targets. With most of the zents extint or allied with earth, the reason for the hand to hand size capability vanished.
Notice that the median Zentraedi size was about 9 meters, with the exceptional really big leaders, like Breetai and Dolza. Some people has this theory about commanders being so big so they could not fit into regular combat gear, so they would not expose themselves on mighty macho USS Enterprise Captain Kirk fashion. Well their size also would give them more respect out of their soldiers, even if they have to beat it out of them.
The Biorroids were roughly 7 meters tall , smaller than average zentran, strong and verry nimble. They would have been a hard target for the VF-1, but the VF-1 a easy target because it’s size and lighter armor. Of course this evaluates big robot to big robot confrontation, the fighter mode against the Biorroid skyleds would almost be the other way around.
Notice that the spartas hovertank was 6.2 meters tall, but the AGACs was almost 9 meters tall (the anntena at thep top should be discount as well as the VF-1 head lasers for max high). The ground mecha got little high, so it could be a harder target for the enemy. Today the more or less the same tendency is followed in modern tank design, making tanks shorter to increase their survavility.
The Alpha is listed as having 8.75 meters on all models, including the antenna-less Shadow Fighters, so I think this veritech height in particular is from the bottom up to the head. The others mechas, don’t seem to follow this height calculation style. Or could be an error on Robotech.com’s part..
The standar troopers of the Invid War Machine, are small even to the Alpha, and their fighting style is more like a group hunting party of wolfs against a really big rumiant. OR going with the insect like analogy which is tipical of the invid, a swarm of killer bees.
So I see the Master’s mentality as overpowering the Invid with zillions of really big Zentraedi, that could fight them in equal terms bare naked if needed. The invid had the nimbleness, small target size and disregard over their own lives as advantage. But with zillions of Zentraedi they could hardly win. Without protoculture to sustain the Zentraedi War Machine. The Invid had little to fear in great numbers.
ALso notice the incresing weights of Earths mecha, the VF-1 was less than 13 tonnes empty, while the following generations comparable were more aprox. 17 tonnes. THe hovertank was 26.4 tonnes heavy!!. So Armor and other stuff would give a better edge on the battlefield than sheer size. That’s a lot more material per cubic meter.
So that’s some food for tought.
