Product Description

STEELRAIN is a 2.5-generation variable HEXA GEAR with a rotary-wing aircraft configuration. Driven by the immense value of HEXA G-R.A.M and the crystalline reactors that triggered prolonged corporate warfare, humanity continued producing HEXA G-R.A.M in pursuit of profit—willfully ignoring the warnings of environmental control AI. As the resulting contamination of the soil worsened, the world's largest military-industrial complex, MSG, recognized the urgent need to end the conflict.

As such, they began developing a new HEXA GEAR based on a new concept that would be intended to shift the tide of war. The completed unit came in two similar looking but vastly different variants. The early type was a rotary-wing aircraft-style HEXA GEAR with its power source replaced by a HEXA G-R.A.M—functionally similar to first-generation models. The later type featured a system that enabled transformation into a humanoid form.

While the early type lacked any particularly unique features aside from being an increasingly rare aircraft-type, it earned high marks for reliability and ground attack capability thanks to its standard loadout of dual 20mm Gatling guns and a broad array of ballistic weapons. This, combined with the inherent advantage of aerial strikes, gave it a decisive edge over most second-generation HEXA GEAR units, which were primarily vehicle or biped-based.

The later type further expanded its versatility. It incorporated a BMI control system and manipulator arms, allowing for rapid weapon swapping and supply handling. Its form-switching mechanism also enabled it to engage effectively in CQC on the ground.

These features earned it classification as a 2.5-generation HEXA GEAR. However, its production cost ballooned to the equivalent of several BULKARMα units, making it one of the most expensive machines of its generation. Operationally, its fragile airframe required constant maintenance, and its high ammunition consumption demanded a steady supply chain—necessitating support from advanced ground crews, far beyond what typical Governors could handle.

Its high performance also came with an extreme energy demand. Even just powering the main rotor required a massive amount of HEXA G-R.A.M—several times more than most other second-generation units. This was the price paid for its ability to transport heavy cargo, including other HEXA GEAR, but was especially burdensome in the later type, which had additional weight from its form-switching mechanism. As a result, some units opted for the earlier type instead, prioritizing efficiency and sustainability over versatility.

Despite its drawbacks, the deployment of STEELRAIN units consistently delivered decisive results on the battlefield and their performance has been judged more than worth the high cost. However, the enormous strain they placed on resources were unbearable in the end—even for the mighty MSG military-industrial complex, which led to it becoming the butt of a joke: "STEELRAIN might tear through enemy lines like a storm, but once it's back at base, it's the one left out in the rain."

Nevertheless, the STEELRAIN is still remembered as a HEXA GEAR that struck fear into the hearts of most enemies at the time, especially for those who faced the STEELRAIN units back then. The “rain of steel” appeared in the skies and silenced every single object crawling on the ground with a rainstorm of bullets.