For many years, man had labored in research labs to improve machine designs, ultimately attempting to bring them closer to human beings in form. Robotic science was a rapidly-growing field in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but a consistent problem was their mobility and the fact that they moved in a rather ungainly fashion.
However, in the year 2020, the same year as the formation of the United Continental States (U.C.S.), Dr. Landolt and Schnecke Corp. invented and perfected a new actuator. This was a significant accomplishment, as it would enable the creation of machines "that can move like human beings." They continued their research, and in 2025, they completed the first of these machines, called the "wanderwagen" (from the German wander, to walk and wagen, car or carriage), and abbreviated as WAW.
The following year, impressed by Schnecke Corp.'s results, U.C.S. arms maker Diable Avionics joined with the company to further develop WAW technology. In 2027, tests are completed on a WAW designed to deal with the detonation and removal of land mines. While it was a successful project with great potential, the U.C.S. military conceded that the technology is still far too expensive for practical use.
To help lower development costs, Schnecke Corp. and Diable proposed a standardized platform for WAW technology. Released worldwide in 2029, the MULS (Multi Unit Link System) is a joint effort by Schnecke Corp., Diable, the European Community's (E.C.) Sender Corporation, and the Oceana Cooperative Union's (O.C.U.). Jademetal Corporation. It represented a worldwide collaboration involving many of the major world powers. That same year, the first mass-produced WAW, codenamed 'Cicada,' is completed. The U.C.S. army purchased 97 of these machines, and the E.C.'s German army ordered 15.
Meanwhile, political strife in Africa led to the beginning of the African Conflict in 2034. Squadrons of O.C.U. WAWs were deployed to the battlefield in Africa. This is the first time the technology had been used in a combat situation; they proved very effective. Research and development began focusing on making WAWs more suitable for military operations.
It took several years, but in 2040, Schnecke Corp. and Diable released a new WAW standard tailored for military applications. Considerably cheaper and more powerful than before, the new MULS-P machines soon became a large part of militaries around the world. To distinguish them from normal WAWs, those made for military use were dubbed "wanderpanzers" (from the German for "walking armor"), or "wanzers" for short. And thus the wanzer as a weapon of war is born.
From this point forward, the wanzer became a standard piece of wartime machinery, appearing often in international skirmishes. When the First Huffman Conflict began in 2070, squads of wanzers were deployed to fight in the battles.
And as the wanzer continued to prove its worth on the battlefield, research and development continued at a brisk pace, to further advances in wanzer technology and build better, more powerful models. In the current political climate, it is best, after all, to always be prepared for an attack.
The Zenith LXXI-HB is the latest model in JADEMETAL-Lyman's signature series. Widely used throughout the OCU, The LXXI-HB lives up to the Zenith name by offering a well-balanced, all-terrain performance, making it a pilot's popular choice. In fact, the Zenith series has been so successful that JADEMETAL-Lyman has so far failed to establish other wanzer lines. When production of the series was temporarily suspended, the manufacturer's net income loss was so significant that it was forced to resume its development of the venerable Zenith.
