MF-03 Minnesinger Vogelweide

The MF-03 Minnesinger Vogelweide is an agility suit used by the United Worlds Stellar Navy. It is piloted by Ulrich Seiber.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
One of the six "Minnesinger" frames, produced on Earth sometime around the Devastation War in 2441. Minnesinger frames were designed for anti-armor purposes for ground operations, and the Vogelweide is no exception. It has no aerial capabilities to speak of and is used exclusively for ground battles. It has standard armor, with it being lighter and weaker in the suit's joints. It can withstand most missiles and ground-based shells, though vulnerable to melee weapons wielded by Agility Suits.

Vogelweide is designed almost exclusively for ranged combat, officially wielding entirely ranged weapons with no melee weapons, though some weapons can be used as melee if need be

Weapon Systems

 * Panzerfausts
 * Erected on four pylons numbering three panzerfausts for each unit, altogether giving the suit twelve panzerfausts, these are single shot high-explosive anti-tank warheads.
 * Energy Boomerangs
 * On each forearm a rotating disk can create a field of plasma, held together by a magnetic field. These "Energy boomerangs" are fired when the disk is rotating at high speeds. After firing, the boomerangs will arc upwards and act as mortars only to circle around and fly back into the rotating disk to collect more kinetic energy
 * Flail Mortars
 * Mounted on the suit's spine is a large cannon. This cannon fires two shells simultaneously which are connected together via chain. The shells spin around one another building up a high amount of kinetic energy, only for it to come to an explosive end upon impact with the ground.
 * Plasma Disksaw
 * Using the energy boomerang's rotating disk, they can be ejected outwards beyond the the length of the arm and rotate at high speeds, releasing its plasma cells to create a buzzsaw-like melee weapon. These were additional upgrades post attack of Convoy 2F6-MF1
 * Punch cannon
 * Hidden within the suit's arms, two "punch cannons" can flip up and expose themselves atop the arms. They fire high-penetrating shells that can "punch" through even the toughest armor plating on mobile vehicles.

Operational History
The third of the six-strong class of Minnesinger frames, it was kept secret with its sister units for the duration of the war by Euroland, and were intended to be used only after all existing Agility Suits were destroyed. Fortunately the war ended before they were all destroyed, so the Minnesingers never saw action. They were abandoned on Earth in Germany during the Great Abandonment

Two of the six, Minnesinger Vogelweide and Eschenbach respectively, were recovered and were to be brought to the Hedylogos System, stationed to protect Aeolus, Eridan, and Damocles during the Colonial War. While on route to Hedylogos from Earth, the convoy was attacked by rebel agility suits. The rebels succeeded in destroying Minnesinger Eschenbach, and dealt medium damage to Minnesinger Vogelweide, although they were eventually repelled. Upon arrival to Aeolus, Minnesinger Vogelweide underwent upgrades to utilize the Energy Boomerang launchers are makeshift melee weapons. By the time it was ready for combat, it was sent to Damocles to participate in Operation Primus

Minnesinger Vogelweide dropped out of orbit after the orbital assault was successful, and immediately moved into the city of New Troy without waiting for back-up. Not longer after entering the city, it encountered the Rebel-controlled Potamoi Alpheus. The fight was long and brutal, but Vogelweide finally got the upper hand when it fired its panzerfausts repeatedly into Alpheus' left arm, allowing Vogelweide to gain the advantage and threw Alpheus into the ground, where it beat Alpheus into the ground, largely obliterating it. Just before death however, Alpheus' pilot knew it was a lost cause and triggered a self-destruct sequence in the suit's head. This was to no avail however, as Vogelweide decapitated the suit with its brand new plasma disksaws, placed the head at the end of a punch cannon at point blank, and fired continuously.

After Damocles was liberated, Minnesinger Vogelweide was stationed as defense on Aeolus for the remainder of the war and the following Division War. It saw no further conflict post-Operation Primus