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Description
Some more work on the various technologies of my story. I'm attempting to color this in photoshop, might work, might not... I think that a Dark Guard mech' may be designed soon.

The Dark Guard CR-V6 Crusader is an expensive, heavy, slow, and deadly weapon of the Dark Guard elite corps. The plane was designed to combat Guardian ornithopters, [link] which have had the advantage of air superiority since they were first put into action. The old Dark Guard "Raider" fighter planes resembled WWI fighters, fragile wood and canvas machines driven by a primitive internal combustion engine powered by volatile fuel. The crude planes proved to be near helpless next to Guardian ornithopters. Their small caliber machine guns never did much more than harmlessly pepper an ornithopter's frame even if the bullets found their way through the near impenetrable shield spells cast by ornithopter pilots or crews. In turn, an ornithopter's laser spell would set fire to the raider almost every time the precise weapon found its mark, sometimes even causing the old planes to explode outright.
These older models are still produced in great numbers due to their relative cheapness in relation to Crusaders, but are never heavily relied on.

Wisely choosing not to attempt to match or exceed the ornithopter's speed or agility (which was far beyond the technological might of the Dark Guard) the engineers who designed this machine instead aimed at creating a plane that was less like a fighter, and more like a flying tank. A solid metal construction, free of wood, twine, and canvas, created a far more durable structure. The engine alone is an engineering marvel outright; producing a staggering %900 more power than crude Raider engines. Such power is desperately needed to keep the lumbering Crusader aloft and combat-effective. The plane is armored with nearly one ton of aluminum plating. The metal is buffed and shined to give the Crusader a reflective, mirrored surface, which has proven somewhat effective against Guardian laser attacks. The armor is mostly concentrated at the nose of the plane to protect the vital engine and dual .50 cal. “vanquisher” rotary cannons. These guns were designed specifically for the purpose of shattering an Ornithopter’s shield spell. The high caliber rounds and breakneck rate of fire combine to make a nearly unstoppable assault on a Guardian defender’s magic. Usually a Guardian’s shield spell proves next to useless against such an onslaught, and the screaming bullets make short work of the Ornithopter’s spindly frame. However the high rate of fire and huge rounds severely limits the amount of ammunition carried by the standard Crusader. Its alternate weapons are dual self-propelled weapon pods, which have a total capacity of 12 projectiles. These range from standard, straight-shooting rockets, to those armed with flak style proximity charges. The most sinister of these projectiles was the “wolfhound” self guided rockets. These deadly missiles are guided to their target by homing in on the arcanian energies given off by a Guardian rune core. A single strike by one of these weapons upon a Guardian aerial vehicle is an almost certain kill, shield or no shield. Thankfully, these missiles malfunction when within a vessel’s maelstrom, confused by the swirling field of invisible arcania.

*edit: I'd really like critiques on concept art like this, either on the picture or the back story. Questions prove especially useful in designing things like these. So if you don't mind...ummm...yeah, that'd be nice...

Description
Some more work on the various technologies of my story. I'm attempting to color this in photoshop, might work, might not... I think that a Dark Guard mech' may be designed soon.

The Dark Guard CR-V6 Crusader is an expensive, heavy, slow, and deadly weapon of the Dark Guard elite corps. The plane was designed to combat Guardian ornithopters, [link] which have had the advantage of air superiority since they were first put into action. The old Dark Guard "Raider" fighter planes resembled WWI fighters, fragile wood and canvas machines driven by a primitive internal combustion engine powered by volatile fuel. The crude planes proved to be near helpless next to Guardian ornithopters. Their small caliber machine guns never did much more than harmlessly pepper an ornithopter's frame even if the bullets found their way through the near impenetrable shield spells cast by ornithopter pilots or crews. In turn, an ornithopter's laser spell would set fire to the raider almost every time the precise weapon found its mark, sometimes even causing the old planes to explode outright.
These older models are still produced in great numbers due to their relative cheapness in relation to Crusaders, but are never heavily relied on.

Wisely choosing not to attempt to match or exceed the ornithopter's speed or agility (which was far beyond the technological might of the Dark Guard) the engineers who designed this machine instead aimed at creating a plane that was less like a fighter, and more like a flying tank. A solid metal construction, free of wood, twine, and canvas, created a far more durable structure. The engine alone is an engineering marvel outright; producing a staggering %900 more power than crude Raider engines. Such power is desperately needed to keep the lumbering Crusader aloft and combat-effective. The plane is armored with nearly one ton of aluminum plating. The metal is buffed and shined to give the Crusader a reflective, mirrored surface, which has proven somewhat effective against Guardian laser attacks. The armor is mostly concentrated at the nose of the plane to protect the vital engine and dual .50 cal. “vanquisher” rotary cannons. These guns were designed specifically for the purpose of shattering an Ornithopter’s shield spell. The high caliber rounds and breakneck rate of fire combine to make a nearly unstoppable assault on a Guardian defender’s magic. Usually a Guardian’s shield spell proves next to useless against such an onslaught, and the screaming bullets make short work of the Ornithopter’s spindly frame. However the high rate of fire and huge rounds severely limits the amount of ammunition carried by the standard Crusader. Its alternate weapons are dual self-propelled weapon pods, which have a total capacity of 12 projectiles. These range from standard, straight-shooting rockets, to those armed with flak style proximity charges. The most sinister of these projectiles was the “wolfhound” self guided rockets. These deadly missiles are guided to their target by homing in on the arcanian energies given off by a Guardian rune core. A single strike by one of these weapons upon a Guardian aerial vehicle is an almost certain kill, shield or no shield. Thankfully, these missiles malfunction when within a vessel’s maelstrom, confused by the swirling field of invisible arcania.

*edit: I'd really like critiques on concept art like this, either on the picture or the back story. Questions prove especially useful in designing things like these. So if you don't mind...ummm...yeah, that'd be nice...