Power Armor

The idea of an exosuit or other forms of mechanical enhancements to a soldier's mobility and strength had been the subject of numerous URA development efforts throughout the early portion of the century. These ranged from combat frames that helped alleviate the load of a soldier's equipment to fully sealed armored suits which offered enhanced protection from small arms fire and fragmentation. Several systems were extensively field tested, but none had been issued for wide spread use by the start of the Battle of Battipaglia.

As stories of the immense physical strength and brutality of the Ascomanni began to emerge, the War Council would revisit the importance of these projects, and would prioritize the most promising among them.

First and foremost would be the Mark Four Powered Exosuit, developed by Ursal Defense Industries. Their suit provided an airtight system offering complete protection from the environment while also featuring composite plating which would afford the wearer some degree of defense against ballistic and energy weapons. Servomotors located in the major joints and muscle groups also expanded the wearer's strength and endurance, while posing minimal impacts to their dexterity.

A sophisticated set of sensors, transmitters, and receivers provide the individual user and his superior with an unparalleled understanding of the battlefield. The Mark Four taps into the Umbrian battle net, providing the soldier's location as well as receiving the position of friendly forces and facilitating the flow of orders and other communications.

Power is provided by a hyper-efficient hydrogen fuel cell nestled at the small of the back, which drives the suit's motors and onboard electronic equipment. Offensive armament is handled through an integrated plasma carbine and blade attachment which are built directly into the forearms of the suit. The Mark Four also has an onboard trauma AI which can diagnose injuries and apply rudimentary first aid using a reserve of built-in bio-sealant.

While initial combat testing showed the Mark Fours to dramatically reduce the incidents of soldiers killed and maimed in battle, there were some issues which prohibited issuing the suits to all of the URA's soldiers. The suit itself was very expensive, and competing budgetary priorities would continue to pose a problem through the early stages of the war. Teething trouble at Ursal's manufacturing facilities would add more complications to general adoption, and by 31155, each army group had only a handful of legions which had been fully equipped.

Despite these challenges, reports from the front were glowing. Savvy praetors have equipped their most skilled and veteran legions, dramatically improving their efficiency and reducing casualty rates which sap away their collective combat experience.

For those units which are not fortunate enough to receive Mark Fours, a wide range of combat harnesses have been developed. These work in conjunction with the wearer's standard body armor to ease the physical demands of combat.

Amongst the most common are rigs which distribute the weight of the wearer's pack more evenly across their skeletal structure, as well as a particular model, also manufactured and produced by Ursal Defense, which provides a 'third' arm which carries the weight of the soldier's weapon and eliminates much of the recoil associated with firing it.

These harnesses offer less protection on the battlefield, and can present more challenges to the user's mobility, but this is more than offset by their simplicity and ready availability. For every legion which has received Mark Four exosuits, four more have been equipped with their less sophisticated cousins.