Overview
Protecting soldiers to withstand the current weapons of war is not a new concept, and is one that persists to the current age of 1889 A.E.G. Though now, one cannot carry enough armor to withstand the power of modern mag-weapons. Standard soldier protection can withstand mag-rounds at long ranges, and provides good protection against gunpowder weaponry, but nothing that would allow someone to comfortably face off against another opponent.
The introduction of the carapace power armor changed that.
The suit itself does not add much in terms of size to the user. It is more akin to fitting a hand inside a heavy-duty glove than, say piloting a mech like a golem. But one would be foolhardy to dismiss a carapace user, even if they did not stand over ten feet tall. The carapace suit gives immense strength to the user, allowing them to operate heavy weapons with ease, and to snap bones like weak plastic to anyone stupid enough to get close to a user.
The suit is meant to upgrade the soldier in almost all matters. Every model comes equipped with advanced optics and targeting systems. Carapace armor is vacuum sealed and climate regulated, allowing for extended deployments in space and on worlds with hostile environments. The magnetic seals on the boots of the carapace armor also allow the user to stick to metal surfaces despite zero gravity, especially useful during boarding actions. The suit grants additional movement as well. Highly trained users can get this armor running up to 48kph and be able to leap far higher than any human. Though inexperienced users should not try such a feat, as the momentum generated by the walking tank can be very hard to control. There is many a tale of a new user sprinting as fast as they can, only to find out they can not stop.
The longevity of the suit is also impressive. It can operate under full combat stress for thirty standard days without refueling. The onboard waste recycling system also grants the user increased longevity.
But the main reason for power armor is the “armor” portion. Modern carapace allows for near total immunity from small arms fire. But the armor is by no means invincible. There are still weak points on the joints, and a particularly brave grunt would still be able to pierce through the armor with his frequency bayonet. And besides the chest section, the carapace suit is still vulnerable to mag-60s, the highly common heavy machine gun.
Development:
Carapace power armor had its roots in industrial equipment. Mantle Mining initially manufactured the suit in 155 A.E.G. to help with their mining operations. The main purpose was to carry heavy loads and drilling equipment a normal operator could not carry, along with being sealed from the outside elements. Though the initial design was not armored.
The military application was seen when on the world of Horizon’s Tear Mantle Mining had a rebellion. The workforce was composed of indentured employees, those working to pay off their debts. One of those members was Felix Granger. A talented engineer and a drunkard, he found himself in the mines of Mantle after failing to pay off his exorbitant gambling debts. Wanting to get out of his situation, Felix came up with a plan. Even in their suits, the overseers could still gun them down like dogs. So waiting for the perfect opportunity, Felix armored several of the suits with scrap and repurposed parts of the machines. The rebellion and the suits were a success. But they had no way offworld, so their next plan was to armor as many of the suits as possible and take over the next ship that arrived on the planet.
Mantle did eventually come back, and this time they were prepared. With well-trained mercenaries equipped with heavy weapons, the rebellion was wiped out, with Felix captured. Felix fully expected execution or to spend the rest of his life rotting in a cell. What he did not expect was the CEO of Mantle Mining, Borgan Qu, to visit him personally. Qu had reviewed the incident, and he saw the money-making potential of a militarized version of their suits. So Qu offered Felix a choice, help design the new suits and be free of his debt along with the potential of great riches, or die. Felix took the sensible option.
Within two years the new R-30 carapace power armor was ready for testing. It was clunky and barely as mobile as a normal person. Specialized weapons also had to be developed, as the hands were not dextrous enough to operate normal firearms, but it did grant the user an unprecedented level of protection and strength.
The R-30 found its first use in deep space. Mantle Mining sold ten pairs to the Corsaq Secret Police. They needed a stealthy way to board a space station concealed within the purple mist, without alerting the metaphysicals on board, all while bringing heavy firepower.
The mission was a success, with the operators making effective use of vacuuming out certain portions of the station, while remaining unharmed in their power armor. The Corsaq Empire afterwards put in a request for 10,000 more units. Mantle Mining was in business.
Advancements in the armor continued to be made as the years went on. Improvements were made to the responsiveness of the armor first, turning it into a true “suit” rather than piloting a small vehicle.
Destroyed or captured models would eventually find their ways to rival corporations and empires. Mantle Mining had lost its monopoly over the business. To retain dominance, Mantle partnered with Hexdrone to work on the newest series.
Their newest model, the ARC-500 came out in 280 A.E.G. They showcased the model to buyers by pitting a highly-trained user armed with heavy weapons against a low level metaphysical. The suit won, though not without heavy damage. The user was also aided by the fact carapace armor was not seen as a threat by the common metaphysical due to the clumsiness of the armor. The ARC-500 was anything but. Buyers were extremely interested. With the invention of the entropy fields, militaries were looking for ways to bolster the common infantry without wasting metaphysicals on common duties. They now had something that could fulfill that role, and possibly take on a metaphysical if push came to shove. Mantle and Hexdrone’s factories went into full scale production.
Mantle and Hexdrone would keep their relationship for centuries, up until the modern day, producing the best units of carapace armor, eventually becoming the sole distributor to the Ostrus Kingdom.
Though that is not to say they did not receive pushback. As metaphysicals occupied a vastly disproportionate amount of positions in power, there was a bloc of them, even amongst Mantle and Hexdrone, that worried they were pushing the common man closer to the metaphysicals’ position of power. But they were quickly shot down. The same thing was said about the firearm centuries ago. And metaphysicals would learn of the armor’s capabilities and adapt as they always did.
And sure enough that is what happened. Metaphysicals quickly adapted to the new strength of the armor and gave it the respect it deserved, but still crushing it in anything approaching a fair fight.
But development would still continue.
The Haskur Empire, which would become the Ashua Republic after the Gore War, wanted a counter to Mantle and Hex’s newest ARC-700. The Haskur Empire would send out a bid for a company willing to produce an equivalent armor in 1022 A.E.G.
Multiple companies would scramble for this opportunity. But eventually only two rose to the top, a design by Blackwall and a joint venture done by Sentinel Manufacturing and Geyser Corp. After many competing trials, the joint venture would win, and the new AXIS-5 would enter into production.
Compared to the ARC series, the AXIS power armor was slower and less responsive. But much of that was on purpose. Piloting an ARC effectively can take years of training to do so effectively. The highly responsive neural interface and overclocked generator on an ARC can vastly outperform an AXIS, if piloted by someone with great experience. This was not a problem for Ostrus, as they had hundreds of noble families, where from children they were taught to do nothing but pilot power armor. An inexperienced user in an ARC suit, however, could easily find themselves with broken bones or a melted generator. Meanwhile in the Haskur Empire and later Ashua Republic, soldiers of exemplary performance and combat prowess were given suits as rewards and signs of their martial skill. The Haskur Empire needed a solution that would not take years of taking their best warriors out of the fight.
But that is not to say the AXIS series is weak. It is more durable than the ARC model and can still grant the user much increased speed and combat enhancements. And many experienced AXIS users remove the limiters put on the armor to better match their ARC counterparts. These design philosophies would continue to the modern day.
Deployment
General doctrine calls for one carapace power armor suit for every ten soldiers deployed in a force. This is mostly for flexibility in a defense or offense role. Power armor enables a far quicker redistribution of forces on a front than a normal soldier. The bulky and heavy corona and pulse guns can also be carried by wearers, allowing for fast anti-vehicle options. The carapace suits also allow for at least a stalling force against metaphysicals and golems.
If it can be helped, carapace suits are not deployed in a “tank” role. The abundance of weapons that can destroy the suits on the battlefield make them ill-suited for that position. While, of course, they take a more frontline role in engagements than the average infantryman, their mobility and their ability to open up new flanks of attack, either with their bulk or their frequency chainsaws makes them much more suited for a shock troop role.
In space, carapace armor takes the spotlight. The suits are used extensively in boarding actions against enemy ships to the point regular troops are no longer used. A combined strike force of metaphysicals and carapace users can strike hard and fast into a ship, causing great damage before a proper response can be mounted against them.