Although famed for their use of power armour like the Elemental Battlesuits, the big and bulky suit is not always worn by Elementals in combat or in situations where it simply isn’t required. Instead they will be issued with the M-409 which offers superior protection to normal body armour without inhibiting mobility. Indeed, the M-409 is also a lightweight exoskeleton with bracing and powered supports on the arms, legs and back, allowing for the carriage of heavy loads and enhancing an Elemental’s already considerable strength. As Elementals are often used as jump pack assault troops the M-409 is fitted with small thrusters that can help with stability during a jump, these can also act as RCS thrusters in space but are only active when the jetpack is attached.
The M-409 is a complete system, not just the armour plating, but the bodysuit and integrated exoskeleton are all part of it. Pressurised, tearproof and resistant against slashing attacks the cloth layer is a multi-layered weave of Kevlar, hard wearing cottons and stretchable plastic polymers that keep the wearer warm or cool as needed. The ballistic armour is also a multi-layered mix of materials to help reduce the impact of projectile or energy weapons and is completely proof against handgun calibre weapons and will defeat most modern infantry personal weapons at all but the shortest of ranges.
The helmet is sealed and has its own air supply as well as having an integrated HUD, long and short range communications capabilities as well as targeting data, threat assessment, thermal, and electromagnetic detection modes.
Purpose made for Elementals, the M-409 isn’t widely used as most Clans prefer to use Elementals in their battle armour, instead its more commonly seen with guards accompanying Senior Officers like the Khan or saKhan on official duties. Clan Hell’s Horses and Clan Ghost Bear both have the largest number of Elementals and do make far more extensive use of these highly trained infantry in a pure infantry role and thus make extensive use of Elementals wearing M-409 armour.
Warrior Pierre of Clan Ice Hellion seen here in his armour is normally deployed in Afreet Battle armour is wearing his issued M-409 armour whilst on duty as part of Khan Stephen Tyler’s bodyguard during a Grand Council Meeting. Whilst the armour is identical across the Clans, each Clan uses a slightly different faceplate for the helmet and each one would be generally based upon the Clan’s totem animal.
Warrior Pierre is equipped with a Mauser IIC weapon system which combines an ER laser rifle with an underslung grenade launcher, the 12kg weight of the Mauser IIC means that it can only realistically be used by Elementals, and with the M-409’s exoskeleton means that an Elemental can wield it as easily as a normal human would carry a normal rifle. Clan Hell’s Horses and Ghost Bear Elemental infantry squads are often equipped with the HGG-X99 man-portable gatling gun or RG-88 hypervelocity rifles, but these weapons are not used by Clan Ice Hellion. Instead, Warrior Pierre has a combat knife and would often carry a Gauss Pistol as a sidearm as well as grenades and powerpacks for his rifle.
By the amazing -
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