The Wokou (Chinese for "Dwarf Bandit", sometimes rendered in the Japanese form Wakoo) is a suit of powered armor of unknown origins that has been used in small raids against a number of worlds in the Combine's Pesht district since early 3145. These suits are relatively simple in construction, though heavily armed and seem to draw inspiration from the classic clan Elemental armor, with their combination of a missile pack and heavy weapon, as well as their aesthetic styling. The actual name of the suit is unknown, with the Wokou identifier bestowed on it by DCMS personnel that have faced it in combat (perhaps without really understanding the history of the word), and its operators seem to be a mixture of traditional pirates as well as renegade former members of Clan Nova Cat (that and the suit's design aesthetic has caused no end of speculation around the suit's origins).
These bandits operate in small groups, usually numbering no more than a few squads which operate alongside a group of Savannah Master hovercraft (which themselves appear to be knockoffs of the Lyran design constructed at an unknown location) and civilian cargo vehicles. Combine forces have been able to determine that these raiders are normally inserted on planet in advance by shuttlecraft, usually establishing a base camp in the wilderness from which to stage their raids. The magnetic clamps of the Wokous as well as the fantastic speed and operating range of their hovercraft allow them to strike targets across a wide area with terrifying rapidity, making it difficult to track them back to their base camp.
Though the appearance of the suits and the pressence of former Nova Cats in the bandits' ranks has led to speculation of some sort of Nova Cat guerrilla movement, the raiders' mode of operations are far more typical of inner sphere forces, grouping themselves into four man squads and avoiding confrontations with potentially dangerous forces, and most military leaders speculate that the pirates may have recruited former Nova Cats primarily for their experience with battle armor rather than to further the Combine-Nova Cat conflict. Nonetheless, Combine propaganda heavily plays up the Nova Cat connection as a way to encourage national unity against outside aggressors.
Wokou Light Battle Armor
Type: Wokou Light Battle Armor
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Chassis Type: Biped
Weight Class: Light
Maximum Weight: 750 kg
Battle Value: 152
Swarm/Leg Attack/Mechanized/AP: No/Yes/Yes/No
</p>
Equipment Slots Mass
Chassis: 100 kg
Motive System:
Ground MP: 3 60 kg
Jump MP: 0 0 kg
Manipulators:
Left Arm: Manipulator (Basic) 0 kg
Right Arm: Manipulator (Basic) 0 kg
Armor: Standard (Basic) 0 300 kg
Armor Value: 6+1 (Trooper)
Slots
Weapons and Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass
Magnetic Clamps Body 2 30 kg
Rocket Launcher 2 Body 2 50 kg
RL 2 Ammo (0) None 1 0 kg
Small Laser Right Arm 1 200 kg
Anti Personnel Weapon Mount Left Arm 1 5 kg