HACS-01MG-N Night Hunter

The Hunter has probably the most variants available for a walker combat chassis. Its built-in simplicity make modifications easy, and limited production runs of extremely specialized vehicles are often made by Northco’s sub-contractors. The N-type Hunter, also called Night Hunter by field personnel, is one such specialized unit. It is a night fighting Gear designed by the Northern Guards’ technical arm to answer the field commanders’ requirements. Night fighting is different from daytime combat, not only because of the absence of light (easily remedied by low-light and IR optics) but because the silence and cooler temperatures make it easier to spot a moving vehicle. The Gear was produced in limited quantities in TN 1846 and TN 1897 by Northco at their Fieldstrome facilities near Valeria. The Fieldstrome Manufacturing Compound is not a full production chain; rather, it receives nearly-complete Hunters from the local Northco factory and installs the required specialized systems for whatever variant they happen to be building at the time.

A common misconception among Terranovans is that Utopian armies are composed entirely of armigers and N-KIDUs. This is false because for most of Utopian history the APE suit was used for piloted combat walkers. The APE is more than power armor but does not use a traditional seated cockpit like modern walkers. Instead, the pilot is housed in the central body compartment and their arms and legs extend slightly into the APE. This design is a direct descendant of worker suits during the Concordat era and similar designs are seen on Eden. Despite their near ancient design, APEs are still a common sight among the forces sent from Utopia to Terra Nova.

Hamath Guag

The Hamath Guag is a newer variant of the popular Hamath mount. The Guag’s creation can be directly attributed to the CEF’s initial failure to secure all of Terra Nova. The drawn out conflict was not something that Caprician military forces were prepared for, and equipment was found lacking in some areas. One major area is battlefield recovery. Due to the size and shape of mounts, traditional recovery methods are hard to utilize. Mounts cannot be readily towed by other vehicles and their legs tend to sprawl out when placed on transport. The Guag uses a crane and a series of pulleys to lift immobilized mounts (or portions of them) while field repairs are performed. The Guag cannot reliably haul other mounts around or tow them back to a field depot. To help keep it safe while it is doing repairs, the Guag mounts a small rotary cannon with a limited ammo supply. This has not proven to be a major issue though as Caprician units tend to hold position around mounts being recovered. This not only protects the Guag but also is critical to ensure potentially recoverable mounts don’t fall into enemy hands.

PA-MX01 Myrmidon

With the success of the initial prototypes of the Warrior Elite came additional funding, resources and an extended research and development profile. The extended profile called for the research and development of four additional Gear designs to fill a wide range of mission requirements. The first of these, meant to fill the role of heavy assault Gear, was given the name Myrmidon.

To start, we’re going to use the Longbow Jäger, which gives us the correct chassis and head to work with. The equipment of the Blitz variant differs a bit though.

You’re also going to need a Heavy Autocannon, Light Field Mortar, and LATM (LA:2). The first two you might have around if you’ve assembled any Bushmaster cobras, while the LATM (LA:2) often comes in other packs. All of these parts are available on the plastic sprues too, so check your bits boxes!

Starting with a Vulture, you’re going to need to change it’s normal jetpack equipped V-Engine, with a Crusader’s V-Engine. Mount the LFM onto the back like normal for the Crusader, or if you want the Pilum variant, you can mount the MATM on the back as in the picture below.

I took inspiration for my camouflage scheme from another old Blitz source, which showed a red stripes over green pattern for swamp camouflage. To break up the design, I incorporated blocks of olive, black, and khaki, leaving the green camouflaged armor for the sturdiest bits. When painting the infantry, I went with a green-brown color for the coats, but died them into the rest of the army by painting their helmet with a similar green and red pattern. I’ve found that when you’re painting camouflage schemes, it’s important to break up the areas of the model, otherwise the camouflage does it’s job and it all blends together! While that’s more realistic, it’s a bit less appealing on a mini.