The Duelist Power Armor
The standard-issue power armor for the Protectorate Colonial Marine Corps is the Duelist, a compact and versatile war machine designed to fight virtually any opponent in any environment. The power armor has been in use for about 15 years, and in the opening salvos of the war has shown itself to be tenacious and versatile.
The Duelist is flight-capable, able to operate in space, on land, under water, and in atmospheres and temperatures deadly to almost all forms of life. It is well-armored, heavily armed, and has a number of features that increase its ability to handle unexpected situations.
Duelists are deployed in platoons of 10, which break down into five Fire Teams of two power armors. They are also often deployed as lone units or in pairs attached to a standard infantry platoon, operating as the platoon’s heavy hitters. About one in five colonial marines is assigned a Duelist, and all marines are trained in basic power armor operation and combat. It is the most common war machine in the Protectorate.
Beyond its weapons package, which is impressive, the Duelist has a number of special features for use in hostile environments. It has a full spectrum of visual sensors; including thermographic, infrared, and 3-D real-time visual radar mapping. It is part of the Colonial Marine battlefield combat network; supplying and receiving data from all marines deployed in the theater. It is equipped with a set of chemical “sniffers” that can detect trace elements in the air as low as two parts per billion. And, it is rigged for full Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare protection. It can resist heat capable of melting lead, and can withstand 20x Earth standard atmospheric pressure, making it the vehicle of choice for exploring hostile worlds.
When it comes to a fight, the Duelist lives up to its name. It is equipped with two pairs of high-powered forearm lasers, a shoulder-mounted mini-missile launcher, and an electromagnetic chain gun. Its hands are also able to use large rifles and melee weapons as well.
The units are easy to pilot, and easy to repair, and knock-offs appearing in the Free Colonies as of late seem to indicate that they are not hard to duplicate either.
If these units lack in anything, it is the fact that they have no standard melee weapons. Spectral Hunters, which the Duelists are frequently used to engage, try to rush in and use their claws to disable these armors. The marine power armor pilots have countered this tactic by kicking in their jump jets and flying backwards while spraying the cerasteel cyborgs with bursts from their chain guns.
Model: PM-03 Duelist
Class: Strategic Armor Military Assault
Suit
Crew: One
M.D.C. by Location
Shoulder-mounted chain gun – 40
Mini-missile launcher – 50
Maneuvering thruster fins (2, rear) – 50 each
Flight pak – 100
Arms (2) – 175 each
Legs (2) – 250 each
Shoulder-mounted spotlights (2) – 20 each
*Head – 100
**Main body – 450
*Destroying the head will eliminate all forms of optical enhancements and sensors. The pilot must now rely on his own visions and senses. Destroying the head also has a 20% chance of knocking the pilot unconscious, and exposes the pilot’s head to attacks by the enemy. No power armor combat bonuses to strike, parry or dodge. Note: The head is a small and difficult target to hit, shielded between the missile launcher and the chain gun mount. A Called Shot is required to hit the head, and even then the attacker is at a -3 to strike.
**Depleting the main body M.D.C. shuts the armor down completely, making it useless. It also compromises its environmental protection, which can be deadly for the pilot in many cases.
Speed
Running: 80 m.p.h. The act of running tires out the operator, but only at 10% of the normal fatigue rate.
Leaping: The powerful robot legs can propel the armor 50 feet into the air. A jet-assisted leap can send it 100 feet up and 200 feet across without actually attaining flight.
Flight: The flight system allows the duelist to hover up to an altitude of 5,000 feet or fly. Maximum flight speed is 400 m.p.h. in atmosphere, or a maximum acceleration rate of 5 Gs per melee round in space. While it can do an orbital drop and enter a planet’s atmosphere and land, its engines are nowhere near powerful enough to allow it to achieve orbit on its own except from the smallest, most barren of asteroid-like rocks and moons.
Statistical Data:
Height: 9 feet on average (operator’s height, plus three feet)
Width 3.5 feet
Length: 4 feet
Weight: 500 lbs.
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. of 40
Cargo: None
Power system: Fusion generator, average life of 40 years.
Market Cost: 500,000 credits for a surplus market suit (missile launcher and chain gun have been removed). 700,000 for a black market production-line suit (most likely stolen).
Weapon Systems
1. Forearm laser cannons (2): These high-powered lasers provide the power armor with long-range punch and an energy weapon with unlimited ammunition. While they are not as effective against cerasteel as the armor’s other weapons, they can still significantly damage Arkhon ground forces and are quite useful against pirates, raiders and other hostile alien species.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 M.D. each. Both arms can be used to attack the same target for a 2D6x10 M.D. dual blast. Duel blasts still cost only one attack per melee round.
Effective range: 8,000 feet
Rate of fire: Equal to hand to hand attacks/actions of operator.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2. Electromagnetic chain gun: This is a medium-caliber rail gun with a high rate of fire. This gun fires 10mm tungsten slugs through an electromagnetic accelerator. It has proven to be extremely effective against cerasteel, and more traditional armor plating. It’s increased firing rate makes up for its smaller caliber and overall size.
Primary Purpose: Anti-personnel
Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 M.D. for each 60-round burst. Only fires in bursts.
Rate of Fire: Equal to hand to hand attacks/actions of operator.
Payload: 3,000 rounds (50 bursts)
3. Mini-missile launcher: This standard mini-missile launcher is used to attack massed infantry and heavily armored units. It is also used to shoot down enemy missiles.
Primary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type.
Effective range: Varies with missile type, usually about a mile and a half.
Rate of fire: Can fire individually, or in volleys of 3 or 6.
Payload: 12 mini-missiles.
4. Other bonuses: Improved sensor suite gives the operator a +3 to all perception rolls. Otherwise, sensors are standard for power armor.
