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Halo 3 will contain new vehicles
in both Multiplayer and Campaign. Some you can abuse, some
will abuse you right back. The Public Beta contains but one.
The Mongoose.
M274
ULATV “Mongoose”
This is purely
a transport vehicle, and while fast and maneuverable, it possesses
no built-in defensive or offensive capabilities whatsoever.
The main role is for troop transport and scouting missions,
but it can carry a pillion passenger. You may of course seat
a weapons specialist on the rear seat to provide firepower
during combat. You can imagine that having someone with a
rocket launcher on the back is more effective than without.
It’s also possible to carry the flag and catch a ride.
You’ll
find the Mongoose in plentiful supply in both High Ground
and Valhalla, but not on Snowbound, where an old-fashioned
Ghost is the preferred mode of transport.
The Mongoose
is fast and agile, but carries no armament of its own.
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M12 Warthog
Description
The M12 is primarily
used in a scouting capacity, or as an integral part of a mechanized
infantry unit. In the case of the LRV and LAAV variants it
can hold three soldiers including the gunner. The mounted
weapon includes a battery for short term operation separated
from the vehicle, but normally operates on the vehicle’s
power supply. The vehicle is powered by a 12 liter hydrogen-injected
ICE and can reach speeds up to 125 kph (78 mph).
A number of variants of the Warthog are in service with UNSC
forces, including the M831 TT (which eliminates the support
weapon in favor of four side-facing passenger seats), the
M864 A (with an enclosed passenger compartment and treads
in place of wheels), and the M914 RV (equipped with a towing
winch and a heavy duty motor and gear system).
Weapon Statistics
Weight: 3 tonnes (3.25 tons)
Length: 6.1 meters (20 feet.)
Height: 3.2 meters (10.5 feet)
Width: 3 meters (9.75 feet)
Power plant: 12.0 L liquid-cooled hydrogen-injected ICE
Range: 790 kilometers (490 miles)
Main armament: M41 12.7mm LAAG (M12 LRV version)
Main armament: M68 25mm Gauss Cannon (M12G LAAV version)
Unit Replacement Cost: cR. 52000.00
Observations
Overall soldiers
had only positive comments for this asset. They believe the
vehicle could benefit from greater versatility in mounted
weaponry and perhaps an armor upgrade.
Field
Use
The Hog is a
huge, unwieldy, difficult to steer death trap – until
you learn how to drive it properly. With proper application
of the hand, or “e-brake” the Hog can actually
turn on a dime. Massive disc brakes allow the thing to come
to a near immediate halt from its top speed of 78mph, and
more importantly, swing around rapidly to allow a gunner a
better angle on a prospective target.
In combat it is vital that driver and gunner are copasetic.
If the wheelman knows where his turret-firing buddy needs
to aim, the results are almost always destructive and impressive.
The gun itself is simple to use, but presents challenges when
being pushed to the limits on a busy battlefield. This movement
and unpredictability can be lessened with good driving.
Evasive maneuvers are if anything, more important than offensive
attack. It is vital that a driver can get in and out of dangerous
situations without flipping the heavy and hard-to-right Hog.
A Spartan can pretty much right an upturned Warthog, but that
puts the drivers and passengers in a very dangerous situation
while trying to rectify a messy crash.
The Warthog’s ostensible scouting and personnel transport
purpose should not be ignored in favor of its offensive capabilities.
As a matter of fact, for objective based missions, it should
be noted that a fast moving Hog with a good driver and a gunner,
is the perfect getaway vehicle.
Knowing when to get out is just as important as knowing when
to get in. The Hog’s automatic braking systems will
bring the vehicle to a sudden, but controlled stop should
the driver be ejected, or choose to leave the vehicle. Since
there are no doors, you can hop over the sills and take advantage
of the vehicle’s momentum to give you a running start
when making the transition from vehicle to on-foot maneuvers.
The hog is tough, but a couple of direct hits from grenades,
or a well placed rocket, will end its reign of terror almost
immediately. Now if only there was some way to make them indestructible…
Check out the
3D View point of the M12 Warthog below!
Right-click
to save-as 3D QuickTime movie (15MB)
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Right
Click to Save As 3D QuickTime Movie
Description
The Type-25
RAV has become more common with the reappearance of
the Brutes as frontline troops. Although it has not
totally replaced the “ghost” as the primary
rapid assault vehicle of the Covenant ground forces,
it is usually piloted by higher ranking individuals.
The vehicle is capable of momentary bursts of speed
up to 120 kph (75 mph). The vehicle is armed with
four (4) linked forward-firing light autocannons¹.
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Weapon
Statistics
Weight:
1 tonnes (1.1 tons)
Length: 6.4 meters (21 feet.)
Height: 2.9 meters (9.77 feet)
Width: 2.8 meters (9.33 feet)
Power plant: unknown |
Range:
272 kilometers (169 miles)
Top Speed: 74 kph
(46 mph)
Main armament: 4 x 35 mm autocannons
(linked)
Unit Replacement Cost:
N/A
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Observations
Although
this vehicle is significantly slower than many of
those available to UNSC ground forces it is capable
of nearly doubling its top speed momentarily through
some unknown mechanism. The Type-25 RAV, while stoutly
built, is very lightly armored and the driver is completely
exposed except from the front where the vehicle’s
prodigious engine provides more than adequate protection.
Right
Click to Save as 3D QuickTime Movie
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