Editing HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis

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{{Vehicle Infobox

|name=Mantis

|image=[[File:UNSC Mantis.png|200px]]

|manufacturer=[[Materials Group]]

|line=HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL

|model=Mark IX

|length=9.3 ft (2.8 m)

|width=19 ft (5.8 m)

|height=18.6 ft (5.7 m)

|mass=

|max speed=

*[[M655 Heavy Machine Gun/Anti-Matériel]]<ref name="h4guide">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/halo4guide '''Halo 4 Interactive Guide''']</ref>

*[[M5920 Surface-to-Ground Missile Launcher/Anti-Matériel]]<ref name="h4guide"/>

|crew= Driver (1)

|firstuse-title=In service

|firstuse=[[Human-Covenant War]]<br>[[Reclamation conflict]]

|role=Armor defense system

|affiliation=[[UNSC Marine Corps]]

{{Quote|Like the Cyclops mech suit but bigger and better and badder.|[[Black-Box]]<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 364''</ref>}}

The '''HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Armor Defense System''',<ref name="h4guide"/> commonly known as the '''Mantis''', is a [[powered exoskeleton]]/[[wikipedia:Armoured fighting vehicle|armored fighting vehicle]] used by the [[UNSC Marine Corps]] after the [[Human-Covenant War]].<ref name="OXM">'''Official Xbox Magazine''' ''October 2012''</ref><ref name="THB 10.17.12">[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/17/The-Halo-Bulletin-101712-.aspx ''The Halo Bulletin 10.17.12'']</ref><!-- <ref name="expertzone"></ref> --> It is derived, if tangentially, from the HRUNTING and YGGDRASIL teams' earlier [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I ADS|Mark I Armor Defense System]].<ref name="h4guide"/>

Standing roughly twenty feet tall, the Mantis is similar in appearance to the larger [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark II (D) armor system]], which itself was the evolution of [[HRUNTING Mark III (B) Exoskeleton|another HRUNTING project]]. Its spindly legs and tiny "thorax" give the Mantis a passing resemblance to [[Wikipedia:Mantis|its namesake]], as do its weaponized arms. There are two versions of the Mantis, both of which have an anti-matériel machine gun on the right arm and a missile pod on the left. One variant has a larger-caliber cannon and surface-to-air missiles; the other version has an [[M655 Heavy Machine Gun/Anti-Matériel|M655 20mm heavy machine gun]] and [[M5920 Surface-to-Ground Missile Launcher/Anti-Matériel|M5920 35mm surface-to-surface missiles]].<ref name="THB 10.17.12"/> Though it lacks the sheer firepower and durability of the [[M808 Scorpion]], the Mantis is far more maneuverable, requires a smaller crew, and is equipped with [[Energy shielding|regenerating energy shields]].<ref>[[:File:Mantis in action.jpg|Image showing energy shield flaring]]</ref><ref name="THB 10.17.12"/>

The earliest known use of the Mantis occurred on the [[Human-Covenant War]], during the [[Battle of Meridian]], when the first prototype of the Mantis engaged in an action known as the "Cherbourg Run" successfully engaging 18 heavily guarded [[Type-27 Mantis|Type-27 Anti-Aircraft Cannon]]s, which also bore the title of "Mantis". The success of the prototype in the "Cherbourg Run" is one of the theories behind the origin of the moniker of "Mantis".<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 111''</ref> After the Human-Covenant War, in early [[2553]], one Mantis was delivered to [[Kilo-Five]] aboard their [[UNSC prowler|prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Port Stanley}}.<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 416''</ref> The Mantis continued to be in use only by select highly classified ONI units and the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}},<ref name="h4guide"/> which carried a number of Mantises by [[2557]]. After ''Infinity'' was drawn inside the [[shield world]] [[Requiem]], [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] used a Mantis against [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|Covenant remnant]] forces in the vicinity of the ship's crash site.<ref name="OXM"/> Several Mantises were used to defend [[Ivanoff Station]].<ref>'''Halo 4''', ''[[Composer (level)|Composer]]</ref> Later that year, ''Infinity''<nowiki />'s [[SPARTAN-IV program|SPARTAN-IV]] complement used a version with scaled-down weapons in War Games training.<ref name="THB 10.17.12"/> During the [[Second Battle of Requiem]], [[Fireteam Crimson]] was sent to rescue a squad of Marines trapped behind enemy lines. During the rescue attempt Crimson was met with overwhelming Covenant forces, [[Sarah Palmer|Commander Sarah Palmer]] ordered mission handler [[Robert Dalton]] to deploy several Mantises to aid Crimson in holding off enemy forces.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', [[S1/Catherine|S1E3 ''Catherine'']]: ''Episode 3: Shootout In Valhalla''</ref> Several Mantises were used in the defense of [[Magma Base]].<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''Episode 5, Chapter 4: "The Cauldron Base"''</ref> During the attack on the ''Infinity'', [[TJ Murphy|Lieutenant Murphy]] brought in a Mantis to support Fireteam Crimson in order to clear a landing zone.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', [[S1/Invasion|S1E7 ''Invasion'']]: ''Chapter 1: Backup''</ref>

Later, when on their way back to activate the Harvester, Crimson used a salvaged Mantis to fight their way out of the Warrens. <ref>'''Spartan Ops''', [[S1/Exodus|S1E10 ''Exodus'']]: ''Chapter 4: Out the Other''</ref>

The Mantis has two variants, both in canon and in gameplay. The more powerful model, featured in the campaign and ''[[Spartan Ops]]'', is designed to provide the player an almost overwhelming advantage. To promote more balanced competitive play, the Mantis has less firepower in War Games and has anti-surface rather than anti-air missiles. The player may fire all five missiles by holding the left trigger, while tapping the trigger fires only one missile, similar to the [[Type-52 plasma launcher]] in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. The player can stomp the ground with the Mantis' legs by pressing the melee button.<ref name="THB 10.17.12"/> The Mantis is also capable of crouching to lower its profile.  One major drawback about the Mantis is it has the longest recovery time from being EMP'd. The time spent standing perfectly still is a death sentence in the campaign on higher difficulty levels. The Mantis's energy shields also take a very long time to begin recharging, and even longer for it to reach full shields again.

During the early concept phase, [[343 Industries]] considered implementing the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I Prototype Exoskeleton|HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I powered exoskeleton]] from the ''[[Halo Legends]]'' short ''[[Prototype]]''. Later concepts derived from this design featured a larger exoskeleton that would cover the wearer's [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR armor]]. Designing the Mantis required months of playtesting, much of which involved tweaking the speed of the "stomp" move. One of the biggest concerns was making it clear when a player is reloading the Mantis' weapons; originally, the Mantis held its arms forward as the weapons were reloaded. Due to playtesters' feedback, the animation was changed so that the mech lifts its arms when new ammunition is being fed.<ref name="THB 10.17.12"/>

The rear of the Mantis's legs and the back of the metal plate directly under the "thorax" cockpit section sport what appear to be rocket nozzles. These are never used in gameplay. Concept art (seen below) showed similar nozzles being attached to the vehicle's "shoulders".

File:H4 Mantis concept art.jpg|Concept explorations for a "UNSC mech" which would eventually evolve into the Mantis.

File:H4-E3-Campaign-5.jpg|John-117 reviewing a Mantis aboard the UNSC ''Infinity''.

File:H4-Infinity-Mantis-Stomp.jpg|A Mantis stomping the deck near a group of Covenant remnant troops.

File:Mantis in action.jpg|A Mantis engaging two [[Type-44 Phantom|Type-44 Phantom dropships]].

File:H4 Mantis in Ragnarok.jpg|A closeup view of an active Mantis.

File:H4 Mantis in Ragnarok-02.jpg|A Mantis being boarded by a [[SPARTAN-IV program|SPARTAN-IV]] in War Games training.

File:H4-Shatter-Env06-Mantis.jpg|A Mantis on Shatter.

File:H4 Two Mantis destroyed.jpg|Two Mantises destroying each other on ''[[Ragnarok]]''.

File:H4-Mantis-Versus-Wraith.jpg|A Mantis battling a [[Type-26 Wraith|T26 Wraith AGC]].

==Sources==

<references/>

{{Armor}}