M35 Cougar
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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The M35 Anti-Infantry Support Platform, colloquially known as the Cougar, is an armoured fighting vehicle and fire support platform employed by the military forces of the United Nations Space Command.[1]
Overview[edit]
Design details[edit]
The Cougar is a six-wheeled IFV, engineered for swift transit and high mobility.[1]
Armament[edit]
The Cougar is equipped for dealing damage to enemy heavy armour; it posesses twin M68 Gauss cannons mounted in a turret atop the vehicle and an additional M43 heavy machine gun to provide covering fire.[1]
Usage[edit]
The Cougar's performance saw it take a key role during the Insurrection. During the conflict, the Cougar was well-suited to operating in occupied urban terrain.[1]
Production notes[edit]
- Main article: Cut Halo Wars units § Cougar
- "The Cougar is a heavily armored anti-infantry support unit used on the battlefield, specifically rough terrain. Equipped with dual M68 gauss cannons and an automated gun with computer targeting. Capable of long range travel and speeds of up to 90MPH."
- — Concept art description
The Cougar is a vehicle originally designed by Ensemble Studios and modelled by 3D artist Matthew Burke for inclusion in Halo Wars. The vehicle was ultimately cut from the game prior to release. The vehicle was later fully-canonized in the Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), with the vehicle's lore and armament closely matching the lore flavor text given in the original concept art.
However, the dimensions and weight provided for the Cougar in the Halo Encyclopedia (19.1 meters long, 10 meters wide, 9.4 meters tall, and 104 metric tons) do not align with the apparent size of the concepted vehicle, nor with its stated function within the lore. According to the Encyclopedia, the vehicle's "small size" is described as ideal for use in urban terrain, despite being more than twice as large (in all dimensions) as any other APC or IFV in UNSC inventory, and larger than many buildings. The dimensions and weight were later acknowledged by franchise writer Alex Wakeford as errata, He also mentioned that after finding the error the team joked that perhaps there were a few Brutes sat inside the vehicle when it was weighed.[2]
The Cougar was one of several potential ideas suggested by MEGA Construx in a 2022 fan vote for which set should be created next. Concept art for the Cougar was provided alongside the Reaver, Warden Eternal and Flood invasion at Traxus Tower—though ultimately did not win the vote.[3]
Gallery[edit]
Early concept art of the Cougar.
Finalised concept art of the Cougar.
The final Cougar model; the sample text on this model sheet was later used as a basis for the canon Cougar armament and lore.
What the Cougar would have looked like in-game.
The Cougar's in-game unit icon.
MEGA Construx concept art for a hypothetical Cougar set.
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 142
- ^ X.com, Alex Wakeford (@Haruspis): "Yeah as I recall the size and weight were off with the Cougar when we were compiling errata from the encyclopedia. I remember we joked "Well, clearly they just didn't know there was a Brute or two sat inside it at the time" lol" (Retrieved on Sep 6, 2026) [archive]
- ^ Twitter, Mega Construx News (@megabloksnews): "Cats are out of the bag! Mega Construx Halo Fan Vote 2 lineup has been revealed! This time, we can either choose UNSC Cougar, Banished Reaver, Warden Challenge, and Traxus Tower Flood! What do you guys think? What are you voting for??" (Retrieved on Apr 17, 2022) [archive]
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