Mark IX Mantis

This article is about the powered exoskeleton. For the Covenant anti-air cannon nicknamed the "Mantis", see Type-27 Mantis.

HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis
Production information
Manufacturer:	Materials Group Hannibal Weapon Systems
Product line:	HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL
Technical specifications
Length:	2.8 meters (9.3 ft)
Width:	5.8 meters (19 ft)
Height:	5.7 meters (18.6 ft)
Mass:	5.2 metric tons (5.1 LT; 5.7 ST)
Maximum speed:	43.5 kilometers per hour (27.0 mph)-55.5 kilometers per hour (34.5 mph)
Armament:	M655 machine gun M5920 missile launcher
Crew:	1 operator
Usage
Year introduced:	2403
In service:	Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts
Affiliation:	United Nations Space Command

"Like the Cyclops mech suit but bigger and better and badder."

— Black-Box

The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Armor Defense System, commonly known as the Mantis, is a powered exoskeleton/armored fighting vehicle used by the UNSC Marine Corps, UNSC Army, Office of Naval Intelligence, and private security forces after the Human-Covenant War. It is derived, if tangentially, from the HRUNTING and YGGDRASIL teams' earlier Mark I Armor Defense System.

Overview

Design details

Standing roughly twenty feet tall and weighing over five metric tons, the Mantis is similar in appearance to the larger Mark II (D) Geyrion, which itself was the evolution of another HRUNTING project. Its spindly legs and tiny "thorax" give the Mantis a passing resemblance to its namesake, as do its weaponized arms. Though it lacks the sheer firepower and durability of the M808 Scorpion, the Mantis is far more maneuverable, requires one crew member, and is equipped with regenerating energy shields. The Mantis integrates many features seen in the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor, such as the neural interface link, compact fusion power plant, and shield generator. The Mantis is capable of a maximum speed of 43.5–55.5 kilometers per hour (27–34.5 miles per hour).

Armaments

There are two primary versions of the Mantis' weapon loadouts, 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 20mm heavy machine gun and M5920 35mm surface-to-surface missiles. The Mantis does not currently feature modular hardpoints that allow armament swapping, though both the UNSC Marine Corps and the Army have contracted Materials Group to produce a refit package to allow alternate loadouts.

Variants

Similar to the HRUNTING Mark III (B) Cyclops, there are numerous variants of the Mantis that have proven useful for a whole host of varied functions.

• Corp Mantis: Up-armored model used by the Liang-Dortmund Corporation. Liang-Dortmund occasionally loan their Mantises to local security forces for riot duty and shows of force. Their ammunition is usually replaced with non-lethal alternatives. The corporation also employs non-combat variants that are used in their colony reclamation efforts for terrain navigation to mining operations.

• Tundra Mantis: Variant designed for use in arctic environments and has more armor than the Corp variant.

• Woodland Mantis: Variant features a woodland camouflage and more armor than the Corp variant.

• Urban Mantis: Variant used by the UNSC Army and UNSC Marine Corps that features more armor than the Corp variant.

• ONI Mantis: Variant used by the Office of Naval Intelligence that features more armor than other variants, multi-environment homing missiles capable of locking on to ground infantry, and better heat sink shrouds for the heavy machine gun.

• Hannibal Mantis: Variant upgraded by Hannibal Weapon Systems that features a rapid-fire gauss cannon, experimental ion field missile warheads that releases several submunitions, and the ability to EMP other vehicles with a stomp attack. While it doesn't have as heavy armor as the ONI variant it does have a stronger energy shield, at the cost of recharge time.

• Isabel's Mantis: This variant is a modified version of the basic model for use of the UNSC Spirit of Fire's ground forces, with adjustments to reuse parts produced for the Cyclops and Mark II (J) Colossus. It also lacks the neural interface control systems installed on the basic model, something that was a necessary concession due to the older manufacturing technology on the Spirit of Fire. This variant's default weapon is a chaingun, but it can be replaced with a gauss repeater, the missile capacity can also be upgraded. A shield requisition upgrade can be added to add shields to the Mantis. A target designator can also be added so the Mantis can "paint" a single target to coordinate atta