Phoenix Logs/UNSC Units

Infantry

Marines Basic infantry units who can take-and-hold fortifications or activate Forerunner artifacts. UNSC Marine infantry are armed with assault rifles that are effective against infantry but deal little damage against ground vehicles. They can receive additional reinforcements and supplies in the field, including the ability to throw grenades or assigning a combat mechanic to the squad. The mechanic will automatically repair nearby damaged vehicles and is armed with an anti-tank rocket launcher. Marines are the UNSC's expeditionary force-in-readiness, and after decades in cryo-sleep they are old school both figuratively and literally. The Spirit of Fire's veteran Marines are experienced at fighting in exotic environments and have received training by Anders to operate Forerunner systems well enough to avoid triggering defense wards and immolating themselves [most of the time]. Hellbringers Anti-infantry Marines armed with flamethrowers. Each Hellbringer carries a heavy flamethrower which deals area of effect damage against close range targets. The flamethrower is very effective against infantry - even those garrisoned in structures - but is of limited use against armored vehicles. The flamethrower can be upgraded with dispersion nozzles that increase damage and size of the flame sheets. Marines willing to strap a tank of volatile chemicals to their back to fire a jet of superheated flame at enemies are braver [and crazier] than most. Though the UNSC adopted thermobaric munitions for deploying most incendiaries, the liquid projector flamethrower proved its worth to the Spirit of Fire's combat teams by burning out dug-in Covenant infantry, sterilizing Flood infestations, and heating up decades-old MREs. Cyclops Anti-tank combat walker. Cyclops suits are armored infantry exoskeletons armed with an anti-vehicle autocannon effective against most ground units. The autocannon can be upgraded to fire shock rounds with non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse warheads that slow the movement of target vehicles. Cyclops suits benefit from infantry upgrades but are as durable as most light vehicles. Radically redesigned by Serina using design files from Lethbridge Industrial that she inadvertently "found" during operations on Arcadia, the HRUNTING Mk.III Cyclops suits produced aboard the Spirit of Fire now use a refactored exoskeleton and completely original control software. Though this combat walker variant does not have the raw strength of the original engineering vehicle, it is faster and far easier to operate even with its new weaponry and armor. Isabel continues to improve on the design with modern UNSC cyberlink protocols and module concepts. ODSTs Elite rapid-deployment infantry. Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [ODSTs] are elite infantry that make quick work of any nearby enemy troops with their silenced SMGs. ODSTs can place a proximity-fused demolition charge and deploy from orbit anywhere in explored territory using the ODST drop leader power. Other units in the drop zone may take damage from the ODSTs' meteoric arrival. A special forces raiding unit of the Marines, ODSTs are deployed from the Spirit of Fire to turn the tide of battles, raid enemy bases. and assassinate high-value targets. A normal ODST day entails a hair-raising drop from orbit While encased in an armored drop pod. The ODSTs enter the atmosphere at high speed and brake just short of impact. Because of the speed with which they enter the atmosphere, the pods get extraordinarily hot, giving ODSTs the nickname 'Helljumpers' and their slogan "Feet first into Hell!" Sniper Stealthy reconnaissance and marksman unit. Snipers are specialized infantry units armed with a sniper rifle and accompanied by a spotter drone. Snipers are equipped with cloaking tech. which they can use to camouflage themselves as they scout out enemy targets. The base rifle is only effective against infantry , but the Stanchion upgrade arms the Sniper with a portable railgun that deals heavier damage against ground troops. Drawn from experienced Marine force reconnaissance and Army cavalry scouts, the Spirit of Fire's sniper teams have traditionally operated in the background as unsung heroes of many skirmishes and aerial strikes. Equipped with photoreactive cloaks and deceptive jammers, Snipers are extremely difficult to detect until they prepare to strike. After a sniper engages, a canny commander should redeploy them to another vantage point to avoid retaliatory fire. Cryo Trooper Nerves of steel and hands of frost. Cryo Troopers replace Hellbringers in Serina's combat force. Fury runs hot and cold, as evidenced by Serina's plans for a cadre of cryotech—equipped infantry. Cryo Troopers are armed with a portable cryo spray which deals damage and inflicts a chilling effect on enemy units. This can shut down enemy vehicles and structures [including turrets], temporarily shutting them down even if they are not subsequently shattered. They can be upgraded with advanced cryo systems, which increases the damage, range, and area covered by the chilling field of their spray. Hellbringers are qualified to maintain, operate, and deploy a number of specialist weapon systems in the UNSC arsenal. This includes a range of incendiary, thermobaric, energetic, chemical, and biological weapons that most UNSC personnel are not even aware of. Serina reasoned their hazardous material qualifications and daredevil reputation made them well—suited for field testing experimental cryotech weaponry. Who better to strap on experimental and unstable power cells that tap strange energies than Marines who routinely wear volatile chemical packs into battle? She was probably right, if the spirited discussion about her cryotech weapon templates among the Spirit of Fire's Marines is any indication.

Vehicle

Grizzly Superheavy assault tank. Grizzly tanks are armed with dual high-velocity cannons that make quick work of most armored vehicles and dual medium machine guns to suppress enemy infantry. The missile barrage upgrade allows them to fire an area-of-effect bombardment. The Grizzly's heavy armor is reflected in their slow speed and cost, and they are vulnerable to enemy aircraft. Approaching the upper limit of mass and volume that can be dropship-transported, the Grizzly is a superheavy tank unit deployed as a siegebreaker by specialized UNSC armored groups. The Spirit of Fire has an unusually large complement of the vehicles due to the machinations of Sergeant John Forge, though the secrets and convoluted story of their acquisition went with him to the grave. Warthog Utility light attack vehicle. The most versatile vehicle in the UNSC inventory, the Warthog is armed with a light machine gun which can handle all but the most heavily armored vehicles. In a pinch the vehicle can be used to ram a target, directing the driver to careen into [and ideally over] enemy infantry. The autocannon can be upgraded to a gauss cannon, which substantially increases the Warthog's anti-armor capabilities. The M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, more commonly known as the Warthog, is a quintessentially tough and durable UNSC vehicle, manufactured in one variant or another for centuries. The towing winch system at the front of the vehicle resembles a warthog’s tusks, giving it its name, and it has enhanced suspension and four-wheel steering for a smooth ride over any battlefield. Highly configurable and adaptable, dozens of specialized Warthog loadouts are loaded into the Spirit of Fire's datastores, awaiting use. Wolverine Specialized anti-aircraft vehicle. The Wolverine is a tactical air defense vehicle. fitted with an advanced Multiple Launch Rocket System [MLRS]. A secondary grenade launcher is fitted to engage ground targets, but it is recommended that the Wolverine avoid engaging armored vehicles. The Wolverine was reintroduced in the latter years of the insurrection, but it also proved highly effective in countering the Covenant's Banshee and Seraph fighters. Wolverines aboard the Spirit of Fire are relatively unsophisticated compared to contemporary variants, but Isabel is making great strides in adapting modern UNSC targeting software to the older hardware. Scorpion Main battle tank. The Scorpion is armed with a high velocity cannon for anti-tank work and a medium machine gun for engaging enemy infantry. Scorpions in the field can be upgraded with submunition canister shells that deal heavy damage in a blast radius around their target. The Spirit of Fire carries a large complement of M808S Scorpion tanks modified by Serina during the years in which the ship drifted in space. Her improvements include a more efficient armor arrangement. better situational awareness for the operator, and upgrades to the main cannon. Isabel has found little room for improvement on this blueprint, but she sees possibilities for specialized variants that leverage the chassis for other roles. Jackrabbit Fast reconnaissance trike. The Jackrabbit, or M121 Light Strike Vehicle, is a very fast scout vehicle that can detect cloaked enemy units and rapidly gather resources. It can be upgraded with a mini-frag launcher for some offensive punch, but is frequently used for exploration and liberating resource nodes from opponents. Cheap and easy to manufacture, the Jackrabbit's design blueprint was one of the first to be integrated by the Spirit of Fire after Isabel's rescue. At first glance it looks like a lightly armored bike with a compact cockpit for the rider, but when decelerating the front splits into two separate wheels to form a tripod and retain stability. When bursts of speed are required, the two wheels pinion together automatically. Kodiak Self-propelled artillery gun. Kodiak artillery systems are armed with long-range siege cannons, though the vehicle must deploy before it can fire. Deployed Kodiaks cannot move, which means that they are best paired with other units to act as spotters. Professor Anders can fit the Kodiak with beacon warheads that act as Sentinel lures, attracting and antagonizing the Ark's defense constructs. A modern UNSC vehicle introduced to the Spirit of Fire by Isabel, the Kodiak M400 Artillery System has quickly become a favorite of the ship's crew on account of the Kodiak's spectacular firepower. When the Kodiak enters lockdown mode, the articulated ‘feet' from the side of the vehicle fold down to anchor the vehicle to the ground to provide stability and counter the recoil of the siege cannon. The cannon's shells are massive and take some time to reload between firing, but the devastation they cause is well worth the wait. Flame Warthog Warthog armed with powerful flamer. The Flame Warthog, or 'Flamehog', is an adapted Warthog only available to Morgan Kinsano. The usual Warthog autocannon has been replaced with a white-burning flamethrower which is particularly effective against infantry and buildings. The passenger also fires anti-air rockets. The Flamehog has the same ramming ability as a regular Warthog and an upgrade allows the flamer to be replaced with a grenade launcher with incendiary grenades. Mantis Mark IX Armor Defense System The Mantis is a combat vehicle used in a number of different configurations by the UNSC and licensed security forces. The Mantis replaces the Warthog in Sergeant Johnson's force. Its default weapon is a chaingun, which can target both ground and air targets. The Missile/Shield Requisition upgrade increases the number of missiles the Mantis can fire and adds energy shielding, while the Gauss/Designator Requisition upgrade replaces the conventional chaingun with a gauss repeater and adds a networked target designator. The target designator allows the Mantis to "paint" a single unit and coordinate attacks using the local battlenet, increasing all damage the target takes from friendly units. Groups of Mantis walkers will smart target their designators. Highly mobile, well-protected, air-droppable, and reconfigurable, the Mantis represents the state-of-the—art in infantry walkers. Mantis units were stationed at the Henry Lamb Research Outpost for site security, but many were destroyed in the initial Banished attack. Well aware of their combat potential, Isabel has begun producing a modified version of the Mantis for the use of Spirit of Fire's ground forces, with adjustments to reuse parts produced for the Cyclops and Colossus. While capable, these units lack the neural interface control systems installed on contemporary UNSC models; a necessary concession due to the Spirit of Fire's older manufacturing technology. Colossus Heavy—metal mayhem. The Colossus is a superheavy vehicle unit which can be deployed by Sergeant Johnson in place of the Scorpion. It is relatively slow, but fitted with a devastating arsenal, capable of taking down almost any foe. The Colossus' primary weapon is a long-range heavy railgun, a massive weapon originally designed for installation on fortified structures. While the rail cannon can only target ground units, its autocannon has an all—environment engagement profile. After upgrades the Colossus can use Stomp, sending out a shockwave that stuns and damages enemy ground units. The Colossus is a next—generation exoskeleton combat unit designed by Materials Group and Hannibal Weapon Systems for the UNSC Army. Isabel retains its manufacturing templates from her supply-chain training on Earth, though manufacturing these massive combat machines represents a considerable burden on the Spirit of Fire's supplies. Sergeant Johnson claims to have acquired the materia