XM820B4 Scorpion

"This is but one of Hannibal Weapon Systems' tank test beds fitted with the latest in vehicle-borne directed energy weapons. Advanced Scorpion with heavy armor and fast-discharge laser currently undergoing trials within UNSC Infinity War Games."

- REQ description

The XM820B4 Scorpion, also known as the Hannibal Scorpion is a variant of the M820 Scorpion main battle tank platform created by Hannibal Weapon Systems for incorporation and testing of vehicle-born energy weapons.

Design details
Visually, the XM820B4 is a M820 Scorpion hull equipped with a weapon visually identical to the standard M990 electrothermal-chemical smoothbore cannon. Unlike the M990 and other similar tank guns, the Hannibal Scorpion platform is a test bed for vehicle-equipped directed energy weapons. The main turret of the Scorpion fires a Spartan Laser-like laser, while the hull-mounted machine gun nest is equipped with a rapid-firing gauss repeater turret similar to that equipped by the Hannibal Mantis. Additionally, the Hannibal Scorpion also has a higher movement speed both forward and in reverse than standard M820s.

When firing its laser cannon, the laser has a charge-up time of 0.6 seconds and a cooldown of 2.75 seconds. When charging, several lights around the turret begin to glow and electrical energy coalesces around the barrel until the shot is discharged. At this point, the cannon's (usual) autoloader moves back to eject steam, presumably for cooling down the cannon. The explosion generated by the laser's impact on a surface resembles that of gauss weaponry, with a blue explosion and sparks emitted from the impact site. The gauss turret is capable of firing at a rate of six shots per second, and capable of firing for up to 3.75 seconds on fully automatic before needing to cool down for 1.95 seconds.

XM820B4 units are equipped with a Hannibal Systems blue, green and white paint colour scheme. The designation "XM820B4" is painted on the barrel of the main gun.

Development history
By 2558, the XM820B4 was a skunkworks vehicle being developed by Hannibal Weapon Systems as a test-bed for new and experimental weapons technology, alongside similar Mantis and Wasp vehicles. As a test vehicle, it was one of many different Scorpion designs undergoing trials in War Games simulations aboard.

Gameplay
The Hannibal Scorpion appears in Halo 5: Guardians as a vehicle REQ card available for use in the Warzone and Warzone Firefight gamemodes via the requisition system, and is also useable in Forge and custom games. In Warzone, the Hannibal Scorpion REQ card has the following attributes;
 * Rarity: Legendary
 * Level: 8

Production notes
The Hannibal Scorpion was developed alongside the Hannibal Mantis by vehicle designer Tim Temmerman for inclusion in the Ghosts of Meridian update. Temmerman had wanted to envision a beam-equipped Scorpion tank since the days of Halo: Combat Evolved, and the Hannibal vehicles were used as an opportunity to allow this to happen.

List of appearances

 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Ghosts of Meridian