- "The Mjolnir/C Variant was developed and tested at UNSC facilities in Essen, Deutschland, and Songnam, Hanguk, respectively, integrating feedback gathered from the Jericho VII Theater."
- — Halo 3 Armor Description.
The Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/C variant[1], more commonly known as Close Quarters Battle Armor[2], and abbreviated as CQB Armor, is a type of United Nations Space Command ground infantry body armor. It is first seen in Halo 3.
Development and History
The intent of the MJOLNIR Mark VI Powered Assault Armor/C variant was to improve survivability in close combat, specifically by looking at alternate methods of K dispersal and improving joint mobility.
Helmet Characteristics
The helmet is very different from the Mark VI. It features a roughly "T" shaped visor with two large cheek guards. The top of the helmet is protected by black alloy that forces a protective brace on top. It somewhat resembles the clone trooper helmet from the well known star wars series and ancient Greek or Roman helmets;the shape of the visor, especially; and the cross brace loosely resembles the crest on a helmet.
Shoulder Characteristics
The shoulder pieces are worn significantly lower than those of the standard Mark VI armor. They consist of a rectangular, slightly curved metal plate that is attached approximately where the deltoids, biceps brachii, and brachialis muscles converge. In actual combat, this would greatly improve the ease at which a SPARTAN-II moves the arms for close quarters combat, but increase the shoulder and upper arm's exposure to damage.
Chest Characteristics
Like in most other MJOLNIR variants, the chest plate seems to be a plate of alloy attached to the already existing Mark VI armor underneath. It consists of an additional set of four plates fused together in the body, and a tubular object at the bottom part of the chest plate which could either be a handle or some sort of canister due to its shape. There is an unusable Combat Knife on the plate as well in a built-in sheath. In early development, the outer part of the chest piece was part of the secondary color group. Why this was changed is unknown.
Unlock
- Head: Starter.
- Shoulders: Starter.
- Chest: Starter.
Trivia
- The CQB's visor is T-shaped due to the additional facial armor, as the CQB armor is designed for close combat which generally involves more violent actions to the head.
- According to a survey taken by Bungie, the CQB chest is one of the most used Spartan chest plates on Xbox Live.
- The helmet, particularly the shape of the visor, bears some resemblance to Samus Aran and the Galactic Federation Marines of Metroid fame. They also show similarity to Clone Trooper helmets from Star Wars and certain Spartan helmets from Greece. It also resembles the Beta suit from the videogame Timeshift.
- Due to the appearance of a mark IV CQB Armor, it can be assumed that non-standard armor variants were in use as far back as the 2540s. Mk. V upgrades being ready the day after its parent model was released also supports this.
Gallery
- Halo3 Spartan-smg-01.jpg
Bungie render of a SPARTAN in orange CQB Armor.
- CQB Spartan.jpg
A SPARTAN in purple CQB Armor with an M41 Rocket Launcher.
- Halo 3 Armor Concept.jpg
Concept art for the CQB.
- Halo3 Spartan-rocket-launcher-03.jpg
A Spartan in CQB wields the M41 Rocket Launcher.
CQB variant in Halo Legends.
