Tankbuster

**Key Features** | »» MX-20 *"Muramasa"* plasma-cutter cannon»» Sunburst armoured headgear»» Rations for extended stays underground»» Backpack mounted fuel cell»» Equipment harness for mobility

*"There is no metal which we cannot melt!"*

- Tankbuster motto

## Tactical Analysis

* **Enemy of armour**: Plasma-cutter cannons are exceptionally effective against vehicles or anything made of metal, and must have been created solely for that purpose. The weapons are tuned to a special frequency that causes only light burns to unprotected skin, possibly for the Tankbusters' own protection. And somehow and at some point, the Empire of the Rising Sun must have planted tankbuster sleeper cells in militarised zones on Soviet and Allied borders. How else to explain rare cases of Tankbuster squads suddenly bursting from the earth to attack without warning...?

* **Life in a spider-hole**: Being able to drop underground almost instantly is part of what makes Tankbusters so dangerous, since a tank cannot so much as crush one of these men in this state. While burrowed, Tankbusters are well-protected against most weapons, though they cannot retaliate either.

* **A heavy burden**: The bulk of Tankbusters' equipment, including those wide-brimmed hats, means their firepower can only be brought to bear directly ahead. Consequently and ironically, standard frontline infantry is proving to be the most capable of neutralising these threats.

* **The sleeper ambush**: A recent development for Wave-Force technology is the creation of a man-portable variant of their weapon; the MXW-20 Wave-Force Lancer, issued to the greatest heroes of the Tankbusters, lets the Tankbusters tear through multiple targets with deadly ease.

## WWIII Operational History

 File:TankbusterArt.jpg  There is but one question on the lips of military strategists worldwide: How could the Empire of the Rising Sun have gathered such an army in secrecy? There is no way the Empire could have access to the same resources in raw materials or warm bodies as the Soviet and Allied nations, now reeling from the Empire's ambitious plot.

The answer as yet is unknown. What is painfully obvious, however, is that the Empire commands vast military forces designed from the ground up to overcompensate for virtually everything the Soviets and Allies have in their modern arsenals.

One such example would be the Imperial **Tankbuster** divisions, the Empire of the Rising Sun's anti-armour foot soldiers. Unorthodox yet undeniably effective, Tankbusters represent one of the worst threats the modern main battle tank has ever encountered.

Tankbuster divisions seem to be composed of men selected for their stocky stature, strength, bravery, and astute perception. They appear to be trained in the use of a variety of unique, heavy-duty equipment, especially their state-of-the-art MX-19 *"Muramasa"* personal plasma-cutter cannons--which can melt foot-thick steel in seconds.

What's more, these extremely dangerous weapons are only half the package, as Tankbusters also are fitted with special protective headgear with a unique purpose: Plasma beams from the brim of these wide-brimmed hats may shoot straight down to cut a man-sized hole in any surface, effectively letting tankbusters burrow underground on a whim and with but a twist of their torsos. A mask also deploys onto the Tankbuster's face, allowing him to breath underground for as long as needed.

This sunburst headgear also serves as sort of a manhole cover until the tankbuster chooses to exit the burrow. The purpose of this burrow became extremely apparent the first time a Tankbuster squad was caught on surveillance: When one unlucky armour column unexpectedly ran into a Tankbuster ambush, the vehicles moved to crush these men in desperation, even as the Tankbusters began tearing them apart.

But the Tankbusters simply sank into the ground before even a single man was run over. As soon as the armour column had crossed over them, they sprang up again from their spider holes, finishing the job with almost-merciful quickness.

Culturally, tankbusters are poorly understood, even among the mysteries of the Empire of the Rising Sun. There is reason to believe that burrowing into spider holes is seen as a dishonourable and shameful act among Imperial military forces. As well, Tankbusters' heavy equipment may be the source of some ridicule among other Imperial forces, if translations of certain intercepted Imperial transmissions are to be taken at face value.

However, it seems clear that Tankbusters are ultimately well-regarded for their skill and fortitude, and the growing number of sightings of these men in direct combat with armour divisions means that the Empire of the Rising Sun must be training such forces in greater and greater numbers.

## Post-War Operational History

During the war, Tankbusters proved themselves beyond all expectations of the Shogunate, earning themselves a fierce reputation as warriors and being formed into their own specialised divisions with a great amount of support, including the newly reactivated Jishin Buster Tank. One of the most successful developments is the widespread use of a holographic generator on the Sunburst helmet, which allows the Tankbuster to become almost undetectable to conventional forces after a short stay underground.

The Tankbusters' *"Muramasa"* plasma-cutter cannon has been upgraded to a newer model, the MX-20. The beam is wider and squatter, providing an even greater area burned through against tanks. The beam is shorter ranged, but range has never been an issue to units intended to pop up at point blank range, anyways, and being out of range with the new model is seen as a sure sign that a Tankbuster isn't worth his wide hat.

Another development is the creation of a man portable Wave-Force weapon; the MXW-20 Wave-Force Lancer, issued to the greatest heroes of the Tankbusters. More difficult to use in conjunction with spider holes due to its greater bulk and length, the Wave-Force Lancer gives these Tankbusters an amazingly powerful anti-tank weapon capable of tearing through multiple targets with deadly ease.

Another facet of the Tankbuster's success is that their equipment harness is now fully painted in white, while previously it was left with its blue primer visible, since no one thought it worth the effort.

## Just the Stats

 **Armour Type** | Infantry

 **Kill Reward** | 1600

 **DPS** | 60