Starship Troopers: Vehicles: M-9 Marauder Assault Armour

**Name**: M-9 Marauder
**Craft**: M-9 Marauder Assault Armor
**Type**: Hard-armored Walker Vehicle
**Scale**: Walker
**Length**: approximately 3.5 meters tall (estimated)
**Mass**: 10.89 metric tons
**Skill**: Walker Operations
**Crew**: 1
**Cargo Capacity**: 9.1 kg
**Consumables**: 8 hours
**Maneuverability**: 0D+2
**Move:**  83; 241 km/h
**Body Strength**: 4D

**Weapons**

* **MW-265 ‘Electric Eight’**

Hardpoint: Shoulder
Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: Speeder
Skill: Vehicle Blasters
Fire Control: 1D
Range: 1-36/90/180m
Ammo: 300
Damage: 5D
* **SW-411 ‘Spud Gun’ Grenade Launcher**

Hardpoint: Shoulder
Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: Character
Skill: Missile Weapons
Fire Control: 1D
Range: 10-92/230/460m
Ammo: 8
Damage: See Grenades
* **SW-414 ‘Rapier’ Missile Launcher**

Hardpoint: Back
Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: Speeder
Skill: Missile Weapons
Fire Control: 1D vs Ground Targets; 6D vs air borne targets
Range: 10-180/450/900m
Ammo: 18
Damage: 3D
* **SW-490 ‘Blizzard’ Missile Launcher**

Hardpoint: Back
Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: Walker
Skill: Missile Weapons
Fire Control: 4D
Range: 10-180/450/900m
Ammo: 18
Damage: 3D+2
* **SW-219-f ‘Inferno’ Support Flamer**

Hardpoint: Chest (Manipulator Arms)
Fire Arc: partial turret
Crew: 1
Scale: Speeder
Skill: Vehicle blasters
Fire Control: 1D
Range: 1-56/140/280m
Ammo: 30
Damage: 4D+1 + 1D+1 fire damage for the next 1-4 rounds
* **Manipulator Arms**

Hardpoint: Chest
Scale: Walker
Skill: Walker Operations
Damage: 4D+1
**Equipment:**

* **Geosynchronous location sensor** (adds +1 pip to Walker Operations checks)
* **Surface/Air surveillance radar** (Search +1D; senses other vehicles within 180 meters)
* **Salvo switch** (driver can fire all craft weapons as a single attack at a single target)
* **Environmentally sealed**
* **Integrated lizard line** (150 meters in length and capable of lifting11.8 metric tons)
* **Integrated welding arm** (right shoulder)
* **Jump jets (365 meters, 30 meters maximum per jump)**
* **Physical Strength Attribute**: 4D+1 (Walker Scale)
* **Manipulator Arms**: These are a close combat option on a model that otherwise is not very effective at close range. They are also used for engineering, fine manipulation and cargo loading, as the Chickenhawk is an efficient hauler during combat drops. Even if a Marauder driver never intends to use them in battle, virtually every M-9 operator in the Mobile Infantry stocks a set of manipulator arms for use between engagements for a number of utilitarian reasons. Manipulator arms can also perform manipulation work and carry 226 kg of cargo each. Manipulator arms as an option also include a SW-219-f ‘Inferno’ support flamer rig that connects just under the arm assembly.

**Notes**:

* **Hardpoints**: Four modular hardpoints (chest, left and right shoulders and back). Only one weapon system may be mounted per hardpoint.

**Description**: *‘Spare me the lecture about how much punishment a Marauder can dish out and suck up. I’ll get in one of those lumbering death traps the moment the Lieutenant orders me to and not one blasted second before!’*
– Unnamed Mobile Infantry Trooper

The Marauder M-9, also called the Chickenhawk, is a tactical suit of extremely powerful armor, mechanically assisted and equipped with weapons, computer systems and sensors that place it in the effective realm of an entire squad of Mobile Infantry troopers all by itself. Its awkward gait, the reason for its nickname among troopers, is very quick and it can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. The Mobile Infantry drivers selected to operate the M-9 soon stop deriding when they discover just how much destructive power the suit puts at their finger tips.

While not as well armored or heavily armed as the M-8 Marauder, the Chickenhawk does have the distinct advantages of commonality and original equipment. As the first generation of Marauder technology (though only by a few months of development time), it has a great deal more flexibility than its more ‘advanced’ counterpart in terms of payload, repair parts and modular layout. An M-9 suit can be tailored to a given mission design more easily than an M-8, meaning that high profile encounters involve M-9s more often than they do M-8s and damaged Chickenhawks are more easily repaired. The Marauder suits are also rendered completely useless if they fall onto their back. The short manipulator arms of the M-9 and the awkward jointing of the M-8’s shoulder assembly prevent them from rolling themselves over and thus downed Marauders require their squad-mates to lift them up.

Modular or not, all Marauder suits have the same serious design flaws. They take 26 hours to take from ‘cold’ storage to ‘warm’ active service. Once ready to take the field, they can only operate for eight hours on their power cells before all their systems go dead and they are rendered immobile. Field engineers assigned to Marauder suits always bring replacement cells when they can, but this can still leave a Marauder driver helpless and immobile in enemy territory.

Marauder weapons systems can only be fitted to Marauder suits and are not used by other vehicle types because of their specialized engineering and design. Marauder weapons are difficult to service, operate on the suit’s internal battery power and are high-firepower models meant to deal a lot of damage quickly to maximize the Marauder suit’s combat potential.

**Source**:

* Starship Troopers RPG Sourcebook (pages 115-116)
* thedemonapostle