Rata Tank

**Key Features** | »Pedal-powered 20mm metalstorm gun (x2)»“Tāwhirimātea” metalstorm fragmentation shells»Tribal painting»Loudspeakers (plays ka mate)»Mandatory Haka dance practice

## Tactical Analysis

* **Metal Mana:** The lightest and fastest vehicle the Contingent has, the Rata Tank is actually more of a heavy assault vehicle, rolling in on eight wheels with a twin-metal storm turret that chews up infantry and battlesuits easily. It's also one of the few Contingent vehicles with a turret that has a respectable traverse speed.

* **Spear them:** Against a large group of heavier enemies, the Rata can deploy its anchors and fire metalstorm *shells* that can damage enemy vehicles and force enemy infantry down.

* **Dishonored ancestors:** While its turret may be speedy, the Rata itself isn't: poor acceleration and maneuverability makes it prone towards being taken out by close-ranged ambushers if stalled and out of formation. It's also incapable of engaging heavier targets, at least to any significant degree.

* **No Haka Necessary:** The most experienced Rata crews are so renowned in battle that the mere sight of them makes enemy units question the prospect of facing them.

## Background

*"'Tis death! 'tis death! 'Tis life! 'tis life!*

'*Tis death! ‘tis death! ’Tis life! ‘tis life!*

*This is the hairy man*

*Who brought the sun and caused it to shine*

*A step upward, another step upward!*

*A step upward, another... the Sun shines!*"

- "Ka Mate", a Maori haka done by Rata crews in the battlefield.
The Maori people of New Zealand are proud of who they are. Possessing a culture stretching back for centuries, the Maori are everything from proud warriors to master artisans. In an impressive display of cultural equality, the British were actually willing to extend full rights and citizenship to the Maori people, though full rights and citizenship doesn't always translate to full equality. Even today, the Maori struggle to find equal employment and education when compared to the rest of the population. The newly-formed Contingent realized this could be dangerous to their long term plans, as everyone needed to be aboard to accomplish their goals. Though starting with a media push recognizing the roles the Maori played in repelling the Japanese invasion from both islands such as the battle of Auckland, the Contingent also started a recruiting drive to bring in many young Maori men who needed work into the Island Defense Forces.

Simultaneously, the Contingent had created one of their own indigenous designs not based on an Allied prototype, though many commented the design was more than similar to the Patriot armored car utilized by the Unionists. Made to act as a more mobile armored scout that could observe ahead of the slow-moving Contingent armor, the vehicle still suffered from a lack of speed when compared to other light vehicles. Made in New Zealand, the Contingent noticed that a majority of crews in the vehicle were in fact Maori. Letting the men inside name the vehicle, the men named the vehicle the **Rata**, after the warrior of Maori legend who did everything from kill the man-eating ogre Matuku to defeat the Ponaturi tribe that stole his father's bones. Capitalizing on the name, the Contingent rallied the Maori community around the image, many families now proud to point out that their sons were the crews on the vehicles protecting their islands.

The Rata is heavily armored compared to other light scouts, though there are drawbacks aside from the relatively slow speed. To start, the vehicle is still not a tank when compared to the guardian, or even the Beagle. Aircraft can also take the tank down quickly, considering it has no means to train its guns high enough. Despite these drawbacks, the crews prefer the Rata over the Bushmaster or other vehicles, since it matches the Maori ancestral fighting style of rolling hard and fast into battle like a massive storm. Crews will often even take the change to exit their Ratas and perform a *haka*, a Maori war dance most often seen on the rugby field thanks to the All Blacks team. Foes who face these Maori crews often think they're going up against dancing amateurs. Instead, these enemies are often the first sent running from the sheer force of the Maori attacks.