Resolution Linebreaker

**Key Features** | »90mm direct-fire mortar»UT-G8 automatic grenade launchers (x2)»Seats for six infantry»Reinforced armoured bulkhead»*I Brake For Nobody* sticker

## Tactical Analysis

* **Resolved to Win:** One of the most armored APCs on the battlefield, the Resolution Linebreaker is based on a pre-WWII APC, the first purpose-built vehicle to transport infantry into combat, with a few new added features. It has enough room for six infantry as well as amphibious capabilities.

* **Line Breaker:** The title of 'Linebreaker' is well deserved, for the 90mm mortar attached to it is designed to either fire high-explosives to smash apart defenses and buildings at close range or Smoxin gas that leaves infantry in a coughing fit and force vehicles to button up and slow down. In addition, smoke grenade dispensers on both sides fire when infantry evacuate the transport, temporarily shielding them from enemy fire.

* **Armored Snail:** The thick armour and additional weight created by the mortar and ammo makes the Resolution a painfully slow transport. Supervisors are advised to keep it protected from aerial threats and flankers, for which it has no protection against.

* **Scatter the formation:** Given enough experience. High-ranking Resolution crews are able to requisition heavier hitting concussion shells, the blast of which leaves its targets reeling and stunned, giving the infantry time to disembark and attack.

## Background

*"I will break you."*

-Resolution driver
Some thought that the age of infantry on the open battlefield was finished with the advent of the tank in World War 1: heavily armored and armed giants that could wade through a battle like mighty gods, crushing opposition under treads and sustained fire. But anti-tank rifles, mortar strikes, and fortified tank traps showed that the tank was not completely invulnerable to attack, and infantry were still very much needed to break through enemy lines. Generals realized that both infantry and tanks had to work in concert to maximize effectiveness and bring victory on the battlefield, and so early inroads into the discovery of mechanized infantry were made. At first, infantry marched along and behind the tanks or rode on top, allowing them to fire on enemy soldiers as they advanced; this, however, also made them heavily vulnerable to enemy fire and often resulted in heavy losses during a push. It was not until the summer of 1917 that British forces came up with an idea for a tank chassis designed not to act as a forward attack vehicle but as a transport for infantry troops, designed to keep pace with other tanks while at the same time offering protection to the troops within until they got to the enemy trenches: the first armoured personnel carrier. Originally the Mark IX tank, it was theoretically capable of many soldiers and the tank crew across the trench lines from the safety of a heavily armoured vehicle, saving the forces of the Allied powers from early death and depositing them under cover of machine guns on the enemy's doorstep. Unfortunately, the project was so massive for the time that by time the first three Mark IXs were completed and cleared for combat the Armistice was already signed. The vehicles already manufactured were turned into heavy farming tractors, plowing fields and bringing life instead of only protecting it. Newer and more versatile APCs were soon developed in the years to follow, and the Mark IXs became little more than a historical curiosity.

For the Technate, however, the Mark IX tank was an opportunity. For the Humanitarian Guard to be mobile, it needed transportation. Adventures and Adders were useful for quick and light movement between bases and the front lines, and the bulk of any infantry force could be brought into a battlefield by transport zeppelins, but for in-field transportation during heavy fighting actual APCs were required. Putting such a high value on their personnel, they couldn't just slap some metal on a chassis and bolt a weapon to the top like certain guerilla revolutionaries did. They needed a solid, rugged transport that could handle the demands of modern combat, including fighting in terrain ranging from urban cities to thick jungle. For this, the older Mark IXs were ideal choices: given a bit of polish and design changes, their heavy armor could make them incredibly resistant to anti-tank rounds and all but impervious to small arms fire. A naturally low profile and curved track protectors made them harder to sight and destroy when in cover or terrain than the Retriever or Ajax APCs utilized by other American forces. And their impressive size gave the various military design counsels ample room to install various additions to the basic design. To start, machine guns wouldn't cut it anymore. The Humanitarian Guard needed an APC that could handle enemy defenses to protect their soldiers. Instead, a massive direct-fire mortar was placed on a small rotating base atop the tank, and dual automatic grenade launchers installed on the sides to provide covering smoke for troops disembarking the vehicle. Though the ammunition and additional protection built into the APC cut down the amount of infantry that could be carried, it turned what had been the Mark IX into the newly designated **Resolution Linebreaker**, a machine that could smash apart trench lines, turrets, and fortified buildings alike while transporting up to six infantry to and from combat hotspots.

The Humanitarian Guard actually prefer the thick steel of the Resolution to any other potential transport, and the Linebreaker crews are renowned for their quiet determination and focus even in the heat of battle. The thick sides, the heavy weapon, and the covering smoke mean an increased chance of survival and an ability to plow through the heaviest of fire and keep on moving. Let the Allies have their goop-sprayers and the Continentals their rock of war. The Guard knows it has the Resolution.