"Purger" class Zracon heavy tank

*"Scorched bones and half-melted flesh. That was all we recovered from the 2nd platoon after the Zracon's retreat from our positions"*

*-*lieutenant Paulus, during the liberation of New Sajar-

   Known also as the "Scorcher" by those Commonwealth troops which have faced it and lived to tell the tale, the Purger class Zracon  heavy tank is one of the best known tanks deployed by the Zracon Union . Armed with several, long-range flame weapons, it is often used against fortified positions and to stop infantry attacks.

While not the most updated or well designed vehicle in the Zracon's arsenal, it was reliable and easy to build even by non-specialized crews of engineers. During the Union's occupation of New Sajar, this tank was used effectively to crush rebel bands and burn those Aramathi trying to hide in bunkers in the planet's many mountain ranges. Still, as it happened with the Zracon's fleet, the Purger could not compete with the Commonwealth's more advanced designs.

## Design

Unlike other tanks and heavy armor in the Zracon's arsenal, the Purger was built as a close-range weapon, sacrificing speed for extra layers of armor and tracks sturdy enough to allow the tank to move through all terrains without trouble.

### Armour

The Purger had a frontal hull armour 120 mm thick, frontal turret armour of 100mm and 80 mm on the sides and rear. Later designs incorporated shield systems, most of them focused on the front.

### Weaponry

The purger deploys 4 Scouring-class heavy flamethrowers, each of which can release a torrent of gelatinous fuel to its target at a distance of up to 100m. Battle reports have shown how even fortified bunkers have little to do against the concentrated barrage of all 4 guns, with infantry fairing even worse as the liquid can melt an armored soldier in a matter of seconds. Even unshielded tanks can have trouble, as the heat of the fire cooks the crew inside their vehicle.

While all four guns are mostly used on the same target, the turret's design for each pair to focus on another target.

### Crew

Apart from the tank commander, the crew of a Purger Zracon tank was made of a radio-operator to contact with the rest of the squad, two gunners to aim and fire the two sets of flamethrowers, a loader and a driver

## Combat history

During the Aramathi liberation war the Commonwealth faced the Purger in all manner of situations. Whenever the liberation forces were at long range, the Zracon tank became an easy target, taking a couple of shots before finally exploding in a ball of flame. Orbital bombardment also proved to be an useful weapon against the Purger, as it could not avoid the incoming fire from above with the same speed of other Zracon tanks.

Mixed with other Zracon formations however, the Purger showed its worth in several engagements, mostly against entrenched positions or infantry counter-attacks. During the battle of the Grey Cliffs , an attack from a mixed formation of Zracon infantry and Purgers prevented General Branicki from recieving much needed reinforcements of infantry, to the point where some squads refused to face the fire-throwing tanks without superior armor and artillery backing them up.

As the conflict raged on and the Commonwealth adapted its tactics, the Purger heavy tanks became less and less effective in combat. By the time the conflict ended, the Zracon Union was already planning lighter and far better equiped designs for the Purger.