Hard-Ex Suit Infantry Armor Team

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The Hard-Ex Suit, short for Hardened Expeditionary Environmental Suit, was one of the first successful suit designs that let the wearer both fight and survive in harsh, often lethal, environments.

The design is modular and able to adapted to a variety of humanoid and other senient biped biocodes, with other races learning and changing the pattern to fit their own unique physiologies.

The Hard-Ex Suit is near universal now, found far and wide throughout the Worldgate networks branching from Junctionworld. Some variants trade armor for mobility, while others prefer the inverse, but many subcomponents interchange, even across different manufacturers and brands.

For weaponry, there are two common component philosophies. Light arms and manipulators, with deft control digit flexibility for long guns, pistols, grenades, and other personal weapons, and heavy arms and manipulators, more suited to ripping and crushing obstacles and enemy armor. Some specialists and mercenaries mix the two.

Armors exclusively using the heavy manipulators are nicknamed "Brute Suits." The heavy manipulators tend to crush weapon grips, or are too big and bulky to fit into trigger guards. To give these suits some far-ranged punch, they are equipped with forearm 6.5mm Squad Automatic Weapons or 18mm Auto-Shotguns. These can still use large weapon drums for reloads.

Those forces equipped for a more all-around approach to infantry tactics use light arms, which enables them to wield the Mayhew Mk.77 Heavy Service Carbine in 20mm R-Largo (20mm x 63mm Rebated) or the Partlow Arms Grenade Pistol in 20mm Mattis (Alternately labeled .787 Self Defense). These personal weapons are usually too large for most humanoids to aim and fire, usually requiring the aid of the armor's enhanced motorized joints and reinforced framework.

The Mk.77 is easy to produce for most worlds and realms, and can be modified at the armorer level to switch its ejection pattern between left- and right-manipulatored sentients and sapients.

Both it and the Partlow Arms Grenade Pistol have 20mm bores and are fed from drum magazines, but are chambered for different cartridges which will not interchange, creating a mild nuisance for logistics bots and ammo printers.

The Ascended, a race of larger primates, also enjoy these larger weapons, with some ergonomic adaptations.

There are a multitude of subvariants of the Hard-Ex armor, including more advanced and compact models. It is often used by interdimensional mercenaries, explorers, and even scientists and technicians in hazardous environments, though with specialized helmets, optics, and other accessories.

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This initial file set includes 8 posed and fused armored bodies (you can double that number by using the Mirror command in your printer's Slicer program in the X direction).

Four heads

Twenty Light Arms

Twenty Heavy Arms

Numerous Carbine and Pistol Arms, including a pair of fused cradled arms. Spare ammo drums, separate carbines and pistols, and a slip-on suppressor/silencer are also included.

A 32mm x 3mm base.

More to come as inspiration strikes and time allows.

Waldo sculpted by Patrick Keith of Bombshell Minis, and is offered free in my MyMiniFactory online store.

Enjoy!

Best,
John Bear Ross