"Armor Storm" isn't a technique; it's a philosophy of industrial attrition. Originating from the Sider Stratiotes shock troops who were dropped into enemy trenches during the Unification Wars, this style treats the Soldier's armor not as a defense, but as a weapon.
In the Starfall Galaxy, Armor Storm soldiers are often referred to as "Hull-Breakers." They are the vanguard of boarding parties and hive-clearing operations. They weld extra plating to their suits, disable their own weapon safety limiters, and charge into the fray with the intent of becoming the center of the explosion. To an Armor Storm trooper, "friendly fire" is just a myth, and the blast radius is their personal space.
The Armor Storm fighting style transforms the Soldier into a walking hazard zone, specializing in point-blank heavy ordinance and physical domination.
Armor Storm Fighting Style
Source Player Core pg. 152
Your armor feels like a part of you and stands up to heavy fire in the thick of battle. Your armor absorbs greater damage from attacks made by enemies you've suppressed. In a fight, you likely body block or stand in front and try to keep the enemy's ire, trusting your armor to keep you alive.
You never count as being in the area of a ranged weapon you've made an attack with. You gain resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1) to all damage against attacks made by suppressed targets.
You don't need a free hand to Disarm, Grapple, Reposition, Shove, or Trip. You gain a +1 status bonus on Athletics checks to Disarm, Grapple, Reposition, Shove, and Trip suppressed foes. When you successfully Disarm, Grapple, Reposition, Shove, or Trip a creature, it becomes suppressed until the start of your next turn.
Non-Combat Applications
Hazard Navigation: The ability to ignore their own area damage often translates to a high tolerance for environmental hazards. Armor Storm soldiers can walk through active plasma vents or burning fuel leaks to reach a shut-off valve, treating the inferno as just another Tuesday.
Industrial Breaching: With their powered armor and maneuver bonuses, they excel at forcing open blast doors, tearing down bulkheads, or clearing heavy debris that blocks a path. They are the ultimate "breaching charge" that doesn't need explosives.
Riot Control: Their ability to grapple and shove without dropping their weapons makes them terrifyingly effective at non-lethal crowd control. They can pin a ringleader to a wall with one hand while keeping a heavy cannon trained on the mob with the other.
Societal Impact
The Armor Storm style has influenced the design of civilian heavy equipment. Mining exo-suits and hazardous environment gear often use decommissioned Armor Storm plating patterns. In the Commission, "Storm-Grade" is a marketing term used to sell everything from reinforced comm-units to indestructible luggage. However, in the Outer Sphere, seeing a mercenary in full Armor Storm rig is a sign to evacuate the entire block, as collateral damage is guaranteed.
Adventure Hooks
The Meltdown Run: A reactor is going critical, and the only way to stop it is to manually insert control rods inside the containment chamber. The chamber is flooded with radiation and periodic thermal pulses. The Armor Storm Soldier must "tank" the reactor itself, relying on their resistance and high constitution to survive long enough to save the ship.
The Zero-G Brawl: Boarding a derelict ship with failing gravity, the party is swarmed by "Void-Ghouls." The Soldier uses their magnetic boots and grapple bonuses to pin the floating horrors to the walls, effectively acting as an anchor for the team while unleashing point-blank explosive fire that would kill a lesser combatant.
The Living Wall: During a VIP extraction, the party is pinned down by sniper fire. The Armor Storm Soldier realizes the only cover is them. They must advance into the open, drawing fire and suppressing the snipers, effectively becoming a mobile piece of terrain for the VIP to hide behind.
Armor Storm is the ultimate expression of the Soldier's resilience. It proves that in a galaxy full of lasers, plasma, and psionic fury, the most dangerous thing on the battlefield is still a ton of anger wrapped in six inches of steel.
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