Mechs

Factors behind the Dominance of Mechanized Chassis in Space Expansion and Warfare

The cultural and battlefield dominance of mechanized chassis can be attributed to two factors: rapid human expansion into space, and the conflicts that stemmed from that expansion.
For 3000 years, Union expanded and colonized space without the benefits of the blink network or the omninet, neither of which were created until after the Deimos Event. Drones and uncrewed Interstellar vehicles scouted on hundred-year increments – fired toward distant targets, followed 100 years after arrival by nearlight ships that were yet to be built, far-field teams yet to be born.
During the First Expansion Period, the First Committee’s expansionist imperative demanded that humanity spread out among the stars. Old Colonies and installations were waiting, ready to be reactivated. Union marked the growth of the Diaspora as both a point of civilizational pride and a necessary step for the survival of the species.
Of course, humans aren’t built to survive hostile worlds and hard vacuums. Ships and Stations did a fine job of protecting people from vacuum, radiation, and the terrors of both deep space and dangerous atmospheres, but it was not enough to simply fly over planets – they needed to be claimed.

The Evolution of Hardsuits: A Necessary Tool for Survival in Space

Recognizing this problem, Union’s astrocartographers and far-field directors issued a call for a standardized suit able to support medium-term livability that could be used for tactical, scientific, and civilian purposes in space and on alien worlds. Universally compatible, powered, hardened against the elements, and comfortable to wear, this hardsuit soon became an indispensable piece of hardware for anyone leaving the bounds of Cradle.
The first hardsuits were adaptable, featuring flourishes and specializations unique to their manufacturers and users. Early far-field teams wore larger suits with more robust equipment, some equipped with weapons to fight off hostile native flora and fauna; colonists first adopted hardsuits as emergency equipment in case of damage to their sealed habitats, then for traveling and exploring beyond those same habitats; meanwhile, spacers wore slimmer suits with more robust seals, sometimes living in them for days on end while they piloted their great ships on long voyages between worlds.
The hardsuit found military applications, too. Some companies and Union foundries began to add plated armor to their suits, weave ballistic knits into them, and integrate technologies that enabled soldiers to manipulate Smart Weaponry.
On worlds where tracked or wheeled vehicles proved inappropriate, larger hardsuits were built, capable of hauling cargo that would have otherwise required transport trucks. In these suits, pilots occupied a cockpit, not just the suit itself, and extensive training was required to ensure they could operate it professionally. These heavy suits operated in tandem with other heavy suits and were often accompanied by drone flights.

The Birth of the Mechanized Chassis

The first mechanized chassis was born from this combination of exploratory drive and the need for protection. It took a catalytic moment of interstellar politics and ideological conflict to catapult the mechanized chassis from a useful (if plodding) civilian platform to a deadly military instrument; that flashpoint presented itself on Hercynia, a jungle world in distal space, around 4500u. It was on Hercynia that Union exploratory forces first employed the mechanized chassis – a model designed and built on Ras Shamra, the planet that soon became the homeworld of Harrison Armory – in organized, mass combat against hostile local forces.
The conflict that took place on Hercynia prompted intense research and development into combat-capable and effective mechanized chassis. They became a viable, all-round option for combat in all theaters and environments: on hard terrain, in zero-g, and in any other transitional spaces, a piloted mechanized chassis – a mech – could outperform and outmaneuver any other land-based attack option.

Surviving in Hostile Worlds

Integrated into existing force-multiplication doctrines, mechanized chassis adopted a cavalry role – scouting, dismounted combat, and hammer-to-anvil shock warfare. Their flexibility was valued by commanders frustrated at tracked vehicles’ vulnerability to terrain. Despite the simplicity and lower profile of tracked armor, mechanized chassis became a priority order for ground forces deploying across Diasporan worlds.
Not only did mechanized chassis represent a tactical breakthrough, but their quasi-humanoid shape was an undeniable psychological asset. This led to the development of weaponry that was tactically impractical (to begin with), but a boon to morale: swords, axes, lances, and so on.

Hardsuits for Various Purposes

Union doctrine quickly offered countless variations on how best to employ mechanized chassis in combat. After centuries of revision, the Auxiliary Handbook on Chassis Combat now describes a narrower selection of roles – the most viable, almost all of which take advantage of chassis’ multi-role versatility and comparative alacrity, and emphasize the force-multiplying opportunities offered by pairing pilots with integrated NHPs.
Some cultural critics point out that the reason for the popularity of mechanized chassis is likely far less technical: we made them the most powerful fighting machines that could stride across the earth, and we made them look like us.

Across the galaxy, “lancer” has become a catch-all name for exceptionally daring and skilled mech pilots, similar to the flying aces of the past. Not all pilots are lancers – most are just good at what they do – but all lancers are pilots.
Nowhere is “lancer” considered an official rank or classification. Lancers are set apart by ability, talent, training, luck, skill, reputation, or some combination of these qualities; they aren’t qualified as lancers by any medal, certification, or promotion. It’s simply an appellation given to exceptional pilots based on time in the saddle and performance in the field.

Type

Mech