The Brigandine Combat Hardsuits are a series of personal body armor/hardsuits used by the Iron Company, and production was started in YE 44

The Brigandine Series cost varies on the model; 4000ks for the standard model, 3000ks for the light model, 1000ks for the security variant, and 8000ks for the Drudge Model and Assault Models.

The Brigandine Series rose out of necessity during the early years of the reformation of the Company-while most of their work involved primarily tracking down dangerous fauna and depending on the planet's atmosphere basic environmental gear or space suits were usually sufficient for the work at hand. However, there were several instances of either injuries or fatalities due to the equipment being damaged after being attacked by either the creatures they were hunting or attacks by pirates or even hostile local forces.

Attempts were made initially to try and correct this issue; first, by issuing plate carriers for soldiers wearing NBC gear or adding armor plating to space suits along with trying to up-armor the more critical components of the suits-masks, visors, oxygen tanks, etc., these measures were at best stop-gap in nature or a hindrance at worst as the extra armor often served to tax the personnel using it as issuing soldiers power armor was prohibitively expensive. Eventually, a suit composed of a series of interlocking armor plates formed a shifting layer of protection, with flexible, reinforced kevlar protecting the joints and the necessary life support equipment to keep the soldier inside alive. A simple radio suite was also included for communications. A connector for an oxygen tank is located on the back of the helmet.

Eventually, several offshoots of the design were produced; a lighter version for non-combat personnel such as chirigeons and fieldsmiths, then a heavier version issued to Drudge Squads to protect them from their own weaponry.

Minor improvements were made to the original design including further refinement of armor plating, reinforcing the joints, and improvements to the life support.

The Brigandine, which seems to have more in common with a suit of plate armor in terms of protection than what those would consist of a breastplate, backplate, fauld, pauldrons, upper and lower vambraces, gauntlets, cuisse, poleyn, greaves, sabatons, and a half domed helmet in addition to the reinforced environmental undersuit. The plates are made out of the reinforced ablative composite armor the company heavily favors in addition to kinetic gel to help mitigate strong impacts. The suit also has environmental controls, radiation and vacuum sealing, a radio suite, and an EKG unit to monitor the individual yeoman's vitals. Damage Tier: 3

The Brigandine has Four additional variants on top the standard model:

Assault: The Assault Variant is used by yeoman that either specializes in CQB or serves as Shock Assault Troops. This includes reinforcing the frontal armor and providing additional protection along the joints as well as adding a thin layer of monoplate, providing roughly the same amount of protection as a low-grade suit of power armor. The suit's weight does inhibit mobility slightly. Damage Tier 4

The Light variant has reduced protection, only consisting of breast and backplate, pauldrons, lower vambraces, greaves, and sabatons. It is generally worn by support personnel.Damage Tier 2

The Security variant is designed for low-intensity situations or police duty, and is meant to give the Yeomen a far less threatening appearance. It has a far more streamlined, what many would consider “modern' look to it, and lacks the bulky look of the other models. Most of those who have had to wear them compare the things to “walking around in naught but your nethers” and the helmet is considered far too exposed. Damage Tier 2

The Drudge Variant is used by the Drudge Squads; specialists within the company pitted against the creatures that not even ordinary yeoman can combat. With thickened, reinforced armor plating, lined with large amounts of lead, the suits are lined with asbestos to protect from heat and high amounts of radiation generated from their weaponry. These suits are considerably heavier. Damage Tier: 3

Colors are usually the company Dark blue with gray trim, although they will be colored to match environments. The Drudge variant is dark black with bone white trim.

The armor is donned by first putting on the undersuit, which is donned as a single piece, then each individual armor component is buckled via a series of adjustable buckle straps, then the helmet is put on and the seal is locked in place. Air tanks are added as needed. ?

The plates can be washed with soap and water-the suit may either be laundered or hand washed-drudge variants are to be washed separately and with a chemical wash to decontaminate their suits.

Commissar Farzi created this article on 2022/11/18 16:18. Art Made using Midjourney AI by Commissar Farzi and Andrew

Approved by Wes.¹⁾