Armour Hunter

Armour Hunter
Minor Faction	Cult of the Black Hand
Other Faction(s)	None
Unit Type	Infantry
Designation	Anti-Tank
Production Building	Cult Shrine
Secondary Ability	Booby Trap Places a proximity charge that stuns units around it when it goes off
Cost	Unknown
Production Time	Unknown
Heroic Upgrade	Razorwire Rockets
Dev. Status	Unknown

Country of Origin	Yugoslavia
Trained at	Temples of the Black Hand
Key Features	» RPGL-6 rocket launcher (modified)  » Leather hood and cowl  » Mask with glass eyeholes  » Canisters filled w/ stun gas  » Journal for personal experiences

"Our "tank" will be invincible against the Black Hand. They do not know of its existence ..."

- Spoken by the first Talon tank commander, killed in the first moments of battle

Tactical Analysis

• Track Killers: The Armour Hunter is the Cult's anti-tank infantry, and like most infantry of that designation, is armed with a rocket launcher.

• Shaped Charge: And like most anti-tank infantry, their weapons are ineffective against infantry.

• A Little Surprise...: Anti-tank rockets aren't the only weapons they carry, however, and all Armour Hunters also carry a supply of booby traps. While not very harmful for anyone, they contain a potent gas that can stun units.

• Agonizer Round: Special rockets filled with razor sharp wire are sometimes used by Armour Hunters. These rockets are even more dangerous than normal; the razor wire can severely wound infantry and slow vehicles to a halt, entangling treads and slashing tires. Given enough time, the razor wire can even ruin an aircraft's engines, causing it to crash into the ground.

Operational History

Walkers and tracks utilized by the Talon are among the most critical targets for the Black Hand. Steel powerhouses sturdy to a fault, numerous shrines have been reduced to rubble by them with impunity, cult firearms barely able to scratch their armor. When these mechanical monsters appear, upper-ranking members are faced with two choices: whittle them down with sustained, constant fire, or hope that a commander is nearby for "diplomatic action". But two factors neutralize them; Talon Steel renders the first an exercise in futility, and crusaders are less averse to incinerate those deemed compromised by the Cult.

In the midst of a Partisan offensive on Bosilegrad, inquisitor Patrik Sršen observed a squad of anti-tank partisans engaging an Allied counter-attack force. Nothing was out of the ordinary, the soldiers effortlessly shattering Guardian companies and swatting down Apollo Fighters out of the skies. Even the fact that their faces were obscured was overlooked; would any guerrilla in the field want to show their identities for the world to see? Sršen attributed their almost-unnatural prowess to the Partisans' own unrivalled discipline, and was about to look away until an anomaly showed itself in the spot. A very innocuous-looking hand signal, to the trained eye, could be a potential command only known by the Cabals of War, and he was quick enough to catch a glimpse of it. Scrambling to alert the rest of his cell, Sršen was beaten by his fellow inquisitors, informing him of the catastrophic losses their Cleric Tracks experienced battling 'partisans' similar to those he just saw earlier.

But the Partisans are but one of the many guerrilla forces covertly assisted by the Cult. Arming themselves with illegal RPGLs acquired straight from Soviet warehouses, cultists integrate themselves among insurgent groups worldwide to steer them to the Black Hand cause. Sometimes, officers of various armies would be replaced by sympathizers, promoting eligible soldiers to 'independent' squads. These are designated Armour Hunters, and in essence, they are intended to be used in large groups as support units providing anti-tank and anti-aircraft firepower for armies that lack them.

The hunters' attire reflects their role; the leather armour pulled over the uniforms is treated to be extremely resistant to flame and heat, making them ideal for surviving the weapons of the Order. Their freakish masks have built in goggles to protect them against a backfire from their RPGLs, and their hoods seal around their heads, pressurized by their toxin filter so as to allow them to use their weapons indoors without causing themselves harm.

To disable large swarms of foes, they even have canisters filled with highly-potent chloroform that can be placed in choke points. These booby traps are primed to go off once unwary units stray too close, immediately dazing its victims to be either picked off by friends or using the opportunity to retreat.

Finally, those skilled enough to handle their RPGLs are provided 'razorwire rockets' - true to the name, rounds filled with razor-sharp wire inside them. Enemy soldiers are severly mangled in contact, treads and tires entangled or slashed, and its effect on aircraft engines is something one can easily make a conclusion of. But true to the Armour Hunters' perceived expandability, only a select few actually manage to make use of these grievous shots.

Behind the Scenes

• Based on the Militant Rocket Squad from C&C 3 Tiberium Wars.