Name: Battle Wagon
Type: Armored Ground Assault Vehicle
Operators: Gelt (Warrior Caste)
Summary:
The battle wagon is the primary ground assault vehicle deployed by the Gelt during their Gelt Incursion of 429 IE. Resembling Terran desert buggies but much larger and more heavily armed, these vehicles are powered by noisy fossil-fuel engines, emitting thick black smoke and a distinct burnt-oil smell.
Each battle wagon typically carries a five-Gelt crew:
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Four Warriors operate weapons and navigate.
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A fifth operates the dish weapon, a devastating energy emitter mounted on the vehicle’s rear.
The dish weapon is capable of incinerating multiple targets in seconds, often leaving nothing behind but ash. Other Gelt soldiers wield energy rifles, but the battle wagon’s main gun is far more lethal and is used to destroy groups of defenders or structures.
Battle wagons are lightly armored but fast, designed more for psychological shock and swift depopulation than extended battlefield engagements. They are vulnerable to well-aimed shots from human rail guns; JT Austin disables one by firing into its dish, causing a catastrophic explosion.
Their use of fossil fuels is seen as primitive and inefficient by human standards, but the Gelt likely chose such vehicles for their ease of maintenance and independence from planetary infrastructure. Additionally, the noise of unmuffled engine noise turns these assault vehicles into terror weapons.
Appearances: The Children of Amargosa