CMC Powered Combat Suit

The Confederate Marine Corps Powered Combat Suit is a terran armored exoskeleton. Successive models continue to see widespread use by terran forces in the Koprulu Sector.

Suiting Up
The size and bulk of some types of armor before and during the Great War required frequent training to don efficiently. Depending on a suit's material state and the user's experience it could take three to twenty minutes to suit up. Constant drills allowed early members of the Sons of Korhal to complete the task in just one minute.

Easier methods were available after the, at the latest. Some suits allowed the helmet and surrounding segments to be removed and replaced, allowing a user to simply climb in through the opening. A more involved method involved the suit being constructed from prefabricated parts around the user, seemingly sealing the user inside.

Known Models
The following known CMC models exist;

Pressurized Power Suit
The pressurized power suit (aka assault armor) was issued some time before the CMC-300 and -400 series became prevalent. Edmund Duke was once issued a pressurized power suit. These models were effectively replaced by CMC Powered Combat Suits.

Standard Marine Powered Armor
Marines are issued various versions of the CMC Powered Armor suit. These suits share the following features:


 * Air conditioner (a "backpack" which channels heat away from the body)


 * Immunity to most small arms fire. A needle gun can penetrate the suit, however.


 * Salvage System: Should the suit's arm or leg be breached, the suit seals it off in a tourniquet. At least some versions of the suit pump narcotics into the wounded wearer's bloodstream, which can cause the wearer to fall unconscious.


 * Shoulder housed ammunition reloads and sensor arrays.


 * Structural support (supports the user's body, eg. adjusts itself to fit a firing stance).


 * Visor System: Lights flicker on the interior of the visor's rim acting as a basic guide. Green, yellow and presumably red feature, keeping the user informed of the suit's integrity.

In addition, the suit is compatible with StimPacks, which are able to be installed under the arms. The suits raise the wearer's height by a full foot and can improve a gunner's aim.

CMC-200 Powered Combat Suit
The CMC-200 Powered Combat Suit was used in the 25th century. By 2478 is was being phased out by its successor, the CMC-300 and was considered obsolete by the Guild Wars.

Colonial Militias and law enforcement continued to use the CMC-200. It has the following features:


 * Seven day endurance on internal recycling alone.


 * Basic NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) shielding.


 * Limited life support.

CMC-225
The CMC-225 was the standard powered armor used by the Terran Confederacy during the Guild Wars.

Thunderstrike Armor
The CMC-230 XE "Thunderstrike" armor was a prototype jetpacked equipped hardskin developed by Procyon Industries used by members of the "Heaven's Devils." The CMC-230 XF was a firebat version of the CMC-230 XE.

Both fell out of use due to reliability issues.

CMC-300 Powered Combat Suit
The CMC-300 Powered Combat Suit is the much improved successor to the CMC-200. It was already in service by 2478 and was standard issue to marines during the Great War. The CMC-300 masses several hundred pounds and adds a foot to the wearer's height. Improvements over its predecessor include:


 * Advanced NBC shielding.


 * Aural Directional Enhancers: Help clarify the source of external and transmitted sounds.


 * Full life support.


 * Gravity Generator: The suit is compatible with Gravity Generators for use on space platforms. Grav-boots may provide an alternative though.


 * Enhanced protection, but can still be penetrated by a needle gun.


 * HUD: A Heads-Up Display (HUD) is built into the visor. Its features include infra-red vision, a "navigation mode" which superimposes a map of surrounding terrain and pinpoints prominent features, targeting systems and a data system which, with the appropriate link, can let the user 'jack in' to video and data feeds, the information scrolling across the visor. The visor itself may be lowered/raised and/or (un)polarized at the user's discretion, though will automatically (un)polarize based on the intensity of light hitting it.


 * Integrated communication system.


 * Lockdown System: Used to stabilize wounded soldiers and/or prevent a shorted-out suit from misfiring. The disadvantage is that it prevents the user from moving.


 * Mufflers which reduce the amount of noise the suit makes and the user's heat signature.


 * Shoulder and chest mounted illuminators. The spectrum is determined via voice activation.


 * Structural Support: The amount of support that the suit provides is greatly increased from the CMC-200 model, increasing his/her strength and speed, stamina no longer becoming an issue. The servos enable a wearer to dash up steep slopes and safely land from heights of twenty feet.


 * The C-14 Gauss Rifle may be connected to and powered by the suit.

Overall, the suit is a marked improvement over its predecessor. However, its extensive servo-systems leave it vulnerable to immobilization should they be disrupted (eg. a Hydralisk scythe plunging into the chest). The amount of power it consumes is also extensive; the helmet is generally left off outside of combat to conserve energy.

Old Confederate-era CMC-300's continued to be issued to Dominion garrisons after the Brood War.

Command Suit
The Command Suit is a variant of the CMC-300 and features an enhanced portable comm system. They are worn by ship captains during combat operations.

CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit
The CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit is an upgraded version of the CMC-300. In addition to full NBC shielding and life support it includes an integrated StimPack system.

The CMC-400 was in service by 2491 but was still considered new eight years later at the beginning of the Great War.

Based on observations, it appears to be a heavier model and thus provides more protection, albeit without the inclusion (or effective use) of mufflers. In addition, a more sophisticated, if exposed servo system is used, theoretically allowing the suit greater flexibility. The visor colour has also changed from black to gold, maintaining the in-built HUD of its predecessor, though is now capable of displaying life support as a percentage and the amount of ammunition in a soldier's equipped weapon, and can even detect motion to some extent.

CMC-660 Heavy Combat Suit
The CMC-660 Heavy Combat Suit is the standard issue suit of firebats. Heavier, more durable and far more heat resistant than than its counterpart models, the Heavy Combat Suit provides additional protection. Possessing the same features as the CMC-300 model (albeit with StimPack compatibility), it features special systems to protect its user from the plasma and flame wielded. Plasma tanks are located on the back, presenting a hazard to the user given the chance of their detonation. The tanks are reinforced with containment fields.

In terms of armament, the CMC-660 features wrist mounted Perdition Flame Throwers.

After the Brood War, this was expanded to napalm rockets, capable of being guided by the user.

Development
In the StarCraft beta, terran marines (or marauders as they were then known) and firebats wore pressurized power suits, but this was dropped for the CMC-series before the final release. The pressurized power suit made a return in the novels.

Trivia
"The marine armor protects you from terran, zerg and protoss alike, but it won't protect you from those nasty smoking habits."

- Machinima.com

The CMC Powered Combat Suit was voted 9th in the Top 10 Video Game Armor by Machinima.com and 11th out of the top 13 in a similar feature by Maxim.com.