Fall in, Troopers! This briefing will prepare you for combat with the Bugs and is mandatory final training before you’re issued your Morita Mk1.

Valaka, the planet we’re in orbit around, is a cruel place for our beloved Deep Space Vanguard. We will be facing off against the Arachnids’ superior numbers, but you won’t be fighting alone. As a member of Brimstone Company, you’ve arrived as part of the full squadron to assess and secure this planet’s resources. Towards this end, each Trooper will be specialized per mission as Hunter, Bastion, or Operator to complete your objectives, achieve victory, and – with a little luck – survive. Now, before you board your dropship, let’s get you up to speed on the classes in this platoon.

First, you’ve got your Hunters who use their high-intensity aerobic training to reach the frontline first and specialize in bringing the hurt. Hunters are equipped with jump jets to gain the high ground and strike the enemy from above. As they progress in their careers, they also gain access to a variety of explosives and deployables to rain down hell upon the Bugs. If battlefield mobility is what you’re after, the Hunter class is for you.

Next up, Bastions: experts in heavy weapons and crowd control. When you’ve got Bugs tearing through your base’s walls, you’ll want the added stopping power of their Morita Mk III SAW. When surrounded or holding a position, the Bastion can deploy their shield wall, increasing their armor and turning the Trooper into a living turret. Experienced Bastions also earn the right to use equipment that allow them to establish a line of defense and hold it with suppressive fire support. Looking to make the Bugs pay for every inch they try to advance? The Bastion has you covered.

Finally, some say most importantly, we have Operators. A good Operator can turn the tide of battle, providing mission-critical medical and utility support. Their “surgical-grade UAV medic” as the eggheads call it is an actual lifesaver, automatically healing nearby Troopers in need. Operators can also carry twice as much ore and gas as the average Trooper as well as set up ammo crates or healing stations while on mission away from a base. Their advanced gear includes a variety of chemical munitions, laying down pain on a whole mess of Bugs at once. Your squad isn’t going to last long without one of these combat strategists on the team.

“Together, the three classes are capable of succeeding against the onslaught of Bugs, between the Hunter’s high damage output, the Bastion’s ability to hold the line, and the Operator’s ability to keep the team alive.”

Renn, Starship Troopers: Extermination Designer

Now, once you’re planetside, we’ll be radioing in commands from HQ – these objectives must be completed before you, your squad, heck the whole zone succumbs to overwhelming Bug presence. Coordinate with your Brimstone Company teammates to establish a course of action, assign missions, and stay alive. Troopers are responsible for sourcing and managing the resources required to build and keep their base secure; working in parallel in smaller squads is critical so that no Trooper tackles a situation solo and risks being downed by some nasty Bug mandibles. Should any Trooper fall, each of you has the ability to revive them in the midst of battle to get them back up and in the fight – before they bleed out would be ideal. You’d want the same done for you.

Learn to rely on each other’s abilities and apply them efficiently to the objective or situation and you will make it back. Need to claim a resource point? An Operator attached to a pair of Hunters can keep their damaged partners alive with their drone as they face Bug resistance. While you’re at it, add a Bastion to complete the squad to lay down cover fire from behind their Bug barrier to hold the point and get the team that much closer to victory.

And that’s time, ladies and gentlemen! Get to the dropship, you’ve got a date with the ground below. I want to see teamwork out there, Troopers!

Pyre out.

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