| Champion | |
| |
| Faction |  Order of the Talon
|
| Unit Type | Infantry |
| Designation | Anti-Infantry/Anti-Vehicle |
| Prerequisites | Temple |
| Secondary Ability | Thermobaric Jet Jump Sends enemies flying on impact |
| Cost | Unknown |
| Production Time | Unknown |
| Veterancy Upgrade(s) | • Shield-hand pistol (vet) • Increased speed and decreased ability cooldown after kill (elt)) • Unit now reduced all damage at a certain distance (her) • 2 second invulnerability and stuns surrounding enemies after kill (div) |
| Dev. Status | Conceptual |
| Country of Origin | File:Vaticanthumb.gif Vatican City |
| Trained at | Saint Peter's Bastion |
| Key Features | » Sword and shield » Suit of Talon Steel armour » Clockwork load-bearing frame » Thermobaric jump pack » Rosary beads |
"Our blades protect the innocent."
- - Motto of the Templar Champions
Tactical Analysis[]
- In Shining Armour: One should not be fooled by appearances; while seemingly outmoded, a Champion's Talon Steel plate armour and heavy shield allows him to weather staggering amounts of enemy fire, using this to shield friendly forces or close within weapon range.
- The Swordsman: Champions are equally anachronistic when it comes to their choice of weaponry, employing their heated broadswords to cleave apart infantry and vehicles in close combat.
- Weight of the Angels: Additionally, the Champion wears a thermobaric jetpack that he can use to hurl himself forward, allowing him to quickly close the distance with his target, while also sending enemies near the area of impact sprawling backwards.
- Anachronism: However, the Champion is limited by his slow speed and the fact that, when it's all said and done, he's still a bringing a sword to a gunfight.
Background[]
Generally, the Knights Templar, and the Order as a whole, frowns upon mindless killing. In the Knights Templar, sound tactical acumen might get a knight promoted; making a quick decision that stops or impedes a Cult plot will usually earn one a commendation or promotion. However, simple combat prowess will not get one promoted, generally. A lust for carnage will not. While a dead Cultist is always a good thing, sometimes a live Cultist is preferable. There are times when killing is appropriate, but all too often, simply trying to kill as many enemies as possible without considering the consequences will play right into the Cult's hands.
However, the Knights Templar also realise the value of those who can kill many cultists in battle. For those who show remarkable combat prowess, there are the ranks of the Templar Champions. They are recognised and decorated for their skill, given a special place in the order of battle, and deployed whenever the Talon want a great many people dead.
Once a potential Champion has proved themselves in battle, they must serve his time as a guardian of Saint Peter's Bastion in the Vatican. There, he learns the ancient lore and arts of his order; history, theology, military strategy and tactics, swordsmanship, and modern weapons and combat, as well as intensive physical training to build up his strength and agility. This training process is also seen as an attempt to temper the bloodlust of some of these men, so that they will be more disciplined, less likely to inadvertently assist the Cult in their attempts to destroy it. He is also expected to be ready to defend the city and the Pope at all costs. After two years, he graduates as a full fledged Champion, and is ready to take to the field and fight the Crusade for the Order.
While other members of the Knights Templar fight with more or less modern weaponry, the Champion fights with an old fashioned sword and shield. While this might seem out of place on a battlefield that has been dominated for over two hundred years by gunpowder weapons, the incredible durability of the Champion's Talon Steel armour and heavy shield means that bullets simply bounce off him. Indeed, Champions are able to take advantage of their heavy protection to shield more vulnerable Talon forces in battle, who can then retaliate with more modern weapons.
This does not mean that all of a Champion's equipment is medieval. Like other members of the Knights Templar, the Champion wears a thermobaric jump pack. Unlike other Templars, Champions are not trained to use these to escape danger, but rather to hurl themselves at the enemy, using their jump packs to rapidly close within sword range and crush anyone they happen to land on.
