“Give me soldiers who can think and I will give you victory.”

Concept art by Anthony O’Donnell

Cpl Maria Perez lay flat at the top of the bluff and peered down through the early morning mist at the target building. From their vantage point, Perez and her fellow Coyotes had a clear view of the former school that UNM intel revealed to be a forward operating base for the Cult of the Dragon. They had observed the structure for twelve hours now and, although they had not witnessed any movement or signs of life, Perez noticed that the walls were pockmarked with the signs of a recent firefight. The Ether readings from the nearby village were also off the chart, so she knew that this was exactly the sort of location that she would expect to find the Cultists lurking.

“All units, ready up”, Perez ordered over the closed loop comms system, and was aware of dozens of hidden bodies rising to their knees, ready to move on her command. “Sharp eyes, CATs, it’s gonna be pretty tight in there. I want everyone in, two by two, standard CQC. If these Cultists really are here, you know what to do. Weapons ready, let’s move”.

The CATs fell immediately into their well drilled formation and made their way quickly down the hillside, weapons pointed at the school’s main exits, their eyes darting from window to window as the building filled their field of vision. Halfway through the 300m sprint, there was still no movement in front of them as they fanned out and slowed to a quick march. As they drew to within throwing distance of the front wall, the silence of the previous minute was broken by the shattering of glass as a dozen tattooed and snarling Acolytes burst through the first floor windows and hit the ground running full speed towards them.

Perez grinned to herself as she dropped to one knee and fired a burst through the chest of the leading cultist; “All units, weapons free! Let’s send these bastards back to school”.

Sculpting by Seth Nash

Coyote Assault Troopers (CATs) are an amalgamation of U.S. Marines, Canadian Army Rangers, and Russian Rifle Troops. They are the work-horses of the UNM military, moving into previously-scouted areas in large numbers and with well-drilled effectiveness. They move mainly on foot, covering ground quickly, and are experts at finding and holding strategically important points on the battlefield.

CATs are lightly armoured and, due to the effectiveness of their lightweight composite armor, they have a great balance of defensive strength and maneuverability. They carry mid-range automatic, projectile-based weaponry – mainly assault rifles – which can project a solid offensive force whilst maintaining flexibility. In addition they all carry a machine pistol sidearm and a trauma pack. Whilst all CATs are bio-engineered, they have few visible augmentations. Reflecting the overall ideology of the UNM, most advanced or Ether-based technology tends to be worn or man-portable.