Steel Ronin

The Steel Ronin is a type of Imperial mechanized walker. They were activated following the end of the Third World War.

History
The warriors of the Empire of the Rising Sun are known for their devotion and fury, and when they crashed upon the shores of the Soviet Union, the world reeled in terror. Nevertheless, their Emperor failed to accurately weigh the magnitude of his ambitious plan, and his army's incredible momentum eventually gave way. Yet this did not quell the zeal in the hearts of the Empire's fighting forces. As the hour grew dark for the Empire, a small percentage of Imperial warriors grew uncontrollably agitated, refusing orders to fall back and channeling unspeakable rage into their bloody work. The late Emperor Yoshiro had no tolerance for this, for he insisted on the strict observance of a disciplined warrior code. Thus, punishment came swiftly (and rather uniquely) to those who brazenly disobeyed orders within the Rising Sun military ranks. The rank-and-file who refused or disobeyed orders simply were put to the sword. However, experienced veterans who cracked under pressure or otherwise exhibited unusually violent dispositions met a different fate: They were encased in fearsome-looking DevilCoat suits, which contain elaborate medical systems and biometric regulators designed to leave a man in a barely-conscious vegetative state indefinitely. The accused would carry out life sentences in complete isolation, looming over significant Imperial landmarks like half-dead statues.

As it turns out, this ritualistic punishment was built on an ulterior premise, which may begin to explain the elaborate and doubtlessly expensive process. The DevilCoat suits all are linked to the central command network of Ten-Shi Zaibatsu, the company borne of the Rising Sun's two top military manufacturers. The leaders of this conglomerate could quite literally flip a switch to make each and every DevilCoat suit activate, awakening the men encased inside. Indeed, the DevilCoats are not ceremonial at all—they are fully-functioning assault suits, and the same systems used to keep the men inside in a fugue state can also augment their senses, making them quicker and more powerful than ever before. The DevilCoats were activated after the death of the Emperor Yoshiro, leading many to believe that Ten-Shi Zaibatsu conspired against the Emperor in the creation of these weapons. At any rate, only once the DevilCoats came alive did the men piloting them come to be known as the Steel Ronin. After all, these half-men had no masters—only an impulse to fight the Empire's enemies to the death. Now they threaten whatever fragile sense of peace has come to their nation.

The Steel Ronin appears to be some sort of ornamental guardian, humanoid in shape and bearing a fierce-looking high-tech Naginata spear roughly nine meters in length. Once activated, the true natures of both the glaive and its wielder quickly become apparent. The Steel Ronin's assault suit is a highly-maneuverable, fully-articulated mechanical monstrosity. The human pilot inside is linked to a complex subdermal interface wired directly to the electric impulses coming from his brain, allowing the Steel Ronin to move and react at the speed of thought...faster, even, because of the awareness-heightening properties of the subdermal UI. The DevilSuit itself has a one-to-one locomotion system, such that the pilot's thoughts and actions inside result in corresponding motions by the suit. Thus, pilots are able to make the suit walk or swing its powerful weapon using little more than instinct. As for the weapon, the glaive is powered by a localized wave-force field that can split even the toughest molecular bonds (such as those found in Allied battle tank armor) with little trouble.

Allied tacticians speculate that the Steel Ronin were created in secrecy as an absolute last resort, should the Imperial homeland ever come to harm by opposing forces. As the late Emperor Yoshiro fundamentally rejected the possibility of this outcome, some of his more-pragmatic agents likely collaborated on the initiative without the Emperor's foreknowledge, and executed their plan only after the Emperor's death. The notion of violent criminals having to live out their days inside combat-ready assault suits is unsettling. Yet there is a certain calculated pragmatism behind it, the very same type of idea that likely led to the Empire of the Rising Sun mounting such a crushing and unexpected attack against the Soviet Union in the first place. Even in defeat, it seems the Empire of the Rising Sun will continue fighting to the last.

Steel Ronin count as vehicular units, making them vulnerable to antitank units. This makes it weak to units such as Javelin soldiers, Cryocopters, Tesla troopers, Terror drones, Rocket angels, and advanced defence structures such as the Spectrum tower. Its weapon can only attack surface units in melee range, limiting its role in speciallized anti surface without AA support. Twinblades can airlift captured Steel Ronin. It is best to use it for hit-and-run tactics. Steel Ronin are purely ground units, lacking the versatility that most Empire units possess. They do good damage against enemy vehicles, and poor damage against infantry. They can knock over infantry close to them, however, making them capable of fighting most infantry units one on one. They are still very vulnerable to spread out groups of anti-vehicle infantry. Tesla Troopers work particularly well, as they can simply activate their EM Disruptor ability when a Steel Ronin tries to get close to them, rendering it harmless and leaving it vulnerable to any sort of attack. Steel Ronin are well armored and fast, much like their bigger King Oni counterparts.

Uprising
In the Imperial Campaign, Steel Ronin were activated after the war to defend Emperor Yoshiro's tomb from Soviet attack.

In the Allied Camaign, Imperial Commander Kenji Tenzai used Steel Ronin against the Allied commander in an attempt to defend his HQ in Osaka, as a backup defense after the Allied Commander neutralized the three Nanoswarm Generator EXs protecting his HQ.

Notes from the Field
Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about the Steel Ronin:

• The wave-force glaive -- The Steel Ronin is quite different from other Imperial forces because it specializes in close-quarters battle. This pilot-assisted robot is very effective against enemy armor divisions but first needs to close the distance in order to slash at them with its energy weapon. A single swipe of the wave-force glaive can severely damage multiple enemy forces clustered together.

• Get in line -- The Steel Ronin is not entirely unable to attack at a distance. The wave-force glaive contains an energy reservoir that can be expelled when the weapon's shaft is struck firmly enough against the ground. This sends a searing wave of energy coursing directly ahead of the Steel Ronin, damaging all in its path.

• Fleet-footed -- Although the Steel Ronin is second only to the monstrous King Oni battlewalker in terms of sheer size, it is remarkably quick on its feet. Armor divisions attempting to take advantage of their superior range had best make their first shots count.

• Crowd control -- The Ronin's wave-force glaive is so big that it is ineffective against smaller targets such as infantry squads. Even so, the sheer force of the weapon is likely to topple any men in the vicinity of the attack, leaving them helpless and exposed.

Ready

 * No one stands in my way

Select

 * Steel Ronin!
 * Waiting for the slaughter!
 * Why do we wait?
 * Ready to kill!
 * Bring them to me!
 * They won't touch me!
 * I am here!
 * My blade hungers!

Move

 * Of course!
 * I'm going!
 * I'll save my strength!
 * Is that it?!
 * I don't mind!
 * What? Nobody to kill?
 * I'll be ready!
 * Will this be very long?

Attack

 * One by one!
 * Slice them!
 * More fools!
 * Hah!
 * I'll shred them to splinters!
 * This one dies!
 * Bury them!
 * Now you die!

Ability Use

 * Take them all out!
 * Let them all suffer!
 * Line them up!
 * All in this path!

Attack Move

 * At last!
 * It is time!
 * I'll cut them down!
 * Their blood will stain the earth!
 * Extinguish them!
 * End their pitiful lives!
 * To the slaughter!
 * I'll have their heads!
 * Miserable fools!

In combat

 * This works for me!
 * They have no chance!
 * Too easy!
 * A lack what it takes!
 * More the unworthy!
 * Bring me a challenge!

Under fire

 * How dare they!
 * They've scratched my armor!
 * Argh! They attack me!?
 * They persist!
 * A lucky shot!

Trivia

 * In the first Yuriko level, Steel Ronins are encountered. This is curious, as the level takes place before the war and they were not operational at that time.
 * Concept art suggests that the Steel Ronin design is heavily influenced by the Gunmen mechs from the anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, specifically the main robot Gurren Lagann.
 * If one were to look closely to the Wave Force, it forms Japanese character "Death" (死).