Anti-Insectoid Mantis

Pilot: Amanda West

Copilot: Charles Namdlo

Capacity: 2 people

Armaments: 4 Light Rockets, 4 Machineguns, 4 Medium Lasers, 6 Light Lasers, 2 Energy Blades, 1 Tractor Beam

Top Running Speed: 45 mph

Extra Information: The AAV-AI2 Praying Mantis is the second land-only Anti-Insectoid vehicle. Its legs are light yet strong, and number only four instead of the usual (six) or the extreme (eight), allowing it to have a decent top speed of forty-five miles an hour. The pilot of the Mantis, Amanda West, is an extraordinary driver. She is Leo Thompson's brother, and was also an officer of the Exploriens during the Civil War between the Unitrons and Exploriens. She was third-in-command of all the Unitrons, behind her brother Leo and father, Richard, leader of the Exploriens. That was before she fell in love with a renegade bounty hunter, Jack West, the man who was later appointed leader of the Anti-Insectoids. Only recently have the famous pair been called back to war. Since Jack enjoys flight more than fighting on the ground, though, her copilot is an old veteran named Charles Namdlo. He was a High General of the Ice Planet pioneers who moved back to earth when, according to him, "The cold got to me bones." Despite his age, he is a good pilot and an excellent gunner. He sits in the abdomen of the Mantis, which can detach and hover as a separate, and much faster, vehicle. The head can also separate in case of emergencies, and fly away. The Mantis can grip vehicles and crush them while burning them with special energy emitters in its claw arms. It can also chop up infantry with the energy blades on the tips of its arms. If it weren't for the fact that its legs lack sufficient armor and its pilot sits too high to see well, it would probably be more feared than the Scorpion.

The abdomen and head detach from the body to become separate vehicles in case of emergencies. These vehicles are lightly armed but much faster.

The undersides of the Mantis's arms are lined with electrical shocking devices that can overload captured vehicles and electrocute captured Insectoid pilots and infantry.

The arms are not only lined with burning energy emitters, but also tipped with deadly energy blades. The only thing infantry and ground vehicle pilots of the Insectoid forces fear more than these blades is the Scorpion's crushing claw.

Here is an example of the classic "praying" praying mantis position, from which the insect gets its name. This is how the vehicle sits when idle.

Here's another shot of it in the praying position, awaiting orders...

Between the jaws of the mantis is a tractor beam. This can be used to pull Insectoid power cores up into the jaws' grasp.

And, lastly, here's a shot of the pilots in their respective cockpits.