Usonia's standard infantry armed with semi-automatic rifles. Effective against other infantry
"I didn't sign up for this!" ― retreating Volunteer
Volunteers (or Paratroopers if summoned by airdrop) are basic infantry units trained by Usonia. They are armed with state-of-the-art automatic rifles and form the core of the Usonian army.
General Description[]
Wherever the good fight is being fought, these enthusiastic and proud sons of the Union are always standing ready. Coming from many walks of life from industry to farming communities to even wealthy families, they take up arms to defend their country and its interests. They wear steel helmets, dress in khaki combat fatigues with a harness for carrying ammunition, brown leather flak vests, white breeches, and leather boots.
Armed with semi-automatic rifles, they fit somewhere between Polania's Riflemen and Saxonia's Stormtrooper units. They do not have the range of Riflemen or the damage and firerate of Stormtroopers, but can outrange the latter and have a better damage output over time than the former. Usonian Volunteers also arrive as Paratroopers when the paradrop bunkers trigger their beacon or if airdropped on the position of the M-8 "Attucks" artillery mech. With the ability to instantly produce these infantry at the front line (for a cost) the Union can more rapidly replenish infantry where they are needed than other factions to keep up the offensive.
Like all standard infantry, they fall short against even light armored mech units, machine guns, flamethrowers, and static defenses. Calling in Paratroopers can also be less cost effective than producing them at a barracks, so saving this ability for when it is needed is recommended. Use their speed and decent range to hide just behind armor to quickly gun down opposing soft targets and capture objectives.
In the multiplayer, Usonia can deploy paratroopers. They are specialized Volunteers who wear parachutes and they can be deployed anywhere on the map even the areas covered by the fog of war. Unlike normal Volunteers the paratroopers requires 300 iron and 35 oil to produce.
Trivia[]
- Their weapon appears to be a visual mix of two iconic American weapons: the barrel, gas block, and overall size of the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle and a receiver somewhat similar to that of the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), although it is more simplistic, boxy, and primitive looking than either. The latter weapon saw limited service in the first World War from 1918 onwards while both saw extensive use in the Second World War.
- This parallels the United States being the first major military power to field semi-auto rifles with full-power rifle cartridges, also called "battle rifles."
- Despite having what looks to be a detachable box magazine like the BAR, the in-game reloading animation shows that it reloads into the top of the receiver likely via stripper clips like the Garand's bolt action predecessor, the M1903 Springfield.
- Their uniform consists of what appears to be a Model 1917 Brodie steel helmet with a chin strap, a khaki wool coat, a combat harness and backpack similar to Pattern 1910 Infantry Equipment, as well as breeches. This fairly closely resembles uniforms of actual American troops fielded in WWI.
- The majority of Brodies were actually procured from the British Empire due to issues with attempts by the United States Army to manufacture their own.
- Unlike other standard infantry, their shoulders seem to bear rank insignias.
- The term Volunteer gives hint to the fact that the Usonian military is (for now) not implementing a draft, an act which the real world United States was always hesitant to implement in several conflicts, though the voice work from several units also implies women are allowed to serve in non-infantry roles and Usonian medics and artwork show African American soldiers, which may have helped contribute greater numbers.
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