HRUNTING Mark III (B) Exoskeleton

Cyclops "One of the new units that was revealed in the recent GamePro feature on Halo Wars was the UNSC Cyclops. People who’ve played our games may remember Age of Mythology, which allowed players to use the mythological Cyclops unit. The unit name is a nod to that game, and the fun we had with that unit. The GamePro article described the Cyclops in Halo Wars as a “gigantic bipedal mech”, which is something of a hyperbole. This naturally brought on nightmare-ish imagery to some Halo fans of a MechWarrior style machine of war with missile and guns on it. That’s really not the case. The idea of the Cyclops is simply a re-purposed piece of equipment. It’s not a giant fighting machine, it’s not actually not much larger than your average Spartan, and certainly smaller than something like a Scorpion. These mechanical suits house a man who operates it, and they would normally be put to work moving around supplies, ammunition, or doing the heavy lifting on construction projects. When the Covenant come knocking though, you’ve got to fend them off with whatever you have at your disposal, including these awkward looking things. We don’t feel that a guy in a mechanical suit (Spartan anyone? Mark I?) is a big stretch for the UNSC."

- Thunder, from halowars.com

The Cyclops is a bipedal exoskeleton used by the UNSC Marine Corps during at least the early years of the Human-Covenant War. While it was originally intended for logistical purposes, such as heavy lifting, it was repurposed for combat against the Covenant.

In combat, the Cyclops deals heavy melee damage, using its powerful arms, once used to carry heavy machinery and equipment, to deal devastating blows against enemy units and structures. It also possesses the ability to tear apart a destroyed vehicle and throw the pieces further at other units or structures, for additional damage. When using the cyclops special weapon on an infantry unit it will pick up the last one a live and repeatedly punch it. In addition, the Cyclops can repair nearby vehicles. The Cyclops is available only if Sgt. John Forge is the leader. Has two upgrades: "Repair Kit", which allows the Cyclops to repair buildings and mechanized units, and "High-Torque Joint" which improves its movement speed.

UNSC evaluations show that the Cyclops performs well in combat, and that the learning curve for pilots is low. While Spartans are technically superior units, possessing weaponry and the ability to capture enemy vehicles for their own use, the lower cost to build the Cyclops exoskeleton and to train its pilots tip the scales in her favor. Marines also feel more at ease among Cyclops pilots than when around Spartans.

Development
Originally, Ensemble had designed the unit as a canon-accurate MJOLNIR Mark I suit, but deemed it too similar to the Spartans to easily distinguish. The Cyclops was therefore rebuilt from the ground-up as a unique unit, both larger and bulkier than the MJOLNIR Mark IV the Spartans wear. During at least one point in development the Cyclops lacked the reflective visor, instead having only a bare crash cage over the wearer.

Initially, fan reaction to the unit was poor, regarding it as an unrealistic "mech" addition. Over time, acceptance of the unit has not changed, and the fanbase is still polarized as to the legitimacy of the Cyclops.

The Halo Wars Cyclops is based on the Cyclops unit from Ensemble game Age of Mythology, an actual Cyclops, which was similarly a large unit that dealt heavy melee damage. Even their alternate attacks are similar - when its bar has charged, the AoM Cyclops will lift a nearby infantry unit and hurl it at the enemy forces for additional damage. Pressing Y on the Halo Wars Cyclops will allow it to tear a vehicle apart, and hurl the chunks at enemy forces in a similar manner.

Trivia

 * To date, the Cyclops is, along with the Gremlin, the only UNSC ground vehicle named after a mythological creature, unlike other vehicles which are usually named after real animals and creatures.
 * The function and ad hoc battle use of the Cyclops resembles the power loader used by the character Ellen Ripley, in the finale of the science fiction movie Aliens.
 * The Cyclops design changed drastically during the game's development: its helmet was once similar to that of the MJOLNIR EVA and SPI armor and its body was bulkier and shorter.
 * It seems to be about more or less the same size as the Covenant Hunter; however, it is closer to the Covenant Locust in purpose as an anti-building unit. It also can serve a purpose similar to the Covenant Huragok, as it can repair vehicles.
 * The Cyclops voice seems to have more of a Australian accent.
 * Possibly seen during the Fall of Reach; used by the instructors to counteract the Spartans abilities after their upgrades.