XM-1 Copperhead Breakdown

The flag-bearer for the Anvil concept, the XM-1 Copperhead started out as a fairly ramshackle machine made of whatever the underfunded engineering department of FARCOM could find. Many of the XM-1's components are borrowed from other combat vehicles and pounded into a functional form. The internal drive mechanisms were derived from lunar construction vehicles, pivotal technology dubiously capable of working in Earth's gravity. Despite the relatively primitive design, this arrangement was promising enough to merit further development in the eyes of Army brass. The theory was that these vehicles could serve as a flexible fire support platform for infantry and other mechanized assets, being very flexible while low on personnel requirements. An initial production run of two dozen units was authorized in the early nineties, with the first batch being assigned to a stable of test pilots at Laguna Proving Grounds. Rigorous testing improved the XM-1's quality and after a successful deployment during Operation JUST CAUSE, the XM-1 was approved for full rate production. Test and field data shaped the first XM-1 production models, known as Copperheads.

Not all Copperheads are quite the same; multiple factories turned this new Anvil out in great numbers, both domestically and overseas. Field upgrades, production changes, and compatibility with other Anvils kept the Copperhead relevant even long after the end of their state service.

In the Copperhead’s initial deployment alongside conventional Army forces, it was designed to work as a flexible Separate Tank Battalion, with assets allocated at the company level to support the mission. The ability to counter expected and unexpected threats on the fly by reconfiguring the Anvil’s weaponry and chassis served very well in JUST CAUSE. Such modularity became especially popular with logistics planners due to the lower personnel requirements onshore. This integrated style of deployment formed the basis of Anvil doctrine up until The Fall, whereupon organized military maneuvers became the exception rather than the norm. The chaos resulting from The Fall gave the Copperhead (and its Soviet and European cousins) an excellent chance to prove itself as a capable, independent weapons system. Copperheads and their alternate configurations proved quite popular with mercenary groups, forming the core of combat power for many such organizations in addition to their popularity with state-aligned security forces.

Retroactively the earliest generation of Anvils has been dubbed "Generation 0." This 0th iteration of the Anvil has formed the bedrock on which all future Anvil programs are constructed. The XM-1 Copperhead will be one of the primary trio of Anvils in the initial release of METALLURGENT. In-game, the Copperhead boasts solid resistance to Kinetic Energy damage, one of the three damage types, and while it can operate weaponry from all 3 technological bases it comes stock with emphasis on guided weaponry and rapid-fire autocannons. It has decent speed and a wide range of mobility bases to choose from natively. The Copperhead proves to be the gold standard against which all other Anvils are measured.