Editing M650 Mastodon

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Vehicle infobox
|name=M650 Mastodon
|image=[[File:HW2 Mastodon.png|300px]]
|manufacturer=[[Misriah Armory]]{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=143}}
|line=
|model=
|cost=
|length={{Convert|33.5|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|width={{Convert|19.7|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|height={{Convert|16.4|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|mass={{Convert|36.2|MT}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|max speed=
|engine=
|hull=
|armament=
*1 [[M41 Vulcan]] chaingun {{C|standard}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Game|Id=PL|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=Mastodon}}
*Varies {{C|See [[#Armaments|armaments]]}}
|crew=2 operators{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|complement=20 troops{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|consumables=
|othersystems=
|firstuse=
|service=[[Post-Covenant War conflicts]]{{Ref/Reuse|CFKnowScope}}{{Ref/Reuse|PL}}
|role=[[Wikipedia:Armored personnel carrier|Armored personnel carrier]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|affiliation=[[UNSC Army]]{{Ref/Reuse|CFKnowScope}}{{Ref/Reuse|PL}}
}}
{{Quote|Fuel tanks check, Marines check.|A Mastodon pilot during the Banished occupation of Installation 00{{Ref/Game|Id=HW2|HW2|Mastodon in-game unit}}}}

The '''M650 Armored Personnel Carrier''' ('''APC'''), commonly known as the '''Mastodon''', is an armored personnel carrier of the [[United Nations Space Command]], primarily utilized by the [[UNSC Army]] and colonial defense forces.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFKnowScope|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/know-scope|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Know-Scope|D=30|M=07|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

==Overview==
===Design details===
The Mastodon is heavily-armoured and considered the cutting edge of expeditionary and troop transportation, though is lightly-armed. The vehicle is comprised of a heavily-armoured and bulky main chassis with a large interior compartment capable of holding up to twenty infantry, including even heavy infantry such as [[Spartan]]s in [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|CFKnowScope}}{{Ref/Reuse|PL}} The interior compartments see the crew cockpit in the fore of the vehicle, nestled above the drive containing the forward two pairs of wheels. The vehicle's driver is situated in the front, facing forward, with storage lockers mounted on either side of them. Behind the driver is the vehicle's joint commander-gunner, who is seated facing toward the vehicle's rear with their back to the driver. The commander-gunner can operate the vehicle's sole turret via a remote weapon link.{{Ref/Generic|Id=Schematic|[[:File:HW2 Mastodon Interior Concept.jpg|Mastodon interior schematics]]}}

Inside the main bay of the Mastodon are a total of twelve seats, six in the vehicle's rear and four in the middle, with a further two fold-down chairs, and space for a further eight standing personnel.The chairs are evenly dispersed on the vehicle's port and starboard sides, and are situated next to the Mastodon's firing ports to allow the infantry inside to shoot out of the vehicle and assist in its defence. The aft of the vehicle contains the remotely-operated mount for the turret, alongside three exterior hatches that allow for a rapid disembarking of the infantry inside - with one on the back, and one on the port/starboard sides.{{Ref/Reuse|Schematic}}

The Mastodon is served with six extremely large wheels, resulting in the vehicle being easily able to navigate cluttered battlefields. They are considered extremely fast and manoeuvrable vehicles for their size, though their overall lack of agility combined with their sheer size makes them difficult to deploy. As such, they are not as common sights on the battlefield as as the far-less protected [[M831 Troop Transport Warthog]] or [[M15 Razorback]].{{Ref/Reuse|CFKnowScope}}{{Ref/Reuse|PL}}

===Armaments===
By default, Mastodons are equipped with a single [[M41 Vulcan]] in a remotely operated weapon station.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|PL}} However, they are compatible with all standard weapons of that mounting style shared with the [[Warthog]] platform, thus enabling them to employ other Vulcan models such as the [[M46 Vulcan|M46]] or [[M49 Vulcan|M49]], Gauss cannons such as the [[M68 Gauss cannon]] or rocket/missile turrets akin to the [[M39 rocket turret|M39]] and [[M79 rocket launcher|M79]].{{Ref/Reuse|Schematic}} This means that the Mastodon only carries a single relatively light armament, when compared to its contemporaries such as the [[M35 Cougar]]. Rather than relying on the single turret as the main source of firepower, the Mastodon's primary offensive utility instead comes from the troops it can carry. Passengers can fire their weapons through the APC's firing ports.{{Ref/Reuse|PL}}

==Operational history==
{{Quote|Frontline express let's go.|A Mastodon pilot on Installation 00{{Ref/Reuse|HW2}}}}
M650 Mastodon APCs have historically been the preferred frontrunners of the [[UNSC Army]] and various [[Human colonies|colonial]] defence forces, considered the cutting-edge in expeditionary transport capability.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|CFKnowScope}}

During the [[Second Ark Conflict|conflict]] on [[Installation 00]] between the [[Banished]] and the crew of {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}, [[Jerome-092]] sought to initiate the production of Mastodons to minimize infantry casualties, as troops were in short supply and reinforcements were unlikely.{{Ref/Reuse|CFKnowScope}} At least one Mastodon was present at [[Fort Jordan (location)|Fort Jordan]], and served to provide transport for a small group of marines, [[ODST]]s and a [[Hellbringer]] following the base's destruction by the [[Jiralhanae Warlord|Warlord]] [[Ristyx]].{{Ref/Game|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=Fort Jordan}}

==Gameplay==
===''Halo Wars 2''===
*'''Info:''' Mobile Garrison, Can carry infantry, The infantry being transported provide supporting fire, Equipped with light machine gun
*'''Tier:''' 1
*'''Cost''': {{HW2Pop|3}}, {{HW2Supplies|250}}, {{HW2Power|75}}
'''Mastodon Upgrade: Infantry Capacity'''
*'''Info:''' Increases unit capacity from 3 infantry squads to 4.
*'''Tier:''' 3
*'''Cost''': {{HW2Supplies|0}}, {{HW2Power|700}}
Mastodons are exclusive to [[Jerome-092]] and can be made at the [[Firebase]] once the leader power has unlocked them. They perform okay against infantry but poorly against vehicles, aircraft, and structures. Due to their low offensive power, Mastodons benefit greatly from a complement of Marines. The survivability of the infantry depended on their remaining health when they were on board Mastodon. If the Mastodon is destroyed with the passengers in full health, they will survive and take damage. But, if the Mastodon is destroyed with a heavily wounded infantry, the infantry will also be killed. With proper upgrades from Marines, the Mastodon can become one of the most effective all-rounder units on the battlefield. In [[Blitz]], Mastodons cost 60 energy.
====Phoenix Log====
{| class="wikitable": style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; width: 45%"
|+ '''[[Phoenix Logs|Phoenix Log]] - Mastodon'''
|-
|{{:Phoenix Logs/UNSC Units/Mastodon}}
|}

==Trivia==
*Following the UNSC tradition of naming ground vehicles after animals the M650 is named after the [[Wikipedia:Mastodon|Mastodon]], an extinct relative to the Elephant.
*The Mastodon is seemingly based on the cut [[Cougar]] from ''[[Halo Wars]]'', and the [[Kodiak (APC)|Kodiak]] from ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.

==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of M650 Mastodons}}
<gallery>
File:HW2 - Mastodon design.jpg|Concept art of the Mastodon featuring Cyclops sitting on the vehicle for ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
File:HW2 - Mastodon design (white).jpg|Mastodon in comparison to a M12B Warthog.
File:HW2 Mastodon Interior Concept.jpg|Concept art of the Mastodon's interior layout.
File:HW2-Mastodonmodels.jpg|Early models of the Mastodon for ''Halo Wars 2''.
File:HW2-Mastodonmodel.jpg|Model of the Mastodon.
File:HW2-Mastodontop.jpg|Top view of the Mastodon.
File:HW2-M650.png|An M650 Mastodon on Installation 00 in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
File:HW2-Jerome&Mastodons.png|Jerome-092 leads two Mastodons.
File:HW2-OmegaTeamMastodon.png|[[Omega Team]] in a Mastodon.
File:HW2-MastodonsvsOutpost.png|A group of Mastodons attack a Banished [[Banished outpost]].
File:HW2-BlitzMastodon.jpg|Blitz card art
File:HW2 Mastodon Unused Camo.jpg|Unused camo skin for the Mastodon. 
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human vehicles}}