M808B Scorpion Main Battle Tank

File:Scorpio.jpg

A Scorpion

"This here is 66 tons of straight-up, HE-spewin', divine intervention!"

— Avery J. Johnson

The M808B Scorpion Main Battle Tank (abbreviated M808B MBT), commonly shortened to simply the Scorpion or Scorp, is a UNSC tank. It is outfitted with a 90mm high-velocity cannon, a coaxial or pintle-mounted 7.62mm machine gun, and titanium-ceramic armor-plating, and can carry a compliment of five troops: four passengers and one marine who operates the mounted machine gun.

Overview

"Hey, how does 90 millimeters of tungsten strike ya? ""

— Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker

The sturdy M808B Scorpion MBT (MBT: Main Battle Tank) is an armored track vehicle used during planetary combat. It can seat a driver, a gunner and four passengers that sit two on each side.

Its main function is to provide anti-vehicular support. The Scorpion is equipped with two weapon systems. It has a short-to-medium-range coaxial machine gun and an extremely powerful main cannon. While the main cannon can only shoot one round every few seconds, the machine gun has unlimited ammunition and can fire even when the cannon is reloading. The Scorpion's chassis is covered with heavy titanium-ceramic armor plate, making it mostly immune to small-arms fire. However, it is still possible for anti-tank infantry weapons to inflict severe damage on the vehicle, even destroying it.

The Scorpion has a blind spot around it because the turret is mounted far back and elevated on a pedestal. The tank houses an interesting track assembly, made of four bogeys, or tread assemblies, with two on each flank of the vehicle, front-to-back. This makes the Scorpion a rather broad target and presumably easy to spot from the air.

Although it has been said numerous times to be a main battle tank, it seems to have been designed as a lighter armored vehicle. Unlike modern MBTs, which commonly house crews of four or more, it has a small crew of only two, with room for additional passengers on the outside. However, any marines sat on the tread covers of the Scorpion will be vunerable to conventional arms fire, and any explosions that occur near to the tank may kill all outside, whilst crewmembers will be relatively unscathed. Its cannon, a 90mm piece, also appears weak when compared to modern MBT armaments: the M1 Abrams tank, for example, can mount either a 105mm or 120mm cannon. Alternatively, the 90mm cannon could be the "light" variant of the M808, while a 105mm cannon can be mounted for greater offensive power, an incident which has indeed been recorded.

Its light and crew-efficient design could be down to the requirements of a tank to be used by the UNSC Marines as a heavy tank would prove useless in their mobile warfare style and be difficult to drop close to or into combat zones. Marines can sometimes hitch a ride on the sides of the Scorpion, employing small arms to serve as a sort of point-defense system to stave off enemy infantry. The real weakness of the Scorpion is that it is quite slow and, if enemies are too close to the tank, the driver is unable to get a clear shot. It is also difficult to fatally run an enemy over due to the slow acceleration and maximum speed of the Scorpion. As such, the anti-infantry defenses of the tank rely largely on passengers and the coaxial machine gun.

Versions

Halo: Combat Evolved

The Halo: Combat Evolved version features the standard cannon and machine gun found on all Scorpion Tanks. However, the main cannon requires four seconds to reload, leaving the tank highly vulnerable to enemy fire. The main cannon is ineffective at long ranges, due to its rather high shot spread, and the machine gun is unable to reliably hit targets at anywhere outside a few dozen meters. However, the Scorpion tank is fairly fast and maneuverable, (not to mention indestructible). It makes an effective assault transport in Campaign, but it less effective in Multiplayer, as its hatch has been replaced with a roll cage that leaves the driver open to infantry fire, an experienced sniper can eliminate the driver in a single shot.

One feature unique to this version is the ability to ride on one of the four tread covers in multi player. Riding this way is similar to riding in the passenger seat of the Warthog, but leaves riders much more vulnerable. It only appears once in the campaign, on the level Assault on the Control Room.

Another feature is that the shell fired leaves a trail behind it, like that of a sniper rifle. This allows enemies to locate a tank with greater ease, and for a driver to self assess his or her shots.

Halo 2

File:Scorpion-1.jpg

A render of the Scorpion from Halo 2.

The Scorpion Tank had a massive overhaul in Halo 2. The most noticeable differences are the way the tank drives, the slightly downgraded main cannon, and the removal of the antennas. Instead of driving in the direction the turret is facing, the body and the turret are controlled independently by the left and right thumb stick, respectively. This means that you are able to drive in one direction and shoot in another. The main cannon's reload time has been noticeably shortened and the machine gun is now much more accurate. However, the Scorpion's speed has been reduced to balance game play.

The option to ride on the tread covers has been removed in Halo 2. However, you can still stand on the tread covers in front of the cannon. It could be a good transport and if the tank is hijacked, the one standing on it can get it back for their team. AI characters, such as Marines, can still sit and ride on the canopy, however. As the roll cage has been exchanged for a hatch, the tank is impervious to sniper rifle fire in Halo 2 when it is not damaged, but if the canopy takes enough damage, it will fall off, exposing the driver's head.

During the Halo 2 Campaign, the first level you get to operate a Scorpion tank is on Metropolis, where Sergeant Johnson drops off the tank to go over the bridge. Unlike Halo: Combat Evolved, the Scorpion is available in three levels, Metropolis, Delta Halo, and Quarantine Zone. AI players may now pilot the tank. However, just like the player and the Wraith's plasma cannons, AI players cannot use the machine gun on the Scorpion. Only player-controlled characters can use the guns, for example, the Master Chief, the Arbiter, Elite-modeled players in multi player, etc.

Halo 3

File:Marine Scorpion at Installation 00.JPG

Scorpion in Halo 3

File:Snow Scorpion.jpg

Scorpion MBT in full snow camouflage.

The Halo 3 era Scorpion Tank's controls are the same as Halo 2, with one exception: control of the machine gun has been taken away from the driver, who must now have a passenger to man the gun. The speed of the vehicle has been adjusted so that it is about as fast as its first iteration in Halo, but its acceleration is far inferior, taking two or three seconds to get up to full speed.

In Halo 3, the Scorpion's main gun was confirmed to use a tungsten-based projectile. Tungsten is a very dense metal that is extremely resistant to physical impact and heat. It is also very heavy, and these factors make it ideal for use in a cannon. A muzzle brake was also added to the barrel of the gun, which is a device that diverts excess muzzle blast sideways reducing recoil of the gun. A similar piece of equipment on an infantry-sized weapon can be seen on the barrel of the SRS-99 Sniper Rifle Series. The main gun also has a fair amount of recoil, pushing the tank backwards slightly with each shot.

Like the new Wraith, the Scorpion has a secondary position for the turret gunner. The turret makes boarding much harder, but the gunner is highly exposed to enemy fire. Appearance wise, the Scorpion has more detail and the antennas have returned. The tank is drivable in the levels The Ark and The Covenant. However, due to balance problems, the Scorpion does not appear by default in any Halo 3 multiplayer maps, and can only appear in multiplayer in a forged map. However, this changed with the introduction of the map Avalanche, where certain gametypes will now spawn a Scorpion tank in Matchmaking.

Another thing that is in the Halo 3 version is the trajectory of the shots from the main cannon, the shots will fall over long distances, and so the pilot has to adjust his angle to account for the trajectory.

All other weapons manufactured for the UNSC eject their empty shell casings, however the main turret on this tank stores them in a chamber under the rear wheel base. Some of the engines' power is used to crush the casings so that the metal may be reused for future shells. It was decided to do this for two reasons;

• They are very expenive rounds (our equivelent of ($326,538 US) and as the war has continued the raw materials have become rarer.
• In the close combat role the empty casings ejected from tank have been known to hit soldiers causing serious injury as impact and burn wounds.

This extra consuption of power however, has been directly linked to the top speed -or lack there of. Other new versions of the casings are being designed which are both lighter and will burn away in the initial blast but this may be some time off final development. The weight saving will dramatically increase the high end speed of the tank.

Countermeasures

The Turretless version of the Scorpion has neither a primary turret or a secondary machine gun turret.

• Firing a Rocket Launcher or a Fuel Rod Cannon at the Scorpion generally inflicts damage or kills the driver.
• The Spartan Laser is very effective, destroying the tank in a single shot, but the slow charging time of the laser may open the wielder to the lethal fire of the tank's main gun.
• If you have a sniper rifle, it may be effective to snipe the driver or the gunner. The gunner is in a very exposed position and makes an easy target. The driver is impossible to kill unless the tank has been damaged sufficiently for its canopy to fall off.
• In Halo: CE where the driver is exposed, it is possible to eliminate the driver with a single shot from the sniper rifle. But a player must be very sure that they can do one of the following: hit and kill the driver, that they are too far away to be effectively attacked, switch to heavy weapon or throw grenades, or have some cover. Otherwise if a player missis and is in the open, this tactic is suicidal.
• Boarding the tank is quite effective, especially if the boarder plants a grenade inside the vehicle's housing. This tactic will almost invariably kill the driver, but the boarder must be careful that the coaxial gun does not kill him as he boards.
• Another tank or anti-tank vehicle is usually the most efficient method of stopping a Scorpion. The Wraith's high accuracy and speed make it ideal for this task. The Gauss Warthog is also quite effective, as long as the driver takes care to avoid the main gun. The Hornet's missiles can easily destroy the tank, but its slow speed and lack of maneuverability make such an undertaking risky, if not suicidal.
• Using a Power Drain or a plasma pistol on overcharge will temporarily disable the movement of the tank and will greatly weaken its driver. While the tank's weaponry will still be functional, it will be unable to move and can be easily boarded.
• Although risky, it is possible to take out a tank using two plasma grenades in Halo: Combat Evolved/Halo PC, as they are significantly stronger than in Halo 2/Halo 3. This tactic is especially useful if you have unlimited grenades. In the sequels, this is no longer widely possible.

Multiplayer Use

The Scorpion, being one of the most powerful vehicles in multiplayer, is used mainly for large assaults and infantry cover as other players can hide behind it. A popular tactic in multiplayer is to use a sniper in conjunction with the tank to spot out targets that the tank can't see. Then, the tank bombards said targets acting as a sort of "mobile artillery". It is often used as a "flag transport"—a player who has taken the enemy's flag may board a passenger seat and rely on the tank's high firepower to see him safely back to his own base.

Character Compatibility

• Spartans
• Elites (Halo 2 and 3. Can only can ride as passengers in Halo 3)
• Flood Combat Form (Halo 2)
• Marines (can ride as passengers, but can also drive in Halo 2 and Halo 3)

Halo Wars Stats

• Air Damage: 22
• Vehicle Damage: 93
• Infantry Damage: 40
• Structure Damage: 51
• Defense: 34

Known Scorpion Tanks

• 12-9F5
• 957-A3
• UE8-14
• TB-SB-1
• HJ3-213

Trivia

File:Scorpionturret.jpg

• On the turret of the tank, there is an image of a scorpion. In Halo 3, an image of a scorpion lies on the front bogies.
• On the backside of the Turret, there are three pipes that look like the number 117, the Master Chief's designation.
• In Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, the Scorpion Tank is specifically cited in the manuals for each respective game as firing 90mm HE shells. Halo: The Flood claims that there are variants that fire 105mm shells.
• Underneath the turret of the Scorpion, there is a Jack-O-Lantern drawn in blood. This can be found by destroying the turret, then standing on the upside-down turret.
• The Scorpion tank resembles an actual Scorpion with the front bogies being the pincers, the rear bogies being the legs and the cannon being the tail and its stinger. However, this may refer to the FV101 Scorpion Light Tank used by the British Army in 1973. Ironically, the real-life British Scorpion tank is a light tank, compared to the Halo Scorpion heavy tank.
• In Red vs. Blue, the AI Sheila operated a Scorpion tank.
• In Halo: Combat Evolved, the Scorpion tank cannon was a solid object, while in Halo 2 and Halo 3 the player will fall through if they try to walk on the barrel.
• In Halo 2 if you enter the Scorpion but move the control stick up the Scorpion will still move forward even though your character is not technically in the tank.
• The Legendary Map Pack features the map Avalanche, a remake of the classic Sidewinder. For the remake the M808 is adorned in full snow camouflage, along with all other UNSC vehicles. Avalanche is the first Halo 3 multiplayer map to feature a scoprion tank by default. The maps are slated to be released April 15.
• In Halo 3, players can actually see that the usual machine gun that was situated besides the main cannon is removed forcibly, as wires still protrude from the housing.
• Almost all of the UNSC heavy vehicles have the same double-bogie track design.
• It is possible to do the turretless vehicle trick in a scorpion. It is not possible to then attach another weapon though and still be able to drive, for some reason it automatically applies the parking brake.

Related Articles

• Wraith - The Covenant equivalent of the Scorpion MBT
• Rhino - The UNSC's Self-Propelled Artillery Vehicle or Heavy Tank