An Atlas class Titan with its Pilot.
Titans are mech-style robots, descended from modern-day fledgling military exoskeletons, designed for both civilian and military applications. They serve as an important element in the universe of Titanfall, even being the namesake for the series.
Overview[]
Titans are used for a variety of tasks throughout the Titanfall Universe. Unarmed variants, such as the Journeyman, can be fielded in a variety of roles such as agriculture, logistics, shipping and salvage, deep space search and rescue, cargo transport and construction.[1][2] The Reserve models of the Atlas, Ogre and Stryder additionally appear to be civilian model Titans fitted with improvised equipment, while the "Emergency Responder" Warpaint implies that the Scorch-class Titan may have some use in Firefighting roles, due to its fire-resistant plating.
However, the chief application for the Titan platform and the role that made it famous is that of combat, providing heavy fire support equivalent to that found on a main battle tank.
Deployment[]
Schematics for the Atlas
| “ | Stand by for Titanfall.
— A common saying for Titan deployments
|
” |
Most Titans are typically deployed into battle via the process of a "Titanfall". This involves the Titan being launched out of a starship hangar bay at hyper-sonic velocities in a manner similar to a Drop Pod. This deployment method is extremely precise and allows the Titan to arrive on the ground in under a minute.
While on a starship, Titans are constructed on-site from parts on the ship before being ready to drop. This process can take under five minutes to assemble the Titan from pre-existing parts.
Once a battle is concluded, the IMC is known to utilise the Widow transport craft to help transport Titans back into orbit, ready for re-deployment.
Pilots[]
Full article: Pilot
It requires extensive training to effectively operate a Titan, especially in combat. Titan Pilots are rated by "certifications", most of which apply to civilian applications. The most prestigious certification is the Full Combat Certification - a widely-published series of tests that grade a Titan Pilot's abilities. Because of the extreme physical and mental challenges of mastering both Titan combat and dismounted parkour movement, a fully combat certified Titan Pilot is a rare find, and the combat skills of active Pilots in the field varies wildly throughout The Frontier. Pilots are also known to become very attached to their Titans, for instance, Jack Cooper and BT-7274, as they both rely upon each other to fight and survive effectively. It is also not uncommon for Pilots to personalise their Titan chassis with Nose Art, Paint Jobs and Insignias alongside custom modifications and equipment. Despite this, the IMC considers its Titans and Pilots to be interchangeable and disposable where the Militia views each of its new Vanguard Pilot-Titan units as a long-term investment. As a result, an experienced Vanguard Titan-Pilot team is far more flexible and deadlier than any single IMC Titan and Pilot on the Frontier.[3]
Variants[]
Several agricultural Titans on a Frontier farm.
There are several variants of Titan employed throughout The Frontier. All currently employed variants, with the exception of the Vanguard and Monarch, are based on the Atlas, Ogre and Stryder-Class Titans.
Pre-Demeter Variants[]
Prior to the Battle of Demeter, Titans had highly customisable loadouts and flexible designs, based on Pilot preference. This is likely due to the increased availability and lower costs for construction while supply lines to the Core Systems were intact. Those variants employed after the destruction of the Demeter gateway (See below) are much more specialised and less flexible in their roles.
- Atlas - The Atlas is the workhorse of the Titan world and has served in some form or another for countless decades, and likely will continue to for countless more. Equipped with the Damage Core and two dashes, the Atlas is a versatile middle-road Titan.
- Assault Titan - A specialised Atlas Titan equipped with an XO-16 Chaingun and Survivor.
- Mortar Titan - A specialised Atlas Titan equipped with an Quad Rocket and Particle Wall. More recently, Tone Titans have been seen filling this role.
- Ogre - The H-KA02/a Ogre, commonly referred to as "Hammond Robotics' 800-pound gorilla", is a Heavy Titan. Its heavy armor and Shield Core make up for any speed it might lack on the battlefield.
- Nuke Titan - A suicide bomber Titan that uses its armored shell to transport a Massive Payload to deal heavy damage against entrenched positions. Can also be deployed as a Legion.
- Tank Titan - A specialised Ogre Titan equipped with an 40mm Cannon and Shield Core.
- Stryder - Hammond Robotics' premiere in fast-attack Titan design, the Stryder is a lightweight, agile Titan suited for hit-and-run attacks with its Dash Core.
- Arc Titan - A specialised Stryder Titan equipped with an Arc Cannon and Arc Field. The Arc Field can also be seen on the Ronin chassis.
- Artillery Titan - A specialised Stryder Titan equipped with an Quad Rocket and Regen Booster.
Post-Demeter Variants (Titanfall 2)[]
In the wake of the Battle of Demeter, Titan variants have become much more rigid in their deployment and structure, likely due to resource and material shortages incurred by the loss of many vital IMC robotics factories. These variants do not possess recharging energy shields and have one less dash available to them than their Pre-Demeter counterparts (With the exception of Ogre titans). Their loadouts are also mostly static, likely to make mass production and field repair of standard components easier and less resource-intensive.
- Ion - An Atlas-based Titan designed around the operation of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) such as the Laser Shot, Splitter Rifle and Laser Core. Ion's aforementioned abilities, along with her Vortex Shield, all drain energy from a shared energy pool.
- Scorch - An Ogre-based Heavy Titan designed around the operation of incendiary weapons. Scorch employs thermite and fire to burn through clustered targets and heavily wooded areas.
- Northstar - A Stryder-based Titan, designed around the use of the Plasma Railgun and the use of flight.
- Brute - A specialised loadout based on Northstar, employing a Quad Rocket, Vortex Shield, and MTMS (Multi Target Missile System).
- Ronin - A CQC-based Stryder Titan that combines maneuverability, agility, a shotgun and a Broadsword to wreak havoc among enemy lines.
- Tone - Named after its use of Sonar, Atlas-based Tone combines the 40mm Tracker Cannon with missile barrages to deal heavy damage.
- Sniper Titan - Tone Titans deployed by the Remnant Fleet, for the purpose of suppressing defending forces.
- Legion - A heavy Titan of Ogre descent, Legion employs a large rotary cannon and aggressive sustained counterfire to deal an unrelenting field of fire upon potential enemies.
- Monarch - A Vanguard-based titan created by Vinson Dynamics who wields the XO16A2 Chaingun. Monarch has a rearm ability along with a Rocket Salvo and an Energy Siphon that makes her a threat on the battlefield.
Aegis Upgrades[]
Aegis Ranks are specialised upgrades for the post-Demeter era Titans, allowing major upgrades to a Titan's weaponry, abilities and defenses. These can range from upgrading the T-203 Thermite Launcher to hold three grenades at once to upgrading the armour and shields of a Titan. They are mainly employed by mercenaries working for the various factions, as specialist modifications not practical for mass-deployment.
Prime Titans[]
Prime Titans are additionally modified versions of the six Titan chassis' employed in the Post-Demeter era. It is currently unknown what practical upgrades they offer compared to their basic counterparts. Gameplay-wise, they do not differ from their regular variants. It may be possible that Prime Titans may be able to use their core more as shown in the terminations (executions).
Titanfall: Assault Variants[]
Titanfall: Assault introduces several variants of Titans from the first and second game, each one which feature different loadouts and abilities to use in the battlefield, they are;
- Atlas: Reserve Atlas and Nuke Atlas.
- Ogre: Reserve Ogre, Mortar Ogre and Core Ogre.
- Stryder: Reserve Stryder and Smoke Stryder.
- Ion: Sniper Ion and Core Ion.
- Scorch: Thermal Scorch and Core Scorch.
- Ronin: Arc Ronin and Core Ronin.
- Vanguard: BT-7274.
Militia-Designed Titans[]
A Militia Ogre-class Titan under construction
Traditionally, all Titans have been designed by Hammond Robotics (and other IMC subsidiaries), and have thus not been available for purchase by the Militia. Instead, they have typically resorted to raiding and stealing from IMC garrisons, purchasing Titans from the Black Market and building them out of Titan Salvage.
However, in the wake of Demeter, the Militia have now designed their own Titan; the Vanguard-Class. Unlike the six chassis' mentioned above, the Vanguard reflects the Militia's philosophy of respecting their Pilots and keeping them allied. As such, their Vanguard has more design features reminiscent of the original three designs - notably the Atlas. Where the IMC considers Titans expendable military hardware, the Militia considers them a valuable soldier just like any other Pilot or Rifleman.[3] Vanguard-Class Titans also house an on-board AI capable of learning, adapting, emotion and setting personal goals; contrast this with the rigid, static Titan OS employed on IMC-designed Titans, which rarely shows initiative beyond what can be achieved with a Spectre or Reaper.
- Vanguard - A Militia homebrew Titan design, designed for covert operations behind enemy lines.
- Expedition - The Vanguard default loadout, consisting of an XO16A2 Chaingun as a primary weapon.
- Monarch - Based on Vanguards salvaged during the Battle of Typhon, the IMC and Vinson Dynamics were able to partially reverse-engineer the Militia's design and create the Monarch Titan. This Titan houses a unique Upgrade Core that allows it to adapt and upgrade its abilities in battle.
Loadout[]
- Acolyte Pod - An armature capable of launching missiles and laser ordnance.
- Battery - A feature introduced for newer Titans. These power the Titan's systems and can help provide Bodyshields.
- Core Ability - An ability that must be charged up, but can then unleash a variety of offensive and defensive powers.
- Countermeasure - Introduced to newer Titans after the popularity of it in older loadouts, Electric Smoke is a smoke screen that disrupts lock-ons and damages enemy troops.
- Dome Shield Generator - The Dome-Shield is a piece of equipment that provides a shield system to protect Titans that have recently dropped into the battlefield. This shield protects the embarking Pilot and Titan while they are stationary. These generators were standard in the Pre-Demeter designs, though are not standard equipment in newer chassis'.
- Defensive Ability - A piece of equipment employed by Titans to help shield themselves from incoming fire.
- Ordnance - A Titan's ordnance is a secondary weapon available to Pilots, allowing them an offensive option to supplement their primary weapon. Many Post-Demeter variants mount their ordnance in Acolyte Pods.
- Tactical Ability - A utility ability available for Titans that serves to augment their other equipment via an indirect means.
- Bodyshield - A shield generator available for Atlas, Stryder and Ogre designs. These recharging energy shields protect the Titan from small-arms fire and act as a secondary layer of health.
Trivia[]
- In Titanfall, it was often speculated that a form of motion-capture was used to physically control and pilot Titans. Titanfall 2 shows and describes the primary method of piloting a Titan as through a "neural link" created between Titan and Pilot, though the exact nature of this link is unclear. Instrumentation akin to that seen in modern-day jet fighters & battle tanks can still be seen inside a Titan's 'cockpit'.
- Despite in game audio has a voiceline about IMC pilot taunts player's Neural Link is went wrong , it is likely the Neural Link is exclusive to the Vanguard-class Titan, as Pilots of regular Titans are able to cycle through multiple Titans in one battle without needing to wipe a neural link.
- At least with Viper's Northstar, some form of motion tracking is employed, which is shown as a pair of 4-ring holographic armlets[4]
- Occasionally during a Titanfall in Titanfall, the animation of the Titan burning as it enters the atmosphere will glitch and remain after landing. Afterwards, the Titan will appear as a giant walking blowtorch. The flames engulfing the Titan is only an animation glitch and will not actually harm any pilots during rodeo attacks or allied Titan rides. This is more common in Frontier Defense, probably because of the number of Titans dropped during a single battle.
- According to Grunt chatter, piloting a Titan can irradiate the pilot over time. This radiation is never spoken about again, however, and is mentioned to be a rather small amount. Given the mention of a Titan's radiation shielding in The Battle of Demeter and the presence of a nuclear reactor to power the system, it is likely that the radiation being referred to is that created by the power source.
- Despite the common static loadouts among the Post-Demeter Variants, primary weapons seem to be capable of being used (at least sub-optimally) across variants, as seen through several Callsign Banners and the Mortar Titan from Titanfall 2 which sees a Tone model equipped with a Quad-Rocket. Additionally, the Titanfall 2 Single Player Cinematic Trailer shows a Scorch model equipped with an XO16 Chaingun, though this may have been an oversight.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Titanfall Companion - Titans (File link)
- ↑ Titanfall legacy site - The Frontier
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 BT-7274 Character Bio (Old site, archive link)
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTk9VD2nPuw
| Titanfall Vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Ground Vehicles | Forklift • Gorilla Tank (Cut) • Gremlin • IMC Walker • Paladin Tank • Samson • Titan • Tow • Trident |
| Aircraft | Crow • Dropship Copter (Cut) • Goblin • Hornet • IMC Bomber • Phantom • Widow • |
| Drones | Search Drone • Cloak Drone • Plasma Drone • Maintenance Drone • Repair Drone (Cut) |
| Other Transportation | Drop Pod (Mk. VIII Medical Lifeboat) • Zipline • Jump Kit • Spacecraft |