Saber is the advanced combat system (ACS) of Sir Victor Sterling Price nicknamed "The Knight" by British Special Forces. It's first and second generation iterations emphasized heavy armor and advanced ballistics weapons often fused into melee weapons or titanium shields but both assemblies sacrificed agility and flight for bulk and firepower which was highly effective against human and mechanized enemies such as A.I.M. and GAUNTLET but it ultimately proved to be very innefective against metahuman opposition, Venom in particular who damaged the powerhouse Epsilon Saber beyond repair.
Thanks to assistance from Tony Stark the new third generation Saber was developed utilizing Price's Zeta Drive reactor, Dynamic Compensation System and Burn Cycle overdrive system with Stark's repulsor technology, AI interfaces and an Iron Man suit Tony gave him to replace the venerable but obsolete Epsilon Frame.
The end result is a combat system far superior to any other Victor has created alone to date. After practicing with the new suit Victor went to work on variants and detachable components and an exosuit to attach over the suit for situations where overwhelming force was needed that the streamlined armor could not provide otherwise. Victor Price's power supply as always generates a unique dispersal of red particles that collide in the chamber to create the reactor's enormous power.
The particles are harmless to people but can cause minor static for most conventional comms tech as long as they remain in close proximity. He refers to the phenomenon as the Minovsky Effect. The Burn Cycle system releases a far greater ratio of the particles to create a perpetual feedback effect that increases the suit's power by approximately five times the normal output. The effect only lasts about five minutes before the Zeta Drive's safety killswitch activates, it then depletes itself to avoid a structural meltdown and begins to recharge. Burn Cycle's biggest downside is that it leaves Saber almost powerless for thirty seconds.
ACS-009(SP49) Designation: Saber Zeta Designers: Victor Price and Tony Stark Weight Range: Heavier than Iron Man but lighter than War Machine Size: Roughly the same as Iron Man Purpose: Main combat suit Main Weapons: Palm zeta repulsor lenses, chest mounted Zeta Unibeam, twin micro missile pods, wrist mounted hardlight blades, left wrist mounted light artillery cannon, right wrist mounted light rotary ring chaingun Optional Weapons: "Strong Arm" (replaces the suit's standard right arm with a better-armored arm with a hardlight shield generator and a more powerful repulsor lens), Attack Drones (Saber can deploy up to 6 fast moving prism shaped drones to attack enemies at close to mid range with precision lasers and stab unarmored foes. Drones act independently of Saber and coordinate with the suits attacks to provide blistering firepower. Attack drones will disable conventional missiles targeting Saber or his allies unless directed not to. Drones are much faster and agile than Saber due to their size and shape and can easily keep up with the suit. Strength: 50 tons Flight: Roughly the same rating as War Machine, slower than Iron Man Shields: Good Armor: Good Pros: Highly maneuverable, very versatile, boasts formidable firepower, short, medium and long range capable Cons: Zeta Drive depletes faster than an Arc Reactor when heavily armed, also recharges at a slower rate when depleted, particle dispersal leaves lingering energy signatures making Saber traceable with the right equipment.
Sleek, streamlined and containing technology from both Sterling International and Stark Industries this advanced hybrid armor is the primary combat system of Victor Price. The black and gold frame was given to Price after the symbiote Venom nearly dismantled the previous suit with Victor still inside. It lacks the knightly accents and motifs of it's predecessors in favor of aerodynamics. The suit has a compensation system to assist the user in evading attacks on the ground and performing aerial maneuvers to avoid attacks while airborne.
ACS-010(UH53) Designation: Gawain Designers: Victor Price Weight Range: About as heavy as Hulkbuster Size: Roughly the size of the Hulk Purpose: Heavy combat exosuit Main Weapons: Twin variable torque titanium Chainsaw Swords with superheated synthetic diamond coated teeth, bunker buster rockets, flamethrower Optional Weapons: Single flak machine gun, minigun or 150mm Excalibur cannon, 8 attack drones Defensive Armaments: Heavy titanium tower shield (replaces a chainsaw sword), 8 shield projector drones Strength: 100 tons Flight: Can't fly Shields: Very Strong Armor: Very Strong Pros: Excellent for extended close to medium range engagement, heavily armored and shielded, double the strength of Saber Zeta, functions as a walking tank, swords can cut through most conventional materials including steel and titanium, best suited to either forcibly taking an enemy position or helping hold an allied area. Very effective against conventional ground and aerial targets, moderately effective against conventional water-faring targets. Cons: Fairly slow movement speed, cannot fly, ineffective against fast moving enemies, limited long range weaponry, swords cannot rev while the suit is under 30% power and at 10% or less the suit loses shields, Gawain cannot use Burn Cycle, zeta weapons or repulsor weapons and has limited weapon slots (Can only use four weapons including the chainsaw swords)
The UH53 Gawain exosuit is heavy, strong and vaguely resembles a simple medieval soldier armed with either a large pair of chainsaw swords or a single chainsaw sword and a thick metal shield along with weapons suited for flushing enemies out of hiding. This suit can be equipped with anti-air flak weapons, anti-infantry automatic weapons or anti-vehicle cannons and uses a power saver energy system that delivers constant, stable power to the suit allowing it to remain operational far longer than it's smaller counterparts at the cost of carrying fewer weapons. The UH53 can be piloted by any smaller Saber except an Epsilon model and can be piloted by almost any Iron Man suit of the same general size and profile of Saber Zeta.
The suit's durable design and increased strength allows it to trade blows with a far greater variety of foes and counts as a heavy hitter. It does not radiate the red particles all other Saber models do and does not create a Minovsky Effect. The UH53 lacks the grace that it's smaller cousins have and in comparison has a much more brutal set of weapons. In short the UH53 is not designed to take it's targets alive and is only ideal when destruction is not just optional, but absolutely necessary. Well suited to breach a bunker, hold a position or participate in a siege this exosuit is certain to make a lasting impact on the battlefield and leave a swath of devastation in it's wake.