Centurion is a heavy warjack used by Cygnar. Cygnaran military doctrine is grounded in a preference for advanced technological development over brute force. Challenged to design a warjack to rival the size and strength of Khadoran ’jacks, the engineers of Caspia developed a hulking and heavily armored chassis and then outfitted it with some of the most advanced mechanika available. The first melee-oriented heavy warjack chassis introduced since the Ironclad forty-three years before, the Centurion was also the largest and heaviest non-colossal warjack added to Cygnar’s arsenal. Though the increased bulk makes it one of the nation’s slowest warjacks, what the Centurion lacks in speed it makes up for in durability. Many of Cygnar’s warcasters increasingly look to this steam-belching behemoth of iron as a cornerstone of the ir personal defense and battlefield strategy.[1]
The response of King Vinter’s to the open aggression of the newly crowned Khadoran Queen, Ayn Vanar was to order the creation of a warjack that could not only stand toe to toe with the brutally powerful Khadoran heavies but also have a significant tactical advantage over them. The Cygnaran Mechaniks Coalition of the Royal Cygnaran University working alongside the Cygnaran Armory were given the contract to create the Centurion after proposing a set of plans that combined raw strength with the advanced mechanika Cygnar has always been known for. The Centurion would have an incredibly sturdy chassis with a mechanikally-enhanced magno shield and a hydraulically-powered piston spear. Work on the ‘jack began in earnest in the fall of 591 AR. The first few years were spent on the creation of a chassis that could not both withstand tremendous punishment and support intricate and powerful armaments. At first there was some resistance, particularly from Cygnaran warcasters who were concerned about constructing such a heavy and hence slower moving machine. Much effort was expended in an attempt to maintain the speed that had always been a trademark of Cygnaran craftsmanship, while adding the bulk necessary to stand up to the massive force from another heavy. In the end it was decided that the size and strength needed to counterbalance the powerful and sophisticated magno-shield was more important. [2]
The magno shield was initially tuned to cause a powerful electromagnetic polarity field to be generated in front of the Centurion that could stop a locomotive under full steam. This was fundamental to the design since it would hamper the Khador’s notoriously powerful warjack charges. The sophisticated mechanika would also allow the polarity field to be reversed and narrowed, allowing the Centurion to lock down the arm or head of an enemy warjack. The application of this design was a bit trickier. The problem the engineers faced was finding a way to reverse the field without pulling unintended targets toward the Centurion, pinning it against the hull of other ‘jacks. It took a great deal of fine tuning and experimentation to hone the shields electro-lock ability so that it could target a single head or arm system. Though incredibly effective, the great weight of the magno shield has restricted its application to the Centurion, the only chassis currently in the Cygnaran arsenal that can support it.[2]
By the time the prototypes for the chassis and the shield were complete and the proper balance was found between them, the brute had already been in development for almost seven years. During that time work on the piston spear was completed separately. The spear was crafted with a sharp, tempered steel tip that could tear through most any armor. After a successful initial strike in melee, a piston within the spear itself is activated and drives the tip of the weapon repeatedly into the already damaged target. It is a deadly and effective attack system that works equally well against highly armored heavy ‘jacks and devastating against lighter but more nimble ‘jacks.[2]
Nearly unassailable via frontal assault, the Centurion is both immovable and nearly invulnerable thanks to its augmented shield. Powerful techno-arcane coils embedded in the core can generate a field of arcano-magnetic force capable of stopping a charging warjack. Even the hardest targets are ground to scrap at the working end of the Centurion’s piston spear. The wickedly sharp point, crafted for piercing layers of armor, is hydraulically powered to plunge repeatedly into an enemy, ripping through even thick warjack armor in short order.[1]
Initially utilizing the Centurion was an adjustment for Cygnaran warcasters who were accustomed to faster, more mobile ‘jacks, and also those accustomed to relying on long ranged attacks. Certainly the Centurion cannot be moved to key spots as quickly as other Cygnaran ‘jacks. But provided that its flanks are protected, there is no better ‘jack for a defensive stand or serving as the strong center in a crushing forward advance. As more Centurions have made their way into battle, Cygnaran ‘casters have become proficient using the beasts to anchor their armies or to seek out the biggest threat in an enemy force and lock it down, forcing opponents to drastically alter their strategies. Inspired by a combination of the capabilities of enemy warjacks, an aggressive political stance and the usual lightning strike of genius that accompanies invention, the Centurion promises to stand as a stalwart protector of Cygnar for many decades to come.[2]