SAMAS

"For an alternative name of the Babylonian sun god see Shamash"

In the "Rifts" role-playing game, SAMAS is a classification of powered armor, standing for Strategic Armored Military Assault Suit (although some sourcebooks say it stands for Strategic Assault Manned Armored System). Basically, the SAMAS (also nicknamed Sam) is an armored exo-skeleton capable of jet flight through a back-mounted thruster and fold-out wing system, originally intended for tasks like aerial combat, maneuvering through urban terrain, and riot control. There are many variations of the SAMAS in different parts of Rifts Earth.

Coalition States SAMAS

PA-06a "Death's Head" SAMAS

The common nickname for the first model of SAMAS Palladium Books created, the PA-06a SAMAS used by the Coalition States (or CS) military. Based on a design created by the US Air Force prior to the Great Cataclysm, the Death's Head isn't much different from the original (although it has a lighter weapon and a skull-shaped helmet). A CS SAMAS is typically armed with a machinegun-like C-40R railgun and a pair of mini-missiles housed in the suit's left arm, and can attain flight speeds in the vicinity of 300 MPH. In P.A. 105, the Coalition Emperor, Karl Prosek, announced the Campaign of Unity, a military schedule to conquer most of the other kingdoms on the North American continent; with this campaign, new models of vehicles, robots and power armor were introduced, relegating many Death's Head SAMAS units to police forces or 'acquired' by the black market to be sold to independents.

PA-07A "Smiling Jack" SAMAS

One of the new models of SAMAS to replace the Death's Head in the Coalition States military, the Smiling Jack SAMAS (so called because of the menacing white toothy grin on its helmet) is a representation of the 'new-style' generation of equipment being used for the Campaign of Unity. Slightly faster and more agile than its predecessor, the Smiling Jack uses the same rail gun, and has 3 mini-missiles in their own launcher on each wing.

PA-09A Super SAMAS

The third model introduced by the CS, the Super-SAMAS (also called the "Grinning Demon" due to its size, power, and the same "grin" as the Smiling Jack) is a larger than normal model of SAMAS patterned after the Smiling Jack. Breaking from tradition with the original, which is essentially man-sized, the Super-SAMAS is a huge, 10-foot bruiser of a power armor. Its built-in armament includes a pair of shoulder mounted plasma cannons and a combination of rifle grenade launchers and sickle-shaped Vibro-Blades on both arms. In addition, the Super-SAMAS is supposedly able to switch from normal flight speeds to mach speed (which the Death's Head and Smiling Jack SAMAS aren't capable of achieving).

PA-08A Special Forces "Striker" SAMAS

Another model created by the CS, this one especially made for their Special Forces. The Striker is somewhere in size between the Smiling Jack and the Super SAMAS, and uses the same black "Death's Head" motif used by the new Special Forces and the "Terror Trooper" Power Armor. It is typically armed with a particle-beam cannon and a total of twenty mini-missiles mounted on the wings, shoulders, and arms.

PA-10A Sea SAMAS

A model used exclusively by the Coalition Navy, specially built to move and fight underwater. Armed with a hand-held variable laser cannon, mini-missile launchers in the shoulders, torpedo launchers on the legs, and either a rail gun or ion blaster for close combat. Its most distinguishing feature is the shark-like head.

Free Quebec SAMAS

QPA-101 "Pale Death" SAMAS

The QPA-101 "Pale Death" SAMAS is little more than a redesign of the Coalition PA-06a. Free Quebec used these extensively while it was a member of the Coalition States, alongside their Glitter Boy troops. When the nation declared its independence from the Coalition, they altered the design of the SAMAS to match.

The most striking difference between the Death's Head and the Pale Death (also known as the "Sky SAM", "Pale SAMAS", and "Blue"), is the sky-blue paint job. A slight redesign of the helmet and face place, and the replacement of Coalition markings with free Quebec insigias, are the only other differences. There are no changes in the suit's armament or performance.

QPA-102 "Violator" SAMAS

The Violator or "V-SAM" is an entirely new design by Free Quebec. Unlike the Pale Death, the Violator SAMAS completely eschews the skull imagery found on most other SAMAS models, for a design similar to the body armor used by Free Quebec's soldiers.

The Violator is armed with a heavy rapid-fire laser slung under the suit's arm when carried, and mini-missile box launchers underneath the wings. The wings themselves are each tipped by a wide vibro-blade, allowing the daring Quebec pilots to slash at targets on a close-range pass.

The Violator has proven to be a deadly surprise to the Coalition, able to easily best the Smiling Jack in combat, and can even hold its own against the Super SAMAS.

QPA-10 "Sea Dragon" SAMAS

The Sea Dragon is another new-style Quebec armor design. In fact, the prototypes of this suit inspired the creation of the Coalition's own Sea SAMAS. During the war between the two states, both underwater SAMAS' clashed with one another.

Bandito Arms SAMAS

PA-09-AVT Bandito "Sidewinder" SAMAS

When "Bandito Arms" (a more legitimate division of the North American Black Market) discovered and raided the old American military base once known as Area 51, they discovered eight prototypes for two new variants of the SAMAS power armor. The prototypes used a vectored thrust system to increase their mobility. Bandito arms decided to refine and mass-produce these prototype for sale, but encountered stiff resistance from the Coalition, who didn't want it known that their SAMAS technology was taken from Pre-Rifts sources, and have subsequently made the sale and possession of these suits a crime punishable by immediate execution. The VT SAMAS, called the "Sidewinder" by Banditio Arms, is armed with a multiple mini-missile launcher on each shoulder, and a pair of short-range lasers on each arm, in addition to the light railgun or grenade launcher they often carry.

PA-09-AVT Bandito "Wild Weasel" SAMAS

The Wild Weasel SAMAS is built similarly to the Sidewinder, but is armed with a pair of Plasma ejectors on each arm, and more importantly, a powerful ECM and communications suite. mounted in the shoulders.

Japanese SAMAS

PA-10A ArmaTech “Samurai Class” SAMAS

In the 20 years since Nagasaki’s reappearance in the post-apocalyptic environment of Rifts Earth, the government has swiftly built a powerful, defensive army. Advanced, modified versions of the SAMAS and Glitter Boy have become an important part of the army.

The SAMAS of Japan is fundamentally the same as the Coalition States, except for cosmetic considerations (it resembles ancient samurai armor), some minor improvements and the replacement of the traditional rail gun with a particle beam gun. Three small searchlights are built into the belly and two others are located on the helmet. Each forearm has a pair of slots that, at a quick glance, might appear to be more lights, but are actually mini-missile launchers.

The versatile power armor is used to patrol, protect and defend the cities of the Republic as well as for military reconnaissance, infantry strikes, defensive support, rescue, and seek and destroy missions. 10,000 SAMAS defend Nagasaki, with an additional 22,000 assigned to military duty and the defense of other communities.

The U.S.A. SAMAS

PA-04A The U.S.A. SAMAS

When the Native Americans first began to build the Preserves, they relied upon salvaged equipment from pre-Rifts cities. A group of Modern Indians uncovered several caches of pre-Rifts weapon, and vehicles at a secret northwest military base. Among the items salvaged: dozens of Glitter Boys, hover cycles and rail guns, but the biggest find was an intact, completely automated (all robot production) and fully stocked power armor production factory. The facility appeared to have been new, perhaps unused, waiting to make its initial run. Presumably the Great Cataclysm intervened — delaying production by several centuries. The facility was stocked and ready to go. All the discoverers had to do was get the generators going, grease the machines and let the automated facility do what it was created for!

The Native American techs cranked the place up and turned out hundreds of U.S.A. SAMAS armor before the supplies ran out. Technically, the facility holds all the design and construction data necessary to produce hundreds more, just as the Black Market has done with its similar find at Area 51. However, the Modern Indians have seen how adversely the Coalition States have responded to somebody else utilizing "their" SAMAS designs. Consequently, the Indians have chosen to keep their stash of recently constructed (in the last 15 years) SAMAS a secret weapon.

The U.S.A. SAMAS is identical to the original Coalition SAMAS except for minor statistics and stylistic changes. The Coalition believed it had the only plans for the suits, and it did, until Native Americans found the factory that was to build the suits. It was so well protected from potential enemy attacks that it survived the Coming of the Rifts and the subsequent disasters. Since the Coalition has few connections and little concern about the low tech people, monsters and "retro-savages" of the New West, they have been blissfully unaware that these SAMAS exist (even if a few were spotted at a distance, it would have been assumed that they were Bandito Arms knock-offs).

The U.S.A. SAMAS is presented in full detail here for the convenience of the reader and because the Native Americans have added and modified some weapon systems. The SAMAS is one of the best man-sized suits of flying power armor in the world, and it continues to see much use by a slowly increasing number of people. However, their presence is rare in areas east of New Mexico, Kansas and Nebraska because of the strong presence of the Coalition States.

ilver Eagle

A variation of the SAMAS used by the US. branch of NEMA. The Silver Eagle is slightly less armed than the original SAMAS, with only a single railgun, slightly more powerful than the standard railgun. The Silver Eagle gets its name from the fact that it has the same laser-resistant armor as the Glitter Boy, also a signature weapon of NEMA.

See also

* Glitter Boy