can approach powerguns in effectiveness, and even exceed them in some ways (albeit at comparable expense.) Vehicles of Hammer's Regiment Hammer's Regiment uses air-cushion and ducted-fan motive systems for its vehicles. The primary fighting unit is an air cushion tank weighing 150 to 170 tonnes, armed with a 20 cm single barrel powergun as the main armament in the rotating turret and a 2 cm tribarrel powergun in a cupola. Standard battle tanks are crewed by one driver and one sergeant commander who doubles as the gunner. A command tank version exists, which adds stations in the turret for an officer and his communications technician along with the communications equipment necessary to command a tank company. Hammer's tanks have extremely heavy armor, with the main hull and turret made of iridium and heavy steel skirts surrounding the plenum chamber. The tank also is equipped with multiply redundant systems and state of the art artificial intelligence to assist the crew, particularly the vehicle commander. Slammers tanks carry a continuous strip of directional mines above the skirts, to defend against infantry attacks and man-portable antitank missiles ("buzz bombs") launched at point blank range. The tanks are supported by smaller "combat cars", armored air cushion vehicles that mount three 2 cm tribarrels. Combat cars have a crew of one driver, one vehicle commander who doubles as a gunner, and two wing gunners. The armor, sensors, redundancy, and artificial intelligence of the combat cars are not as extensive as those on the tanks. The combat car was inspired by Drake's recollection of the "ACAV" version of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. A command version of the standard combat car, essentially a steel box on a combat car chassis, exists. The command car's powerful computer and communications gear is useful for unit commanders, although many commanders choose instead to use a standard combat car as their command vehicle. The Slammers also operate self-propelled artillery units and tank recovery vehicles, both of which are only equipped with splinter resistant armor. While these use the same air cushion propulsion system as the fighting vehicles, the sheer weight of these vehicles limits their maneuverability. The Regiment's infantry uses very small air cushion vehicles to improve their mobility. These are either one man "skimmers" or two man "jeeps"; the latter can be equipped with tribarrel powerguns, mortars, or a variety of command and sensor modules. Many vehicles in the