The Neo-Crusader assault armor, also known as Neo-Crusader shock armor or Mandalorian assault armor was a model of Mandalorian armor used during the Old Sith Wars.
The Neo-Crusader assault armor was a full body armor developed for the use of the Neo-Crusader shock troopers during the Mandalorian Wars. It was an upgraded and heavier version of the standard Neo-Crusader light armor worn by most Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders during this conflict. However, contrary to the Neo-Crusader light armors that were virtually all identical, the assault armors were rather unique and customized for particular battlefield and environment requirements.
Atton Rand wearing a Mandalorian assault armor (without helmet).
The assault armor was sealed and included enough oxygen to provide the wearer 24 hours of breathable air in the vacuum of space or any other hostile environment. The suit included a helmet with an internal comlink. In addition, it could be equipped with a jetpack but its use was rather limited due to the high weight of the armor.
The Neo-Crusader assault armor was introduced during the Mandalorian Wars along with the first unit of Neo-Crusader shock troopers. These units were created by Mandalore the Ultimate in order to fill the gap of specialized troops generated by the uniformization of all the Manadalorian troops in one standardized army. In accordance, shock troopers did not follow the regular Neo-Crusader order of battle and their armors did not comply with the regular three-color code.
The Mandalorian assault armor saw wide use by Mandalorian elite frontline troops during the conflict. It was worn by Mandalorian shock troopers during the boarding of the Republic Navy ship Courageous following the Battle of Serroco. An assault armor was also worn by Mandalore the Ultimate himself. Later during the war, a set of Neo-Crusader shock armor was recovered by the Galactic Republic in the Battle of Myrkr to examine by Republic Intelligence.
Decades later, the Mandalorian assault armor was still in use during the Dark Wars. Nevertheless, this armor had become very rare and was only available at a high price.
The Mandalorian assault armor first appeared in the 2004 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide later provided more information about this armor and identified the Mandalorian armors worn by Mandalore the Ultimate and Neo-Crusader shock troopers in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series as Neo-Crusader assault armors. In the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Mandalorian assault armor was incorrectly depicted as the standard Neo-Crusader light armor.
- Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
- Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide