A soldier in the EODC gunning from a dropship in the mark 38. Note the classic Jolly Roger emblem of the EODC painted on the right side of his chest.
The Mark 38 Explosive Ordance Disposal Powered Ballistics Armor was a high power armor used by the Alliance Explosive Ordance Disposal Corps starting in 2169 CE. Developed on Shanxi during the First Contact War the Mark 38 which had been in development for nearly thirty years. The mark 38 was designed to be a better alternative to the traditional large and bulky explosive ordnance disposal suits by keeping the suit large and providing good resistance to explosive damage and still keeping the user flexible and able to effectively fight. The mark 38 was able to provide that with the benefit of making the forty six thousand credit armor's wearer a walking tank on the battlefield who was able to not just be shielded from explosives but also from any bullet damage that could present itself. When it was in it's finishing stages on Shanxi it was part of a large-scale operation to get the prototype suit into safety and away from the turian controlled science lab. The operation suceeded with the armor being brought to Weaping Meadow University and later loaded upon the SSV Tehran where it was brought to an Alliance testing facility in Belgium where it was finished eight years later. The EODC started using it immediatly and to good effect, however the armor fell out as it's forty six thousand credit price tag meant the Alliance could no longer afford to hand out a suit to every EOD. The armor became rare after 2175 CE where it was only issued to special forces EOD operatives and other high value Alliance soldiers who were deemed to be in a unit vital enough to need such a suit.
Makeup[]
The Mark-38 was one of the most effective suits of armor ever for a reason. It primarily focused on safety and lightness. Weighing forty seven pounds, the mark 38 mainly focused on upper body protection. It did this by fitting a reinforced upper chest plate over the user's breast. This plate was reinforced with woven fibers and had a medi-gel dispenser attached to the back which could inject medi-gel when needed.
The shoulder plates were large but manageable and light, made of reinforced steel, kevlar, and shock absorbers. The shoulder plates could absorb explosive impact and survive most blasts or bullet wounds. As well they were easily removable should they be damaged and could quite literally be replaced in the middle of a firefight.
Finally, the helmet. The rather odd looking helmet was fitted with as small a visor needed which was made of plexiglass and reinforced with miniscule amounts of diamonds that helped guard against breaking. As well an additional defensive layer was added to reinforce and ensure the helmet would stay strong under pressure. It was also outfitted with a flashlight and electronic sensor that could be transmitted to a heads up display or HUD run by a helmet installed virtual intelligence or VI that could also help aid in disarming explosives.