Armtrage

Armtrage is a fictional designation used in speculative fiction and tabletop strategy games to describe a class of mobile armored artillery platforms. The term denotes self-propelled guns or gun-armed vehicles that pair heavy firepower with crew protection and battlefield survivability. Although it appears across different titles and settings, Armtrages share a common purpose: to provide sustained bombardment from a protected platform while remaining capable of mobile redeployment.

Design characteristics typically include a reinforced chassis—tracked or wheeled—armed with one or more large-caliber artillery weapons. Armtrages often feature modular armor packages, protected crew cabins or turrets, and integrated fire-control systems. Munitions are frequently modular, allowing rapid swapping between high-explosive, armor-piercing, or guided rounds. Some depictions include automated targeting, advanced ballistic computation, and optional electronic-warfare suites or smoke and decoy payloads.

In operation, Armtrages perform indirect fire, siege support, and fortification breaching roles, offering long-range reach with relative protection. They trade speed and maneuverability for heavier armor and larger ammunition capacity, making them vulnerable to sustained air assault or counter-battery fire unless supported by infantry, scouts, and logistics.

Within its fictional ecosystems, Armtrage serves as a trope representing the scale of industrial artillery and the logistical demands of modern siege warfare. In game design, Armtrages appear as high-value fire-support units or strategic assets; in narrative contexts, they symbolize mechanized warfare and the costs of sustained bombardment.