Men of Valor Profile Preview #2 - The Vehicles and Weapons of Men of Valor

Men of Valor will be an action-packed first-person shooter that takes place during the Vietnam War. Like with other first-person shooters, you'll still play from a first-person perspective and use a variety of guns and other weapons to fight your enemies. However, in Men of Valor, you'll be an American soldier with a company of other soldiers. As a result, you'll need to fight for your teammates, because (fortunately) they'll fight for you too. We covered the game's soldiers in our last profile preview, so this time around, we'll take a closer look at the vehicles and weapons you'll bring to bear as you wage war.

The Vehicles of Men of Valor

Changjiang 750 Motorcycle With Sidecar
This swift motorcycle with a sidecar wasn't much of a direct threat on the battlefield, but it let insurgents travel swiftly across the winding roads of the Vietnamese countryside.

M35A2 Gun Truck
This 2.5-ton transport truck, affectionately nicknamed the "deuce-and-a-half" by US soldiers, was a heavy-duty armed transport that was equipped with weapons by resourceful soldiers. The partially armored M35A2 truck became an exceptionally good escort for supply convoys when equipped with multiple 12.7mm machine guns.

M48 Patton Tank
This powerful tank served mainly as mobile artillery in the war, but during the Tet Offensive at Hue, these huge vehicles also provided cover for soldiers on the ground and even performed medevac duties (by carrying wounded soldiers away from battle). The tank itself consisted of three compartments--one designated for the driver, one for the engine, and one for fighting. The last of these was where the gunner, loader, and tank commander were located.

M113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV)
This armored personnel carrier was originally designed to transport a two-man driver crew and up to 10 infantry troops in the cab. However, according to ACAV doctrine, loaded soldiers would actually fire from within the vehicle (while on the move) and would not dismount except in extreme circumstances. As a result, the vehicles were often loaded with huge amounts of ammo and supplies, which meant that fewer soldiers could fit inside. The M113 has slots for a driver, a commander (who used a mounted .50-caliber machine gun), two M60 gunners, and two loaders.

M50A1 Ontos Light Antitank Vehicle
This light antitank vehicle was used for direct-fire support in the war. The armored vehicle was produced in small numbers but packed a fearsome punch, thanks to its six, mounted 106mm recoilless rifles.

PBR31 MK2 Patrol Boat
US troops used these swift powerboats to patrol the rivers of the Mekong Delta. The mounted machine guns helped PBR pilots and crew provide support for ground operations.

PT76 Amphibious Tank
The PT76 may look like a tank, but it was used mainly for reconnaissance. It bears a 76mm gun and runs on tracks, but it was built for scouting and not heavy assaults. However, it was put to good use by the North Vietnamese Army to overrun the Green Beret base at the battle of Lang Vei.

Sampan
The Sampan was an unpowered riverboat commonly used in Vietnam to ferry passengers up- and downriver, though it was used in the war by Viet Cong troops disguised as peasants.

The Weapons of Men of Valor

M1911 Pistol
The .45-caliber M1911 is the standard-issue pistol for the US forces, and it packs a decent punch. It should prove useful in the game's tunnel areas, where larger weapons simply aren't feasible.

CAR15 Assault Rifle
While the M16 assault rifle has been a staple of military operations for years, the CAR15 (a "carbine" version of the M16 with a shorter barrel) proved useful in the Vietnam conflict. Like the M16, the CAR15 uses 30-round clips.

M1A1 Thompson Submachine Gun
The tommy gun had seen regular use since World War II, and it became a popular weapon with the South Vietnamese forces. The M1A1 was valued for its excellent accuracy at close quarters, but its .45-caliber ammunition kept it from being as effective at longer ranges.

M60 Machine Gun
The powerful M60 machine gun delivered a powerful payload of continuous fire. While its firing rate wasn't as high as the NVA RPD machine gun, it was still a fearsome weapon.

M67 Recoilless Rifle
The 90mm M67 was designed to destroy light armored vehicles, though in Vietnam, it was put to good use destroying light fortifications. This powerful weapon's shells exploded with a considerable blast radius.

M79 Grenade Launcher
This 40mm grenade launcher, also known as the "bloop gun," could be equipped with a variety of different ammunition types, including frag grenades and buckshot rounds, which essentially worked like massive shotgun shells. In addition to the bloop gun's considerable power, it could also lob rounds quite a respectable distance.

Mortar
Mortars were used by Viet Cong troops to fire on static targets or to help cover a retreat. Viet Cong mortar troops were known and feared for their accuracy, which was imparted by forward observers. American troops also used mortars to shell static enemy positions.

PPSh41 Submachine Gun
This Soviet submachine gun originated in the World War II era but was used frequently by the communist troops of Vietnam. The weapon was commonly modified with a shorter barrel to avoid getting caught on jungle vegetation. The PPSh41 could be loaded with a whopping 70-round drum magazine, which let its users deliver lengthy bursts of continuous fire at short range.

RPD Machine Gun
The RPD was essentially the NVA's answer to the US troops' M60 machine gun. The RPD fired 7.62mm slugs from a disintegrating metallic-link belt that bore 200 rounds. The RPD was light, durable, and fairly accurate when fired from a prone position.

SKS Semiautomatic Rifle
The reliable SKS was commonly used by Viet Cong soldiers, and it was often equipped with a folding bayonet. The weapon itself was manufactured by both Soviet and Chinese sources, and it was a solid weapon at longer ranges.

Tokarev TT33 Pistol
The .38-caliber TT33 was a sidearm that was commonly used by NVA officers. The weapons were produced by both Soviet and Chinese sources, and found their ways into the NVA's arsenal.

Type 24 Heavy Machine Gun
The Type 24 was essentially a Chinese replica of the Vintage WWI Maxim gun (invented by German weaponsmiths). The Type 24 HMG could be mounted on a tripod and was powerful enough to use against both enemy infantry and low-flying aircraft.

Type 56-1 Semiautomatic Rifle
The Type 56 was essentially a Chinese version of the AK47. The 7.62mm Type 56was equipped with a bayonet and a light folding stock. It was commonly used by sappers and NVA strike forces.

Zu23-2 Antiaircraft Gun
The 20mm Zu23 was a double-barreled antiaircraft gun of Soviet manufacture. These powerful weapons were used by the NVA to defend crucial locations against American air strikes.

This concludes our second profile preview on Men of Valor. The game is scheduled to ship for the Xbox and the PC later this year.