Russian powered armor (eh, close enough to mechs) comes in three primary divisions:
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/9122 ... hussar.pngColors vary based on regiment. This particular unit is from the Lifeguard Hussars.
Hussar armor is light, maneuverable and generally designed for hit-and-run, raiding, recon and other such tasks. It is composed primarily of artificial muscle fibers over a frame designed to assist the operator in bearing additional load from the greater weight the suit is able to lift, as well as absorbing the shock of landing from a 300 meter long jump. Hussar units, as with other powered armor types, come with individual shielding units, albeit light variants. They also feature an armored pellise (the cape looking thing on the left shoulder), designed to provide additional protection in the melee, as well as from conventional ballistic and energy weapons.
A hussar's primary weapon is the powered saber, ranging from two and a half to three feet in length. Powered sabers, when 'powered', are sheathed in a matter disrupting field which is quite capable of slicing through any conventional material with ease. They are, however, notoriously ineffective against shielding on their own, and any hussar attempting to pass through a kinetic shield while wielding a powered saber is likely to have it torn from his hands. Of course, the obvious choice is simply to turn the power off and use it as a regular sharpened bit of metal, in which role it is quite effective.
A specialist variant known as 'horse jaeger' armor exists, which specializes in recon and sniper missions. It eliminates the shield unit in favor of optical camouflage and adds various visual enhancement devices to the unit's headgear. Horse jaegers are often ill thought of by other hussar units, as they are seen as lacking the dash and daring associated with blithely charging through a hail of linear musket fire in a brightly colored suit of 'soft' armor. They do, however, get just as many girls back home when they mention their hussar status. As one might guess, hussars are considered the most dashing of cavalry units, being composed primarily of young nobles and suchlike, they are often headstrong, overly brave and difficult to control on the battlefield. In the hands of an effective commander, though, they are quite useful.
I don't have lovely MSpaint art for dragoons, so here's Teddy Roosevelt as a space marine:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3962/r ... marine.jpgUnlike Hussar armor, dragoon armor is universally dark green, with regimental colors on the cuffs and collar of the unit, and regimental numbers on the pauldrons.
Dragoons are Russia's all-purpose "mounted infantry", who's variable role in the battlefield requires an adaptable armored platform capable of performing, amoung other tasks, fire support, assault, battlefield construction, and demolition. In the first role, dragoons typically wield various lightened versions heavy weapons normally employed in emplacements, such as the rotary 'gatling' cannon, 6lber cannons and so forth, being referred to in this role as 'horse artillery'. Being considerably faster to deploy and pack up than conventional artillery, horse artillery's role is typically to find a good position, fire a few shots, and move on quickly before counter-battery fire or an infantry/cavalry assault can be made on their position. However, they may also be called upon to defend fixed positions in this role alongside infantry and fixed artillery units.
In the assault role, dragoons shine. Being enclosed in reinforced ceramic 'hard' armor, capable of withstanding (to a limited degree) linear musket fire, equipped with their own shielding units, and generally being rather intimidatingly large, they are well suited to the job. The primary weapon of the dragoon is the powered palaash, a four to six foot broadsword designed with weight in mind as much as cutting edge. As dragoon armor significantly enhances the users strength (past even the point of hussar armor), they are quite capable of wielding these devices with the ease that an unarmored swordsman uses a conventional saber. Their ranged weapon is the fearsome 'dragon', the unofficial nickname for the large-bore linear carbines and pistols employed by the dragoons, which range from 1 to 2 caliber and fire a variety of shells.
The more skilled dragoons often wield powered mauls, large, hammer-like weapons designed to take down fortifications, smash through armor and otherwise, crush, destroy, or at least seriously maim anything unfortunate enough to get in their way. Even with the added strength of their armor, the sheer weight of these weapons means that the user must be skilled in managing the momentum and weight of his weapon, else he leave an opening through which is foe can strike. The hammer is also used in the construction and demolition roles, where the dragoons often assist sappers and engineers in the field.
Dragoons compose the largest part of the Russian cavalry, as their armor, being less complicated than Hussar armor to produce, is the cheapest, the easiest to train in. Dragoons are regarded as the least desirable sort of cavalry to be in, and their ranks feature many serfs and common sorts. They are, however, much more dependable than the hussars and more expendable than the cuirassiers.
Assault Dragoons are specialized for the close combat role, with heavier armor and systems specialized for close combat.
http://img859.imageshack.us/img859/3940/cuirassier.pngCuirassier armor. Virtually all cuirassier units employ the black-on-white color scheme, with regimental colors as a highlight. The exceptions are the Borian Cuirassiers and the Red Chevaliers of Mars, who's distinctive crimson armor makes them easy to spot anywhere except Mars.
Named for the large armored plate which covers the front of the unit, cuirassier armor straddles the line between 'heavy powered armor' and 'light mech'. Cuirassier armor is the most advanced in the Russian inventory, featuring the best of everything available. As such, despite its ponderous appearance, it can attain some speed once it has had time to accelerate, and besides its artillery, the charge of a regiment of 2,000 cuirassiers is one of the most fearsome weapons the Russian army can deploy. It is often joked that the noise of 2,000 armored feet hitting the ground in unison is enough to cause defending armies to fall.
Cuirassier armor is the ultimate shock weapon of the Russian cavalry force, equipped with 5-6 foot straight swords, pistols and various personal weapons, the cuirassiers role is to charge headlong through whatever is thrown at them. For this reason, their suits feature two heavy shield generators, the aforementioned forward armored plate, and a reinforced shell around the pilot. Essentially the only cavalry unit capable of charging a formed unit of infantry, the devastating results are often quite plain as the regiment passes over anybody foolish enough to stand in their way. Seldom to they have to wield their swords on the first ranks, for a multi-ton suit of powered armor steps where it will.
Cuirassiers are composed of older nobility, veterans, and the survivors of hussar units who reenlist. Their character is typically somewhat grim, steady and often heavy with the 'do or die' attitude which comes of the intense competition between cuirassier regiments, particularly of those within the Guard. This attitude is exemplified by the account of the 1812 invasion of Russia, where competition between the Lifeguard Horse and the Chevalier Guard saw to it that both of them constantly wore their full dress uniforms whenever possible, despite the difficulties of cleaning their pure white uniforms after a day's marching.