Cradles

Cradles
General information
Japanese name	クレイドル (Kureidoru)
Other names	Ark of Humanity (人類の箱舟)
Classification	Airship, Arms Fort
Manufacturer	Global Armaments, Interior Union
Equipment	None
Cargo	Humans
Affiliation	League of Ruling Companies
Conflicts present	Economic War
Real world information
Mechanical designer	Masahiro Miki
Appearances	Armored Core: For Answer, Armored Core: A New Order of "NEXT", Armored Core Designs 4 & for Answer

Cradles are massive airship colonies holding millions of civilians at 7,000 meters above the ground. The League of Ruling Companies created them to save the elite from the rising pollution on the surface of the planet following the catastrophic end of the Lynx War that saw large swathes of the world polluted by Kojima Particles. The Cradles house half of mankind by the time of the Economic War

The primary power sources of the Cradles are ground-based power production facilities known as Arteria which transmit power to the airships through microwaves. The secondary power sources are hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen for the Cradles is obtained from two sources: either from directly electrolyzing moisture in the atmosphere, or transporting it from ground sources. If the power to the Cradles from the Arteria facilities is cut, the airships are designed to glide back down the ground using their fuel cells as emergency power. However, if the engines are destroyed directly, then the Cradles lose their ability to glide and come crashing back down.

Only Global Armaments and the Interior Union produce Cradles, some of which are rented or purchased by Omer Science Technology.

Gameplay

Armored Core: For Answer

During Armored Core: For Answer's singleplayer campaign, "Take Back Cradle 21" has the League hire the player to eliminate Liliana insurgents occupying Cradle 21. Later on in Chapter 4, Old King, a Lynx of the ORCA Brigade, plans to attack the five airships comprising Cradle 03. The player may either work for the League to defend it in "Defend Cradle 03," or assist Old King in felling the Cradles in "Destroy Cradle 03," which would result in the deaths of the one-hundred million people living in Cradle 03.

Armored Core: Verdict Day

A Cradle crashed on its side can be seen in Mission 5-08 of Armored Core: Verdict Day.

Gallery

Armored Core: For Answer

Armored Core: A New Order of "NEXT"

Concept art of a Cradle in flight

Transparent model

Graphics

Cradle navigation routes. Red marks those for GA Group Cradles, whereas blue are for the Interior Union's. Encircled are areas where Cradles can be supplied power by Arteria facilities.

Cradle layout: 50 meters are allocated to one household containing four people; 15,000 households are in one section; four sections make up a "Cave"; thirty-four Caves comprise a single aircraft, and one aircraft contains 8,160,000 people. A Cradle is 4 kilometers long.

Schematic 02

Schematic 03

Schematic 04

Schematic 05

Cradle bodies are styled after manta rays and transforming catapults are situated at their rears.

Schematic image 07

Blades attached to an engine; and the intake part where electrolysis is used to supply power to the engine.

Rear view of the residential blocks

Engine unit

Appearances

• Armored Core: For Answer
  • Mission: "Take Back Cradle 21"
  • Mission: "Defend Cradle 03"
  • Mission: "Destroy Cradle 03"
• Armored Core: A New Order of "NEXT"
• Armored Core Designs 4 & for Answer