The Iron Soldiers were armored robots. They might not be as agile as people, but their powerful engines let them carry plenty of weapons and armor strong enough to withstand most light weapons and explosive damage.
Atlas needed similar armed units. Even in Night City, with his reputation, Lier had to make sure he wouldn't get shot in the back.
The Aldecaldos needed this equipment for their runs, too.
"Big Brother Hero!" Joestar shouted to Lier, sticking his head out of a small van as he followed behind the Mackinaw. "We're almost at 20-56 Erenan Street!"
There were far fewer people here, and no prostitutes either.
As the dark corners grew more numerous, the encirclement advanced much more slowly. People could also sense that there was something unusual in the air.
There were fewer and fewer cars around here in particular. Although the Mackinaw's exterior had been hastily covered up, anyone who looked closely could still see what the people inside were doing.
Sizzle-
In the rear cargo compartment, the soft crackle of welding, the clank of armor fitting into place, and the hum of gears and motors working in tandem kept reaching Jackie's ears.
The lights and the glaring flashes of welding alternated before his eyes. As he watched each piece of armor fall into place and one power system after another come online, more Lizard Serum was injected into his heart, and strength surged through him.
It was every boy's dream come true.
[Name: XS-1 Powered Exoskeleton (Half-Frame)]
[Description: After extensive research and practical testing, the strength of graphene-alloy composite material as a structural component has been proven reliable.
We have also successfully reverse-engineered the armor-piercing alloy used in the Scorpion Suit and achieved mass production. This is an extremely expensive, yet highly versatile, superhard alloy.
The XS-1