The Storch is the first combat tripod fielded by the Imperial German Army.  As such it has served as a test-bed for technology and tactics.  The Germans have begun fielding larger tripods based upon the lessons learned from this model.

The Storch is relatively slow at only 17 kph.  However, it can maintain this speed regardless of the terrain.  A moderate 15mm of armor can stop nearly all small arms fire, though it is ineffective against heavier weapons.  The Storch dispenses with a turret as the vehicle is essentially one big turret able to revolve one clock position (30º) per turn.

The tripod design would be far too advanced for modern engineering, were it not for the fortuitous discovery of an ancient Martian tripod in the desert city of Dioscuria, a model which itself was based on an even more ancient design dating from the time of the Vulcanians.

Typical deployment is three Storch per kompanie, though some experiments are being done with other unit configurations.  Besides the crew of two, each tripod also has a dedicated engineer, who remains in the rear with the unit's support troops when the tripods go into action.