Infantry and Infantry Carriers (APCs) are the backbone of any vehicular military unit. Popular opinion has it that infantry is almost totally useless against vehicles, and especially against 'Mechs, but actual combat situations have almost invariably proved this myth to be false.
         Infantry Carriers are not fighting vehicles, for their main function is to transport infantry squads from one battle to another. Although most APCs mount weapons, these are usually only for defense against other infantry units. In most cases, the infantrymen will dismount from the vehicle and fight on foot rather than be trapped under fire in an armored personnel carrier.
         Each of the four basic types of APCs has its own individual function on the battlefield. The wheeled APC is used mostly in city fighting, because wheels are best-suited for roads and light cross-country movement. Tracked APCs are used mostly in heavy cross-country terrain, such as broken or hilly regions. Hover carriers are used in deserts and snow plains, because they can move quickly over such terrain. VTOL carriers can be seen almost anywhere, though are somewhat less common than their ground hugging cousins due to expense and fragility of their lift equipment.

         Armored Personnel Carriers are among the least complex and sturdiest vehicles available. They do not require any special equipment to repair, and a communicator is the fanciest piece of equipment they carry.
         The APC's weapons are usually minimal in order to increase the number of men the vehicle can transport. Moreover, the small size of the vehicles dictates that any weapons mounted be light ones.
         Wheeled APCs tend to be cheaper to build, and they carry more armor than the other two types. Their cross-country mobility is limited, however. Tracked APCs are more expensive to build, but can operate in a wider variety of terrains. Hover APCs tend to sacrifice armor protection for speed. Though restricted to travel in open areas, the hover carrier is the vehicle of choice for any commander who wants his units to be able to respond rapidly. The VTOL is the most mobile, but their fragile lift equipment and costs keeps them less common.
         Modern carriers have communications equipment that allows their men to keep in touch when away from the vehicle. These communications sets may be of almost any type, from personal communicators to long-range systems.

         APCs are used on every planet, by every major government from city to interstellar empire, and are by far the most common armed and armored (even if only lightly) military vehicle any soldier is likely to see on a daily basis.