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Includes all Air, Sea & Special units/structures.




Introduction



This guide is current for ZK stable version 1.2.4.11.

Setokaiva here, from the game Zero-K and from the zero-k.info site. I have taken up writing a series of detailed overviews about specific units and structures, this page is dedicated to housing these guides for easy viewing. Credit goes to KingRaptor for putting in the initial unit pictures which also showed me how to put in the rest!

This guide has been split into two parts because an earlier error stemming from having everything packed into one wiki entry made it unreadable. This one only contains Air, Sea & Special units/structures for now; the original one now contains all Ground units including Striders. Here are links to the Ground units guide for quick reference;

Ground Units & Striders

* Link to Manual *
http://zero-k.info/Wiki/SpecificUnitGuides

* Link to Wiki *
http://code.google.com/p/zero-k/wiki/SpecificUnitGuides

Structures & Statics

* Link to Manual *
http://zero-k.info/Wiki/StructuresAndStatics

* Link to Wiki *
http://code.google.com/p/zero-k/wiki/StructuresAndStatics

Table of Contents




<wiki:comment> ^ This inserts the table of contents.</wiki:comment>

Details



This is a simple run-down list. I first list the details of the Factory, then the specific units within that factory along with their stats. Some units will have special stats, others will not.

* Decloak Radius * -- This is used for any cloak-capable unit. It is the minimum distance in which an enemy unit must enter or otherwise be brought within to cause the unit to break cloak. Different units have differing Decloak Radius; Sniper bots are somewhat easy to spot, while you have to pretty much be on top of them to spot an Infiltrator or Flea.

* Flight Altitude * -- This is used for Flying units only. It denotes the amount of distance units a given aircraft will fly above ground level when in normal movement conditions. Low-fly units will get hit by ground defenses such as Stardust and generally tend to soak up more damage, while high-flyers can avoid most ground fire and will only get hit by AA. Some units (such as Vulture or Hawk) fly high enough not to get hit by short-range flex-AA units (such as Scalpel).

* Radar Stealth * -- This only applies to Swifts, Drones, Claws & Vultures. This makes them invisible to radar, requiring line of sight to detect.

----------------


Gunships


<br>

Anyone used to the idea of attack choppers and aerial transports will feel right at home with Gunships. This fac offers units that fill a wide range of roles; close-air support, anti-air vanguard, tactical guided bomb drones and of course transport fliers. It is a solid choice, especially as a second fac for support purposes but it is also mostly shut down quite easily by AA, so it is also a popular 'Noobtrap' -- where new players tend to go Gunships and usually get shot down in short order. It takes a little practice to know which Gunship to make to fit the situation, and how to properly use them in battle. This section is dedicated to such tips, so enjoy.

----------------


Crane


<br>
Class Construction Aircraft
Metal 220Reclaim88
HP 240
Speed 6Flight altitude80
Mass/Weight 130Size2
Resource production 0.12
Build power 4Build range40
Sight range 380

This constructor is used by both Planes and Gunships.

----------------


Blastwing


<br>
Class Bomb Drone
Metal 55
HP 100
Speed 8.2Flight Altitude 30
Sight Range 380
Decloak Radius 75
* Shrapnel Bomb * (suicide weapon)
Damage 250 (Base; variable due to shrapnel)
AoE 256

Blastwings are flying drones armed with a small explosive charge; while the basic explosion deals only small damage, the craft itself will fragment into several pieces of shrapnel which are propelled using the direction and speed the Blastwing was flying when it died. This creates a 'shotgun' effect that must be taken advantage of to get the full effect of the bomb drone. Unfortunately, however, grouping these together to form a more effective blast is NOT recommended as they chain-explode terribly if one is shot down.

Blastwings also cloak when stationary, allowing you to hide your bomb drones from view until you need them, or set them in an area to act as a security camera. Being one of the fastest and cheapest units in the Gunship factory they make a very serviceable scout unit. Using them as an offensive force is often cost-prohibitive as they are fairly easy to counter, though they do provide tactical strike capability against priority targets.

* Effective *
vs. Economy Blastwings can be used to good effect against mexes, wind generators, nanoturrets and other early economic/logistical infrastructure.
vs. Ground Packs of Blastwings can be used to shatter a Skirmisher group by running into them and exploding, though you need to be very careful about AA cover of any kind.
As bait for Alpha-strike High-burst damage AA like Hacksaws are useless against Blastwings. Throwing one ahead of you to soak up missile fire is a good move.
As early warning system Since Blastwings cloak when stationary, they can be hold-fired and set to an area to provide rudimentary overwatch, though their sight range is poor.
* Counters *
Defender Missile towers can pick off up to 3 Blastwings easily before they even get close.
AA All forms of anti-air can deal with Blastwings efficiently due to their low health, but it is recommended you stick to high-ROF AA units like Gremlins, Archangels and fighters.

----------------


Gnat


<br>
Class Light Paralyzer Drone
Metal 90Reclaim 36
HP 350
Speed 7.5Flight Altitude 78
Sight Range 380
* Light Electro-Stunner *
Damage 600 (EMP)
Paralyzetime 1
Reloadtime 1.2
Range 80

These brittle drones pack a potent EMP gun, allowing them to stun whatever they're firing at given enough time and shots. Since they are cheap they can be mass-produced, but they are also weak as a result and easily brought down. Still, they remain a highly popular unit and a very dangerous threat in many situations, as any unprepared enemy will find out if he is suddenly taken surprise by paralyzer drones without adequate AA coverage. Since they are both an EMP-equipped unit and a flier, they combo well with many units and mix into strategies smoothly. Just remember to stay far, far away from AA unless you're deliberately trying to overwhelm him.

* Effective *
vs. Ships Gnats can stun early ships before he has a Shredder out, and take 1 hit from a Skeeter's missile before popping. Good choice.
vs. Anything EMP is generally great against anything, as long as you can swing it without losing all your drones.
* Combos *
Banshees Gnats and Banshees make a very good combo; the Gnats stun enemy units and defenses, making them sitting ducks.
Anything Who doesn't like EMP? Well, your enemy, maybe. If you can find a way to get gnats in without losing a ton, do it.
* Counters *
AA Most forms of AA can defeat Gnats, as long as your AA doesn't get stunned first. Try flak, fighters, long-range missiles & Razor.

----------------


Banshee


<br>
Class Raider Gunship
Metal 220Reclaim 100
HP 860
Speed 6.5Flight Altitude 100
Sight Range 500
* Light Laserbeam *
Damage 6.83DPS62
Reloadtime 0.11
Range 240

The Banshee is a raider and surgical strike gunship. It flies at an amazing clip of 6.5, which it can use to good effect taking advantage of openings and vulnerable enemy units and structures whenever they present themselves. They are very expensive and vulnerable, however, and most units can engage them on even footing, including other Raiders and most Riot units. Dedicated AA pretty much posts a 'no-fly zone' for Banshees.

Early in the game, Banshees make themselves very useful as long as the opposing team didn't get Fighters. They can easily keep up with and destroy scouts and probing raiders, and be a considerable threat to some early assault units. Banshees in any sort of group above 1 can take out early Defenders and LLT's and any mexes or econ they were protecting, though you will want to run like hell if you see a Razor. Try not to lose your Banshees -- at least not too often -- when in enemy territory, because you are effectively giving him a significant amount of metal in reclaim well within his zone of control. An enemy can put up pretty much any kind of static AA and preclude all your Banshees from entering its range, due to their low HP and DPS relative to what the AA can dish out.

So what conclusion should we draw from all this? *Only attack vulnerable targets.* Use them to patrol yours and your allies territory to stop Fleas from infiltrating you, take down sneaky Scythes, intercept some Raiders, attack enemy Skirmishers and Artillery outside the range of his Riots, Raiders & AA, help in bringing down inaccurate Assaults, all sort of close-air support roles this baby can easily fill. It's not as useful as a raider gunship in the late game because by then there are usually combat air patrols of Hawks flying around, which is a death sentence for Banshees. Best to move up to heavier gunships. I should probably point out, however, that the Banshee isn't limited to attacking ground; its accurate laser can actually target air units as well. You can use your Banshees to focus on enemy Banshees, for example, or deal the last bit of damage to a Black Dawn or Brawler. I am also told they can beat Rapiers for cost if you use at least an equal amount vs. them and diligently use focus fire. *Credit: GoogleFrog* If you do engage in such a battle, try and lure him over an area of terrain that you can safely get to with constructors because there is going to be a lot of good reclaim sitting around for the taking.

All in all, the Banshee is a wonderful little fast-attack gunship that allows you to quickly respond to enemy raids or vulnerabilities before they can muster an adequate response. They become much less effective on the offense in the late game (that is, if he has enough proper AA), but that is what we have the other gunships for, right?

* Effective *
vs. Raiders Banshees are perfect for eliminating isolated Raider units that might be looking for a back door or for just in general.
vs. Economy/Infrastructure Being a Raider gunship, they're great for taking out vulnerable enemy installations early; and as you get more and more the list of easy targets just keeps climbing. Still, watch for AA.
* Combos *
Gnat Ah, the dreaded Gnat/Banshee pairing. The EMP drones stun enemy units, making them easy prey for Banshee swarms.
* Counters *
AA These fast-attack gunships aren't too hot in the HP department, so most dedicated AA can take them out with minimal effort. They are usually in packs, though, so you'll need more and more AA as he gets more and more Banshees.

----------------


Rapier


<br>
Class Multi-Role/AA Gunship
Metal 300Reclaim 120
HP 1100
Speed 3.9Flight Altitude 140
Sight Range 550
* Disruptor Missiles *
Damage 190 + 570 (Slow)
Reloadtime 5
DPS 16
Range 360

Rapiers are multi-role support gunships that can even shoot at other air units; a missing trait from virtually every other conventional flier in that factory. By combining anti-air and anti-ground capabilities they have filled the niche of the 'Balanced' unit, though it suffers quite harshly standing next to virtually any unit dedicated to killing a specific type. You get what you pay for; the ability to engage anything.

Very accurate and with decent speed they can just barely chase down raiders and perform basic attack-and-retreat maneuvers. Heavy fighters are needed to defeat them as they will completely slaughter Swifts, though they can still threaten Hawks when gathered in numbers.

Their design has given rise to the 'Rapier Ball' -- a strategy in which a large amount of Rapiers are gathered together and moved as a group. This tactic can defeat inadequate AA through sheer numbers, though personally I consider it a matter of luck as cost-for-cost AA will trash Rapiers. It is a good defense against Fighters, however, and you can expect a Rapier ball to give that patrol of Hawks a serious run for their money. It's best to keep them supported with your own AA for that purpose, though.

* Effective *
vs. Planes Fighters or other planes wandering next to a significant Rapier ball are in for one hell of a surprise.
vs. Light Ground Whilst Rapiers can kill anything in large numbers, they're more effective vs. lighter units like Raiders due to their tracking missiles; plus they haven't the health to take more than two hits.
* Counters *
Fighters The key here is to outrange them; make passes with Swifts and Hawks, but not close enough for the Rapiers to get a shot off. Fire and maneuver.
Flak Since people tend to group them up, flak cannons from Copperheads and Cobras tend to obliterate Rapiers with their high DPS and AoE.

----------------


Trident


<br>
Class AA Gunship
Metal 270Reclaim 160
HP 1500
Speed 3.8Flight Altitude 110
Mass/Weight 208Size3
Sight Range 660
* Homing Missiles *
Damage 180 x3
Burst rate1.2
AoE 48
Reloadtime 10
Range 750

Tridents exist mainly as a hard-counter to keep the airplane factory from completely hard-countering the entire Gunship roster with their fighter jets. They serve well in this capacity by being more than able to take on Hawks and defeat them in air battle, as well as providing adequate fire support against other gunships or air units that happen to be around.

Their relatively high HP (1500) gives them plenty of survivability, but they also have the absolute lowest speed (3) compared to ANY air unit in the game (including the Krow). Tridents are thus much more difficult to deploy and cannot react to a changing situation as quickly as other units can. These shortcomings add up quickly when you consider their high cost (400) as well, meaning you will want to be quite careful about how you use these and how many you make.

Their reload system is the same as Defender, ie. three independently reloading shots.

* Effective *
vs. Planes Tridents excel at safeguarding gunship fleets from fighter swarms, particularly serving as a hard-counter to Hawks.
* Stratgies/Combos *
Use Terrain Their cringingly-low speed rating makes them extremely vulnerable, as they cannot run away as fast as other gunships if land units give chase (and they can't fire back). Always use cliffs and other terrain to your advantage whenever possible.
* Counters *
Swifts Mainly due to their cheapness, high alpha strike and ability to take 4 shots before dying, Avengers are the most cost-effective means of taking down Tridents for the Airplane factory.
Fast ground units When over open terrain, Tridents practically become sitting ducks for fast raider units and AA; everything from Scorchers to Panthers to Copperheads will pose a serious problem for them.

----------------


Valkyrie


<br>
Metal 80Reclaim 32
HP 300
Speed 10.7Flight Altitude 80
Mass 90
Sight Range 300
Transportation maximum, mass 365Transportation maximum, size 4

Link to a guide on Transport use in the Manual:
http://zero-k.info/Wiki/FeatureTransportAi

The Valkyrie would be the perfect scout if not for the fact that it only had 300 sight range. As it is, it remains the light transport of choice for covering huge distances, with enough speed to outrun air-superiority fighters (but not Swifts). It pops like a soap bubble against AA, though, so you can't send it into a hot LZ like you could Vindicators.

* Combos/Strategies *
Unitnapping Did you know Transports can pick up enemy units? They can! Try using EMP to stun them first, then pick them up for teh lulz.

----------------


Vindicator


<br>
Class Armed Heavy Air Transport
Metal 500Reclaim 200
HP 1100
Speed 8Flight altitude 250
Mass 230
Sight Range 660
* Light Laser Blaster * x2
Damage 10
Reloadtime 0.2
Range 100
* Anti-Air Laser *
Damage 20
Reloadtime 0.4
Range 100

Link to a guide on Transport use in the Manual:
http://zero-k.info/Wiki/FeatureTransportAi

The Vindicator is the premier VTOL Heavy Lift Transport in Zero-K. They can carry any transportable unit in the game from bots to heavy striders, are decently armored and quick over the landscape, and even come equipped with some light weaponry of their own - though it's typically only effective against scouts and light raiders.

These are very useful to have around once the heavy units start rolling out, as they allow you to get them to where they are needed most in the quickest possible manner (barring teleportation with Djinns). They can also be good for rescuing a heavy unit, should they become stunned with EMP or trapped by dirtbags/T-form, or caught away from the frontline when the enemy is advancing. Just be aware of enemy AA; it's HP does not mean it is invincible, and it will die very quickly to enemy fighters or air defense of any kind.

Amusingly, it can also pick up allied or enemy units as well; you can use this to your advantage if you combine them with, say, Gnats or another EMP unit to stun an enemy, then bring in a Vindicator to haul it off. Just don't fly them over your defense line or anything else you don't want the enemy to see; I'm pretty sure they still have line of sight of their kidnapped units.

Any aerial transport is going to have one hell of a time trying to pick up a unit on the move, so beware; only try and pick up something that is standing still, or they will simply follow behind a moving unit until it does. This can lead to the loss of a Vindicator when trying to nab an enemy unit, which is a VERY bad thing because they cost so much.

* Combos/Strategies *
Unitnapping Did you know Transports can pick up enemy units? They can! Try using EMP to stun them first, then pick them up for teh lulz. Don't fly them over anything you don't want the enemy to see, though!

----------------


Brawler


<br>
Class Assault/Skirmish Gunship
Metal 760Reclaim 304
HP 2800
Mass/Weight 322Size3
Speed 3.7Flight Altitude 210
Sight Range 480
* Heavy Pulse EMG *
Damage 15 x 4 (60)
AoE 40
Reloadtime 0.45
Range 650

The Brawler is an Assault/Skirmish gunship, it fits into the 'Medium' unit class quite well with being able to take moderate AA fire and have a decent speed. Unfortunately the cost to field several of these may make you have an aneurysm. Thankfully it is definitely worth the cost, though there is currently still some confusion over which is better to get; the Brawler, or the Black Dawn which only has a 140 metal cost difference and probably has more firepower. Well I am here to tell you that the iconic Brawler is still holding strong and kicking ass where it matters.

It is armed with twin heavy energy machine guns that have a somewhat high DPS of 133; the bad news is that they are sort of inaccurate, meaning the further the Brawler is from its target the more its shots will spread out and the less chance it has of hitting something. It still manages to dish out quite a bit of punishment even when at its impressive max range of 650, though, so it's not a unit to underestimate in any case. Their range lets them maintain distance from common gunship killers like Maces, Banishers & Scalpels and pound them pretty much unchallenged, also meaning you can keep it comfortably back with your own forces so it's not hard to protect at all. Still, all dedicated anti-air will still badly outrange and out-DPS it, so you shouldn't go flying into heavily contested airspace. They are good for knocking out most common defense structures; their flying nature and ability to strafe lets them dodge heavy laser tower fire completely, stay just out of the range of most of his Defenders, and pound LLT's and Stardusts into submission in short order.

Notice all the emphasis I put on maintaining your distance? The Brawler is NOT a cheap unit, 760 Metal is one hell of a hefty loss if you are careless with it -- its range allows it to stay largely safe and still remain combat-effective, so *use it.* Keep it away from swarms of enemy fighters, away from long-range AA, away from Flak cannons, away from anything that could possibly bring it down too quickly. You want to attack targets where you can use your range and DPS to quickly kill them, advance if necessary but do so cautiously. Avoid Fighter groups at all costs unless you've got Rapiers tagging along, and even then be careful.

* Effective *
vs. Cloaky/Shield bots You can pretty much shred them without fuss, though a mass of Gremlins can still be a problem (plus you won't see them till they start firing due to their cloak). Against Vandals just ration your health and run as necessary.
vs. Statics Brawlers work well for peeling away layers of low-tier static defenses, though you'll want to be very careful about AA emplacements.
* Counters *
Long-range AA A smart Brawler user knows to maximize his range so as to avoid taking unnecessary risks. But most AA has far superior range nonetheless, so judicious use of long-ranged AA (like Chainsaws) is effective.
Fighters I almost didn't want to jot this down because Brawlers are such effective runners, but meh. Fighters can bring down an isolated Brawler and his buddies easily if they catch him without support.

----------------


Black Dawn


<br>
Class Riot/Skirmish Gunship
Metal 900Reclaim 360
HP 3400
Speed 4.5Flight Altitude 150
Sight Range 585
* Rocket Volley *
Damage 220 x 8 (1760)
AoE 96
Reloadtime 9
Range 300

A unit with as intimidating a name as its damage potential, the Black Dawn fits comfortably into the hit-and-run sector by trading the sustained fire of its brother the Brawler for a devastating burst attack that utterly trashes everything from dense groups of ground forces to single heavies. They have more than enough HP and speed to be a serious thorn in any enemies side, but they have one major con; they're * EXPENSIVE. *

A single Black Dawn will eat up 900 Metal, and is a very tempting target for both resurrection and reclaim, so use it wisely. I hope you have some plan for defense if your enemy has any respectable amount of Fighters, as well, because those will mercilessly chase down and punish these short range gunships no matter where they run or hide. Really, one of the biggest weaknesses of the Black Dawn is that it's range is pitiful -- it needs to be practically on top of its target to release its rockets, meaning it can be chopped to bits both on its way to its target and on the retreat. Even seeding an area with several Razors is bound to pose a problem for them. Whenever possible use your terrain advantage by flying where most units can't get to you, like for example the large central area and cliffs on Folsom Dam maps.

An interesting tidbit about the BD is that it is not limited to ground units. They can also unleash their volley of rockets on air targets, namely Gunships. I've seen it used to good effect against Krows and on Rapier Balls.

* Effective *
vs. Ground The BD's massive burst damage is brutal against most ground units, be they single heavies or clusters of lighter ones.
* Counters *
Copperhead/Crasher Chases the BD down and avoids its fire whilst pounding it.
Archangel Kills you dead before you can even retreat.
Chainsaw Deathtrap for Black Dawns, leaves very little room to maneuver.
Fighters BD has to get ahead of his AA to be useful. Wide opening for a takedown.

----------------


Krow


<br>
Class Flying Fortress
Metal 4500Reclaim 1800
HP 17500
Mass/Weight 886Size5
Speed 3.3Flight Altitude 120
Sight range 633
* Laserbeam * x3
Damage 38.75DPS194
Reloadtime 0.2
Range 450
* Cluster Bomb *<br> (manual)
Damage 18750<br> (250 x 75)
Reloadtime 30
Range 10

A massive flying fortress equipped with three turreted laser cannons that cover it from every angle and a generous supply of carpet bombs it can drop beneath it to create a wide swathe of destruction, the Krow is a unit that is sure to bring the full attention of your enemy. While it moves fairly slow and is outrageously expensive even by heavy unit standards, it is well worth the cost because it can both take an incredible amount of punishment and deliver catastrophic amounts of damage in a very short amount of time. When a Krow shows up on the scene, things get really quiet really fast.

If your team hasn't been using that many air units so far, the enemy might not have built enough AA to take down the Krow, but they're damn sure going to start as soon as they see one, so make the first entrance count. Aim for things like commanders, heavy defenses, other expensive and heavy units and factories. The real damage comes from your cluster bombs, so save those for the high health targets you need dead right now.

Krows work even better on large maps because the enemy has to spread out his AA or risk a devastating flyover that could wipe out everything he owns. The mere presence of a Krow on the battlefield basically makes your enemies drop everything and get several heavy AA emplacements, which can take away from what he has to send at you ground-wise. The best part is that the Krow can take enormous damage so it can steamroll anything too inadequate to bring it down.

* Wins *
vs. Ground Krows can defeat both light and heavy ground forces efficiently with its lasers and bombs.
vs. Assets Krows are perfect for flying in and destroying really important structures like fusions and shield generators.
* Counters *
* LOTS * of AA Whilst it can defeat most AA efforts, very heavy concentrations of mobile or static AA are to be avoided.
Screamer A Screamer site will eat over half a Krows health before it even gets in range. I don't need to tell you that SUCKS, if you're the owner.
Fighters Fighter groups pose a serious problem for a Krow, though it has more than enough armor to retreat most times.

----------------


Airplanes


<br>

Created by the Airplane Factory, here we have an assortment of fixed-wing aircraft ranging from multi-role strike fighters, precision bombers & flying lightning generators to radar planes. Typically whenever someone says they are going 'Air' they mean Planes, and will typically start in the back row.

Planes are a very difficult fac to learn and properly use. You must carefully balance Bomber production vs. Fighters, wisely pick targets for bombing runs, and learn to not waste all your bombs at once on a jumper among other things. Some situations might arise when it's a good idea to stop making aircraft altogether (such as when he has so much AA your attacks are ineffective), but in general planes are good for pretty much any situation as long as they are used wisely. So here is my rundown on the various fixed-wing aircraft available.

----------------


Crane


<br>
Class Construction Aircraft
Metal 220Reclaim88
HP 240
Speed 6Flight altitude80
Mass/Weight 130Size2
Resource production 0.12
Build power 4Build range40
Sight range 380

This constructor is used by both Planes and Gunships.

----------------


Swift


<br>
Class Multirole Stealth Fighter
Metal 150Reclaim60
HP 360
Speed 13Flight Altitude 200
Sight Range 520
Radar stealth
* Manual Ability: * Afterburners<br> (5x speed for 1 sec)
* Mini Laser Blaster *
Damage 7.2
Reloadtime 0.2
Range 700
* Guided Missiles *
Damage 135
AoE 48
Reloadtime 5.2
Range 530

Swifts (aka. Avengers) are sleek multi-role strike fighters equipped with a guided missile launcher for dealing with aerial threats and a simple rapid-fire laser blaster that can target both air and ground units. They function primarily as fast interceptors, well able to deal with enemy flying transports, bombers, and gunships. They do much better when in numbers, but even with the recent HP buff to 400 they are very fragile and easily brought down, so stay away from AA as much as possible. Their laser blaster lets them harass and in numbers destroy ground targets, especially infiltrating Fleas and other weak raiders. However, they fly perilously close to their target so they can be shot when performing a strafing run. Be careful.

Typically, Swifts are the first things to roll off the production lines for most Air players. They are perfect as early scouts and raiders, checking what factories the enemy side has built, spotting a rush or early Geothermal point grab, destroying early aerial constructors, and harassing expansion by killing the odd wind generator or metal extractor (If they have no fighters/AA or Defenders yet, that is). They are not seen often later in the game by reason of their general inferiority to Hawks as an air killer, but they remain a popular unit for some and a viable option most of the time. Used properly, they are a wonderfully fun unit. Plus they look cool!

Their biggest difference from Hawks in the air theater is their primary weapon -- guided missiles instead of lasers. This means they can shoot even when they aren't facing their target and still hit reliably. Hawks are notorious for becoming ineffective once enemy Fighters have locked on their tail since they can only shoot forwards.

* Effective *
vs. Scouts Swifts are great for taking out enemy scouts before they see anything.
vs. Raiders In decent numbers, Swifts can defeat most light ground raiders easily.
vs. Air Being the fastest unit in the skies, Swifts can respond almost instantly to aerial incursions. Good vs. Gunships and Bombers.
vs. Hawks Since you can make 2 Swifts for the cost of 1 Hawk, you have numbers. Fight carefully to minimize losses.
* Combos *
Bombers A popular tactic is to send a Swift ahead as a decoy to draw AA fire, giving friendly bombers an opening. Works best on alpha strike-reliant AA, like Hacksaws.
Hawks Swifts can work in tandem with Hawks, peeling units off their six and lending fire support against some ground.
* Counters *
Hawks Heavy fighters still outclass Swifts if they can get a bead. Don't let them on your six.
AA Any type of AA will deal with Swifts efficiently. Defenders need more than three hits now, though.

----------------


Hawk


<br>
Class Air Superiority Fighter
Metal 300Reclaim 120
HP 1000
Speed 7.6Flight Altitude 220
Sight Range 750
* Anti-Air Laser Battery *
Damage 9.8DPS98
AoE 12
Reloadtime 0.1
Range 800

An outstanding scout as well as air superiority fighter, the Hawk (aka. Vamp) is the go-to aircraft of choice when it comes to dealing with any type of airborne threat. Equipped with a powerful laser battery, a sophisticated optical sensor suite, powerful engines and durable armor, it is indeed at the top of its class. They are built to withstand a modicum of punishment and defeat every type of unit that dares invade the skies. Hawks slow down to 50% of normal movement speed when firing their weapons, causing them to be poor at chasing down some targets but also meaning more shots in a single pass.

No self-respecting Air player should be without Hawks; unless of course the enemy has no air for whatever reason. They are essential for defending your airspace, so don't skimp. Build them until you have achieved air superiority, and maintain it vigorously. I recommend assigning a 'retreat at X HP' state so that they can peel off as necessary for repairs. Hawks are also quite stupid and will run into enemy AA at first occasion, especially if set on patrol. If you have no time to micro them, set their move order to Hold Position; this way they will not break off the patrol route to die in enemy AA.

* Effective *
vs. Air Any type of air unit is the Hawk's prey. Almost nothing outclasses them in terms of damage and efficiency. However, a large swarm of Rapiers or Tridents can be very deadly, especially if you slam into it, so try to micro your Hawks to avoid clashing with gunships.
* Combos *
Swift Hawks can work in tandem with Swifts to take down air, plus the Swifts can target ground. Also, Swifts have more chances of killing bombers BEFORE they drop the bomb.
* Counters *
Fighters Fighter dogfights can get ugly, but they follow each other everywhere and kill efficiently.
AA Most types of AA can kill Hawks quickly, though they have some armor to stay in the fight longer.
Rapiers Pesky AA gunship has quite a punch, and 3-4 of them would 1-shot a Hawk if it gets close. With decent micro they can make cost (assuming Hawks are not micro'd)
Gnat Gnats have limited applicability (only in banshee ball) but can occasionally stun Hawks, and let banshees deal with them easily.

----------------


Phoenix


<br>
Class Napalm Bomber
Metal 360Reclaim160
HP 650
Speed 8Flight Altitude 180
Sight Range 660
* Napalm Bombs *
Damage 375 (25 x 15)
Afterburn DPS 15
Afterburn duration 7-10s
AoE 216
Reloadtime 10
Range 500

A classic and dependable bomber, the Phoenix carries a devastating payload of incendiary munitions to attack ground-based units and installations. Fire tends to do the bulk of damage over time; basically, it 'sticks' to enemy units and drains their health for a time after they've been hit. So even if you don't kill them on the initial run the fire can oftentimes take care of the rest for you.

Once a Phoenix 'attacks', it begins quickly dropping its bombs in sequence to carpet bomb the ground. Normally, it will immediately begin to head back to the nearest repair & rearm pad the second it starts bombing, which results in an elliptical pattern of fire on the ground; this works well for when targets are more spread out and also aids in avoiding some AA fire. I believe there's a widget somewhere that allows you to toggle this behavior on/off in case you want them to bomb in a straight line, but I forget which. You can also manually add a move order along its current path to achieve the straight line effect.

Always remember this; if you try and bomb something directly perpendicular to his line, your bombers will take that much longer to peel off and run back, exposing them longer to AA fire. When possible, approach from more of an angle so they don't have to pull a 180 degree turn to reach the safety of allied forces.

* Effective *
vs. Clusters Napalm bombers are notorious for wiping out dense packs of enemy units, particularly weak ones like lines of skirmishers or groups of scouts/raiders or similar.
vs. Statics/Econ/Infrastructure The Phoenix is a reliable bomber for the harassment and destruction of non-hardened enemy emplacements and structures.
vs. Cloaking The Phoenix' wide area AoE potential coupled with its fire damage makes it a powerful weapon to discourage cloakers. Once they're tagged, they stay revealed for a little bit after and take additional damage.
* Counters *
AA/Fighters Derp.

----------------


Raven


<br>
Class Precision Bomber
Metal 300Reclaim 120
HP 1100
Mass/Weight 234Size3
Speed 7.8Flight Altitude 220
Sight Range 660
* Guided Bomb *
Damage 800
AoE 32
Reloadtime 5
Range 80

A much-feared and respected bomber from the Airplane Factory, the Raven (aka. Shadow) is a dependable, cost-effective way to deal with medium to heavy units and structures as well as being famous for sniping Commanders. The Raven flies directly over it's target and, with it's trademark sound, drops a bomb which has some ability to self-correct it's path, hence the name 'Guided Bomb'.

Its main problem lies in the fact that it has to be directly over its target to have any effect, and even if it does drop its bomb there's always the chance the target might not actually be destroyed -- Ravens become less and less efficient as the enemy gets heavier units. Make every bombing run count.

Sometimes if you want to bomb anything without taking losses it is necessary to send a decoy unit ahead to soak up enemy fire, thereby making it safe to proceed. This is especially true with Hacksaws, Anglers and other alpha-reliant AA. Swifts are ideal for this task.

Ravens have the unique ability to 'Dive Bomb', which causes the bomber to fly low before it drops its bomb. By default, Ravens will do this if their target is protected under a shield, even a small one such as a Thug might use. This renders them quite vulnerable to most ground units, but it's a good way to deal with shield generators. Note that the Ravens will only do this if the shield would actually block the bomb; if the shield is weak enough, the bomber remains at max height and the bomb will just drop right through it. *Credit: GoogleFrog*

Another interesting feature of the Raven is that it can actually *attack air units* -- that's right, if you can line it up right a Raven can effectively drop its bomb on enemy gunships. Planes remain far too fast for that, of course, but this means that Ravens can be used in a pinch to help bring down heavy gunships like Brawler, Black Dawn or Krow. The Banshees and Rapiers are pretty much immune since they are likely to shoot down the bomber. The best way to do this is to issue an Attack Area order (Alt+A) to the Raven(s) encompassing the general area your targets are located in.

* Effective *
vs. Specialists/Assets I refer to the fragile yet dangerous units like Dominatrix, Penetrator and Pillager. Make these a priority. Assets include high-value economic and special targets like Fusions, Missile Silos and Anti-nukes.
vs. Submerged Ravens can target submarines and amphibious units, and quite effectively I might add. They are one of the best counters for sniper subs.
vs. Commanders Eats unguarded coms for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Recon coms may jump, though, so try to fly over to make him use the jump prematurely and then bomb.
* Counters *
Fighters Both Swifts and Hawks represent a quick death to Ravens. Don't go anywhere near them if you can help it.
AA Most forms of AA are effective vs. Ravens, but particularly long-ranged or high-damage ones like Hacksaws.
Cloak Ravens have very little AoE to speak of, so they are nearly useless vs. cloaked mobile targets, unlike the Phoenix and Thunderbird.

----------------


Thunderbird


<br>
Class Disarming Lightning Bomber
Metal 550Reclaim 280
HP 1000
Speed 9Flight altitude 180
Sight range 660
* Lightning Generator *
Damage 54000 (675 x 80, Disarm)
Disarm time 15
AoE 192
Range 730

The Thunderbird (aka. Stiletto) is a special bomber that unleashes a literal storm of Disarm bolts that strike the ground below it, disarming any and all units caught in its path. By default it hits in a straight line for 730 range, but you can order it to move after it has begun to generate lightning to create more of an elliptical pattern. The amount of Disarm damage this thing can dish out is absolutely staggering, you will have no trouble at all disarming everything from heavy units to entire armies of smaller ones with only one or two well-placed runs.

Thunderbirds are an asset; a game-changer. All it takes is the right angle, the right timing, and you can turn a seemingly untenable situation around in an instant. Unfortunately, your enemy often knows that too, so it's difficult to get the perfect shot lined up most of the time without getting shot down. If you can manage it, though, you will be a hero for your team.

* Effective *
vs. Shield Bots Thunderbirds LOVE nice tight shield balls -- TO DEATH. Watch out for charged Felons and packs of Vandals, though.
vs. Heavies Two runs will put that rampaging Sumo out of action long enough for your buddies to take care of him.
vs. Ships/Hovers Preferably have a decoy for the AA, but the Thunderbird works great for locking down corvette packs etc. Beware, that air is generally useless against sea if there are more than 3 AA ships (Shredders) in the area.
vs. Defense That Annihilator, DDM or line of HLT's gettin' you down? This will take care of it, AA notwithstanding.
* Counters *
AA/Fighters Self-explanatory.

----------------


Wyvern


<br>
Class Singularity Bomber
Metal 2000Reclaim 1000
HP 2360
Speed 9Flight altitude 250
Sight range 660
* Implosion Bomb * (tracking)
Damage 2000
AoE 192
Range 500
Note: This weapon possesses a negative impulse factor; this means that units will be pulled toward the site of the blast, rather than pushed away

The Wyvern (aka. Licho) is a rarely-seen but fearsome fixed-wing bomber from the Airplane Factory; rarely-seen because it costs a whopping 2000 metal, and fearsome because it packs a laser-guided bomb that deals a massive amount of damage in an area and literally throws any survivors far from the blast radius. This coupled with the fact that it has a fat amount of HP -- over twice what the Raven has -- makes it a very difficult bomber to take down, and when properly deployed it is a deathbringer.

This high-tech bomber is specifically designed to avoid most light to moderate AA cover and strike at clusters of enemy units. Its implosion bomb has a considerable amount of AoE and deals enough damage to blast a pack of skirmishers, artillery or anything else not protected by heavy AA straight to hell.

* Effective *
vs. Groups The AoE on this thing is quite impressive, so make good use of it decimating clusters of enemy units when possible.
vs. Heavy The Wyvern is commonly used to strike heavy enemy targets as well; beyond pure damage, a savvy commander can use the impulse effect of the blast can be used to blow them away or into terrain features.
* Counters *
AA You may need a little more than usual due to its health, but most AA can down Wyverns easily.
Fighters Pretty much ditto, but sometimes Hawks won't be able to chase the Wyvern on the retreat; try Swifts, too.

----------------


Vulture


<br>
Class Stealth Radar/Sonar Plane
Metal 340
Reclaim 136
HP 950
Speed 12
Flight Altitude 250
Radar Stealth
Sight Range 1250
Radar Range 2400
Sonar Range 1200
Energy used 1.5

The Vulture is a spy plane, and one of the most effective intelligence gathering tools in the game - although it can be short-lived if flown anywhere near AA. They pretty much mount both an Advanced Radar and a Sonar installation on their frame, and they've got one of the highest sight ranges, too, making them perfect for keeping you and your allies updated on enemy positions both on the ground and under the ocean waves.

----------------


Amphibious Bots


<br>

The Amphibious Operations factory creates units which bridge the gap between ships and ground forces. They carry a unique array of weaponry, from disruptor cannons to water guns to heavy lasers and, of course, conventional torpedo launchers. Many of the units in this factory are quite slow-moving, but excel on the sea floor relative to ships as they can maneuver much easier. Some of these units possess the 'Float' ability, which basically lets them float to the surface of the water at will to fire their weapons. In this way, Amphibious units can raise to the surface, fire, retreat and repeat.

All Amphibious units possess HP regeneration when immersed in water. The amount of HP regained differs for each unit type.
Conch: 10 HP/s --
Duck: 5 HP/s --
Archer: 40 HP/s --
Buoy: 60 HP/s --
Scallop: 10 HP/s --
Grizzly: 40 HP/s --
Angler: 20 HP/s --
Djinn: 30 HP/s

----------------


Conch


<br>
Class Amphibious Construction Bot
Metal 180Reclaim72
HP 850Water regeneration10 HP/s
Speed 1.7Max slope18Max water depth5000
Mass/Weight 132Size2
Resource production 0.225
Build power 7.5Build range120
Sight range 375Sonar range 400

----------------


Duck


<br>
Class Amphibious Raider Bot
Metal 80Reclaim 72
HP 340Water regeneration5 HP/s
Speed 2.8Max slope18Max water depth5000
Mass/Weight 390Size2
Sight Range 500Sonar Range 400
* Torpedo * (tracking)
Damage 230 (115 x 2)
AoE 32
Reloadtime 3
Range 150 sea / 250 land


----------------


Archer


<br>
Class Amphibious Raider/Skirmish Bot (Land)
Metal 200Reclaim 80
HP 800Water regeneration40 HP/s
Speed 2.5Max slope18
Mass/Weight 411Size2
Sight Range 500Sonar Range 300
* Water Cutter *
Damage 2.6 - 10.4 (variable with watertank)
Impulse Factor 30
AoE 128
Reloadtime 0.1
Range 100 - 300 (variable with watertank)

The Archer's water cannon has a powerful impulse factor; meaning, it can push enemy units around simply by hitting them. You could, for example, keep enemy units at a reasonable distance, or push them into a pond or off a cliff; but that's usually a lucky break.

Always, always try to use these in or near water; not only will they gain greater power to their weapons, but they will regenerate very rapidly as well.

* Effective *
Near terrain features By features, I mean things like cliffs, beaches, pits, hills, and other things - this is on account of their unique weapon, which has a very amusing tendency to push enemy units off a drop, into the ocean, or collide with structures and explode.
vs. Raiders Archers can toss Raiders around like toys; they might not kill them as fast as other units, but they will certainly be more than a match, and keep them at distance effectively.
vs. Battle Units
* Combos *
Buoy Archers can work together with the Buoy to keep enemy units at arms length, allowing the Buoys to field their somewhat inaccurate weaponry without getting crowded.
* Counters *
Air Bombers tear them a new one, and Gunships should be able to give them a hard time, too, though I haven't tested Archers vs. Banshees or Rapiers, personally.
Riot weaponry
Defenses

----------------


Angler


<br>
Class Amphibious AA Bot
Metal 220Reclaim88
HP 1100Water regeneration20 HP/s
Speed 1.6Max slope18
Mass/Weight 390Size2
Sight range 500Sonar range400
* Missile Pack *
Damage 580 (145 x4)
AoE 48
Reloadtime 10Burst rate0.7
Range 800

Anglers are remarkably expensive for their power; together with Defenders, they can take care of most bombers, though not before they drop their bombs. Gunships are at less risk due to their higher HP and ability to retreat, but will still take a pounding.

These AA bots possess the ability to float to the surface of the water if they are submerged, fire their missiles, then drop back down - this is very useful to avoid enemy fire, but be warned they are still vulnerable to pot shots while floating.

* Effective *
vs. Air

----------------


Buoy


<br>
Class Inflatable Amphibious Bot
Metal 300Reclaim 120
HP 1250Water regeneration25 HP/s
Speed 1.4Max slope18Max water depth5000
Mass/Weight 411Size2
Sight Range 500
* Disruption Cannon *
Damage 150/250 (Slow)
AoE 32
Reloadtime 1.8
Range 450

The Buoy is an odd unit by many standards; it is pretty much a hybrid Assault/Skirmisher. Though it has somewhat poor HP in that capacity, it does have the weapon range to fight effectively at skirmish distance. Also, it's cannon inflicts both real damage and slow damage on top, allowing it to bring down faster units nice and easy. Trying to skirmish them is risky as they have comparable range to pretty much any conventional skirmisher, though Recluses can give them a tough time.

They work around their inability to shoot while submerged by floating to the surface of the water to field their cannon. This disables their movement, effectively turning them into pop-up turrets. In this way you can float up, get a few shots off, and retreat back underwater to heal before things get too dicey. Torpedo units are a different story, though.

* Effective *
In General Purpose Buoys can surprise you sometimes with that slow-cannon, making themselves a very annoying unit to your enemy. Their range, versatility and strength makes them a decent all-rounder, though their speed leaves much to be desired.
vs. Skirmishers The firing circle of the Buoy competes with most conventional skirmishers, making it an effective combatant.
vs. Hovers As all submerged units they are generally bad news, but on top of that they can just pop up next to your Penetrator to nail it. Works especially nice with Grizzly popping up first and taking all those pesky Scalpel shots, sniping one then diving down and running away, while Buoys deal the actual damage.
* Counters *
Scalpels These skirmishers can duck into range, fire their missiles, then run before being ripped into pieces.
Amph/Sub Torpedo-equipped units can attack Buoys with impunity in the sea as they have no hope of shooting back.
Raven Precision bombers can kill these amphibious bots easily, though if there's Anglers in the area you can be sure they'll give them a hard time.
Crawling Bombs Ticks or Roaches can deal with Buoys on land, lay as many traps as you can.
Swarmers Any sort of fast swarmy units can kill Buoy effectively on land. Preferably use 3 to 1 odds.

----------------


Scallop


<br>
Class Amphibious Riot Bot (Land), Skirmish Bot (Sea)
Metal 280Reclaim 112
HP 1100Water regeneration10 HP/s
Speed 1.5Max slope18
Mass/Weight 390Size 2
Sight Range 500Sonar Range 500
* Shotgun * (land)
Damage 234 (26 x 9)
AoE 32
Reloadtime 0.9
Range 300
* Undersea Charge Launcher * (sea)
Damage 220 (55 x 4)
Reloadtime 6.0
Range 430

The Scallop is a flexible unit that packs an impact explosive launcher for skirmishes underwater, and a quadruple shotgun for land engagements. It definitely pays the price for all this with its 350 metal cost, but the Scallop is the closest thing the Amphibious Operations factory has to a frontline unit that can stand up to armed ships. It is still mostly outclassed by pretty much every other unit out there, but Scallop packs are deadly when properly deployed -- preferably with Conches to repair and pick up dead Scallops as needed.

On land, things get interesting. Their shotgun can shred anything at close range, including low-flying gunships. However, they have a poor amount of HP to fall back on, making them easily killed at distance. These work best on water maps when you can duck into a pool, lake or river somewhere, heal up with their water regeneration, then jump back in.

* Effective *
vs. Destroyers If you see a few destroyers near the shore, you can lure them into chase with charges, and when they come close to land shred them into pieces with shotguns.
vs. Submerged Scallops can act as a skirmish bot underwater with their charge launcher; even though they're very expensive, they're the closest thing you've got to a mainline unit in that regard.
vs. Ground Scallops trade range for raw upfront damage, which aids them greatly when coming onto a beach to smash defenses. They do well in a melee against other units but only when in range and not outclassed by heavies.
* Combos *
Buoy Provides the necessary slowdown for scallops to use their shotguns on faster targets, while scallops fend off most raiders. Obviously, works on land only.
Aspis Shield walkers can move underwater, so they can form a bulwark to block the majority of explosive charges. Don't use with cloak.
Eraser Cloak everything so you can just walk past his radar/sonar and hit the things that matter. Might want to hit hold fire on your Scallops, though.
* Counters *
Hunter Hit-and-run with these will wreck Scallops. May want to build defense platforms somewhere.
Serpent Sniper subs 1-shot scallops, and make cost in 10 shots. This makes them perfect anti-scallop solution.
Subs In superior numbers, subs kill scallops cost-effectively. And the other way around.
Ducks Underwater Ducks beat Scallops if used from ambush.

----------------


Grizzly


<br>
Class Heavy Amphibious Assault Walker
Metal 2000Reclaim 800
HP 9000Water Regeneration 40 HP/s
Speed 1.6Max slope18
Mass/Weight 621Size4
Sight Range 605
* High-Energy Laserbeam *
Damage 1500
AoE 14
Beam Time 0.8
Reloadtime 6
Range 600

The Grizzly is an all-around classic Heavy unit with loads of armor and a powerful weapon, but compared to most others in its class, it is a bit strange; for one, it packs a powerful mid-range heavy laser which gives it Skirmisher range and then some. It can also engage float mode to rise to the surface of the water when submerged so it can field its laser, then simply drop back underwater to reload and heal and repeat. This makes it a very difficult unit to deal with most of the time through conventional methods, though it does have a rather glaring weakness; its weapon has a fairly long reload (for a battle unit) and is single-target only, making swarm tactics a powerful counter.

* Effective *
vs. Medium/Heavy ground The Grizzly's heavy laser is perfect for sniping units; it both sits at the top of the mid-range spectrum and packs the damage to sit in the heavy category.
vs. Statics The Grizzly can outrange most defenses up to HLT's and it destroys those in 2 shots. Annihilators and DDM's are definitely to be avoided, though.
* Combos *
Scallop These popular amphibious bots work well with Grizzlies both on ground and underwater; their shotgun can take care of swarms of raiders, and their torpedo launchers can threaten subs and other amphibious units.
* Counters *
Cloaking/Infiltrators The amph factory's utter lack of a cheap scout unit makes cloaking a powerful option to get within range easily. Infiltrators are also typically able to tag the Grizzly 100% of the time, though a screen of lighter units is definitely to be avoided if he has one.
Air A classic and generally acceptable response to heavy units. As is typically the case, however, powerful AA always seems to show up in the same factory as the powerful big dogs, so watch out.
Swarmers Surround that thing with lots of raiders. Unless he brought Scallops to run screening detail with their shotguns, you should be able to give him plenty of trouble due to his single-target weapon.
Amph/Subs Torpedo-armed units can harass the Grizzly endlessly underwater without fear of reprisal, unless he was able to afford a sizable force of Scallops to go with it.

----------------


Djinn


<br>
Class Amphibious Teleport Bridge
Metal 800Reclaim 320
HP 2600Water Regeneration30 HP/s
Speed 1.8Max slope18
Mass/Weight 196Size3
Sight Range 300

* Lamp *

HP 1500

A somewhat confusing unit at first, the Djinn is a very expensive unit yet can also be EXTREMELY useful if you plan it right. What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a bonafide Teleporter. The Djinn is capable of instantly transporting units from one location to another, from any distance, for absolutely no resource cost aside from the cost to field the Djinn to begin with. Let's take a look at how this works...

To teleport units, the Djinn must first place a 'beacon' (the Lamp mentioned above) anywhere on the terrain, including underwater. After placing its, beacon a blue line will be drawn from the beacon to the Djinn indicating the teleport path; the circle around the beacon is the area units must enter to be teleported. After the Djinn has reached the position where you wish units to exit, 'deploy' it so it can receive units. Then take the units you want to teleport and right-click on the beacon; they will then be warped to the Djinn one at a time. Now, on to rules of teleporting.

Note that teleporters are strictly 'Point A to Point B', meaning they are one-way; you can only teleport from the beacon to the Djinn, and if you want to go somewhere else you have to set another beacon and move the Djinn elsewhere. You can teleport any land or amphibious unit; you can even have a unit on the beach with a beacon underwater and still be able to teleport. Gunships can teleport as well, though fixed-wing planes cannot; they will simply fly around the beacon on a guard order. One neat trick regarding the beacon; you can queue additional orders such as move/fight after you right-click the beacon and they will carry those orders out as soon as they finish teleporting; this also means you can set a factory rally point to the beacon and then to the desired destination for streamlined teleportation.

The time it takes to teleport a unit depends on its mass; a Blastwing or Dirtbag will be warped almost instantly, whilst a Krow or other large unit will take considerably longer. The formula is: Mass = ((Cost/2 + Health/8)^0.6)*6.5 . Also, you can cloak the generator, its beacon, and the units it is teleporting, but decloak is involved with all 3 units so make sure no enemies are nearby first. *Credit: GoogleFrog* *HOWEVER*, all units will still be radar-jammed, so unless enemy has line of sight on you, you are good to go.

* Combos/Strategies *


----------------


Hovercraft


<br>

One of the three primary sea-pathing factories, Hovercraft in general boast a unique array of powerful specialized weaponry mounted on fragile chassis that hover over the surface of the water, allowing them to operate on both land and sea with equal efficiency. Due to a recent patch, however, Hovercraft are no longer immune to torpedo attacks, so their viability in sea conflicts is in considerable doubt (although with the addition of the Claymore depth charge hovercraft, they have their own edge, as well).

Units range from the armored blockade runner Halberd, to the heavy laser-armed Mace, to the all-powerful Tachyon accelerator-armed Penetrator. As a general rule Hovercraft tend to focus on dealing as much damage as possible in the least amount of time, launching withering hit-and-run attacks and retreating before they get overwhelmed or striking at the most vulnerable spots of an enemies defense -- a job made far easier if the map contains an abundance of water. No Hovercraft's HP goes over even 1300, however, making the whole lot of them very fragile and easy to kill with accurate long-range units like Sniper bots.

A cardinal difference between Hovers, LV's and Tanks over other ground units is propulsion; due to their lack of legs, navigating rough terrain is significantly more difficult. Therefore, they cannot cross sheer terrain of 15 or more, compared to most legged bots which can go up to 30.

----------------


Quill


<br>
Class Construction Hovercraft
Metal 150Reclaim60
HP 800
Speed 2.8Max slope6
Mass/Weight 150Size3
Resource production 0.15
Build power 5Build range140
Sight range 325

----------------


Dagger


<br>
Class Fast Attack Hovercraft
Metal 85Reclaim 34
HP 300
Speed 4.8Max slope6
Mass/Weight 97Size2
Sight Range 360
Morphs to: Halberd (3 Rank, 10s), Mace (3 Rank, 15s)
* Gauss Cannon *
Damage 90
AoE 16
Reloadtime 3
Range 220

The Dagger is unique among Raiders for a few reasons. One, it can go across both water and land, allowing it to strike at virtually any target of opportunity; two, it has a gauss cannon instead of a more conventional weapon, allowing it to hit more than one target at a time if lined up properly; and three, HOLY F%&*!^$ $#!^ IT IS FAST!!!

One thing interesting about this unit is that Gauss weapons have a tendency to rebound off terrain; sometimes, when Daggers fire at enemies, the shot will bounce off the ground underneath them rather than just going straight through, thus dealing double the damage.

Unfortunately, it hasn't got that great of a sight range on its own, making it a fairly poor scout.

* Effective *
vs. Econ Derp.
vs. Raiders It's higher HP combined with its speed allows it to hit-and-run with the best of them, avoiding death whilst chipping away at lighter raiders with ease -- provided you have repairs handy.
vs. Gunships Whilst I don't recommend heavy engagement (especially if they have Gnats), the speed of Daggers and their instant-hit weapons can allow them to deal with some Gunship attacks effectively.
* Counters *

----------------


Scalpel


<br>
Class Skirmisher Hover (Anti-heavy)
Metal 220Reclaim88
HP 680
Speed 2.1Max slope6
Mass/Weight 153Size3
Sight range 484Sonar range 484
Morphs to:<br> Penetrator (20s)
* Heavy Missile Battery *
Damage 620 (310 x 2)
AoE 96
Reloadtime 10.0
Range 450

The Scalpel is a hit-and-run hovercraft armed with a deadly pack of heavy missiles which do considerable damage to almost all enemy targets -- including close-air support gunships. Unlike most skirmishers, this units projectiles are homing, so it is near-impossible to jink away from this one although you can outrun the projectiles easily. Additionally, the missiles also pack some hefty AoE damage, which will blast apart packs of raiders and light units quickly.

It's strengths and weaknesses become clear very quickly. Since it is reliant on alpha-strike, once it has expended it's missiles it becomes quite vulnerable to well-spread raiders such as Skeeters or Daggers on the open sea or most light units on land. It's quite easy to make an entire batch of Scalpels waste their missiles by simply directing one unit into their ranks, leaving them wide open for the rest of your guys during that 10-second reload period. It is quite slow on the retreat and frail so it is easily overrun, making it imperative to cover these as best you can with other units.

Let's get into the juicy stuff, shall we? Discarding the linear targeting arc rule of most other Hovers like the Mace and Halberd, the Scalpel has an arcing projectile, allowing it to fire over the rest of your straight-shooting units. Since Scalpels are very cheap for their power and have homing missiles, they are reliable counters to most commonly used medium rushing units such as Pyros, Panthers and Kodachis if they can do enough damage to kill them before they close the distance. Another interesting thing about the Scalpel is that its missiles are powerful enough to deform the terrain -- yep, you'll see on average a 10 distance unit deep hole if you were to attack ground with them. I've actually buried a Reaper in a hole by shooting it with Scalpels, leaving it vulnerable as can be to the rest of your units. You can use this feature to dig trenches to block off areas of the map, which is made easier by using the Wolverine line fire tactic; use Alt when targeting to draw a line of attack for your Scalpels to fire at. This should be one of the first units you spit out of your Hover fac, as when paired with Daggers it will hold the line against early rushes admirably.

* Effective *
vs. Gunships Usually they don't run away in time and get nailed, making Scalpels decent flex-AA.
vs. Skirmishers Scalpels can destroy nearly all types of skirmishers in only one shot; they can't really miss.
vs. Raiders Only if not in great numbers (or if so packed together), but Scalpels can easily kill these.
vs. Riot/Assault Against slow units, Scalpels can be used like any other skirmisher, ducking in and firing to wear them down.
* Counters *
Raiders Spread them out and send in decoys to draw their fire first. Most raiders can overrun Scalpels when used properly.
Bombers The missiles of the Scalpel are far too slow to catch even a Raven unless it was dive bombing for some reason, let alone a Phoenix.

----------------


Halberd


<br>
Class Blockade runner hover
Metal 240Reclaim 96
HP 1250Armored when not firing: 1/4 damage taken
Speed 3.2Max slope6
Mass/Weight 184Size3
Sight Range 385
* Direct Energy Weapon *
Damage 150DPS 125
AoE 48
Reloadtime 1.2
Range 200

The Halberd is a heavily armored 'Blockade Runner' Hovercraft that is the closest thing hovers have to an Assault class after Maces. They are definitely an interesting unit; when not firing, they button down into their armored hull, gaining 4x damage resistance (effectively meaning 4 times the hit points to wear down), which is why they are called blockade runners -- if you set them to Hold Fire you can run packs of them through enemy defense lines, easily weathering most of the damage, and run straight to his economy at a brisk speed of 3.2. Hallelujah.

Halberds tend to lose out somewhat when used against enemy units; once they have closed range they must open their hulls to fire, meaning they no longer have the damage resistance that kept them alive to even get that close, so they die very quickly if used against superior forces. While they can weather skirmisher fire easily and even block a Tachyon beam (Penetrator, Annihilator) at full health, it's very easy for almost anything to hit them once they've got into knife fight range. Crawling bombs are nasty, too. Halberds are somewhat inaccurate as well so it's best to not use it against fast-moving mobiles, in particular raiders. Best to keep it in armored form as much as possible and look for opportunities to tank through his alpha strike (burst damage) and knock out undefended units.

Halberds are kind of expensive, however, at a hefty 240 Metal a pop -- and as I said before they work best when used in numbers. Luckily, they have no trouble staying alive due to their armor and their speed allows them to traverse land and sea quickly to stab at juicy targets. One thing I want to make clear is that this unit might take some practice to get used to, it's not like traditional assault units that all have high as hell HP without needing the armor (and some even have good speed, like the Reaper), as well as harder-hitting weapons in general. Halberds typically can't hold a candle to a real assault or riot unit without having vastly superior numbers, so don't even think about throwing these up against heavies. Their real use is in their title -- "Blockade Runner".

When used properly, Halberds can be some of the most annoying units to fight. As mentioned above, when gathered in significant numbers they can easily run right through your enemies entire defensive line without losing a unit, and run straight to the undefended Geos, Fusions and other vulnerable structures, blow them up, go back into armored form and head to the next one. They are very vulnerable against air units (in particular Gunships), however, as they can easily keep up with Halberds and pour on the DPS, just waiting patiently for them to drop their guard for a quick kill. In spite of all this it's usually very difficult for him to kill all the Halberds before they manage to do serious damage to his infrastructure. You get plenty of freedom to pick your battles and your targets with this one, so use it wisely.

* Effective *
vs. Alpha strike (Burst damage) Halberds in armored form can shrug off hits from units that only fire once every several seconds or so; they can withstand a direct hit from a Tachyon accelerator without dying
vs. Defenders/Defense Halberds can be used to attract the fire of a group of missile towers, thus making it safe to send in the rest of your forces
* Counters *
Air Halberds don't have much of a chance against gunships or bombers; their armor is the only thing that saves them, so keep them that way and run back for help if possible
Raiders/Assaults/Riots As soon as Halberds break armored form, they become exceedingly vulnerable. Don't use them against any enemy with strong continuous damage

----------------


Claymore


<br>
Class Anti-sub Hovercraft
Metal 330Reclaim120
HP 1000
Mass/Weight 184
Speed 3.3Size3Max slope6
Sight Range 385Sonar Range300
* Depth Charge *
Damage 900
AoE 290
Reloadtime 8
Range 270

----------------


Mace


<br>
Class Riot/Battle Hover
Metal 400Reclaim 160
HP 1200
Mass/Weight 215Size3
Speed 2.1Max slope6
Sight Range 407
* High-Intensity Laserbeam *
Damage 30.43DPS304.3
AoE 8
Reloadtime 0.1
Range 355

The Mace is an interesting unit; some people even refer to it as a 'mobile laser tower'. It's weapon is, of course, the main attraction, a pure, sustained beam of shiny green light that readily destroys both surface and air targets. It's often looked on as somewhat overpowered as a result, though it's health isn't all that impressive (though about what you'd expect for a Riot unit).

Maces are often seen in a rush due to their insane upfront damage, allowing them to lay waste to nearly anything else, though nearly all Skirmishers can deal with them efficiently. Its definitely a risk as 400 metal is an awful lot to go to waste if things go south.

* Effective *
vs. Surface These heavy riot Hovers can kill almost anything, given enough time with their laser. They work best against light units since heavier ones can scrap them easily.
vs. Gunships Maces are reliable flex-AA, able to defeat most varieties of common Gunships.
* Counters *
Heavies Use high-HP and advanced units to defeat Maces efficiently.
Skirmishers You can reliably kite a Mace as long as you're not using a slow skirmisher like the Recluse.

----------------


Flail


<br>
Class AA Hover
Metal 300Reclaim 200
HP 1300
Speed 3.54Max slope6
Mass/Weight 200Size3
Sight Range 385
* Medium SAM *
Damage 375
AoE 64
Reloadtime 5
Range 800

The Flail is slightly unique among AA units in that it uses what I like to call <wiki:comment>'Starlight' or -- please don't use names of existing units for out-of-game stuff; Starlight is an endgame laser so calling Flail missiles that may confuse newbies who read the guide. Thanks!</wiki:comment> 'Javelin' missiles; they start by flying straight up to gain altitude, then they fly towards their target. They also possess a small AoE effect, making them good against clusters of gunships; best not to pack those Gnats too close or they might all pop before you know what hit them.

* Effective *
vs. Air Duh...
* Counters *
Raiders

----------------


Penetrator


<br>
Class Mobile Tachyon Accelerator (Artillery/Anti-Heavy)
Metal 1000Reclaim 400
HP 1000
Speed 2.4Max slope6
Mass/Weight 304Size3
Sight Range 660
* Tachyon Accelerator *
Damage 3000
AoE 20
Reloadtime 20.0
Range 1020

Penetrators are lightly-armored Hovercraft that glide gracefully over land and water, safe from the threat of torpedoes, and bring the devastating Tachyon Accelerator (aka. Blue Laser of Death) to the field. It is a beautiful sight, a pure shaft of power that incinerates whatever it touches. As it pretty much kills things dead, options to counter it are somewhat limited, but most favor the use of scouts and raiders to overwhelm its single-shot weapons system, or stealth attacks and bombers to knock it out safely.

Use of Penetrators should involve judicious application of the Hold Fire command, to prevent them from wasting their shots on something stupid like an advance scout. Save your fury for the real targets, preferably important ones like high-cost artillery pieces, commanders, HLT's and heavy units. You really, really can't afford to lose these, so be very responsible when bringing them out. If you can, procure an Eraser to cloak the Penetrators (aka. Pene) between shots, so you can reposition effortlessly and avoid getting bombed, or shield generators to avoid sniper fire.

* Effective *
vs. Ships Obliterates surface vessels at a safe distance. One of the only ways for Hovers to counter Enforcer.
vs. Heavies Puts a huge dent in their health; what more do you need?
vs. Defense Outranges and outmatches anything with the exception of Annihilators.
vs. Air Usually only if you get a lucky shot, but a Penetrator can sometimes take down gunships and bombers.
vs. Everything Let's face it; Tachyon Accelerators kill things dead, so why wouldn't you want to bring one to the party?
* Counters *
Raiders/Scouts Swamp the b@$&ard with light units and he'll go down like a ton of bricks. Avoid Maces/Scalpels.
Raven Precision bombers can knock out a Penetrator very efficiently; send a Swift first to draw fire, though.
Sharpshooter Perfect. Snipers love weak, high-profile targets, so have fun.
Tick/Roach Crawling bombs work great against Hovers due to their tendency to pack up, high cost and low HP.

----------------


Ships


<br>

The classic sea-borne factory, Shipyards produce a wide variety of warships, skiffs and submarines that are the workhorse of any major naval assault. Many ships are blessed with copious amounts of HP, which they tend to need as their maneuverability kinda sucks -- they are the Tanks of the ocean.

Units range from dual-EMG corvettes, to classic, stealthy torpedo-armed subs, to giant battleships that shell opposition both on sea and inland with extreme prejudice.

----------------


Mariner


<br>
Class Construction Ship
Metal 200Reclaim80
HP 1400
Speed 2.5Minimum water depth5
Mass/Weight 184
Resource production 0.225
Build power 7.5Build range300
Sight Range 325

----------------


Skeeter


<br>
Class Patrol Boat (AA/Scout)
Metal 70Reclaim 28
HP 240
Speed 5Minimum water depth 5
Mass/Weight 60Size3
Sight Range 845
Morphs to: Typhoon (3 Rank, 10s)
* Light Disarm Missile *
Damage 45 + 180 (Disarm)
AoE 8
Reloadtime 2
Range 260

At the bottom of the ladder sits the humble Patrol Boat; a fast & reliable scout vessel equipped with a homing missile launcher. They're your early raider as well for taking out undefended mexes, constructors and wind-chains.

* Effective *
vs. Light Sea You should always have your own force of PT boats ready when possible to counter Daggers, other Skeeters and the like. They're a good rapid-response force.
vs. Air Skeeters are essential early on to fend off Gunship raids and the like.
* Combos *
Ships PT boats are an essential unit for reconnaissance, screening and light anti-air at any stage of the naval game, though they offer very little if things begin to lean towards torpedoes.
* Counters *
Subs/Amph They can't hit underwater, so torpedo-armed units can just have their way most of the time. They might outrun the torpedoes or stay out of your range, though.
Medium/Heavy Sea Typically this means Typhoons, Maces & Scalpels; hard-hitting water units will simply shred the little PT boats if they dare to close range.

----------------


Typhoon


<br>
Class Corvette (Assault/Raider)
Metal 320Reclaim128
HP 2200
Speed 2.5Minimum water depth 5
Mass/Weight 237Size3
Sight Range 429
Morphs to: Crusader (3 Rank, 10s)
* Medium Pulse MG * x2
Damage 52 (13 x4)DPS130
AoE 36
Reloadtime 0.4
Range 280

This is your mainline combat vessel, a hardy corvette-class ship with durable armor, fast speed and two -- count 'em, two -- EMG's similar to the ones used on the Brawler gunship, though on a smaller scale. They stack up favorably against most surface threats and can also defend themselves from gunships, though they are helpless against any form of submerged, torpedo-armed unit.

They work best in wolf-pack flotillas, using their high speed and strength to overwhelm surface targets with numbers. Their biggest weakness is probably the inability to fire directly forward or backward, as the build of the unit itself prevents that; go for broadside attacks and keep the side of the corvette turned towards the enemy as much as possible.

* Effective *
vs. Ships Given enough numbers, corvettes can overwhelm almost all other surface ships.
vs. Gunships Typhoons can turn their guns skyward to readily destroy low-fliers.
* Counters *
Subs/Amphibious Typhoons cannot shoot underwater, making torpedo-equipped units a very efficient counter against them.
Enforcer Generally ruins their day quite quickly, unless there's a lot of them, as there should be.
Raven Precision bombers are a popular first choice in a naval map to control Typhoon rushing; one bomb will put a serious dent in its health.

----------------


Hunter


<br>
Class Torpedo Frigate
Metal 350Reclaim140
HP 1850
Speed 2.4Minimum water depth5
Mass/Weight 240Size4
Sight range 760Sonar range600
* Concussion Torpedo *
Damage 32 x3 (96)
AoE 128
Reloadtime 0.4
Range 340

----------------


Snake


<br>
Class Submarine
Metal 210Reclaim 100
HP 375
Speed 3.8SubmergedMinimum Water Depth 25
Mass/Weight 240Size3
Sight Range 550Sonar Range 450
* Torpedo *
Damage 350/700 (Slow)
AoE 16
Reloadtime 7.5
Range 290

The classic submarine is a very powerful force in the sea theater of war, but it is also extremely difficult to position and use properly - if you make one wrong move with this thing, you can kiss that 600 metal goodbye. I'm not kidding. You may want to set these subs to Hold Fire in the 'Initial States' menu under 'Unit AI' in the options menu.

Since Snakes can only fire forward, they can be easily flanked or surrounded and picked off, making positioning absolutely key. Don't try and throw these at the enemy as if they were another rank-and-file brawler; set them at chokepoints and tactical firing positions and move the rest of your fleet around them. Let them use their range and firepower to harass and destroy enemy naval. Also, remember to keep cons around to repair your subs as they WILL be taking quite a bit of damage.

This is probably blatantly obvious, but since Snakes are a submerged unit they cannot be targeted by any surface weaponry, making them vulnerable only to torpedoes, depth charges or Raven precision bombs.

* Effective *
vs. Naval Subs can be effective vs. all naval units as long as they are used well
* Counters *
Hunters Torpedo boats are built for running down Snakes and terminating them with extreme prejudice. Only engage them if you have superior numbers

----------------


Crusader


<br>
Class Destroyer (Fire Support/Semi-Antisub)
Metal 550Reclaim 220
HP 1600
Speed 1.7Minimum Water Depth 10
Mass/Weight 350Size4
Sight Range 660Sonar Range 400
* Plasma Cannon *
Damage 600
AoE 32
Reloadtime 4
Range 1000
* Depth Charge *
Damage 180
AoE 128
Reloadtime 3
Range 260

Destroyers make for a great source of firepower, putting heavily-damaging ordinance downrange at a frightening speed. Use them to remove static installations from your navies' path, to harass enemy fleets from afar and add much-needed fire support to your naval mix.

Their depth charges give them some defense vs. amphibious bots and ships, but really it's only just enough to kill Ducks. Don't try and run down Subs with this unless you can somehow get on top of them.

* Effective *
vs. Statics Destroyers are perfect for inland shelling of annoying enemy installations, especially torpedo launchers
* Counters *
Typhoon Corvettes can run them down, dodging their fire all the while, then take whatever damage they can deal at close range as they hammer into them
Subs/Amphibious bots Staying at range, any kind of torpedo-armed unit can harass Crusaders almost indefinitely. Be ready if he tries to move forward to use his depth charges, though

----------------


Enforcer


<br>
Class Missile Cruiser (Skirmisher/Riot Support)
Metal 900Reclaim360
HP 2800
Speed 2.4Minimum Water Depth 10
Mass/Weight 407Size5
Sight Range 660
* Heavy Multi-role Guided Missile *
Damage 880 (220 x4)
AoE 64
Reloadtime 5.5
Range 690

These deathbringers are among the most feared and respected vessels in the sea theater of war. They are like an upgraded Banisher that can float; their missile has a deadly range and can obliterate most units with a single shot. They also possess fair speed and a large amount of health as well, making them a very popular unit. There's almost no way to go wrong here; unless of course, you happen to go up against subs/amph or lots of bombers...

Their biggest weakness would have to be their reload time. The best way to use Enforcers is to duck in, fire a missile and get out to reload; but if the enemy can get up in your face, like say with Corvette packs, you may not be able to get off that second shot in time. And even if you did it may not be enough. They are expensive units even by ship standards, so it leaves plenty of room for your enemy to come up with a counter. Push hard before that happens and use them wisely.

* Effective *
vs. Air Enforcer missiles can take down most air units readily, provided they can get a proper targeting lock.
vs. Hover An Enforcer has enough firepower to break most Hovers like a twig in one shot, and the range and health to stay alive. Watch out for Penetrators.
vs. Ships Surface ones, anyway. Enforcers can put a sizable dent in any ship, making them a good all-round killer.
* Counters *
Corvettes Wolf-packs of Typhoons can run Enforcers down and take one shot before dying, and deal plenty of damage during that time. You need lots though.
Penetrators These expensive Hover units comfortably outrange Enforcers (as well as being 200M cheaper) and will deal massive damage.
Subs/Amphibious Torpedo-armed, submerged units cannot be targeted by the Enforcer, but can definitely fire at them, making them efficient counters.
Cloak Invest in a walking cloak generator (Eraser) for your sea assets and you can get forces well into his comfort zone before he realizes what's happening.
Bombers Precision and Lightning bombers can be effective against Enforcers, though you may want to use a decoy flier first for their missiles.

----------------


Serpent


<br>
Class Sniper Sub
Metal 1000Reclaim 400
HP 1000
Speed 1.8Minimum Water Depth 15
Mass/Weight 457Size3
Sight Range 660Sonar Range 350
* Long Range Torpedo *
Damage 900
AoE 16
Reloadtime 8
Range 900

The Serpent is the premier vessel of choice for long-range elimination of naval targets of any class. It pays the price for this by being EXTREMELY expensive, as well as nearly useless should enemies overtake its position. Always make sure these are well-positioned to fire, and keep them supported by other units.

* Effective *
Naval/Amphibious They have a longer range than any torpedo-bearing unit, allowing you to harass and destroy nearly anything at a safe distance
* Counters *
Raven All it takes is two bombs from a Raven to destroy a Serpent; keep Shredders handy for their AA

----------------


Shredder


<br>
Class Anti-Air Frigate
Metal 400Reclaim160
HP 1900
Speed 2.84Minimum water depth5
Mass/Weight 243Size3
Sight Range 660
* Anti-Air Laser * x2
Damage 12.7
Reloadtime 0.1
Range 1040

----------------


Surfboard


<br>
Class Transport Platform
Metal 220Reclaim88
HP 1100
Speed 3Minimum water depth10
Mass/Weight 175Size4
Sight Range 325
Transportation maximum, size 3

----------------


Leviathan


<br>
Class Tactical nuke/Anti-nuke missile sub
Metal 3000Reclaim1200
HP 3000
Speed 2.79Minimum Water Depth 15
Mass/Weight 556Size3
Resources per second 6.25Total resources per Shot 500
Stockpile Interval 80
Sight Range 660
* Tactical Nuke * (Manual Fire)
Damage 3500
AoE 256
Reloadtime 1
Range 3000
* Anti-Nuke Missile *
Reloadtime 12
Range 3000

NOTE: Yes, I am aware this unit is built by the Strider Hub, not the Shipyard, but it counts as a ship for all intents and purposes.

The Leviathan is a specialized submarine fitted with long-range precision strike missiles, and an anti-strategic missile launcher. This allows you to snipe targets of opportunity from 3000 range while underwater; as you can guess, it can be a pretty potent unit if your enemy doesn't know how to counter subs or if you're smart enough to keep it well behind cover to utilize its range. They aren't a commonly seen unit because most people tend to build Warlords or Reefs, but when you have several priority targets far inland, the Leviathan is a very good choice; I've personally made absurd cost with this thing, sniping Moho Geothermals, anti-nukes and clusters of enemy units that were just sitting around. As you can guess it works best on maps where much of the terrain is submerged; control of the sea will let you plant a tacnuke virtually anywhere you want and retreat. Another interesting tidbit is that while these tacnukes are functionally identical to the Eos missile from the Missile Silo, they are 100 resources less.

This is a very situational unit; there are times when it is appropriate to make one, and times when it is not. When a large scale sea map is getting into the porc stage and people are putting up antinuke and such everywhere, and you really need a way to snipe the things that need sniping but can't because there's too much AA and other shit in your way, the Leviathan is your answer because you aren't limited to a missile silo for that. But when there are still loads of units and defenses near the shore or you don't have sole control of the ocean, do NOT make Levi; focus on curing your current problem first, because this sub is just going to suck resources out of you that would be better used elsewhere.

One thing to be aware of; there are currently some funky issues with the targeting on this thing, sometimes it will fire a missile correctly on an attack command and sometimes it wants to run straight into enemy defenses like it was on a move order. Typically though it will always fire if you right click on a visible enemy unit or radar dot. You can use the Target command, but watch out 'cause if you have more than one missile stockpiled the Leviathan will *unload its entire salvo* one per second *on the same target*. Unless that's what you intended, of course.

* Effective *
vs. Statics Unloading several tacnukes into your opponents Behemoths, Annihilators or other important buildings is very devastating.
vs. Nukes Leviathans also act as a mobile anti-nuke defense that can only be destroyed with specialized anti-sub weaponry and remain hidden quite well, meaning it's very possible the enemy could waste a nuke not knowing you could block it.
* Counters *
Subs/Torpedo Boats These can chase down a Leviathan and kill it quickly. Most people keep their tacnuke subs well protected, though.
Ravens + Vulture Find the tacnuke sub with a Vulture spyplane, and nail it with Ravens; their bombs strike underwater.

----------------


Reef


<br>
Class Aircraft Carrier (Bombardment & Anti-nuke)
Metal 3500Reclaim 1400
HP 7500
Speed 2.75Minimum Water Depth 15
Mass/Weight 695Size6
Sight Range 1105Radar Distance 1500
* Cruise Missile *
Damage 900
AoE 90
Reloadtime 6
Range 1550
* Anti-Nuke Missile *
Reloadtime 12
Range 3500
* Attack Drones *
Class Gunship
HP 200
Speed 8.6
Sight Range 500
Maneuver Leash Length 900
Flight Altitude 100
Stealth
* EMG *
Damage 24
DPS 80
Reloadtime 0.3
Range 360

NOTE: Yes, I am aware this unit is built by the Strider Hub, not the Shipyard, but it counts as a ship for all intents and purposes.

The Reef is the quintessential support ship, capable of fulfilling a wide range of roles from scouting & radar to long-range standoff bombardment to strategic missile defense to a mobile base for aircraft. It even comes equipped with the ability to produce, maintain and independently command it's own small group of surface attack drones to engage targets.

It's wide range of abilities make it a welcome addition to any naval effort. The cruise missiles can be used to pound enemy static emplacements from a safe distance. Its massive LoS range coupled with its own mobile radar make sure you can remain at 100% alertness. It's three docking pads can accommodate bomber wings and CAS gunships right on the frontlines. While it can't directly engage targets (attack drones notwithstanding) or fight off a determined enemy on its own, it is still a very potent flagship and anchor for the rest of your fleet.

Let me move onto the drones next. The Reef can build and maintain up to 8 drones at a time, which it launches as necessary to engage attackers, then recalls for repairs and refueling. The drones may be weak but they're quite capable of defeating most light resistance and wearing down heavier targets through sheer numbers; however, you can't directly control them since they acquire targets independently.

Trivia: The side of the Reef's combat drones reads 'VF 144'.

* Effective *
vs. Statics Being armed with long-range cruise missiles, aircraft carriers can effectively suppress enemy defenses before advancing.
vs. Nukes Don't you tell me to be quiet, Silencer. You no touching my fleet 'long as I got this baby.
* Combos *
Bombers The Reef can act as a mobile base for bombers, allowing you to rearm on the front; this can be a godsend on some large sea maps as you don't have to fly all the way back to base.
* Counters *
Air On their own, aircraft carriers have no AA capability, so properly planned airstrikes can take down a Reef. Try Thunderbirds, especially.
Subs/Amph Conventional torpedo units can kill off an isolated Carrier easily, though it has enough HP to take plenty of fire.

----------------


Warlord


<br>
Class Battleship (Bombardment)
Metal 4000Reclaim1840
HP 12000
Speed 2.7Minimum Water Depth 15
Mass/Weight 776Size6
Sight Range 660Radar Distance 2400
* Long-Range Plasma Battery * x3
Damage 1500 (500 x 3)
AoE 96
Reloadtime 10
Range 1400

NOTE: Yes, I am aware this unit is built by the Strider Hub, not the Shipyard, but it counts as a ship for all intents and purposes.

This enormous capital ship is fitted with three triple-barreled heavy long-range plasma cannons, making it a popular choice should an enemy have significant shore/inland assets that are stumping more direct efforts. Once one of these babies hits the field, two things will happen; one, alot of enemy units within 1400 range are going to die, and two, owner of said units is going to get very pissed and start hunting the Warlord down mercilessly with subs, wolf-packs and other countermeasures. The fact that its a VERY expensive ship doesn't help, either.

* Effective *
vs. Statics Battleships are ruthlessly efficient at removing coastal defenses and inland installations.
vs. Surface The Warlord's guns can fire a withering volley of rounds to lay waste to both isolated and large concentrations of units.
* Counters *
Subs/Amph Torpedo-armed, submerged units can't be hit by the Warlord; a solid option, though you will have to watch for any of his torpedo units.
Typhoon Gather several Corvettes into a wolf-pack; they can dodge & survive most of the Warlord's fire, get right alongside and ream him with their EMG's.
Air An isolated Warlord is a prime target for heavy air attacks. Beware of aquatic AA as they are quite powerful.

----------------


Special



These are special units that fulfill niche or support roles in an army. Some of them are buildings or units actually built in the field by constructors. All of them possess unique traits that make them a true asset in the right hands.

----------------


Athena


<br>
Class Flying Spec-Ops Constructor
Metal 500
Reclaim 200
HP 750
Regeneration 20 HP/s
Speed 7
Flight Altitude 80
Sight Range 380
Radar Range 1200
Sonar Range 600
Jamming Range 300
Decloak Radius 50
Radar Stealth
Build Power 7.5
Can Resurrect
Resource Production 0.225
Cloaked energy cost, Mobile 5
Cloaked energy cost, Stationary 2
* Buildable Units *
Conjurer, Flea, Bandit, Moderator,<br> Halberd, Scythe, Recluse, Panther,<br> Zeus, Sharpshooter, Impaler,<br> Infiltrator, Gremlin, Aspis,<br> Eraser, Djinn, Ultimatum
* Buildable Structures *
Radar Tower, Sonar Station, Sneaky Pete,<br> Advanced Radar Tower, Caretaker, Terraforming

The Athena is a high-risk, high-reward unit buildable on any pathable terrain by any constructor. It is a flying spec-ops constructor that is the epitome of stealth strike capability, able to cloak itself to avoid detection and fly around the map quickly, doing what it does best; quickly creating units and basic structures in almost any area before your enemy knows what the flip is going on. The Athena is truly unique because it has the ability to start a nanoframe of a unit on any pathable terrain, without the need for a static factory. It's capable of building several units from several different factories at once, effectively taking the unit lists of everything from spiderbots to heavy tanks (and one Strider) and putting them all on a single constructor/factory. This gives it wonderful versatility.

It also makes a superb spy; you almost have to be right next to an enemy unit to be detected. Half the time, an Athena can pretty much float right over short units and structures without decloaking thanks to its extremely low decloak radius.

----------------