Commander Torpedo Launcher?

Quick question:

Is there a reason that commanders don't have the option to equip a torpedo launcher? I'd like to be able to send a commander out into the front lines when the front line is underwater, but the best a commander can do out there is build Urchin turrets or perform terraforming shenanigans. I propose one of two solutions:

A)-Have torpedoes be automatically included when you equip the missile or rocket launcher (basically, you allow the missile launcher attachment to function underwater, though perhaps with reduced range).
---PROS: Easier to implement, likely doesn't upset balance, somewhat intuitive
---CONS: Difficult for players to realize it's there, improves upon already-excellent weapon choice

B)-Create a separate, level-4-only weapon for it, preventing a situation where a player doesn't have a surface weapon.
---PROS: Having a separate weapon slot lets you create a unique upgrade for it, such as depth charges, slowing, or stunning
---CONS: Restricts access to mid-late game, wherein commanders might not be as helpful anyway

8x range 8x speed hypermorpher. Torpedos in this game feel strange, not in the sense that they are unrealistic (cause I've never operated any naval ship) but that they work against the interactivity between heights. Glaives can kill rapiers/locusts, and damage Ravens. Shot gun ship can't kill subs.

An idea i had in a commander redesign writeup that got sent to rework was something like this:
- Allow several weapons to be upgraded to water capable versions, e.g. particle beam to gauss or riot gun to siren blaster
- Only allow this if the commander has equipped another proposed module that replaces their legs with a necron style hoverboard

This would eliminate the risk of super souped up underwater heavies while letting commanders kill some subs and scallops.

P.S. the current commander system has a very popular weapon that is also secretly antisub capable - the disintegrator.

The problem with a basic commander torpedo implementation is its range. The longest ranged units that shoot underwater-to-underwater are Scallop and Seawolf. This range is intentionally kept short to avoid deleting the surface game.

Bring back sniper sub? :D

They were fairly oppressive the last time they existed. It is worth noting though that since then:

- Sniper sub was removed
- Seawolf has much shorter range
- Scallop has much shorter range
- Claymore started existing
- Sonar was mostly removed as a mechanic
- Lobster was added

That said, i super doubt a modern torpedo abuse commander would even have to be that tanky. The tank build was popular because the idea behind underwater combat not erasing surface was that it would be low dps, so you would prefer surface units to do real damage. Or something. In practice sea play was almost completely underwater, and regenerating long-ranged tanky commanders were indestructible given that everything else was low dps.

But that made sense because the sniper subs could still at least match range with the commander. A range-buffed torp commander in modern zk will outrange everything - its longest-range adversaries are Scallop underwater, and Siren above - and thus it will only need to take damage if it's slower than its adversaries. This means that it will try to be fast rather than thick. Lobbing an Ultimatum at such a mobile target is not going to be super easy.

Give gunships torpedos :D

Another idea that might address these concerns is to have the commander's weapon have damage falloff. As the commander is farther away, it deals less damage (much like the heat ray attachment). If they're too far away, healing could outpace damage from a single unit with a torpedo launcher.

I like the Gauss rifle idea.

Slightly off topic, but in response to a previous answer: I also feel like seawolfs are really, really underpowered. They're never worth building because ravens and other stuff can easily kill them. It says in the description that seawolfs are supposed to be a stealth raider... can we give them actual stealth? I know that stealth is usually canceled by water, but there are other in-game exceptions to rules like that. (Phantoms can fire and stay cloaked, for example).

stealth doesn't break the no cloak in water rule but subs are kinda easy to kill with aoe due to the paper-mache hulls so maybe they do need a buff vs some matchups.. but vs some other matchups they cant even be targeted and make the water acid

A commander gauss and/or sonic gun that couldn't be fired when comm is underwater would at least be something for mixed maps, without making comms sea monsters.

There might be some interesting sea terraform spire applications with these, but that would also make the commanders surface and be immobile.