Units

The Units of Zero-K are the tools you will use to execute your strategies and defeat your opponents.

Use your Commander and Constructors to build up your base and economy, Raider and Assault units to attack at close range, Skirmishers and Artillery to engage at long range, and Riots to defend in close quarters.

Cloakbots	Shieldbots	Rovers	Hovercraft	Gunships	Airplanes
Spiders	Jumpbots	Tanks	Amphbots	Ships	Striders

Properties shared by most or all units in Zero-K include:

• They cost the same amount of Metal and Energy.
• Most units are produced by a factory, and autonomous Drones are built by their parent.

Useful information on units:

• Unit classes
• Unit map icons
• Weapon classes
• Internal unit names

Unit chassis movement traits

The movement traits of different unit chassis can be a very important factor when choosing which factory to build at the start of a game. Factors such as the terrain of the map as well as the map size can influence this decision. For instance, lots of deep water may call for a factory with lots of amphibious or airborne options, while a map with mostly somewhat steep terrain may call for bots, spiders or airborne options.

Brief overview

Legged chassis

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Icon showing bot climbing angle.

Bots: Non-climbing legged units (generally having two or four legs) tend to have great turn rates and can typically traverse somewhat steep terrain. Some bots are amphibious, notably amphbots and certain strider bots. Many of the bots from the Jumpbot Factory and a few other bots can jump, which can be useful for traversing terrain as well as in combat.

File:Angle spider

Icon showing spider climbing angle.

All-terrain: Climbing legged units (generally having four or more legs) can climb and traverse any land terrain, including practically vertical hills and cliffs, but tend to have poor speed. They include all spider factory units and various other units such as the Scorpion strider.

Wheeled, tracked and hovercraft chassis

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Icon showing tank climbing angle.

Rovers tend to have good or great speed, medium or poor turn rates, and prefer flat terrain (slightly steep terrain slows them).

Tanks are like rovers, except their speed and turn rates are typically worse.

Hovercraft are like rovers, except they can traverse water easily.

Airborne chassis

Airplanes fly and tend to have excellent speed. Their movement resembles real-life planes.

Gunships hover above the ground; their movement resembles helicopters.

Naval chassis

Ships float on the sea surface. Smaller ships are built in the Shipyard, while carriers and battleships are built at the Strider Hub.

Submarines dive underwater, which gives them protection from radar and weaponry (but they cannot surface).

There are also various kinds of indirect movement, such as transport gunships, teleportation, throwing, gravity projection, etc.

The pathing map overlay when a unit is selected is useful for viewing where a selected unit can and cannot go.