RA3 Unit Profile - Soviet Apocalypse Tank & Allies Assault Destroyer

[Sonic 296]

Two more unit profiles have been posted on the Official Red Alert 3 Site. And its time to roll out the heavy beasts of the battlefield. First up we have the Soviet Apocalypse Tank.

 

The apocalypse is such a massive vehicle that ATP engineers installed a second set of cutting treads into its massive hull, enabling it to simply roll over just about anything that survives long enough to get in its way. To further offset the tank's relatively slow speed is a now-standard magnetic harpoon secondary weapon, one of the first practical military tools based on the Union's continuing research into magnetism. Essentially this works like an industrial-strength grapple that can be used, for example, to tow fast-moving enemy vehicles in closer for the kill--straight into its "meat grinder" chain-treads, which can carve through metal much like their namesake.

 

For all the fervor, fear, and excitement caused by the apocalypse tank, it is to be expected that the design would draw some disdain. Outspoken critics and foreign protesters of Arkhangelsk's most famous work (with respect to the far more common hammer tank) point to its horrendous top speed, as well as its complete lack of anti-aircraft defenses, or even a simple anti-infantry machinegun post, as evidence of sheer hubris on the part of the apocalypse tank's manufacturers. ATP, in turn, openly brushed aside these claims as "idiocy", announcing simultaneously that the apocalypse tank would go into mass production that same year. At any rate, because of this tank's notoriety, the identities of apocalypse tank crews are kept secret by the Soviet Union. It is difficult to imagine what sort of person would be fit to operate such a weapon, let alone what the experience of this would do to that person.

The second profiles feature the Allies Assault Destroyer.

 

ssault destroyers are so massive that only Allied seaports are large enough to manufacture them, even though the vessels themselves are fully as capable on land as they are at sea. In fact, on land, the relative girth of assault destroyers is such that they dwarf most other vehicles, including the Soviet Union's own main battle tanks. These vessels all are fitted with a swivel-mounted armor-piercing main gun, more powerful and no less accurate than that of virtually any modern tank, and their performance characteristics on land rival all but the Soviet Union's own apocalypse tanks. Of course, unlike apocalypse tanks, assault destroyers can traverse land and sea with equal ease, which recently has come into play throughout numerous combat encounters between Allied and Soviet forces near the Strait of Gibraltar as well as near the Allies' science facilities in Mykonos.

Head over to the Official Red Alert 3 Site for links to the full profiles.

[cnc_sage 0]

Now that I look at it more closely, the Apocalypse Tank has design elements from both the C&C3 Mammoth Tank (tread configuration) and the Overlord Tank from Generals (cannons being side-mounted, rather than being on the front of the turret; no missiles).

[Red Blitzkrieg 0]

They both look freaking AWESOME!

[rEdaSbLood 1]

i wonder if they can crush each other? prob not...

[Nmenth 291]

The new apocalypse looks less intimidating than RA2's.

[BioBen 3]

It's not as spikey its all bulbous. thats why

[rEdaSbLood 1]

looks pretty tough to me

[Saracen 16]

The new apocalypse looks less intimidating than RA2's.

 

Trust me, they're heavily armoured and pack a serious punch. These are intimidating when you've got a few of them baring down on you... Same with the allied Assault Destroyer, that ship is a right pain in the ass when it's on land.

[TheRoadToDawn 0]

But no AA defenses for the apocalypse?

 

Im going to miss the AA missles. At least it has a grinder. lol.

 

Does it's grinder compare to the Soviet Grinder Structure in ways of gaining currency?

[Saracen 16]

Similar method. It's basically the Soviet method of repairing and selling units. I haven't used it though considering I've mostly played the Soviets so far. But the unit balance is all over the shop in this Beta right now... I said that they were heavily armoured, but Tsunami tanks and the Empire's wave force tower seem to rip through an apoc tank like tin foil....

[Gben 20]

ratio Saracen?

 

It makes no sense that amphibious units are stronger than specialist units on sea or land...

[Nmenth 291]

Tsunami tanks and the Empire's wave force tower seem to rip through an apoc tank like tin foil....

Hmm... Not sure I like the sound of that. I mean, everything needs a certain element of weakness, but an expensive apocalypse shouldn't be tin foil to anything.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Nmenth

[Saracen 16]

You have to remember though guys this is a Beta, and unit balancing will not be 100% perfect. In fact in some Beta's I've taken part in, in the past, some balancing has been almost 100% wrong across the board. All you have to do as a player is fill out a Beta feedback form to make the developers aware it.