New Units
The biggest strategic choice in a game of Tactera is made before the match even starts. From a pool of 12 different unit types, you get to pick any 3 to take into battle. Some units are light and fast, others are heavy and slow. Some fly through the air, others roll along the ground. Some units take seconds to build, while others take more than a minute. There are hundreds of possible combinations you could choose, and that decision determines which strategies will be viable in the battle to come.
In the Tactera Demo, only six units were available:
The JACKAL Buggy is the lightest unit in the game, tactically flexible, and the quickest to produce.
The CORVUS Fighter is the fastest unit in the game, but without much armor or firepower.
The URSA Tank is a well-armored ground unit, vulnerable to air attacks but otherwise very reliable.
The LEVIATHAN Zeppelin is a powerful armored unit that can rain death from above.
The VIPER Artillery base can quickly and directly attack enemy units from across the map.
The MANTA Bomber takes a long time to produce, but can deal great damage over a wide area.
Those 6 units offered a good basis for exploring the gameplay of Tactera, but the full version doubles the number of unit choices, drastically expanding the number of combinations you can take into battle! These are the newcomers:
AQUILA Gunship
The AQUILA combines both firepower and mobility, effectively making it a flying tank. Although it lacks substantial armor, it can attack enemy tanks from above, and it can destroy most other enemies before they can do too much damage. These units are perfect for a hard-hitting, aggressive strategy. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.
AUROCHS Heavy Tank
This tank is the most well-armored (and slowest) weapon available to you. Capable of taking an incredible amount of punishment, a single AUROCHS can hold off an entire army. Although very slow to produce, these tanks are perfect for defensive strategies or for slowly overwhelming the enemy with greater mass of forces.
BULLFROG Anti-Aircraft Tank
The BULLFROG is not a well-balanced unit. When attacking ground units, it’s no better than a buggy, except less agile and slower to produce. But when attacking air units, this tiny tank can bring its specialized weaponry to bear, tripling its firepower. A few squadrons in the right place can efficiently annihilate the entire enemy air force.
SCORPION Mobile Artillery
Slow to produce and lightly armored, the SCORPION was clearly never meant to be on the front lines of battle. Instead, it stays behind and deals devastating blows from long range. Unlike other units, the SCORPION only attacks enemy bases, not enemy units. It has to be used carefully, but it’s extra range offers a fantastic tactical advantage.
HORNET Missile
The HORNET cruise missile packs a devastating punch, dealing more damage than an artillery strike and a bombing run combined, but this damage is concentrated in a relatively small area. This is especially useful for destroying tightly clustered enemy units or for destroying enemy bases deep behind the
front lines.
MEGALODON Orbital Strike
The orbital strike is unique among the weapons in Tactera. It takes several minutes to charge up, which means that it often can’t be used until the later stages of a battle. But if you can hold out long enough and protect the base, the MEGALODON can destroy every enemy on the map in an instant. It can win the battle in a single strike, if you can survive long enough to use it.
Tactera is just one week away from launch. These new units have been in the works for a long time, and I'm excited to be able to share them soon!
