For the sake of brevity, this section will be breaking down details on many of the new units and units substantially changed from OTA and other mods. It will not include every single unit, or even every new unit- but it will cover a lot of the most interesting changes and additions. Just to get it out of the way, this mod is originally based on the groundbreaking mod Überhack, and many of the balance choices made there have been retained. Most notibly, this means Anti-Aircraft missiles fire only at air units. Here is a list of units in this guide:
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Commanders:
You can see more about Commanders on the Basics page. As quick a summary as possible, Commanders can only D-Gun when near a Command Beacon, and can teleport from beacon to beacon. They are the ultimate defensive unit, and can be wherever you need them when you need them (assuming you build Command Beacons). They are not really an effective offensive unit, because of the limits on their D-Gun. They also upgrade- for more details on this, go to the basics section.
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Command Beacons:
You can get a bit of the philosophy behind the Command Beacons on the Basics page, but they are pretty simple: you can teleport your Commander from beacon to beacon, and the Commander can only D-Gun when he is near a beacon. When a Commander is nearby, beacons get an invicibility shield. These units are essential by design- so don't be afraid to build them- they aren't that expensive.
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Tick/Spoiler:
The Mine Layers have always struggled in mods- they rarely see play, even when they are extremely powerful. In Devolution, these units have the added role of being Scavengers. They are much faster than they are in other mods, and they can reclaim. On maps with lots of rocks, these are essential units- send them around the map, and you can (almost) rely on them by themselves for your metal income. Depending on the map, these can greatly accelerate your economy. On Painted Desert, if your opponent builds these and you don't- you lose.
There are only two mines in Devolution now- light and heavy, but both are much better than in OTA. Light mines are very useful against level 1 units, but you really need heavy mines to take on the heavier stuff. The Tick and Spoiler can also build Dragon's Teeth, and are the only units that can build Dragon's Eye.
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Warrior:
Warriors have undergone a huge change. No longer are they a pathetic Peewee/Stumpy hybrid- instead they sport a powerful shotgun. They are the most powerful level 1 KBot, and are made to take on enemy spam- so if your opponent goes heavy on Instigators and Peewees- you should go heavy on Warriors.
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LLT/Immolator:
The Immolator and LLT are now pop-up units! This continues the theme of Core units with armored states (see Toaster, Viper, Doomsday Machine, Intimidator and Inferno). This is a mixed bag for these two units. An armored state is useful on short-ranged units- but the short time it takes for them to open up gives fast units a sliver of time to dodge out of weapon-range if your opponent is paying close attention.
The Immolator is key when playing as Core- it is the best anti-spam unit there is. Its high AOE weapon absolutely shreds mass Peewees, and can hold its own against some of the lighter level 2 options.
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LGT/HGT:
Core defenses have the ability to weather some degree of bombardment with their new armored states- so what does Arm get? The two most basic Arm defenses are now gauss towers instead of laser towers- this means no more energy costs. This is great for when you're in energy crunches, but it isn't the only bonus on these towers. The gauss towers now have improved range and damage (though slightly lower rate of fire) than their Core laser counterparts. In the end, they are easier to kill with ranged units, but are harder to deal with when you actually go toe-to-toe with them.
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Centurion:
The Centurion is meant in some ways as a counterpart to the Immolator, but it is extremely different. Both units have fantastic AOE, making them great at taking on spam, but the Centurion has the advantage of range and tracking. I like to think of the Centurion as something more in between HGT and Guardian, as the range and price fits in there, but its tracking means it can also serve as AA in a pinch. For ranged coverage, it also has the benefit of a guaranteed hit on fast units like Zippers.
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Infiltrator/Parasite:
The spies in Devolution are a lot of fun. The Infiltrator gives Arm a great offensive edge. When it is near enemy towers, they can't fire- though there is a symbol showing the tower can't fire, which is a bit of an alert that the spy is in the base. The Parasite is defensive- when an enemy spy is nearby, an arrow will appear and point to the spy. When it gets closer, the arrow will move next to where the enemy spy is, and it will show up on the radar, making it easy to pick off the enemy spy. As Arm, you should absolutely take advantage of the Infiltrator, and as Core you need to build Parasites to protect yourself.
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Creep:
The Creep is a very unique transport- it can only carry a select group of units, and only two at a time- but they can fire while they are transported. The unit essentially becomes a battle suit for two of your other units- giving them improved speed and spider-crawling abilities. It has decent armor- but nothing amazing- so be careful because when it dies, the units it carries die too. Watch out for Annihilators and Doomsday Machines that can put it down extremely quickly. It can carry any upright Kbot, within a certain size. Commanders and Captains are too big for it, and Fidos, Spiders, Crawlers, and Fleas are just the wrong shape- so they don't go in either. The best units to load up that I have seen are Sharpshooters and Zeuses (Zeese?), but feel free to experiment with mobile radar and jammers, and even construction units.
One last strategy tip- if you notice your Creep is low on health and about to die, unload the units it is carrying so they don't die with it.
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Crawler:
The Crawler is heavy mobile artillery- and is really Arm's only seige unit. The Sharpshooter is another option- but as far as taking out a well-fortified base, the Crawler is your unit. Fantastic range, and great damage (a much stronger weapon than Core's mobile artillery has), its main weakness is its slow speed. The unit really shines when it is near a Captain- getting double ROF.
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Raider/Croc/Turtle:
Core no longer has hovercraft, so it now has drastically improved amphibious capabilities. The Raider, which serves as a very solid medium tank on any map, can now go underwater and is an intimidating force on water maps throughout the game. On any map, it is probably your best level 1 option for taking on an opponent that has built up defenses, as it has the most armor of any level 1 unit.
The Croc is unrecognizable from its OTA form. It now packs a powerful green laser, and has an armored state when it isn't firing. This means that even on land maps, it is an effective raider, as its speed and armor allow it to bypass enemy defenses. It's pretty cheap too!
Despite all the other Core hovers getting the axe, the Turtle has stuck around, but it is now an amphibious transport. It is built by the level 2 vehicle lab. This is extremely useful, as it means vehicles can be effective on their own on maps that would normally require other tech trees to get from island to island- and it means Core has a good answer to Arm's hovercraft.
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Devastator/Inferno:
The bread and butter defenses are really the HGT and the Viper- but at L2 you have more powerful, and more specialized options. These options have shorter range, but are much more powerful. The Devastator has better range than the Inferno, and has a D-Gun style attack that extends past its point of impact. It is great at taking on Core tanks, as it often hits their large footprint multiple times as its weapon explodes in a line.
The Inferno has shorter range, making its use a bit more limited- but it is much more powerful. Units that enter its limited range don't walk out. Its armored state also means that its tough to kill when you don't face it head on. If an opponent builds these, I do my best just to avoid them- and I usually build them around targets I want my opponents to avoid. They can be killed by ranged units, but it takes time.
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Teleporters:
Devolution sees a lot of play on smaller maps- but it doesn't have to be that way, and for those big maps, Teleporters really shine. They aren't very expensive, and it means that you can have your army wherever you need it. They are also important when it comes to Captains as well- as they can only be in one place at a time. A slow Captian like the Juggernaut can really take advantage of the Teleporters; without them, the Juggernaut can be frustratingly slow on a big map.
To use Teleporters, you have two buttons: Link and Teleport. When you hit link, the Teleporter will rotate its aimer between other Teleporters. Keep hitting Link until it aims to the Teleporter you want it to. When you hit Teleport, it will bring any units close to the Linked Teleporter over instantly.
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Stunner/Neutron/Stasis/Detonator:
The Stunner and Neutron were a joke in OTA- they aren't anymore. I personally build them in almost every game I play, assuming the game goes long enough. The Neutron is Core's best defense in my opinion. It deals moderate damage with great AOE and has a much higher range than any other Core defense- allowing you to drastically weaken any incoming attack before it gets to your base. Unlike OTA, the Neutron can now be used against Core opponents- but it will damage your own units as well- so don't fire it into an ongoing battle.
The Stunner now paralyzes anything- structures, mobiles, Arm and Core. It has much better range than the Neutron- so it can be used offensively to stun enemy defenses before your attack rolls in. I usually use it similarly to the Neutron- to hit an incoming attack, and hit the helpless units with my own mobiles. It is a great way to deal with pesky Sumos- but remember that Captains are immune to paralyzation, so watch out for them.
The Stasis and Detonator are the mobile/pulse forms of the Stunner and Neutron, with some added abilities. The Stasis has a temporary invulnerability shield, but is relatively slow- so if your opponent sees it coming, he can't just kill it- he has to avoid it.
The Detonator can cloak- your opponent can still see it on the radar if he is paying attention, but I like to think of it as a more guided Neutron missile- placing it exactly where you want it to be before it goes off. The Detonator's pulse is stronger than the Neutron's, and can kill most lighter units outright, but try not to throw it into situations it can't roll out of, because its best if it can be reused and fight another day.
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Vulcan/Silencer:
These are the game enders. They have been improved over any other mod, and are meant to win the game in the event of a stalemate. They are absurdly expensive, and if you let your opponent build one, you deserve to lose. The Vulcan has the added benefit of a new temporary invulnerability shield. The Silencer is unstoppable- there are no anti-nukes in Devolution, so if you finish a nuke, congratulations- you win.
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Manta:
Mantas were introduced in Überhack as a spy submarine. In Devolution, they are a cheap scout- great at harassing your enemy until there is any kind of opposition. In Devolution, submarines are built in a seperate underwater lab, and these are your cheapest attack option in that lab. Their torpedo damage is really rather pitiful, but one of the benefits of submarines is that if your opponent isn't prepared to defend against them, you can really take control of the sea. As the Snake isn't available anymore in the level 1 Shipyard, Mantas are really your fastest opportunity to hit your opponent under the water before he is prepared to fight back.
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Undertow:
The Undertow is the only hovercraft made soley for the purpose of fighting in the water. They are great at taking on underwater targets- and are what you are looking for if your Core opponent has locked you out of the water with submarines. You can build them on land, and send them to do battle at sea. Because they do not technically touch the water, submarines will not even fire at them (nor will they fire at any other hovercraft), so this gives you a great advantage. Watch out, though, because ships will do a number on them- and submarines can still hit them if they are force-fired.
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Avalon/Explorer:
There are a few major niches that Cavedog left out when it planned out what units TA should have. Underwater Mohos stand out the most to me, but right behind that is some unit to fill in the enormous gap between the Scout Boats and the Destroyers. These are Gun Boats- much tougher than the scouts, but not at Destroyer level. The Avalon (originally the Sekasa made by the talented Legion at TMU) has a simple gauss weapon. The Explorer has a shorter ranged riot cannon- similar to a mobile Immolator. Relatively simple units, but essential on any naval map.
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Scattershot:
Core no longer has Hovercraft- this is one of its ways of compensating. Instead of the floating HLT from OTA, the Scattershot has a bit more in common with the Immolator than the HLT. Solid range and fantastic AOE, it is made to handle large amounts of cheap hovercraft that can overwhelm some ships. Keep in mind, torpedo launchers will not fire at Hovercraft, so you need tough defenses to handle the spam.
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Ambassador/Eradicator:
These are probably the scariest level 2 ships you will find. The Ambassador is simply a BLoD ship- but a naval BLoD is much scarier than any land ones. On land, BLoDs are overkill more often than not- because you fire at Peewees and other small units that can swarm an Annihilator before it can take out a significant amount of them. In the sea, more units are expensive and well armored- so when you take out a few big ships, you're getting a big return on your investment.
The Eradicator is quite different from the Ambassador- its weapon is a Nuclear Riot Cannon, with massive AOE. This is fantastic at taking on spam of any sort. Though there does tend to be fewer, but more powerful units in sea battles as compared to land, you still do find large amounts of level 1 ships even in the late game- and the Eradicator is great at clearing them out.
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Colossus/Hive:
In OTA, Carriers were primarily used for their energy output. Air repair pads are not particularly useful, but they can come in handy from time to time. The main purpose of the Colossus and Hive are not to provide support to air units, though. In Überhack, they recieved Anti-Nuke launchers, which finally gave them an important niche. Devolution doesn't have anti-nukes, so instead they sport Tactical Nukes capable of destroing inland targets from very far away. On many maps, Battleships and Cruise Missile Ship don't really have the range to reach the targets you need to hit. Carriers can do it, and they do it well. I personally use them the same way I would use LRPCs on land- to break otherwise unpenetratable defenses.
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Dreadnought/Poseidon:
Devolution is about simpler, logical gameplay- but that doesn't mean there aren't any sweet super-units!
The two side-unique tech trees- hovercrafts for Arm, and submarines for Core, each have a super-unit. Arm's super-hovercraft, the Dreadnought, packs a powerful BLoD, making it terrifying on land and at sea, as well as sporting the same anti-aircraft rockets that the Krogoth uses. When on the water, it has an advanced torpedo, allowing it to dominate under-water targets as well as heavier ships. It also has the added ability of being able to transport units along with it on major attacks.
As Core, the Poseidon allows you to completely own the water. It has a powerful advanced torpedo to hit heavier targets, and also has a spray of mini-torpedoes to hit everything else. If you finish one of these, its time for your opponent to move inland. Their only real weakness are Advanced Torpedo Launchers- so beware.
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Nova:
The Nova is Arm's basic Captain- with no stand-out abilities like the other two Arm Captains, it is just all-around solid- and I generally build it more than the other two. Its primary weapon is an ultra heavy lightning gun, with decent range, great AOE, and great damage. At level 3 it gets a very powerful attack that is basically its primary weapon, fired inaccurately, 10 times at once (the power is a bit reduced from its primary weapon, but it still kills most units outright, and usually hits many targets at once). With a fantastic 45 second reload, you can use this ultimate attack frequently.
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Maverick:
The Maverick is the weakest Captain in armor and in firepower, but can be one of the most annoying units for an opponent to catch and kill. It is the fastest Captain by far, allowing you to have it retreat when needed, and to bring it to battle in important places when needed. I find it is also one of the easiest Captains to level, as its speed and stealth make it perfect for picking off tons of lightly protected metal extractors. At level 3, the Maverick gets an invincibility shield- allowing you to attack heavily defended targets without worrying about its relatively low armor- as long as you get it out of there before the time runs out.
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Wraith:
The Wraith can cloak, allowing you to bring it undetected into an opponents base and really wreak havoc. If your opponent is adept at Captain assassination (Sharpshooters and gunships are good at this), the Wraith can stay cloaked, and just be used to escort your troops into battle to provide the Captain proximity bonus. It does not get stealth until level 2, so you can't just walk it into your opponents base right out of the factory without it being noticed, but at level 3 it gets a powerful pulse weapon that can be fantastic when used with its cloaking abilities. Bring it undetected into your opponents base and set it off near important targets, and your opponent will regret ever letting your get your Wraith to 30 kills.
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Demon:
The Demon is a scary foe, with both speed and power. Core is slightly more limited with its Captain choice than Arm- as the Krogoth has limited application, and so the Demon is often my Captain-of-choice as Core. Its flamethrower can plow right through fortifications and can hit multiple targets at once, easily. Its inital power is tempered a bit by its somewhat weak ultimate- the tactical nuke it sports is good at taking out some entrenched defenses, but at 3 minutes of reload time, you have to wait to use it, and it is not very useful in battle, but solid for use on its own taking out important targets.
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Juggernaut:
The Juggernaut is the slowest Captain, but is very strong. I recommend taking advantage of Teleporters when using the Juggernaut, just so you don't have to wait to get it to the area of the map you need it most. It has a very powerful riot cannon- similar in many ways to the Nova's lightning gun (statistically, not visually), but has much better range. It is great to pair the Juggernaut with Sumos or Goliaths, as they are all slow units, and won't hold each other back. Its ultimate is a great way to clear out your enemy's army before the battle even gets started- with solid range, and devastating AOE, its nuclear riot cannon will put a solid dent in your opponent's army, leaving your units to chew up the leftovers.
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Krogoth:
The Krogoth costs much, much more than any other Captain (20,000 Metal- instead of 3,000 for every other Captain), but has much more potential to end the game. At level 1, the Krogoth is not particularly impressive- better than the other Captains at that level, but not worth the hefty price tag. The Krogoth improves much more than the other Captains at each level, though- and based on the fact that it is quite powerful at level 1 relative to other Captains, it is pretty easy to get it to level 3. At level 3, it is the Krogoth you know and love- the powerful superunit ready to destroy an entire base on its own. Just make sure you're careful with it until you get it to that stage.
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