Engineer
From Command and Conquer Wiki
| Engineer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Weaponry | N/A (GD45 sidearm in 2047) |
| Armour | Combat suit |
| Type | Support infantry |
| Faction | All |
Trained in structural engineering and sabotage, Engineers are non-combatant infantry capable of performing a number of duties. Most notably, these infantry almost instantly take over enemy structures. Although Engineers possess decent armour, they are normally unarmed, relying on Commanders to clear the battlefield for them, or more likely, to be transported in Armoured Personnel Carriers, or in helicopters. In addition, an Engineer is more expensive to train and equip. During the First Tiberium War, engineer training and equipment cost over four times the price of a regular light infantry or minigunner unit.
Since the Great World War II to the Firestorm Crisis, Engineers have been used by most major factions, including the Allies, USSR, GDI, and Nod. After the Firestorm Crisis, Nod decided to train Saboteurs instead of engineers, as they are better suited for guerilla warfare. The Scrin have a unit analogous to Engineer called the Assimilator.
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[edit] GDI Engineering Corps
As of 2047, GDI is the only faction that has engineering corps, with other groups using different soldiers for engineering operations. The Engineering Corps is GDIUP's unit responsible for combat engineering operations, such as claiming structures, repairing bridges and buildings or reactivating fallen walkers. The Corps also performs large scale demolition operations, such as when the alleged last CABAL bunker was detonated. Members of the GDI Engineering Corps usually forego weapons training, preferring to spend their time studying structural engineering and electronic subterfuge.
A typical engineer wears light combat armour (about as protective as a paper sheet) and a gas mask, carries a suitcase with all the necessary tools and control codes for his job as well as GD45]] pistols for self defence, though its more of a morale improving item rather than a proper combat weapon.
Battlefield engineers usually first study the "Engineer Combat Primer", a manual that provides basic information on combat engineering and gives the immortal tip to "always wear your hard hat".
It should be noted that there has long been a rivalry between engineers and technicians.
[edit] Assignments
All Engineers, including Saboteurs and Assimilators, are assigned to these duties:
- To capture enemy structures. The primary usage of Engineers throughout many years, and their only function early in the First Tiberium War, has been to capture enemy structures. For this, an Engineer was trained to be familiar with the standardized computer equipment present in most structures, particularly the master control terminal. The most highly trained engineers memorized blue prints of the structures, and then used small explosive charges to break their way in. The Engineer was required to stay at the MCT and operate the structure from that point onward, but this did not prevent rival engineers from attempting to recapture the structure. The vast majority of the time, the Engineer was busy operating the structure, and didn't notice as a rival engineer would sneak up on him and remove him from the picture, then operating the structure himself. During the Great World War Two it could take up to five Engineers to break into a fully armoured enemy building as the explosive charges were not strong enough then, but by the time of the First Tiberium War this issue was overcome.
- To repair bridges. During the Second Tiberium War, Engineers realized that they would have to repair bridges - floods and other problems, as well as enemy forces' destruction of the bridges, where often problematic. Fortunately, most bridges stored all of the tools for their own repair, except for a few the engineer carried, which allowed the Engineer to repair bridges very quickly. Unfortunately, the Engineer used up most of his supplies and tools in this way. Rather than journey out onto the battlefield without tools - and therefore without the ability to repair structures or capture structures, Engineers wisely decided to stay inside the bridge repair hut - ostensibly to make sure that the bridges would not be damaged again, although in practice they were helpless to intervene should the bridge be destroyed - it would take another engineer to fix it again.
- To repair buildings. Again, the Engineer would go in, and use similar tools to the bridge repair hut to fix the structure. Again, these tools and supplies would be used up in the process, and the Engineer would wisely choose to stay in the structure.
- To maintain equipment, armour, weapons and vehicles using their tools. This role was also fulfilled by Technicians.
- Recently, Engineers were equipped to enable them to capture and repair Walkers which were disabled in battle. They call this disabled walkers Walker Husks
[edit] Special Engineers
Some special service Engineers maintained their primary role of building repair and capture, but were armed with a 12-round silenced pistol and thus could defend themselves from an enemy attack. However, considering that most other soldiers at the time carried advanced assault rifles and other deadly weapons, this protection was shoddy at best.
[edit] Combat Engineers
| Combat Engineer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Weaponry | Pistol |
| Armour | Combat suit |
| Type | Support infantry |
| Faction | GDI Steel Talons |
GDI Steel Talons deploy specially trained Combat Engineers. Like other GDI Engineers, they're armed with a pistol. While not extremely powerful, the weapon is believed to be effective against other Engineer-types. This may also suggest that the pistol is more powerful than the standard GD45. They were also given better body armour than standard engineers.
Deployed in the post-Firestorm Crisis, Combat engineers were first developed in response to a series of devastating losses within the GDI Corps of Engineers. With Nod's influence on the civilian population, Engineers were at greater risk, with the Corps losing several of the best and most talented. Despite the additional weapons training and armour, the Combat engineers preferred to "let the fighters do the fighting".
The Steel Talons set the standard for regular GDI Engineers to carry firearms. The pistol was a revolver type of handgun requiring a pause to chamber the next round before the bullet could be fired. It took a Combat Engineer, who had no chevrons, three shots to kill a Saboteur or Assimilator. A more combat experienced Combat Engineer required fewer shots.
