The concept of a "Weapon of Mass Destruction" has been around for quite some time, only when it was coined as such when such weapons held the capacity to cause widespread destruction; Whether it inflicted high mortality rates, raw physical damage to an enemy's infrastructure or even manipulate electronic warfare. Superweapons themselves were notorious, expensive, dangerous and outright politically challenging, to the ethical intentions of those who use them.
In the Command and Conquer series, the factions involved usually have one unique wonder weapon at their disposal. But in the Red Alert series, there is usually two with distinct roles: one to cause physical damage to an enemy, and the other to provide some worthwhile benefit to the commander and their allies.
In-game, superweapons are a high risk, high reward means. They are costly, take long to build and present a threat to the owner's foes (i.e. shown on the map at all times.). When they are built, most superweapons take time to arm, which a timer on-screen displays. This gives the enemy time to prepare a desperate counter assault to either snipe the building, or outright destroy the base, or risk a crippling blow to theirs.
Second World War[]
Both factions[]
Nuclear weapons[]
A Soviet ICBM prepares for launch.
The Soviet Union were the first to introduce superweapons during the conflict, Atomic bombs. Vladimir Kosygin, the man in charge of the weapons project, defected however and revealed the location of the Dark Horseman missile base, where they were located. Before the Allies raided the facility, the Soviets launched the missiles. But only this was further curtailed when Allied agent Tanya Adams infiltrated the base and personally defused the warheads.
Soviets[]
Iron Curtain[]
The Iron Curtain.
The other top secret project, devised by the Soviets, was the Iron Curtain; A device of high technology that could render any single unit, on the battlefield invulnerable to harm. It was likely based on designs "borrowed" from Nikola Tesla.
Allies[]
Chronosphere[]
An early chronosphere
While the Soviets remained on atomic weaponry, the Allies focused more on Time manipulation, with aid of their chief scientist Albert Einstein. The result of their collaboration was the Chronosphere.
This device paved the way for Allied Commanders to transport a single unit anywhere on the battlefield. Unfortunately, due to the prototype stage, the Chronosphere couldn't permanently teleport units and thus, after a short while, the unit would then warp back to its original location; Manipulating time in this way had also beared risks where each use of the Chronosphere risked the possibility of a tear in the fabric of spacetime, causing a Chrono Vortex.
Because of these risks, the research was stopped prior to the First Tiberium War. However, in the alternate Red Alert Universe, these kinks were shortly ironed out and the Chronosphere technology continued to evolve and grew more advanced and powerful; Being able to transport entire groups at a single use.
Third World War[]
Soviets[]
Nuclear weapons[]
Soviet nuke
| “ | Warning: Nuclear Silo detected! - Lt. Eva |
” |
By the Great Third World War, the Soviets continued to expand on their nuclear armaments, yielding bigger and more powerful missiles to eradicate the target more brutally. Although commanders were only issued lower-yield tactical warheads, only higher-ranking officials (like General Vladimir) had the necessary clearance to deploy these devastating weapons.
Iron Curtain[]
Iron curtain
The Soviets' Iron Curtain technology continued to strive at great pace. No longer did they could sustain enough power to affect a single unit but it became efficient enough to render a small group or even a building for a short time. Though, much like the Chronosphere, the Iron Curtain's effects were lethal to exposed infantry. Allowing shrewd commanders to use it on approaching squads.
Allies[]
Weather Control Device[]
Weather Control Device
| “ | Warning: Weather Control Device detected! - Lt. Zophia |
” |
The Allies had, in the years after the war, begun development on nuclear weapons of their own until Yuri permanently deactivated them, when the war began.
Left without nuclear armaments, The Allies were left until Einstein devised a workaround and granted them access to his design plans for a Weather Control Device; While the late professor expressed great concerns with the use of such means to control 'God's Toys'. The realisation of the Soviet's Nuclear Power was a warrant in itself.
Throughout the conflict, the Allies' Weather Control Device, and the great thunderstorms they brought with it, were used to devastating effect against their enemies.
Chronosphere[]
Allied Chronosphere
The chronotechnology itself performed well in great strides. By the time of the GWII that the Chronospheres effects had been significantly improved; Allowing for much further longer-distance travel, minimised the risks, and were powerful enough to send multiple vehicles in a single jump permanently.
The technology involved was so successful that smaller prototypes were tested on Allied Ore Collectors; Allowing them to effectively teleport back to base weather their cargo holds were full or were under attack.
Although low-powered field sited Chronospheres only teleported a small group of vehicles. A much larger one, established at the Florida Keys allowed the Allies to transport their entire forces across the Earth freely. Reducing costs and needs for long distance transportation and logistics.
Yuri[]
Psychic Dominator[]
Yuri Psychic Dominator
| “ | Warning: Psychic Dominator detected! - EVA |
” |
Because of the nature of a 'roaming army' Yuri's forces lack the government funding to develop effective means to defeat their foes. Instead, the forefather devised a means to exploit and amplify their already devastating psychic abilities on a global scale. The Psychic Dominator was a direct improvement of his previous Amplifier design. Although they were promptly destroyed before they could be deployed, three full-powered Dominators operating in tandem could discharge a massive wave of psychic energy; Potentially capable of permanently twisting the minds of everyone on the planet into unquestionable loyalty to Yuri.
Five were known to exist: the one in San Francisco was disabled, and then subsequently destroyed, by time travelling forces of a desperate entente formed by the soviets and allies.
The rest were seeked out by the nations' own operations. The Soviets located and destroyed two Dominators being constructed in London and Transylvania, while ones in Antarctica and Egypt were handled by the Allied forces, the latter of which being rushed by Einstein upon Yuri's demands. Freed, Einstein also sabotaged it, causing it to overload and explode.
Genetic Mutator[]
Genetic Mutator
| “ | Warning a Genetic Mutator has been detected! - Advisor |
” |
The Genetic Mutator was an even more terrifying weapon, if a tactical weapon, that can turn entire companies of men into loyalmutated freaks, under Yuri's control. Fortunately, it was deployed near the end of the conflict, after Yuri failed to blackmail Massivesoft Chairman Bing into completing the required software, which became its Achilles' Heel.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert (iOS)[]
The Soviets must deploy a Battle Lab to use nukes while the Allies must build the Defense HQ to launch a Weather Storm.
Third World War (Red Alert 3)[]
Events, pertaining to the succeeding conflicts, were erased, when a major disruption in the space time continuum rippled through the rest of time when Einstein was rubbed out from Allied History.
Without the intrusion of Yuri, Japan felt the oppression of their warring superpowers no more and built an empire of their own; The Empire of the Rising Sun. Furthermore was that nuclear weapons ceased to exist without the brainchild of Einstein who devised them in the first place. Instead, a business enterprise flourished in the war market and helped collaborate the otherwise technologically incurred Allies with their superweapons. The soviets, rather unfortunately, suffered the same fate.
| “ | If that weapon fires, then I have no choice but to launch every weapon I have against the United States. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!! - Cherdenko, seeing the Mt. Rushmore superweapon |
” |
Empire of the Rising Sun[]
The Empire's newly rise to power have gained them leeway to devise their own version of technology, some so familiarly used by Yuri and his forces, prior to his eradication. Two of their most recent developments were exploits in nanotechnology and proto-psychic power of their top secret Yuriko project.
Psionic Decimator[]
The Empire of the Rising Sun's Psionic Decimator.
The Psionic Decimator was a relatively explosive weapon that uses the raw mental energies of the Yuriko clones, contained in the structure's vials.
The result was an ever expanding bubble of raw psyhic energy that then collapses and emit a powerful wave that could demolish anything in its path.
Nanoswarm Hive[]
Nanoswarm Hive.
Suspected of having learned of the tactical power of the Soviets' Iron Curtain, combined with their use in nanomachines, the Empire devised the Nanoswarm Hive. Contained within the armored carapace, and once charged, Commanders could command it to send nanites to an area and encapsulate it in a impenetrable barrier for a short while. It was a tactically decisive tool, being able to protect anything inside from basic dog canines to superweapons.
Unfortunately, the physical nature of the shield made traversing in and out of the field impossible until the nanites wore off.
Allies[]
Proton Collider[]
Proton Collider
Without weather control nor nuclear powers, the removal of Einstein, allowed FutureTech to step in and provide the Allies with their advanced weapons research. The Proton Collider was a subatomic artillery gun that used powerful particle blasts to saturate the target area in molten neutron slugs with devastating effect.
Further developments went on in portabilising them into use aboard prototype aircraft.
Chronosphere[]
The new Allied Chronosphere of World War III.
Despite the loss of their chief scientist, chronotechnology remained firmly on the Allies' side, likely carried on by the experts in FutureTech, sponsored heavily by the Allies. This version offers the same level of power of its predecessors, only being able to transport larger groups of units across terrain. There were even accounts of entire Aircraft Carriers being chronologically warped into isolated bodies of water.
Though this was less effective, than the technology used before Einstein's disappearance, giving the fact that chronosphere equipped Ore Collectors have ceased to exist. Though advancements were at an early stage, as this era's agent Tanya harbours similar time warping technology on her belt, to aid her with her missions.
Soviet Union[]
Vacuum Imploder[]
The Soviet Vacuum Imploder.
Due to the damage to the timeline, caused by then promoted Premier Cherdenko removing Albert Einstein from the timeline, the USSR's own nuclear armaments were removed. However their chief science teams delved into the notions of vacuum technology. Being able to, rather forcefully, remove or turn their enemies' toys against them.
While the Vacuum Satellite remained as a means to suck units into orbit, it is only that the culmination of their work resulted in the deadly Vacuum Imploder.
Delivered traditionally by missile, the Vacuum Imploder warhead produces an incredibly strong intake anomaly that, quite literally, sucks in everything towards the epicenter then, when it collapses, the resulting outward blast was equally strong in nature and turned everything it took into deadly shrapnel; Throwing them through building and unit alike, with terrifying velocity. It was a cruel yet effective mention of Newton's Laws.
Iron Curtain[]
The latest Iron Curtain
The Soviets' Iron Curtain managed to escape the effects of the time disruption that scientists continued to invest in defensive technology that was the Iron Curtain
Still true to its original purpose, this device immunised all mechanical forces from harm for a while, while remaining equally lethal to personnel.
Other Near Superweapons/WMDs[]
- Some destructive Top Secret Protocols are alternatives to Superweapons, only they are not as effective as Superweapons themselves. However, Commanders can access only to 10 out of 15 Top Secret Protocols.
- Howard T. Ackerman was planning to destroy Moscow with a superweapon hidden in the statue of Theodore Roosevelt's head at Mt. Rushmore.
- The Shogun Executioner is also considered a superweapon due to its 3 huge blades.
- Also Oleg wants to get revenge against Ackerman's Rushmore Superweapon and armed the Kirovs with 50 Megaton Bombs which will devastate a city. 50 Megaton Bombs were considered a superweapon due to its power. It is most likely that the Soviet 50 megaton bomb was a nuclear weapon (or vacuum alternative).
- In The Last Red Blossom Trembled, Dr. Zelinsky used a Chronosphere-esque device to teleport Vacuum warheads directly into battle, to protect Futuretech Lab from the Imperial attack.
- After the war, FutureTech also developed the Sigma Harmonizer. A superweapon that can affect time in various ways
- In the Soviet operation The Science of War, where the Soviets capture an Allied science lab, they discovered the Allies are building a superweapon. This weapon could possibly have been an atomic bomb. However, an Engineer does give away the true origin of the Vacuum Imploder. He says "In theory, you could make a giant vacuum cleaner with this stuff.", hinting that the Vacuum Imploder was developed from stolen Allied technology.
Drawbacks[]
All superweapons share the following drawbacks:
- All superweapons were very expensive. Either between 2500 or 5000 credits.
- All superweapons require large quantities power to function.
- Requires a long time to charge
- From Red Alert 2 onwards, they cannot be hidden: once constructed its presence is announced and the shroud over it is removed revealing their position (and probably their base's as well) to enemies. Combined with the long recharge time this gives enemies a chance and a strong incentive to destroy it before it even fires.
- This can be used as an advantage to peek into the enemy bases through the hole in the war fog.
- Subsequently, superweapons require bases with strong economies and strong defences before they are viable.
- The Allied Chronosphere and Soviet Iron Curtain were harmful to infantry.
- Although this could be used offensively it was usually not worth wasting a superweapon strike to take out some infantry. The inability to have Chronoshift or have invincible infantry is generally considered a disadvantage.
- There's sometimes a slight delay between firing and the actual effect, allowing fast units to escape.
- Even if a superweapon fires they can be countered in a number of ways:
- Force Shields are effective at protecting buildings from superweapon strikes.
- A desperate or daring Allied commander may order his Chrono Legionnaires to target their own structures. This will protect them at the cost of the Legionnaire's life. However, "overprotection" of the structures will lead to their loss.
- The Allied Chrono Rifts can protect units from even the most destructive weapons.
- The Soviet Iron Curtain can be applied to buildings allowing them to shrug off superweapons strikes
- The Imperial Nanoswarm Hive can protect anything in its radius of effect.
See also[]
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