Military applications of Tiberium
From Command and Conquer Wiki
Tiberium research played an important role in the Brotherhood of Nod. The alien mineral was extensively researched and Nod managed to develop a number of weapons, which grew more and more refined in each war.
Depending upon the weapon and the victim, at times, Tiberium weapons will not kill the victim, instead mutating them into visceroids.
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[edit] First Tiberium War
Extensive research on the Tiberium substance resulted in the development of several unconventional and lethal weapons, which were extremely effective in an anti-infantry role. However, due to their affinity for Tiberium, visceroids, and the Project ReGenesis experiments were immune to injury from these Tiberium firearms.
- "Venom" Tiberium sprayer - this weapon uses raw concentrated Tiberium gas as ammunition, spraying it in the direction the muzzle is pointing in. The high spread nozzle makes it ineffective at ranges other than short, but in close quarters it is an irreplaceable infantry killer. It is issued mainly to Nod chem warriors, however, its safe construction allows it to be used by any, even unprotected, personnel.
- "Mantis" Tiberium automatic rifle - a bullpup assault rifle firing Tiberium gas cartridges which explode upon contact with a solid object. This weapon possesses a very high fire rate as well as a very distinctive discharge sound. Unlike the chemical sprayer, it is very accurate at long ranges and also less cumbersome. It was the weapon Acolytes (early Nod cyborgs) were typically armed with.
- "Talon" Tiberium flechette gun - a submachinegun firing processed Tiberium shards at high speeds. The shards are located in a sealed ammunition clip, making the weapon capable of being employed by any kind of field personnel without protective equipment.
[edit] Second Tiberium War
During the Second Tiberium War, the Brotherhood developed and used highly destructive chemical missiles. The payload of these missiles consisted of processed Tiberium waste harvested from Tiberium veins (another notable achievement, as only Nod was able to safely harvest them) and was delivered by a short-range ballistic missile. The concentrated gas was released on impact in addition to the damage dealt by the explosive rocket itself. The tiberium-based gas proved to be extremely toxic and corrosive, often resulting in severe damage to all nearby installations as the gas clouds slowly spread through the nearby environment and created Visceroids out of any infantry caught within the gas clouds.
Nod also developed a World Altering Missile, which Kane had planned to use to transform the entire world from carbon-based to tiberium-based life. A GDI taskforce, led by Michael McNeil managed to destroy the missile prior to launch.
[edit] Third Tiberium War
In the Third Tiberium War, Nod's research into Tiberium has yielded several new weapons, the most prominent of which was a Liquid Tiberium Bomb that had an explosive yield exceeding 200 megatons, and would also ignite all Tiberium within its blast range to augment its destructive power. The first large-scale Liquid Tiberium detonation was set off by a GDI ion cannon strike on Temple Prime where a stash of it was hidden. Additionally, director Redmond Boyle commissioned the development of a GDI liquid tiberium bomb for use against the Scrin.
In addition, Nod has made a number of other breakthroughs for use in the field:
- Catalyst missile: The warhead on this long-range missile is designed to explosively ignite Tiberium and anything that has it, such as storage silos. A specialized version, especially damaging to Scrin physiology, was developed to combat the aliens in Italy.
- Tiberium seeding: An aircraft-delivered bomb that sprays liquid Tiberium at a target area, creating a new Tiberium patch in that area.
- Tiberium infusion: The Brotherhood can safely infuse its normal soldiers with tiberium, enhancing their toughness and rendering them immune to the harmful effects of Tiberium exposure in the field.
- Tiberium vapor bomb: An aircraft-delivered bomb that disperses a Tiberium vapor cloud in mid-air, which is then ignited.
- Tiberium core missiles: An improvement over basic missiles delivered by vehicles such as the mantis and stealth tank.
The Black Hand managed to combine Tiberium research with their love of flame weaponry; yielding the extremely high temperature purifying flame, capable of melting even vehicle armor.
The Marked of Kane was particularly fond of using Tiberium enhancement; it's soliders having been mutated to the point of losing their humanity. It also fielded Tiberium troopers, soldiers similar to the chemical warriors of the First War.
Additionally, Nod particle beam weaponry is powered by Tiberium.
[edit] Cybernetics
Controlled mutation via Tiberium was an essential part of Nod's cybernetic research. Unlike the Soviet research it was partially based upon, the mutations made Nod cyborgs were more stable, allowing for mass-production rather than just a single success in a line of failures. The Nod cyborgs were also capable of regenerating their biological components in Tiberium. CABAL took this even farther, with his cyborg reaper being mutated to the point where it was barely recognizable as human. The Marked of Kane currently uses Awakened and Enlightened cyborgs, which are far less mutated by Tiberium; making them far less tolerant to the crystals than the inferior Second Tiberium War models.
