Planetary Assault Carrier
From Command and Conquer Wiki
| PAC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Weaponry | Ion Storm Generator and Fighters |
| Armor | Heavy |
| Type | Heavy Capital Aircraft Carrier |
| Faction | Scrin and Traveler |
| Cost | 3000 |
| Build Time | 0:30 |
| Production Site | Gravity Stabilizer |
| Country | Scrin |
Planetary Assault Carriers are among the most fearsome and powerful Scrin aircraft witnessed. Resembling giant, floating, legless stag beetles, each Carrier arrives above the battlefield armed with a contingent of smaller Scrin Invader-class fighters, which immediately detach from it and swarm around their target, firing plasma weapons. When working together these fighters are able to deal significant damage, and if destroyed the Carrier is able to 'grow' a replacement.
However, Carriers are perhaps most dangerous when generating an ion storm, as they are apparently able to do at any time. An example of this has been observed that these ships actually regain hull integrity while in an ion storm. While harming human forces, ion storms actually enhance the fighting capability of Scrin aircraft in particular. Carriers have also been witnessed possessing an energy shield, similar to that seen on the Annihilator Tripod and Devastator Warship, which greatly enhances their durability.
Known weaknesses of the Planetary Assault Carrier are its slow movement speed (particularly for an aircraft) and the fact that the Carrier itself actually possesses no defences once all its Invaders are shot down. It is also extremely expensive-at a cost of 3000 credits per unit, it is perhaps the most expensive tier 3 unit in the war, excluding the Mothership or any Epic Units. It must return only for repairs-but because of their slow speed and the ability to generate AND heal in an Ion Storm, it isn't very practical to send them back to the base for repairs. Nevertheless these hovering behemoths are a frightening component of the Scrin arsenal capable of terrorizing even Mammoth Tanks.
These are considered analogous to our aircraft carriers in that they both transport vessels for combat aircraft, that they are the main ships of a fleet, and that they have very few defenses of their own. However they can fly, carry twice as many aircraft as the current aircraft carrier, can utilize shields, and can create ion storms which distinguishes them greatly from the aircraft carriers of GDI.
[edit] Assessment
Pros
- Deadly for Tier 3 units - the PACs were like flying Mammoth 27's
- Feared by all air and ground units - even Epic Units
- Swarms of Invaders
- Can replace lost fighters free of charge
- Has shield or engine upgrades
- Strong Armor
- Can generate Ion Storms
- Able to destroy enemy bases in superior numbers
- Self-repairs in Ion Storms
Cons
- Defenseless without its fighters
- Slingshots and APCs can accurately hit its fighters in swarms.
- Unavailable to Reaper-17
- Slow but faster than Motherships
- Hard to repair despite the Gravity Stabilizer's repair drones.
- The EMP Control Center's EMP can take down an unshielded PAC.
- Very expensive and without the Signal Transmitter it can't be built
- Even Mammoth Tanks can sometimes outrun it
- Defenseless against large groups of enemy AA units
- Slingshot and Mantis units can destroy its fighters quickly, rendering the pricey unit defenseless.
- Perhaps the most expensive Tier 3 unit in the war, next to the Annihilator Tripod, Reaper Tripod, and the Black Hand's Purifier Warmech (3000 credits).
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