Planetary Assault Carrier
From Command and Conquer Wiki
| Planetary Assault Carrier | |
|---|---|
| |
| Unit | |
| Affiliation | |
| Role |
Heavy Capital Aircraft Carrier |
| Armament |
|
| Protection |
Heavy |
| Production | |
| Cost |
3000 |
| Build time |
0:30 |
| Produced by | |
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 (with the exception of the Ion Storm Generator, but is only effective if enemy units are foolish enough to get too close to it) 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. In conclusion, no Scrin Commander should leave these formidable flying terrors out of their attack force-their power simply cannot be matched.
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 27s
- 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
- A strong combination of PACs with Stormriders and Devastator Warships is a nightmare for other factions.
- Can generate Ion Storms
- Able to destroy enemy bases in superior numbers
- Self-repairs in Ion Storms
- Has Stealth Detection
- Perhaps the most powerful Tier 3 Unit in the war in terms of aerial combat
- Virtually matchless in one on one fights
Cons
- Defenseless without its fighters, and it takes time to replace destroyed ones.
- Slingshots, APCs and Mantis 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
- Not very effective against infantry
- Cannot generate ion storm while moving
- Range of fire of its fighters is limited.
- Even Mammoth Tanks can sometimes outrun it
- Defenseless against large groups of enemy AA units
- 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).
- Easy to defeat in a well-defended GDI Base, especially if the base has not only enough AA Guns to take out their Swarms (and then the PAC itself, with enough time), but 4 Firehawks with Air-to-Air Missiles can easily take it down under covering fire of their AA Guns.
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