Command & Conquer Wiki

Welcome to the Command & Conquer Wiki! Log in and join the community.

READ MORE

Command & Conquer Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The Raptor recon bike is an armed motorcycle used by Nod in Tiberian Dawn.

Background[]

Mounting twin rocket launchers, the cycles have great flexibility, serving multiple roles in Nod's forces. Learn to use these units in packs, hunting down lone units or harvesters. When in guard mode, they will shoot at enemy aircraft, making them ideal at destroying incoming aerial assaults. Their speed makes them an ideal scouting unit as well.
- Tiberian Dawn manual(src)

The "Raptor"[1] recon bike is a light-armored motorcycle equipped with twin "Dragon" TOW missile launchers and four forward-facing light machine guns. Although hard-hitting, the recon bike has almost no armor to maintain its speed, consisting of a single-piece armor plate and plexiglass windshield mounted over the front wheel. It's intended for use in reconnaissance and supporting Nod units against armored and airborne targets.

By the time the Second Tiberium War had begun, Nod had succeeded these units with the second generation bikes.

Game unit[]

The bike is a bit more expensive than the GDI Humvee or Nod Buggy. While it lacks comparable armor, its missiles are very effective against the medium and Mammoth tanks, not to mention lighter targets like the MLRS. Its speed allows the bike to evade tank shells, artillery shells, rockets and missiles with some basic micromanagement. Finally, it can also be used as a mobile SAM site in a pinch: If left in guard mode, it will automatically attack airborne targets.

However, it's not designed for prolonged engagements, especially against units armed with instant-hit weapons, like machine guns. It's perfect for hit-and-run attacks and harvester hunting.

Appearances[]

Recon Bikes are first available to the player starting in Friends of the Brotherhood but more can be built in Grounded.

Trivia[]

  • The recon bike is only seen being built by the AI during the final mission of the GDI campaign, Temple Strike. Nod attack bikes will appear in groups of one and target the player's armor or air. Two missions from The Covert Operations, Infiltrated! and Twist of Fate, feature pre-placed ones under AI control.
  • The design of the Recon Bike is based on the iconic motorcycle from the movie Akira, from which they also got the inspiration of the Ion Cannon, and possibly the Visceroid.

Gallery[]

Cameos[]

DOS English Textless
TD DOS ReconBike icon Bikeicnh TD ReconBike EU cameo

See also[]

  • Buggy, one of the two Nod recon vehicles
  • Humvee, GDI counterpart

References[]

  1. Westwood Studios, Command & Conquer homepage (archived).
CNCR NodLogo Brotherhood of Nod First Tiberium War Arsenal CNCR NodLogo
Sole Survivor Cover Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor Arsenal Sole Survivor Cover
Advertisement