Ascension Challenge

Challenge

“	The armies of Epsilon Headquarters are expanding their bases beyond Antarctica. Their superior genetically enhanced infantry is a threat to the entire world and to make things worse, there is an entire air armada coming to reinforce their positions.	”
	—Map description

Ascension Challenge is the ninth Challenge map that pits the player(s) against three Epsilon Headquarters armies. Enemy reinforcements consist mostly of aircraft that arrive every 14 minutes, as well as buffed infantry by the masses.

Information[]

After approximately 2 minutes in real-time, the countdown of the Golden Armada's arrival will begin. However, 2 minutes after the countdown has started, a single Aerial Fortress Irkalla will approach the challengers' base. The latter reinforcement will not repeat again in the current match.

This is further supported by the Epsilon HQ's bases start with 2 Cloning Vats at the ready, which make their infantry numbers nearly unstoppable and limitless. The enemy AI at top zone owns an additional preplaced Aerodome.

Outside of three bases, the enemy starts with a large number of Stalkers, Viruses, Shadow Tanks, Ruiners and Genomines scattered around the map. 8 Rahns will guard enemy bases and central outpost in total.

Arriving every 14 minutes, the Golden Armada, a group of 12 Basilisks, 7 Salamanders and an Aerial Fortress Irkalla, will appear in the central point on the top edge of the map, then proceed towards the south where the players' bases are located. Their arrival is signaled by an EVA announcement and the sudden change of music (which is the same theme used in Godsend); music will return to normal once the Golden Armada is destroyed. Note that since the rest of the aircraft are escorting the cumbersome Aerial Fortress Irkalla, it will take time before they reach the players' base.

In order to reset the countdown of the Golden Armada, one must destroy preplaced Master Spires which are located at the upper center of the map. Each Master Spire is guarded by some Epsilon defenses and an Aerial Fortress Irkalla. The challengers can only delay using these method a maximum of 4 times, as there are only 4 Master Spires. The only way to stop these continuous aerial reinforcements permanently is to destroy the main Epsilon Headquarters base located directly north of the players' starting areas.

Support power changes/additions[]

The enemy has access to a Shadow Tank reinforcement that spawns 4 Shadow Tanks randomly in the battlefield is deployed every 10 minutes. This support power replaces the Kinetic Barrier and the challengers cannot obtain it if a Pandora Hub with Geneplug is captured.
Ruiner's cooldown decreased to 5:00, with the unit acquired stealth ability.

Unit changes/additions[]

Brutes, Dybbuk-Attackers and Dybbuk-Evolvers are built as veterans.
All enemy infantry receive a 50% armor boost periodically, as if they received a permanent Kinetic Barrier.
Opus Tanks are created with a Brute already inside, which means Opus Tanks are produced with tier 2 level firepower buff.
Salamanders have decreased hit points from 1200 to 1000.
Rahn has increased speed from 7 to 8 and decreased Rate of Fire from 100 to 60 (both stats are identical to Rahn during the mission Nightcrawler).
The Aerial Fortress Irkalla from the Golden Armada has enhanced hit points of 3200 and their dissolver beams mutate infantry into Brutes. Irkallas produced by the Epsilon HQ AI and by players who has captured an Epsilon HQ base is not affected by this.

Starting point Tech buildings[]

Trivia[]

Prior to version 3.3.3, the challenge's map is a modified version of a 6-player standard skirmish map Dead Six. In version 3.3.3, the northern area got a major overhaul.
The Golden Armada's name, as well as its nature as an elite air force, is a direct reference to the main fleet used by the Protoss in Starcraft II.