Mental Omega Wiki
Register
Advertisement

At least I have job...
—A Flak Trooper complaining about his duty

The Flak Trooper is a basic anti-armor and anti-air unit for the Soviets. While lacking in firepower, they make up for it by being cheap and quick to produce.

Official description[]

Flak Troopers are the main anti-armor and anti-aircraft infantry of the Soviet armies. The position of Flak Trooper is one of the lowest in the Soviet army, even compared to the Conscript divisions. Former convicts or the homeless were gathered in massive training camps to get crash courses on how to use their personal flak cannons. Their "payment" for service in the army is generally either housing and food or freedom after the war. Needless to say, not many men live long enough to see that payment.[1]

Overview[]

For a detailed list of changes from the original game, click here.

The Flak Troopers are the polar opposite of the Conscripts, as their role is to fight armored and airborne targets with their portable flak cannons. While their firepower is weak individually, they can become problematic for vehicles if amassed, which is relatively easy considering their absurdly cheap price tag of only $150.

They are an important component for any Soviet general's war machine, as they are the only Soviet infantry unit that can fire on aircraft (with the exception of China's Gyrocopter). Like the Conscript, they are useful as cannon fodder to shield their more valuable infantry and tanks.

Flak Troopers can garrison buildings to protect themselves from anti-personnel fire while increasing their firepower and range. They cannot shoot at aircraft while holed up in a building however.

However, they are not meant to be a permanent solution against aircraft and vehicles as they are very fragile, meaning they are target practice for just about anything with anti-infantry weapons. They are also the weakest standard anti-tank infantry in all aspects so they should be fielded as a support unit alongside advanced Soviet infantry and tanks.

AI behavior[]

Flak Troopers controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

All difficulties[]

  • 3x guarding friendly base, accompanied by 2 Attack Dogs and 3 Conscripts
    • This task force will only be constructed if a Nuclear Reactor is not built
  • 3x garrisoning Battle Bunkers and garrisonable structures, accompanied by 3 Conscripts
  • 4x guarding Battle Bunkers, Tesla Coils and Sentry Guns, accompanied by 1 Attack Dog and 4 Conscripts
    • This task force will only be constructed if a Nuclear Reactor is not built
  • 3x guarding Soviet Barracks or Soviet War Factory, accompanied by 2 Attack Dogs and 5 Conscripts
    • This task force will only be constructed if a Nuclear Reactor is not built
  • 4x targeting vehicles, accompanied by 4 Tesla/Shock Troopers or Mortar Quads
  • 6x targeting infantry
    • This task force will only be constructed if a Nuclear Reactor is not built
  • 6x guarding Field Bureau
  • 7x targeting vehicles
    • This task force will only be constructed if a Nuclear Reactor is not built

Medium/Hard[]

  • 2x targeting anything, accompanied by 4 Tesla/Shock Troopers, 2 Attack Dogs and 2 Pyros
    • This task force will only be constructed if a Radar Dish is built
    • If available, Rage, Kinetic Barrier and Regen/Wonder Drugs may be applied

Appearances[]

Act One[]

  • Flak Troopers first appear in Red Dawn Rising as an enemy and Bleed Red as a trainable unit, at the beginning of the Third Great War.
  • Aside from being almost omnipresent among Soviet forces throughout the war, Flak Troopers are also used by PsiCorps and Scorpion Cell during Act One. As the Archer is introduced in the Act Two mission The Conqueror, the Flak Trooper will be replaced by him among Epsilon forces.
  • In Moonlight, if the player captures the Tech Airfield, the paradrop reinforcement through it will consist of Initiates and Flak Troopers, not Archers.

Origins[]

Assessment[]

Pros Cons
  • Effective against armored units and aircraft.
  • Very cheap ($150).
  • Deals splash damage to air units.
  • Powerful in sheer numbers.
  • Can destroy walls.
  • Can garrison buildings to greatly improve fighting power and survivability.
  • Unlike in Red Alert 2, Flak Troopers are ineffective against infantry.
  • Very fragile.
  • Easily countered by anti-infantry weapons.
  • Can be crushed by most tanks.
  • Cannot attack aircraft while garrisoned.

See also[]

External links[]

References[]

Advertisement