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It's super effective!
—A Hailstorm assesses an attack result

The Hailstorm is a siege vehicle used by the Pacific Front. It is a mobile platform carrying a Hailjet bomber which it uses to destroy enemy structures from a distance.

Official description[]

Raining icy destruction from the skies above, the Hailstorm is the Pacific Front's premier siege engine. Formerly used to combat forest fires in Australia, the Hailstorm makes use of a bomber aircraft that unleashes several payloads of high-yield cryogenic substances, turning buildings into brittle constructs which easily collapse under their own weight. Though incredibly effective against structures and other hardened targets, the vehicle's Hailjet bomber is vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.[1]

Overview[]

Out of the three main siege vehicles of the Allies, the Hailstorm is by far the most unconventional one. Instead of directly attacking or marking the target for an instantaneous strike, the Hailstorm carries out its attacks using its Hailjet bomber which bombards the targets with its hail cannons, coating them in cryogenic payload. This is usually enough to heavily damage a structure - if the target survives the bombing run, the Hailjet can turn around and deliver a second round of the payload before returning to its Hailstorm.

The single biggest asset of the Hailstorm is its range - it has the highest range of the Allied siege vehicles, easily outranging almost all defenses (the only exception being the enormous Plasmerizer). It is a particularly effective counter to Epsilon's Antares Battery, being able to outrange this far-reaching defense. It is also the sturdiest Allied siege vehicle, being able to sustain more punishment than either the Athena Cannon or the Prism Tank. The Hailjet's payload deals respectably with infantry groups in a pinch as well due to its cryo payload's splash damage.

The Hailstorm still suffers from several glaring weaknesses, however. Its movement is much less flexible than the other siege units, its turn rate is subpar and it moves slowly. The thing that makes it stand out is also one of its greatest weaknesses - the Hailjet can be shot down with anti-aircraft fire, eliminating the only form of attack the Hailstorm possesses (excluding crushing infantry) until the Hailjet respawns. The Hailjet's payload is ineffective against armored vehicles and heavier infantry, and despite its armor, it will succumb to focused aircraft runs and anti-armor fire easily. Like all other siege vehicles, it needs to be escorted by other units to ensure its survival and to utilize the maximum effectiveness of its long-range siege capabilities.

AI behavior[]

Hailstorms controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

All difficulties[]

  • 4x targeting structures
    • The AI may use Chronoboost on this task force
    • If possible, Shadow Ring may also be applied
  • 2x targeting base defenses
    • This task force may be accompanied by 2 additional Hailstorms

Easy[]

  • 4x targeting production structures
    • The AI will use Chronoshift on this task force to teleport them near an enemy War Factory
    • This task force is accompanied by a Spy that will infiltrate a power plant

Medium/Hard[]

  • 2x targeting infantry, accompanied by 2 Robot Tanks
    • This task force may be accompanied by 2 additional Hailstorms
  • 2x targeting special defenses (Iron Guards, Plasmerizer, Signal Inhibitors, Gap Generators)
    • The AI may use Glacial Screen on this task force
    • This task force may be accompanied by 2 additional Hailstorms
  • 2x targeting structures, accompanied by 6 Siege Cadres
  • 2x guarding friendly base
    • This task force may be accompanied by 2 additional Hailstorms
  • 6x targeting production structures
    • The AI will use Chronoshift on this task force to teleport them near an enemy War Factory
    • This task force is accompanied by a Spy that will infiltrate a power plant
    • Hard AI is more likely to build this task force than Medium AI

Appearances[]

We have finally completed the Hailstorm project that has been delayed for a long time. Use their Hailjets to strike enemy buildings from afar, but watch out for anti-air defenses.
—Allied intel during Operation: Hypothermia

Special Ops[]

  • In Eclipse, three Hailstorms appear in the KI complex. They are inoperable and do not have Hailjets on them, serving purely as props.
  • In Digital Demon, a Hailjet-less Hailstorm is a key protection objective. The player needs to let a KI Scientist re-extract its data from the Kanegawa Assembly in the top right corner of the map, then evacuate it to a friendly Voyager Transport.
  • The Hailstorm appears in Split Seconds among the defending Pacific Front forces.

Cooperative[]

  • The first functional Hailstorms appear in Rush Tactics, in a convoy protected by Battle Tortoises and Future Tanks. Their elimination is the goal of the mission, delaying their deployment until much later in the war.
  • Chronologically, the Hailstorm becomes buildable in Hypothermia.

Act Two[]

  • The Hailstorms in the main campaign are first put to use in Relentless. Some time after the player receives an MCV, a few Hailstorms will be given to the Allied Commander, and it will be subsequently authorized for production.

Origins[]

Assessment[]

Pros Cons
  • Very effective against infantry and structures, and adequate against lighter vehicles.
  • Can destroy structures and units from an incredible range.
  • Can strike targets with decent accuracy.
  • Most durable of the three Allied siege vehicles.
  • Can self-repair.
  • Immune to omnicrush.
  • Vulnerable against aircraft and anti-armor threats.
  • Its Hailjet bomber is vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.
  • Hailjet takes time to return and reload after finishing its bombing run.
  • If the Hailjet is shot down, it takes time for the Hailstorm to provide a replacement.
  • Not effective against heavier tanks.
  • Slow-moving.

Trivia[]

  • The Hailstorm bears resemblance to the concept art of ORCA Lift Truck, a unit that was planned for Renegade but was removed from the final release.

See also[]

References[]

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