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Yuri's collection agency.
—An Invader pilot announcing his role for the Epsilon Army

The Invader is an Epsilon aircraft that resemble flying saucers in old school science fiction. They should not be underestimated, however, as their beam weapon can make short work of infantry and their "parasite pull" can be problematic for bases without adequate anti-air defenses.

Official description[]

Epsilon's primary aircraft and immediately one of the stranger weapons of Yuri, the Invader strongly resembles a classic U.F.O. from the late 40's. But these units have far more insidious intentions than just abducting cows and drunken farmers. These floating discs are armed with a unique beam weapon that dissolves organic material, causing flesh to deteriorate and armor to take substantial damage.

Even with this terrifying weapon, what truly makes the Invader unique is its ability to sabotage. Equipped with what most commanders call a "Parasite Pull", the Invader can siphon credits from an opponent once it hovers above an enemy refinery or disable any kind of power plant or defensive structure.[1]

Overview[]

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

InvadersParasitePull

Invaders disabling Soviet defenses with their parasite pull

While it may not provide much muscle, the Invader is an excellent choice for disrupting an enemy at the beginning of the midgame. With no special build requirements and of relatively low cost, even a single Invader's potential to disable power and steal money is threatening enough to force a response, and may keep the opponent paranoid enough to keep building anti-air later into the game - even if the Epsilon commander has no plans to build any further air units. That said, Invaders fall apart very quickly when under fire, and a single incursion on an enemy who knows how to respond is unlikely to make up the money and time invested, so some clever opportunism is necessary to get the most out of them.

Invaders controlled by the AI are often sent to specifically destroy enemy infantry in large numbers. On occasion, a few AI-controlled Invaders will be sent to drain undefended Ore Refineries and nearby defenses.

Overall, the Invader's purpose is less useful in a direct assault but more on aerial support, infantry elimination and sudden base sabotage.

AI behavior[]

Invaders controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

All difficulties[]

  • 4x targeting infantry
  • 2x following friendly forces
  • 2x guarding captured Tech Oil Derricks
  • 2x guarding Epsilon Ore Refineries, Epsilon War Factories and Epsilon Gates EW

Medium/Hard[]

  • 2x targeting Ore Refineries, Plasmerizers, Nuclear Reactors or garrisoned structures

Hard[]

  • 2x targeting anything, accompanied by 2 Marauders or Shadow Tanks
  • SCicon 2x targeting infantry, accompanied by 2 Plague Splatters

Appearances[]

Invader uses its lasers to kill enemy infantry. It can also disable enemy power and defenses.
—Epsilon intel during Operation: Memory Dealer

Act Two[]

  • In Huehuecoyotl, two Invaders guarding the Stallion Transport can be seen by the player, although they cannot be controlled in this mission.
  • The Invader is introduced in Memory Dealer and becomes buildable once the player sets up a Radar Spire.
  • In Earthrise, the Invader is fully operational on the Moon, having been designed to function in the vacuum of space.

Special Ops[]

- Is that.. a UFO?
- The UFO took flight!
- Is that it? Even our Gyrocopters fly better.
—Feng squad members during Operation: Time Capsule
  • Chronologically, the Invader first appears in the Foehn Special Ops mission Time Capsule as unarmed prototypes. One of the Invaders lifts off but crashes afterwards.

Challenges[]

  • In the Contagion Challenge, the middle of the map is patrolled by a large number of toxic Invaders, which explode in a toxic cloud when destroyed and can be distinguished from normal Invaders by their green colour.

Assessment[]

Pros Cons
  • Good against infantry and light air units.
  • Very mobile and can fire on the move.
  • Great at harassing infantry.
  • Able to disable a single defensive structure or Power Plant.
  • Can steal cash from an Ore Refinery.
  • Can self-repair.
  • Lightly armored.
  • Vulnerable to any anti-aircraft fire.
  • Not very effective against armored vehicles and structures.
  • Must be directly above structure to disable it.

Behind the scenes[]

The Invader's voxel is available for public download to be used by other modders. The link can be found here.

External links[]

References[]

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