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Time for a brain storm!
—A Mastermind "persuading" nearby enemies

The Mastermind is the monster tank of PsiCorps.

Official description[]

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. This seemingly innocent saying becomes horrific reality with the Mastermind. According to the intel found in Romania by the Soviets, an Adept that perishes has his brain collected and kept alive with neurostimulants. Once enough brains have been harvested, the organs are spliced together into one gigantic cortex through rapid tissue regeneration. The new brain is then placed into a container filled with preservative fluids and grafted onto a huge tank chassis. This incredibly traumatic process often leads to the perishing of most of the brains' personalities, resulting in only the strongest mind remaining aware to control its mechanical cage. The overwhelming psychic power of multiple Adept brains is utilized to rapidly seize control of a large amount of foes.

This nightmarish monstrosity has one weakness though: the Mastermind can only take control of a maximum of three enemies before the strain on the brain becomes too much. More enemies controlled beyond the maximum amount result in more strain, resulting in the eventual destruction of the vehicle due to overheating. Regardless, shortly after its existence has been discovered, a realization came that the technology used for this unit could have horrifying implications for the future.[1]

Overview[]

Brainwave OVERLOAD!!
—A Mastermind subject to overloading

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

PsiCorps' Mastermind proves that mind control is no laughing matter, especially when it can go beyond its limits. Able to seize control of foes three times the capability of Epsilon Adepts, no enemy commander would carelessly let their most powerful units (especially the Mastermind's equivalents) fall under Yuri's psychic tricks and easily increase their numbers in a short period of time.

For a "monster tank" that solely relies on mind control and not actual weapons that harm, the Mastermind can perform defensive or offensive roles in its unique way.

Defensively, it functions like a mobile Psychic Tower, and since it needs no power supply, a proselyte can freely construct more Masterminds to defend his base. A proselyte should also have a nearby Grinder in his base to recycle any unwanted units from the Mastermind's mind control and therefore acquire extra funds.

In an offensive situation however, Masterminds cause chaos when deployed in the thick of battle that not even Foehn's confusion rays can compare. Thanks to the Mastermind's durability and range, only a few units have the capability to fire at it without being forced to submit to Yuri's will. Although Masterminds can be overwhelmed by cheaper, more numerous units (which results to a brainwave overload, an event wherein the Mastermind damages itself due to controlling 4 or more units until it explodes or returns to 3 units), a proselyte can simply send such units to their doom (or Grinder if possible) while ordering the Mastermind to retreat or brutally killing the mind controlled victims via force firing at them. Another issue the Mastermind experiences is its cumbersome speed, which makes them unable to chase down swifter units. Fortunately though, Magnetrons and the Magnetic Beam can pin these units down and make them easy victims for the Mastermind.

On the other hand, the Mastermind suffers from a number of weaknesses that makes it far from perfect. As its only weapon is mind control, robotic units like the Terror Drone and Coronia's Roadrunner, as well as heroes like Tanya and Alize are able to close in without retaliation from the Mastermind. In addition, its reliance on mind control means the Mastermind alone is harmless to enemy static defenses, and it is often focused down by human players before the Mastermind has any chance of seizing any victims. Its mind control is also out of reach from air units, meaning fighter jets like the Harrier are able to strike it down as well. Lastly, mind controlled units can be freed via EMP that disables the Mastermind, which makes fighting against China and to a lesser extent, the rest of the Soviets, a difficult effort with mind control alone.

Brainwave Overload[]

When the Mastermind has mind controlled too many units, it will take damage every 60 frames (or 4 in-game seconds). The more mind control victims, the more damage it receives.

  • Takes 25 damage if 4 units are mind controlled.
  • Takes 50 damage if 5-6 units are mind controlled.
  • Takes 100 damage if 7 or more units are mind controlled.

AI behavior[]

Masterminds controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

All difficulties[]

  • 4x targeting anything
    • The AI may use Shadow Ring on this task force
    • If available, Chronoboost may also be applied

Medium/Hard[]

  • 1x guarding Gatling Cannons or Inferno Towers, accompanied by 1 Magnetron
  • 2x targeting anything
    • This task force may be accompanied by 1 additional Mastermind
  • 2x targeting vehicles, accompanied by 2 Lasher Tanks and 2 Magnetrons

Hard[]

  • 2x guarding Chimera Cores

AI-controlled Masterminds ignore the brainwave overload mechanic, so they will continue to mind control enemies past the safe limit until destroyed.

Appearances[]

A new prototype managed to escape nearby. Use the Mastermind to retake control of the base. Use the hostile forces in this area to your advantage but do not let the Mastermind be destroyed. If Mastermind controls more than 3 units at once, its artificial brain will start taking damage.
—Epsilon intel during Operation: Memory Dealer

In non-Epsilon or betrayed Scoripion Cell missions, capturing a PsiCorps base won't grant access to Mastermind.

Act Two[]

  • The first Mastermind appears in Memory Dealer. In the first part of the mission, it is tasked with reclaiming the Epsilon base from Soviet forces. The Mastermind must survive until the the Epsilon base is reclaimed. Once the base is reclaimed, the Mastermind becomes buildable.

Special Ops[]

This vehicle's weapon was made from brains of fallen PsiCorps Troopers.
—Yunru during Operation: Time Capsule
  • Chronologically, the Mastermind first appears in the Foehn Special Ops mission Time Capsule. The only Mastermind on this mission is under testing, so it mind controls faster but the brainwave overload effect deals more damage.

Skirmish/Multiplayer[]

  • In the Fortress mode map Lonely Paradise, the defender will get constant Mastermind reinforcement from the rear of the base in every 10 minutes. However, note that these Masterminds will go to hunt enemy actively a while after being delivered.

Assessment[]

Pros Cons
  • Able to safely mind control up to 3 units.
  • Heavily armored.
  • Immune to hijacking, abduction, omnicrush.
  • Can crush infantry.
  • Can mind control while moving.
  • Can self-repair.
  • As a mind-control unit, they're immune to mind-control.
  • Vulnerable to EMP, mind-controlled units will be freed when disabled.
  • Slow-moving.
  • Takes damage if mind controlling too many units.
  • Will happily push forward and mind control as many units as it can until it overloads itself to death.
  • Can be overwhelmed with many cheap and fast units.
  • Vulnerable against aircraft and heavy anti-armor threats.
  • Expensive.
  • Micro-intensive.
  • Cannot affect miners, heroes, psychic units, airborne units, robots, animals and structures.
  • Cannot mind-control units that are already mind-controlled.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Mindiconold
    In Version 3.0, Mastermind used its original cameo from the vanilla Yuri's Revenge, just like older versions did.

See also[]

External links[]

References[]

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