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The Whipray is an anti-air vessel used by the Foehn Revolt.

Official description[]

Whipray is the newest addition to the Foehn navy - a naval vessel, the primary role of which is anti-aircraft defense. The vessel is the world's first mass-produced ship not to be controlled by a human crew, thus it is completely immune to mind control performed by the Epsilon units. It has a durable design, capable of withstanding plenty of enemy fire, but at the cost of not being equipped with a rotating turret.

Whipray utilizes a combination of two weapons: a standard "Golden Rocket" anti-air multi launch system, and a customized confusion rifle, designed to target aircraft explicitly. Additionally, the Whipray has a windspin engine, which can benefit from both the Spinblades deployed near the shores and on islands, as well as the SODAR Array, which can improve the performance of the unit's projectiles.[1]

Overview[]

Similar to the other factions' T2 anti-air warships, the Whipray easily fulfills a more dedicated anti-air role for the Foehn Revolt.The Whipray's armament of Golden Rockets far exceeds the Swordfish's now-removed AA capability in terms of sheer damage potential. Like Giantsbanes, Whiprays deal scatter damage to any unlucky air unit caught in its salvo of Golden Rockets.

As if that staggering amount of firepower wasn't enough, an additional confusion weapon allows Whiprays to cause chaos with an enemy air armada, turning friendlies against each other, while letting themselves be sitting ducks to the Whipray's rocket attacks.

While possessing a formidable amount of health, and with the ability to gain faster movement speeds thanks to its incorporation of Spinblade technology, Whiprays are unable to defend themselves from other naval threats. They must constantly be supported by Swordfish and/or Angelshark fleets in order to make the most of their abilities. The hefty price tag (just $50 short of the Angelshark's cost) may also be a problem to some.

Weapon cycle[]

The Whipray follows a brief attack pattern when engaging aerial enemies. It always starts firing its double Golden Rocket salvo once it switches targets.

  • Stage 1: Lasts until 20 frames (1.3 in-game seconds). In other words, Stage 1 is where the Whipray will fire its Golden Rockets.
  • Stage 2: The Whipray will fire a confusion ray against its target. Once it has reached 40 frames (2.7 in-game seconds), the cycle will repeat.

AI behavior[]

Whiprays controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

All difficulties[]

  • 2x targeting base threats
    • This task force may be accompanied by 2 additional Whiprays

Medium/Hard[]

  • 2x targeting everything
    • This task force may be accompanied by 2 Swordfishes and 1 Leviathan
  • 2x guarding friendly base, accompanied by 2 Swordfishes and 2 Angelsharks
  • 3x targeting base threats

Assessment[]

Pros Cons
  • Can confuse groups of enemies, causing them to attack their own allies.
  • Confusion weaponry is the single most effective battlefield effect in the game since only Hero and Epic unit are able to resist them (even drones are prone to malfunction and stop following orders)
  • Immune to mind-control, hijacking, poison and radiation.
  • Can receive firepower boost when near a deployed SODAR Array.
  • Effective against aircraft.
  • Can be further boosted by Spinblades.
  • Can only attack air units.
  • Vulnerable against submarines and ships.
  • Somewhat expensive for a Tier 2 unit.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Before version 3.3.5, an unused feature was added for the Whipray. The Whipray would switch to a "Whirlwind" mode (mechanic is similar to Buratino's switching modes), which allows the Whipray to become an anti-infantry vessel, a role that the current Foehn navy lacks. The Whirlwind mode weapon itself can reveal invisible units, as well as cause an infantry death animation similar to what the Alanqa and Great Tempest does. This feature is no longer present within the game files.

Trivia[]

  • Whiptail stingrays or whiprays (Dasyatidae) are a family of rays with a distinctive whip-like tail possessing one or more venomous stingers they use in self-defense.

References[]

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