Special Abilities

[ AAA Tracking ] [ Amphibious ] [ Artillery ] [ Blink ] [ Carrier ] [ Clean ] [ Cloaked ] [ Drop ] [ ECM ] [ Empath Song ] [ Fungicidal ] [ Grav ] [ Police ] [ Repair ] [ SAM ] [ Secure ] [ Sub ] [ Super Former ] [ Trained ] [ Trance ] [ X ] [ Deep Radar ]

The AAA Tracking ability increases a unit's defense against air and missile attacks by 100%.

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Amphibious Pods allow a ground unit to attack directly from a sea square when disembarking from a transport. Units with Amphibious Pods may also move and attack across the channels between Sea Bases and continents.

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Heavy Artillery units bombard their targets from a distance rather than attacking them directly. This unique ability allows to fire at units up to two (2) squares away, and to attack every unit in a square with one attack.

An artillery unit's only weakness is its inability to attack by any other means than bombardment.

Note that naval units have the intrinsic ability to conduct bombardment, but they may also attack directly against units in sea squares.

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The Blink Displacer ability allows a unit to ignore all base defenses ( Perimeter Defense , Tachyon Field ) when attacking.

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A Carrier Deck allows a sea-going transport to carry and refuel air units.

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Units with the Clean Reactor ability require no support from their home bases.

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A Cloaking Device allows a unit to avoid detection by enemy units unless they actually attempt to enter the same square. Cloaked units may also ignore enemy Zones of Control (ZOC) - they may move freely between squares adjacent to enemy units.

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Drop Pods allow ground units to make air drops. A unit must begin its turn in a friendly base or airbase in order to make an airdrop. Airdrops may be made into any empty square within eight (8) squares (unless your faction has the technology necessary to make Orbital Insertions , in which case units may be dropped anywhere on the planet).

Drop Pod units may move after an airdrop, but if they attack a 50% combat penalty applies.

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The Comm Jammer ability interferes with enemy tactical command and control, thus throwing enemy mobile offensives into confusion. A Comm Jammer confers +50% defense against ground units with more than one move (Speeders and Hovertanks).

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The Empath Song ability confers a +50% attack bonus against units which employ a Psi defense, such as Mind Worms and other alien creatures.

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Fungicide Tanks allow a terraformer unit to clear Xenofungus at twice the normal rate. Only terraforming units can use this ability.

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Antigrav Struts give a unit an extra move each turn, and allow all ground units , like Hovertanks, to avoid movement penalties for difficult terrain.

Air units with Antigrav Struts gain moves equal to twice (2x) their reactor value.

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Non-Lethal Methods allow a unit to count double when used as Police Units (each unit eliminates two (2) drones rather than one).

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A Repair Bay allows transport units to repair the units they carry while in transit.

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The Air Superiority ability equips a unit with the missiles necessary to attack Needlejets in flight. Air Superiority units gain a +100% combat advantage when attacking other air units in flight, but incur a -50% penalty if they attack ground or naval units.

Air-to-air combat is resolved by comparing attack factors - the armor value is ignored.

Note that even ground and naval units can be equipped with the SAM missiles necessary to confer this ability.

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Polymorphic Encryption doubles a unit's resistance to Probe Team subversion.

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A Deep Pressure Hull allows a sea unit to function as a submarine. Submarine units are difficult for enemies to detect.

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The Super Former ability doubles the speed at which a unit performs normal terraforming functions. It can be used only with terraforming units.

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The High Morale ability gives a unit a +1 morale upgrade when it is first created.

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Units with the Hypnotic Trance ability are insulated from Psi attack, and thus receive a +50% defense bonus when attacked by units which employ Psi Combat, such as Mind Worms and other alien creatures.

Psi units that wish to increase their Psi defense should take the Psi Armor option.

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Faction leaders willing to commit atrocities can equip their combat units with Nerve Gas Pods. Units so equipped can employ these pods to gain a +50% attack bonus. If employed against a populated area, Nerve Gas Pods will cause significant civilian casualties.

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Deep Radar allows a unit to spot enemies in terrain up to two (2) squares away.

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