BSR's Unit Hall of Fame

Well, for the past few weeks we've seen a lot of discussion on the Best and Most Effective ways to play TA, but I thought I'd strike a different tangent this week. This time, I've decided to throw out the list of my favorite Cavedog units.

The debates will continue to rage over which unit has the best metal-to-toughness ratio, or which single unit is the best overall value in the game. However, these are the units that, for one reason or another, I'm the most fond of. Some of them made the list because of great animations, or brutal effectiveness, or just sheer coolness.

For a Stats Junkie like me, this is an interesting exercise in figuring out which units I think deserve special mention, as opposed to arguing stats and crunching costs and build times. Naturally, the choices are completely subjective and based solely on my own opinion, so if you notice a certain bias towards Core … well … we all have our favorites. ;^)

Arm Panther

At first, after I installed the Panther UFO and tried it out, I was underwhelmed. Within a week, though, this tiny workhorse of a tank had practically replaced the Bulldog in my armies. The Panther was the first unit of its type -- a close-range weapon paired with decent anti-air that made it unnecessary to send packs of Samsons with your tanks. Once I realized that the Panther had great acceleration and the ability to shred opposing Level One units, I started devoting entire factories to building them.

Core Rapier

The question of Brawler vs. Rapier is one of the most enduring and never-ending TA discussions. Everyone's got good reasons for picking their favorite of the two, but my allegiance lies with Core's Rapier. A couple of Rapiers make unbeatable resource raiders, and it only takes a medium-sized group to destroy a factory (or a Commander!) in seconds. Finally … I admit it ... I just like the look of this sleek, wedge-shaped gunship.

Core Morty

Morty is everything I ever wanted out of mobile artillery, and more. Small, tough, agile, and able to climb steep slopes, Morties can rain a constant stream of ballistic firepower on a target whether it's DTed or not. They've got a good weapon, great range, and pin-point accuracy … unlike the much-maligned mobile artillery trucks. Given radar coverage and an anti-air escort of Slashers, Morties are among the best support units and base-crackers in the game.

Arm Maverick

Pre-CC Arm needed a heavy hitter, and Cavedog delivered with the Maverick. Mavs look great, with a great model and weapon-drawing animation. They also perform well, with excellent mobility and tremendous firepower. But the Mav's assets are balanced by its fragility and inability to fire over DT. Mix in some Mavs with Panthers and Fidos, though, and they really shine as an extraordinary support unit.

Core Goliath

Core's mighty Goliath tank is literally in a class by itself. The Goliath has no counterpart in unmodified TA. It has great range, a tremendously powerful cannon and great armor. Goliaths can shatter base defenses or destroy inconvenient wreckage in seconds, yet they build faster than Reapers and Bulldogs. Escort your Goliaths with Levelers and Gimps for anti-Level-One support, and those annoying, fast-moving Flash tanks aren't nearly as big of a problem. There's nothing quite like the intimidation of a column of Gols rolling across the plain.

Core "The Can"

How could anyone not love the Can? This unassuming Kbot makes no pretense -- he's slow and short-ranged, but woe to anyone who gets too close.

The Can's lumbering gait is one of my favorite animations, while his heavy laser shreds the opposition. Sure, Sumos are tougher, Morties are more versatile and Dominators shrug at DT. But the Can makes up for it with style and attitude.

Arm Big Bertha

Among LRPCs, Bertha is the champion. I love Bertha's model and the rolling thunder of her long-range shells. Yeah, the super-heavy Intimidator has much better range, firepower, and shot speed, but when I use Bertha, I sometimes actually hit what I'm aiming for! Core supporters rightly point out that a super-veteran Intimidator is a greater threat, but you'll have to build that Intimidator outside of Bertha range, because between the two of 'em, Big Bertha is deadly accurate.

Core Toaster

The Toaster was the first pop-up plasma weapon ever released for download, and for my money it's still the best pop-up cannon. The Ambusher deserves special mention for its excellent pop-up animation, but it'll never replace the Toaster. Closed Toasters are astoundingly tough, and open Toasters are brutally effective because of their good tracking and shot speed. Besides that, I like the look of the Toaster cannon far more than its MRPC brethren.

Arm Annihilator

The King of stationary defenses, the Annihilator has a tremendous "cringe factor" and matchless single-shot firepower. With it's own built-in radar that exactly equals its weapon range, you know exactly how far you can reach to shine the Blue Light of Death on an invading army.

Core Krogoth

Krogoth and his Gantry represent the pinnacle of TA artistry. The opening animation on the Gantry is the single greatest animation achievement in the entire game; when that massive platform opens with its multiple nanolathes, you know without a doubt that something equally awe-inspiring is going to walk away from that assembly. Krogoth himself is simply stunning.

Is he a cost-effective unit? No. Is it possible to successfully build a Krog in a real, competitive game? Almost never. Can he be stopped? Sure. All that being said, there's nothing quite like the sadistic joy of walking this engine of destruction through someone's base.

-- Brave Sir Robin

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