Cybran Experimental Spiderbot

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Cybran Experimental Spiderbot:  Monkeylord
Experimental bot. Consumes massive amounts of Energy. Its main laser sweeps across any enemy to its front. Also armed with AA defenses.[ e ]
Build costs	-260000  -19000 12000
Consumption	-250
Max health	45000 (+10/s)
Speed	2.5 (Amphibious)
Veterancy	25  (+10/s)
Intel (radius)	Stealth: Self Vision: 32 Water vision: 32 Sonar: 76
Weapon: Heavy Microwave Laser Direct Fire Experimental - Continuous Beam
Damage per second	4000
Damage radius	0.5
Range (min–max)	4 – 30
Weapon: Heavy Electron Bolter x 2 Direct Fire - Projectile
Damage per second	225
Projectile damage	150
Rate of fire	1.5 Projectiles/s
Range	64
Weapon: Nanite Missile System x 2 Anti Air - Projectile
Damage per second	40
Projectile damage	40
Salvo size	2 Projectiles
Reload time	2 seconds
Range	64
Weapon: Meson Torpedo Anti Navy - Torpedo
Damage per second	50
Torpedo damage	50
Salvo size	4 Torpedos
Reload time	4 seconds
Range	45
Weapon: Death weapon
Damage	4000
Damage radius	7

The Cybran Experimental Spiderbot, nicknamed the Monkeylord (ML for short), is a Cybran unit. This is an experimental unit, as well as a direct fire unit, anti-air unit, torpedo unit, and stealth unit.

This huge, legged war machine is one of the most versatile T4 units in SupCom, but it is by no means less powerful. The Monkeylord is Massive, meaning it can crush lesser units and buildings by simply walking over them; is Amphibious, capable of walking on the sea floor to its destination; and is Stealthy, bypassing any radar short of an Omni. This unit's stealth also hides it from sonar.

Although it boasts an impressive weapons array, featuring twin Heavy Electron Bolters for basic ground attack, dual Nanite Missile Systems, and Meson Torpedos when underwater, its main power lies atop in the huge Heavy Microwave Laser. This massive beam can annihilate every lesser unshielded unit or building; it can overwhelm a heavy shield generator with ease and destroy an unprotected, full health Commander in mere seconds.

With its dual Heavy Electron Bolters combined with its Heavy Microwave Laser, the Monkeylord is the cheapest land experimental (16000 mass) but has the highest DPS of any unit in the game (4450). Combined with its stealth, AA, torpedos and comparatively low cost, some people believe the ML is the most powerful and versatile experimental in the game.

Tips

The Monkeylord seems to need just its front legs in the water to fire its torpedoes. Useful if you keep it in defense of your coastal base and come under a submarine attack. Conversely, when attacking a coastal base, the Monkeylord is tall enough to bring its laser to bear without emerging from the water.

Do not overestimate torpedo tubes; they do very low DPS (Damage Per Second). A large submarine flotilla can overwhelm an underwater Monkeylord with relative ease, especially if they are Aeon or Seraphim.

You should avoid sending in a Monkeylord alone, unless you can score an immediate commander kill. An escort of Loyalists can protect against Tactical Missile Launchers, Geminis can protect against enemy air units, especially strat bombers.

If you are looking to ambush an unaware enemy ACU using the Monkeylord's stealth, you might consider switching its fire mode to passive until you have the ACU in range of the Heavy Microwave Laser (or at least until its obvious the target has noticed you). The range of the Heavy Electron Bolters means they'll often start firing while the ML is still out of visual range, giving away the coming attack before the ML can bring its primary weapon to bear.

Because of the Monkeylord's high speed, the Massive ability is often capable of causing more damage than the actual weapons. Try to utilize this ability when assaulting a position. While the massive ability implies that it steps on the units, middle of the hitbox can sometimes crush units also. Due to its legs being extremely close together destruction of low tech units in assured.

Another advantage the Monkeylord has over the Galactic Colossus and the Ythotha is the fact that its Heavy Microwave Laser has a 360 degree arc of rotation, allowing it to fire directly behind the Monkeylord while it is still moving. Since the other 2 heavy assault experimentals cannot fire behind them and turn quite slowly, the Monkeylord can, with some good micro, literally run rings around them. It is also virtually immune to being backstabbed itself.

When you are looking for submerged Monkeylords look for the small trail of bubbles that come from its exhaust system, this is a tell-tale sign one is approaching.

Strength in numbers is the key for this unit, do not send less than three against a heavily fortified position or you will come up short of your goal. Not to worry, the Monkeylord is much cheaper and faster to build than the Aeon Galactic Colossus, making these numbers more acceptable.

The Monkeylord is not designed for survivability; submerged Monkeylords can easily be destroyed by 5 sub hunters, gunships can slice through its paper-thin armour in seconds, and a GC can slowly and surely whittle down its HP. So be careful with it Commander, escort it properly, and do as much damage as you can with it; you might not get a second chance.

Gallery

The Spiderbot's Terrifying Heavy Microwave Laser easily destroys most units

A Monkeylord slicing through a group of UEF Percivals

The Cybran "Monkeylord" Spiderbot fires its main cannon

The Cybran Experimental "Monkeylord"