| Mobile Intelligence Units | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech 1 Land Scout |     | |||
| Tech 1 Air Scout |     | |||
| Tech 3 Spy Plane |     | |||
An intelligence unit is a unit with the capability to detect enemy units beyond simple vision. While nearly every unit has vision that can see nearby enemy units, intelligence units either have an additional intelligence capability (sonar, radar or omni), or they are designed specifically for intelligence and have an unusually large vision radius. In other words, their capabilities reveal the presence of enemies on the map.
Subtypes[]
The pair of scouts at T1, the T1 land scout and T1 air scout, are simple units and are the first and most important stage of the information war. Without them you would never know what your opponent is up to and moving towards until they are already within visual engagement range.
These T1 Scouts have little armor, high speed, and small size. Some have weapons, while others have stealth and/or cloaking. Scouts are never to be used in combat, they simply are not worth building in massive armies.
On the sea, intel is less distinct and tends to be integrated within other units, however frigates fulfil a similar role to these scouts, being the cheapest type of unit within that domain of warfare. They are equipped with radar and sonar.
There is very little capable of detecting enemy cloaked/stealth units (namely the Selen) at this tech level other than the ACU.
Higher Tech levels[]
At T2, overland intel tends to be relegated to stationary radar or multiples of T1, such as a grouping of air scouts. However, the Cruiser is an equivalent T2 naval unit with vastly improved intelligence radius compared to the frigate.
At T3, Omni intelligence becomes available. While mostly performed by the stationary T3 "Omni Sensor Array" edition of the radar, mobile Omni is available on certain units, including the T3 spy plane and SACUs. Note that as with other formats, the omni radius is shorter than the radar radius.
Tips[]
Intel units can be decieved like their static counterparts by anti-radar stealth, jamming, or in the case of radar, submersibles below the water's surface. When using land scouts, it is important to be aware of their opposing counterpart type of unit, the enemy stealth units, or hidden firebases under a T2 stealth field generator which nearby enemy structures from the radar. This can be done by verifying the location with vision from an air scout if enemy interceptor coverage is not too heavy.
However while air scouts tend to be more effective than land scouts, likewise there is a caveat in the form of an anti-vision technology.When facing a Cybran it is important to be aware of the pitfalls of visual cloaking, particularly the enemy ACU upgrade. Only the T3 Spy Plane and other ACUs carry the omni intelligence required to detect the cloaked Cybran ACUs.
See also[]
For a list of all intelligence units, see the intelligence units category.