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9
Idle Ilshavoh
The Seraphim T2 Assault Bot, nicknamed the Ilshavoh, is a Seraphim unit. It is a direct fire unit.
Like the Aeon Obsidian, the Ilshavoh is a markedly heavier unit than its peers, reflected by both its cost and its power. Fast-moving, tough and destructive, the Ilshavoh is one of the strongest units available in T2 and is almost comparable to some T3 units. Because of this, it is even considered as a tech 2.5 unit - a unit that is better than most of all the tech two units, but not quite as good as any of the tech three units. The Obsidian is the only T2 Unit which is stronger, costing the same as an Ilshavoh. It can quite possibly remain in good use even when the Seraphim player is into T3 (See the page on the Seraphim Othuum siege tank for more information) due to the lack of a light land raider comparable to the UEF Titan or Cybran Loyalist (the T3 Othuum siege tank is, like the Ilshavoh itself in T2, a heavier unit). Contrary to the opening cinematic of Forged Alliance, you should not expect Ilshavohs to be able to defeat Titans in direct combat. (According to calculations, even firing while running directly away will not allow Ilshavohs to defeat Titans in 1-on-1 combat due to too much speed, health and firepower superiority for the Titan.)
However, mass for mass and energy for energy, it can rival heavy assault bots and armored assault bots, especially Percivals; for example, except for slower speed and having a greater range, three Ilshavohs can do exactly what two Titans can do, at only a slightly greater mass cost and a much cheaper energy cost.
They are also excellent for taking on tech 1 ground forces. Their extremely high rate of fire (reducing the opportunity for overkill or loss of potential damage due to missed shots unlike their Aeon counterpart) and good DPS allow them to cut through T1 tanks and bots like a hot knife through butter. An Ilshavoh will destroy a Cybran Mantis every 3 seconds, whereas it takes the equivalent of almost one and a half minutes of Mantis fire to down an Ilshavoh. Given that an Ilshavoh only costs about 6 times the Mass of a Mantis, this makes a rush to T2 ground an attracitve strategy for a Seraphim player.
Bottom line: Do not ignore these units, even at tech 3. A Seraphim player without Ilshavohs is a Seraphim player who is probably losing. The Ilshavoh is to Seraphim as Hydralisks are to Zerg in Starcraft, the bread-and-butter unit of any army.
Note that unlike other factions, a "Experimental Firing Line" Strategy (a line of around 20 Direct-Fire experimentals advancing at once with AA support) will not work well for the Seraphim, due to the Othuy that spawns once a Ythotha has been destroyed, therefore, a tide of these units is a highly useful strategy even when you start building experimentals. However, keep in mind that Loyalists and Harbingers have a slight range advantage and significant damage advantage, so when going up against T3 or experimentals, Othuums are a better investment, leave the Ilshavohs for tearing down buildings.
Strangely, despite being a Bot, Ilshavohs have a Tank Icon when viewed in strategic zoom. This was most likely done to show that the Ilshavoh is the Seraphim equivillent to a heavy tank. However, the Cybrans have a Tech 1 Assault Bot instead of a Medium/Light Tank, and it still has a Bot Icon. In the latest version of Forged Alliance Forever (FAF), the Ilshavoh have a bot symbol.
Tips[]
- By building a dozen Ilshavohs, a UEF ACU can be destroyed in less than ten seconds without losing any Ilshavohs (only of the ACU is by itself and is without health upgrades). A Cybran ACU can be destroyed in just under eight seconds, Aeon in less than nine seconds, and a Seraphim in just over nine seconds. In short, as stated above, even in the late game, this unit should not be ignored. they can quickly ravage any ground target, even in smaller numbers. so if you send a few Ythothas into an enemy base and keep Ilshavohs on standby, the enemy commander may flee due to the Ythothas' destructive power and death weapon, Unidentified Residual Energy Signature: Othuy. Then surround the ACU with Ilshavohs, and prepare for the death nuke and the end of the player.