| Experimental Units | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Fire |     | |||
| Naval |     | |||
| Air |     | |||
| Indirect Fire |    | |||
| Other |    | |||
 UEF Experimental Satellite System: Novax Center | |
 | |
| Build costs |  -604500 -37200 27900 |
|---|---|
| Max health |  9000 |
Veterancy  |
 25 (+/s) |
| UEF Defense Satellite | |
 | |
| Build costs | -8000 -800 400 |
|---|---|
| Max health | 100 |
| Speed Fuel | 6 (Air) 0:00 |
| Veterancy |
25 (+/s) |
| Intel (radius) | Vision: 10 |
Weapon: Orbital Death Laser Direct Fire - Beam |
|
| Damage per second | 150 |
| Beam damage | 3000 (7.8s DoT) |
| Damage radius | 1 |
| Reload time | 20 seconds |
| Range | 30 |
Weapon: Air Crash Death |
|
| Damage | 3000 |
| Damage radius | 2 |
The UEF Novax Center: Experimental Satellite System is an experimental structure. It is a command center and launcher for an orbital satellite, the Novax Defense Satellite.
Novax Center[]
The Novax Center is a building which constructs the suborbital Novax Defense Satellite. The center is responsible for deploying and controlling the Novax Defense Satellite. In-game though, the building serves no real purpose, as the satellite is deployed automatically, and at no cost, and controlling the satellite is done directly, forgoing the control center. The interesting part of this experimental combo, is that the weapon, the Novax Defense Satellite is absolutely indestructible, however, if the center is destroyed, the satellite is disabled-and Air Crashes, sometimes onto whatever it was attacking.
Novax Defense Satellite[]
The satellite itself stays at suborbital position after launching (only visible when zooming out into Strategic View) and can be moved around the battlefield. The satellite can move around quite quickly, and has a decent range of fire, making it near impossible to run away when under attack from a satellite. It can only attack ground targets with its Orbital Death Laser. The Orbital Death Laser does 3000 damage over 8 seconds and reloads every 15 seconds, giving it a very low DPS. This makes the Defense Satellite completely unreliable for taking out high value targets (i.e. experimentals, ACUs, Paragons). The weapon is primarily suited for destroying unshielded targets like outlying Mass extractors and field armies, for harassing any unprotected unit, or for secondary base defense. It's very difficult to break through any shielding with just one Novax. However, two or more Novax Defense Satellites are much more of a threat against bases and heavier shielding is required to stop them. While the satellite is indestructible, it is usually more of a hassle to your opponent than a serious threat.
Novax Satellite
Notes[]
It bears repeating that the Novax Defense Satellite itself cannot be damaged in any way except by a nuke[1]. Only using a nuke or destroying the Satellite Center will disable the satellite, causing an Air Crash. Because of this, it is important to protect the Novax Center. On the other hand, if you are under attack from a Novax Defense Satellite, your only solution is to attack the Novax Center.
The Novax Defense Satellite has low DPS. Its real strength lies in being both fast and indestructible. You should use it the same way you use a gunship: to destroy or harass a shieldless position. The Novax Center shines on large maps, like Seton's Clutch, where it can destroy most of an opponent's Mass Extractors in total impunity.
Any form of shielding is enough to stop a Novax Defense Satellite in its tracks. The Novax Defense Satellite will break through the shield at a time cost of about 1:30 or 2:00, so it is just not worth attacking shields. Two layers of tech 2 shields is enough to stop a Novax Defense Satellite permanently. One way to get around this is to save up large amounts of mass and energy until you can build several Novax Centers, then send all the satellites at the same target.
Often, your enemy won't fully cover all of his power generators, so if you are careful, you may be able to "snipe" his base with a chain reaction. However, a prudent opponent will not leave highly volatile power generators unshielded, rendering this method unreliable.
The Novax does not receive an adjacency bonus.
Trivia[]
If you destroy (Ctrl + k) the Novax Defense Satellite, then your Novax Center will self destruct, rather than launch a new satellite. Although the Novax Defense Satellite' has relatively low Air Crash damage (3000), the satellite can fall and hit the target without opposition because shields do not stop air crashes. 2 Novaxes are enough to destroy a Paragon and 3 are enough to destroy a Mavor. It is much better to lose a few Novaxes than having a Mavor destroying your economy or your opponent mass producing Galactic Colossi and CZARS that will crush your base within minutes.
Tips[]
The real strength of the Novax isn't its weapon; however, it's the indestructable nature of the satellite. Thanks to its decent vision radius, it could work as a "spotter" for artillery such as your Mavors or captured Salvations and Scathises. Make the satellite attack a commander, and it will follow him/her, allowing the artillery to fire on its position, or used it to move around the enemy's base spying on his construction of any experimental. This is especially useful on large maps where even T3 radar often fails to reveal any enemies. Experimentals always take time to build thus if you know about it when enemy starts building any you can put a stop to it immediately or prepare countermeasures, or used it psychologically to prevent the enemy from preparing any surprise attacks. It is effectively an experimental scout, that is designed to halt small scale attacks, destroy generating structures and be used to pinpoint accuracy of artillery. The Satellite & Mavor combo could mean the end of the game.
If you have a few of these satellites, you can use it against any land experimentals when they start marching towards your base. Three of these is enough to take 20% of Monkeylord's HP every 20 seconds, though building three of these has the same mass cost as 7 Monkeylords. This works very well on large maps with no or limited water.
Novax Center
Novax Satelite