Aircraft are made in air factories, aircraft carriers, or by certain experimental units, and have the capabilities of intelligence gathering and attacking units. Offensive aircraft can be considered either combination fighter/bombers, air superiority fighters, gunships, or bombers. Transports can also be used to move land units to a more favorable location. All types of aircrafts require fuel to function effectively, which limits how long and far away they can operate. Special anti-air units or buildings are necessary to counter attacking air units.
Tech level 1[]
Tech 1 Air Units | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Scout | ||||
Interceptor | ||||
Attack Bomber | ||||
Light Air Transport | ||||
Light Gunship |
Air Scouts - Tiny, nimble, and very weak, T1 Air Scouts serve no purpose other than to collect intelligence on enemy positions. The Seraphim scout is unique with it's deathcam ability, allowing it to continue to provide intel for a short period after its death.
- UEF - Hummingbird
- Cybran - Flying Eyes
- Aeon - Mirage
- Seraphim - Sele-istle
Interceptors - Lightly armed and armored anti-air aircraft, designed to intercept and destroy other aircraft. Despite their differences in appearance and armament, they are roughly equal in effectiveness.
- UEF - Cyclone
- Cybran - Prowler
- Aeon - Conservator
- Seraphim - Ia-atha
Attack Bombers - Small bombers with light ordinance, excels at harassing ground forces or making early first strikes. They are vulnerable to Interceptors. Each faction's ordinance functions in different ways, and may be more useful in one situation than another (UEF and Cybran is especially useful against massed amounts of units because they drop a lot of bombs over a large area, while the Aeon and Seraphim ones are good at taking out single units like engineers and partly commanders because they deliver all their damage in a small area).
Light Air Transports - Relatively large, lightly armored air units made for carrying slow land units where they need to go. They vary in appearance and carrying capacity.
- UEF - C-6 Courier
- Cybran - Skyhook
- Aeon - Chariot
- Seraphim - Vish
Light Gunship - A unit unique to the Cybran Nation, the Jester light gunship provides an excellent tool for early base defense.
- Cybran - Jester
Tech level 2[]
Tech 2 Air Unit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Fighter/Bomber | ||||
Torpedo Bomber | ||||
Gunship | ||||
Air Transport | ||||
Guided Missile |
Fighter/Bombers - Capable of both air and ground attack, these versatile aircraft mount heavy AA weapons as well as bombs (or missiles in the case of the Cybran one).
Combat Fighter - The Aeon answer to the Fighter/Bomber, the Swift Wind provides very good AA at T2 for the Aeon faction.
- Aeon - Swift Wind
Torpedo Bombers - These bombers are anti-naval only, dropping ship-sinking torpedoes or depth charges.
Gunships - A formidable close air support solution, gunships hover around, attacking ground forces in total impunity. That is until the flak shows up...
Air Transports - Heavier and a lot more durable than T1 transports, these also carry more units and are armed to defend their cargo (do not rely too much on them to defend themselves though...).
- UEF - C14 Star Lifter
- Cybran - Dragon Fly
- Aeon - Aluminar
- Seraphim - Vishala
Guided Missile - A unique Aeon craft, essentially a flying suicide weapon.
- Aeon - Mercy
Tech level 3[]
Tech 3 Air Units | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Spy Plane | ||||
Air-Superiority Fighter | ||||
Strategic Bomber | ||||
Gunship | ||||
Other |
Spy Planes - Extremely fast and agile aircraft with an Omni Sensor, designed to provide maximum intelligence coverage.
- UEF - SR90 Blackbird
- Cybran - Spook
- Aeon - Seer
- Seraphim - Iaselen
Air-Superiority Fighters - Powerful, swift AA aircraft, designed to engage air threats of any kind.
Strategic Bombers - Large, heavily armored bomber that drop devastating ordinance.
- UEF - Ambassador
- Cybran - Revenant
- Aeon - Shocker
- Seraphim - Sinntha
Heavy Gunships - The epitome of close-air support, heavy gunships combine heavy weaponry with high armor. The Aeon version is a special AA gunship capable of holding off even the best of air units.
- UEF - Broadsword
- Cybran - Wailer
- Aeon - Restorer
Heavy Air Transport - This unique unit of the UEF provides the safest and most effective way to deliver important cargo/ a lot of cargo. The Continental is heavily armed, armored, and shielded to ensure maximum reliability and protection for it's cargo.
- UEF - Continental
Heavy Torpedo Bomber - The Aeon Solace, while not economically effective, can be useful when a more powerful and durable torpedo bomber is desired.
- Aeon - Solace
Tech 3 Air Units - Tech 3 air units are the most powerful air units any faction can build in an air factory. They have very high energy costs compared to T1 and T2 air units, but are well worth the extra cost. All 4 factions can build 3 types of T3 air units. These are:
- the spy plane is an advanced version of the tech 1 scout plane. It is faster and harder to shoot down then its tech 1 counterpart, and boasts radar and omni coverage.
- the Air-Superiority plane. It is designed to control the skies and shoot down any air threat.
- the 'Strategic Bomber. A common use of the strategic bomber is to destroy experimental units that are on the ground and above water with little resistance. They can also be used to bomb any land or sea targets. Note that only the UEF and Cybran bombers have light AA guns.
Additionally, every faction except Seraphim has a Tech 3 heavy Gunship. These powerful gunships are very useful in attacking bases or isolated units with weak AA defenses.
The UEF also has a very helpful t3 gunship which can hold 28 t1, 12 t2, and 6 t3. It has decent AA and air to ground capabilities as well as a protective shield.
The aeon also have a special unit, the Solace, t3 torpedo bomber. It can take out a t2 ship with one pass and can easily sink battle ships if they are in groups.
Experimental[]
- UEF - Novax Defense Satellite - A highly capable, stationary experimental which sends out a satelite traveling in orbit. This satelite can not be shot down and will only be destroyed if the station is destroyed.
- Cybran - Soul Ripper - A highly destructive, direct support experimental which can destroy entire T3 armies in a few moments or obliterate enemy AA trying to take it out.
- Aeon - CZAR - The unit with the highest damage given by crashing in the game (10000/enough to destroy a stock Cybran Commander) and a highly destructive laser at it's center. Also features efficent AA.
- Seraphim - Ahwassa - Travels at a high speed and features a bomb capable of leveling entire bases. Also features good flak and good movement.