| Tactical missile defenses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech 2 Tactical Missile Defense |     | |||
| Tech 2 Cruiser |     | |||
| Tech 3 Battleship |     | |||
| Tech 3 Navy (Other) |    | |||
| Tech 3 Siege Assault Bot |  | |||
 Aeon T2 Tactical Missile Defense: Volcano | |
 | |
| Build costs |  -3200 -280 400 |
|---|---|
| Max health |  500 |
| Intel (radius) | Vision: 20 |
Weapon: Will O Wisp Anti Missile Defense - Anti Missile |
|
| Damage per second | 10 |
| Anti Missile damage | 30 |
| Reload time | 3.1 seconds |
| Range | 30 |
The Aeon T2 Tactical Missile Defense, nicknamed the Volcano, is an Aeon unit. This is a tactical missile defense unit.
Unlike the Zapper or the Buzzkill, the Volcano functions by automatically deploying "Will-o'-Wisp" flares that divert incoming tactical missiles towards them (rather than destroying incoming tactical missiles outright). This is both bane and blessing: the Will-o'-Wisp can engage and divert multiple incoming tactical missiles at once (something that neither the Buzzkill nor the Zapper can do), but has a comparatively small radius of attraction, meaning that Volcanoes can have difficulty diverting tactical missiles before they encounter a shield, particularly if the Volcano is built towards the center of the shield, rather than the edge. In the early game, however, when shields are less common, a relatively small number of Volcanoes can effectively shield a base from even massed mobile TML fire, thus forcing other units to come into range of Aeon point defenses in order to neutralize the Volcanoes.
Through game testing it has been concluded that the Volcano can be overwhelmed by an excessive use of missile fire, however it takes a disproportionate amount of missiles (and thus mass) to do this and is hardly worth it unless it will directly win the game for you. This is not true for the other factions TMD systems, which are quite easily overwhelmed by just a few simultaneous missiles.
Game testing has also concluded that even if you build the volcano right at the edge of shield cover, and missle not flying directly toward it will still hit the shield, irritating if it's a few launchers, downright dangerous if there's a lot of missiles. Be warned that it takes vastly more TMDs to cover a defense line or base for the Aeon in contrast to the UEF or Cybrans (unless you build a line of them, which is still more population cap taken up than the UEF or Cybran options). Also, it's nearly useless at sea due to its absurdly short attraction radius, the only targets it can effectively protect are those right next to it.
The Aeon Volcano