Supreme Commander Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Tech 1 Air Units
ScoutUEA0101 build btnURA0101 build btnUAA0101 build btnXSA0101 build btn
InterceptorUEA0102 build btnURA0102 build btnUAA0102 build btnXSA0102 build btn
Attack BomberUEA0103 build btnURA0103 build btnUAA0103 build btnXSA0103 build btn
Light Air TransportUEA0107 build btnURA0107 build btnUAA0107 build btnXSA0107 build btn
Light GunshipNo-unitXRA0105 build btnNo-unitNo-unit
Mobile Intelligence Units
Tech 1 Land ScoutUEL0101 build btnURL0101 build btnUAL0101 build btnXSL0101 build btn
Tech 1 Air ScoutUEA0101 build btnURA0101 build btnUAA0101 build btnXSA0101 build btn
Tech 3 Spy PlaneUEA0302 build btnURA0302 build btnUAA0302 build btnXSA0302 build btn

UEF T1 Air Scout: Hummingbird UEF T1 Air Scout:  Hummingbird
UEF T1 Air Scout: Hummingbird
Standard air scout.[ e ]
Build costsEnergy icon -1600
Mass icon -40
Time icon 400
Max healthHealth icon 35
Speed
Fuel
20 (Air)
Fuel icon8:20
Intel (radius) Vision: 42
Weapon: Air Crash
Death
Damage 10
Damage radius 1

Cybran T1 Air Scout: Flying Eyes Cybran T1 Air Scout:  Flying Eyes
Cybran T1 Air Scout: Flying Eyes
Standard air scout.[ e ]
Build costsEnergy icon -1600
Mass icon -40
Time icon 400
Max healthHealth icon 26
Speed
Fuel
20 (Air)
Fuel icon8:20
Intel (radius) Vision: 42
Weapon: Air Crash
Death
Damage 10
Damage radius 1

Aeon T1 Air Scout: Mirage Aeon T1 Air Scout:  Mirage
Aeon T1 Air Scout: Mirage
Standard air scout.[ e ]
Build costsEnergy icon -1600
Mass icon -40
Time icon 400
Max healthHealth icon 29
Speed
Fuel
20 (Air)
Fuel icon8:20
Intel (radius) Vision: 42
Weapon: Air Crash
Death
Damage 10
Damage radius 1

Seraphim T1 Air Scout: Sele-istle Seraphim T1 Air Scout:  Sele-istle
Seraphim T1 Air Scout: Sele-istle
Standard air scout[ e ]
Build costsEnergy icon -1600
Mass icon -40
Time icon 400
Max healthHealth icon 32
Speed
Fuel
20 (Air)
Fuel icon8:20
Intel (radius) Vision: 42
Weapon: Air Crash
Death
Damage 10
Damage radius 1

Tech 1 Air Scouts are low cost units with a long sight range, perfect for aerial reconnaissance. They cost only 75% as much energy as a tech 1 interceptor, but move 25% faster and see twice the area due to their higher vision radius. However, they have extremely low HP, and are completely unarmed, dying easily to even the most basic T1 AA guns.

Tactics[]

Air scouts provide vision, which is a highly accurate form of intel. It is very useful to have vision over enemy bases and mass deposits to understand their Tech level and what structures they have created, a technique generally referred to as "scouting" the enemy. Air scouts move faster than T1 land scouts and are unaffected by terrain, making them more versatile, however they do cost significantly more energy to produce.

Getting intel[]

There are 2 styles to scouting with these: flood and group. Flood scouting consists of setting the rally point over the enemy base and setting an Air Factory to build a constant supply and is generally the easiest option. Group scouting involves producing multiple scouts and then sending them over the enemy base(s) all at once.

While both of these methods worked well in the original Supreme Commander, their higher cost and low survivability reduces the effectiveness of both techniques in Forged Alliance. Air scouts have a non negligible mass cost, making it useful to put any air factories producing a scout flood next to a mass extractor for adjacency bonuses.

As a support unit[]

Tech 1 Interceptors can see further than they can shoot, but require an approach phase to their target for maximum efficiency. Mixing air scouts with interceptors at a 1:5 or 1:10 ratio can greatly increase their effectiveness. Also, grouping 20 or more scouts with a Transport provides effective protection against AA unless the opponent is able to effectively micro-manage their AA defenses. The increased price of air scouts in Forged Alliance made this technique less useful than in the original game.

Factional differences[]

The standard air scout for UEF forces, the Hummingbird sacrifices weapons and armor for an advanced optical suite that gives it an excellent field of vision.
Vanilla SupCom description

The Cybran air scout is an older design and is pretty typical in its functionality. It has a great visual radius, high speed, no weapons and light armor.
Vanilla SupCom description

In Keeping with the Aeon philosophy of simple, single purpose units, the Mirage is little more than a highly guidable missile with an advanced optical sensor suite.
Vanilla SupCom description

The four tech 1 air scouts are the UEF Hummingbird, the Cybran Flying Eyes, the Aeon Mirage and the Seraphim Sele-istle. Apart from the usual minor health differences cross-faction, the Seraphim Sele-istle has a unique ability called deathcam. This provides Sele-istle vision radius of 30 for 20 seconds after death.

An interesting development is that depending on the positioning of the AA, it could shoot in the empty space between the wings of the Sele-istle, making it a little harder to hit than the hummingbird, and, basically the best scout.

Gallery[]

Advertisement