The AI units

How to read a unit card

Each card shows the values the server uses. The required technology is the AI Core technology that unlocks the unit: it is the only lock. The AI pays for its technologies with the research points of its Central Processor, and its tier sets how far it is allowed to go. The card gives the first tier at which the technology is allowed with the default settings, and the Central Processor level that pays for the whole chain up to it: a unit does not arrive on a fixed date, it follows the growth of the Core. The producing building and the allowed VMs tell where the unit can be born: no unit comes out of extraction VMs, and the heaviest only come out of the Central Core and combat VMs.

The cost is paid by the AI in iron, silicium and energy, like your own units; the AI consumes no food. The build time is given for a server at speed ×1: it is divided by the server speed. The upkeep is taken every hour from the AI's economy, which stops it from keeping an unlimited army: every unit you destroy frees part of its budget.

The combat values follow the rules described on the Combat page: HP, ATK, DEF, speed (in tiles per hour), range and zone; the armour gives the unit's target category, in brackets. The human answers line lists your units that target this category and whose damage type loses nothing against this armour, from the strongest to the weakest ATK.

How the AI uses its units

The AI splits its army between the garrisons of its VMs, mostly those of the outer rings, in contact with the players, and its raiding forces. A VM that is threatened, targeted or recently attacked receives more troops; a neighbouring VM sends reinforcements if they can arrive before the end of the combat. Attacking the same VM several times in a row therefore makes its garrison grow.

Its raids follow its spy reports: the AI first scans a mothership with its spy drones, then sends a force sized to exceed what it saw. A defence stronger than at the last scan takes it by surprise; a lost raid pushes it to come back in greater numbers. In raid mode, the AI loots your stocks and tries to kill your units, but does not damage your buildings; only its destruction operations, which come later, go after them.

AI units fire ammunition drawn from its central stock: a stack without ammunition stays at the dock and does not fire. Support units (spy drone, commando, nano swarm, constructor) have no ATK: they never fire when attacking, but riposte with their DEF when their VM is attacked.

Reconnaissance

Spy Drone

Required technology

Awakening · allowed from T0 · Central Processor level 1

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

225 Iron · 105 Silicium · 120 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

10 min

Upkeep per hour

1 Energy · 2 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

80 · 0 · 6

Speed · range · zone

20 tiles/h · 0 · 1

Armour (category)

Evasive (Aircraft)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Light vehicles

Ammunition

Cartridges

Stealthy

yes

Human answers

War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Fighter, Rocket Launcher

The spy drone is the only intelligence unit the AI produces, from the very start of the game. It does not fight: a spying mission is settled by a single check on arrival. Each drone brings reconnaissance points, and your reconnaissance units (Scout, Reconnaissance Drone) as well as your defence towers bring counter-intelligence points. If your defence is stronger, the mission fails and all the drones are lost; otherwise the AI gets the report, with losses that grow heavier as the gap narrows.

The report gives the AI your garrison, your towers that would join a siege and the level of your Command Center. A force made only of stealth units is spotted only 1 tile from your ship (6 with the Defense 10 research): most scans arrive without any alert.

Infantry

Robotic Sentinel

Required technology

Awakening · allowed from T0 · Central Processor level 1

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

400 Iron · 100 Silicium · 260 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

4 min

Upkeep per hour

2 Energy · 1 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

80 · 10 · 22

Speed · range · zone

4 tiles/h · 1 · 1

Armour (category)

Light (Infantry)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Light vehicles

Ammunition

Cartridges

Human answers

Light Tank, Cybernetic Commander, Humanoid Robot, Armed Buggy, Soldier, Mechanical Skeleton, Scout

The Robotic Sentinel is the AI's basic foot soldier, cheap and produced everywhere from the first tier. Alone it weighs little; in numbers, its Formation ability kicks in: from 10 Robotic Sentinels in the same combat, each gains +10 % DEF. The bonus counts the Sentinels present at the start of each turn: it drops as soon as their number falls below the threshold.

Heavy Sentinel

Required technology

Armored Protocol · allowed from T0 · Central Processor level 7

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

900 Iron · 450 Silicium · 600 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

12 min

Upkeep per hour

3 Energy · 3 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

200 · 30 · 55

Speed · range · zone

8 tiles/h · 1 · 1

Armour (category)

Armoured (Infantry)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Vehicles

Ammunition

Cartridges

Human answers

Light Tank

The Heavy Sentinel arrives with the Armored Protocol. It is armoured, which sets it apart from all other infantry: ballistic units only deal it 70 % of their damage. Its Anchor ability gives it +50 % DEF when it defends, that is, in the garrison of an attacked VM; it does not apply when the unit takes part in a raid.

Assault Robot

Required technology

Tactical Intelligence · allowed from T1 · Central Processor level 13

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

800 Iron · 400 Silicium · 600 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

10 min

Upkeep per hour

2 Energy · 2 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

120 · 36 · 10

Speed · range · zone

9 tiles/h · 1 · 1

Armour (category)

Light (Infantry)

Damage type

Piercing

Preferred targets

Vehicles, Structures

Ammunition

Rockets

Human answers

Light Tank, Cybernetic Commander, Humanoid Robot, Armed Buggy, Soldier, Mechanical Skeleton, Scout

The Assault Robot, unlocked by Tactical Intelligence, is a strike unit: high piercing ATK, low DEF. Its Charge multiplies its ATK by 1.5 on the first combat turn only. It targets vehicles and structures: it is the one that opens the raids against your armoured units and your towers.

Infiltrator Commando

Required technology

Strategic Consciousness · allowed from T2 · Central Processor level 15

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

120 Iron · 20 Silicium · 140 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

25 min

Upkeep per hour

1 Energy

HP · ATK · DEF

60 · 0 · 3

Speed · range · zone

6 tiles/h · 0 · 1

Armour (category)

Evasive (Infantry)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Light vehicles, Structures

Ammunition

Cartridges

Stealthy

yes

Human answers

Cybernetic Commander, Humanoid Robot, Armed Buggy, Soldier, Mechanical Skeleton, Scout

The Infiltrator Commando is a saboteur. It has no ATK and leaves on raids with the other troops. If it survives the combat against your mothership, it sabotages one of your buildings, which stays shut down between 4 and 8 hours, then disappears: each surviving commando sabotages one building. It is stealthy, like the spy drone.

Vehicles

Mobile Turret

Required technology

Awakening · allowed from T0 · Central Processor level 1

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

270 Iron · 30 Silicium · 150 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

15 min

Upkeep per hour

4 Energy · 2 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

180 · 16 · 48

Speed · range · zone

4 tiles/h · 2 · 1

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Vehicles

Ammunition

Cartridges

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The Mobile Turret is a defensive piece produced from the start of the game. When it defends, its Deployment doubles its DEF (×2) and extends its range by 2: it then fires among the first, before most of your units. When attacking, it is only an average armoured vehicle.

AI Armored

Required technology

Armored Protocol · allowed from T0 · Central Processor level 7

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

1,800 Iron · 225 Silicium · 600 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

35 min

Upkeep per hour

7 Energy · 4 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

400 · 48 · 48

Speed · range · zone

10 tiles/h · 2 · 1

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Explosive

Preferred targets

Infantry, Vehicles, Structures

Ammunition

Shells

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The AI Armored, unlocked by the Armored Protocol, is the backbone of the AI's armies: plenty of HP, balanced ATK and DEF, explosive damage against infantry, vehicles and structures. Its Reactive armour removes 50 % of the damage of the first hit it actually suffers in the combat (60 % with the AI's Advanced Reactive Armor research, which also protects the other tracked vehicles).

Siege Ram

Required technology

Tactical Intelligence · allowed from T1 · Central Processor level 13

Producing building

Assembly Line

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

2,175 Iron · 375 Silicium · 900 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

3 h

Upkeep per hour

10 Energy · 6 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

500 · 82 · 26

Speed · range · zone

6 tiles/h · 1 · 1

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Explosive

Preferred targets

Structures

Ammunition

Shells

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The Siege Ram, unlocked by Tactical Intelligence, only targets structures. It strikes your buildings and towers with a ×4 multiplier and ignores 50 % of your energy shield. It matters mostly in the AI's destruction operations and against your towers, which raids can damage up to a limit.

Mechanical Colossus

Required technology

Strategic Consciousness · allowed from T2 · Central Processor level 15

Producing building

Assembly Line (level 10 minimum)

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

7,500 Iron · 1,200 Silicium · 2,250 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

10 h

Upkeep per hour

14 Energy · 8 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

2,000 · 120 · 55

Speed · range · zone

5 tiles/h · 2 · 2

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Explosive

Preferred targets

Infantry, Vehicles, Structures

Ammunition

Shells

Limit

2 per producing VM

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The Mechanical Colossus, unlocked by Strategic Consciousness, is the AI's heaviest ground unit: 2,000 HP, explosive area ATK and two abilities. Terror reduces by 20 % the damage of every unit facing it, when attacking as when riposting, as long as it is alive (25 % with the War Machines research; several Colossi do not stack). Trample adds 80 damage per Colossus to each of its shots against light armour, when attacking as when riposting. The AI keeps only 2 per producing VM.

Aerial units

All AI aerial units have evasive armour: each of your shots has a 10 % chance of being dodged, and explosive damage only deals them 80 % of its damage. Your units that target aerial units become essential as soon as the AI masters the Armored Protocol.

Combat Drone

Required technology

Armored Protocol · allowed from T0 · Central Processor level 7

Producing building

Launch Platform

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

2,100 Iron · 675 Silicium · 750 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

10 min

Upkeep per hour

2 Energy · 3 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

100 · 24 · 8

Speed · range · zone

19 tiles/h · 2 · 1

Armour (category)

Evasive (Aircraft)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Aircraft

Ammunition

Missiles

Human answers

War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Fighter, Rocket Launcher

The Combat Drone arrives with the Armored Protocol. Fast and cheap, it targets infantry and aerial units. Its Swarm ability gives it +0.2 % ATK per allied combat drone present, up to +50 %. The AI's Pack Tactics research raises these values to +0.3 % per drone and +70 % at most.

Interceptor

Required technology

Distributed Computing · allowed from T1 · Central Processor level 10

Producing building

Launch Platform

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

2,100 Iron · 675 Silicium · 750 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

25 min

Upkeep per hour

2 Energy · 3 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

140 · 42 · 10

Speed · range · zone

20 tiles/h · 2 · 1

Armour (category)

Evasive (Aircraft)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Aircraft

Ammunition

Missiles

Human answers

War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Fighter, Rocket Launcher

The Interceptor, unlocked by Distributed Computing, is an aerial hunter: it targets only aerial units, with a ×2.5 multiplier. It protects the AI's forces against your fighters and bombers. With the Pack Tactics research, Interceptors gain +20 % ATK when there are at least two of them in the combat.

AI Fighter

Required technology

Tactical Intelligence · allowed from T1 · Central Processor level 13

Producing building

Launch Platform

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

2,175 Iron · 825 Silicium · 1,050 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

50 min

Upkeep per hour

3 Energy · 5 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

350 · 60 · 58

Speed · range · zone

19 tiles/h · 3 · 1

Armour (category)

Evasive (Aircraft)

Damage type

Ballistic + Explosive

Preferred targets

Aircraft, Vehicles

Ammunition

Missiles

Human answers

War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Fighter, Rocket Launcher

The AI Fighter, unlocked by Tactical Intelligence, combines ballistic and explosive damage (the better of the two applies) against aerial units and vehicles, with a ×2 multiplier against aerial units. Its Lock-on makes its first-turn shots ignore evasion. The Air Supremacy research adds +15 % against aerial units.

AI Bomber

Required technology

Tactical Intelligence · allowed from T1 · Central Processor level 13

Producing building

Launch Platform (level 6 minimum)

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

18,000 Iron · 9,000 Silicium · 7,500 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

1 h 40 min

Upkeep per hour

13 Energy · 9 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

300 · 120 · 14

Speed · range · zone

18 tiles/h · 3 · 2

Armour (category)

Evasive (Aircraft)

Damage type

Explosive

Preferred targets

Structures, Vehicles

Ammunition

Missiles

Human answers

War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Fighter, Rocket Launcher

The AI Bomber, unlocked by Tactical Intelligence, is the AI's aerial siege weapon: big explosive area ATK, ×3 against structures. Its Dive doubles its ATK (×2) for 1 turn, 2 with the Air Supremacy research; this only concerns its strikes, not its riposte. Its DEF is very low.

Special units

Constructor

Required technology

none, from the start

Producing building

Constructor Factory

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Secondary Core, AI Combat VM, AI Sentinel Tower

Cost

270 Iron · 30 Silicium · 150 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

1 h 30 min

Upkeep per hour

4 Energy · 2 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

250 · 0 · 18

Speed · range · zone

20 tiles/h · 0 · 1

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Light vehicles

Ammunition

Cartridges

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The Constructor founds a new VM on arrival at its target tile. It is how the AI expands: extraction VMs on resource deposits, combat VMs in support. It has no ATK and takes no part in raids.

Nano Swarm

Required technology

Strategic Consciousness · allowed from T2 · Central Processor level 15

Producing building

Assembly Line (level 10 minimum)

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

120 Iron · 20 Silicium · 140 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

2 h

Upkeep per hour

1 Energy

HP · ATK · DEF

60 · 0 · 3

Speed · range · zone

20 tiles/h · 1 · 1

Armour (category)

Evasive (Aircraft)

Damage type

Ballistic

Preferred targets

Infantry, Light vehicles, Structures

Ammunition

Cartridges

Stealthy

yes

Human answers

War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Fighter, Rocket Launcher

The Nano Swarm, unlocked by Strategic Consciousness, is the AI's second saboteur. Like the commando, it has no ATK, leaves on raids and, if it survives the combat, shuts one of your buildings down, here between 8 and 12 hours, before disappearing. It is stealthy and has evasive armour.

Capital Ship

Required technology

Strategic Consciousness · allowed from T2 · Central Processor level 15

Producing building

Launch Platform (level 13 minimum)

Produced by

AI Central Core (VM #0), AI Combat VM

Cost

45,000 Iron · 22,500 Silicium · 30,000 Energy

Build time (speed ×1)

48 h

Upkeep per hour

25 Energy · 25 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

4,000 · 130 · 145

Speed · range · zone

15 tiles/h · 4 · 2

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Explosive

Preferred targets

Aircraft, Vehicles, Structures

Ammunition

Torpedoes

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The Capital Ship, unlocked by Strategic Consciousness, is the AI's flagship: 4,000 HP, a range of 4 tiles and explosive area ATK. Its aura gives +25 % ATK and +15 % DEF to every AI unit in the combat. It requires a high-level Launch Platform: the AI fields few of them.

The Guardian of the Core

The Guardian

Required technology

after 3 Sentinel towers are destroyed

Producing building

never built

Location

AI Central Core (VM #0)

Upkeep per hour

60 Energy · 30 Iron

HP · ATK · DEF

12,000 · 350 · 350

Speed · range · zone

15 tiles/h · 6 · 2

Armour (category)

Armoured (Vehicles)

Damage type

Explosive

Preferred targets

Infantry, Vehicles, Aircraft

Ammunition

Shells

Limit

unique

Human answers

Heavy Assault Tank, War Vessel, Admiral Vessel, Bomber, Rocket Robot, Heavy Tank, Light Tank, Rocket Launcher

The Guardian is never built. It awakens on the AI's Central Core as soon as 3 Sentinel towers have been destroyed, and there is only one per server: once killed, it never comes back. It never leaves on raids and stays in the Core's garrison, which it defends with 12,000 HP, the longest range in the game (tied with the Admiral Vessel) and area damage.

• EMP pulse: every 4 hours, the motherships within 5 tiles of the Guardian are hit. For 30 minutes, their armoured units no longer take part in the defence of their ship. With the Guardian Awakening technology, the radius grows to 7 tiles and the interval drops to 3 hours.
• Regeneration: out of combat, it recovers 1 % of its HP per hour; 2 % with Guardian Awakening and 3 % with Singularity, the last Core technology, which also multiplies the Central Core's regeneration by 5.

What changes as the AI researches

The AI's army grows with its Core. Each step below gives the first tier at which the technology is allowed with the default settings and the Central Processor level that pays for it. When a Grey Zone VM is attacked, the AI may go one step beyond the limit of its tier: harassing the Grey Zone too early speeds up its research.

1. Awakening (T0, Central Processor level 1): Robotic Sentinels, Mobile Turrets and spy drones; Constructors need no technology. Light infantry dominates: ballistic units that target infantry are enough.
2. Armored Protocol (from T0, level 7): Heavy Sentinels, AI Armored and Combat Drones. You now need piercing or explosive damage against armour, and your first anti-air units.
3. Distributed Computing (from T1, level 10): Interceptors, which protect the AI's forces against your aerial units.
4. Tactical Intelligence (from T1, level 13): Assault Robots, Siege Rams, AI Fighters and AI Bombers. Raids hit hard on the first turn: a solid defence, towers and building HP make the difference.
5. Strategic Consciousness (from T2, level 15): Mechanical Colossi, Capital Ships and saboteurs (Infiltrator Commandos, Nano Swarms). Combats are decided on the priority targets: bring down the Colossus and the Capital Ship first.