Black Hand (Tiberium Wars)

The Black Hand were elite soldiers from the Brotherhood of Nod's Black Hand. They served as the Brotherhood's shock troops during the Third Tiberium War and the conflicts that led to it.
==Background==
The Black Hand was originally founded as a form of religious police tasked with enforcing adherence to the teachings of Kane. However, the cult later grew to become a powerful and influential religious group that operated mostly in secret. This changed after the Second Tiberium War, when Kane disappeared. A high-ranking member of the Black Hand, Anton Slavik, rose to power within the Brotherhood and revealed himself as a Black Hand prelate.
Many within the Black Hand chafed at the cult's new public profile, including a popular preacher named Marcion, who would come to be the leader of the anti-Slavik faction. This conflict quickly spun out of control, leaving Slavik dead at the hands of an assassin and Marcion and his followers retreating to self-imposed exile in the Australian outback.Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod Background, "Black Hand - Origins".
Within a year of his break from Nod, Marcion had organised his followers into a disciplined theocratic army - the "new" Black Hand.Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod Background, "Brother Marcion, Biography". Within this new army, a group of well-trained and loyal soldiers, clad in black heavy armor and armed with flamethrowers,Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars manual. Los Angeles, California: Electronic Arts Los Angeles, 2007. came to be Marcion's right hand. These soldiers were feared even within the ranks of Marcion’s forces, and they were often attached to infantry formations to keep order and retain the message of the Word.Kane's Wrath Marked of Kane & Black Hand Unit Spotlight. EA Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars - News. 2008-02-06. Archived from the original on 2008-09-06.
After Marcion was captured by LEGION, his forces, including the Black Hand heavy infantry, rejoined the Brotherhood.Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod mission 4: "A Grand Gesture". These elite soldiers became the spearhead for Nod's forces, and distinguished themselves because of their superior training, extreme loyalty, and incredible toughness.Jason Bender. 2007-03-13. Command & Conquer 3 Faction Feature. IGN. Black hand troopers also wore capes like confessors do.
==Game unit==
Their flamethrowers are good against infantry and structures, but do little damage against most vehicles such as heavy tanks, so the best method of countering them is to use any vehicle with anti-infantry capacity. If subjected to prolonged fire (against enemies such as the Pitbull, which lacks anti-infantry weaponry), their flamethrowers also fare reasonably well against light vehicles. With the Black Hand subfaction's Purifying Flame upgrade, however, even medium tanks are at grave risk, and units and structures already vulnerable to the flames will be destroyed even faster.
Black Hand troopers cannot target aircraft, and thus can be cut down by anti-infantry aircraft easily.
Furthermore, they are capable of instantly clearing garrisoned buildings, and are also capable of garrisoning buildings themselves.
As a note, their flamethrowers deal splash damage - any structure or unit caught in the cone of flame will take also take damage. Like their vehicular cousins, Flame Tanks, this makes them excellent at burning through large infantry formations.
Black Hand troopers can be countered by most anti-infantry weapons, though their heavy armor allows them to take more shots than the average infantryman. Despite this, when faced with high-damage anti-infantry units such as GDI sniper teams, commandos (as Scrin Masterminds and Prodigies can mind-control the squad) and Nod Shadow Teams, they typically die like any other soldier.
Black Hand squads deployed by the Black Hand subfaction are trained as veterans, and can be upgraded with the purifying flame upgrade to increase their damage. Ironically, they are rendered largely redundant by the Black Disciple upgrade also specific to the Black Hand faction, which adds a Black Hand trooper to confessor cabal teams and militant rocket squads. Because this additional soldier has the same properties and capabilities of those in manually trained squads, Black Hand commanders have little need to train separate and more expensive Black Hand squads.
===Abilities===
===Upgrades===
==Changelog==
* Tiberium Wars patch 1.05:
** resistance to cannon-type damage increased by 45%
** speed increased by 22%
** hit points increased by 66%
** attack power increased by 150%
** added garrison-clearing effects
==Quotes==
===When created===
*The Black Hand is in control.
*The Black Hand has arrived.
===When selected===
*We have orders.
*We are the chosen.
*The Black Hand awaits.
*They will fear us.
*There is work to be done.
*One vision, one purpose.
===When moving===
*Take the area.
*We're in control here.
*This way.
*We've been called.
*Forward!
===When garrisoning a structure===
*It is ours to take!
*Inside!
*We must have it.
===When ordered to attack===
*Enemies of Kane!
*Pursue them!
*They stand in our way!
*They oppose Kane!
===When attacking===
*Kill them!
*They must die!
*Eliminate them!
*Attack!
*Burn them alive!
===When ordered to clear a garrison===
*Clear them out!
*Expel them!
*They cannot hide from the Black Hand!
*Walls will not protect them.
*They think they are safe in there.
===In combat===
*We're not finished here!
*Let none escape!
*Exterminate the weak!
*Spare no one!
*They reek of fear!
*Clear a path!
===When retreating===
*Regroup!
*We'll be back!
===When suppressed===
*Down!
*To the ground!
*Find cover!
==Gallery==
Black Hand TW3.jpg|Concept art
TW_Black_Hand_Trooper_concept_2.jpg|Concept art
Black_Hand_Beta_Cameo.png|Beta icon
==See also==
* Grenadier squad
* Flame tank
* Tiberium trooper
==References==
Category:Tiberium Wars infantry
Category:Black Hand
de:Schwarze Hand
ru:Черная Рука