Avatar (Tiberium Wars)

The Avatar Warmech was a heavy walker used by the Brotherhood of Nod in Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath.
==Background==
While GDI retired most of its mechanized walkers following the Firestorm Conflict, Nod began to develop its own walkers, solving many of the problems that had GDI engineers scratching their heads. There was speculation that Nod stole the original walker technology from GDI, then took advantage of research in other areas to accelerate the development of new prototypes.Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. GDI InOps, "Nod Avatar Walker".
The first Nod combat walker was the Purifier, a hulking humanoid robot equipped with a laser cannon and a shoulder-mounted flamethrower. Developed by Marcion's Black Hand, it saw action during the Second Nod Reunification War.Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod Weaponry, "Purifier". By the time of the Third Tiberium War, Nod had developed its second generation combat walker - the Avatar.
Standing at ten meters tall,Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Kane's Arsenal, "Avatar". the Avatar, like the Purifier, was a capable all-terrain weapons platform, heavily armored and equipped with a powerful laser. However, it was far more versatile than the Purifier due to its ability to adapt key systems from other Nod vehicles for its own use, though this process kills the crew of the donor vehicle.
The Avatar's pilot was enclosed in a "virtual sensory pod" inside the walker,Verdu, Michael. 2006-09-29. Technology in 2047. EA Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars. 2006-09-29. Mirror: Technology in 2047. which ties the controller to the machine closely.
===Armament===
The Avatar comes with a powerful laser cannon on its right arm (based on the Obelisk laser), and possesses the ability to use its claw on the left arm to rip off weaponry and equipment from certain other Nod vehicles, then install the components into its own frame, augmenting its battle capabilities:
*Flame tank: The Avatar attaches a flamethrower to its right shoulder
*Attack bike: The Avatar attaches a stealth detector to its left shoulder
*Stealth tank: The Avatar attaches a stealth generator "mask" to its monoeye
*Beam cannon: The Avatar attaches a particle beam cannon to its left arm
An Avatar can upgrade itself using Nod vehicles, regardless of the vehicle's allegiance, gaining power while destroying the unit in question. In addition, the Avatar Warmech is capable of crushing most other vehicles under its feet, similar to the Mammoth 27 or Annihilator Tripod. However, it remains unable to crush heavy units such as other walkers or Epic units.
===Legacy===
Sometime after 2052, the Nod AI LEGION conducted a critical analysis of the warmech. It found that while in itself a powerful unit, Avatar pilots would impulsively take the weapons of other perfectly functioning Nod vehicles to maintain self-preservation, lessening Nod presence in the area and consequently giving opposing GDI forces the upper hand. The AI found that this created inefficiency, and so issued Nod engineers to later work in developing the next-generation Avatar. The Mk. II version was made available by the time of the Fourth Tiberium War.
==Game unit==
The primary weakness of the Avatar is its susceptibility to aerial assaults, swarms of anti-armor Infantry and Commandos, who are capable of planting explosives on an Avatar's legs - all likely contributing factors as to why GDI decided to abandon most of its walker research and technology. Although powerful, Avatars are only capable of using their laser weaponry while stationary, a drawback against mobile targets. However, the addition of a flamethrower (which may be used while moving) can partially eliminate the drawback of being attacked by Commandos or anti-armor infantry. Another failing is that without any additional weapons, the Avatar often loses against the GDI Mammoth Tank.
Fallen Avatars are repairable by capable engineers, who can reactivate the pilot's virtual sensory pod and rebuild the walker, adding it to the armed forces of the side the engineer was on (a blessing and a curse for the Nod commander who originally constructed it). The only requirement is that the engineer must reach the fallen walker before either its power core finally dies down, or a coup de grace is delivered, destroying the fragile husk. It is worth noting that the husk is not nearly as resistant to damage as the functional walker, and when revived the walker will be at half of its max HP. Revived walkers do not inherit the veterancy of their "previous life".
Properly arranging multiple Avatars around a single vehicle can allow them to all take the corresponding upgrade weapon from it. This is, however, a bug, and competitive communities usually have a gentleman's agreement against exploiting it.
The Avatar can crush most Tier 1 and Tier 2 vehicles as well as heavy infantry by simply walking over them, and can do so without suffering any penalties to movement speed.
Interestingly, an Avatar can upgrade itself using weapons from enemy Nod vehicles, although this tactic is mainly effective against enemy Flame Tanks, being the slowest of the four Avatar-compatible units and dealing light enough damage to heavy vehicles such that the Avatar can survive it. Additionally, if a vehicle targeted for weapon commandeering is destroyed, an Avatar can still retrieve the weapon from the remains of the vehicle (it only has a few seconds to do this, however, before the wreckage disappears).
Though a fully upgraded Avatar is truly a formidable force (being invisible, having stealth-detecting capabilities, a flamethrower and a longer-ranged laser), such an arrangement is very expensive and time-consuming when one takes into account the costs and build time of the units used to upgrade the Avatar. Using enemy Nod units to upgrade an Avatar is still impractical, as three of the four can outrun the Avatar and the warmech must be at point-blank range to steal a component, not to mention how it has to survive the duration of the animation (during which it cannot attack).
The effectiveness of Avatar columns can be augmented by teams of Venoms, as the Avatars can wipe away any vehicular ground-based threats, and the Venoms can destroy approaching infantry and aircraft.
The Black Hand prefers to use the Purifier, an older and more expensive but tried-and-tested model of the Avatar. It lacks the Avatar's versatility, but is constructed with a flamethrower and provides a subliminal messaging boost to nearby allied units, increasing their combat effectiveness.
== Development ==
In earlier patches, the Avatar was regarded as the least useful tier 3 land unit. Lacking the Mammoth Tank's firepower and the Tripod's range and shield upgrades, and its own ability to take equipment from vehicles was typically regarded by most players as too expensive to worth using, particularly since in practice, the Avatar is too slow to take advantage of stealth detection or being stealthed, and Vertigo bombers proved a more cost effective way of dealing with enemy armor. However, in later patches, the Avatar was balanced. Specifically, its cost was reduced (to 2200), its health increased, and its original laser weapon made more powerful. Due to this, the Avatar is currently considered to be both cost effective and powerful.
==Appearances==
The Avatar is first available in the Slovenia mission of the Nod campaign.
===Abilities===
	Commandeer Technology	The Avatar has a unique and versatile, if somewhat ruthless, means of upgrading itself. Certain Nod units can be destroyed by the Avatar in order to provide it with enhanced capability.
* Beam Cannon: Adds a secondary laser to the Avatar which deals 1100 Cannon damage every 1.45 seconds with 100% scalar vs. infantry.
* Flame Tank: Adds a flamethrower to the Avatar which deals 960 Grenade damage per second within a range 200 and allows to clear garrisoned structures.
* Attack Bike: Allows the Avatar to detect stealth.
* Stealth Tank: Allows the Avatar to become stealthed when not firing.	Unavailable if Avatar is fully upgraded (Ctrl+A)
==Changelog==
*Tiberium Wars patch 1.01: string changed from "Avatar Warmech" to "Avatar"
*Tiberium Wars patch 1.05: 
**cost/build time reduced by 27% to $2200/22 sec
**flamethrower upgrade attack power increased by 150%.
**Avatars no longer retain their veterancy level when they are destroyed and their husks are recovered.
*Tiberium Wars patch 1.09: 
**health increased by 25%
**pre-attack delay reduced by 33%
**main weapon's attack power increased by 25%.
**flamethrower upgrade now correctly shows a garrison-clearing effect.
*Kane's Wrath patch 1.01: 
**beam weapon damage increased by 6.25%, damage bonus increased by 50%
**stealth-upgraded Avatar no longer loses stealth when moving
*Kane's Wrath patch 1.02: 
**range increased from 350 to 375
**beam weapon damage increased from 900 to 1100
**flamethrower range increased from 100 to 200
==Quotes==
===When created===
*Avatar ready.
===When selected===
*Waiting.
*Operational.
*Avatar.
*Weapons primed.
*Powered on.
===When moving===
*Forward.
*Thought so...
*Location set.
*Of course.
*Clear a path.
*Yes.
*Received.
===When ordered to attack===
*Approaching.
*They're next.
*Finally.
*Target set.
===When attacking===
*Death!
*To dust!
*Destroy.
*Eliminate.
*They're done.
*Another one.
===When upgrading itself===
*I want that!
*Upgrading!
*Interesting!
*I like!
*Pay up!
===In combat===
*Full power!
*Clear the junk.
*Engaged!
*Under control.
*Everything goes.
*Clean it up.
===When retreating===
*Back!
*Returning!
==Gallery==
File:Early_Avatar.jpg|Early Avatar variant
File:Nod_Robot.jpg|Early Avatar variant
File:Nod_Robot_(2).jpg|Another Avatar variant
File:AvatarWarmech_CC3_Art1.jpg|Concept art
File:TW_Avatar_Render.jpg|Render
File:TW_Avatar_Render_Pack.jpg|Render
File:AvatarWarmech_CC3_Game2.jpg|Closeup
File:TW_Kane_Avatar_all_upgrades.png|Fully upgraded Avatar (Kane Edition)
File:TW_Kane_Avatar_upgrades.png|Regular and upgraded Avatars (Kane Edition)
File:Avatar_Beta_Cameo.png|Beta icon
File:CNCTW_Avatar_Husk_Cameo.png|Avatar husk icon
File:Nod_units_Kane_Edition.jpg|Kane Edition skin
==Trivia==
* While using his comandeer ability, Avatar uses his left arm to take the technology. However, while comandeering the Beam Cannon, Avatar uses his right arm, which is a laser cannon. Strangely, the hand comes out directly from the laser capacitor, which may have been invisioned to the gun. But the size of the robotic forearm is just too huge to fit in a laser cannon as an alt-weapon, nor to come out of capacitor.
* The cost of a fully upgraded Avatar is $6800.
==See also==
*Purifier, the predecessor to the Avatar and Black Hand counterpart
*Mammoth tank, GDI counterpart
*Annihilator tripod, Scrin counterpart
*Reaper tripod, Reaper-17 counterpart
==References==
Category:Tiberium Wars vehicles
de:Rumtreiber
ru:Мародер