Nuke cannon

The Nuke Cannon was China's and arguably the world's most advanced siege weapon, firing tactical nuclear shells over considerable distances, with suitably destructive results. The majority of generals had to spend promotional points to acquire it (possibly at the expense of another ability), although the Chinese Government entrusted General Tsing Shi Tao the use of Nuke Cannon without spending promotional points.
==Background==
The Nuke Cannon consisted of a large howitzer-like weapon mounted on a tracked vehicle, with a cabin for the crew located at the front, similar to a regular truck.
Before firing the cannon, the vehicle had to deploy four stabilizers. This, coupled with the slow speed of the vehicle and long reloading time of the main gun, made using it in the field time-consuming and potentially very costly; Nuke Cannons cost considerably more than Inferno Cannons, but were similarly weakly armoured and even more vulnerable to enemy fire. Nevertheless, many generals considered the destruction wrought by the Nuke Cannon to be worth the cost, as nuclear shells were very effective against tanks, infantry and even the most heavily protected structures at far greater ranges than the Inferno Cannon, which could only lob comparatively weak shells.
Later in the conflict against the GLA, Nuke Cannons can be alternatively loaded with Neutron Shells to specifically neutralize enemy personnel.
==Game unit==
The Nuke Cannon, in spite of its ponderousness, is effective both as a siege weapon and an aid for base defense simply due to its devastating raw damage at range. Its Nuclear Shells can effectively destroy most buildings in a few hits and devastate an attacking formation, leaving behind a deadly radioactive cloud in their wake. Its Neutron Shells are equally effective, able to obliterate scores of infantry and leaving so many neutralized vehicles so as to completely halt an assault through congestion. Neutralized vehicles could then be commandeered if desired. As with the Inferno Cannon, the Nuke Cannon's shells can not be intercepted. Ordering it to Defend an area allows the unit to take advantage of its long range for area denial.
The Nuke Cannon's weaknesses are pretty straightforward. It is perhaps the most cumbersome unit in the war, with very slow speed, mandatory deployment setup and high cost. The cannon also has a tendency to reposition itself before firing, a time-consuming process that could cost the player precious seconds. Unlike most other vehicles, the Nuke Cannon cannot be transported by a Helix and is forced to drive all the way to its destination. It is also unable to defend itself in close quarters, requiring an escort of Battlemasters, Overlords and Gattling Tanks. The radiation cloud created in the event of their destruction can be problematic as well. Even if no enemies are around, care must be taken when using them in environments with many tall obstacles; unless deployed with sufficient clearance, their rounds can detonate against adjacent buildings or terrain.
===Abilities===
===Upgrades===
====Base====
====Promotion====
==Changelog==
* Generals patch 1.04: 
** Explosion damage done after a nuke cannon is destroyed is reduced from 25 to 10
** Nuke cannon changed so it moves the same speed when damaged, not faster
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
* The icon image was based on the 280mm Atomic Cannon fired during Upshot-Knothole. The M65 might have inspired the creation of the Nuke Cannon.
* There are unused versions of the Nuke Cannon for Nuke General. The only significant difference in these is that the Chinese red star is replaced by a radiation symbol. The Nuke Cannon was also supposed to get a unique selection picture. It's rather surprising they ended up unused, seeing as they would have been very easy to implement.
* In actuality, the blast created by the Nuke Cannon's shell should have the same explosive yield as the Nuclear Missile's. The smallest nuclear explosion was recorded at 1.2t of TNT, which was only a product of an early nuclear test at the 15th of October year 1958. The smallest nuclear explosion that was put for military use was recorded at 10t of TNT.
* Real-life neutron bombs or ERW (Enhanced Radiation Weapon) still leave residual radiation but only in a shorter span of hours than a regular nuclear bomb.
==Gallery==
Generals Nuke Cannon.jpg|The original schematics of the Nuke Cannon, with six stabilizers instead of four.
GensZHNukeCannon.png|Unused model for Nuke Generals
ZH Nuke Cannon Icons.png|Unused selection picture for Nuke General
==See also==
* Tomahawk launcher
* SCUD launcher
Category:Generals 1 vehicles