Flak Burst

Ability User: 	Kol Battleship
Ability Type: 	Active
Target: 	Targets enemy strike craft.
Antimatter Cost:	100
Cooldown Time: 	12 -> 10 -> 8 [12 -> 10 -> 8-> 7]
Duration: 	N/A
Range: 	2400 -> 3000 -> 3600 (3000 -> 3300 -> 3600) [3000 -> 3380 -> 3760-> 4140]
Effect(s): 	
*Damage: 30 -> 45 -> 60 [30 -> 43 -> 56-> 69]
Fragmentation ordnance is launched and detonated nearby, dealing damage to all enemy strike craft within short range.
Numbers in parentheses are for Diplomacy. Numbers in brackets are for Rebellion.
==Tactics==
The high antimatter cost of this ability means low-level Kols cannot use this ability very often. Combined with its limited range and relatively low damage, this means a single Kol is usually incapable of properly fulfilling its role with this ability. However, as it levels up the Kol's range and damage with this ability increases dramatically, and it gains the ability to use it rapid succession. As it levels up, the Kol's antimatter reserves and regenerate rate increase as well. All these factors taken together means this ability (and the Kol in general) play like an ugly duckling: very weak when it first comes out on to the field, but a terrifying weapon of destruction when it reaches full maturity.
In the late-game, it is not uncommon to hit over 100 strike craft with this ability, so a Kol can easily deal over 6000 damage with each blast when maxed out, and can do this repeatedly to devastate large numbers of strike craft. For this reason, it's a very good idea to keep your squads away from a high-level Kol if you don't want them to die very quickly. The damage of this ability easily dwarfs the Gauss Rail Gun in most situations after the early-game, since strike craft do not benefit from shield mitigation and will take full damage from this attack, whereas the rail gun will often deal less than half of what it advertises.
==Development==
A patch for Diplomacy changed the range of this ability to 3000 -> 3300-> 3600, making this ability more effective at lower levels without increasing its power at higher levels. Its antimatter cost was unchanged, so you will still need some way to increase the Kol's antimatter to make it effective for lower-level Kols, however.
Category:TEC
Category:Abilities