Helibase

The **Helibase** is the player's main form of transportation in *Strain Tactics*, and serves as a small hub to store and sell items, capture Strain, and decontaminate squad members. It may also be used for aerial support during missions. The Helibase is provided by the United Nations 2 at the start of the game.

## Gameplay

The Helibase serves as both a mobile base and a mobile weapons platform. It is used to navigate the world and support the player on missions.

### Transport

The main utility of the Helibase is to transport the player's squad to and from each mission. The player's squad is deployed from the Helibase at the start of each mission, and must re-enter the Helibase to extract from the mission at the end. Additionally, any time the player is given the objective of rescuing friendly or civilian units, those units must be brought onto the Helibase for the objective to complete.

Once the Helibase has docked/landed, 4 slots will become available for dropping units into the field, and 4 slots will be available to re-enter the Helibase. Units must stand in these designated zones for a few seconds to transfer from the Helibase to the ground or vice-versa.

### Aerial Support

The Helibase also doubles as an aerial support unit equipped with an armament of weapons to assist the player during missions. These include 900 rounds of a **12.5mm Frangible/Fragmentation (FRAG) Round Gatling Gun**, 80 rounds of a **30mm High-Explosive Incendiary Tracer (HEIT) Autocannon**, and 5 **CBM-7 High Explosive Incendiary (HE-I) Cluster Bombs** in line and tight-group formations, with each "round" only consuming a single bomb. The Firing Mode may be enabled at any time during any mission. However, some Strain units, Anti-Air Jammers, and rooftops may keep the Helibase from firing. All Helibase weapons deal some form of Area of Effect (AOE) damage, with the Gatling Gun having the smallest AOE and the Cluster Bombs having the largest.

Ammunition for the Helibase is not free or unlimited, except during the Helibase's tutorial mission. Once back at base, the player can rearm the Helibase's arsenal. The cost of ammunition is per round, meaning the player purchases ammo by the bullet. 12.5mm ammo costs 1 credit each, the 30mm costs 30 credits each, and the CBM7 bombs cost 150 credits each. If the player were to completely deplete the Helibase of all ammunition, it would cost 900 credits to refill the Gatling Gun, 2400 credits to refill the Autocannon, and 750 credits to refill the Cluster Bombs. Or 4050 credits in total.

### Decontamination

The Helibase contains a decontamination shower available at any time before, during, and after missions. The player may use this shower to remove infection from their squad members *if* the unit can make it back to the Helibase in time. The shower is also used as an impromptu holding cell should the player manage to capture any Strain units. Be warned that Strain units may leave the shower and proceed to attack any friendlies on board (such as squadmates and rescued VIPs), except for the crew.

### Storage

A locker with infinite storage capacity is located on the Helibase for the player to store any and all items, including weapons, consumables, and passive items. Once back at the UN2 base, the player may sell any items directly from their locker inventory. Items purchased from vendors, **not** 3D printers, are transferred to the Helibase locker automatically. Printed items are dispensed in front of the printer and must be picked up by a unit or the Helibase's item retrieval system.

There is a slot at the rear of the Helibase dedicated to item retrieval once the Helibase is docked/landed. Any items within the area's borders are automatically transferred to the locker. This is incredibly helpful for XL items that a squad might not be able to carry, such as Bodybags, as the player can position the item retrieval area to land on an item without using a unit to move it. For the item to be retrieved by the Helibase, it must be out in the open - the area will not deploy on top of a roof or inside of a wall.

### Tip Provider

The Helibase's crew is found behind a wall in the left side of the vehicle. When prompted, the pilot and a robot will provide the player with general gameplay tips.

## Tactics

### Fire Support

Helibase can easily dish out extreme amounts of damage in a short time. Each of its weapons fulfills a specific role.

The **Gatling Gun**, with its little-to-no lead time, may be used for accurate fire in short bursts, or to suppress multiple targets in a hail of fire. Fast moving Strain units are easily dispatched using the Gatling Gun. Structures and larger units are also easy prey for this weapon, but will require additional or more-sustained bursts to kill.

The **Autocannon** is often best suited for accurate fire directed onto targets with large amounts of health or groups of enemies who are in close proximity to each other given the gun's splash damage. The Autocannon requires you to lead your target should the target be moving.

The **Cluster Bombs** are best suited towards destroying concentrations of enemy units and/or structures. Each cluster takes a few seconds to drop, meaning the weapon is ill-suited for accurate fire as units will likely run away from the drop zone and take no damage.

Given each weapon's price to rearm in the early game, it is advised to use the weapons sparingly. Once a player has established a steady income (either by selling weapons or completing more difficult missions), such monetary concerns are no more.

As long as there are no roofs, trees, or Anti-Air Jammers, it is entirely possible to complete a mission using only the Helibase's weapons where the only objective is to clear the area or destroy specific targets.

### Item Retrieval

The Helibase comes equipped with an area that will automatically retrieve any item it lands on. All items in this area are deposited directly into your item locker. This is especially useful for items that are hard to reach with your units, items surrounded by Strain, or items left by the player's squad after they have all boarded. The player may also pile items outside of any buildings and have the Helibase pick them all up at once in order to avoid forcing a unit to board and dismount every time their inventory is full.

Players may also use the Helibase's retrieval system to collect bodies of their fallen squadmates. Even if a unit does not have an XL inventory slot, any unit who interacts with a squadmate's body will place it in a bodybag, making it retrievable by the Helibase. Should, for example, the player lose the only unit in their squad with an XL inventory slot, they need only place the body in a bag and land the Helibase on top of it. This only works if the bodybag is not under a roof or in an area that is being jammed. If you know a unit is about to die, try to move them outside first.

## Trivia

* The Helibase appears to be a modified CH-47 Chinook.
* Despite there being only two shower heads in the decontamination shower, any unit inside the "Decon Area" tape will be decontaminated, regardless of how many units are inside or where exactly they are standing.
* The player cannot directly control the Helibase's crew. They are NPCs.
* The Autocannon's rounds are 30mm High-Explosive Incendiary Tracer rounds. Their acronym, HEIT, is pronounced "hate." Thus, each round may be considered to be "30mm of pure hate."
* A wall separates the transport area from the cockpit, preventing anything from entering - including bullets, thrown weapons, squad members, and captured Strain.
	+ The crew behind the wall is invincible. Should the player manage to penetrate the cabin (such as with an RPG), they will do no damage.
* Other Helibases can be seen moving throughout the world in the Mission Selection screen. The player cannot interact with them in any way.