Karakurt

The doctor is here, consultations are now open.

Eight anti-air missile launchers

492 (Elite)

658 (Heroic)

1477 (Heroic)

## Introduction

The **Karakurt** (кapaкұpт) is the GLA Toxins General Dr Thrax's super unit in Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour: Contra. The Karakurt is a tank mounted with a chemical-spreading cannon as main weapon. It can shoot toxins, acid or release a polluted cloud against enemy aircraft (provided the player unlocks this ability in the Rank 5 General Powers' tree). The Karakurt is effective against everything, especially infantry.

## Overview

Thrax, being recently reintegrated into the GLA after years of hiding, has frantically searched everything he could find to make his own Super Unit as other GLA generals already had one themselves. He found an old super heavy tank chassis that has its main cannon broken and installed a lot of devices such as a giant sprayer and storage tanks. Although very crude, it is very effective in infantry-based warfares.

At first glance, the Karakurt looks like an ordinary siege tank with a giant cannon and a small missile battery. But it is in fact a close-combat chemical warfare heavy tank. A half of the tank's interior is occupied with giant storage tanks to store various chemicals such as liquid agar-agar medium or dust with dormant Anthrax Pathogens (will be active when exposed to room temperature), concentrated Fluoroantimonic Acid, gaseous Sulphuric Acid, Sarin Gas and Silicon Dust. It has a giant high-pressure sprayer on its left turret connected to the storage tanks via complex tubes and valves to spray the liquid chemicals into numerous but concentrated droplets of toxic concoction on enemies in close range, four medium-sized cannons firing HE shells for further targets and eight anti-aircraft missiles fitted with Sarin Gas/Silicon Dust warheads to deal with attacking aircraft. To release the toxic gases, the tank can open its rear valves and "gas release doors" above the tank to release the gases into the atmosphere. Due to its load, the tank is exceptionally slow. However, a turbocharged diesel engine installed into the tank can increase the speed of the tank. The tank can also cover itself with camo netting to hide from enemy sight.

### Armament Analysis

* The large toxin sprayer mounted on the left side of the turret is the Karakurt's primary weapon, it can target both surface and aerial targets. The chemical sprayer has a short range but can engulf its target in chemicals, dealing high damage per second. The chemical sprayer can switch chemicals nigh instantaneously, it will spray poison at infantry, acid at vehicles and structures and dust at aircraft.
* The four cannons mounted on the right side of the turret has longer range than the chemical sprayer but also a rather lengthy reload time. Attacks ground targets only.
* Eight missile launchers mounted on the back of the turret, target aircraft only. However, when switching from air targeting to ground targeting, the Karakurt may fire its missiles at ground units.

This makes the Karakurt a highly versatile weapon, capable of handling just about everything thrown at it.

The Karakurt can be further upgraded to increase its lethality, besides the myriad of chemical upgrades Dr. Thrax's lab can provide, the Karakurt can receive camouflage netting, making it invisible when not attacking. Turbodiesel engine upgrade can be applied to increase the Karakurt's speed, so it can approach the enemy targets quicker to make up for its short range.

The Karakurt also gains contamination abilities depending on your choice of general's powers. However, any general using multiple Karakurts should not release acidic gas at once when they are at close at each other as the gas will corrode the tanks since Karakurt's armor is not corrosive-resistant.

## How To Counter ?

Taking on the Karakurt could be very challenging, as it has no notable weakness that can be easily exploited. So brute force is best met with brute force.

Your own super unit is one of the best counters of the Karakurt, it's best to supplement your super unit with artillery units, as the Karakurt is a sluggish vehicle even with the Turbodiesel upgrade, and while its armor is quite durable, it's notably less durable than units like the Karkadann or the Guan Yu. If you are using fragile long range units like the Widow, it's very important to put your range advantage to good use.

If you are heavily dependent on air power, using helicopters is not as viable as the Karakurt's dust cloud attacks can make short work of them, stealth jets are more advisable.

If you have access to ECM technology like China or General Ironhand, you can use more durable units to distract the Karakurt while the ECM units disable it, use multiple ECM units as super units in general are highly resistant to ECM.

## Upgrades

**Turbodiesel**:

* Increases the Karakurt's speed by 15%. Available at Dr. Thrax's Scud Storm at rank 5.

**Tank Camouflage**:

* The Karakurt becomes stealthed when not attacking. Available at Dr. Thrax's Scud Storm at rank 5.

**Neutralizers**:

* The Karakurt no longer deals damage to friendlies. Available at the Palace at Rank 3.

**Corrosion Catalyst**:

* Increase the damage dealt by the Karakurt's acid sprays by 30%. Available at the Chemical Lab at Rank 3.

**Anthrax Gamma**:

* Replace the Karakurt's Anthrax Beta sprays with the more powerful Anthrax Gamma, thus increasing its damage output by 50%. Available at the Chemical Lab at Rank 3.

**Inflammable Acids**:

* Allows the Karakurt's acid sprays to set ablaze. Available at the Chemical Lab at Rank 5.

## Assessment

Pros:

* Very powerful weapons with high DPS.
* High HP.
* Effective against everything, including air units.
* Can spread toxins, acid or release polluted clouds.
* Being a super unit, it cannot be hijacked or de-piloted.
* Becomes stealthed when upgraded.

Cons:

* Slow movement speed, can be somewhat remedied by the Turbodiesel Upgrade.
* Short firing range for a super unit, can be somewhat remedied by the Tank Camouflage upgrade.
* Expensive ($7,000).
* Very long creation time due to GLA lacking power plants.
* Somewhat less durable than other assault oriented Super Units.
* Cannot resist corrosion by acids.
* If multiple Karakurts releases acidic gas at the same time while being close to each other, the gas will cause friendly fire.
* Explodes into a crazy mess of Acidic Anthrax spill when destroyed.

## Quotes (In English)

### When Created

* The doctor is here, consultations are now open.

### When Selected

* Toxin tanks filled to the brim.
* Cyanide is so overrated...
* Someone will fix those toxin leaks, right?
* Karakurt bolted in.
* So, who needs a prescription?
* Satisfaction guaranteed. Well, so far, nobody complained! \*laughs\*
* Do you smell it? That smell? That smelly smell that smells… smelly?
* Who's my next vic- uh… I mean my next patient?
* \*coughing\* Ah, some of those toxins went into my throat...

### When Ordered to Move

* Gone by the wind!
* Let me finish my smoke, okay?
* \*breathes in\* Ah, smells like victory!
* House calls are my top priority! \*laughs\*
* Delivering highly efficient medicine since 1992.
* It's time for their chemistry lesson!

### When Ordered to Attack

* Hurry up, my patients are waiting!
* And this is what you learn in mail-order college!
* Take a deep breath!
* More efficient than aspirin!
* It won't be painful… It will be HORRIBLY painful!
* And 500cc of diphosgene for patient n°2!
* I diagnose a violent and imminent death!
* Hum, perhaps you should get some fresh air! \*laughs\*
* A little hint: this is no perfume...

### When Ordered to Attack Aircraft

* Weather forecast for today will be quite… cloudy! \*laughs\*
* Oh no no no, you're not safe up there!
* Silicon is no joke for your engine!
* Spray some insecticide!

## Trivia

* Karakurt is named after a black widow spider. Its name means "Black Wolf" in the Kazakh language.
* The Karakurt is one of the earliest super units revealed by the Contra Mod Team, back when it was still known as the "Cobra". It's referred to as the "Cobra" in the game's files.

* The Karakurt's pilot is probably a former doctor, hence his several quotes about medicine.

* The voice actor, Gaëtan Cione, refers to his birthdate in the quote: "Delivering highly efficient medicine since 1992".
* "Gone by the wind" might be a reference to the 1939 movie *Gone with the Wind* directed by Victor Fleming.
* "It is time for the chemistry lesson" and "And this is what you learn in mail order college" are references to Dr Thrax's taunt and defeat messages, respectively.
* The pilot is a smoker.
* As of Patch 2, Karakurt's Air Pollution ability along with the ability itself from General's Promotion has been removed. However, selecting multiple Karakurts causes this ability to appear but cannot be activated.