Shikari

File:Placeholder
The **Shikari** is a class of ranged combatant, a sub-clade of the Hunter. The Shikari is specialized in hunting big game. Shikari are trained as special forces with an anti-armor bent by the Asian Alliance in *Red Alert 2: New World Order*. These soldiers are armed with unique "coil"-guns which rely on nanotechnology to propel a monoblade flechette with the help of several tightly coiled springs.

When promoted, they also gain personal camouflage devices like those used by the Shadowhand. Shikari can be deployed in two ways - they can either be trained at a player's Dojo if the player also owns an Academy, or a small squad can be called to a position of the player's choice via Drop Pods. Shikari travel in these haphazard constructions, modified missiles, and will eject moments before the drop pod buries itself in the ground. The drop pod's nosedive itself can be used by a commander to soften up enemy defenses for the Shikari, who will find themselves just next to the impact zone of their previous means of transportation.

## Stats

* Type: Infantry
* Class: Commando
* Lv:
* HP: 200

## Equipment

* High-powered monomolecular flechette launcher
* Monomolecular armor-piercing titanium flechettes
* Pair of kukris
* Thermoptic camouflage suit
* Sensor goggles
* Portable communicator
* Portable sentry guns

## Abilities

### Flechette gun

Template:Main
The Shikari's needle gun uses high-powered nanoengineered propellant to fire a monomolecular needle over vast distances with fearsome penetration. The needle itself spins a nanowire behind itself through which an electrical current is transmitted to the target, disrupting its circuits and disabling it for a considerable length of time until it manages to reset itself. This makes him an effective unit against armored targets and the occasional high-volume biological target.

#### Effect

* Deals high single-target slashing damage.

## Effect

* Deals high single-target slashing damage.
* The shuriken can bounce off after slashing one opponent, hitting nearby enemies as well. This can happen several times.
* After embedding itself in an enemy's armor, the Shikari will direct an electrical current through the monowire, electrocuting infantry and disabling machinery.
* Targets can be reeled in with the nigh-unbreakable monowire and the winch in the shuriken thrower, closing the distance to enemy armor. Infantry cannot be reeled in - their flesh and more fragile armor will simply rip and tear when the attempt is made to exert such force on their body through the embedded shuriken.
	+ Only small vehicles, such as bikes or jeeps, can be reeled in. The Shikari cannot support the weight of larger armored vehicles, such as tanks.

#### Notes

* Has a *very* low rate of fire and low damage, but high attack.

### Accupuncture

Template:Main
Master Shikari understand the location of vital pressure points of humans and many other creatures. They aim their needle guns at those pressure points. While negligible damage is visible initially, the victim will turn into a living time bomb and after a brief period, explode in a burst of blood and gore, dealing damage to infantry nearby.

### Lay Trap

* **Lay Trap** - Places a small sentry gun. The sentry gun will remain stationary, scanning for enemy forces around it. If it detects a target, it will attack with a weak gattling gun attack. Can attack both air and ground targets. Unlike the larger base defense variant, these sentry guns are easily knocked out by even light damage, however they may still prove an obstacle to enemy infantry and aircraft. The sentry gun's laser trap is unable to detect cloaked enemies.
	+ **Lay Trap** - Places a slightly more powerful sentry gun. This variant fires incendiary ammunition and can detect cloaked enemies, however it cannot detect disguised ones. It will be cloaked when not attacking.

### Camouflage

Template:Main
The Shikari is stealthed when not moving or attacking. Upon promotion to Veteran, he can remain stealthed even on the move. Upon promotion to Elite, he will no longer lose stealth even when attacking, however it is easy to backtrace his electrified wire to his location - and even easier to see where your armor is being dragged.

### Evasion Bonus

Shikaris are more adept at evading the clumsy guns of vehicles than regular infantry, effectively reducing damage from tanks and other armed vehicles to nearly zero. Against small arms, however, the Shikari is just as helpless as any regular infantry and has to rely on his camouflage to avoid exposure in the first place.

## Strategy

The Shikari is a peculiar sniper unit, with a rate of fire that is so prohibitive that it is not even economical for infantry sniping, and entirely hopeless against massed infantry.

## Quotes

* **Select**
	+ The patient hunter!
	+ Coiled like a cobra!
* **Move**
	+ Enter Shikari!
* **Attack**
	+ I will hang his turret above my fireplace.

## Notes

* Class: Ranger, Hunter, Gunner
* *Zveroboy*
* Unlike the Ninja, the Shikari is explicitely not meant for infiltration - all of its direct attacks are long-range and it is intended to be used as a field unit in open battle, or as a harassment/deep defense unit, although it shares technologies with the Ninja.
* Unlike the Ninja, this unit has an immensely slow attack delay, but his attacks have far higher Attack, making them useful against armored vehicles, even if net Damage is not higher than the Ninja's.
* Shikari only have paper-thin defense, so don't let them get caught up-close.
* Snipers are an effective counter to these units, being able to outrange and effectively target them.

## See also

* wikipedia:Shikari
* Hunter
* Ranger
* Gunner