Hurricane

## Fighter spacecraft

### Description

The fighter spacecrafts are smaller and quicker than other units. Due to their maneuverability a lot of weapons cannot aim them

## Collision avoidance sensors

### Description

Unit can maneuver through any kind of obstacles

The Hurricane is a Human space superiority fighter.

## Gameplay

The Hurricane is the initial tier 1 unit in the game and one of the two fighter types available to the Federation player, the second being the Crow. It's ability to fly over obstacles, especially asteroids and obstacles such as space walls makes it a useful unit for early scouting. In comparison to the cheap, but weaker Spear and Guard and the expensive, but durable Intruder and Predator, the Hurricane lies in the middle in both cost and durability, making it a viable unit for early game defense and even harassment of enemy resource lines, though still requiring strength in numbers to make a difference.

The Hurricane's attack does equal damage to both hull and shields, making it also a capable anti-shield option for Federation players in early game, complementing Orcas for an attack and defense force. It's greatest weakness is it's generic nature, possessing neither the further capacity for adaptation in late-game combat nor endurance, being totally reliant on the St. George carriers to slightly improve on combat potential. The Hurricane's sole upgrade, apart from weapon and armor upgrades, is the Whirlwind Thruster, which increases the Hurricane's movement speed by 50%, along with the Crow.

Hurricanes become available to the player in the campaign in *Distress Call* in Chapter 1 - Hostile Visitors.

## Unit Strategy

Hurricanes are commonly partenered with Orcas to provide both a distraction to other enemy cruisers and fighters as well as to neutralize enemy shielding to allow Orcas to shine with their 130mm Guns, that excel versus hull. Like other non-Zhogarn fighters, Hurricanes can be repaired, so a group of Pasteurs close by can allow for a more liberal use of Hurricanes for harassment duties, as well as help provide defense against a dedicated enemy fighter assault. As Hurricanes have a projectile attack, they have chances of missing, hence requiring numbers be employed.

However, while being useful at early-stages of the game, the Hurricane does lose it's value as the game progresses, even more as other cruisers - in particular the Hailstorm which can provide better cover, anti-shield firepower and even detection for the Orcas - and eventually the Crow are introduced. Even as the St. George is later introduced, Hurricanes can only provide distraction and fighter cover for Crows that end up being more potent against cruisers, especially with their stealth nature that is further improved with the Absorptive Plating research.

Still, a good number of docked Hurricanes can have a use against cruisers or stations that have no anti-fighter defense, such as the Athrael Invader and Obelisk or the Sylon Plasma Raid and Aegis, helping neutralize shields for other units, in particular Avengers or Crows. They can also take away focus from Arsons and force needless Nuclear Missile launches from enemy Tellers.

Due to their small health, however, Hurricanes should be employed carefully against Thorun units, especially Zoners, Vanguards, Grinders, Flagships and Breakers, as these possess anti-matter reactions that will explode violently on the ship's destruction, dealing potential damage to strafing groups of Hurricanes close by. In addition, lost Hurricanes can be easily replaced by St. Georges on death, unlike Crows.

## Counter-measures

Being a fighter and thus capable of maneuvering around obstacles, anti-fighter defenses, fighter squadrons and/or area-of-effect weapons and spells that can target fighters (such as the Arson's Nova Cannon) are crucial to handling Hurricanes. One noticeable element of Hurricanes is that their attack, while equal against shields and hulls, is nevetheless small and can only deal small damage against dedicated anti-fighter defensive structures, even the arguably weaker variants such as the Barricade Sat. and the Pillbox, hence a couple of these defense types - two or three - is usually enough to handle even a considerable group of Hurricanes. The more stronger defense variants, such as the Polaron Sphere, the Guard Station and Agaric can neutralize Hurricanes in one to two shots.

The Athrael Rector can also help handle Hurricane groups due to their gamma reactor attack against multiple units at once. In addition, sturdy units with instant attacks that can hit fighters, such as the Dresda, Caldron, Corsair and Mind can also handle Hurricanes effectively.

In fighter combat, Hurricanes are generally best dealt with a two-to-one fighter ratio, for both their attack ratio, accuracy and the fact they have no upgrades but speed to make them stand out - This means Spears with Integrated Remodulators, Guards with Natural Selection, Intruders with their shielding and Predators with speed and weapon upgrades can easily handle Hurricanes that aren't docked with a St. George, because of their "too generic" nature in a fight.

## Racial Counter Relations

###  Federation

**Soft** - Icarus, Orca, St. George, Dresda, Avenger (II), Barricade Sat, Defense Platform
**Hard** - Engineer Shuttle, Hailstorm, Crow, Kutuzov, Pasteur, Joseon, Teller,KEIKO Sentry.
###  Sylon

**Soft** - Hauler, Twinblade, Installator, Caldron, Arson, Eclipse, Pillbox
**Hard** - Labor, Spear *(Unupgraded)*, Mask, Assimilator, Shade, Plasma Raid, Aegis, Repair Station
###  Athrael

**Soft** - Intruder, Warpglider, Clairvoyant, Gathering, Rector, Martyrprobe, Revenger, Mothership, Theocrat, Polaron Sphere
**Hard** - Drone, Explorer, Lancet, Harbinger, Invader, Obelisk, Shield Generator
###  Thorun

**Soft** - Extractor, Zoner, Predator, Marauder, Corsair, Breaker, Guard Station
**Hard** - Welder, Predator (assault mode), Raider, Vanguard, Havoc, Grinder, Devastator, Flagship, Ion Cannon
###  Zhogarn

**Soft** - Argus, Worker, Ventator, Mind, Alpha, Charybdis, Decay, Impaler, Agaric
**Hard** - Spawn, Guard *(Unupgraded)*, Rictus, Mite, Ruptor, Elasmoruptor, Overseer, Fonia

## Overview & History

Code-named "Hurricane", this aerospace-superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging both planetary and deepspace threats, including new developments in pirate and separatist defense systems. The primary objective of the Hurricane project was to create a revolutionary interceptor that would demonstrate exceptional performance, leveraging cutting-edge technologies on the horizon.

The designers of Hurricane envisioned a significant leap in performance by incorporating several groundbreaking features. These advancements included the utilization of composite materials specifically engineered to withstand the rigors of space travel, as well as lightweight alloys to enhance maneuverability and speed. The incorporation of state-of-the-art flight control systems and avionics further elevated the Hurricane's capabilities, enabling it to outmatch its adversaries.

The propulsion system of the Hurricane was a vital aspect of its design, aiming to provide exceptional speed and maneuverability. Engineers integrated more powerful engines capable of enabling supersonic cruise or even supercruise, facilitating swift response times and high-speed engagements. Additionally, an automatic backup oxygen system (ABOS) was implemented to ensure the safety of the pilot during extreme conditions, complemented by a modified life support system to sustain prolonged missions.

The manufacturing of the Hurricanes commenced in the year 2208, marking the initiation of mass production for these cutting-edge interceptors. Following an extensive development phase and rigorous testing, the Hurricanes were officially introduced into active service in the late 2210s.