EMP Tower

"Even if we don't get disabled we'll get electromagnetic radiation poisoning, eventually."

### Notes

has build limit in Tournament/Challenge mode

## Introduction

The **EMP Tower** is a defensive super weapon built by General Ironside. It's a structure that can disable all enemy vehicles, both ground and aerial, within a very wide radius, but somehow allows allied vehicles to function normally.

## Overview

The Electromagnetic Tower is a tall EMP Field Generator shaped like a lotus on the verge of full bloom. It has an EMP generator at the middle of the "lotus" that emits strong and wide EMP fields to disable any electronics that come close. Fortunately, Ironside's vehicles and aircrafts have classified EMP-resistant plates to avoid getting disabled (in team skirmishes, his allies must plate their armor with it too). It is powered by its own generator so it won't tap power from his main base.

The EMP Tower produces a strong, vast field of electromagnetic pulse around itself. The radius of the field is longer than the range of any artillery. Any non-allied vehicle that enters the the EMP field will be instantly disabled, and hostile aircrafts will fall out of the sky and crash, and large, support aircraft (such as the C-130 or the An-22) that flies into the field will rapidly take damage and eventually be destroyed.

The EMP Tower also appears to have its own internal power source, as it does not consume power from the base's power grid.

The EMP Tower is essentially the role of the SDI Cannon in reverse, the SDI Cannon intercepts ballistic general's powers and super weapons but is helpless against general's powers carried out by aircraft and units. The EMP Tower prevents units and aircraft from getting close to it but is helpless against general's powers and super weapons.

**Note**: Make sure to at least build anti-infantry defenses around it. Infantries are not affected by the tower's EMP field and may end up destroying it if it is undefended.

## How to Counter ?

An EMP Tower will always be a glaring eyesore to every enemy commander. However, they are not without weaknesses.

* An EMP Tower cannot damage infantry, not even General Ironhand's cyborgs. So a poorly protected EMP Tower will fall easily to a combined infantry rush. The worst infantry an EMP tower can encounter is the Chinese Sniper.
* EMP Tower cannot defend itself from super weapon strikes and general's powers the doesn't involve aircraft, such as artillery barrages. But this method will require the combination of multiple super weapons or general's powers. As the EMP Tower is very durable.
* Even when using infantry rush, it's advised to use general's powers/super weapons to help soften up the defense around the EMP Tower.
* As long as the EMP Tower doesn't have full health, brute force could be a viable option: durable Super Units with powerful weapons such as Guan Yu might be able to rush in and destroy it, as they take a long time to disable.

## General's Challenge

In General Ironside's challenge, a total of three EMP Towers are located on the map. The first is found within Ironside's second forward base in the middle of the map, guarded by defenses (Stixes, Grendels etc.) as well as various vehicles. This one must be destroyed by conventional means. Also, don't forget to destroy the Battleship before attacking the base.

Two more EMP Towers are found within Ironside's main base, these take power from row of Ion Power Plants located near Ironside's airfields. Destroy these and the towers will be disabled.

## Assessment

Pros:

* Extremely effective against all types of vehicles.
* Very long range.
* Does not consume power.
* Very strong structural armor.
* Disabled vehicles can be used for free experience or to form a wall.

Cons:

* Vulnerable to infantry, superweapons and general's powers (unless they involve aircraft).
* Long construction time (roughly two minutes).
* Expensive ($5,000).
* If an allied vehicle within its influence is de-piloted, then it will become disabled and unrecoverable.

## Trivia

* The EMP Tower shares its selection sound with the USA Command Center.
* Originally, the EMP Tower doesn't have a build limit in Tournament/Challenge mode, therefore it's possible to build an unlimited amount of EMP Towers. This has since been patched.