Crow

## Unit in the game:

### Researches

Accelerated Courses, Absorptive Plating, ATB Program, Whirlwind Thruster, Weapon Systems (Federation)

## Corvus Missile

### Description

Long-range cruise missile, only aim above fighter/interceptor unit classes

## 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 Crow is a Human fighter-bomber.

## Gameplay

The Crow is the second fighter type available to the Federation player, the first one being the Hurricane and is also built at the Ship Factory. It's primary role is providing anti-cruiser support and bombing key targets - given it's projectiles can ignore enemy obstacles like the Hailstorm's can - as well as providing distraction to cruisers which can attack fighter craft. Like Sylon units such as the Gloom, Eclipse and Plasma Raid as well as the Thorun Raider, the Crow is permanently cloaked, and it's effectiveness is heavily dependant on it, making the Absorptive Plating upgrade at the Deep Space Lab critical. Also, like the Plasma Raid, the Crow is made available only after researching an upgrade, which is the ATB Program at the Astro Telescope.

While the Crow's attacks are potent for a dozen of them to effectively cause serious damage to an enemy cruiser fleet, they are also slower in rate of fire in comparison to Hurricanes. Should the enemy possess adequate detection or enough anti-fighter measures, the Federation player finds it more viable to attack with Hurricanes - while dealing lesser damage, Hurricanes are more likely to survive the charge and provide distraction for a few precious seconds, as well as being cheaper, as Hurricanes only cost Metal while Crows cost Metal **and** Tachyon.

Crows are made available to the player in the campaign in *Shadows of the Past* in Chapter 01 - Hostile Visitors.

## Unit Strategy

Crows are usually deployed at an early late-game and kept in a corner up until either a critical target appears that justify their use - such either potent defense structures like the Ion Cannon or the Defense Platform or a critical tech structure such as the Fleet HQ, Offensive Server, Martyrium/Conservatory, Argus/Helia or Anvil - or until a St. George is built at a Dockyard, as Crows greatly benefit from the carrier protection bonus and repair facilities as Hurricanes do. Because of the requirement for an upgrade before they can be built, the researching structure, the Astro Telescope is prone to be a target to perceptive adversaries, especially before the ATB Program can ever complete research. Another structure that might also be a target is the Deep Space Lab, solely for it's Absorptive Plating upgrade.

While the Crows attacks are projectiles, they rarely miss their target and ignore obstacles, favouring deep strike missions against enemy bases. In fleet battles, Crows can be used against critical enemy cruisers such as Avengers, Flagships (despite the eventual anti-matter detonation that can damage Crows), Eclipses and both [Overseers and Charybdises as well as Invaders and Motherships. Also, Crows have more than twice the attack range of Hurricanes, favouring "snipe" tactics further.

The greatest disadvantages from the Crow, besides the traditional frailty of fighter spacecraft to dedicated anti-fighter ships and stations in numbers, as well as area-of-effect spells such as Antimatter Clouds from Breakers, are both the Crows' cost for Tachyon that can be sorely felt gradually if lost in careless engagements as well as the infrastructure limitations, as Crows cannot be easily replaced within a St. George as Hurricanes are, thus requiring multiple Ship Factories. In addition, Crows have about the same health amount as Hurricanes do, being totally reliant on stealth for increased survivability.

## Counter-measures

Provided the player has at least one detector close by to spot enemy Crows, especially after the Absorptive Plating is researched, a wing of fighter craft such as Hurricanes, Intruders, Spears, Predators and Guards is usually enough to destroy Crows, especially with fighter speed upgrades that can intercept and give pursuit.

In cruiser terms, groups inexpensive ones capable of anti-fighter combat, such as the Twinblade, Marauder and the Orca are preferable and can neutralize Crows from a distance, although they will take damage in the process. For Zhogarn players, however, the Mind, despite it's costs, is more viable than the Ventator due to both it's ability to detect stealth units and instant hits. For Athrael players, the Rector, especially in trios, is more preferrable than the Warpglider as the latter has both a fragile health and an ineffective anti-fighter defense, compared to the other cruisers. However, the Rector requires it to be deployed as well as have an Explorer accompanying it for detection, as well as having a Clairvoyant close by as well to recharge it's shields with the Forced Shield ability.

The Thorun Corsair, while having a decent amount of shields and an instant attack against fighters, is both resource restrictive and has arguably a smaller range. The Sylon Arson is also ineffective against Crows as Arsons are vulnerable to Crow bombardment and can take the Arson's firing focus away. The Athrael Martyrprobe as a counter is impractical as it's full damage as a suicide unit ends up being wasted away.

Area of effect spells such as the Antimatter Cloud from Breakers and Black Hole from Theocrats can also help counter Crows. Given Crows have the same quantity of health as Hurricanes, Leech Mines are also a good counter as these can detect enemy cloaked units. Teller cruisers are a risky gambit given the nuclear missiles take a long amount of time to recharge, even with Fast Charging researched and can unnecessarily harm friendly units. In addition, the Teller is also put at risk.

Most basic anti-fighter defensive structures such as the Guard Station, Polaron Sphere and the Agaric are effective in fending off Crows as long as they are in small numbers. In larger quantities, however, the player will want to have defending fighter wings in hand. The Pillbox and Barricade Sat, on the other hand, are highly ineffective in fending off Crows due to inaccuracy, low damage output and lower health themselves.

The most effective counter to stifling Crow players generally lies in exploiting it's dependency on infra-structure and economy. Eliminating all or at least most Ship Factories is preferrable as Crows do take up space in queue lines in which other units such as Hailstorms and Orcas could've been in progress. In addition, given Crows are slightly expensive in Tachyon, targeting Tachyon mining lines is also viable. Because the Crow has a tech requirement on a research - the ATB Program - instead of a structure, destroying the Astro Telescope may seem effective but it's ultimately a stalling-for-time tactic as researches are permanent once done.

## Racial Counter Relations

###  Federation

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

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

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

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

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