Corvus

## Purpose

### Description

Fires a massive laser blast that damages enemy targets and repairs allied structures. Can step over most terrain.

## Research

### Research Cost

99000  Silicon
56000  Plastanium
46000  Surge Alloy
31000  Phase Fabric

The **Corvus** is a Tier 5 support Ground Unit on Serpulo obtained by upgrading a Vela through the Tetrative Reconstructor. The Corvus replaces the Vela's Meltdown-like laser with a long-range, single-shot piercing laser, while its boosting ability is also replaced with 4 Atrax-like legs that enables walking over blocks and natural walls less than 3 blocks wide. Whenever it fires, it is inflicted with the *Unmoving* status effect for a brief period of time and cannot move until the laser manifests.

## Weapons

Freezes unit in place for a short duration

## Strategies

### **Against**

Though it is slow, its damage per shot is astronomical and its range is extremely high, close to that of the Foreshadow. Its piercing can catch you completely unaware and instantly cause a breach, while the constant pressure that it applies makes it impossible to properly seal it back up. Insulate every corner of your base with Plastanium Walls - large ones specifically, as the small ones are instantly destroyed by the laser and will not benefit from Mend Projector healing. A supporting group of Mega is also very useful for out-healing its damage, turning it from a nigh-impossible penetrator to dead weight in an attack group. To protect your fragile Plastanium Walls, place bulkier Thorium or Surge Walls in front to soak up non-laser projectiles. Once its damage is neutralised, all you have to do is wait for it to approach your defenses and watch it go down. Solid DPS is still needed to prevent it from actually entering your base and causing disaster, but this is achievable through the Meltdown or Spectre. Tier 4 units will also easily destroy it, especially the Arkyid, which can leech off and out-heal it.

### **For**

Corvus can out-range every turret in the game except for the Foreshadow making it fantastic for inflicting consistent damage to eventually break a base. If the enemy Core has a Foreshadow, a few options would be to try to snipe the turret's ammo or power supply to render it offline, have an Oct to absorb the Foreshadow shots, or have healing support (Velas or Repair Turrets). When dealing with Plastanium Walls, they must be overcome with physical damage from other units like the Quad or Reign.

Defensively, the Corvus has the excellent function of an anti-swarm long-range turret that outclasses the Ripple. Enemies in the campaign typically clump up in narrow corridors due to a basic AI, meaning that anything tier 3 and below will be erased with just two shots. In open areas where enemies attack from a wide angle, the Corvus is less efficient and will perform badly compared to the Toxopid.

## Changes

 Version 7.0, Build 127
* Range decreased (59 blocks → 57).
 Version 7.0, Build 128
 Version 7.0, Build 130
 Version 7.0, Build 136
 Version 7.0, Build 138.1
	+ Old description: "Fires a massive laser blast that damages enemies and repairs allied structures. Can step over most terrain."
	+ New description: "Fires a massive laser blast that damages enemy targets and repairs allied structures. Can step over most terrain."

## Trivia

* The Corvus is named after the crow-shaped *Corvus* constellation. It may also be named after the naval boarding device of the same name, used by the Romans to invade and hijack Carthaginian ships during the First Punic War.
* Corvus is the only Support Ground Unit that cannot build.
* With 18000 health, Corvus is tied with Collaris for the 2nd lowest health of all the Tier 5 units, with only Disrupt having less at 12000.
* The removal of the Corvus' mining ability was likely due to under-use. The inability to boost meant that if ordered to mine with logic, Corvus could very easily get stuck trying to either get to its mining target, or deliver what it mined to the Core due to the terrain.