Black Lotus

Alright, I'm here. Let's have an update.

### Experience Value

Leang: 46, 62 (Veteran), 82 (Elite), 110 (Heroic)Bao, Tao, Fai and Kwai: 52, 69 (Veteran), 92 (Elite), 122 (Heroic)

### Experience Required

Leang: 139 (Veteran), 185 (Elite), 247 (Heroic)Bao, Tao, Fai and Kwai: 155 (Veteran), 206 (Elite), 275 (Heroic)

### Build Time

Leang and Tao: 20sFai: 23s

Bao and Kwai: 25s

### Ability

Building captureCash hack

Vehicle disablement

Hologram creation

## Introduction

**Black Lotus** is China's hero unit. Unlike Colonel Burton or Jarmen Kell, "Black Lotus" does not refer to a specific entity, instead, it's simply a code name for a team of highly trained female field agents.

## Overview

Trained by the PLA's Special Forces, Black Lotus is unique in a sense that she's the only one of the three commando units who lacks any form of offensive capabilities, she's intended to serve as a support unit only. Black Lotus is a highly competent scout besides the Phalanx Drone, she's the only Chinese unit who can detect all types of stealth, from units to structures to demo traps.

Her only equipment is the laptop she uses to capture enemy structures, disable enemy vehicles and steal cash from enemy bases. The laptop is connected to the PLA headquarters in which a virus/Trojan Horse/malware link is sent to her computer. Then, she will transmit the link into a building's IT facilities. The computers of the targeted structure receive the link and then display a warning from the CCP government on different languages saying that the staff inside has seriously interfered with China's sovereignty and that the PLA will kill them without mercy unless they agree to work with them (in which they will only be charged on lesser military offenses according to Chinese Law after a battle), effectively surrendering a whole staff of the targeted building to work with the general; in other words "capturing" a building. She also has another variant of such malicious software to mess up the electronic parts/computerized system of any vehicles and phishing techniques to fool enemies to give a sum of his/her money. She also has a hologram generator that generates a hologram of her to fool pursuing infantry, although somewhow can reveal herself when "Telophasing".

In the heat of battle, Black Lotus' ability to disable enemy vehicles temporarily is also a very useful skill, as the effect kicks in almost instantly and works against all types of enemy vehicles, even with tough nuts to crack like Leonidas. However, it's very important to provide a distraction for her, especially when taking on enemy units that can one-shot her.

When inside the enemy base, Black Lotus can also perform sabotage of her own. She can use her laptop to hack into enemy structures, either disabling them temporarily or simply turning its allegiance, forcing the enemies to either send in infantries to take it back or destroy it. Unlike standard infantries, Black Lotus can disable structures from a safe distance away. This means she can even capture hazardous buildings like Dr Thrax's Chemical Lab.

When coming across an enemy supply center, Black Lotus can hack into the building to steal supplies from the enemy. One thing the player should take note of is that this process operates differently from vanilla *Zero Hour*, instead of taking $1,000 and cloaking herself afterwards, Black Lotus will continue to siphon money from the supply center until she's taken out or the player orders her to stop.

## Super Lotus (Fai's variant)

General Fai wanted to bring the efficiency of the PLA's Infantry Corps even further through genetic engineering and cloning. Thus, he took a sample of one of the Black Lotus agents' blood to create a Black Lotus 2.0, trained only to perform tasks no other Black Lotus agent can perform. Super Lotus was then born only to serve under General Fai who will give her more dangerous missions. Although Super Lotus is not trained for combat, her senses are sharper and she will capture an enemy building or steal their supplies faster thanks to her insanely enhanced hacking abilities and grey matter. She will also be more likely to survive if things go down South.

## Assessment

Pros:

* Stealthed when not using her abilities.
* Can steal cash.
* Can capture buildings.
* Can disable enemy vehicles.
* Can create a hologram of herself for diversion.
* Can detect stealth.

Cons:

* Mid-game unit (requires Propaganda Center).
* Unarmed.
* Can be spotted by stealth detectors.
* No longer stealthed when using her abilities.
* She's the least durable hero unit (with only 600HP).

## Quotes (In English)

Black Lotus reuses her *Zero Hour* voice lines.

### When Created

* Alright, I'm here. Let's have an update.

### When Selected

* Need a transfer?
* What is it?
* I'm listening.
* Give me a job.
* I have work to do here!

### When Ordered to Move

* Is it clear?
* That's right.
* Sure.
* Quickly!
* Got it.
* Let's move.
* Leave it to me.

### When Ordered to Capture a Building

* Their building can be our own.
* Let's take their building from them.
* I'll be in and out.
* Ready for transfer.
* Uplink available.
* Watch my back.
* Let's do it!
* I'm going in.

### When a Building is Captured

* Their building is ours.
* I'm in, we control the building now.
* Building capture complete.
* We have their building, what's next?

### When Ordered to Disable an Enemy Vehicle

* I'll cut their comm relays.
* I'll turn them off.
* Give me a second.
* Setting up.
* I'll unplug them!

### When an Enemy Vehicle is Disabled

* They're disabled.
* Disabling complete.
* That's it, their vehicle is down!
* The vehicle is down, what's next?

### When Ordered to Use Cash Hack Ability

* We'll clean them out.
* They won't even notice.
* Credit transfer ready.
* Let's make a withdrawal.
* Fast cash!

### When Wounded

* I'm in too close!
* They found me!
* Pull me out!
* Abort!

## Trivia

* Black Lotus' former model in *Contra 008* wasn't very much appreciated by the fans because of her (quote) "flat face and pointy tits".
* In Tao's variant of Black Lotus, the icon of the commando unit looks more like a Caucasian rather than an East Asian.

## Gallery

Black Lotus and her infamous flat face and pointy tits.Black Lotus: "Am I a joke to you? See for yourself."