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Cyber Path
The motivations of the entity called ZEPHON are hard to ascertain, if it indeed has any—they certainly began as self-evolved intelligences on humanity’s shared data networks, growing complex on a rich diet of spare processes left by our profligate and inefficient technologies. What they made themself after the Acrin attack is something else entirely. And what they are today…? Perhaps a coherent entity with inscrutable interests? Or perhaps an insane agglomeration of evolved processes that pass a Turing Test?
Using the technology created by this entity is therefore certainly unwise. Yet this isn’t an era of wisdom, but a time of survival, and the tools taken from ZEPHON and their devices are useful. Like The Voice, though, their use comes with a heavy price, both for the individual and for the society they are a part of…
Ishim Enforcer
Cybernetics engineers didn’t waste resources. Paralysed? They shunted your spine. Missing limbs? They’d give you something better. Pretty soon they were standardising the replacement parts and just outfitting the soldiers with them, whether they needed them or not.
The first specialised unit of any Cyber affiliation, this infantry unit is a replacement for your militants (or at least, replacement for parts of them…), but all-round superior, with tougher armour and better morale (if less soldiers per unit). It also has more upgrade options further down the line, allowing it to maintain its usefulness later in the game. Whilst it doesn’t have the Militants’ grenades, it can use its own laser rifle to cauterize any wounds and heal itself, meaning it has great survivability.
Exousia Marauder
Before the Acrin arrived, I swear I saw video footage of those—giant hovercrafts used for rapid transport or salvaging oil rigs and broken-down tankers. They’re far from the sea now, though (is the sea still there?). I don’t think they had a missile battery back then either…
This adapted hovercraft design is the backbone of a cyber-focused campaign, fulfilling many of the support roles. Early in the campaign, its ability to rapidly move multiple small units (including across water) is key to expansion. It’s also no slouch in combat, with good armor, superb morale and good hitpoints, as well as a decent weapon. Finally, its repair upgrade allows it to rapidly heal units it’s carrying, making it something of a combat medic.
Malakim Destroyer
Once you start aligning yourself with machines, you start to think like them. For me, the dead should be left dead. But for AI lovers, that’s a waste of cheap organic processing power. They say: ‘remove the bits you don’t need (like emotional centers), improve their mobility, wire them to a pair of big guns.’ The Malakim are impressively lethal, for dead men.
Where the Voice anti-armour infantry go low, the Malakim go high—literally, as their turbines allow them to hover over water and rivers. They don’t mind being in the open though, as their high armour (well, it’s less armour and more that most of their flesh is missing) lets them shrug off most attacks and return fire with their lethal Laser Autocannons. And if an enemy thinks about running, the Malakim’s sticky foam upgrade can prevent them moving for a time—key for taking out those flighty Abkluth or Outriders.
What do you think of the Cyber Path?
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