Corvus

Corvus is a tier-5 ground support unit designed for long-range siege and structural repair. It fires an enormous piercing laser that deals very high single-shot damage while repairing allied structures, making it uniquely suited to break fortified positions from outside turret range. Corvus cannot build and moves over most terrain, with a slow movement and rotation profile that favors protected, supported advances rather than hit-and-run skirmishes. It was added in Build 106 and has received several balance changes since, including removal of mining capability and a drown time multiplier that allows it to drown (it now takes six times longer to drown in deep water than a Dagger).

The primary weapon fires extremely powerful, piercing laser shots at a low rate: each shot deals 560 damage and applies a repair effect to allied structures while inflicting Unmoving on the Corvus for about 2 seconds. Shots are separated by a slow firing cadence (roughly 0.17 shots/sec) with a lengthy initial cooldown (about 5.83 seconds before the first shot). The weapon produces multiple lightning arcs (28 arcs of about 50 damage each) along the laser path, with arc spacing of roughly 4.37 tiles and an effective laser length near 5 tiles; the unit’s range is among the highest in the game (slightly shorter than Foreshadow after historical reductions). Corvus also provides a 25% repair effect on hits.

Practical usage and interactions:

• Corvus excels at sieging bases because it outranges nearly every turret except Foreshadow. It can break defenses from safety if supported by healing and screening units. Typical compositions pair Corvus with Vela units for mobile healing; three Velas are commonly cited as sufficient to out-heal one turret’s damage to a Corvus shot.
• Because its laser pierces and deals massive single-shot damage, Corvus can instantly breach weak wall placements and overwhelm clustered defenders. Base designers should protect critical corners and Plastanium Walls: small Plastanium Walls are rapidly destroyed by the laser and do not benefit from Mend Projector healing as effectively as larger walls. Place tougher Thorium or Surge Walls in front of delicate Plastanium sections to absorb non-laser projectiles and sacrificially protect inner walls.
• Mend Projector and other mass-heal support can neutralize Corvus damage; if enemies use robust repair support, Corvus must be accompanied by units or tactics that bypass or remove healing (kamikaze units, Reign, or high sustained DPS) to grind down durable Plastanium defenses.
• Corvus functions defensively as a long-range anti-swarm unit superior to Ripple when enemies approach in tight corridors; a few shots will clear many tier-3 and lower units clustered by AI pathing. In open, wide-angle engagements it is less effective and can be outperformed by other anti-swarm choices such as Toxopid.
• Corvus has lowish health for a tier-5 support (18,000 HP) tied with Collaris for second-lowest among tier-5 units; it is fragile compared to many frontline units and requires protection from spawn attacks or focused enemy fire.
• Movement: Corvus is slow but can traverse most terrain and has a special drown-time multiplier (6×), meaning it survives longer in deep water than most units but can still be sunk. Its command limit was removed in later builds, allowing more flexible army compositions.

Design notes and trivia:

• Corvus is named after the Corvus constellation and possibly the Roman boarding device. It is the only support ground unit incapable of building. Historical changes removed its mining ability and adjusted its range, speed, and item capacity across multiple builds.