unit-disrupt

Disrupt is a tier‑5 Erekir-exclusive transport/assault unit derived from the Elude line. It functions primarily as a long‑range missile carrier that spawns short‑lived missile units from its weapons; these missiles are designed to apply area damage and suppress enemy repair, allowing Disrupt squadrons to pressure bases and blunt automated defenses while ferrying payloads.

The weaponry fires in volleys (three missiles per round, with an effective firing cadence of two × 1.78 shots/sec organized as 3 missiles per round at 2×0.86 rounds/sec) and is fairly inaccurate (about 28° inaccuracy). Each spawned missile has 70 health, travels at 34.5 tiles/sec, lives for 1.7 seconds, and follows the target position. On impact a missile deals area damage (roughly 140 area damage over an area ~3.1 tiles radius) and applies a repair‑suppression effect for a significant duration (originally buffed in later builds — suppression range and duration were increased in past updates; the suppression emanates from the frontmost orb of the Disrupt). The missiles cannot hit air targets. Disrupt itself has comparatively low health and armor for its tier.

In practical use Disrupts are fielded either to apply continuous pressure on fortified positions or as specialized transports. When used offensively they are effective at overwhelming turrets by saturating defenses with missiles that both absorb incoming fire and nullify healing/turret repair for the affected area, ultimately allowing other units to break through. In the campaign this role is often filled by the cheaper Quell instead due to cost: Quell is easier to mass‑produce to the threshold where sustained missile pressure becomes decisive. In some accounts the local repair suppression of Disrupt missiles is less relevant once turret DPS outpaces regen, since the sheer volume of missiles will outdamage Regen Projectors regardless.

Disrupts also excel at transport/paratroop tactics thanks to the unit’s very large payload capacity (the largest across both planets). They can carry almost any Erekir block or unit (excluding cores, Radar, and a few exceptions) and can drop heavy units such as the Conquer behind or inside enemy lines to create breaches. Timing is critical: if a Disrupt is destroyed while carrying cargo the payload is lost. One niche tactic is to drop a Conquer directly onto walls to crush blocks and disable key turrets briefly — that sacrifice can open a path for follow‑up forces.

Defensively, Disrupts are not especially dangerous when encountered alone because their AI often fails to make full use of their extreme range; point defenses such as Disperse turrets placed along approach paths can handle them reliably. They do frequently appear alongside other threatening units (for example Collaris), so defenders should prepare for combined threats. Since Disrupt missiles cannot target air units, air fighters like the Obviate can counter them and any co‑appearing ground/air threats simultaneously.

Historical notes: Disrupt was added in Build 136, later had its ability to hit air units removed, and received substantial buffs to its repair suppression range and duration in subsequent builds; unit repair towers were also made subject to suppression. Trivia includes that Disrupt has the single largest payload footprint among units, a payload area that theoretically could contain itself, and that it (along with Quell and Anthicus) is among the few units that spawn other units from their weapons.