[VPAC - Vertu's Creeper Buildings] TCML - Tactical Creeper Missile Launcher

Simple explanation: Throw precise and lethal knifes of lightning that will kill almost any standard defensive unit in a single hit. A lightning strike even.

• Uses 3 power.
• Launches sturdy and effective TCMs (Tactical Creeper Missiles).
• TCMs deal bonus damage to air units.
• TCMs can 1 shot most ground targets, having a base damage of 4.
• Damage is Area of Effect based with a very noticeable radius.
• Releases 800 Creeper on successfully landing.
• 2 minute initial delay.
• 30 second launch interval.
• TCMs have limited turning abilities and can miss evasive units easily.
• TCMs are destroyed on shield contact.
• Can target specific location provided by the user or the nearest unit (including fliers and is the only way for the TCML to target fliers).
• Has no deconstruction time. You press DESTROY or use the DESTROY hotkey (while unpaused) and it is done.
• Can be placed on uneven terrain and void.
• Very effective in groups.
• CAN BE NULLIFIED
• IMPERVIOUS TO TRADITIONAL DAMAGE
• TCM'S TARGETED BY SNIPERS AND MISSILE LAUNCHERS.

[From this point on, detailed information is provided]
The TCML launches highly effective and moderately armored Tactical Missiles packed with 800 units of Creeper and some standard explosives along with some Inertial Pulse Explosives. The only things that can withstand a TCM are large and armored units.
See the lore section to find out what an IPE is.

Always remember that the TCM is moderately armored, it can take plenty of hits before being destroyed but it is by no means able to withstand heavy fire. Where small volleys of Spores, Blobs, and or Skimmers can't go, the TCM probably can as it is not only much more sturdy but also very fast, minimizing how long it takes fire before landing at the intended target.

These missiles can either target units in proximity to the TCML they where launched from, or ordered to target a specified location as specified by the user, the far more important and useful method of utilizing the TCML.

TCMLs can also hold fire to wait for other TCMLs or a window of opportunity to be exploited, allowing volleys and tactical launches.

The optimal use of a TCML is typically to assassinate strategic targets that lye behind moderate protection. A long range Rocket Launcher, a critical Pylon, vulnerable V-Infastructure (V-Reactor,V-Rod,V-Capacator), and so on. It is always up to the user to evaluate targets of interest after all.
They can even be used to aid in activating Creeper Structures like the Emitter Base using their massive impulse payload of 800 Creeper, which is more than enough to activate most Creeper structures that require to be in Creep to finalize their activation. This can even be done while that released Creeper is under fire, just make sure the firepower isn't too great. This makes the TCML excellent in staging new advances deep in enemy territory and providing the crucial Creeper required to activate Emitter bases, so long as there isn't even a moderate amount of Anti Creeper already present. A counter to Anti Creeper is still under debate in the VWC project.

TCMs hold their most value against high quality units when they lack sufficient point-defense support or interception support like missile launchers at the front as they pack a NASTY one-hit punch and even release plenty of Creeper as a follow up. Long range Rocket Launchers are a particular interest for TCML targets as High Ranking Rocket Launchers and ERNed Rocket Launchers can have massive range and Creeper Killing Power but can be dealt with easily by a TCM strike, if it lands of course.
Another high value target for TCMs are clumps of defensive units, even just 4 cannons packed together is a juicy target, and if you are familiar with high Area Of Effect weapons in RTS games which lack a lot of AOE damage sources, you know how juicy a single AOE missile can be even when used against cheap units.
A really good situation for a clump of units to be targeted is when a crucial Pylon is defended by surrounding units as close to the Pylon as possible. One TCM and suddenly the Pylon and the surrounding defenses conducted a masterful self-disappearance act that would make the best magician very, very, jealous (and through the power of rebuild, they will be coming back at varying speeds depending on what was attending that magic show).

TCMLs stack VERY WELL when more are added in a single volley. As said earlier, TCMs are quite sturdy and having more TCMs in a single volley just adds a lot more total integrity. If a single TCM can take moderate damage, 2 in a volley can take quite a bit of damage, 3 can take a beating, 4 can take heavy amount, 5 can withstand up to an onslaught. Missile Launchers also become more effective at intercepting TCMs when more are added to a volley as unlike Snipers, they have a far less limited range and can give chase to almost always cause damage as Snipers have little time to hit a TCM before it lands or leaves range, a Missile Launcher can just launch its missiles the moment a TCM enters range and boom, interception efforts made.

Some units are completely impervious to the IPE and explosive payload of the TCM. It is important to know what units these are in advance and so when selecting a TCML, highlighting markers will appear above units that the TCML can not directly damage but the Creeper Payload released might be able to, or sometimes not.
The information displaying itself can be a bit strange sometimes, such as continuing to appear after deselecting the TCML but it is still just trying to help. Also, the highlighters also mark the same buildings that Blobs can not damage! Blobs share a few similarities to how damage is inflicted onto a target to the TCM so if the TCML says it can't directly damage a unit, blobs can't too!

By far the biggest challenge TCMLs face is shields as the TCMs will face plant into the shield and instantly detonate and due to the premature detonation, all the Creeper is vaporized by the contained payload and that same premature detonation wasn't executed effectively, making the explosion completely harmless to the surrounding area. This also applies to when the TCM is intercepted in general.

Lancers have been developed in hopes to fight this weakness and recent developments have allowed the stun shot of the Lancer to instantly destroy basic shields. Be sure to use this ability to your advantage when using many TCMLs.
Spores can also body slam themselves into shields to overload their shield generation system, causing the shield to collapse and the generator to require system maintenance which for the basic shield unit, is a system restart that is predictable in duration and consistent (although quite short).
Totems, although curiously well crafted, so well in fact they sometimes get buried but are still perfectly functional, hold the same weakness as traditional shields when their shield is up. A single spore can hit the shield and overload the generator, although in the case of Totems, their generator does not overload but overworks and eats the supply it uses to maintain the shield, requiring additional supply to be sent to the Totem for reactivation as after the spore hits, the generator would have consumed too much supply (which under normal operation is so small it basically does not consume any while normally active) to maintain the shield. It is of great priority to take out the connection(s) to the now deactivated Totem in this state as to ensure it stays deactivated for there is no other means of keeping it inactive. Also be aware that Totems overwork and drain ammo, not overload, so their shields can remain active for a short time after a single spore hit before collapsing, this can be very annoying so it may be better to take out the connection to the Totem(s) such as with Blobs, then the shield itself.

Rule of thumb: If a shield exists, it is most certainly unable to withstand a hit from a Spore as Spores are not only clumps of matter with momentum that needs to be stopped, but also large amounts of electro magnetic energy just waiting to be released, which is typically released into the ground as this energy contains very low amounts of Volts but significant Current/AMPs, this also means the Spore will kill you (a biological) before the released Creeper does. When they hit a shield however, the particle… force… shield.. uugh.. Ok I have no idea what the shields here are as for their type as they are something between a force field and a particle field, making it not an ideal combat shield but a good way to keep an area dry… ANYWAYS! When they hit a shield however, the shield itself, what ever it is, acts as a really good conductor of electro magnetism, a rule that was used in the V-Shield Generator to make a MASSIVE shield using only Liftic, possible, and this conduction goes straight to the generator as the projected shield you can imagen as a “solid object” in this scenario, a giant capsule shaped piece of conductive medium so no matter where the Spore hits, the released electro magnetic has to go from point A to point B to reach the generator which is at the end of the path of least resistance.

Sometimes when invading some sorry primitive planet with inhabitants, the Missile Launchers they have thanks to a bunch of randos hopping around time lines and quantum states of reality spreading the technology EVERYWHERE will have Veterancy and the creators of the Missile Launcher or just the Missile Launcher itself will become better at being an Anti-Air Missile Launcher than others. We mark such veteran quality with icons:

• Green Marker: Quality is typically identical to the enhancements from a ERN being docked. ERN grade Missile Launchers are usually a great pain for TCMs due to their long range and fire rate in combination to the benefits of needing to only launch the missiles to contribute to intercepting a TCM.
  
• Red Star: Quality is well above what would be if just an ERN was docked, these units also tend to be more sturdy. Missile Launchers with a Red Star are extremally effective at intercepting TCMs due to their superior range and fire rate. 2 TCMs are needed to even b-line into the Red Star Missile Launcher successfully but if it does not have additional support, you will only need 2 and when it is down, won't come back and you got 2 TCMLs to terrorize the enemy defenses!
  
• Platinum Large Star: Missile Launchers of Platinum Star grade quality are no-zones for launching TCMs into. Their massive range and ERN-Level fire rate means they can quickly send missiles to intercept the TCMs the moment they enter range and every second the targeted TCM is in the air reduces the chance of successfully landing MASSIVLY. Also keep in mind that units above ERN-Class also have extended Ammo Capacity, so Missile Launchers will have a lot more missiles to quickly launch. Multiple TCMs will be needed to get close and even more to take it out.
  
• /A\ Class: Platinum Large Star but rather than every second in the air reduces chances of success, just entering range reduces changes massively and every 0.5 seconds in the air after being targeted makes chances ever worse as it is only a matter of time before the hoard of Missiles intercept the TCM and quickly dispatch of it. If there is an /A\ class missile launcher, only OVERWHELMING AMOUNTS of air based pressure will take it down, I am talking about well over 6 TCMLs and 50 Spores JUST TO HIT IT. Blobs, Skimmers, and or Lancers set to stun are your only real options.

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