Iron Curtain (Red Alert 2)

The Iron Curtain was a Soviet super weapon that saw use in GWWIII. Technically speaking it was the second version of a weapon of the same name that was used in WWII, making it the "Iron Curtain MkII." Like it's predecessor, the MkII was able to render non-infantry/non-aerial units invincible for a short period of time.

Description
The first Iron curtain was a very effective weapon and had become a staple of the Red Army during the Second World War, but it still boasted many flaws. The greatest of its shortcomings was its limitation of "sheathing" only one unit at a time, after which it had to recharge its energy stores for several minutes. This problem significantly weakened the first Curtains strategic viability, often to the frustration of Soviet commanders.

After gaining the lofty position of Premier, Alexander Romanov issued many reforms to the Red Army, among them an order to redesign and upgrade the Iron Curtain for the coming assault on the west. Responding to his order rapidly, Soviet technicians labored for several years trying to increase the Curtain's energy output in order to make it more combat effective in the modern battlefield. The end result of their labors was the Iron Curtain MkII, a new version of the classic weapon that used a very simple solution to solve its predecessors problems; it was bigger.

By having greater size and volume, the new Curtain was not only able to cover up to nine individual vehicles at once, but it was also able to protect them longer. Its energy output was so much higher than the MkI that the red tinted energy it covered its targets in was thickened to the point that it turned black, though red flashes could still be seen whenever the field was struck by weapons fire. Like the MkI, this coloration would vanish when the Curtain's effect wore off. The Curtain could now protect buildings as well, though not as many as the energy shields developed during the Psychic Dominator Disaster. With these improvements the Iron Curtain was now a vastly more viable weapon, allowing Soviet Commanders to turn entire battalions of tanks invincible long enough to devastate enemy fortifications and formations.

Not all of the original Curtains flaws were ironed out however. The MkII was still unable to sheath air units, making Kirov airships and later Siege Choppers ineligible for targeting. Also, the greater energy output of made the curtains power lethal to infantry, crushing them under its own power.

The new Curtain physically resembled the original in many ways, with a large metal sphere at its apex, a wide metal base, and arcs of energy crackling from the base to the sphere. The most notable difference was its greater size, standing almost two times as big as the first curtain.

Usage
The basic tactics surrounding the new Iron Curtain changed little from WWII to GWWIII. Commanders would target friendly units and render them invincible long enough to fight without fear of damage by their enemies. However with its new attributes the Curtain could also defend buildings, making it possible to render valuable buildings invulnerable in a pinch. This was something that was very appreciated by the Red Army when it was used in combination with a base energy shield, especially during a super weapon assault. Also, the Curtain's infantry crushing capability was occasionally used practically, destroying large swathes of enemy soldiers in a single blow. One rather unexpected benefit of the Curtain's protection was that it rendered units invulnerable to Psychic Control, allowing Soviet armor to overcome Yuri's many mind control tricks easily. A particularly nasty tactic was to combine the Iron Curtain with several Demolition Trucks, which would allow a commander to position them to eliminate a large portion of an enemy base.

Counters
As is the case with many superweapons, there is no hard counter. A Force Shield could be deployed on friendly structures to attempt to minimize losses, but the invincible units are just that; invincible. There is a possibility that the units may be able to be Chronoshifted, but this is currently unconfirmed.