Magnetron

"Lets bring 'em closer to us!"

- Magnetron

The Magnetron was a unique tank fielded by Yuri. It was essentially a narrow, rounded, treaded chassis, with twin prongs on the front and a powerful turret-mounted electromagnet mounted on top. The electromagnet was useless against infantry, who did not have enough metal to be affected. However, the electromagnet was very useful against enemy vehicles. The magnetron beam would levitate vehicles or ships and draw them towards the magnetron. Some useful applications of this were forcing the magnetron to disengage while a vehicle was over water, on structure, on another vehicle, or a ship over land. Furthermore, because the magnetron had great range, it could pull a unit out of a group, and towards a mind control unit. This was of particular use against Prism Tanks, forcing them into the range of a Psychic Tower or a Yuri Clone. The Magnetron was also effective against buildings, ripping all the metal out of the support structure and foundation. The magnetron should always be accompanied by support units, as it has no real attack of its own.

The Magnetron is useless as an Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Personnel unit. Furthermore, in an open battlefield, the Magnetron cannot harm units. Finally, the Magnetron may only attack one unit at a time, so swarming a Magnetron with a group of tanks may also be effective. Guardian GIs and Tesla Troopers were a particular threat to it, since they were both anti-tank specialists. Magnetrons were also incapable of squishing infantry.

However, Magnetrons are effective in one other way: tanks and ships levitated by it are vulnerable to anti-air attack. It could also be used, under certain circumstances, to move other vehicles over otherwise impassable gaps, such as cliffs, quickly.

After the war, production of these vehicles was stopped by the Allies and researches concerning it destroyed. The Fourth World War Apocalypse Tanks' Schuka M-Harpoons were reported to be reverse-engineered from now abandoned Magnetron technology.