Tesla trooper (Red Alert 3)


 * For more uses see: Tesla trooper.

"Troopers fully charged!"

- Tesla Trooper

"Like a Christmas Tree!"

- Tesla Trooper

The post-Psychic Dominator Disaster alteration of the timeline at the hands of the Soviets resulted in several major changes in Soviet weapons technology, some for the worse (the disappearance of nuclear weaponry for example) but for many others it was definately for the better. The changes made to the electricity-wielding Tesla trooper easilly fell into the latter category.

With the new timeline favoring Russian aggression and disfavoring Allied resistance in Europe, Soviet weapon technologies were given much more elbow room to grow and develop beyond the limitations of their pre-alteration counterparts. In the case of the Tesla trooper, the majority of these advancements came in the form of armor bionics, something that already played a sizeable part in the design of the Mark II (GWWIII) Tesla trooper. However, these original design specs paled in comparison to the cutting edge mechanics used in the Mark III, which went far beyond the mere mechanical body-braces and rubber coverings of the past in favor of full on, body encompassing robotic armor; armor that came complete with it's own minature Tesla reactor and on-board targeting computers to ensure the user's lightning bolts could be thrown with deadly pin-point accuracy at both tanks and infantry. In addition, the suit also protected all of the wearers vitals, making them immune to the biting teeth of dogs and bears. The armor was also bulky enough and tough enough to grant total protection against the crushing power of tank treads, allowing the new trooper to be as much of a bane to Allied (and later Imperial) tank crews as it's predecessor had been.

The modern Tesla trooper came with several new weapon options. Like it's predecessor, it was equipped with diode gauntlets capable of throwing lightning, but the pyshical strength provided by the new armor design allowed the wearer to wield two instead of the one as was the case with the Mark II. The most major change, however, came with the design of the back-mounted Tesla reactor, which now carried a much greater power output with it's witch's brew of electric conductive metals, gasses, and liquids.

This new generator design is of special mention as it provided the modern Tesla trooper with a powerful but potentially dangerous trump card. Earlier tests of the generators capabilities had proven that, when stabalized, the upgraded Tesla reactor would provide nearly triple the output of it's GWWIII counterpart with zero waste products. However, in test trials where the mix of electric currents was de-stabalized, the generator would release a powerful electro-magnetic-pulse (EMP) that would knock out any surrounding machinery for a considerable amount of time.

It seems that the majority of Tesla troopers, be it by inside information or hands-on experience, were very much aware of this "flaw" in the portable Tesla reactor design. Allied and Soviet reports of Tesla troopers "blazing with light" and causing nearby tanks and vehicles to stall were common on the battlefield, especially when the troopers became cornered or surrounded by enemy machinery. These occurences became even more common with the Moscow invasion of the Empire of the Rising Sun, in which many of the impossibly advanced mechanics of the Empire were rendered stunned and helpless by EMP detonations whilst attacking major military installations.

While it seems unlikely that the Red Army would support something as rash and dangerous as the misuse of battlefield equipment, the fact that such tactics became so widespread seems to suggest that they didn't not support it either. With that said, the use of EMP's seems to have been considered an act of last resort for most Tesla trooper divisions, as it was used only during situations when simple firepower wasn't enough.

For all the Mark III Tesla troopers power, it still came with a few poignant weaknesses. The most noteable was the overall slowness of the robotic armor, a problem carried over from passed iterations of the unit, as well as a slow rate of fire. Imperial shinobi proved a major problem for the troopers, as their fast speed and deadly shurikens were almost impossible to avoid with the speed limitations the suit imposed on the wearer. Also, the fact that the suit was metal made it elligable to be sucked up by magnetic satellites, making it one of the few infantry types vulnerable to magnetic abduction during the war.

The Uprising
Tesla troopers also saw use during the Uprising; it seems their design was simple enough to be replicated by the frugal Russian resistence forces.

Notes from the Field

 * Tank Destroyers: Tesla troopers are extremely potent against tanks and mechanical targets due to their electrical attacks. They are also deadly against individual infantry, but their slow rate of fire prevents them from being good against massed soldiers.
 * Slow and Steady: Due to their heavy mechanical suits, Tesla troopers move more slowly then normal infantry. Because of this, they are typically better suited for base defense.
 * Uncrushable: Tesla troopers are completely immune to being crushed by tanks.
 * Animal Proof: Tesla troopers cannot be harmed by dogs or bears.