Enlightened (Kane's Wrath)

"Enlightenment aquired."

- Enlightened

Nod's secret cyborg research program successfully created two cyborg units, the Awakened and the Enlightened. Whilst the Awakened became the basic infantry of the Marked of Kane, the Enlightened became elite support cyborgs, armed with more powerful particle beam weapons.

Background
Although their "ancestors", the Cyborgs, and their "brothers", the Awakened still possessed a considerable sign of their human past, the Enlightened's only human characteristic were the bone exoskeleton and the bones kept beneath it. The first Enlightened were developed under the ground of the Siberian steppes, in a secret Nod lab, where Kane's wish for a cyborg army was developed. After LEGION rescued the lab and activated them, the Marked of Kane used them as their heavy infantry. In order to develop them, they use the technology contained in the Secret Shrine.

Each Enlightened is armed with a particle beam cannon mounted on their left arms, with an EMP cannon supplementing their primary weapon. These units can use their EMPs to disrupt enemy vehicles or structures for a short time. They're better at destroying vehicles with the help of their EMP cannon than their Awakened cyborg brethren, as particle beams do a lot more damage to armor than the machine guns wielded by the Awakened. Also, their armor is extremely resilient, more so than the one the Awakened are clad in. As such, the Enlightened cannot be crushed by vehicles.

Several upgrades can further enhance the Enlightened. When upgraded to supercharged particle beams, the weapon fires a double-charged ionic Tiberium beam that can deal more damage. Additional bipedal servomotors can be added to the cyborg, increasing its speed enough to chase down tanks.

Deployment
First reports of the Enlightened in action were when they razed a GDI base in Russia, having been activated by LEGION along with the Awakened. They were subsequently used to help reclaim the Tacitus from a heavily fortified GDI base in the Rocky Mountains.

In-game
The Enlightened are equivalent to GDI's Zone Trooper and Zone Raider, and the Scrin's Shock Trooper and Ravager, at the same price per squad and used in similar roles. They are excellent against vehicles and structures, while only the Zone Raider and Ravager are good against infantry. The Enlightened are faster, however, especially with the cybernetic legs upgrade, matching the Ravager's speed. Although they are not as powerful as Zone Troopers and Shock Troopers, they compensate with their EMP grenades which can disable vehicles for around 20 seconds. Unlike Zone Troopers, Zone Raiders, and Shock Troopers, the Enlightened cannot bypass difficult terrain. A few squads of Enlightened can easily halt and destroy an armour column, unless supported by aircraft or organic anti-infantry, as mechanical anti-infantry weapons are not immune to the Enlightened's brutal power. They are also quite lethal against structures and anti-armor defenses. When upgraded with the bipedal servomotors they become one of the most lethal anti-armor units in the game, combining heavy firepower with rediculous mobility.

Enlightened can also be upgraded with Supercharged Particle Beams, increasing their power dramatically and enabling them to act as rapid fire, anti-armor and infantry.

However, the Enlightened do suffer from several disadvantages. They are extremely costly to deploy, due to their advanced technology, and their small squad size renders them vulnerable to sniper teams. They also lack anti-air capability, and are vulnerable to various anti-infantry weaponry. Like the Awakened, they are also vulnerable to Tiberium. Finally, due to their ground-only capabilities, they are easy prey for Venoms or Hammerheads.

Quotes

 * We bear the mark!
 * Superior design!