Mantis (Kane's Wrath)

The Mantis is a support droid available to the Black Hand designed specifically for anti-air defense to fill the gap left after the cult rejected optic camouflage technology, including the stealth tank. It has a large capacity anti-air missile battery (which can be upgraded to Tiberium core missiles) and a set of sophisticated sensors, allowing it to detect any cloaked vehicles or infantry. When massed in sufficent numbers, it is more than capable of taking on Scrin warships.

While the Mantis lacks the optic camouflage and the ability to attack ground-based targets that the stealth tank has, it is less expensive and requires far less technological knowledge to build.

Strangly, it was deployed by the Black Hand as a replacement from the stealth tank (having rejected stealth technology) despite it loathing "soulless" machines.

Assessment
Advantages:
 * Probably the single most effective anti-aircraft unit in the entire war, rivalled only by the Slingshot and the Shard Walker.
 * Can detect stealthed units.
 * Upgradable with Tiberium Core missiles, which increases its effectiveness dramatically.
 * Relatively fast, cheap and available at Tier 2.
 * Damage against aircraft is very devastating. Even Motherships fear it.
 * Large numbers could take out Devastator Warships and Planetary Assault Carriers in a matter of seconds.
 * Can crush infantry
 * Cannot be mind controlled by Masterminds, Cultists or Prodigies.

Disadvantages:
 * Cannot attack ground units (other then crushing infantry).
 * Light armour.
 * Isn't stealthed itself.
 * Only available to the Black Hand.
 * Firepower is not as regular as slingshot

Intel sources

 * Intel, date unknown
 * Intel Dossier on Nod Units