Iron Curtain

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The Iron Curtain, named for the infamous fence that separated the Western and Eastern blocks in the Cold War era, was a Soviet superweapon that could render one Soviet unit invulnerable for a period of time.



Origins
As the technologies were poorly understood at first, the Iron Curtain project took a long time to complete, but was eventually developed on behalf of Stalin by Soviet engineers. The details are classified and unavailable.

Description
This device is as fantastic and amazing as the Chronosphere and, unlike the Chronosphere, during the Second World War it would never create a run-away semi sentient living weapon of mass destruction from overuse. It also had a shorter cool down time for tactical usage than the Chronosphere by Great World War III. The energy unleashed by the Iron Curtain is too strong for infantry to bear and will die when used upon them. It was the same thing in Real WWIII only it can build over water.

Target Unit
The Iron curtain focused a considerable amount of energy onto the target unit, causing a darkening of the target unit. This marked the target unit as being invulnerable for both friend and foe. The effect would last for a short amount of time, approximately a minute, and then the effect would fade from the target unit. During this time, the unit could absorb hundreds of bullets, rockets, and other munitions without any ill effect, even tactical nuclear weapons, lightning bolts, mind-control and presumably even strategic nuclear weapons were completely useless against the targeted units.

The improved Iron Curtain could affect up to nine units at a time.



Structure
"Warning an Iron Curtain has been detected!"
 * Real WWIII advisor

The Iron Curtain structure was a suspended metal ball on a base. Energy was fed from the base of the structure to the ball, once enough energy had been built up - a charging mechanism was included in the base - it was ready to be used upon Soviet tanks, immortalising them for a short time. The entire structure was sheathed in heavy armour that made it difficult for Allied forces to destroy. Furthermore, it also drained a significant amount of power from the Soviet power structures to feed its insatiable appetite for more energy to create the effect.

History
"You Know have access to the Iron Curtain to protect your armored units during the assault on Von Esling!"
 * Real WWIII Soviet Advisor

Unfortunately, even the power of the Iron Curtain was not enough to stop the massive waves of tanks that the Allies sent against the Soviets, and the Allies were able to move on Moscow. Before they did, however, the Allies spent a considerable amount of effort into destroying the prototype, the research base, and any technology related to the Iron Curtain. The Soviets got a few online despite this effort. The Allies destroyed one that was blocking the way into Moscow but the Soviets already had two in Moscow.

During the Great World War III, Romanov secretly developed an improved Iron Curtain that he deployed to defend Moscow from the Chronosphere attack. But despite its help he was still defeated.

The Iron Curtain proved a useful tool against Yuri for the Soviets, as the power of the Iron Curtain not only rendered a unit invulnerable, but also rendered it incapable of becoming mind-controlled by a Yuri clone or any other psychic unit or structure, while the Iron Curtain was in effect. In fact, the protection was so powerful that even the likes of the Psychic Dominator did nothing to protected units.



During the 'real' World War III, the Soviets again utilised the Iron Curtain. While its main feature hasn't been changed, its appearance on the other hand, has. The ball - as seen in GWWIII - is now encased in armour and doesn't suspend in the air anymore. Instead, the ball is connected to the base structure with thick cables. The Iron Curtain in WWIII is an instant kill on enemy infantry, so it is good against Enemy Commandos and massive infantry charges, like those used by the Empire.

Usage
"Warning an Iron Curtain has been Activated!"
 * Real WWIII advisor

A Commander used it in GWWII to create fear to the enemies of Stalin.

In the Soviet campaign of GWWIII Yuri had one but it was destroyed in Moscow much due to the GWWIII Commander.

In Yuris Revenge it was useful on making Apocalypse Tanks not mind controllable by Yuri.

In Red Alert 3 it was used and Authorized because the commander and Oleg needed to protect their troops from Giles assault and later Krukov.

In the Imperial Campaign the Shogun Executioner destroyed it before it was used and in The Last Red Blossom Trembled it was used once to protect the Gregors Futuretech lab but was destroyed.

In the Allied Campaign Oleg used it to protect his forces but it was destroyed by Lissette and the Allied Commander.

In the Final Allied Mission it was used to protect the Premiers Space Shuttle, Tesla Tanks and his V4s but all 7 or 8 of them blew up.

Behind the scenes
The Iron Curtain is, of course, named after the infamous barrier that divided Europe between the capitalist Western states and those dominated by the Soviet Union in the East. The real world Iron Curtain was more of a well-defined and -enforced border than an actual physical barrier, though in some sections like the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany, the two sides were physically demaricated and seperated.