Harvester (Tiberian Dawn)

The harvester is the primary resourcing vehicle in Command & Conquer.

Background
The harvester is a symbol of a new age in resource exploitation, made possible by the arrival of Tiberium on earth. The unique leeching process gathered nutrients and raw elements from the soil, resulting in the creation of the iconic green crystals on the surface. The Brotherhood of Nod created harvesters to collect Tiberium with a minimum of mining expense, revolutionizing the global mining industry. Combined with the similarly revolutionary refineries that processed the crystals into materials readily usable by the industry, harvesters allowed the Brotherhood to seize 49% of the global Tiberium market, giving it incredible leverage on the global stock exchanges. GDI continued to lag behind, with just 27% of the market under the control of their sponsor countries.

Though revolutionary, the harvester is actually very simple in its construction, operating on the principle of a combine harvester. The arms mounted in front rip the crystals from their pods and move them into the intake. The harvest is stored inside a sealed tank for delivery to the refinery, where automated systems detach it from the harvester for unloading, before returning it to the harvester for another collection cycle. As Tiberium is toxic to humans and may appear in the wilderness with little infrastructure, harvesters are designed to operate in all environments. Each is built on a rugged off-road truck chassis with independent suspensions for each of its four oversized wheels, with a sealed driver's cabin protecting the operator from fumes.

Game unit
The harvester is exactly what it says on the tin: the only source of income. While it's defenseless, the heavy armor allows it to limp back to friendly forces or survive long enough for relief to come.

As harvesters are the lifeline of a faction, AI players will instantly retaliate if harvesters are attacked.

Behind the scenes

 * The harvester was initially conceived as a tracked vehicle scooping up Tiberium through two suction hoses. When the new vehicle was introduced, the old design was recycled as the flame tank.