Apocalypse tank (Red Alert 2)

The successor to the old Soviet Mammoth tank, the Apocalypse Assault Tank was a powerful heavy tank used by the USSR during the Third World War. It featured twin 120mm cannons, anti-air missiles, very heavy armour, and self-repair abilities, making it a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Background
"The apocalypse has begun!"

- Apocalypse tank

The Apocalypse tank was the most powerful tank in the Third World War. It possessed a pair of powerful cannons effective against both vehicles and structures, and was capable of eliminating the IFV and other light vehicles with a single volley. Against infantry, the cannons were significantly less effective, doing relatively minor damage. The Apocalypse also featured dual Mammoth Tusk missile launchers, effective against enemy aircraft. Lt. Zofia described them as "war in a can". Like the earlier Mammoth tanks, the Apocalypse was designed to go toe-to-toe with any enemy unit, and emerge the last unit standing.

In-game unit
The tank itself was much larger and slower than the Grizzly and Rhino tanks, but also much more powerful, doing more than twice the damage of the Rhino with its twin cannons. In addition to its cannons, the Apocalypse also featured a pair of anti-air missile launchers. Although these missile launchers were slow to fire, they were significantly more powerful than other anti-air missiles such as those found on IFVs. This allowed the Apocalypse tank to defend itself reasonably well against aerial threats, especially in conjunction with its advanced heavy armour. Its armour was only equalled by the Battle Fortress and Kirov airship. An on-board self-repair system allowed the Apocalypse to repair itself when damaged.

In multiplayer, the Apocalypse tank was mostly found by players to be a situational unit. Despite its power, its cost and slow speed meant that small numbers of tanks were often vulnerable. It was generally most effective if a large number of them were built, in which case they were often unstoppable. The resources this required, however, meant that this was not always possible to pull off.

Aftermath
After the Psychic Dominator Disaster, the Soviets introduced a new design of their Apocalypse tank. It was lighter and cheaper than the old version, but less armor than before.

After Cherdenko's trip to 1927, the Apocalypse tank was upgraded with grinders and magnetic beam to destroy anything in its way.

Deployment History

 * Apocalypse Tanks were deployed during the initial invasion of the United States (several were seen in San Francisco when the Allies traveled back in time to stop Yuri). They can also be seen in the introduction video to Red Alert 2.
 * Apocalypse Tanks are first encountered in the Allied Campaign during Operation: Mirage.
 * Romanov's Black Guard possesed four elite Apocalypse tanks which were deployed around the Kremlin.
 * In Soviet campaign the Apocalypse is first made available during Operation: Chrono Defense. It is available in all missions following.

Pros

 * Devastating against vehicles and structures.
 * Greater firepower than the Rhino tank.
 * Able to self-repair.
 * Can attack air units.
 * Able to destroy most light units in a single volley and others in just a few.
 * Extremely powerful when elite.
 * Can survive direct hits from the Nuclear missile or Weather Control Device
 * Truly unstoppable if combined with the Iron Curtain

Cons

 * Very expensive, at $1750.
 * Frequent target of mind control.
 * Very slow.
 * Anti-air missiles are too slow to be a threat to fast aircraft.
 * Chrono Legionnaires can destroy lone Apocalypse tanks.
 * Vulnerable to hit-and-run attacks from faster and longer-ranged units.
 * Can be crushed by a Battle Fortress.
 * Requires a Battle lab.
 * Difficult to remove Terror drones, because its slow speed makes returning to base take a while.

Trivia

 * Although the opening to Red Alert 2 depicts Apocalypse Tanks driving into Texas, they are not encountered in any missions in the Allied campaign set in America. It is notable that in Yuri's Revenge, Allied commander did encounter the Apocalypse tanks while struggling in San Francisco.
 * The game's cutscenes depict the tanks as black, while they are brown during gameplay.
 * Photographs of Third World War generation Apocalypse tanks were found displayed on the walls of a museum within the first Cairo Temple of Nod in the First Tiberium War, suggesting that the Brotherhood may have been aware of them or involved in their development at some point, possibly relating to their former activities in the USSR.
 * Apocalypse Tanks appear in a loading screen in Command and Conquer: Generals. This screen only appears in-game if no videos are found while loading. The image was also used in a magazine to announce the game in 2003.