Combat cycle

Arms Dealer "It doesn't get any faster!"

- Combat Cycle

The Combat Cycle is an innovative GLA vehicle that appears in Zero Hour.

Background
"Haha! Gun It!"

- Combat Cycle The Combat Cycle is capable of traversing cliffs and mountains, making it an effective unit for hit and run tactics. Any GLA infantry except the Angry Mob can take over as driver of the Combat Cycle, which also changes the Cycle's weapon. Its capability of climbing hills and changing the driver makes it a good choice for hit and run tactic. For most GLA factions, the Combat Cycle emerged from the Arms Dealer driven by a Rebel. General Rodall Juhziz's Arms Dealer and General Leang's War Factory produced Combat Cycles driven by a instead.

Upgrades
"Full Throttle!"

- Combat Cycle successfully built


 * Junk Repair

The Combat Cycle can repair itself relatively fast. Note that any upgrades applicable to the infantry unit riding the Combat Cycle are still applied.

Mountable Weapons on the Combat Cycle
"Raid and Pillage!"

- Combat Cycle on the move


 * Dual Light Machine Guns (Rebel)
 * RPG Launcher (RPG Trooper)
 * Dual rapid-fire sniper-rifle (includes Pilot Snipe ability) (Jarmen Kell)
 * Improved Demolition Pack
 * Improved Demo Pack with Anthrax Particles ( from Dr. Thrax)
 * None (Hijacker, Saboteur, Worker)

Note: To change the driver, click on the infantry unit and then click on the bike, thus ordering him to move to the bike and take the driver's place. The driver can dismount from the bike when ordered to "evacuate", but the bike will be destroyed if you do this.

Tactics/Counters
"Get them!"

- Combat Cycle, given the sign to attack

The Combat Cycle was cheap, fast and able to traverse extremely steep surfaces that other units could not. This made it a superb reconnaissance unit, able to sneak into enemy bases and gain valuable information, especially if the vehicle was ridden by a cloaked infantry unit, such as a Saboteur. They were also useful for quick hit-and-run attacks, provided the GLA commander had the advantage of surprise.

Jarmen Kell could also ride a Combat Cycle, retaining his stealth and Pilot Snipe ability, but gaining mobility and protection from Pathfinders. A group of Combat Cycles ridden by Terrorists was potentially lethal, especially early in a battle. The Combat Cycle was also useful for the sneaky insertion of infantry: a Worker lost his ability to build while riding on a Combat Cycle, but he could drive one behind enemy lines, abandon his Cycle, and construct a Tunnel Network. "They won't catch us!"

- Combat Cycle, confident of its speed and flexibility

However, the Combat Cycle had the weakest armour of almost any vehicle on the battlefield. With Terrorist-driven Combat Cycles this often did not matter, but in other cases it meant that the GLA commander needed to be able to surprise the opposition. Although they were fast, they had poor turning speed, which meant that it needed to slow down in order to go in a different direction. Piling several Combat Cycles towards an enemy, for example, was a very bad idea. It was however able to avoid the slower projectiles of some other defensive weapons through sheer speed. It also had no protection against aircraft like the or the Helix, unless the Combat Cycle in question was ridden by an RPG Trooper. Combat Cycles cannot crush enemy infantry, and may be crushed under the treads of a tank.

Not all cliffs are climbable. The Combat Cycle requires momentum and a run-up before being able to climb one. Without enough speed, the Combat Cycle may become stuck in the hill, leaving it very vulnerable.