Epic unit

An Epic unit is defined as incredibly powerful unit, often takes a long time to produce, able to engage and defeat entire armies of ordinary units. Only another epic (or a unit the epic cannot attack, such as air units) can fight them one-on-one with any hope of surviving, let alone winning.

They are also usually contain highly experimental and/or classified technology making them hard to obtain and immensely expensive when they are available. Even commanders wealthy enough to afford two or more can ordinarily only obtain one at a given time. They often require customized and dedicated infrastructure in order to produce or maintain them, further adding to their cost and rareness. Epic Units may also announce all across the battlefield after being built, trembling enemy players that an Epic Unit is in existance. This is used mainly in Kane's Wrath.

= The Epic Units =



Mammoth Armed Reclamation Vehicle
The Global Defense Initiative has the Mammoth Armed Reclamation Vehicle (MARV), a massive tank that also functions as a Harvester and a mobile Tiberium Refinery, that is built from the Reclamator hub.



Redeemer
In response, the Brotherhood of Nod manufactured the Redeemer, a massive walker, using the Rage Generator to manipulate hostile units' minds into a wild frenzy. They are built from the Redeemer Engineering Facility.



Eradicator Hexapod
Never to be outdone, the Scrin developed the Eradicator Hexapod, one that has also been discovered. This massive alien war machine is known to "recycle" the remains of its enemies into credits for the Scrin war effort. It is too large to be warped in through normal portals, thus it can only be brought in through Warp Chasms and announces its presence by roaring.

= De Facto Epic Units = There are other units that are so powerful compared to their peers that they can be considered de facto epic units.

Second Tiberium War

 * The Mammoth Mk. II, largest walker of Global Defense Initiative during Second Tiberium War, is also considered an epic.
 * The Cyborg Commando from Brotherhood of Nod was designated as an epic on account of its powerful weapon and armor.
 * Most of all, CABAL's Core Defender, the strongest weapon of the Firestorm Crisis, is easily in the same class as an epic.

Third Tiberium War

 * The Scrin's Motherships, which may be summoned by a Signal Transmitter. The Mothership serves as the Foreman's Command Center and also a superweapon.

Fourth Tiberian War

 * The Arcus, GDI's prototype aircraft super bomber, is a de facto Epic Unit that appears in the end of Nod campaign as the final challenge to the player.CNC4 Arcus Bomber Render.png

Red Alert
The first epic unit was Volkov, the first successful cyborg developed by the USSR. It wielded more power then their of the time. It was able to raze an entire Allied base with only his cybernetic dog, Chitzkoi, at his aid. Super tanks were also used by the Soviet Union, but they unfortunately malfunctioned.

The closest to an Epic Unit in this war that's not a campaign-only unit is probably the Cruiser due to its devastating, long range fire power which can destroy entire armies and bases from afar. However it's close range vulnerabilities and its widespread availability (if the Commander can afford it) mean it falls short of deserving the title.

Red Alert 2
While nowhere near the cost, destructiveness or exclusiveness of Epic Units, Kirovs are the closest that's not campaign-exclusive due to their surreally resilient armor and insane fire power. They also had the distinction of being the only units who's presence on the battlefield is announced as they are produced. However, their horrendous speed (by far the slowest unit in the game) and complete lack of ranged weaponry (only being able to attack when directly above its target) means that they were only useful against structures since everything else can easily outrun it and any AA unit can kite it.

In the Allied Mission, Hollywood and Vain, Arnie Frankenfurter and Sammy Stallion can be considered Epic units due to the utterly ridiculous amounts of firepower they can unleash and their exclusivity. However, they are very vulnerable compared to proper Epic Units.

Red Alert 3
It is worth noting that, during WWIII of the alternate timeline, the Shogun Executioner of the Empire of the Rising Sun was the sole Epic unit of its class, able to devastate anything in its path - except aircraft, especially with amphibious capabilities, making it a death-dealing machine not only on land, but by sea too. However, even the Executioner isn't without flaws, too: its appalling speed and manoeuvrability, its vulnerability to aircraft and large groups of long-range units and even, if left unchecked, can make the Shogun Executioner dig its early grave. A few Terror Drones can also make short work of the unit, since the Executioner can't target multiple units.

The Giga Fortress can also be considered an epic unit because of its heavy armour, high tech requirement, immense cost (more than !) and destructive power.

= Drawbacks =
 * Expect the Epic units to be slow and a big target.
 * Per every time one is deployed, everyone will hear something like a noisy Eradicator, "I LIVE!" in the Redeemer's case, or "MARV Assembly COMPLETE!" for the MARV, warning you of their imminent presence.
 * All Epic Units take 0:50 to deploy and cost $5000.
 * Once units are garrisonned, thay cannot be come back out.
 * They take a long time to promote, and rarely survive long enough to reach Heroic.
 * Some epic units have to survive a mission for various reasons.

= See Also =
 * Reclamator Hub
 * MARV
 * Redeemer Engineering Facility
 * Redeemer
 * Warp Chasm
 * Eradicator Hexapod