“ | The battlefield is a messy place. - Ambulance |
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The Ambulance is a USA support vehicle in Generals and Zero Hour.
Game Unit[]
“ | Be right on it. - Ambulance |
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The Ambulance is a lightly armored but cheap and highly useful support vehicle within USA's arsenal. Perhaps their notable ability is their ability to heal nearby allies. In Generals, they passively heal all nearby infantry, and up to three can be stationed inside the vehicle itself to bring them back to full HP even faster. Infantry carried in Ambulances cannot fire from within, but will always survive its destruction with 50% health.
As of patch 1.01 of Zero Hour, the Ambulance is additionally able to repair ground vehicles, dramatically improving its supportive capabilities. All of its healing effects continue even when it is inside an airborne Chinook or Combat Chinook, healing ground units below the helicopter.
The Ambulance's ability to clean up toxins from the battlefield is used less often, but it is extremely efficient in this role due to its immunity to them. The ambulance can clean everything from the local contamination of a Toxin Tractor all the way up to the widespread effects of an Anthrax attack. Obviously, the ambulance can also be use to rush infantry safely through contaminated regions.
Ambulances, however, are completely unarmed. Although drones can provide limited defense, they should always be escorted by combat units.
Abilities[]
Clean Toxins
Removes radiation and toxins from the target area.
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- Passive
- Restore 4 HP per second to each nearby infantry and 5 HP per second to each nearby vehicle within a radius 100 (1000 msec delay).
- Restore 25% HP per second to each occupated infantry.
Upgrades[]
Drones[]
The Scout Drone increases the vehicle's sight range and reveals nearby stealth units.
Costs $100.
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The Battle Drone is armed with a small machine gun, and could also repair its parent vehicle.
Costs $300.
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Hellfire Drone (Zero Hour only)
The Hellfire Drone fires a small but surprisingly powerful missile against enemy ground units.
Costs $500.
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Drones can be further upgraded with the Drone Armor upgrade.
Changelog[]
- Zero Hour patch 1.01: can now repair friendly vehicles
Quotes[]
When selected |
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When ordered to move |
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When ordered to crush |
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When ordered to perform ability: Clean Toxins |
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When ordered to perform ability: Heal |
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When ordered to perform ability: deploy a Battle Drone |
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Trivia[]
“ | Repair vehicle ready for service! - Mechanic unused quote |
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- An unused model exists for a "medical drone", which would likely serve the same function as the Ambulance, but it was scrapped in favor of the Ambulance during development.
- Unused voicelines and models indicate General Alexis Alexander was to have her own Ambulance variant, named "Mechanic", which would only repair vehicles, can carry up to 6 infantry and is equipped with a machine gun instead.
- Interestingly, a military's ambulance would legally be considered a non-combatant, and thus attacking it would be considered a war crime under Geneva laws. The GLA wouldn't take issue since their goal is terror in nature; however, the USA attaching a combat drone to it would be a war crime too, since non-combatants are not allowed to be armed (except in self-defense). The Geneva laws are a Quid-Pro-Quo treaty, however, so the GLA's failure to sign the treaty (not that non-state factions are allowed to, anyway) means they are not protected under any clause of the code.
- Per the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (originating from 9/14/2001), international laws such as the Geneva laws no longer apply to US anti-terrorist operations after 9/11; thus, the matter would be left to whatever the US rules of engagement allows.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Speaker Tower, similar unit-repairing structure
- Biohazard Technician, campaign-only chemical-cleaning infantryman
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