| “ | Who would call something Alpha? - General Alexis |
” |
The Aurora Alpha is a supersonic bomber utilized by the USA General Alexis Alexander as an improvement to the Aurora, carrying a destructive Fuel Air Bomb in Zero Hour.
Upgrades[]
 |
Countermeasures | Grants the Aurora Alpha a 50% chance of negating missile-based attacks. | Purchasable at any American air field in Zero Hour for $1000 |
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Advanced Training | Doubles the amount of experience that Aurora Alpha receives after a successful kill. | Purchasable at any Strategy Center for $1500 |
Game Unit[]
Like the original Aurora, the the Aurora Alpha flies at such high speed that it is invulnerable to anti-aircraft weapons; thus, its powerful fuel-air bomb strike on the target is virtually guaranteed. Unlike the original, the Alpha only slows down during turns and will resume supersonic flight on its return trip, once again becoming invulnerable. Its payload creates a delayed secondary blast with a larger area of effect and greater damage. Otherwise, the unit behaves identically to the original.
Strategy[]
The primary purpose of the Aurora Alpha is mass destruction of hardened strategic targets. Its fuel-air bomb is slightly different from the original Aurora, detonating in two stages, and constituting the most powerful single munition deployed from a buildable maneuver unit. Its secondary blast ensures that one or two of them will cripple if not outright destroy most structures, and four can destroy any target in the game.
Multiple Auroras increase the blast effect to such a degree that it can have comical results. Vehicles will be tossed some distance, depending on their mass, while infantry can be blown high into the air and off the map, sometimes flying into the camera. Vehicles that are tossed will be destroyed if they land upside down; otherwise they sustain heavy damage.
In addition to buildings, Aurora Alphas are effective at destroying slow-moving vehicles, such as artillery and Overlord Tanks. If an opponent has neglected to place anti-aircraft weapons inside the base back from the perimeter, it is quite possible for an Aurora to fly over defenses and into the base, release its payload, and regain supersonic speed to successfully return home.
Counters[]
There are even fewer ways to neutralize the Aurora Alpha, as the window of opportunity to strike it is much shorter. Its targets are almost certainly unable to survive its bombing strike, so an extensive and dispersed anti-aircraft network is often the way to go. Have multiple threats evenly spread out to minimize its potential damage and to ensure destruction of the Alpha. Counter-air patrols consisting of MiGs, Raptors or King Raptors might catch the Alpha during its turning sequence, although they still have virtually no chance of stopping the release of its bomb.
As with all aircraft, it is expensive and vulnerable on the ground. Targeting enemy Air Fields or sabotaging their economy to hinder its use are also valid tactics. They also have a rather long reloading time on the airfield.
While not a common occurrence, an Alpha in supersonic flight can occasionally be destroyed if an EMP effect (China's EMP Pulse support power, Alexander's EMP Patriots), a SCUD Storm or Nuclear Missile goes off near it.
Changelog[]
- Zero Hour patch 1.02: fixed missing particle effects
- Zero Hour patch 1.03:
- added new skin
- secondary attack damage decreased from 1000 to 900
- secondary attack range decreased from 100 to 70
Quotes[]
| “ | Fuel Air Aurora - Aurora Alpha |
” |
| “ | Fuel Air Bombs arm and ready - Aurora Alpha |
” |
| “ | Fuel weapon ready for deployment - Aurora Alpha |
” |
| “ | Ready the Fuel Air Bomb! - Aurora Alpha |
” |
| “ | Dropping off the Fuel Air Bomb - Aurora Alpha |
” |
| “ | The Fuel Air Bomb should be enough - Aurora Alpha |
” |
Trivia[]
- The Aurora Alpha uses the unused model of the Hypersonic Aurora for General Granger as of Zero Hour patch 1.03.
- Unique quotes for the Aurora Alpha (shown above) were never implemented for an unknown reason. However, they can be implemented via INI editing.
See also[]
 United States of America Generals Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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