SCUD storm (Generals 1)

SCUD Storm
Structure
Faction	Global Liberation Army Leang
Role	Superweapon
Armament	SCUD missiles (×9)
Properties
Hit points	4000
Armor type	Structure Armor Tough
Production
Cost	$5000
Build time	1:00
Produced by	Worker Chinese construction dozer (Leang)
Requires	Palace Chinese war factory and Chinese air field (Leang)
Hot key	O
Combat
Cooldown	5:00
Sight range	200
Function
Upgrades	Anthrax Beta (unavailable to Juhziz) Anthrax Gamma (Dr. Thrax only) Camo netting (Prince Kassad only)
Power	0
Abilities	Launch SCUD missiles

“

We can now use our SCUD Storm! - GLA Advisor

”

The SCUD Storm is GLA's superweapon in Command & Conquer: Generals, and its expansion, Zero Hour.

Background

The SCUD Storm was one of the main reasons that the USA and China decided to go to war against the GLA. As a superweapon that was available to a non-state actor, the SCUD Storm greatly shifted the balance of power favorably for the GLA, allowing them to challenge both countries and compensating for the GLA's lack of technological development.

The SCUD missiles used in the SCUD Storm differ from those employed by the SCUD launcher, suggesting that GLA employ more than one SCUD missile type. The SCUD used in the site is superior, with a high-explosive and biological payload combination as well as longer range.

Deployments

The first known usage of this weapon was against civilians in Baghdad during the third day of the siege by American forces.

There was at least one instance of a SCUD Storm being used by forces allied with the US, when a local GLA commander rebelled against Dr. Thrax and swore loyalty to an American commander during the assault on Dr. Thrax's compound.

Game structure

The SCUD Storm is much more dangerous than its equivalents. As a GLA building it does not require any power to function and thus there are no key structures that can be disabled to delay its launch. Like all GLA structures, if the resultant GLA Hole is left intact, a destroyed SCUD Storm will be rebuilt at no cost to its user.

SCUD Storm is easily the least accurate Superweapon, but also the best at wide area saturation. This, ironically, makes it an excellent choice against other GLA players, as the SCUD Storm's missiles can not only cause devastating damage but also achieve prolonged contamination of their target area. Even if a GLA building survived the missile barrage, the anthrax contamination would kill the worker who emerged from the GLA Hole to rebuild a ruined structure, considerably delaying reconstruction. An individual SCUD missile will destroy an aircraft that happens to be flying through the missile's descent path.

The building itself has no defense against an attack and is a large target. It takes some time to fuel its missiles and thus can not be fired immediately after construction. As with all superweapons, however, the missiles could not be intercepted, and the only way to prevent SCUD Storm's attacks is to neutralize the structure itself, either through destruction, capture, or disabling it with a Microwave tank or an EMP weapon before the missiles are launched. The safest option, of course, was to put such pressure on the opponent that there was no opportunity to build one in the first place.

If a player manages to destroy the SCUD Storm during the launch sequence but before it has launched its entire complement of missiles, only the number of SCUD missiles that manage to launch successfully will hit their target.

Abilities

SCUD Storm When launched, the SCUD Storm will fire 9 missiles at the target, which randomly strike anything in a wide area. These missiles not only explode with devastating force, but also leave behind deadly clouds of toxin that will damage any vehicles and kill any infantry that try to enter the target area after the attack.

Upgrades

Anthrax Beta Improves the toxin damage released by the SCUD missiles. Purchased at the Palace for $2000. Replaced by Anthrax Gamma for Dr. Thrax.

Anthrax Gamma ( Dr. Thrax only) Greatly improves the toxin damage released by the SCUD missiles. Purchased at the Palace for $2500.

Camo Netting ( Kassad only) Upgrades SCUD Storm with camo netting, rendering it invisible to enemy forces until it fires or is fired upon, or detected by detectors. Purchased at the structure itself for $500.

Variants

All three of the specialized GLA generals had unique variants of the SCUD Storms:

• As with all of his other structures, Kassad could camouflage his SCUD Storms to avoid detection. It would only be visible briefly to opponents when first constructed.
• Rodall Juhziz' SCUD Storms exchange their Anthrax payload for increased explosive power, and is thus capable of destroying another superweapon in a single strike. Nonetheless, they too will leave behind some small Anthrax residue if destroyed.
• Dr. Thrax' SCUD Storms are less explosive, but come with Anthrax Beta by default, and can be further augmented with Anthrax Gamma.

Changelog

• Generals sneak peek patch 1.02:
  • build time increased to 60 seconds to be on par with other superweapons
  • fixed a related exploit
• Generals patch 1.06: now has the correct damage radius when upgraded with Anthrax Beta
• Zero Hour patch 1.03:
  • now displays upgrade cameo for Anthrax Beta
  • fixed related unfinished building exploit

Trivia

• In reality, the R-17 Elbrus (NATO reporting name - SS-1 SCUD) is a missile designed to be fired from mobile platforms as it has range of only 300-500 (for SCUD-C) km. Placing it on a stationary launcher would require the building to be erected near its target (and the erection of a massive military installation is hard to hide). What's more - as depicted in game, the launcher mechanism and the missiles are unprotected against any attack, and would have been subjected to an airstrike or long-range missiles as soon as it is discovered - and since the GLA has no air defense against high-altitude bombers or high-speed cruise missiles, the whole device would be rather implausible. What makes the game structure practical is the heavy armor granted to the structure as a concession to improve gameplay and fairness.
• Originally, in addition to the Particle Cannon, American superweapon specialist General Alexis Alexander was supposed to have her own equivalent to the SCUD Storm, designated as "Tomahawk Storm". Its unused icon and model can still be found in Zero Hour Game Files. It can be placed on custom maps with the worldbuilder and functions as intended, largely duplicating the effects of the GLA weapon.

• 

  Tomahawk Storm In-Game Picture (Unused)

• 

  Tomahawk Storm Cameo (Unused)

• There is bug via the game which allows the player to continuously fire SCUD Storm missiles on a specific target if the SCUD is built at 0%. The player must select a worker to build a SCUD but to stop him before he reaches it. There must be at least 1 military unit onscreen in order for the bug to work. The player then selects the SCUD and presses Q (select all military units onscreen), then does a force attack on the target (control click). Another way is to build the SCUD Storm, make a military unit, then put them in different team by using CTRL+NUM keys. For example, put the SS in team 1, and a rebel in team 2. Then select team 1 and 2, and put them in team 1. Then force-fire at a location, and the SS will continuously launch SCUD Missiles on the target. Don’t forget to stop the unit before he reach the location, otherwise he will die. The ways to stop it is to sell the SS or pressing key "S" (for Stop).
• Rodall Juhziz was supposed to have his own Model of SCUD Storm, it is Triangular in shape and its Toxin storage to the middle was removed. However, this model was cut for unknown reasons. Fan mods such as Shockwave revive this variant.
• Interestingly, if the player manually fires the selected Scud Storm on itself it will not take damage.

See also

• Particle cannon, USA counterpart
• Nuclear missile, China counterpart

General Leang Arsenal

Units Infantry Ranger Tank hunter Angry mob Hacker Pathfinder Burton Jarmen Kell Black Lotus Vehicles Construction dozer Supply truck Combat cycle Dragon tank Sentry drone Gatling tank Avenger Overlord tank Tomahawk launcher Rocket buggy Paladin tank Aircraft MiG Helix King Raptor Aurora Buildings Production Command center Cold fusion reactor Supply center Barracks War factory Air field Defenses Speaker tower Bunker Gatling cannon Nuclear missile silo Land mine Patriot missile system Tunnel network Particle cannon Scud storm Support powers & upgrades Support Powers Nuclear missile Particle cannon Scud storm Upgrades Radar upgrade Control rods Capture building Flash-bang grenades Chemical suits Chain guns Black napalm MiG armor Uranium shells Nuclear tanks Nationalism Subliminal messaging Neutron shells Sentry drone gun Advanced training Composite armour Arm the mob Armor-piercing rockets Buggy ammo General's Promotions Level 1 Paladin tank Pathfinder Cluster mines General's Promotions Level 3 Carpet bombing Artillery barrage level 1 Artillery barrage level 2 Artillery barrage level 3 Cash bounty level 1 Cash bounty level 2 Cash bounty level 3 General's Promotions Level 5 Electro-magnetic pulse Spectre gunship level 1 Sneak attack General Leang is not playable.