The Shogun Executioner is a special unit introduced in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. It is an enormous assault walker developed by the Empire of the Rising Sun during the Third World War, and it is also probably the most powerful unit in the games.
Description[]
The walker's upper body pivots on the tripedal base. Each blade is wielded by a separate torso on the upper body. Operations against the Soviet Union were a consideration in the design; the Executioner feeds on high-voltage electricity from Tesla based weapons (such as Tesla Tanks, Tesla Coils and Stingrays) to repair and recharge itself, however it has a constant vulnerability to aircraft and air-to-ground weapons.
The three large blades are more than sufficient to eliminate ground targets lesser than itself (even tier 3 armor units can't take more than 3 hits). Amusingly, the swords actually have a longer range than direct-fire units. While nowhere nearly as long-ranged as artillery units, it can destroy Super Reactors without getting caught in the explosion. In addition, it may simultaneously drive the blades into the ground to release an electric shockwave; this is usually sufficient to destroy even structures in the surrounding area. The Executioner has no anti-air weaponry but is a hazard to low-flying aircraft due to its height. The walker may also wade through water and walk over/on buildings, destroying them.
Its destructive power is matched by its armor. A lone Shogun Executioner is only threatened by several mobile artillery units (such as the V4 Rocket Launchers), assuming that the artillery units constantly relocate to avoid the oncoming walker. Another important observation was its inability to target multiple targets at once, and its slow attack speed, which the Terror Drone swarms have revealed and exploited this weakness. Also, the Executioner can be shrunk and then frozen by several Cryocopters, leaving it vulnerable.
Deployment History[]
Third World War[]
The Shogun Executioner was never seen in either the Allied or Soviet campaigns. In both cases, the Empire was overwhelmed with a number of other setbacks from the other belligerents before its potential deployment.
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The following is based on the Imperial campaign of Red Alert 3 and might contradict canon. |
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The completed walker in Odessa
In the Imperial campaign, the development of the Shogun Executioner was completed as the Empire invaded the Soviet Union. An example was transported disassembled to the front at Odessa. The final leg of the journey was by a Sudden Transport naval convoy. Responsibility for providing protection for the convoy and its assembly at a local warehouse fell to a recently promoted shogun, who also oversaw its use once it became operational. The Executioner helped destroy the city's artillery emplacements allowing Imperial forces to establish a foothold and drive the Soviets out of the surrounding area. Moskvin later called out the Imperial commander that he "cheated" since the Shogun Executioner did all the work.
The Executioner was sent towards Moscow as the war against the Soviet Union neared its end. The assault on the capital was already in progress when the walker arrived by river. With the aid of the Executioner, Imperial forces advanced on the Kremlin and destroyed the Soviet time machine. The Soviet Union fell shortly thereafter.
Uprising[]
The Shogun Executioner is seen in King of the Monsters (whether or not it is the same one from the Empire campaign is unknown), a side challenge mission of Commander's Challenge Mode. It is defending a small island and attacks all factions indiscriminately.
Abilities[]
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Omega Shockwave | Spread massive electrical-like shockwave around the Shogun Executioner. |
Game unit[]
In Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, the Shogun Executioner is featured in two missions of the Empire of the Rising Sun campaign: Behold the Mighty Saint of Swords and Crumble Kremlin Crumble. In the former mission, it is always controlled by the main commander as their only sole unit. In the latter mission, the Shogun Executioner is controlled by the main commander in Solo mode though in Co-Op mode, it is controlled by the co-commander instead. In all cases, the Shogun Executioner is integral in completing the mission and the unit must survive throughout their respective missions or the player(s) will fail the mission.
The Shogun Executioner is featured in the King of the Monsters Commander's Challenge mission in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Commander's Challenge as well as in the mission's derived Skirmish map Caldera of Calamity. In gameplay, the Shogun Executioner is a neutral unit which primarily roams around the map and will indiscriminately attack all commanders' units (including their structures should the Shogun Executioner be lured towards the base). The player will always have a small area of grounded vision around the Shogun Executioner during said challenge, but not in Skirmish. Unlike its previous appearance in the base Red Alert 3, the Shogun Executioner in Commander's Challenge has an armor counter representing its health.
The Shogun Executioner can kill any land and sea units with one attack except the Apocalypse Tank (in which case it requires three). The units attack does Splash damage. The Shogun Executioner has the ability to heal when receiving fire from Tesla weaponry (each Tesla attack restores 800 health to the Executioner; this healing effect is provided by a trigger in the Campaign missions where it appears, and the Executioner in Caldera of Calamity and Commander's Challenge is simply immune to Tesla weaponry instead).
Despite its sheer strength, the Shogun Executioner is rather vulnerable to several other units:
- The Terror Drone's Stasis Ray can outrange and immobilize it. Additionally, it is fast enough to potentially infect the Shogun Executioner before it could be hit.
- While it can destroy air units on contact, Kirov Airships typically fly high enough to avoid it, and most other air units can simply kite it, as none of its weapons target them.
- A Cryocopter can either freeze or shrink it, the latter reducing its crushable level to 0 temporarily, allowing vehicles to run it over.
Trivia[]
- In Commander's Challenge, a glitch may occur; when the player uses Chrono Rift (or its upgraded versions Chrono Chasm and Chrono Fissure) against the Shogun Executioner while using Aircraft Carrier to attack it, the drones will be "freezed" when they arrive at the Shogun Executioner, and after the time is out, the drones will fall to the ground.
- Cash Bounty rewards 10,321 credits for this unit's destruction. This means if the Shogun Executioner was buildable in game, it would have a cost of 41,284 credits. This makes it the most expensive unit in the entire Command & Conquer franchise.
- The Shogun Executioner has similarities with the Core Defender from Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun - Firestorm, in that it is a Walker, is an epic unit, is capable of immense destruction, can take a lot of damage and has no defence against air units as a weakness.
- If a sudden transport disguises as a Shogun Executioner, it will not copy the Executioner's torsos, arms, or heads.
- Amongst all of the official visual media of The Shogun Executioner, the cinematic version has the closest portrayal of a feudal samurai.
Gallery[]
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Concept art -
Ditto
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Shogun Executioner attacking an Allied base
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Cinematic render
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