Sonic emitter

Sonic Emitter
Structure
Internal name	GDITerraformingStation ZOCOMTerraformingStation
Affiliation	GDI ZOCOM
Role	Advanced anti-surface base defense
Armament	Sonic cannon
Tier	3
Properties
Hit points	7000
Armor type	Medium (75% Cannon, 50% Rocket, 100% Grenade, 25% Gun, 1% Sniper)
Production
Cost	$2000
Build time	0:20
Produced by	GDI construction yard
Requires	Tech center
Hotkey	F5
Combat
Ground attack	2000 (Cannon)
Cooldown	4 seconds
Attack range	50 min / 375 max
Function
Power	-15
Abilities	Detects stealth

“

These things rip through them like a plasma knife through polybutter! - GDI Soldier

”

The Sonic Emitter is a GDI terraforming station-weapon with unique defensive abilities employed in Tiberium Wars.

Background

Based on the Harmonic Resonance technology, this station carries a sonic cannon originally designed for the eradication of Tiberium, though thanks to its sheer power, it became employed as a brutal, but effective base defence weapon after discovering the Scrin's vulnerability to sonic waves.

The sonic emitter is available to both GDI and ZOCOM, but Steel Talons commanders chose to rely on Guardian cannons for anti-vehicle defense.

The technology was first utilized in Disruptors during TW2. Between the end of the Firestorm Crisis and the beginning of the Third Tiberium War, it was used to dam the spread of and eventually dissolve Tiberium in Yellow Zones worldwide. Though re-tooled into a containment system rather than a purpose-built weapon, they soon became one of the most powerful base defenses in GDI's arsenal.

Mobile versions

GDI constructed a number of mobile Sonic Emitters that used HoverTech, known as Shatterers, with ZOCOM using a more powerful variant known as the Zone Shatterer. The Steel Talons did not use Shatterers or sonic emitters of any sort, preferring instead to rely on more conventional firepower in the form of Titans and Mammoth Tanks.

Game building

The Sonic emitter is powerful and could deal damage to multiple enemies due to its sonic wave not dissipating when it strikes a target. The sonic wave is also capable of dealing friendly fire. However, it suffers from a low rate of fire and a lack of precision against highly mobile targets - without proper support they can be outmaneuvered by attack bikes, Pitbulls or overwhelmed by groups of enemies in a formation resistant to the multiple-hit effects of the sonic weapon. The Sonic emitter also lacks any sort of anti-air weaponry, and can also be outranged by enemy artillery. It also has a minimum attack range, so will not attack any threat that comes too close to the station.

Changelog

• Tiberium Wars patch 1.05: no longer hits larger units multiple times in one attack - attack power per hit increased to compensate
• Tiberium Wars patch 1.09: attack power reduced by 25% - this means the sonic emitter can no longer one-shot-kill certain vehicles

Gallery

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  Early concept art by Eric Hilleary

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