The concept of a "Weapon of Mass Destruction" has been around for quite some time; however, only in the twentieth century did military technology progress to the point that weapons capable of instantly killing large groups of enemy personnel with little risk to the wielder were developed.
Typically, factions had two superweapons. The first was an purely offensive weapon intended simply to cause huge damage and were usually targetted at enemy bases to maximise effectiveness. The other tended to be a support weapon: relatively ineffective at directly causing damage and required more tactical use but highly potent when used correctly.
During the First World War, the development of poison gases allowed for mass destruction limited to human life. But the next war would develop more fantastic and devastating superweapons.
Second World War
Both factions
Nuclear weapons
A Soviet ICBM prepares for launch.
The Soviet Union developed the first superweapons during the conflict, Atomic bombs. Vladimir Kosygin, the man in charge of the weapons project, defected and revealed the location of the Dark Horseman base, where the missiles were located. In a raid by Allied forces, the Soviets launched, however Tanya Adams infiltrated the base and deactivated the warheads.
Soviets
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain.
The Soviets also built the Iron Curtain, a device which would make a single unit on the battlefield invincible to harm. It was based on designs "borrowed" from Nikola Tesla.
Allies
Chronosphere
An early chronosphere
The Allies began secretly developing the Chronosphere, a device designed by Einstein which would warp a single unit anywhere on the battlefield. Unfortunately, there were problems with the device; a unit would warp back to its original location after a while; also, there was a small, but definite, possibility of damaging the fabric of spacetime, causing a Chrono Vortex. This led to research being shelved prior to the First Tiberium War. In the alternate Red Alert Universe, this problem was solved and Chronospheres became an indispensable part of the Allied armament since.
Third World War
Soviets
Nuclear weapons
Soviet nuke
| “ | Warning: Nuclear Silo detected! - Lt. Eva |
” |
The Soviet Union discreetly improved on its nuclear missile designs, making the blast yield far more powerful. This allowed them to cause massive-scale destruction. Although commanders were only issued low-yield tactical nuclear warheads, some higher-ranking generals (like General Vladmir) had access to much powerful ones.
Iron Curtain
Iron curtain
The Soviets also improved the Iron Curtain, allowing it to render multiple vehicles and structure invincible for a short time or instantly kill scores of enemy infantry.
Allies
Weather Control Device
Weather Control Device
| “ | Warning: Weather Control Device detected! - Lt. Zophia |
” |
The Allies had, in the years after the war, begun development on nuclear weapons of their own. However, Yuri disabled the weapons in their silos when the war began. The Allies were left without an effective strategic weapon until Operation Chrono Storm, when Einstein granted them the plans of his Weather Control Device, which was utilized extensively against the Soviet defense installations.
Chronosphere
Allied Chronosphere
The Chronosphere had been significantly improved, allowing for longer-distance travel, eliminating the Chrono Vortex, and transporting multiple vehicles. Although low-powered Chronospheres only teleported a small group of vehicles, the full-powered one at the Florida Keys was capable of sending entire battalions across the globe in an instant.
Yuri
Psychic Dominator
Yuri Psychic Dominator
| “ | Warning: Psychic Dominator detected! - EVA |
” |
Yuri had developed unique WMDs of his own, and used them when his world domination bid unfolded. The Psychic Dominator is a direct improvement of his previous Amplifier design. Although they were destroyed before becoming fully operational, three full-powered Dominators operating in tandem could discharge a massive wave of psychic energy potentially capable of permanently twisting the minds of everyone on the planet into unquestionable loyalty to Yuri. Five were known to exist: the one in San Francisco was disabled then subsequently destroyed by the time travelling forces. Afterwards, the two forces went on their separate ways: the Soviet task force destroyed two in London and Transylvania, while the Allied force handled the one in Antartica. The one in Egypt was subsequently hijacked by the Allies when Einstein was forced by Yuri into helping him complete it; Einstein also sabotaged it, causing it to overload and explode.
Genetic Mutator
Genetic Mutator
| “ | Warning a Genetic Mutator has been detected! - Advisor |
” |
The Genetic Mutator was an even more terrifying weapon. If a tactical weapon that can turn entire companies of men into mutated freaks under Yuri's control which unfortunatly doesn't prove he has gone nuts, nothing will. Fortunately, it was only deployed at the very end of the Disaster, after Yuri failed to blackmail Massivesoft Chairman Bing into completing the genetic software necessary for its operation.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert (iPhone)
The Soviets must deploy a Battle Lab to use nukes while the Allies must build the Defense HQ to launch a Weather Storm.
War of the Three Powers
| “ | If that weapon fires, then I have no choice but to launch every weapon I have against the United States. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!! - Cherdenko, seeing the Mt. Rushmore superweapon |
” |
Empire of the Rising Sun
The Empire has access to two superweapons, the Nanoswarm Hive and the Psionic Decimator.
Psionic Decimator
The Empire of the Rising Sun's Psionic Decimator.
The Psionic Decimator creates an psi-energy bubble that bludgeons anything in its radius, similar to a hybrid of Yuri's Psi-Wave attack and the Allied Weather Control Device.
Nanoswarm Hive
Nanoswarm Hive.
The Nanoswarm Hive forms an impenetrable shield around an area, baring access in or out.
Allies
Proton Collider
Proton Collider
Due to the removal of Einstein the Weather Control Device was lost. Instead, the Allies developed the Proton Collider as its replacement.
Chronosphere
The new Allied Chronosphere of World War III.
The Allies still use the Chronosphere despite Albert Einstein being removed from the timeline. Although it's inferior to its previous incarnation being unable to send as many. Still, it does not suffer from Chrono Vortexes suggesting that this was solved prior to Einstein's assassination.
Soviet Union
Vacuum Imploder
The Soviet Vacuum Imploder.
Due to the damage to the timeline caused by Premier Cherdenko removing Albert Einstein from the timeline, the USSR lost their nuclear arsenal. Instead, the Soviet Union has developed the deadly Vacuum Imploder. The Vacuum Imploder, when launched, sucks all vehicles, infantry, aircraft, and ships into a powerful vacuum that can also literally rip buildings apart.
Iron Curtain
The latest Iron Curtain
The Soviet Iron Curtain can make all units and structures in an area invulnerable for a short period of time.
Other Near Superweapons/WMDs
- Some destructive Top Secret Protocols are alternatives to Superweapons, only they are not as effective as Superweapons themselves. However, Commanders can access only to 10 out of 15 Top Secret Protocols.
- Howard T. Ackerman was planning to destroy Moscow with a superweapon hidden in the statue of Theodore Roosevelt's head at Mt. Rushmore.
- The Shogun Executioner is also considered a superweapon due to its 3 huge blades.
- Also Oleg wants to get revenge against Ackerman's Rushmore Superweapon and armed the Kirovs with 50 Megaton Bombs which will devastate a city. 50 Megaton Bombs were considered a superweapon due to its power. It is most likely that the Soviet 50 megaton bomb was a nuclear weapon (or vacuum alternative).
- In the Last Red Blossom Trembled, Dr. Zelinsky used a Chronosphere-esque device to teleport Vacuum warheads directly into battle, to protect Futuretech Lab from the Imperial attack.
- After the war, FutureTech also developed the Sigma Harmonizer. A superweapon that can affect time in various ways
- In the Soviet Operation Science of War, where the Soviets capture a Allied science lab, they discovered the Allies are building a superweapon. This weapon could possibly have been an atomic bomb. However, an Engineer does give away the true origin of the Vacuum Imploder. He says "In theory, you could make a giant vacuum cleaner with this stuff.", hinting that the Vacuum Imploder was developed from stolen Allied technology.
Drawbacks
All superweapons share the following drawbacks:
- All superweapons were very expensive. Either between 2500 or 5000 credits.
- All superweapons require large quantities power to function.
- Requires a long time to charge
- From Red Alert 2 onwards, they cannot be hidden: once constructed its presence is announced and the shroud over it is removed revealing their position (and probably their base's as well) to enemies. Combined with the long recharge time this gives enemies a chance and a strong incentive to destroy it before it even fires.
- This can be used as an advantage to peek into the enemy bases through the hole in the war fog.
- Subsequently, superweapons require bases with strong economies and strong defences before they are viable.
- The Allied Chronosphere and Soviet Iron Curtain were harmful to infantry.
- Although this could be used offensively it was usually not worth wasting a superweapon strike to take out some infantry. The inability to have Chronoshift or have invincible infantry is generally considered a disadvantage.
- There's sometimes a slight delay between firing and the actual effect, allowing fast units to escape.
- Even if a superweapon fires they can be countered in a number of ways:
- Force Shields are effective at protecting buildings from superweapon strikes.
- A desperate or daring Allied commander may order his Chrono Legionnaires to target their own structures. This will protect them at the cost of the Legionnaire's life. However, "overprotection" of the structures will lead to their loss.
- The Allied Chrono Rifts can protect units from even the most destructive weapons.
- The Soviet Iron Curtain can be applied to buildings allowing them to shrug off superweapons strikes
- The Imperial Nanoswarm Hive can protect anything in its radius of effect.
See also
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