Heavy Bomber
Invader Heavy Bomber (SSIA designation XI-15)
Cost: 2650
Armor: Light
Speed: Slow
Weapon:Rapid-Fire Pulse Laser (x4, alternating charge)
Directed Energy Bomb
Range: Medium
Very Short
Tech Center Tech, Tier-3 Advanced Anti-Surface VTOL
The Heavy Bomber, or XI-15 by SSIA designation, is the most heavily armored aircraft to ever be constructed. Designed to break the most stubborn defenses and destroy anything that moved on the ground, the pilot-assisted Invader Heavy Bomber is something that all SSIA forces dreaded after the Battle of the New York Ruins in the Main War.
During this battle, the first Heavy Bombers were deployed, where they annihilated surviving law enforcement and SSIA units that had sought cover in the ruins near Times Square- despite the presence of 5 anti-aircraft missile turrets and several squads of SSIA Special Ops and Rocket-armed infantry covering.
Capable of withstanding extreme punishment, the Heavy Bomber can engage and defeat enemy ground forces en masse without much trouble, even figuring in resistance. This is due in no large part to the weapons systems of the Heavy Bomber. The primary weapon of the Heavy Bomber isn't bombs of any sort, ironically; indeed, it is rather an array of lasers, which each Heavy Bomber has four of. During usual combat, one of the two lasers under one wing will fire, followed by the one in the same position on the other wing- the next set of lasers will then fire. This is all done very rapidly, creating a deadly meat-grinder effect.
The secondary weapon, used for the most part on structures, is a variation on the Conversion Tank's beam weapon, except literally dropped on enemies. Called a "directed energy bomb", the Heavy Bomber fires a guiding laser at the target, which is believed to serve as a conduit for a large and quite visible ball of energy that then follows it onto the target location. (there are conflicting reports on this, some have claimed that the energy ball will fall directly below the bomber, irrespective of where the guiding laser hits)
Not too different from the Conversion Tank's ranged weapon, the directed energy bomb does immense amounts of damage to the target and the surrounding area of impact.
Notes:
The XI-15 is slow. Much, much slower than the XI-12 Fightercraft, but fast enough to not be completely ineffectual on stationary defenses that would otherwise shred it.
The XI-15 is famously deadly- there is no body armor, vehicle composite or building material that can withstand direct hits from its pulse lasers. If this wasn't bad enough, the XI-15's directed energy bombs can bust open even the most heavily fortified bunkers with ease.
The XI-15 is, as stated before, the most heavily armored aircraft to ever fly. Not even the the Soviet Union's Second Red War invention, the Kirov Airship can match it.
Final Notes: Voxel by Yurisarmy.
