- "Treaded tank with ground engagement capacity. Strong against strikecraft." — In game description
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Armored Assault Vehicle
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| Vehicle Information | |
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Classification
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Heavy Vehicle
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Purpose
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Anti-Strikecraft
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Vehicle Type
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Armored Assault Vehicle
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Cost
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180 CUs 30 RUs
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| Technical Information | |
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Length
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30 meters
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Speed
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80 km/h
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Armaments
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Gatling Kinetic Cannon
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Damage
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11
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Rate of Fire
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VERY HIGH
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Hull
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1400
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Armor
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8
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Build Time
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14s
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Fleet Supply
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3
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| Usage | |
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Eras
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Affiliation
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Note: These are stats are from multiplayer.
Campaign units have different stats. | |
The SA2-17 Phalanx-class Armored Assault Vehicle is a heavy assault desert vehicle designed by Kiith Soban and fielded by the Coalition of the Northern Kiithid during Operation Khadiim. They were effective against Sandskimmers with their gatling kinetic cannon. They could deploy smoke screens for cover and were well protected by moderate armor plating.
Lore[]
- "If speed and maneuverability are the keys to LAV warfare, then the neutral counter to those quantities is the Soban-built Armored Assault Vehicle. The AAV is built to dish out punishing, high-speed, high-accuracy firepower while acting as a forward screen for main combat formations. A solid wedge formation can obliterate even massed LAV attacks, and should heavier contacts appear, AAVs are able to emit a crystalline smoke screen capable of blocking even advanced sensors from targeting the larger, more valuable crawlers." — Expedition Guide
Campaign[]
Armored assault vehicle fabrication is researched and fabricated when Kapisi reaches Hell's gate in the middle of a sand storm. Upon discovering RU deposits from meteors, fleet intelligence suggests to construct AAVs to bolster the fleet, as they are the first vehicle to be introduced with an RU cost (though a low one at only 5 in the campaign).
Armored assault vehicles feature high amounts of hull and armor for vehicles of their tonnage, and they function as tanks, effectively engaging any Gaalsien heavy vehicles at short ranges. Armored assault vehicles' primary role is to defend the fleet against Gaalsien sandskimmers, which threaten the expedition's more vulnerable railguns or salvagers, and to soak up damage so that frailer units may better survive engagements. Given their lack of range against railguns, and their lack of firepower against larger ships' armor and hull, armored assault vehicles are of limited effectiveness engaging either type in a firefight. They may still engage railguns effectively if they can sneak up on them with the help of rough terrain blocking line of sight, though this is often risky: it is much more effective to destroy railguns at a distance with strike fighters and artillery cruisers.
Armored assault vehicles can deploy smoke screens, effectively blocking line of sight. This can be crucial in helping keep friendly units alive: by deploying smoke in front of damaged units, they are temporarily shielded from most forms of damage, giving them a chance to retreat and heal. Smoke screen can also be used offensively, allowing shorter ranged vehicles to close some distance without being fired upon from farther away.
AAVs can engage Gaalsien nearby air units, and are some of the earliest coalition vehicles that can do so, though not particularly effectively. AAVs are later supplanted towards the final stages of the expedition, as battlecruisers largely accomplish the same roles.
Abilities[]
| Name | Effect | Cooldown | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suppress Targets | LAVs and sandskimmers suffer -50% speed for 3s when attacked | 0s | None |
| Smoke Grenade | Launches smoke grenade that blocks line of sight for 10s | 90s | None |
Veterancy[]
AAVs gain significantly more hull as they level up veterancy. The combination of their very high armor and their increased hull make them much more resilient than their size may suggest. At maximum veterancy, AAVs gain a significant damage boost, though even with this boost, effective damage remains unremarkable compared to most of the vehicles unlocked later in the campaign.
| Rank | Effect | XP Required |
|---|---|---|
| Officer | +100 Hull | 800 |
| Lieutenant | +100 Hull | 1600 |
| Lt. Commander | +100 Hull | 3200 |
| Commander | +200 Hull | 6400 |
| Captain | +100% Damage | 12880 |
Research[]
| Name | CU Cost | RU Cost | Time | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAV Fabrication | 500 CUs | 0 RUs | 25s | Enables AAV production |
| AAV - Ability Recharge | 650 CUs | 0 RUs | 15s | Reduce smokescreen recharge by 25% |
| AAV - Hull | 700 CUs | 50 RUs | 20s | Increase hull by 25% |
| AAV - Armor | 650 CUs | 75 RUs | 20s | Increase armor by 25% |
| AAV - Damage | 750 CUs | 75 RUs | 30s | Increase damage by 25% |
Multiplayer[]
Armored assault vehicles primarily defend formations against sandskimmers and LAVs. Three or four AAVs can reliably defend a convoy of railguns from large groups of strikecraft, at least ensuring the strikecraft party takes significant losses. The AAVs suppressive fire makes it more difficult for strikecraft to escape or close in on targets, further reducing the effectiveness of strikecraft. AAVs are not particularly fast and should be positioned to meet flanking strikecraft attempting to attack resource nodes from an unexpected direction, rather than attempting to chase them.
When fully upgraded, AAVs are impervious to LAV gunfire unless there's a very large number of LAVs. Researching the first armor upgrade is the most important as it provides the greatest increase in armor.
Smokescreen can break line of sight, protecting vital units like support cruisers, carriers or railguns from enemy fire. They have relatively long cooldowns, so their usage should be done so with thought. Carriers that are unable to escape railgun fire can build AAVs for smokescreen cover abilities, to buy just enough time to escape.
While railguns are almost always have the advantage due to their range and damage, if AAVs can somehow close the range gap, they can potentially even the battle out. This is generally a viable strategy in terrain that features rugged covered that block line of sight, as wide open spaces is where railguns can exploit its range.
AAVs have relatively low damage output and range, so despite their low costs, aside from strikecraft, there are few other units they are effective against.
Compared to the singleplayer version, AAVs deal far less damage per burst, but make up for this with a much higher fire rate. Overall, they have roughly the same amount of firepower.
Strong against:[]
Coalition/Soban:
Gaalsien/Khaaneph:
Weak against:[]
Coalition/Soban:
Gaalsien/Khaaneph:
Abilities[]
| Name | Effect | Cooldown | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suppress Targets | LAVs and Sandskimmers suffer -50% speed for 3s when attacked | 0s | None |
| Smoke Grenade | Launches smoke grenade that blocks line of sight for 10s | 90s | None |
Veterancy[]
| Rank | Effect | XP Required |
|---|---|---|
| Officer | +10% Damage | 230 |
| Lieutenant | -15% Reload | 437 |
| Lt. Commander | +100 Hull | 830 |
| Commander | +200 Hull | 1578 |
| Captain | +2 Armor | 2997 |
Research[]
| Name | CU Cost | RU Cost | Time | Effect | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAV Fabrication | 350 CUs | 85 RUs | 50s | Enables AAV production | None |
| Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 1 | 250 CUs | 100 RUs | 15s | +3 Armor | AAV Fabrication |
| Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 2 | 250 CUs | 200 RUs | 20s | +2 Armor and +100 Hull | Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 1 |
| Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 3 | 300 CUs | 300 RUs | 30s | +1 Armor and +200 Hull | Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 2 |
Trivia[]
- Armored assault vehicles are crewed by five Kiith Soban who are known for their warrior culture.
- After raiding the Gaalsien base, Kapisi engineering team incorporates Gaalsien high tensile alloys into the chassis of AAVs.
- In addition, Kapisi engineering team utilized Gaalsien designs for incendiary rounds as an upgrade for the AAVs.