Pulverizer is the basic and cheap anti-air missile tower. Built by all T1 cons it is able to take down light aircrafts. Not enough to stop bombing/gunship runs. Always have one or two in your base to protect yourself from humiliating com-dropping tactics.

Light Laser Tower is the cheapest and fastest to set up form of defense. Built by the Commander and all T1 cons. It is reasonable to build one or two to protect your T1 base against early scout raids. When expanding, protect your metal extractors with those. Two LLT’s are often enough to stop a hostile Commander push.

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HLLT is a double LLT turret. Built by all T1 land/air cons it is an excellent choice for an anti-swarm weapon. Its upper LLT turret has a slightly higher range and is able to overshoot T1 rocket bots. Its high DPS and range makes it a big threat to commanders. Similarly to Beamer it can singlehandedly destroy a hostile commander before he gets in the D-gunning range.

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Dragon’s Maw is a pop-up flamethrower turret that can disguise itself as a harmless Dragon’s tooth. Built by all T1 cons it may surprise your opponent with its high AoE DPS, lethal to all T1 units. 

When hidden in ground it may take in massive amounts of damage staying unharmed.

Great anti-swarm weapon.

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S.A.M. is a medium range anti-air tower. Built by all land/air cons it It stands a chance against heavier T1 aircrafts. It is the most economic form of T1 air defence damage-to-cost wise. Useful even in T2 stage thanks to its reasonable costs and short buildtime. 

Use it as a last resort unit built when you see hostile aircrafts coming at your base while.

The Warden is a heavy laser turret. Built by all T1 cons it overshoots every T1 unit except artillery vehicles. Despite the long range and heavy damage it is hopeless when built alone. Always incorporate it within other defensive structures.

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Eradicator (Bomb-Resistant Medium-Range Missile Battery) is an expensive T1 anti-air tower that serves a very situational purpose. Built by all T1 land/air cons it has the highest DPS and range among all T1 AA. 

When placed properly it may even take down a Liche (Nuclear bomber) before it hits.

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Punisher is the T1 long-range plasma battery. Built by all land/air cons it serves a very situational purpose.

It can be set to high trajectory for bigger damage and AoE, but lower fire rate and accuracy. This is helpful when you have to shoot over obstacles.

It can overshoot all T1 structures and units, but keep in mind that it requires a lot of metal to build. In most cases this metal is better spent into mobile units or tech advancement.

Building it to protect your base area is usually a big waste, better resort to laser turrets for this purpose. However, making it on extended front, or in range of enemy economy may end up winning you a game.

Pretty useless when T2 arrives. Consider reclaiming it to get your metal back!

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Viper is a pop-up sabot battery that has a great DPS and range for considerably low costs. Built by all T2 land/air cons it serves the most basic role among the defences – to pump in big DPS. Its pop-up ability makes it a great way to soak huge damage when needed. 

When you see your opponent focus fire on it – switch it off and use as a tank, while your other units do all the work.

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Cobra is a short range anti-air turret that can deal ludicrous amounts of AoE damage. Built by all T2 land/air cons it is able to shatter most aircrafts within its range.  Best DPS/cost ratio among all AA, but also - short range. 

Build it around strategic point-targets and frontline defences.

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Catalyst is a tactical nuke launcher and one of Cortexes signature units, unique in its function.

Built by all T2 land/air cons it can strike with light nuclear missiles within a huge range. It is able to overshoot all T1 and T2 defenses so it serves a great role in dismantling heavy defense lines and destroying strategic targets such as Annihilators.

A skilled player may even use it as a defensive unit. If you can extrapolate where incoming units are going to be located 10 seconds from now – you can hit them with an unexpected lethal strike. It stockpiles 1 missile in 75 seconds.

When self-destructed, Catalyst explodes almost like a regular nuke. Use it as a last resort weapon when you know you can’t hold the defense line.

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Fortitude is an ICBM interception missile silo. Built by all T2 land/air cons it is able to cover a decent area spanning over your base and surroundings. It protects you from long-range nuclear missiles (not tactical nukes). Takes 90 seconds to stack up one missile. 

Always make one after the 15 minute mark and be careful as it may be EMPed by spies or BLUE EMP silos.

Screamer is a long range anti-air missile battery. Built by all T2 land/air constructors it piles up to five missiles (14s to produce one) that can shoot across great distances and deal ludicrous damage to aircrafts. A single missile can take down most air units. 

Great for countering Liche (atomic bomber) runs, when used with SET TARGET command.

Built on the extended frontline, thanks to its range it may be used to slowly dismantle enemy’s fighter wall.

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Toaster is a T2 pop-up long range plasma battery. Built by all T2 land/air cons it is able to protect your defence line from artillery units and dismantle enemy’s defense line. 

Outranges all T1/T2 units except Annihilators, Berthas etc. Build on hills to take advantage of extended range and take down strategic targets. 

Set to Hi-traj it deals more AoE damage, but shoots slower. 

It is a great way to stop your enemy from building an Annihilator thanks to its lower costs and buildtime.

Another use case is to stop snipers, which get outranged by these. Be sure to provide good line of sight for it, to improve targeting.

Doomsday Machine a multi-weapon tower. Built by all T2 land/air cons it packs three types of laser turrets that can aim and shoot independently. 

First, the tachyon accelerator for long-range highly damaging outbursts. 

Secondly, a high energy laser turret for mid-range. 

Finally, a double light laser turret for short range anti-swarm purposes. It can deal with most T2 units and even light T3. 

When swithed off if hides its turrets under heavy armor. Use it to soak big amounts of damage when targeted, while your other defensive structures do all the work.

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Intimidator is a long range plasma cannon (LRPC). Built by all T2 land/air cons it is able to shoot targets across the map. 

On most battlefields placing it on the frontline enables you to take down buildings in enemy’s base. Not very effective on mobile targets. 

When built, it immediately becomes a priority target for your foes, try to keep it safe. 

Can be countered with plasma deflectors, but those come at a high cost.

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Buzzsaw is the ultimate weapon of mass-destruction. Built by all T2 land/air cons it is basically a spinning wheel of Intimidator plasma cannons that can shoot across the map and tear down whole bases. It takes giant resources to build but when it is in place it basically wins you a game. 

However, remember that it consumes great amounts of energy to shoot (16000 energy/shot), hence don’t build it if your income is below 32k energy. 

Shoots a little bit faster than its BLUE counterpart – Vulcan.

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