April Designer Diary featuring the Ridgeback and Kuvasz

Apr.06.2021 BY WC:RA

Fresh from the Firebird #9

Hello Commanders, 

It’s about time Infantry had their time in the spotlight. For too long, the Spartan has reigned supreme – popping out of the Barracks as a defender, rushing out of Kodiaks and Prowlers, then dishing out the pain. But they are very much a unit you can set and forget. Sure you change up their CM suite every so often based on what’s flying around the battlefield, but that’s about it. 

We wanted to take a fresh approach to this armor type to breathe new life into Barracks defenders and the use of Infantry units on offense. Rather than give our mechanized soldiers a makeover and heavier weapons, we sought a different direction. With the increasing prevalence of Unmanned Ground Vehicles in military and surveillance roles, we made the decision to introduce the Quadruped Military Robot program into WCRA. Visually, they are heavily influenced by the DARPA Dog program by Boston Dynamics, with weaponry inspired by the tracked combat Foster-Miller TALON SWORDS robots. 

The QMR-Kuvasz

The defenders’ new best friend is the QMR-Kuvasz, a mid-ranged anti-heli and light vehicle variant of the QMR platform. With quick deployment and fast firing rockets, it can quickly bolster the defenses of your base before an attacker has had time to react. 

The Kuvasz shares some equipment with its aggressive cousin the Ridgeback, but where it really shines is its slot 4 warhead options. You can greatly increase its ability to down attacking helicopters, or increase its threat potential against fast moving light vehicles. No matter which equipment specialization you decide to use, the Kuvasz will be the new stable for Barracks defenders.  

The QMR-Ridgeback

Using alpha strike capabilities, the QMR-Ridgeback acts more like a fixed wing strike aircraft than a regular infantry unit. Ultra fast and equipped with GRADA stealth, the Ridgeback won’t be targeted by enemy turrets, units or even mines until it makes its first attack – just don’t expect it to last long after that. At top levels, a squad of Ridgebacks can quickly take out key defensive wave buildings, with a blast radius large enough to flatten nearby platforms. 

But be careful – you only have one shot with these killer robots, as they will quickly be cut down once they’ve hit a target, so make it count. Be sure to turn AI off before deploying them, and scout the enemy base for Stealth Breaker turrets – look at where their range extends and plan accordingly. You want to level a War Factory, not waste the squad just to blow up a lowly Oil Pump. 

The future

In the next few months, we’ll be releasing some new exciting ground units to pair with the Ridgeback on offense, and some important updates to help you keep your base well defended. Until then, earn the Ridgeback and Kuvasz in the April feature event, Swift Redemption, beginning Thursday, April 8th.