Supreme Commander 2 Cybran Experimental Guide

Supreme Commander 2 Cybran Experimental Guide
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Cybran Cyber-Punks

The Cybran are perhaps the darkest race in Supreme Commander 2, as they were in Supreme Commander. The Cybran are a collective of people who are half man and half machine and have been fighting for freedom since they broke free from the UEF. They have jagged and rough art style, but there is also much evidence of their extreme technological advancement.

There there are many effective Cybran experimental units. In this experimental guide I’ll cover ever unit, giving its build cost, hit-points, and finally a recommendation as to when it should be used.

Bomb Bouncer

  • Metal Cost: 475
  • Energy Cost: 2375
  • HP: 26500
  • Built by Experimental Land Gantry

The Bomb Bouncer is more of a support experimental, but it can be a very deadly one. The Bomb Bouncer produces a powerful directional shield with a large radius. It does not protect from direct ground attacks but will protect again any attack which is coming from above. This includes no only bombs but also long range artillery.

This alone can be incredibly valuable against enemy aircraft, but the Bomb Bouncer also as a special attack which is charged when bombs hit it’s shield (or can be charged by paying a set energy cost). When this attack is fully charged it can be released at the player’s command. It does massive damage to enemies directly above the Bomb Bouncer and is probably the most deadly anti-air attack in the game. If the enemy’s airforce is giving you a problem the Bomb Bouncer a must-have. It can literally turn a crushing defeat at the hands of enemy gunships and bombers into a surprise victory.

Cybranasaurus Rex

  • Metal Cost: 1525
  • Energy Cost: 5250
  • HP: 38000
  • Built by Experimental Land Gantry

Rawr! The Cybranasaurus Rex is Cybran’s late game ground experimental. It is rather different from the late game land experimental built by the UEF and Aeon in that the Cybranasaurus Rex is much more of a brawler. The Rex has missiles and a “death cannon” which can do massive damage, but most of its short-range damage comes from the flamethrower which, as you’d expect, is mounted directly in Rex’s mouth.

The flamethrower can do insane amounts of damage to bundles of enemy units and structures. Armies of enemy tanks and bots will be devastated in no time. However, the short range of this weapon means the Rex has to be put as considerable risk to use it, so be sure to back up your Rex with defensive units so it isn’t destroyed before it can do any good.

Giant Transport

  • Metal Cost: 475
  • Energy Cost: 2360
  • HP: 9000
  • Built by Experimental Air Gantry

To be frank, there isn’t a lot to say about this. The Giant Transport is a big transport. It has some decent guns and can transport a huge number of units, as well as experimentals, but that is about all it is good for. On the other hand, though, it isn’t that expensive, and a single Giant Transport can transport can carry a large enough army to cripple an enemy base. If you need to transport stuff, build one. Otherwise, don’t.

Kraken

  • Metal Cost: 1075
  • Energy Cost: 3940
  • HP: 20000
  • Built by Experimental Ship Gantry

Although the Kraken is called an experimental submarine, it is really more of a ship as it does come to the surface to fire against surface targets. In any case, the Kraken is incredibly powerful, particularly when mixed in with a fleet of battleships and cruisers. Its power comes in its versatility. It can fire against just about anything and do a great amount of damage. Unfortunately, the Kraken’s range is not that long and it is sea-locked. This is a big problem considering the unit’s cost. If you’re sure you need to win a sea battle the Kraken can help. But it too often ends up being a waste of resources which is left behind as the battle moves inland.

Magnetron

  • Metal Cost: 1140
  • Energy Cost: 4000
  • HP: 16500
  • Built by Commander or Engineer

That’s right - this structure is a giant magnet. It can be used to either repel or attract units. If it attracts units, it can use a giant grinder to destroy them.

Sound cool? It is. The Magnetron is one of the better defensive experimentals in the game. Forget the turrets - just stick a Magnetron in your base and you’ll be protected against most surprise attacks land attacks. The only real problem with the Magnetron is that it is very hard to use offensively which means it is entirely possible that you’ll build one in your base and it will never be used. Still, given its defensive capability it is actually a rather inexpensive way to defend your base.

Megalith II

  • Cybran Guide

    Metal Cost: 525

  • Energy Cost: 2650

  • HP: 9350

  • Built by Experimental Land Gantry

One of the least expensive experimentals in the game, the Megalith II is a beetle-like tank defined mostly by the big freaking laser it uses to kill land units. Overall, the Megalith II can be very deadly, but you get what you pay for. It (usually) can’t be used to assault base on its own. Because it is so inexpensive however, it is possible to build several Megaliths and use them as support to other land units in an assault. In this role the Megalith II can be extremely effective and is one of the best ways to crack a turtle in a frontal attack.

Soul Ripper II

  • Metal Cost: 1200
  • Energy Cost: 5625
  • HP: 16500
  • Built by Experimental Air Gantry

The Soul Ripper was a big fricken gunship in Supreme Commander, and it is still a big fricken gunship in Supreme Commander 2. It is absolutely loaded with lasers and missiles and it can do an insane amount of damage in a short time. I’ve seen commanders killed in seconds by this thing, and bases don’t last much longer.

Of course, there is a catch. The Soul Ripper II does have significant anti-air capability, but it isn’t enough to protect it from a huge swarm of fighters. It also doesn’t have many hitpoints considering its cost. What this means is that you’ll need to defend it in order for it to be effective. Note that this because less true as you have more Soul Rippers - one can be taken out fairly easily, but four can cover each other with their AA weapons and become nearly impossible to destroy.

Proto-Brain Complex

  • Metal Cost: 1000
  • Energy Cost: 3375
  • HP: 13500
  • Built by Commander or Engineer

The Proto-Brain complex is a huge research complex powered by a giant brain. That’s odd enough, but even stranger is the fact that the brain can leave the complex and harass enemy units with beam weapons. The brain itself can take more of a beating than a Megalith, but it can’t deal as much out.

While the Proto-Brain complex can substantially increase your research, it is itself at the end of the structure research tree. Because of this I have a hard time finding a use for it and I never build it. The problem is not only that it seems redundant considering the research required to obtain it but also because you can, for a similar effort, have a nuke launcher - which can be game-ender if the enemy is unprepared.

This post is part of the series: Supreme Commander 2 Cybran Guide

The Cybran are one of the most powerful factions in Supreme Commander 2, but only if you master them. This guide to the Cybran will help you learn about their units, experimentals, and strategies.

  1. Supreme Commander 2 Cybran Experimentals: Cyborgs Rock!
  2. Supreme Commander 2 Strategy Guide: Cybran Strategies
  3. Supreme Commander 2 Unit Guide: Cybrans Rule, UEF Drools!