| “ | Troopers, ready for action! - Zone Trooper rolling out of the Barracks. |
” |
Zone troopers were advanced heavy infantry used by the Global Defense Initiative in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars and its expansion, Kane's Wrath.
Background[]
After extended operations in Tiberium infested areas, the GDI infantry command commissioned the development of the advanced protective environmental suit. The result was the Zone Troopers, elite infantry units deployed to distant areas in the harshest of conditions.[1]
Their suits were made with a composite armour originally developed for the Mammoth tank, making them impervious against small arms fire. Miniaturized power generators enabled the suit to operate while carrying heavy loads such as anti-tank weapons and oxygen supplies.[1] These suits were fully sealed, protecting them from Tiberium exposure.
Zone Troopers were armed with armour piercing rail-guns that allowed them to engage vehicles and structures while retaining a high level of mobility. This is further enhanced by back-mounted jetpacks which helped them move through rough terrain and obstacles.[1]
Game unit[]
The railguns that Zone troopers are armed with are greatly effective against vehicles, capable of cutting through light to moderately armored units with relative ease, and still pose a substantial threat to heavily armored vehicles. However, their weapons do not retain the same effectiveness against infantry, and they can be brought down by powerful anti-infantry units, such as the Black Hand. They are also immune to the harmful effects of Tiberium fields, and boast a jetpack ability which allows them to bypass terrain obstacles that would otherwise hinder their progress. This efficiency against vehicles, combined with their mobility and their immunity to Tiberium radiation, makes them fine harvester hunters.
The sensor pack upgrade allows them to detect stealth units within a limited radius and increases their line of sight and firing range, while the power packs upgrade enhances their durability and allow them to heal automatically. It is worth noting, however, that this self-healing is still subject to the restrictions of squad-based infantry, and will not heal above a certain threshold if one of the squad's members is eliminated.
Unlike their ZOCOM counterparts in Kane's Wrath, Zone troopers are incapable of damaging aircraft.
A drop pod delivers Zone Trooper reinforcements.
The Zone trooper drop pods support power can be used to summon three veteran Zone trooper squads to the battlefield.
Abilities[]
 |
Jetpack | Allow Zone Troopers to take flight, clearing large amounts of terrain in a single jump to land at a targeted destination. This activated ability has a 10 second cooldown (Ctrl+S). |
 |
Call for transport | When available, the Zone Troopers can call for pickup by a V-35 Ox transport for a small fee of $200. Has 2:00 cool down, requires Airfield. (Ctrl+A). |
Upgrades[]
 |
Scanner Packs | Provides Zone Troopers with a 20% range and line of sight bonus while also allowing them to detect stealth (Ctrl+S). | Purchasable at any Command Post for $500 and takes 0:15 to research. |
 |
Power Packs | Makes Zone Troopers considerably more durable by adding 50% more hit points and also confers self-healing (Ctrl+D). | Purchasable at any Armory for $1000 and takes 0:30 to research. |
Development[]
The initial zone trooper design did not have sealed armour. The fanbase complained this did not make sense given the Tiberium-contaminated environment they were supposed to operate in. The final design was sealed, though the original design can still be seen in several cutscenes, most notably the GDI campaign introduction.[1]
Changelog[]
- Tiberium Wars patch 1.05: resistance to cannon-type damage increased by 45%
- Kane's Wrath patch 1.02: jumpjets no longer have a small pre-jump delay, flying speed increased
Quotes[]
When created[]
- Troopers, ready for action!
When selected[]
- Troopers in the field.
- Whaddaya need?
- Alive and ready.
- We're here.
- Trooper squad.
- What's the call?
- That's right.
When moving[]
- We hear ya.
- Got it.
- Let's go, troopers!
- Moving!
- Time to go!
- I'll check it out.
- Let's move.
- Let's get over there.
When using jump jets[]
- Over easy!
- Hit it!
- Let's go!
- Punch it!
When garrisoning a structure[]
- You know where to find us!
- Take it!
- Going in!
When ordered to attack[]
- Sit tight!
- We got 'em!
- Let's do it!
When attacking[]
- Shut this party down!
- Pin 'em down!
- Oh yeah!
- Have at it!
- We got this one!
- Take 'em!
- Get a load of this!
In combat[]
- Keep 'em comin'!
- We got this handled!
- It's under control!
- Here, want some more?
- Have some of this!
- Take that!
When retreating[]
- It's no use, let's go!
- We're outta here!
Trivia[]
- Zone troopers were originally to have their heads exposed in the zone armour. Eventually, a design decision was made to make the zone armour fully enclosed.
- Zone troopers would have being randomly assigned customized suit paint jobs. This feature was cut from the final game, though the code to implement this is fully functional, and the customized zone trooper textures are included in the sample art pack of the official mod SDK.
- Zone troopers bear a striking resemblance to the original Mobile Infantry from Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. They both wear large and bulky powered armour, both use jetpacks to perform long jumps and make sudden entrances onto the battlefield as opposed to flying, they use extremely powerful handheld weapons, and both are deployed from orbit via a disposable transport pod.
- Single zone troopers can be added to a map instead of squads with the Worldbuilder, and these single units can garrison civilian structures.
Idle animations[]
- A zone trooper does a one-armed push-up, similar to the commando.
- A zone trooper will beat his chest with one arm.
- A zone trooper will kneel.
Gallery[]
Concept art featuring helmetless zone troopers
Concept art featuring helmetless zone troopers
Early concept art
Early render
Early render
Early render
A zone trooper preparing to jump
A large group of zone troopers
Render of various customized suits of armour
See also[]
- Zone raider, ZOCOM variant
- Shadow team, Nod equivalent
- Enlightened, Marked of Kane equivalent
- Shock trooper, Scrin equivalent
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Cinematic: "Campaign Introduction".
 Global Defense Initiative Third Tiberium War Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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