| “ | Those fools at GDI continue to destabilize the Tacitus with their "experiments"! The artifact must be taken from the hands of these children before they destroy it once and for all! Do not fail me! - Kane outlining the predicament |
” |
Tacitus Regained is the final mission of Kane's Wrath.
Background[]
LEGION had successfully raised the Marked of Kane from their slumber, bolstering Nod's depleted forces. However, Nod was not out of the woods yet: the signal from the Tacitus suddenly began fluctuating, signaling that the alien data matrix has become dangerously unstable from GDI's experiments. Fearing that the Tacitus may self-destruct soon, Kane ordered LEGION to mount an attack on GDI's Tacitus Containment Facility and retrieve it immediately.
Despite its skill, this would prove to be LEGION's toughest battle yet: the Tacitus Containment Facility was one of GDI's best-guarded military installations, and the sheer value and irreplaceability of the artifact the facility studied garnered the protection of GDI's main military in addition to support from both of GDI's specialized and highly elite divisions.
New Units[]
The Battle[]
The Marked of Kane, under LEGION's command, arrived at the outskirt of GDI's Rocky Mountains base and quickly established a base.
The Tacitus Containment Facility is located within the heart of the complex, and is protected by two layers of impenetrable energy barriers. The complex itself is also extremely heavily guarded, patrolled by both ZOCOM and Steel Talons forces and dotted with AA batteries, Watchtowers, and Sonic emitters.
However, the complex also has several weaknesses: much of its defensive emplacements are powered by poorly defended external power plants, and most of GDI's forces are massed within bunkers under the mountain. Taking advantage of these weaknesses, LEGION destroyed the power plants, cutting off power to most of the complex's defenses, and collapsed the bunker exits, trapping GDI's forces inside the bunkers.
After capturing two GDI communications centers, Nod hackers began disabling the energy barriers protecting the Tacitus while LEGION's forces protected them from GDI counterattacks. After the outer barrier went down, the Black Hand 2nd Armored Regiment arrived to assist LEGION, bringing their own MCV with them, and after the inner barrier went down, mainline Nod forces arrived as well.
Unfortunately, by the time the energy barriers were disabled, the Tacitus was already on the brink of destruction. LEGION's forces raced against time to break through GDI's defenses around the Tacitus facility. Eventually, a Saboteur successfully captured the Tacitus before its self-destruction and it was hastily transferred to Kane.
At long last, Kane's prophecy was fulfilled.
| “ | In Kane’s name I claim the Tacitus! We got it! I can’t believe we actually got it! - Unidentified Nod Militant |
” |
Aftermath[]
Kane holding the recovered Tacitus
Kane, with the unstable Tacitus in hand, thanks LEGION, and connects the alien device to LEGION before it could self-destruct. When accessing the Tacitus, LEGION receives a message from an unknown source, written in the language of the Scrin.
| “ | EARTH WARP GATE STATUS ACTIVE COMMENCING PHASE II INVASION - The Tacitus' warning |
” |
Walkthrough[]
(This walkthrough assumes Hard difficulty.)
You begin the mission with 22 000 credits in reserve, two Reckoners, four Awakened squads, two Enlightened squads, and four Venoms. A small Marked base is set up shortly after arrival, consisting of a Construction Yard, a Refinery, a Hand of Nod, a War Factory, and an Ops Center with a single Disruption Tower. The infantry squads and Venoms already have veterancy. After immediately upgrading the power plants with Liquid Tiberium Cores (as your base is immediately low on power), you have a fairly solid starting position, with areas of attacks directly to the north and west. Setting up choke points there using the Reckoners and your experienced infantry will help prepare for the initial wave of attacks, with Venoms in reserve as a quick reaction force. The mission entails a challenging march toward the Tacitus research facility with one caveat: As soon as both Firestorm-derived barriers are disabled, a timer counting down to the Tacitus' destruction (and mission failure) will begin.
The initial moves should focus on securing a generous supply of resources, capturing the three spikes to the west (which also deny supplies to the GDI) and the silo, and reinforcing a battle line to keep GDI attacks at bay, which will only intensify. The map is fairly flexible when it comes to playstyles, with the quick Redeemer built one of the most optimal choices. GDI has three main bases spread out outside the shield, with a final one behind it. Each has its weaknesses, with the most glaring being the cluster of upgraded power plants on an island directly north of your starting Tiberium field. Taking it out will severely weaken their ability to defend the approaches to the main base and the comm centers you have to capture and is also a side objective. The other cluster is on the opposite side and is a little trickier. You will also have to contend with four bunker exits constantly spawning new enemy units.
Notably, the constant attacks work to your advantage if you set up a good defensive perimeter: Constant influx of experience and relatively fast leveling up of units means a powerful force can be built up relatively quickly, while the eventual Juggernaut spam means a lot of artillery for your side. Capturing them is made even easier by the Cybernetic Legs upgrade, which greatly increases the Saboteur's speed. Once your position is stable and you can beat off most attacks, consider expanding westwards, near the first communications center, and capturing the spikes and the tib field there. A stealthed Redeemer is a good spearhead and will help provide an additional income for fortifying the battle line and open up the central forces for flanking. After that, pushing into the central and ultimately the northeastern part of the map will allow for a good jump-off point for attacking the main base around and within the shield. GDI attacks get progressively weaker as you sweep the map, so by the end you'll snowball into a powerful army that can just attack move anything (even the MARV spawning at the end won't change the tide).
In fact, holding off on capturing the three communications centers until the map is clear of GDI will allow you to pretty much stack the odds in your favor. Note that if you want to play with the Black Hand arsenal, you need to capture the comm center, as you'll get a Black Hand MCV once the first barrier is down (and a third for the regular Nod tech tree once all three are hacked through). However, keep in mind that you're under a roughly 17 minute time limit from the moment you capture the first comm center. Each additional center accelerates the hacking rate, so it in fact makes the mission harder, if you aren't ready.
Note that while the frontline rests against the shield, you'll also be subject to constant attacks by Hammerheads, Shatterers, Orcas, and more, trying to attack your force. Creating another expansion base there surrounded by base defenses might make for a good choice. When each energy barrier is down, you get a 7 minute countdown to the Tacitus' self-destruct. Completing the mission at this point is as easy as capturing the target building.
Valuable assets[]
- Several Tiberium Spikes and Silos across the map (all controlled by the local GDI garrison)
- Several clusters of resource crates for the player to pick up.
- A large Tiberium field in the southwest and a blue Tiberium field in the northeast, occupied and loosely defended by GDI.
Trivia[]
- This is the only mission in the game that the player has access to the Marked of Kane.
- This is also the only mission where the player can command the technologies of more than one Nod faction.
- Though the facility is guarded by standard GDI, Steel Talons, and ZOCOM forces, the facility itself appears to be owned chiefly by ZOCOM.
- The research facility itself has ZOCOM's emblem, as do the reinforcement bunkers.
- The Firestorm-like barrier is passable by aerial units if they remain on the map edge while passing the barrier itself.
- However, all structures within it are made completely un-selectable and invincible, and any units who are not have a vastly increased HP pool.
- The computer's autosell function means that they will be removed (sold) if a Saboteur somehow walks next to a structure. However, given that they are protected by Sonic Repulsion Fields, this should not be a threat.
- The structures and units return to normal upon the corresponding barrier's removal.
- However, all structures within it are made completely un-selectable and invincible, and any units who are not have a vastly increased HP pool.
- This is the only mission where Sonic Repulsion Fields are deployed by the opponent.
- Much like the final mission in the Nod campaign of Tiberium Wars, the seemingly single enemy appears to be controlled by multiple computers.
- Certain non-defensive structures will be sold upon a Saboteur's presence, while others will not. Additionally, the power outage caused by the completion of the secondary objective only affects certain defensive emplacements.
- The inner compound in charge of the facility itself cannot run out of power.
- Disabling the Construction Yard (the only visible source of power) does not affect its defenses, and in any case the power it outputs is insufficient to support so many structures and defensive systems in normal gameplay.
- Aside from Persuade Him..., this is the only mission to use bunker entrances.
Videos[]
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