Flechette Defense and ICBM, hah?

overcome · January 1, 2001, 17:22

"Gives units at base 100% defense against missile attacks. Each FDS within 2 squares has a 50% chance to knock out any ICBM before satellites are used". I have seen no other reference to ICBM. I can only assume that every missile unit in the game is considered an ICBM. I need confirmation on my interpretatiojn below, as follows;

1. "Units at base" means any unit within the base
radius (all 21 base squares in MFD).

2. "Each FDS within 2 squares..." means that there is
a 50% chance that an ICBM will be destroyed if it
comes within 2 squares of the base radius of a
city possessing the FDS.

3. "before satellites are used" means before orbital
defense pod is deployed.

If so, how to you deploy the orbital defense pod? Does it automatically trigger when necessary?

Misotu · January 2, 2001, 18:18

Not that I'm an expert on this, but I believe that the ICBM is usually referred to as a planet buster.

So basically, the Flechette gives your units plus 100% defence against *ordinary* missiles. I was under the impression that this applies only to units within the base itself, but I have to admit that I haven't tested this.

If an opponent sends a planet buster against one of your cities containing a Flechette, you have a 50-50 chance of knocking it out before it strikes.

This means that where planet busters are concerned, the Flechette operates similarly to an ODP, but is not as effective because:

- Unlike an ODP, which protects all of your cities, the Flechette is specific to the city where it was built and any other cities within two squares.

- While one ODP provides exactly the same level of defence against a buster as a Flechette, the cumulative effect is far more useful with ODPs. You'd really have to be playing ICS style to have several Flechettes have a shot at downing a buster aimed at one particular city.

Probability rules apply so one ODP means there's a 1 in 2 chance the buster will strike. Two ODPs means there's a 1 in 4 chance the buster will strike. And so on.

ODPs deploy automatically if a buster is launched against you.