The ZOCOM Orca is the modified version of the GDI unit and is most commonly known for its sonic charges, which shred groups of ground targets. However, the Zorca has had a troubled past throughout Kane's Wrath history and has mostly been forgotten in patch 1.01 due to its small ammo capacity: most players weren't willing to pay $1500 for a weak Zorca when the stock Orca could have up to four times its ammo capacity and hunt Harvester much more effectively with their lock-on missiles. These two factors, lack of ammo and unguided shells, made the the Orca mostly overlooked and was one of the key reasons ZOCOM was the underdog of Kane's Wrath during version 1.01.
On 18th December, 2008 everything changed.
Patch 1.02 is now alive and bristling online and ZOCOM has been given a new chance at life; more so, the Zorca has had a big make over and is now a favorite amongst players. The ammo capacity has been increased to five from the previous three; unlike the normal Orca, it was not effected by the 50% decrease in rate of fire, and with the Ceramic Armor upgrade its also more capable of base assaults or crippling enemy armor divisions.
The Zorca's main purpose is hit and run. Individually, the two additional sonic grenades don't sound too big of a change; however, if you have four Zorcas, that means you have 20 shots instead of 12! This opens new doors for the Zorca as they can now take on very heavy armor, even tier 3 walkers and Mammoth Tanks.
Four Zorcas are a force to be reckoned with in tier 2. If you can get them before your enemy techs up then you will have a huge advantage for most of the game. Four Zorcas can easily destroy a Command Post, Operations Center, Nerve Center, Barracks, Power Plant and, with the help of the Orca Strike, take down a War Factory. Their quick unloading shells pack quite a punch at stationary targets, especially a bunch of Harvesters queuing up at a Refinery. However, moving targets are another issue.
The Zorca is still fairly poor at hitting moving units, so their biggest nemeses are Pitbulls and Attack Bikes; you may need to practice leading your shots and predicting where your enemy is going to move and force attack the ground. Even so, its always a better idea to wait for your enemy to stop moving; in a tanks versus tanks clash there is always a window of opportunity for your Zorcas to swoop in and destroy everything in sight.
(Read more:
Tip of the Week # 11: Leading Your Shots)
To sum up the Zorca you have to remember it's a support unit only. Since ZOCOM does not have any powerful tier 3 armor you need to lead a charge during mid-game. A large group of Predators accompanied by some Zorcas is extremely hard to stop, so never overlook them during a fight.
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