This strategy guide discusses the Scrin's unique variety of support powers. This detailed and thorough exploration of the alien faction was originally compiled by MexicanBrother and has now been brought up-to-date for the latest version of Tiberium Wars.
Date: October 19, 2010
Game: Tiberium Wars 1.09
Author: MEXICANBROTHER
This Scrin Support Powers Guide will show you the many ways in which you can use the Scrin's unique variety of support powers to your advantage.
Note that support powers cannot be cast in the fog of war.
Reconstruction Drones
Cost: 1500
Duration: 60 seconds
Recharge: 90 seconds
Requirement: Warp Sphere
Reconstruction Drones are an early-to-midgame utility support power. The power summons repair drones to any location on the map for 1500 credits (on clear, buildable terrain). They will repair all nearby allied vehicles and allied Scrin infantry for one minute. Consider the following for using them to their maximum effect.
- The Reconstruction Drones count as a base structure (see below).
- This support power recharges quite fast, so you don't need to use it sparingly.
- The drones provides a small amount of vision. In fact, the fog-of-war clearing provided by the drones lasts just long enough after the drones expire until the end of the cooldown, so you can deploy a new set of drones again in the same spot even if you have no units nearby.
- Warp Spheres have similar Repair Drones, so if your vehicles or infantry are near a Warp Sphere, consider repairing there for free. (Repairing infantry never restores lost squad members, though.)
- Remember that Harvesters and infantry heal automatically while on Tiberium, so you may not need drones to repair those.
- The drones repair phased vehicles at an extremely slow rate (should be 1/100 of the usual, virtually useless for the 20 seconds that the Phase Field lasts).
Reconstruction Drones and Harvesters
When your Harvesters are being harassed, you can use the Reconstruction Drones to buy you time to bring in reinforcements. Summon the Drones over a Tiberium Field and move your Harvesters into them. Now with both Tiberium and the Repair Drones healing them, your Harvesters will be much harder to kill and should survive. Once you get your units over to the Harvesters, you can also place them under the drones.
Support your army
Field repairs. On large maps, when your army is heavily damaged and in desperate need of repairs, summon the Reconstruction Drones to heal them and get them ready for combat. Because this power recharges so fast, you can do this after most of your battles. This is especially useful on Devourer Tanks, whose low speed would make it very time-consuming to have them retreat for repairs.
Battle repairs. In the early-to-midgame, you can use Reconstruction Drones on your Seekers and Devourer Tanks in the middle of a battle to help them hold out. Be careful to keep the tanks in range of the drones. Often enough this can turn the tide. If you are at your opponent's base, your enemy may be able to repair their units at a War Factory, and deploying Reconstruction Drones could even the odds. However, this is no longer worthwhile during the late-game, because most advanced units have such high-damage attacks.
Buying time. In the late-game you will sometimes find yourself destroying your opponent's base while they do likewise to yours. If they destroy all of your buildings before you destroy theirs, then it's game over. But luckily for you, the Reconstruction Drones count as a building, and they are impossible to kill! This will buy you an extra minute to finish off your opponents base.
Drones and walkers
Reconstruction Drones can prove extremely useful when you are recovering walkers in the late-game. Summon the drones at the spot where you are reviving the fallen walkers. This will give you a cheap army of walkers at full health for a low cost.