Build the kill zone
Select a defense and deploy it on a construction pad. Overlapping fields of fire and specialized coverage matter more than raw damage.
Command the Aegis Walker
Right-click the battlefield or use WASD to reposition your combat walker. It attacks automatically, absorbs fire and builds Resolve through aggressive action.
Read the doctrine
Every round uses a tactical doctrine: Blitz, Siege, Air Raid, Convoy, Sabotage or Combined Arms. The intelligence panel previews the next threat.
Specialize defenses
Upgrade Power, Range or Fire Control. At higher levels, systems gain distinct combat behaviors rather than only larger numbers.
Break boss phases
Black Lance war machines change behavior at two-thirds and one-third health. Watch for shields, reinforcements, artillery locks and exposed weak points.
Spend Resolve
Commander powers consume Resolve: Thunder Barrage, Repair Drones, Sky Reapers and EMP Break. Chain kills to refill Resolve faster.
Manage Signal Heat
Heavy weapons and command powers raise battlefield signature. High heat attracts elite hunter columns. Jammers and Ghostline doctrine suppress it.
Draft protocols
After each secured round, choose one persistent protocol. Build a run around logistics, armor breaking, air control, Walker aggression or command powers.
Capture tactical relays
Move the Aegis Walker into the marked command relay radius. Hold position until capture completes. Each relay grants a permanent mission advantage and Command Tempo.
Trigger Requiem Overdrive
Kills, elite takedowns, relay captures and commander powers build Command Tempo. At maximum Tempo, every defense and the Aegis Walker enter a short high-output cinematic overdrive.
Exploit Battle Directives
Every round now declares a Black Lance posture such as Shock Spear, Iron Wall, Skyfall or Siege Lock. Read the counter recommendation and reshape your arsenal before the next assault.
Build linked batteries
Complementary defenses gain network bonuses when deployed near each other. Autocannon plus Flak, Mortar plus Jammer, Railgun plus Arc, Missile plus Drone and Bunker plus Flame create distinct combined-arms links.
Charge Precision Salvo
High-value kills build Salvo authority. At full charge the Arsenal Command automatically executes a cinematic precision strike against the most dangerous surviving targets.
Recover Field Resonance
The Aegis Walker magnetizes thirteen power-up classes: Salvage Cache, Command Reserve, Meridian Overclock, Weapon Matrix, Deep Scan, Fire Control, Ablative Grid, Salvage Rights, Fleet Escort, War Bonds, Command Core, Grid Overcharge and Shield Lattice. Bosses and elites have improved drop quality.
Use Command Cores and Repair All
Command Cores can be converted into Yield, Power, Range or Integrity from Command Intel. Repair All restores every damaged defense in one atomic transaction using the same investment-based repair economics as individual repairs.