Requires Level 5 in-game in order to build.
Characteristics[]
The Grinder is a heavy tank killer and pusher. It excels at taking damage and distracting tank fire, while also dealing considerable melee damage. It will track down any enemy in its range and damage it with its drill until it's dead. It's main downsides are its cost, slow build time and the fact that it cannot be built until Level 5 in-game.
Advantages
- Very high DPS and armor-piercing. Will destroy the heaviest units in a matter of seconds if placed properly.
- Very high HP and armor. It can be stored near bases without fear of significant damage from passing skirmishes. Lasts relatively long when receiving harassment from enemy mechs.
Disadvantages
- Cannot damage outposts or the Fortress.
- High cost and build time. Requires some level of premeditation to build up an effective assault with these units.
- Very slow and requires close proximity to damage units. Not suited against fast units or units in large amounts. Ineffective in a charge if the enemy is well-defended and at a far distance.
Strategies
- Since their high cost and build time make on-demand building unviable, it's best to build them over a long period of time and store in a safe enough location until the situation calls for its use. Their survivability will allow them to lay in wait for long periods of time, especially if your opponent does not know that you have them.
- When trying to destroy heavy tanks (like the Goliath or Devastator), drop some Grinders as close as possible to quickly neutralize them. This is an especially effective strategy as these tank types are too slow to evacuate the area quickly, and mechs cannot pick them up fast enough to drop them off to safety. If the tanks are moving drop Grinders closely in front to block their movement and get them to drive headfirst into your assault, and if the tanks are still drop them closely behind to take advantage of their slow turret speed.
- When ordering a Grinder army to attack a well-defended area, place Turtles close to the enemy defenses to distract the enemy for a while and give the Grinders time to get in melee range.
Overview[]
The Grinder is a specialized, anti-tank support unit utilizing a powerful drill and heavy armor. When used correctly, the grinder can make Pushing with armored units much more powerful against defending tanks.
The general strategy with Grinders, and Rollers is to have them "Spearhead" a push, that is, to be the leading unit in a tank line, as to take all the damage from the initial attack, protecting your other units, and allowing them to live to fight for much longer. The grinder utilizes its heavy armor to provide a meaningful decoy to enemy fire for quite a while. Unlike the Roller however, this armor isn't as high, and its health pool not as big. The Roller compensates for this by dealing a lot more damage to tanks.
Considering that the Grinder's weapon is a drill, it must come close to an enemy tank in order to damage it. Once it does come into contact with an enemy units however, it will inflict massive damage, capable of downing a Longhorn tank in just under a few seconds. The Grinder will automatically drive to the nearest enemy unit and attack with its drill provided it has not been given a command when dropped.
Its high armor makes it an excellent spearhead, but it's powerful attack make it a good "support drop" as well. Push with an army of tanks, and while your tanks are busy fighting the enemy, drop a roller behind the enemy tank line. The enemy tanks will be too busy fighting your tanks to pay attention to the grinder, allowing you to inflict some massive damage to the enemy tanks while they're distracted.
On Defense, the Grinder can be just as effective. If placed among defending units, enemy pushes will target the other units first, allowing your grinder to come out and surprise a distracted unit. The Grinder often pushes enemy tanks backward whilst attacking them with its massive drill, which can help stall pushes, and allow your defending units more time to fire at the attackers. And again, the massive damage output of Grinders makes them effective at chewing up enemy tanks, and can be exceptionally useful when defending against High-tier tanks, such as Goliath or Devastator; as the grinder can deal heavy damage to the tank while blocking off many shots with its high armor itself. And with support from Allied defending units and repair units, high-tier tanks will not live for very long.
The Grinder has a nasty habit of chasing down infantry with its large drill, which can be quite annoying if you need it to fight off tanks instead. Consider packing some light units with your Tank army to help keep infantry away, or give your Grinder an order to follow an allied tank, so that it cannot chase stray infantry. Be advised though, a Grinder will not attack enemies if given an attack or follow command, so make sure to reset the Grinder by giving it the "hold position" command.
The Grinder also falls under the Tank category due to its heavy armor. As such, grinders will take extra damage from enemies if attacked from the rear, so make sure to provide some cover if enemies are flanking it.
Gallery[]
