Mastering the Phantom Ray: Mechabellum’s Armored Airborne Bruiser

Deployment & Core Value

• Anti-Mustang Brick: Shut down rapid-fire units (Mustangs, Vulcans) with Armor Tech, forcing costly enemy pivots.

• Air Frontline: Tank damage for fragile air units (Wasps, Overlords) while melting medium threats (Sledges, Steel Balls).

• Tech Chameleon: Transition from armor-tank to late-game DPS with upgrades like Shield Tech or Missile Overdrive.

• Chaff War Enabler: Clear Mustangs to let your chaff (Crawlers, Fangs) overwhelm the field.

  • Weaknesses:

    • Vulnerable to burst snipers (Marksmen, Phoenix).

    • Struggles vs. air-spec Wasps or Overlord swarms.

    • Reliant on chaff control to protect from flankers.

Strategic Timing & Matchups

• Early Game:

  • Deploy 1-2 Phantom Rays with Armor Tech to hard-counter Mustang/Vulcan spam.

  • Use as a frontline for early Wasps or Hackers.

• Mid-Game:

  • Tech Pivot: Add Shield Tech if enemy responds with Marksmen/Phoenix.

  • Damage Transition: Build 3+ Rays with Missile Overdrive to melt giants (Melting Points, Fortresses).

• Late Game:

  • Anti-Air Counter: Pair with Overlords to handle air-spec Wasps or Phoenix swarms.

  • EMP Bait: Use Rays to absorb EMP strikes, protecting key units like Stormcallers.

    
    

Countering Phantom Ray: Adapt & Overwhelm

• Early Counters:

  • Marksmen/Phoenix Snipes: Focus fire before Shield Tech is added.

  • Chaff Flood: Overwhelm with Crawlers/Fangs to stall Rays’ damage.

• Mid-Game Counters:

  • Overlord Swarms: Out-DPS Rays with mass air units.

  • Anti-Air Wasps: Melt Rays with Aerial Specialization.

• Late Counters:

  • Melting Point + Energy Absorption: Burn through Rays’ HP while neutralizing their missiles.

  • Missile Interceptor Mustangs: Block projectiles if Rays lack AoE tech.

• Pro Tips:

  • If Rays armor-brick your Mustangs, switch to Sledges or Arclights for chaff clear.

  • Use EMP to stall Shield Tech Rays, then delete them with Phoenix charged shots.

    
    

Phantom Ray: Tech & Synergy

1. Armor Brick Wall:

   • Tech: Armor Plating + Shield Tech.

   • Role: Neutralize Mustangs/Vulcans, then tank Marksmen counterfire.

   • Synergy: Pair with Crawler Swarms to exploit cleared chaff.

2. Missile Barrage Carry:

   • Tech: Missile Overdrive + Damage Amplifiers.

   • Role: Melt giants and clustered units late-game.

   • Risk: Requires chaff clear (Vulcans, Stormcallers) to maintain line of sight.

3. Air Deathball Anchor:

   • Tech: Shield Tech + HP Upgrades.

   • Role: Tank for Overlords/Wasps while disrupting enemy backline.

Key Philosophy

The Phantom Ray is a psychological weapon—force enemies to waste resources countering its tech shifts. Start as an anti-Mustang brick to destabilize their economy, then pivot to damage or air support. Always pair with chaff to exploit its disruption, and abandon the strategy if the enemy hard-commits to Overlords or Melting Points. Adaptability is its greatest strength; never let opponents predict your next tech.

Stats currently not available

Tech Upgrades

Burst mode (200)
Each attack launches 10 missiles, but increases reload time by 150%

Armor Enhancement (300)
HP is increased by 35% and 60 damage is blocked when attacked. The damage blocking effect increases by 60 with each level

Sticky Oil Bomb (100)
Launches a slowing Sticky Oil Bomb et enemies every 12 seconds. The Sticky Oil Bomb has a range of 180m and can be ignited by fire

High-Explosive Ammo (300)
Increases splash damage range by 7m, but decreases ATK by 40%

Range Enhancement (300)
Increases attack range by 40m

Stealth Cloak (250)
Phantom Ray's ATK increases by 40% and it is cloaked by default. Phantom Ray cannot be targeted by the enemy while cloaked, but will reveal itself when attacking.

Energy Shield (200)
Obtain an energy shield that absorbs damage equal to your HP and can block at least one instance of damage