Defender capsule

A Defender capsule is an item that spawns small autonomous Defender robots which follow the player and attack nearby enemies. Spawned Defenders do not remain attached to the capsule; they enter the world as follower robots that pursue hostile units and structures while loosely tracking the player’s movement.

Follower Defenders follow the player with a noticeable lag and are affected by movement inertia. This inertia allows the player to manipulate the swarm’s position by changing speed or direction: accelerating toward an enemy base, turning in a curve, or otherwise maneuvering will cause the group of Defenders to “swing” outward, delivering damage to hostile targets while the player can remain farther from enemy firing ranges. The same principle applies when riding a vehicle or using movement-enhancing equipment such as the exoskeleton to control how the swarm approaches a target.

The total number of active follower robots, including Defenders, is limited by the follower robot count research. While using follower robots, the current number of robots in use is visible on an icon to the right of the quick-bar. Hovering the cursor over that icon displays the types of follower robots present and the currently researched maximum allowed.

Practical notes and common tactics:

• Use movement and inertia to your advantage: accelerate into enemy territory and then turn to fling the Defender swarm ahead of you, maximizing their contact with enemy buildings while minimizing direct exposure of the player.
• Combine Defender capsules with distractor capsules and other combat capsules to divide enemy attention and reduce damage to the player and to the robot swarm.
• Launching capsules into an enemy base from a safe distance is effective; the spawned Defenders will seek nearby threats autonomously.
• Monitor the follower robot icon to ensure you are under the robot cap; spawning more capsules will not increase active robots beyond the researched limit.
• Vehicle speed and exoskeleton use help control the swarm’s momentum and can be used to refine the “swing” technique for higher safety and effectiveness.

Defender capsules are primarily a tactical tool for front-line harassment and base assault, allowing the player to project damage without remaining directly in harm’s way.