Obviate

Obviate is a tier-3 flying enemy unit that attacks by launching spiraling lightning projectiles. It first appears in the Ravine sector and is notable for high single-target damage and durability compared to other aerial attackers, though it remains the most fragile unit among tier-3 ground/air mix units. Obviate’s primary weapon combines a large basic projectile with chained lightning, producing a bursty attack with a relatively long effective range and strong shock effects against ground targets.

Obviate’s weaponry and performance are concrete: it fires once every 2.333 seconds (140 ticks) with a per-shot basic-bullet damage of 56.25 and generates chained lightning fragments (8–9 fragments depending on source breakdown) that do around ~17 damage each and apply Shock. Those chained lightning shots are limited to ground targets and suffer a -75% building damage penalty when represented as interval lightning bullets (16 → 4 against buildings in that form). The effective range of the combined attack is 22.5 tiles, with a maximum reach up to 27.5 tiles when the ending lightning chain is included. Projectiles travel at 3 tiles/sec and the main projectile lifetime is 60 ticks (1 second). Obviate’s turret or firing component does not rotate rapidly (turn speed listed as 20), which contributes to a slow aiming/rotation behavior.

Offensively, Obviates are well-suited to direct assaults on lightly defended or poorly observed bases. Their high damage makes full-on attacks practical against walls, production buildings, and areas near the enemy Core. Because they are flying units, they can bypass some ground obstacles and reposition quickly to strike different areas of a base. However, they lack the long-range reach of some other late-game flyers and are vulnerable when attacking defended positions; slow rotation and firing cadence mean concentrated defenses and turrets can stop them quickly. Against air-capable defenders such as Disperse, Obviates should employ hit-and-run tactics: deliver a heavy initial burst, then retreat to allow weapons to cool before repeating. Prioritize destroying enemy ammo and high-threat turrets first to maximize survivability during raids.

Defensively, Obviates are dangerous because they can enter poorly watched sections of a base and inflict significant damage before being engaged. Prepare for their arrival by deploying anti-air coverage in vulnerable sectors and by using Build Towers to speed turret placement when a wave includes air units. Units that explicitly counter Obviates include fast circling or anti-air units: the Avert can circle and kite individual Obviates, two Clerois can intercept many projectile threats, and the Elude—under optimal play—can win a direct matchup because Obviate’s rotation and tracking are slow. Obviates deal extra damage to large targets, so split forces and spread structures to reduce the impact of their burst splash and chained lightning.

Practical points and interactions:

• Obviates spawn beginning in Ravine sectors; sectors will often signal the arrival of air units so use that time to prepare Disperse placements or anti-air defenses.
• The main shot’s high single-hit damage makes walls and production buildings ideal targets; focus those during assaults.
• Lightning fragments cannot hit air, so severing a turret’s ammo or pushing down ground turrets reduces sustained defensive damage.
• Slow rotation speed means Obviates can be kited or outmaneuvered by faster units; use mobile anti-air to exploit this weakness.
• When defending, split units/structures to mitigate the effects of chained lightning and splash on clustered assets.
• Against fast or numerous attackers, leave Obviates on guard duty over an area so they can fire continuously at incoming targets rather than being ordered to chase single fast enemies.