Risso

Risso is a Tier 1 naval unit introduced in Version 6. It is a fast, ship-like combat unit that fires both bullets and homing missiles and is designed to operate from water tiles. Rissos are named after the Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus). They occupy a unique role among early-game naval forces by combining high single-target damage with the survivability to act as both offensive strike craft and mobile coastal defenders.

Rissos have 280 health, the highest health of any Tier 1 unit on Serpulo, and deliver the highest DPS among Tier 1 units. Their movement speed was standardized to 8.25 tiles/second in later updates. They carry up to 40 items of ammunition (item capacity increased from 30 to 40). Their weapon suite includes two rapid bullet mounts and a missile mount: the two bullet mounts fire at 2 × 2.3 shots per second dealing 9 damage per hit, while the missile mount fires at 2.4 shots per second, deals 12 direct damage, and applies 10 area damage in a roughly 3.1-tile radius; the missiles are homing. The unit’s range has been adjusted in patches and is currently approximately 23 tiles. A previous command squad limit of 8 was removed in later updates.

Because both of the Risso’s weapons lack piercing mechanics, they perform poorly against tightly packed swarms of small, numerous units; they excel instead against isolated defenses, structures, and individual high-value targets. Rissos are especially effective when a body of water lies between spawn points or cores: from such positions they can close to engage coastal defenses quickly and apply sustained high DPS. They are often used as primary naval attackers in water-dominated maps and can substitute for static turrets by defending shorelines or escorting transports.

Practical notes and common strategies:

• Use Rissos from water or along coasts; they are substantially less useful on land because naval movement constraints prevent effective pathing inland.
• Keep them away from concentrated swarms and piercing weapons; turrets that apply many small hits or have armor-piercing will reduce Risso effectiveness.
• Counter Rissos by denying them coastal approaches: build seawalls and place short-range, high-accuracy turrets (for example Arc-style close-range guns) behind cover so ships cannot hit cores directly. The Ripple turret (long-range, high single-shot damage) is particularly effective at destroying Rissos before they reach defenses.
• In offense, field Rissos together to overwhelm isolated turret groups; their homing missiles help track moving targets and finish off escaping defenders.
• Manage ammunition: with a 40-item capacity they sustain longer engagements than earlier builds but still require supply lines for extended operations.