Missile Cruiser

Missile Cruiser
	80
	7
	425
Ranged Strength	100
Attack Range	3
Unlocked at	Robotics
Abilities	+100% Combat bonus vs Submarines. May carry 3 missiles. Has Interception 100.

The Missile Cruiser is a Naval Ranged unit available in the Information Era.

Overview

A missile cruiser is, excepting the aircraft carrier and nuclear submarine, the most powerful naval weapon in the modern arsenal. Designed to carry and deploy the enormously powerful, accurate and long-ranged cruise missiles, a missile cruiser can often target and destroy an enemy on land or sea, long before the enemy even knew the missile cruiser was in range. The Ticonderoga-class American missile cruiser is arguably the most powerful vessel afloat, armed with 122 launch tubes that can carry a huge variety of surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and even anti-submarine missiles. It is also equipped with a variety of anti-aircraft Gatling-style guns, capable of destroying incoming enemy missiles and aircraft in short order.

Strategy

The Missile Cruiser is a modern warship and the last word in naval combat technology, combining the ranged lethality of a Battleship with the submarine detection and anti-aircraft abilities of the Destroyer. It's also fast and tough, carries a mean Ranged Combat punch, and is pretty good at intercepting enemy aircraft, making it an all-in-one naval unit. Most importantly, the Missile Cruiser can carry Guided Missilesand Nuclear Missiles, allowing you to transport these deadly weapons right up to the enemy's shore. In short, Missile Cruisers have practically no weak point. They lack only the indirect fire ability of the Battleship, which is rarely a problem when fighting ships or bombing coastal cities but limits their usefulness against targets that are far inland.

For best results, combine Missile Cruisers with other late naval units, and keep them close to your Carriers to defend against incoming air attacks.

Unique Unit Replacements

Icon	Unit	Civilization	Abilities
	Aegis Cruiser	The Allies (Michael Dugan)	-38% Combat Strength (50 vs. 80) -29% Movement (5 vs. 7) -6% Production Cost (400 vs. 425) Cannot attack ground targets Can Intercept aircraft (up to three times per turn.) +50% Combat Strength while defending +150% Combat Strength vs. Air Units.
	Ubåtsjagare	Sweden (Olof Palme)	Much weaker (58 vs 80) and slower (5 vs 7). Unlocked at Computing. Gains a unique promotion based on the Focus of the city it is trained in, and heals per the nearest city's local Happiness. May capture enemy Submarines that are within city limits.