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The Cruise Msl. is one of two missile units in Civilization II, available with the Rocketry advance. It is a cheap, "fire-and-forget" Modern-era offensive unit useful for softening up entrenched defenders.

Cruise Msl.s can be carried by Submarines as well as Carriers.

Strategy[]

Cruise Msl.s attack with an abbreviated combat animation that resolves within two hits. Regardless of outcome, the missile is destroyed afterward, but is only logged as a casualty if the target survives. Whenever the player is attacked by a missile unit, they receive a popup alerting to the attack and denoting the nearest city.

Cruise missiles' low production cost and high Attack and Firepower make them economical attackers, able to whittle down units with high defensive strength such as Mech. Inf. and Battleships, without jeopardizing the player's more expensive permanent units such as Armor and Bombers.

As air units, Cruise Msl.s ignore the defensive bonus of Fortresses and City Walls, but will contend with fortified units and terrain bonuses, including rivers. Cruise missiles attacking cities will prioritize garrisoned sea units, potentially ahead of more capable defenders.[note 1]

As a missile unit, Cruise Msl.s can be carried by submarines, allowing them to be smuggled past the enemy perimeter to launch strikes deep within the heartland.

Countermeasures[]

Cities hosting SAM sites and/or SDI Defense double garrisoned units' defense against missile attacks.[note 2] The AEGIS Cruiser features a fivefold defensive bonus, and is especially useful against computer opponents, who will typically concentrate missile attacks against fleets.

Civilopedia entry[]

One of the most effective weapons in modern military arsenals is the cruise missile. Cruise missiles such as the AGM-86 and the Tomahawk can be launched against a strategic target hundreds of miles away, traveling low to avoid radar and other means of detection, and hitting its target with unnerving accuracy. They can also be used against short-range, tactical targets such as ships. In this role, it is often possible for a single, $1 million missile to seriously damage or even destroy $80 million warships. These versatile weapons can be launched from air, sea, or land with equal effectiveness.

Modding[]

The Cruise Msl. is defined on Line 45 of the @UNITS section in Rules.txt. It uses the unique attack sound MISSILE.WAV.

Units of any domain can be flagged as a missile, but only air units can be carried by submarines and are subject to anti-missile defenses. The popup message for missile attacks is defined at @MISSILEATTACK in Game.txt. In the original Civ II, the text identifies the specific unit type; in Test of Time, this is changed to a generic description, although the unit-type variable can still be used.

Notes[]

  1. See FoxAhead's Combat Calculator: ships in a city without a SAM Missile Battery have their defense priority doubled; in a city with SAM, it is halved.
  2. This bonus compounds, so a city with both SAM and SDI provides a fourfold defense against missiles.

References[]

See also[]

Civilization II Units
Ground

Alpine TroopsArchersArmorArtilleryCannonCaravanCatapultCavalryChariotCrusadersDiplomatDragoonsElephantEngineersExplorerFanaticsFreightHorsemenHowitzerKnightsLegionMarinesMech. Inf.MusketeersParatroopersPartisansPhalanxPikemenRiflemenSettlersSpyWarriors

Sea

AEGIS CruiserBattleshipCaravelCarrierCruiserDestroyerFrigateGalleonIroncladSubmarineTransportTrireme

Air

BomberCruise Msl.FighterHelicopterNuclear Msl.Stlth Bmbr.Stlth Ftr.

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