The Pulinsmash Experimental Mobile Unit Magnet is an Illuminate experimental unit. It sucks up units one-by-one and smashes them against each other to destroy them, at an interval of approximately 2.2 seconds.
Notes
The Pulinsmash must be manually deployed to use, this disables its movement until you tell it to deactivate its vortex. This ability costs no energy and may stay open indefinitely. It is not possible to repair a deployed Pulinsmash.
The Pulinsmash cannot target buildings, enemy ACUs, or experimental units. It may target any other regular unit however including all non-experimental sea units.
The rate of which the Pulinsmash sucks in units is unaffected by any research, veterancy, health or size on the part of both the Pulinsmash and also the targets it sucks in, making it better dealing with small groups of expensive enemies than large swarms.
The Pulinsmash may target units within its range that have not been revealed by your radar systems.
It is not possible to designate specific targets for this unit. You can only deploy it and wait for it to pick its targets on its own.
The Pulinsmash costs resources similar to most minor experimentals but has the build time of most major experimentals.
Tips
The Pulinsmash cannot move when activated and should not be deployed in a location where mounted turrets and tactical missiles can aim at it unless there is a tactical advantage.
This unit is highly situational. Unless a definite plan for its use exists, it is more practical to build Urchinow Experimental Assault Blocks or Airnomos with the resources. Note, however, that Pulinsmashes do not discern between land, air or even naval units, unlike their more conventionally gun-bedecked brethren.
The Pulinsmash is excellent at area denial. A good strategy is to put one with some ground turrets and shields in a deeply contested area or chokepoint, and the enemy will be forced to divert Experimentals to that area, which may otherwise have attacked you elsewhere. Caution is necessary, because eventually your frustrated opponent will try to nuke the outpost.
Additionally, the Pulinsmash has a surprisingly large range, and doesn't have to be deployed in a chokepoint to be effective. Deploying it a short distance behind the chokepoint allows it to eat enemy units with little fear of retaliation. Even better, of course, when you push forward, you can take it with you and deploy it just behind any front line you desire.
The long range of the Pulinsmash makes it excellent against the troublesome UEF and Cybran Navies, since it destroys them as readily as it does a tank or aircraft. Even battleships are not safe from this experimental.
The Pulinsmash can teleport using the Space Temple whilst deployed. Try deploying several near your Space Temple and teleporting them in on unsuspecting units. This can be useful for turning the tide of air battles where the risk of units entering the Space Temples beacon is low, or for intercepting units fired by a Noah Unit Cannon.
While the Pulinsmah cannot move when deployed, it can still be pushed by other experimentals. transports however will now disrupt the shield.
The Pulinsmash is comparible to the Airnomo in defending against non-experimental air units, but with superior range and survivability. However, the Airnomo is capable of engaging Experimentals, mobile while firing, and targetable.
The name is an abbreviation on "Pull in, smash", because that's basically what it does.
A Pulinsmash placed near the end of a Loyalty Gun's maximum range can make the Loyalty Gun much more effective, since the Pulinsmash cannot target experimental units, but the Loyalty Gun can. This forces the Loyalty Gun to target experimentals, without having to constantly micromanage it.
If deploying into a enemy zone it is best to put in a couple of Airnomo's and Yenzoo's to provide cover while it slowly eliminates the enemy's ground units.
If you are attacking an enemy base, a Pulinsmash can be used to suck in enemy units as they are produced from factories. Deploy it a short distance outside the base; if you can, have an Engineer or your ACU put a shield generator next to it. As your main force crunches through the base from one direction, the Pulinsmash saps away enemy reinforcements. This works best if the enemy's army has already been engaged and destroyed.
Overall, the only place where a Pulinsmash should belong is at the back of the attack-force or a lot of PD's, completely out of harm's way.
Enemy units caught in the energy field will still be able to fire. However their accuracy will be greatly diminshed, as it will be spinning around too fast for more than 2 shots to be fired in the same general direction. missle launcher units can still hit the units as well but the shots will probably be landing on other units so damage is pratically useless.
Trivia
this is the only illuminate land unit to use treads.
