Name: Sidam
Side: GDI
ERA: Tiberian Dawn FMV
Tier: 2
Cost: $1000
Intro
The GDI Sidam is an AA focused vehicle that is based on the M113 chassis. The simplest way to explain its performance is that its health, speed, and ground attack damage, match the Nod APC (the Nod APC gun does the exact same damage as the GDI APC).
The weapon used to attack airborne units matches the damage and range of the GDI Slingshot from Kane's Wrath.
So what is being stated here is that the Sidam uses two different weapons, with different ranges and damage values, based on whether it is attacking a ground based target or an aerial unit (if you have played Kane's Wrath then you know that the Slingshot weapon range is significantly greater then the APC's).
A basic but effective mixed attack group, anti everything!
The Sidam will automatically select the correct weapon, you have no control over the weapon selection. This can cause issues. The reason that I opened by saying that the Sidam is AA focused is because the Sidam will always prioritise the AA weapon over the ground weapon, if it detects an enemy aerial unit. Let's be clear; you cannot target a ground unit if an enemy aircraft is within your AA weapon range. If you are attacking enemy ground units, and an enemy aircraft comes within your Sidam's weapon range, it will stop attacking the ground unit and switch to the aerial unit, until it is destroyed or flies out of range.
If you do not like the sound of that, then use the APC, or the Hover MLRS, instead. The point of the Sidam is to satisfy the Slingshot AA role, while allowing the vehicle to not be defenceless when facing ground units (please note that the Nod Linebacker has been switched to this weapon style also).
Please be warned that currently there is an issue where the Sidam will chose the AA weapon when within range of an aircraft that is parked at an airfield. This means that it cannot attack (the AA weapon can only hit aerial units, at a very low height an aircraft counts as a ground unit, to allow ground attacks to hit it). This issue is being looked into.
Gameplay
The Sidam is mainly used to escort other vehicles. Having Sidams among a mixed group will ward off enemy aircraft. As stated previously, the Sidam is AA focused, and if you think about the sheer number of units in C&C3 that can target aerial units, the Sidam is certainly a unit that would be built for more extreme AA measures (for sure you can build a few without seeing what your opponent has built, to perhaps make them think twice about investing in aircraft).
In terms of the ground weapon, since it matches the GDI APC, you would not really want to build the Sidam to mainly use the ground attack. The APC cost $300 less, and has more utility uses (attack transport, mine layer).
Without the upgrade, the ground attack is not cost effective
However if you would like an extra vehicle that can run infantry over, then maybe you might build it to help against mass Rocket type infantry, because the APC cannot run infantry over (I would seriously consider the fact that you can purchase 2 Hummers for the cost of a single Sidam, while they cannot run infantry over, they have much more speed and slightly better ground attack range).
When it comes to AA use, remember that your AA weapon has much better range than your ground weapon, you do not have to go too close to attack aerial units (indeed you probably would want fire from behind other ground units).
Ward off enemy aircraft!
Sidam vs Hover MLRS
The good news is that these are two very different units, so the choice is not really difficult.
The Sidam:
- Good vs Infantry, poor vs other ground targets, Hover MLRS is the reverse.
- Slow as the APC, the Hover MLRS is as fast as the Hummer.
- Can run infantry over! the Hover MLRS cannot.
- Attacks continuously vs aerial units, the Hover MLRS attacks in a burst.
- Can detect stealth aircraft (ie the Nod Vertigo), the Hover MLRS cannot.
- Has special armour that takes reduced damage from aerial attacks, the Hover MLRS no longer has this!
- Can benefit from a weapon upgrade (has no 'HEROIC' weapon or ability), the Hover MLRS has no upgrade, but gets a special 'HEROIC' ability.
- Cost less than Hover MLRS!
Generally speaking, you would use the Sidam to ward off aircraft in a mixed group. Their slow speed means that you will not be chasing fast aircraft. Whereas the Hover MLRS is used for focused aerial attacks, you click on the enemy air unit, deliver the high burst damage, then retreat while you reload, before repeating till the threat is neutralised.
Can detect Stealth aircraft!
Let's use the Scrin PAC as an example, the Sidams would prefer to destroy the small fighter drones that the PAC sends out, and once they have been destroyed, they would finish off the defenceless PAC.
The Hover MLRS would rush in and fire it's volley directly at the PAC, and if the PAC was not destroyed, it would quickly move out of the range of the drone fighters while it reloads, before closing in and again targeting the PAC (and hopefully finishing it off!).
The way that you would approach fighting aircraft with these 2 units is completely different.
Tungsten AA shell upgrade
The numbered list mentioned an upgrade, and here it is!
Kane's Wrath fans will recognise the name. In Tiberian History, the Sidam is the only unit that benefits from the upgrade, however it will upgrade both the ground and AA weapon!
If you have played Kane's Wrath I can make it simple for you; this upgrade makes the ground weapon exactly as strong as the AP bullet upgraded APC, and makes the AA weapon as strong as the Tungsten upgraded Slingshot.
With the ground weapon being stronger than the standard GDI APC, there might actually be a case to build the Sidam for its ground attack capabilities.
Muzzle smoke and a larger tracer are a couple of ways that you tell that a Sidam is upgraded!
The upgraded AA is beastly, unlike the Kane's Wrath version, this adds a small amount of area-of-effect damage (the ground weapon does not get AOE damage), which is perfect for damaging tightly bunched aircraft (something that often happens in the C&C3 engine).
Upgraded AA is beastly!
Once again, despite the impression that I have given, this is an extremely easy to use unit, it should certainly be considered, and I would suggest that for AA use, it is much easier to use vs the Hover MLRS, because of the continuous nature of the weapon, and the auto prioritising of aerial units.
