Capturing Units
Only a Commander can capture, and it can take any finished enemy unit except another Commander. Capturing costs no metal and no energy, only time.
How Long It Takes
The time is worked out once, when the capture starts, and it depends only on the target, never on the Commander:
- Start with the target's energy cost ÷ 2000 + its metal cost ÷ 140 + 5 seconds.
- Cap this at 60 seconds.
- Multiply by (current hit points + maximum hit points) ÷ (2 × maximum hit points). A target at half health takes three quarters of the time, and a target close to destruction takes about half.
- Multiply by 1 + 0.1 × the target's veteran level, its kills ÷ 5 rounded down. There is no limit: a target with 25 kills takes 50% longer.
While Capturing
- The Commander has to come within its build distance of the target to begin.
- The work pauses while the target moves, and goes on from the same point when it stops.
- If two Commanders try to capture the same unit, their work does not add up. Each works on its own, and the first to finish takes the unit.
- A cloaked Commander is revealed while it captures and for 30 seconds afterwards.
What the Captured Unit Keeps
The captured unit keeps its hit points. It loses its orders and its kills, so a veteran becomes a new recruit. The unit it replaces leaves no wreck.
Worked Example
| Target | Energy | Metal | Time at full health | Time at half health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peewee | 697 | 53 | 5.7 seconds | 4.3 seconds |
| Bulldog | 2994 | 467 | 9.8 seconds | 7.3 seconds |
| Fusion Reactor | 36,058 | 5130 | 59.7 seconds | 44.7 seconds |
| Big Bertha | 64,680 | 4184 | 60 seconds | 45 seconds |
| Krogoth | 116,664 | 29,489 | 60 seconds | 45 seconds |
For the Bulldog: 2994 ÷ 2000 + 467 ÷ 140 + 5 = 1.5 + 3.3 + 5 = 9.8 seconds. At half health this falls to three quarters, 7.3 seconds. A Krogoth takes no longer than a Big Bertha, because both reach the 60-second cap.
Damage the target before you start: its health when the capture begins sets the time, and damage after that does not shorten it. Then keep your other units from firing on it, because a destroyed target cannot be captured.