User blog:Bloodhit111/Escalation Update: War Assets



The Escalation PC game update launches today (check out our Escalation Launch Guide!), and with it comes a significant expansion of our Outfit system, including the ability for Outfits to accrue new resource types and craft powerful War Assets to aid them in battle!

War Assets offer Outfits of every size and competitive level new tactical options and variety as they work together to accomplish strategic objectives in service of their Empire. War Assets can crafted from the new Outfit Armory tab using new resource types your Outfit can accrue through territory capture and control within the main game:



Outfit leaders will have the ability to grant privileges to other Outfit members to craft and/or deploy Assets in battle. Each Asset also contributes to your Outfit's storage capacity, with heavier Assets taking up more storage, so spend your resources wisely! When you're ready to deploy an Asset, it can be summoned directly from the map screen, just like a waypoint.

Examples of new craftables include:

The Bastion Fleet Carrier
This mighty leviathan of the skies has no rival on the battlefield! The Bastion is the ultimate force multiplier, capable of providing long-range air and ground support with mannable turrets, ship-mounted artillery cannons, an interceptor launch platform, and mobile respawn point for your entire Outfit.

Bastions require significant resources to deploy - you must craft each individual component before calling one down - and even greater coordination and collective will power to bring down!



Citadel Shield
This massive, projectile-blocking bubble shield can now be crafted to protect entire bases! Roughly the size of an Amp station, the Citadel Shield provides a sturdy line of defense for protecting any strategic objective.



Steel Rain
Outfit Leaders can now deploy an organized platoon drop pod assault on any target location! Outfit members can choose to opt-in (or out) of a Steel Rain, which can be utilized in a variety of tactical situations, from cracking a rival Empire’s stubborn base defense, to re-deploying your Outfit to a more advantageous strategic position.

A.N.V.I.L.
Infantry not getting it done? Utilize the A.N.V.I.L. system to airdrop a ground vehicle of your choice to soften up the enemy! Like Steel Rain, the A.N.V.I.L. drop location can be set via waypoint by a designated Outfit or Squad leader to any target location on the battlefield.



Orbital Satellite Uplink
Last but most definitely not least, Outfits now have the ability to radio in an Orbital Strike on any target location!



New Resource Types
War Assets require crafting time and new resources, which can be accrued by participating in normal Outfit operations. Outfits can earn 3 new resource types - Auraxium (green), Synthium (blue), and Polystellarite (purple) - by capturing and controlling territory in the main game. Each region's resource value is now displayed on the continental map:



Any player in an Outfit who participates in a base capture will earn some share of the spoils, but only the occupying Outfit will continue to accrue those regional resources over time. Collected resources are deposited in your Outfit Armory, where they can be spent on War Assets by the Outfit Leader or designated Outfit members with crafting privileges.





Each new resource type also has a rarity to it - Auraxium (green) is the most common, and can be spent on Outfit Expeditions to acquire more Synthium (blue), which can in turn be spent to acquire Polystellarite (purple). Those rarer and more valuable resources are particularly valuable when it comes to crafting your Outfit's very own Bastion Fleet Carrier!



War Assets are intended to add strategic depth to Outfit play, and provide Outfits with new communal goals, rewards, and tactical flexibility. New Assets will continue to arrive in your Outfit Armory in future updates. If you haven't joined an Outfit yet, there's never been a better time to sign-on, soldier! Outfits can be found actively recruiting in-game (check out the Outfit Recruiters in the new Sanctuary social hub), or on the Official Forums. Or start your own!

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