Tempest Rising units: A Practical Guide to Armor and Weapon Counters
Learn how Tempest Rising units use weapon types, armor resistance, and battlefield roles in GDF and Tempest Dynasty matchups.
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How Tempest Rising unit counters work
A unit that looks strong on paper can struggle when its weapon meets the wrong armor. Understanding Tempest Rising units means looking beyond their names and roles: weapon type and armor resistance shape how attacks affect different targets. This guide explains how to read those matchups and apply the information in combat, with examples from GDF and Tempest Dynasty battles.
The player video identifies six weapon types: Rifle, Rocket, Explosive, Cannon, Fire, and Sniper. Each unit and building has armor with different resistance to those attacks. You can inspect a unit’s weapon and armor details by hovering over the weapon and shield icons in its stats. A good approach is to check both tooltips when a matchup surprises you, then compare the attacker’s weapon type with the target’s resistance.
| Weapon type | Listed as an attack type |
|---|---|
| Rifle | Yes |
| Rocket | Yes |
| Explosive | Yes |
| Cannon | Yes |
| Fire | Yes |
| Sniper | Yes |
The examples below are player experience from a video about the counter system. For a roster overview, see the Tempest Rising Wiki unit guide. The wiki describes units as controllable infantry or vehicles with their own stats, abilities, and perks, while the player video focuses on how weapon and armor interactions affect particular fights.
Unit classes and battlefield roles
Tempest Rising units are grouped into broad classes, and each class has traits that affect movement, durability, or damage interactions. The unit guide describes these general characteristics; individual armor resistances can still differ across units.
| Unit class | General traits described in the unit guide |
|---|---|
| Infantry | Includes standard and heavy infantry; some infantry can garrison structures |
| Light vehicles | Typically fast and lightly armored; cannot crush infantry |
| Medium vehicles | More armored and slower; can crush regular infantry, except hovering units |
| Heavy vehicles | Can crush all infantry types and light or medium vehicles, except hovering units |
| Aircraft | Fly over obstacles and are vulnerable to Rocket attacks |
The wiki distinguishes standard infantry from heavy infantry. Standard infantry can go prone under sustained fire when at low health. This reduces incoming damage but leaves them immobile. Heavy infantry do not go prone and can only be crushed by heavy vehicles. The guide also notes that infantry are resilient against Rocket and Cannon attacks, but very vulnerable to Fire and Sniper attacks.
Ground vehicles have their own broad pattern: most are resilient against Rifle and Sniper attacks and can be countered with Rocket and Cannon attacks. These are class-level descriptions, not a substitute for checking a specific unit’s armor. The player video’s examples show that exact resistances can affect how a force performs against a particular target.
Combat also has a movement constraint: armed units must be stationary to attack. Unarmed units have the passive “Standoff Orders” trait, which causes them to keep their distance from enemies when selected and moved as part of a group. When positioning an armed group, a good approach is to account for the time it needs to stop before firing.
Read the matchup before choosing a counter
The player video’s Havoc example shows why Tempest Rising units’ weapons and armor both matter. The Tempest Dynasty’s Havoc uses Rocket attacks and has strong resistance to Rifle, Fire, and Sniper attacks. That makes it a poor target for Dynasty Guards, whose Rifle weapons meet the Havoc’s stronger defenses. Havocs, in turn, can threaten targets with low Rocket resistance.
The player video says Tempest Rigs and Harvester Wheels have 25% resistance to Rocket attacks, and describes GDF harvesters as equally weak to Rockets. A Missile Turret also fires Rockets, but the video notes that its range is limited and Havocs can move out of it. Missile Troopers use Rockets and have high Rocket resistance; the video also describes their Dash ability and says light vehicles such as Havocs cannot run them over.
| Example matchup from the player video | Sourced interaction |
|---|---|
| Havoc and Dynasty Guard | The Havoc resists Rifle attacks; the Dynasty Guard uses a Rifle weapon |
| Havoc and Tempest Rig | The Tempest Rig has 25% resistance to Rocket attacks |
| Havoc and Harvester Wheel | The Harvester Wheel has 25% resistance to Rocket attacks |
| Missile Trooper and Havoc | Missile Troopers use Rockets and have high Rocket resistance; the video describes their Dash ability |
| Missile Turret and Havoc | The turret fires Rockets, but its range is limited |
These examples show why a unit’s weapon type alone does not describe a full matchup. A good approach is to inspect the target’s armor as well as the attacker’s weapon, then consider whether the attacker can remain in range long enough to fire. The player video’s Missile Turret example illustrates that range can matter alongside weapon and armor interactions.
Apply the system to a GDF force
The player video describes three Tempest Rising units in a GDF combination: Drone Operators, Sentinels, and Hunter Tanks. Each unit contributes different attacks or battlefield effects, so examining the whole force means considering more than one weapon type.
Sentinels use Rifle weapons, mark targets, and allow GDF to gain intel by killing marked units. The video says networked weapons deal more damage to marked targets. It also describes Dynasty light infantry—including Dynasty Guards, Missile Troopers, and Engineers—as having zero resistance to Rifle attacks. Sentinels, by contrast, have 50% resistance to Rifle, Fire, and Sniper attacks.
Drone Operators use Cannon weapons, while their drones use Rockets. In the video’s examples, those attacks are ineffective against Tempest Dynasty light infantry but highly effective against light vehicles such as Havocs and Pillagers. The video also says the Boar Tank has low resistance to those two weapon types. The Boar Tank uses a Cannon weapon, which the video describes as effective against Sentinel and Hunter Tank armor, and it can run over Drone Operators. Its Cannon attack does little against infantry.
| GDF unit or target | Detail from the player video |
|---|---|
| Sentinel | Uses a Rifle, marks targets, and has 50% resistance to Rifle, Fire, and Sniper attacks |
| Hunter Tank | Has no Cannon resistance by default, according to the video |
| Drone Operator | Uses a Cannon weapon; the accompanying drones use Rockets |
| Drone | The video describes Rocket attacks as effective against drones |
| Tempest Dynasty light vehicles | Havocs and Pillagers have little armor resistance to the Drone Operator’s Cannon and drone Rocket attacks |
The video also describes Matchsticks as using Explosive attacks that deal area damage, and says they are effective against Sentinels and Drone Operators. It names Missile Troopers, Havocs, and Dragonflies as units whose Rocket attacks can damage drones. A good approach, based on these examples, is to compare each part of a mixed force separately: the video describes different weapon interactions for the operators, drones, and armored vehicles.
Protect your base and economy
Tempest Rising units also matter outside direct army fights. The player video describes an Engineer tactic that attempts to capture a Command Center. It gives several ways to defend against that attempt: move the Command Center with an MCV so its location is harder to find, or pack it up when a capture attempt begins. The video says a Command Center cannot be captured while in vehicle form.
Other defenses in the video involve the space around the Command Center. Turrets nearby can help; the GDF can place a Barracks garrisoned with Field Scouts next to it, while Dynasty buildings can be upgraded with turrets. Walls or buildings can also block Engineers’ physical access. A good approach is to use these options in light of the described capture mechanic: the Engineer needs access to the target, and a packed-up Command Center cannot be captured.
| Engineer capture situation | Defense described in the player video |
|---|---|
| The Command Center is at its starting location | Move it with an MCV to make it harder to find |
| A capture attempt begins | Pack the Command Center into its vehicle form |
| An Engineer is approaching the target | Use walls or buildings to block physical access |
| The area around the Command Center needs defense | Use nearby turrets; the video also mentions a GDF Barracks with Field Scouts or Dynasty buildings upgraded with turrets |
The video also describes a Skycrane transport carrying Drone Operators or Drone Maulers, with Engineers repairing the Skycrane from inside. It says GDF players can use this force to harass harvesters, approach a base using stealth, or escape the attack range of vehicles. The video presents this as a difficult threat in the player’s experience and does not give a definitive response. Separately, the unit guide says aircraft are vulnerable to Rocket attacks.
A simple process for choosing Tempest Rising units
Use the weapon and armor information as a practical checklist when a matchup is unclear:
- Identify the target. The unit guide groups units into infantry, vehicle, and aircraft classes, with additional vehicle and infantry subtypes.
- Check the weapon. Hover over the weapon icon in the unit’s stats to read its attack type.
- Check armor resistance. Hover over the shield icon to see how the target resists the different weapon types.
- Compare the details. The player video’s examples show that the same attack can meet different resistance on different units.
- Account for movement and range. Armed units must stop to attack, and the video’s Missile Turret example notes that Havocs can move out of its limited range.
This checklist puts the source-described details—class, weapon, armor, movement, and range—into one decision process. The player video’s Havoc and GDF examples show how those details can differ from one matchup to another. For more examples of weapon and armor interactions, see the player video on Tempest Rising unit counters.
FAQ
How do I check a unit’s weapon type in Tempest Rising?
Hover over the weapon icon in the unit’s stats to read its tooltip. The shield icon provides armor information, including resistance to different weapon types.
What are the weapon types in Tempest Rising?
The six types listed in the player video are Rifle, Rocket, Explosive, Cannon, Fire, and Sniper.
Which Tempest Rising units can crush infantry?
The unit guide says medium vehicles can crush regular infantry, except hovering units. Heavy vehicles can crush all infantry types, while heavy infantry can only be crushed by heavy vehicles.
Why can Tempest Rising units counter one enemy but struggle against another?
Armor resistance differs across targets, and weapons deal damage through different attack types. Checking the target’s armor and the attacker’s weapon can help explain why a particular matchup plays out differently.