The cloaking field is a large alien device found on some UFOs that provides a craft with protection from missiles. Specifically, while a craft is "cloaked" (visible as a partial-transparency effect), missiles targetting it will not turn. The "cloaking" effect drops for a short time whenever the cloaked craft fires weapons.
This device is used to limit the chance of impact from hostile weaponry by confusing the automatic aiming of any weapons and to increase the chance of an active missile's failure in tracking any cloaked craft.<br>
While Active, the Cloaking Field also severely reduces accuracy of beams and projecticles, similiar to the Personal Cloaking Field. Can be very costly in terms of City Damage, as most shots fired will go wild, spraying all over the place.
One device per craft is sufficient.
While [[Alien Ships (Apocalypse)|UFO types]] 6, 7 and 8 make good use of the Cloaking Field against X-COM, the Cloaking Field's unwieldy size of 3x4 and its research prerequisite of the [[Large Disruption Shield]] make it rather difficult for X-COM to employ the device. Only the [[Hawk Air Warrior]], [[Bio-Trans]], [[Retaliator]] and [[Annihilator]] can equip a Cloaking Field, and all must give up 800 points worth of [[Small Disruption Shield|shielding]] for the privilege. Moreover, a typical fighter loadout of multiple beam weapons will render the cloak nearly useless, as the rapid fire rate of these weapons will prevent the cloak from re-engaging. Cloaking an unarmed [[Bio-Trans]] isn't the worst of ideas, but otherwise, shielding is generally superior.
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Tactics for engaging cloaked UFOs are simple - don't use missiles, since they won't work. Instead, use beam weapons such as the [[Lineage Plasma Cannon]] and [[Medium Disruptor Beam]].
See [[Alien Tech Levels (Apocalypse)|Alien Tech Levels]] for information on when Cloaking Fields will begin to be used.
An Annihilator with Cloaking Field is almost impervious to standard hoverbikes and hovercars You can use this to [[Jasonred79's Guide to Making Friends with Corporations for FREE|bait the defenders]]
The Cloaking Field is an Alien defense system that disrupts the detectors of missiles or weapon control systems. Effectively this means that the craft is almost invisible to radar, infra-red and visual sighting. It is very effective but the field must be disabled temporarily if the craft is using any of its own weapons systems.
Cloaking Field
Craft Item
Size: 3 × 4
Weight: 80
Cloaking: 100%
Missile Jamming: 20%
Manufacturer: X-Com (exotic copy)
Sell Price: 16450
Maximum Weekly Stock: 17
This device is used to limit the chance of impact from hostile weaponry by confusing the automatic aiming of any weapons and to increase the chance of an active missile's failure in tracking any cloaked craft.
One device per craft is sufficient.
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