Noctua

Hardened armor plating and a reinforced chassis provide added protection for the crew of the Noctua from all battlefield threats. With access to the full TALON arsenal, the Noctua can be modified to fit the needs of a changing warzone.

—In-Game Description

Noctua
Unit Tier	10
Blueprint Acquisition	Event
Build Requisites	Garage Level 7
Metal Cost	25,000,000 Metal
Thorium Cost	1,500,000 Thorium
Basic Information
Unit Type	Light Vehicle
Unit Role	DPS: Sustained
DPS	54,016
Health	584,830
Unit Speed	120
Unit Range	375
Capacity Used	200
Squad Limit	4
Weapon Information
Weapon Type	Armor Piercing
Advanced Information
Equipment	Ballista Munitions School,Triarii Weapons Mastery, Tormentum Discipline, Ocularius Training, Draconarius Training, Draconarius Training, Decurion Grenade Launcher, Rorarii Missiles, Katepano .50 Cal HMG, Optio EMP Rockets, Aeneator Rockets CM, Aeneator Missile CM, Hamata Heavy Armor, Segmentata Composite Armor, Caligae Light Armor, Squamae 28mm Panels, Caetra Modular Armor, Augusti Turbodiesel Engine, Centauria Targeting System, Gladius Anti-Material Shells, Reinforced Lorica Chassis, QMR-Kuvasz Payload, QMR-Ridgeback Payload, Hastae Mortar CM, Socii Incendiary Missiles, Dolabra 40mm Autocannon, Venator Railgun, Vexillum Shock Rockets
Targets	Ground Units, Air Units

General Information

The Noctua is a Tier 10 Light Vehicle, exclusively unlockable through blueprint acquisition in Events.

Weapons

Noctua's machine gun fires Armor-Piercing rounds, dealing single-target damage to all enemy targets

Additionally, the Noctua can be equipped with a handful of secondary weapons.

• The second slot, unlocked at level 4, has the following options:
  • Decurion Grenade Launcher, which attacks ground targets and specifically devastate structures with its splash damage.
  • Rorarii Missiles, able to target everything with extra effect against Infantry and Light Vehicles
  • Katepano .50 Cal HMG, a versatile anti-air weapon that engages everything at great range.
  • Optio EMP Rockets, which covers only grounded foes, and provide some much-needed firepower against Heavy Vehicles through damage bonuses and stun on hit.
  • Aeneator Rocket CM, a defensive weapon that destroys nearby Rocket projectiles.
  • Aeneator Missile CM, a defensive weapon that destroys nearby Missile projectiles.

• The fifth slot, unlocked at level 10, has the following options:
  • Socii Incendiary Missiles, which rapidly fire at ground targets, burning them on hit and demolishing Heavy Vehicles.
  • Dolabra 40mm Autocannon, which add to the vehicle's existing anti-air firepower, but can also fire upon everything else
  • Venator Railgun, which hits only ground, pierces targets in its line of fire with bonuses against structures and Barriers.
  • Vexillum Shock Rockets, which exclusively engage enemy defense platforms of all kinds, dealing extra damage and stunning them on hit.
  • Hastae Mortar CM, a defensive weapon that destroys nearby Mortar projectiles.

Usage In Combat

Noctua can be considered a questionable combination of its contemporaries, Corvus and Aquila, having the former's DPS, the latter's overall mobility/range, but tops it off with the highest health of all TALONs, all at the same build cost. Though with access to the entire TALON arsenal for maximum versatility, it is best treated as a defense specialist in Light Vehicle platoons that makes better use of non-offensive equipment. For example, the rising prevalence of Rocket/Missile/Mortar projectiles can easily threaten Light Vehicles, and while they can outrun Mortars, they'll have to choose between DPS and defense, either of which require a severe compromise to bolster the other, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. As such, Noctua find great success by donning non-offensive equipment and putting them to good use, voiding this dilemma for the other two. Its high health can be bolstered by defensive equipment, making it harder to destroy at range. Being able to equip either Missile or Rocket countermeasures in the second slot, it can defeat enough projectiles while the others continue battering unhindered, not to mention the fifth slot additionally allowing it to ward off some Mortar rounds. To a lesser extent, this also applies to its payload, rewarding players who invest in QMR-Ridgeback/QMR-Kuvasz by dropping them and proving extra force to an offense, as well as for Oshkas carrying it. As a supportive unit it faces some competition due to Corvus' higher range and speed that does better at sniping enemy units, though it can still help in easing Corvus' pressure. This is only further accentuated by it being the FOB 12 Light Vehicle, where the health bonus multiplier dramatically improve its survivability and extend the support it provides no matter what platoon is in use, potentially making a huge difference.

Noctua's niche is as good as it gets, and can frankly form a platoon on its own, but the good things end there. Had it not for Corvus and Aquila's own downsides hindering their offensive capabilities, Noctua is as good as useless. It compensates somewhat with its defensive prowess and how it can be outfitted to tackle another type of threat, but the relatively small health increase isn't enough to make a difference outside of FOBs, resulting it being cast aside. Its misery only continues due to Serket's healing capabilities being often more valuable despite having no offense and worse countermeasures. Even when included, Noctuas at best could only serve as a subpar distraction to tank for other DPS units, with occasional extra value against enemy defenders in the right matchup. These combined factors limit its potential utility and restrict its presence to mostly FOBs, platoons that really need its support, or players who do not wish to invest in multiple units. Fortunately, as FOBs will often be useful in attacks, it remains a great investment, and many can make do with the TALON arsenal to workaround its own weaknesses, turning a merely tanky Light Vehicle into deceptively threatening adversary.

Level	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Stats
DPS	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)
Health	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)	Unknown (+Unknown)
Equipment	Ballista Munitions School,Triarii Weapons Mastery, Tormentum Discipline, Ocularius Training, Draconarius Training, Draconarius Training (Crew)	None	Decurion Grenade Launcher, Rorarii Missiles, Katepano .50 Cal HMG, Optio EMP Rockets, Aeneator Rockets CM, Aeneator Missile CM (Secondary)	None	Hamata Heavy Armor, Segmentata Composite Armor, Caligae Light Armor, Squamae 28mm Panels, Caetra Modular Armor (Armor)	None	Augusti Turbodiesel Engine, Centauria Targeting System, Gladius Anti-Material Shells, Reinforced Lorica Chassis, QMR-Kuvasz Payload, QMR-Ridgeback Payload (System)	None	Hastae Mortar CM, Socii Incendiary Missiles, Dolabra 40mm Autocannon, Venator Railgun, Vexillum Shock Rockets (Secondary)
Promotion Cost
Critical	313	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Common	882	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Metal	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Thorium	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

Trivia

• Noctua is Latin for "Owl".
• Noctua is is the only TALON to be featured in FOBs, lack an advanced variant, and does not share their base health values at equivalent levels.
• Noctua, alongside the other TALONs and Oshka, are the last IFVs avaliable in the entire game.

See Also

• Corvus
• Aquila
• Oshka
• QMR-Ridgeback
• QMR-Kuvasz