Riot Command

"Clad in tactical infection-halting neo-brigandine, megacolony riot control teams are renown for their CQC skills. - Cryovat description."

Available from the APC based Cryovat in Neurocity, Riot Command units are powerful melee combatants. They have an inbuilt 100% bonus to melee damage and a 99% resistance to infection. Additionally - while not clearly explained in their description - they gain all the benefits of a Neo-Brigandine Cape by default: 30% resistance to melee and ranged damage, 50% resistance to fire damage, and a small passive morale bonus. These bonuses stack with other Neo-Brigandine Capes and with the damage resistance ribbons a unit gains by leveling up. As a result, Riot Command units are one of the most durable in Strain Tactics. This all comes with one downside - Riot Command units slowly generate stress at all times, meaning their negative trait will periodically trigger even if the unit is not in combat. Note that the inbuilt morale recovery mentioned above is not enough to overcome this stress by itself.

Phalanx
Heavy riot teams fight as a group, and their attacks gain knockback when near friendlies.

Close in!
Attacking anything, even the ground, calms their powerful, violent love for close combat.

When Close in! triggers, the Riot Command unit affected will charge any visible hostiles with reckless abandon.

Hidden Traits
Riot Command units receive the benefits of a Neo-Brigandine Cape even if they do not possess one in their inventory, including a 30% resistance to melee and ranged damage, 50% resistance to fire, and a small passive morale boost.

Tactics

 * As Riot Command units benefits from each other, it is best to use two or three units of Riot Command with mix range/melee weapons and carry some decontamination pills for the 1% chance of infection. The remaining units can be in a support role, such as Medical Team or 'Alfa' Air Crew.

Trivia

 * A "Phalanx" is a battle formation developed by the Ancient Greeks in which shield-bearing soldiers formed a rectangular shape facing the enemy, with spears held over said shields to prevent enemy cavalry from breaking the formation.
 * The Phalanx formation continues to see use internationally by police equipped with riot shields - it is an effective way to block incoming, slow-moving projectiles like thrown rocks or Molotov cocktails.