Welcome! This page provides you with a summary of the faction, as well as other information such as where to play it, where to make suggestions, and what you can help the project with!
If you would like to know more, join the discord server to chat with us and see all the secrets of how we make the mod:
The Nomads are a lost civilization in deep space, diversified in their respective fleets and cultures, and united together as a confederation. In the mod, they are added as a fully-fledged fifth faction, with unique units, strategies, and even custom taunts!
Nomads Units
Land Units
Rather than a light assault bot, the Nomads have the Grasshopper Light Assault Vehicle! Initially used for law enforcement and boarding actions, these hovercraft have been repurposed to provide the equivalent of LABs for the faction. Just like their counterparts, they are able to fire from transports, attaching upside-down to make that possible!The Silhouette T1 Land scout has a hover ability which, when combined with the LAV, allows them high flexibility in very early combat.The Eclipse T1 Tank was developed by the nomads after seeing the other factions field heavier units than their LAVs on the field. It is armed with a powerful cannon, at the cost of having the least armour compared to its factional counterparts.Rather than having dedicated T1 anti-air and artillery units, the Nomads instead field the Barrager Anti-Air Artillery, which can engage both ground and air targets. This flexibility is offset by a higher cost – a unit that can engage everything is rather hard to build!To combat heavier T1 units, the Nomads developed the Marksman Tank Destroyer – a long-range unit with a powerful gun capable of killing many T1 units in a single shot. However, they have a slow turn speed and lackluster armour, so be sure to protect them!The Avalanche T2 Mobile Missile Launcher for the Nomads is amphibious, even able to fire at a reduced range whilst underwater, making it able to destroy naval structures and even some close land targets.The Scarab T2 field engineer is equipped with tactical missile defense, giving the Nomads a potent mobile TMD. To balance its mobility and cheap cost, the Scarab is still inferior to static T2 TMD buildings.Rather than fielding a mobile shield, the Nomads take an aggressive approach with the Dominator T2 EMP tank. It deals extra damage against shields and disables enemy units, allowing area effects to work to their maximum advantage.The Brute T2 heavy tank is capable of taking on the largest threats on its tech level. However, it suffers from low speed and the need to be protected by cheaper units.The Nomads also have the Rogue T2 Fast Assault Hovertank, similar to the other factions. It possesses high speed and a high rate of fire, allowing it to be used on land as a raiding unit against less armoured targets. In the future, this may be replaced with an amphibious unit instead!The Slugger T3 Heavy Tank is the Nomads’ answer to the armoured assault bots of other factions. Armed with heavy cannons that have area-of-effect damage, the Slugger becomes formidable when used in tandem with the Dominator EMP tank to clump up and annihilate enemy units.The Mauler T3 Mobile Artillery is fairly similar to the other faction variants, able to deal damage over a long distance. Like the Aeon’s mobile artillery, the Mauler can fire while moving.The Watchman T3 Mobile Anti-Air Missile Launcher is similar to the other factions, although historically it occupied this niche alone! Before FAF added T3 anti-air to all the other factions, Nomads had it first!The Nomads also field the Nova T3 Heavy Hover Tank. Armed with missiles and a heavy cannon, the Nova can traverse the water and even participate in naval fights.Engineers are a key part of any faction, and the Nomads don’t miss out. Their engineers can hover, just like the Seraphim and Aeon, keeping them safe from torpedo weapons.
Air units
Just like the other factions, the work horse of the Nomads air forces is the Falcon T1 Interceptor.The Nomads air scout is developed from one of the faction’s space drones, able to provide intel similar to its counterparts.The Phoenix T1 Bomber for the Nomads specialises in precision strikes. As such, it’s armed with missiles rather than bombs, similar to the Cybran T2 Fighter-bomber. This allows it to target enemies in hostile airspace and deliver its payload more consistently.The Diligence T1 Transport is different from the rest of the factions, able to carry only four units. However, this comes with the advantage of a lower price and a higher speed, giving the Nomads the option of using more transports at the same time.The Nomads also field the Golem T1 Gunship, which allows them additional flexibility in the early stages of battle, able to destroy targets more consistently than bombers.The Spitfire T2 Fighter-bomber sacrifices some of its ground weaponry in exchange for cheaper construction. However, its anti-air capabilities remain on par with other fighter-bombers, making it more cost-effective at engaging air targets than its counterparts.The Nomads use the unique Vanguard T2 Torpedo Gunship rather than a torpedo bomber. It can engage both ground and naval targets with its all-purpose missiles, with higher consistent damage than the other factions, but less up-front damage may leave them at a disadvantage engaging anti-air ships.The Scalestoria T2 transport can ferry up to 10 T1 units, similar to its factional counterparts. Unlike the other factions, it is unarmed.The Nomads’ Hornet T3 Gunship is able to engage the heaviest ground targets with its twin heavy cannons, much like its factional counterparts. It also comes equipped with deadly anti-air missiles which, while not as effective as a Restorer’s missiles, inflict far more damage than UEF and Cybran T3 gunships. A swarm of Hornets is a threat you shouldn’t take lightly.The Beholder T3 Air Scout lets the Nomads peer deep into enemy bases, and detect stealth units, matching the other factions’ ability to do so.The Red Rage T3 Strategic Bomber can conduct air strikes deep into enemy territory and take out key targets. While it deals less damage to individual targets, the incendiary charges carried by the bomber cover a larger area, making it well suited for bombing large land armies.The pride of the Nomads’ air force is the Thunder T3 Air-Superiority Fighter. This repurposed space fighter is the most heavily armed air unit fielded by the Nomads, able to match anything the other factions throw at it.
Naval Units
Armed with a rapid-fire cannon and anti-air missiles, the Lance T1 Frigate is the cornerstone of the Nomads navy. They trade defense for offense, having the highest sustained damage on their guns out of all the factions, in return for having the least armour.When underhanded tactics are required, the Buccaneer T1 Submarine comes into play. Having no deck gun, it is solely focused on torpedo weapons, dealing slightly more damage than the other factions.The Nomads’ T2 Destroyer is relatively lightly armed, with the benefit of a longer range, equal to its Cybran and Aeon factional counterparts. An ideal unit for bombardment, as well ship to ship combat, the Firestorm has average armour, but no anti-air defenses.The Mercenary T2 Cruiser trades anti air damage for flexibility – having relatively low damage anti air missiles, it is armed with a long range EMP cannon able to disable enemy targets from afar. As a result, it pairs well with the destroyer in combat. Additionally, it is able to construct high damage tactical missiles which require manual launch, just like a stationary TML.The Whaler Railgun Carrier is the support ship on the T2 stage, armed with torpedo weapons, torpedo defenses, and tactical missile defenses, it is able to protect the navy against indirect threats.Rather than having a strategic submarine, the Nomads field the Leviathan T3 Tactical Submarine. Unable to launch strategic missiles, it instead has powerful torpedoes and EMP missiles for disabling enemy ships.The Juggernaut Battleship is the heaviest ship in the navy, able to both dish out and take extreme amounts of damage. It is unique among the factions in having all of its cannons forward mounted, making it ideal for pursuit.The Mastodon Aircraft Carrier is the naval anti-air solution for the Nomads. Armed with heavy flak, it can take out vast swathes of enemy air units, while also providing defense against tactical missiles, as well as constructing and repairing aircraft.
Structures
The Nomads power requirements on the ground are met by the use of repurposed starship reactors, used to generate vast amounts of energy, rather than thrust.Mass extractors for the Nomads are little more than mining equipment originally designed to extract minerals from asteroids. With some minor reinforcement, they were put to use on places with gravity. A similar story holds for the mass fabricators, which are adapted from replicators designed to provide necessary goods in deep space.The Nomads storage solutions are similar to the other factions, being housed in separate structures for both mass and energy, with the latter exploding violently on critical damage.Used for scanning in deep space, these sensor arrays serve as stationary radars for the Nomads. They have the unique ability to go into overdrive, increasing their detection range in return for a huge increase in power consumption.Listening outposts taken from space and put into the sea, the Nomads use them for their sonar platforms. They share their radar counterpart’s ability to increase detection range for a steep energy cost. Like their counterpart, the T3 installation is able to move around the battlefield.Originally used for mass fabrication of spacecraft, the printing technology of the Nomads has been put to good use inside the factories of the faction, providing it with all the armies it needs.Conceived late into the conflict with the other factions, the SCU factory prints the body for the unit before attaching the head, containing a human pilot at the end of the process.Converted from various space station modules, the Nomads air staging is unique in its ability to store aircraft inside. As a result it is possible to protect them from damage and prevent their detection.Nomads point defenses are re-used ship cannons mounted on the ground, the smaller autocannons serve as light defense, helped by the heavier Piercer turret on the T2 stage.Similar to point defenses, Nomads torpedoes feel right at home in the sea, after a long history of use in deep space for ship to ship combat.Masters of shooting down flying things, the Nomads wasted little time in converting their guns from ship mounted to ground mounted, resulting in anti-air cannons, flak cannons, and SAM installations on the T3 stage.Originally used to take out capital class ships or for orbital bombardment, T2 artillery installations for the Nomads feature a very large cannon with a single purpose – destroying anything it points at.A unique addition to their defenses on the T3 stage, rocket artillery installations are used by the Nomads to saturate enemy positions with missiles. They serve as a supplement to their direct fire T2 cousins, having the same range.Dealing with heavy missiles and similar has always been a key part of space combat for the Nomads, making it easy for the faction to adapt this doctrine to ground combat. The Tactical Missile Launchers for the faction are able to deliver high damage payloads at high range, while their Tactical Missile Defenses can shoot such missiles down. Unlike the other factions, the Nomads use a rapid-fire TMD. It requires multiple hits to destroy a single missile, but this is offset by the much higher rate of fire.Strategic missiles for the Nomads are based on their FTL technology. Creating a miniature singularity, they are able to devastate large areas, sucking in and crushing anything within its event horizon before dissipating.Unlike the other factions, the Nomads do not field T3 artillery installations directly on the ground. However, recognizing the need for bombardment, they instead developed satellite control centres – able to beam power to a linked artillery battery in space – to direct orbital bombardments across the battlefield.These artillery satellites are deployed in tandem with the satellite control centres, the pair working together to create the T3 artillery for the Nomads. When powered and directed to do so, they rapidly discharge a series of highly volatile projectiles in the direction of the enemy, dealing massive damage. This solution is one of the more damaging variants among the different factions and has the added flexibility of a satellite – the ability to switch targets very quickly thanks to its smaller design.Unlike Quantum Gates, navigating at FTL speeds presents constant peril. To mitigate this threat, the Nomads developed protective deflector shields for their starships. With some minor alterations, they then adapted this technology for use in ground-based shield generators. An intel disruption upgrade allows these shields to also act as stealth field generators.
Experimental Units
The airborne experimental unit fielded by the Nomads is the Comet T4 transport. It has a staggering capacity of 72 T1 or 18 T3 units. This makes it the largest transport in the game, as befitting a spacefaring faction. Uniquely, it can transport naval units, as well as some experimentals! Most notably, the Nomads’ Beamer is able to fire while onboard, transforming the Comet into a lethal ghetto gunship!
The Beamer is the Nomads’ direct fire experimental. Utilizing a repurposed starship reactor core to direct superheated plasma at the enemy, the Beamer can swiftly melt through its foes. The unit can hover and, when loaded into the T4 Transport, can tap into its integrated systems and fire while onboard!The Crawler is the Nomads’ solution for all things related to bombardment. Armed with an impressive array of long-range tactical missiles and the ability to construct strategic missiles, the Crawler is the weapon of choice for overwhelming TMD and shields or launching nuclear strikes. Able to hover, it can bombard the enemy from both land and sea.
How to play the mod
Simply select Nomads from the game type drop down when hosting. Everything else is done automagically. Get out there and enjoy!
The Nomads campaign
Nomads features a full-length campaign that is currently under development, with some of the missions already available to play! It contains custom maps, voice acting, and its own story line!
The story is designed to tie into the events surrounding Black Sun, where the Nomads fight their own shadow war during the Infinite War. You follow the journey of Scout Fleet 012, which played a pivotal role in the Nomads’ side of the galaxy-spanning conflict.
Bear witness to unlikely alliances, betrayals, and more as you embark on a journey through the Nomads’ universe, at the most important time in the factions history.
Also, you can set it to show up in the FAF client!
Simply go to the top right corner, click on settings from the dropdown menu and then select Spooky from the database. Then the Units tab will show you all five factions!
What the project needs your help with
We are currently looking for almost every job imaginable, but in particular:
Map Makers (the campaign missions)
Texture artists (unit creation, and graphical content)
3D modellers – any software
LUA coders (unit creation, and code maintenance)
Sound designers
Voice Actors
Game testers for the campaigns and mod
If any of those sound like you, or you simply want to know more, join our discord server here:
