Les Scrins

The Scrins, or Aliens– or indeed the Visitors – are an alien race from an unknown galaxy, beyond Pluto. Drawn by the explosion of liquid Tiberium caused by the GDI’s Ion Cannons at the end of the third siege of Kane’s Prime Temple in the midst of the Third Tiberium War. Arriving through an interdimensional Portal aboard stasis ships, they came under fire from the GDI’s Ion Cannons, but this did not prevent most of the ships from landing on Earth across all Zones.

Attacking indiscriminately, whether civilians or military personnel from the GDI or Nod, they caused unprecedented damage: the destruction of the Blue Zones in Central Europe (Zurich, Stuttgart, Cologne, etc.) – the cities will be so thoroughly destroyed in their wake that they will revert to Yellow Zones, undoing the GDI’s efforts to retake Earth, particularly those of the elite anti-Tiberium force: ZOCOM. But these are merely tactics to divert the local population’s attention from the Scrins’ true objective: the construction of giant towers several kilometres high and wide, known as Armatures. Despite the chaos caused since their arrival, the two factions have pulled themselves together and the GDI has begun to defeat the aliens, notably thanks to a brilliant Commander in Central Europe, by destroying the Visitors’ headquarters in Cologne – the GDI player. Seeing the resistance of the ‘natives’, the Foreman – the Scrin player – is ordered to halt by his I.To harvest the Ilkors (Tiberium in the alien language) as well as detailed intelligence on Kane, and to complete the construction of a Tower: Armature-19 (in southern Italy). The Foreman, ‘assisted’ by Nod under the command of an Officer from Kane’s Inner Circle – the Nod player – managed to escape via Tower 19, completing it in time, before the Scrin Control Node – a structure transmitting Tiberium radiation to the alien forces, vital to their survival – is destroyed during the GDI’s final assault on the aliens. Despite this victory, Armour-19 remains standing, now impossible to destroy, lying dormant, whilst the Scrin forces have been repelled but not defeated; leaving one question hanging: will they return?

Whilst the GDI specialises in direct assaults with overwhelming firepower and Nod in stealth and mobility, the Scrins combine these two approaches. Their infantry, for example, consists of only a few units, but they are fairly fast and pack a powerful punch (such as the Shock Troopers or the Ravagers). This philosophy is also reflected in their vehicles: mobile, powerful and resilient, as demonstrated by the Seeker, an anti-grav vehicle that detects stealth and can be upgraded with a shield, increasing its durability as well as granting immunity to EMP strikes, or the formidable Annihilator Tripod, which attacks with its tentacles and can even unleash an EMP blast on any mechanical enemy that dares to approach it. But it is in the skies that the faction truly reveals its full power through the Planetary Assault Ships, veritableaircraft carriers, capable of unleashing ion storms on command, or the mobile weapon of mass destruction that is the Mothership, armed with a catalytic cannon, leaving nothing in its wake.