ZU "Exhaust"

The ZU with English name “exhaust” costs 200 minerals and 10 population. Its description states “A heavy self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. It shoots down aerial targets and can fire directly at ground targets.” Demo build 23882143 records 500 base hit points, extra-health capacity 300, frontal armour 30 and side/rear armour 15. The extra pool begins empty. Its gun records 60 infantry damage and 20 vehicle damage, with firing on the move enabled. The air-targeting role and ground damage fields answer different questions. Check the expected aircraft and ground threats when choosing an escort rather than assuming a guaranteed bombing interception.

The official description states “A heavy self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. It shoots down aerial targets and can fire directly at ground targets.” The developer’s post of 10 February 2026 discussed counter-fire and tactical aircraft as responses to artillery. It provides context for anti-aircraft escort, not a rule requiring this particular vehicle in every army. The demo’s bomber-call descriptions also warn that aircraft can be shot down. ZU Exhaust’s official description confirms an air-targeting role alongside direct ground fire. Read the aircraft and tactical-call pages to identify what might arrive; the announcement does not establish an interception time or a fixed escort size.

Calculated ground outputs are 80 infantry damage per second and 26.7 against vehicles. They do not measure interception performance against an aircraft. Since firing on the move is enabled, the gun can support a moving formation in its applicable state, but escort positioning still needs to consider line of fire and the protected units’ route. Use the anti-air role to answer an observed threat rather than assuming every unescorted artillery battery dies to a single bombing run. Compare the aircraft’s attack with the ZU’s targeting and nearby support.

ZU Exhaust costs 200 minerals, compared with a Dreadnought’s 700. The existing grouped-cost comparison is 800 minerals, but it does not establish an optimal escort count or say the vehicles cannot win any ground fight. If aircraft are part of your attack, assess anti-air coverage and other defenders before committing. Removing a ZU may reduce that coverage; it does not guarantee a clear air route when other guns remain. For its owner, balance the observed air threat with ground support. The aircraft and weapon pages give a more useful comparison than price alone.