While the Unwritten Raider’s Code (URC) prioritizes life preservation, there exists a final, brutal doctrine governing extreme failure scenarios: **Calculated Detonation Protocol (CDP)**. This doctrine provides the ethical and tactical framework for determining when a Raider must initiate self-sacrifice—usually via a final, high-yield explosive deployment—to ensure the survival and resource preservation of the remaining squad. CDP is the ultimate expression of Genuine Team Interdependence (GTI), requiring a cold, strategic calculation that places the mission’s logistical viability above individual life.
This analysis dissects the specific parameters that justify self-sacrifice, transforming a personal demise into a strategic asset denial and mass enemy elimination event.
The Principle of Resource Multiplier Effect (RME)
CDP is justified only when the resultant destruction yields an RME greater than the value of the Raider’s continued life. This RME is calculated by factoring enemy density (TCM), the value of the assets secured by the surviving team (LPO), and the potential for the Raider’s current gear (Gadgets, Ammunition) to cause maximized destruction. The scenario must offer guaranteed annihilation of Tier II/III threats or the certain incapacitation of a Colossus unit (CVT).
- **CDP Trigger Condition:** The Raider is immobilized (incapacitated) while in close proximity to a high concentration of enemy threats, and team retrieval is impossible (R-EP failure).
The Final Utterance: Signaling the Sacrifice (CP)
Due to the danger posed by friendly fire, the Raider must signal their intent via established Cooperative Protocol (CP). The signal must be clear, immediate, and must contain two pieces of data: the intent (Detonation) and the expected area of effect. The signal ensures that surviving teammates can immediately seek cover, maximizing the utility of the sacrifice.
CDP Option 1: The Tactical Anchor
The most common scenario. The Raider, equipped with Fusion Charges or high-yield explosives, uses their final moments to pull maximum aggro (TCM). The final action is detonating the explosives precisely when the maximum number of high-threat ARC units have converged on their position.
This clears the immediate area, guaranteeing the survival of the remaining team members and securing their escape route (R-EP, VHS).
CDP Option 2: Asset Denial and Environmental Weaponization (LPO/EW)
If the Raider is trapped near a critical enemy objective (e.g., an ARC resource hub or data core) that must not be acquired, CDP is used for ultimate Asset Denial. The Raider maneuvers to destroy the objective, often utilizing Environmental Weaponization (EW) by detonating explosives near volatile environmental hazards (fuel tanks, high-pressure pipes) to ensure a chain reaction that obliterates the target. This ensures the objective’s value is neutralized, preventing ARC gain.
| Sacrifice Justification | Target Condition | Resource Multiplier Effect |
|---|---|---|
| **Mission Compromise** | Golem immobilized near the squad’s only extraction point. | Destruction of Golem saves the high-value mission assets. |
| **Team Overrun** | Four or more Tier II units converge on the downed Raider. | Eliminates the immediate threat, allowing three Raiders to survive. |
The Psychological Weight of Sacrifice (TPP)
CDP is the ultimate philosophical test of the Paradox of Persistence. The willingness of a human Raider to logically sacrifice themselves for the greater good is an action incomprehensible to ARC’s efficiency model.
The sacrifice transforms personal failure into a moral victory, reinforcing the value of human connection and strategic will.
Conclusion: The Final Calculation
Calculated Detonation Protocol is the final, grim doctrine of the Resistance. It ensures that the end of an individual Raider’s service is maximized for the collective good.
By facing death with tactical clarity, the Raider confirms that even in the ultimate defeat, the human will and strategic planning remain superior to the enemy’s logic, securing a pyrrhic victory for the Resistance.
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