Almost every room on a map has one power node. Marine structures that need power (Extractors, Infantry Portals, Armories, Arms Labs, Observatories, Phase Gates, Robotics Factories, Prototype Labs) only work while their room's power node is built and alive. Command Stations and Sentry Batteries do not need it.
States#
- Unsocketed: most nodes start empty. When the commander places a structure in an unpowered room the node is socketed for free and a marine has to build it (12 s, or faster with a Welder).
- Powered: lights on, structures work.
- Destroyed: the room goes dark (emergency lighting) and every structure in it stops. A marine repairs it by building or welding (welders repair at 220/s).
The alien start room's power node is destroyed at round start.
Fair start. At round start the power is also destroyed in every other room the aliens could have started in, so a dark room doesn't give away where the hive is.
Power Surge#
After Advanced Marine Support, the commander can power a single structure for 10 s even if its room has no power (2 team res, 4 s cooldown). Handy to keep a Phase Gate or Infantry Portal running while marines repair the node.
For aliens#
Killing a power node is the most efficient way to shut down a marine forward base: one node takes every gate, portal and armory in the room with it. Skulks and onos are good at it; fades less so. See Alien commander.