History Main / DualModeUnit

** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' took it to the next level and specifically designed every unit to have a special ability, which often meant an alternate mode. The special abilities range from weapon switches like [[RedShirt Conscripts]] that can switch from rifles to molotov cocktails; to units that deploy into expansion structures. The Empire of the Rising Sun is the real standout. They are the only faction that does not have an airbase structure because all of their air units are transformed from sea units, HumongousMecha, or infantry with jetpacks (who either shoot rockets or unit-disabling beams).

*** The Human Footman unit can go into Defend mode, which basically makes it much tougher against Piercing damage (most ranged attacks), but makes it move much more slowly. The Footman remains the same basic light melee unit in both modes, so it's not a very drastic mode change.

*** The Night Elf Druids can, after you have researched the proper upgrades, transform into animal forms that function as very different units. The Druid of the Claw is a healer and support caster in default Night Elf form, but becomes a powerful heavy melee unit in Bear Form. The Druid of the Talon is a disruptive caster in Night Elf form, but becomes a flying scout and anti-air unit in Crow Form. In the expansion, they can be upgraded to be able to cast their allied-damage-enhancing / autocast-enemy-armor-removing spell while transformed.

*** The neutral Pandaren Brewmaster hero's ultimate ability allows it to temporarily split into three different units with distinct abilities and spells.

* Long-range artillery units in many games often have a "packed" and "unpacked" mode that allows the unit to move or fire, respectively.
** Trebuchets in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' need to be manually packed to move and unpacked to fire, and take several seconds to do so. Thankfully, they'll do the latter automatically when they move into range of the target.
** Artillery units in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' are ''capable'' of moving while in their firing mode, but do so at about a third normal speed. With the exception of the [[GameBreaker Iroquois]] [[JackOfAllStats Light Cannon,]] anyway.
** Artillery units in ''VideoGame/RiseOfNations'' switch modes more and more quickly as you move forward through the TechTree -- initially it takes quite a few seconds with the catapult, which must be assembled and armed, whereas it takes only a split second with the rocket artillery while the missile launcher is tilted upwards.
** Nod Artillery and the GDI Juggernaut in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' also follow this model.
** This even shows up in the distinctly FourX ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'', where Siege units[[note]]what the game calls artillery, since Artillery in the ''Civilization'' series refers consistently to mid-to-late Industrial Age breech-loading cannon[[/note]] must "set up" to fire, expending a movement point. After setting up, they may either fire or move, but not both (since moving "repacks" them).
** The Long Tom Artillery Tank in ''[[Videogame/MechWarrior MechWarrior Living Legends]]'' must be deployed in order to fire its [[DeathFromAbove 30 ton high explosive cannon]], which can smite an enemy [[HumongousMecha BattleMech]] (and [[OneHitKill instagib light mechs]]) from almost two kilometers away if the pilot has a TargetSpotter aiding them.
** Cannons in ''VideoGame/StarWarsGalacticBattlegrounds'' are helpless unless deployed. When they are, though, they're one of the longest-ranged units in the game, capable of raining incredible destruction on enemy fortresses and turrets.

It's a step up from CripplingOverspecialization, but beware. It may just end up with two different crippling overspecializations. This type of unit might be a MilitaryMashupMachine, but it doesn't have to be. See also AnchoredAttackStance.

** The Night Elf Druids can, after you have researched the proper upgrades, transform into animal forms that function as very different units. The Druid of the Claw is a healer and support caster in default Night Elf form, but becomes a powerful heavy melee unit in Bear Form. The Druid of the Talon is a disruptive caster in Night Elf form, but becomes a flying scout and anti-air unit in Crow Form.
*** And in the expansion, they can be upgraded to be able to cast their allied-damage-enhancing / autocast-enemy-armor-removing spell while transformed.
** Night Elf Archers are basic ranged units that need to be produced en masse to be useful, Hippogryphs are flying creatures that can only attack other air units. There's an upgrade that allows an Archer to ride a Hippogryph, losing the stronger anti-air attack in favor of attacking both ground and air, not to mention having higher health. In the expansion, it can also be reversed after a cooldown, in case a large force of air units is encountered.
** The Undead Gargoyle is a light flying unit regularly, but can be upgraded with Stone Form. In Stone Form, it cannot move or attack and becomes a ground unit, but becomes extremely tough and regenerates quickly. The Undead Crypt Fiends also have a similar ability, Burrow, which makes them incapable of moving or attacking, but makes them invisible and allows them to regenerate quickly.
** The Tauren Spirit Walker can switch between Ethereal and Corporeal Forms. Although it remains essentially the same unit(a support caster) in both forms, it cannot attack and becomes immune to physical damage in Ethereal Form, although it becomes more vulnerable to magic.
** The Human Footman unit can go into Defend mode, which basically makes it much tougher against Piercing damage (most ranged attacks), but makes it move much more slowly. The Footman remains the same basic light melee unit in both modes, so it's not a very drastic mode change.
** The Goblin Tinker, a neutral Hero unit, can gain the ability to enter Robo Goblin mode upon reaching Level 6. Robo Goblin mode is tougher, stronger, gets devastating bonus damage against buildings, and becomes immune to most offensive spells, but it doesn't regenerate like a normal Hero would and cannot be healed by conventional methods, but instead needs to be repaired like a building.
** Some of the Night Elves' buildings are actually sentient trees called Ancients, which can be 'Uprooted', transforming them from buildings into slow-moving melee units. While Uprooted, the Ancients lose their regular building functions(training or upgrading units, harvesting gold, etc.) and lose their Fortified armor type, but gain the ability to move around(very slowly), and eat trees to regenerate their HP. Usually it is used for repairing the Ancients via the Eat Tree function or moving them to a new location, as they are too slow and too valuable to be used as combat units on a regular basis.
** The Undead faction's Obsidian Statues in normal form act as mobile healers and mana restorers, but can later be switched into Destroyer Form, turning them into powerful flying anti-caster units. Unlike all the aforementioned dual-mode units, however, Destroyer Form is a permanent change and a Destroyer cannot be turned back into an Obsidian Statue.
** The neutral Pandaren Brewmaster hero's ultimate ability allows it to temporarily split into three different units with distinct abilities and spells.

* In ''Videogame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole'', Mysterion's moveset changes [[TheyKilledKennyAgain depending on whether or not he's alive or dead]]. When alive, he's a GlassCannon who uses martial arts aided by his shadowy power. When he dies, he turns into a ghost who can debuff the enemies but never actually deal damage. His LimitBreak in each mode respectively is a SuicideAttack (he pulls out a bomb) and a revive that is the only way to bring him back to life.

* Early ''FireEmblem'' games lets mounted Social Knights dismount to travel on difficult terrains or indoors, as well as to switch weapon type from lance to sword.

It's a step up from CripplingOverspecialization, but beware. It may just end up with two different crippling overspecializations. This type of unit might be a MilitaryMashupMachine, but it doesn't have to be.

** This even shows up in the distinctly FourX ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'', where Siege units[[note]]what the game calls artillery, since Artillery in the ''Civilization'' series refers consistently to mid-to-late Industrial Age breech-loading cannon[[/note]] must "set up" to fire, expending a movement point. After setting up, they may either fire or move, but not both (since moving "repacks" them). For whatever reason, however, setting up doesn't have any special animation associated with it.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' gives us several examples:
** Nidalee, a huntress that can with her ultimate ability switch form to a cougar to get a new set of abilities. She of course can switch back.
** Xerath, a mage shooting lightning who can root himself into the ground to get ridiculous range for his attacks.
** Udyr who changes with wichever of his four animal aspects he activates making him a quadra mode unit.
** Jayce, who changes his weapon from melee to range and back and has different abilities with each.

* Early ''FireEmblem'' games lets mounted Social Knights unmounting to travel on difficult terrains as well as to switch weapon type from lance to sword.

* Almost all units in ''Star Wars: EmpireAtWar'' and its expansion, including heroes. Most of the time, this helps to offset CripplingOverspecialization. Artillery units have to deploy to fire their main weapons, AT-AT's can deploy stormtroopers, Airspeeders can use their harpoons and tow cables to trip up AT-AT's (except ''Blizzard 1'', and sometimes the move doesn't work), ''Immobilizer 418'' cruisers (aka Interdictor Star Destroyer's or Interdictor Cruisers) must manually activate their Gravity Well Generators, and also have a missile/torpedo-jamming ability, ''Crusader''-class corvettes can shoot down incoming missiles/torpedoes, etc. etc.

* ''{{Starcraft}}'' really got the ball rolling. Nearly every Terran unit has some kind of special ability, but the one that fits the pattern best is the Siege Tank. It goes from a mobile tank with a decent cannon and no minimum range (a bit lacking in the ability to well,[[GlassCannon ''tank'']]) to a fixed artillery gun with a powerful, long range attack with SplashDamage. Other units have different attack modes for air or ground targets, but that mode switch is automatic.

* All units from ''GroundControl 2'' have two functions. The basic infantry freeze in place, but switch from their rifles to a more powerful rocket launcher. The APC switches from an anti-infantry machine gun to a concealment-granting smoke grenade, etc. The Virons are able to FusionDance two units into a different one and vice versa. This only applies to playable factions, though. None of the units of the unplayable Terran Empire have a secondary mode, even if the faction is enabled via a mod.

** ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' features the Viking, a TransformingMecha that can switch between a ground-based and aerial unit.

* All units from ''GroundControl 2'' have two functions. The basic infantry freeze in place, but switch from their rifles to a more powerful rocket launcher. The APC switches from an anti-infantry machine gun to a concealment-granting smoke grenade, etc.

* ''{{Starcraft}}'' really got the ball rolling. Nearly every Terran unit has some kind of special ability, but the one that fits the pattern best is the Siege Tank. It goes from a mobile tank with a decent cannon and no minimum range (a bit lacking in the ability to well,[[PaperTiger ''tank'']]) to a fixed artillery gun with a powerful, long range attack with SplashDamage. Other units have different attack modes for air or ground targets, but that mode switch is automatic.

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* ''StarControl'' had two: First, the Mmrnmhrm X-Form, a swing-wing ship with two modes, one was slow but nimble and armed with short range lasers while the other was fast, armed with (very) long range slightly guided rockets and all the nimble turning speed of a anvil. Second, the Androsynth Guardian which could turn from a slow ship into a destructive comet, trading maneuverability and weapons for speed and the ability to ram.

** Artillery units in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' are ''capable'' of moving while in their firing mode, but do so at about a third normal speed. With the exception of the [[GameBreaker Iroquois]] [[JackOfAllStats Light]] [[AwesomeYetPractical Cannon,]] anyway.

* Quite a few in the ''NintendoWars'' series. For example, Tanks and Mechanized Infantry units usually carry an anti-vehicle weapon (Cannons for the Tanks, Bazookas for the Mechs) and an anti-infantry weapon (Machine guns and rifles.) [[EmergencyWeapon The anti-infantry weapons can be used on vehicles if the anti-vehicle weapon is out of ammo]], but it does considerably less damage, and in earlier games in the series, it also has limited ammo.

** Mecha like Manga/GetterRobo, ZetaGundam, or Aquarion are also multi-formed. Most of these will sacrifce power and defence for speed. Usually one form will be MUCH more helpful than the others, but some games will make the differant forms more balanced.

* Most TransformingMecha in the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series are given dual modes when playable. For example, the Valkryies of ''{{Macross}}'', or the OriginalGeneration mecha [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsGaiden Cybuster]], [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha Real Personal Trooper Type-1 (R-1)]], and [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsW Valhawk]], which are often faster in their flying modes, but usually have more attack options as mecha. The Grungust has this, as well as ''another'' alt-mode (Gust Lander) that transforms it into a tank.

* ''The Civil War Generals'' games from Sierra had most units with two formations, typically one for movement and one for combat. Some units (the HQ and artillery units) were immobile in their non-movement formation.
* ''WorldInConflict'': All units have 2 different secondary abilities, and/or types of ammo. Jeeps can repair other vehicles and change to heavier ammo, infantry can speed up, APC can fire anti-tank rocket etc.
* ''EmperorBattleForDune'': House Ordos' heaviest tank the Kobra has two modes one mobile and one stationary.
* In ''{{Stronghold}} 2'', knights and lords can be mounted on horses, turning them from the slowest to the fastest regular units in the game.
* ''LeagueOfLegends'' gives us Nidalee, a huntress that can with her ultimate ability switch form to a cougar to get a new set of abilities. She of course can switch back.
** In addition we have Xerath, a mage shooting lightning who can root himself into the ground to get ridiculous range for his attacks.
** Also there is Udyr who changes with wichever of his four animal aspects he activates making him a quadra mode unit.
** Now we also have Jayce, who changes his weapon from melee to range and back and has different abilities with each.

** Mecha like GetterRobo, ZetaGundam, or Aquarion are also multi-formed. Most of these will sacrifce power and defence for speed. Usually one form will be MUCH more helpful than the others, but some games will make the differant forms more balanced.

* ''Videogame/Battlezone1998'' and its sequel possess many: