Rhino Heavy Tank Unit Internal ID HTNK Faction Soviet Union Role Main battle tank Armament 120 mm cannon Tier 1 Tech level 2 Properties Hit points 400 Armor type Heavy Amphibious No Production Cost $900 Build time 0:36 (RA2, YR 1.000)0:45 (YR 1.001) Produced by Soviet war factory Combat Ground attack 90 (AP)90 (85 in RA2) (when elite) (RHINAPE) Cooldown 65 (80 when elite, RA2 only) Speed 6 Attack range 5.75 Sight range 8 Function Elite upgrade Increased strength, firepower, rate of fire, self-healing

The Rhino heavy tank is the Soviet main battle tank in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge.

The Rhino tanks are very useful in early game stages due to its cheap production cost and medium-high power against vehicles and structures. The Rhino tanks are especially useful in a Soviet vs Allied PVP match: during very early games, the player controlling the Soviet faction could easily build few of these tanks and defeat the Allied player if these tanks are focused on destroying enemy structures, as the Allied player spent much time in early game to develop his/her base. This tactic is called 'rushes' and are usually used by Soviet players early in game. Even in late-game matches, the Rhino retains its usefulness due to its healthy balance of good speed, heavy armor, solid firepower for a relatively decent price (especially if an Industrial Plant was constructed). So much so that a Rhino tank when promoted to Elite would be able to defeat an Apocalypse in a one-on-one fight.

Against aerial threats, Rhinos had no effective response, being unable to hit them. Sometimes, a lucky Rhino could dodge missiles launched by Harriers or Black Eagles, but this required precise timing. Against Rocketeers, Rhinos were completely helpless. The German Tank destroyer was also more than a match for it, possessing much greater firepower, and costing the same amount of resources as the Rhino.

Rhinos were more expensive to produce then the Grizzly battle tank or the Lasher light tank and can often be outnumbered by the smaller tanks despite it having higher armour and firepower. This can however be remedied by constructing the Industrial Plant. Large groups of deployed GIs could wear down Rhinos due to its lack of anti-infantry weapons, but the tanks themselves could easily grind the infantry under their treads if they were not destroyed in the process.

After the defeat of the Soviet Union the Allies developed the Guardian GI which is the perfect counter against armoured units such as the Rhino, especially if bunkered in an IFV or even the new Battle Fortress. Even on their own, deployed Guardian GIs cannot be run over. During the Psychic Dominator Disaster, Guardian GIs were brought back in time and Rhinos had to overcome these challenges.

Rhino Tanks controlled by the AI have the following attack patterns:

Voxel

Rhino tanks (design variant) approaching Colorado Springs

Rhino Tank in an installer slide, with the wrong Allied background.

Alpha cameos:

During the development period of Red Alert 2, the Rhino tank changed its design several times, resulting in inconsistent appearances in the final release of the game.

The tanks seen moving into Colorado Springs is higher, with no apparent fuel tanks in the rear and has a different turret. And what seems to be four treads instead of two. However, the Rhino in the installer slide has a larger turret and a longer barrel.

The in-game voxel looks like a mix of both, having the fuel tanks and the height of the tank in the installer slide while appearing to have a similar hull design to those seen in Colorado Springs. The turret however is different as it is larger and positioned more to the rear (when viewed from certain angles), which could be an unintentional oversight.

A stock Merkava model was used for the early alpha cameo. The late alpha cameo appears closest to the in-game voxel, but was changed again for the final release, resembling the installer model more.