A very fast recon boat armed with a light machine gun, and the ability to lay naval mines.
Very speedy and highly maneuverable
Cheap cost
Fast production time relative to delta
Very high view radius
Can lay mines which deal extreme damage to enemy naval vessels
Low hp and armor
Low damage, cannot fight in equal cp against other naval units
The caiman light recon boat is mainly used for collecting containers and scouting the sea, but its general uses are:
Resource collection at sea - In the initial stages of battles with water, the caiman is used for collection of resources on the water. The high speed, fast production, low cost and good view radius make it completely superior at container collection than deltas. This means that, at equal development rates, the caiman takes more resources on the water. When collecting resources at sea, it is necessary to avoid deltas, because they can intercept the caiman,
Scouting at sea - Due to the large view radius, the caiman can be used to scout the ocean without being detected. This helps to know enemy naval plans and formations in advance so as to counter appropriately. Scouting also helps to identify the weak points of the enemy naval defenses, so as to strike at the least protected points, for maximum efficiency.
Defensive and offensive mining - Naval mines deal extreme damage to enemy ships. Defensively, they can be used to mine portions of the sea, coastlines and sea approaches to the base. Mining random portions of the sea with large scatters may buy time, by making the enemy think there are dense mine fields present, causing delays to the enemy and making them demine. Offensively, caimans can mine shipyard entrances to attack freshly produced enemy ships. If there are no deltas on the water, the enemy automatically has to sacrifice resources to build another shipyard, or sacrifice deltas to destroy themselves on the mines. The coast of the enemy can also be mined, so that any new enemy naval constructions are destroyed by the mines, and the enemy proceeds to waste resources while you dominate the sea.
Rush attacks - Caiman rushes, when the enemy is unprepared, are an almost winning game situation. Producing caimans quickly from 2 shipyards at the start of the battle while collecting containers is the way to go. Additional caimans must be produced provided the enemy has a weakpoint or no naval platforms. A production boost can be used for better results.
Naval platform baiting - Caimans can be sent forward ahead of an army of alligators, so that they receive the first 1 or 2 salvos of torpedoes from enemy naval platforms. This increases the survivability rate of alligators and increases the overall damage dealt by the alligators. If in sufficient numbers, when the naval platforms target the alligators (naval platforms prefer to target the heavier unit when both are in range) the caimans can help to whittle down the naval platforms.
Kiting/Distraction of heavy navy - Due to the high speed and maneuverability, caimans can outmaneuver confederation heavy ships. Caimans can move around poseidons and vikings, forcing them to turn. This created openings for alligators and barracudas to strike while the enemy units are distracted. While the enemy is reorienting, the caimans may help by dealing some slight damage, which might be the difference between winning and losing the encounter.