Awesome Red Alert Tesla Coil Makes Quick Work of Allied Soldiers

Command and Conquer: Red Alert was the first PC strategy game that I really got into, and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. That’s why I can’t help but fall in love with this homemade Tesla coil setup made as an homage to the classic game. The picture above isn’t photoshopped at all; it’s a single, 17-second exposure taken with a Nikon D70. That’s not to say no special effects were used, however.

Because Tesla coils can’t actually shoot long, single bursts of lightning at a target, wires were strung between the coil and its targets to act as a path for the energy to move down. The coil then sent out 3-foot bursts along the wires. By using the longer exposure, the bursts all strung together to look like a continuous shock.

As for the figures, they’re all hand made, from the cutout of the zapped Allied soldier to the Tesla soldier to the engineer. Be sure to check out the project page for a detailed breakdown of how it was completed with plenty of photos. [Project Page via Neatorama]

AU: Go Aussie! This guy is straight outta Perth. Woo! -SB