Civilian

Non-combatant member of the local population. Defend civilians from the enemy. ― Enemy intel description of the Civilian.

The Civilian is a non-hostile "infantry" unit that serves only the purpose of being defended by your base against the enemy. They seem to appear only in Rescue missions where a certain minimal of Civilians must be evacuated from the area, in other words traverse from one part of the map's border to another while surviving. Hostile units closer to the Civilains will redirect fire from your base to them, and because the Civilians are unequipped and cannot defend themselves, it is up to you to destroy their attackers. Be cautious, however, as Civilians can be harmed by your fire as well.

Strategy:
Before you start the battle, it is highly suggested you equip multi-purpose missiles, auto-cannons or missile-guiding lasers to prohibit the chance of civilian casualties as these weapon systems cannot lock onto the civilians themselves. It is also encouraged that you purchase upgrades for long-range purposes or minimal friendly casualties such as Bouncing Betty, Sniper, Barrage or Auto-Target.

Once you begin the mission, immediately examine the minimap for the location of where hostiles and civilians will be spawning and prioritize the targets closest to the civilians or your own base. Continue to scan the map for targets and be sure to not fire upon your own protectees. When you have cleared nearby targets away from the civilians, continue to scan the area for targets until every civilian has reached the end. If the area is populated with aircraft, it is highly recommended to bring an AA gun to the battlefield.