The first of the Sakata line to be used by Forge, the Sakata Mk-II, also known as an AA Sakata, is an oppressive anti-air unit armed with powerful Hadron cannons that destroy any aerial target in their path They're so specialized for ground-to-air engagements that they lack any ground weapons, but they do come equipped with unique nanomolecular self-repairing technology.
All Sakata Mk-II's come equipped with anti-air Hadron cannons, power hungry yet destructive weaponry capable of tearing through the toughest air unit armor and inflicting further area damage to units near the blast zone. This powerful weapon comes at the cost of the Sakata no longer being able to attack ground units like its other iterations.
The Sakata Mk-II is unmatched in its anti-air potential, decimating Scout swarms, stopping Phantoms in their tracks, and making late-game units like Saints and Black Queens risk destruction if kept in the airspace of one of these for too long. Just a couple of these is all it takes to make the sky unsafe for your opposition.
Sakata Mk-II's are one of the earliest units to use Special armor, a unique form of armor that resists extreme Missile damage. Sakata Mk-II's can comfortably take a whole Special Operations missile and remain standing, whereas most other units perish immediately. This also gives them considerable protection against Black Queens, eating their devastating ground missiles and wasting their long reload times to allow their cannons to shoot them out of the skies.
A unique trait found amongst Sakata units is their self-repairing technology. Sakata Mk-II's have the weakest self-repair, but this allows them to remain idle and eventually regain all of their health. This also makes them more effective targets to pump healing into, as both Meditec and self-repair healing will stack.
Sakata Mk-II's are highly vulnerable to ground engagements, primarily Chronite Tanks, Snipers, and Gröditz as some examples. They can handle infantry damage better due to the high resistance their armor gives, but anything that can shoot them and hit hard will inevitably destroy them.
Sakata Mk-II's are one of the few units to never put close to the base, since their respectable range gives them reason to cover the airspace well away from the base, and sitting at the base just to take damage from its formidable ground weapon can break them apart fast.
Compared to other armored vehicles, Sakata Mk-II's are very weak when it comes to health. Even if they have self-repairing technology, it will not save them from a few Chronite Tanks or Snipers firing them down.
Leave your Sakata Mk-II's about within the center of the field with some protecting ground units to keep them secure against Chronite Tank, Sniper, or Hover Tank advances. Meditec groups behind them will also help make them a missile shield that will keep the rest of your units secure.
Angels are a decent threat to extending the lifetime of enemy air units. Rushing just one Sakata Mk-II to destroy the whole squishy Angel backline will leave the remaining air units extremely vulnerable to further anti-air assaults.