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And now, onto the good stuff!
==================)
Table of Contents
==================)
Introduction
Modern Atomic Epoch Information
Unit Analysis
Infantry
Tanks
Artillery
Aircraft
Naval
Building Analysis
Wonders
Unit Strategies
Infantry
Tanks
Artillery
Aircraft
Naval
Empire Earth is the latest strategy game that followed the release of
Civilization 3. Expected to compete with strategy gaming genius Sid Meier,
what would it be like? Well, it is a game like no other. The only game it can
relate to, is Age of Empires 2, but that would be a huge understatement!
Instead of the 4 ages in AoE 2, there are 12 "epochs" in EE, from the
Prehistoric epoch of 500,000 B.C all the way to the futuristic Nano age.
Except for the futuristic ages, every epoch is designed to be as authentic as
possible.
My favorite epoch is the Industrial age, where the famous American Revolution
and Civil War took place. On the Modern age, I spent a little over a week,
more than 4 hours a day, and barely finished two huge random map games on Hard
difficulty, so I decided to write a FAQ on this epoch alone.
Most of this FAQ will be written entirely from my own perspective. It will be
written from single player perspective, but most of the unit analysis' and
strategies can be used online with little adaption.
For further information about this great game, check out the review at
Gamespot, or read mine at:
Takes place from approximately 1990-today. Battles are fought in skirmishes.
Armies consist of mostly infantry, with fire support from artillery and tanks.
Air support is CRUCIAL! Unlike Naval, which requires water-based maps to be
effective, air support is highly important for all situations. More strategy
and tactics are required here than the older historic epochs. The following
unit analysis will contain ratings that range from 1 (weakest) to 5
(strongest). The ratings will, by default, be meant for all unit types unless
specified.
Example: Civilian has Power Effectiveness of 1, so anything it attacks is only
effective of 1. Bronze Cannon has Defence Effectiveness of 5 against
specifically rifles, but only 2 against explosive. This game has a very very
advanced version of the Rock/Paper/Scissors method of balance!
Example:
Power - The unit's attack strength and effectiveness, including Rate of Fire
(ROF).
Defence - Unit's HP and armor, how good it lasts.
Speed - Moving speed (NOT projectile speed).
Usefulness - A broad rating that combines the above and other factors such as
Cost, special ablities, range, etc.
The civilian uses a rifle to attack, but is very weak and should not be used
for fighting. Only has a usefulness of 3 because too many of them only clogs
up the population limit.
[ Marine ]
Power - 2
Defence - 2
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 3
Unlike the other epochs, the basic Marine is no longer the cheap and effective
fodder that packs a powerful punch. They are weak, but remain cheap to
produce, so makes a good recon unit.
[ Bazooka ]
Power - 2
Defence - 2
Speed - 2
Usefulness - 2
I have not used them extensively, but they have trouble even killing a marine.
A group of them might be useful against tanks, but there are plenty of better
anti-tank choices anyways.
[ Sniper ]
Power - 5 vs. infantry
- 3 vs. everything else
Defence - 2
Speed - 2
Usefulness - 5
As always, they are your best anti-infantry choice. Moderate costs, but worth
it. Should always have some to back your army up. They have a special
ability, which is "invisibility", and can only be spotted up close. Otherwise
all you will see is a puff of smoke from the rifle, and your infantry's corpse.
Superior range against all infantry.
[ Stinger Soldier ]
Power - 4 vs. air
Defence - 3
- 4 against air bombs, rockets
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 5
Very very cool unit! They are deadly against those pesky air units that harass
you from time to time. They move damn fast for infantries too, so they are
useful for intercepting air raids. As a matter of fact, I believe these to be
the best unit in this epoch. Air power is supreme in this era, and Stinger
Soldiers are crucial for both offensive and defensive armies.
[ Medic ]
Power - N/A
Defence - 1
Speed - 2
Usefulness - 2
A field medic for healing infantry. Useless if you have the Temple of Zeus!
[ Machine Gunner ]
Power - 4 vs. infantry, artillery
- 2 vs. everything else
Defence - 3
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 2
These are strong against infantry, but Snipers still reign supreme. They are a
bit underpowered against tanks, which is strange, but rips artillery apart.
They have slightly better Defence than the average infantry, and move faster,
but cost more (than Marines). They take advantage of the Speed bonus if your
Civ has it, whereas the Sniper doesn't.
[ Heavy Mortar ]
Power - 4
Defence - 2
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 4
These are highly mobile versions of artillery. They are quite powerful against
any unit, but their accuracy isn't as hot against moving targets. Their range
is supreme, and a large group can sometimes replace artillery altogether. Can
fire over walls.
( *** Tanks *** )
I don't use tanks, read the strategy section on why. This section *might* be
added later if there is popular demand, however.
( *** Artillery *** )
[ Howitzer ]
Power - 3
Defence - 2
Speed - 2
Usefulness - 2
Their damage is a joke, don't let the 200+ number fool you. They are weak
against tanks, probably because it doesn't pierce armor. They rip up infantry
though, and are OK at destroying buildings, but there are better choices for
both anyways.
[ Artillery ]
Power - 4
Defence - 1
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 5
While not overly powerful, they are destructive against anything and demolishes
cities in a flash. They move pretty fast too, but armor is a joke and rivals
the Citizen. Supreme range, can fire over walls.
[ 120mm AT Cannon ]
Power - 4 vs. tanks
- 2 vs. everything else
Defence - 3
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 5
My favorite unit of this epoch. These are the cannons that the news broadcasts
ALWAYS show when viewing the war in Afghanistan. They are beautifully
authentic, and they RIP up tanks. Your best anti-tank solution hands down
(other than an A-Bomb of course). They have OK armor against bullets too, but
succumb to explosives (shock).
( *** Aircraft *** )
[ F-117 Stealth Fighter Bomber ]
Power - 4 air to surface
- 3 air to air
Defence - 2
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 3
These are quite powerful against tanks and artillery, but weak against
infantry. They attack about two times before running out of ammo.
[ F-15 Fighter Jet ]
Power - 5 air to air
Defence - 3
Speed - 5
Usefulness - 4
The F-15 clearly dominates the skies, period. Great for circling your base and
chasing away choppers and bombers. Not intended for offense, but if you have
enough flight time you can harass enemy aircraft as well, and provide air
protection for your bombers.
[ B-2 Bomber ]
Power - 4 air to surface
Defence - 3
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 4
The B-2 is a very strong bomber, and rips up artillery and tanks. It is
useless, however, against other air units. Very good air support bomber.
The B-52 is the grand daddy of bombers. It carries the atomic bomb that
devestates any units and structions caught in its destructive proximity. The
blast proximity is medium, and a direct hit destroys anything except Capitols
(left with 2000 HP), and probably Wonders.
[ Transport ]
Power - N/A
Defence - 2
Speed - 4 when empty
- 2 when full
Usefulness - 3
This is a transport. It can be downed fairly easily by jets. It carries 10
passengers, and any unit can board it.
[ A-10 Anti-Tank ]
Power - 3 air to surface
Defence - 2
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 2
It fires AP rockets, but isn't incredibly powerful, and it needs to circle
around to fire again. Not very useful.
[ Helicopter Gunship ]
Power - 3
Defence - 2
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 3
This is actually an Apache. Pretty useful for killing infantry with its
machine guns, but suck against anything else. Read strategy section for
effective use.
[ Helicopter Anti-Tank ]
Power - 4 vs. tanks
- 3 vs. everything else
Defence - 2
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 4
These fire the same rockets as the A-10, but they hover to fire, damaging much
more and faster without the need to circle. Useful for destroying a convoy of
tanks. Very good harassing unit.
[ Sea King ]
Power - 5 air to sea
Defence - 2
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 4
They are VERY powerful against ships and pesky submarines! Sometimes they are
a better naval defense option than actual naval units! Cannot attack anything
other than naval units.
( *** Naval *** )
[ Sub - Nautical ]
Power - 4 sea to sea
Defence - 3
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 3
These are pretty powerful, and some ships can't hit them.
[ Transport ]
Power - N/A
Defence - 3
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 3
These carry 14 passengers, and are a better transport than choppers if a sea
route is available.
[ Carrier Enterprise ]
Power - 3 air to air
Defence - 2 (the Carrier is 4)
Speed - 4
Usefulness - 2
The ratings are for the F-14 Tomcats it carries, which is the only aircraft it
can carry. The actual carrier is defenseless, for some weird reason it has no
surface to air missiles, and is a sitting duck. The Tomcats need to be
purchased directly from the carrier, and each carrier can carry 15. The
Tomcats are fairly cheap and weak, and 2 are needed to down an F-15, but they
look pretty cool and are an okay air support for your navy.
[ Sub - Trident ]
Power - 5 sea to surface
Defence - 2
Speed - 3
Usefulness - 4
The rocket it fires creates a large blast, and is very powerful! It has pretty
good range too, so if the enemy is on an island, surround the island with these
to bring the enemy to its knees. They are totally defenseless against anything
but land units, so requires some support.
Units from the Docks suck, except for the Fishing boat.
Supposed to add 1 Morale each, but I never build more than 3.
[ Settlement ]
Very important for making expansion towns. Drop off for resources. Will be
covered later in the strategies section.
[ Farm ]
Peasants can harvest Farms for food.
[ Granary ]
Built in the middle of Farms, drop off point for food.
[ Hospital ]
Heals nearby units (but not artillery).
[ Temple ]
Supposed to offer nearby area protection from natural disasters such as
earthquakes.
[ Town Center, Capitol ]
Can create Peasants, and Heroes. Very important and is the center of towns.
Should be well guarded.
[ Fortress ]
Garrisons land units, garrisoned units do not count towards pop count.
However, I could not ungarrison my units, so this might be an alternative to
the unavailable feature of suiciding a unit? A good solution for putting away
those extra peasants you don't need anymore, to free up pop count for more
soldiers.
[ University ]
Offers protection for nearby units against enemy conversion.
[ Dock ]
Can build ships, heals nearby ships.
[ Barracks ]
Can train infantry.
[ Siege Workshop ]
Can build artillery.
[ Tank Factory ]
Can build tanks.
[ Airport ]
Can build aircraft.
[ AA Missile Tower ]
An anti-air static defense, damage is okay but needs 3 or more to be truly
effective against bombers.
[ Naval Yard ]
Can build Subs and more advanced naval units.
[ Tower ]
A guard tower, fires on any hostile units (except air). They have crap range,
but they're your only static defense choice in this epoch. They will have to
do.
[ Wall, Gate ]
You know damn well what these are for.
( *** Wonders *** )
[ Tower of Babylon ]
Enables your priest to convert an entire area (gives splash effect to your
priests). This is pretty useful for converting a large portion of an enemy's
army rather than one by one.
[ Temple of Zeus ]
My favorite wonder, should be the one you build first. Enables your units to
self-heal themselves. Ships cannot self-heal, however. This is such a
powerful Wonder. After a big battle, your army may be hurt, leave then
standing for awhile and they will be as fresh as ever. Doesn't revive dead
units, but it heals really fast!
[ Library at Alexandria ]
Reveals enemy buildings. Pretty useful.
[ Pharos Lighthouse ]
Reveals all water areas, and all units on water. Not as useful unless you're
playing a naval map.
[ Coliseum ]
Supposed to raise your pop cap and lower all enemy's pop caps. I'm not sure by
how much, but it raised mine 10% once, and approximately 15% another game. Not
very useful IMO.
[ Ishtar Gates ]
Increases the hit points of your walls, gates, and towers. The boost is
double, I believe, or more. Very nice if you like to play defensively.
This section will list specific strategies AND counters for each and every unit
(except heroes) of the Modern Atmoic epoch! I hope it helps you.
( *** Infantry *** )
[ Civilian ]
Strategy - Never use these for combat. They cannot be built as easily as other
games, so protect them and retreat them to somewhere safe when enemies are
near.
Counter - Kill these with Sharpshooters, but any unit will do.
[ Marine ]
Strategy - Marines aren't very useful and should only be used for recon
purposes.
Counter - Kill these with Snipers. Machine gunners do well too.
[ Bazooka ]
Strategy - They are only useful against tanks, and even then they do pitiful
damage. Useless against buildings too. Use them early in the game like
Marines.
Counter - Anything kills them easily, but to guard against the above strategy,
place a few Snipers near your tanks.
[ Sniper ]
Strategy - Always keep these near your army, and guard against all types of
infantry, including other Snipers.
Counter - Best way is to reveal them using fast units, preferably choppers, or
tanks since they don't do well against anything other than infantry.
[ Stinger Soldier ]
Strategy - Most important unit in the game. Build large groups of these and
keep them around your base, until you have some AA Missile Towers set up then
take them along with your army and put them on Guard. If there's a B-52 it
holds top priority.
Counter - Kill them with tanks or Snipers.
[ Medic ]
Strategy - Keeping one or two around your base or army is enough. If you have
a Temple of Zeus these aren't very useful.
Counter - Almost any unit charge will take them out. Snipers work best.
[ Machine Gunner ]
Strategy - I don't use them much, but they're good against Marines and other
infantry units, and artillery.
Counter - Kill with Snipers.
[ Heavy Mortar ]
Strategy - There are two uses for these; you can make a group for defense since
they can fire over your walls and gates, or you can make a LARGE group and use
them for sieging, replacing artillery. They are pretty strong against anything
that doesn't move.
Counter - Okay they outrange Snipers so keep that in mind. Good idea to spread
out your Snipers to make sure you cap them.
( *** Tanks *** )
Okay I never use tanks I just pump out the 120mm AT Cannon and rape any enemy
tanks I encounter.
( *** Artillery *** )
[ Howitzer ]
Strategy - They are weak, but if you must use them use it against infantry
groups because they are worthless against armor (tanks).
Counter - Destroy with just about anything, AT's work best.
[ 120mm AT Cannon ]
Strategy - Always build these and destroy enemy tanks. Remember to protect
them with infantry and Snipers. They have good armor, but succumb to
explosives so always keep a large group of Stinger Soldiers around.
Counter - Best way is to bomb them with artillery or aircraft bombers.
[ Artillery ]
Strategy - Can be used for defense or offense since they can fire over walls.
Always protect them since they are very fragile.
Counter - Anything destroys them. Hit and run tactics work best, try choppers
since they are fast. Heavy Mortar troops work well too.
( *** Aircraft *** )
[ F-117 Stealth Fighter Bomber ]
Strategy - I never use these, they are a hybrid of a fighter and bomber and
aren't very good at either. Use them for bombing tank convoys or infantry,
general harassment.
Counter - Destroy with Stinger Soldiers or F-15.
[ F-15 Fighter Jet ]
Strategy - Best used for defense, circle around the sensitive areas of your
base.
Counter - Very hard to take down using air to air. If they attack your base
defense F-15's, let your jets and AA Missile Towers take 'em down. Otherwise
Stinger Soldiers work best.
[ B-2 Bomber ]
Strategy - A devestating bomber, best used for destroying unguarded bases and
armies. Keep well away from F-15's.
Counter - Destroy with F-15's or Stinger Soldiers. Don't forget to guard
sensitive areas with AA Missile Towers.
[ B-52 Bomber ]
Strategy - These aren't as useful as most think, because of cost. They cost
alot, and most of the time they get taken down before they bomb the target, and
usually get taken down AFTER bombing the target. You *can* bring F-15's along
the way for cover, BUT you will probably lose those F-15's too. BEST used for
destroying expansion towns without much defense, AND with proper ground support
(Stinger Soldiers to destroy F-15's).
Counter - Stinger Soldiers work best, 2 AA Missile Towers are needed to defend
against them, and F-15's take them down with about 3 shots. F-15's alone
probably wont' be enough you NEED the Missile Towers.
[ Transport ]
Strategy - Good for transporting troops but considering the speed gets slowed
down greatly when full, it isn't very useful at all. Don't use them for a
surprise drop ambush attack because the odds are too great, you lose an entire
army and the transport if it gets taken down. Unless you are sure of what
you're doing of course. ;-)
Counter - If you see these, point your F-15's and laugh mercilessly! Stinger
Soldiers also work well since they can chase it down or intercept it.
[ A-10 Anti Tank ]
Strategy - Okay for harassing enemy tanks.
Counter - Stinger Soldiers.
[ Helicopter Gunship ]
Strategy - Good for harassing infantry, and great for keeping around your army
for one specific purpose: if you see your infantry dying, immediately find the
puff of smoke and point your chopper over to reveal enemy Snipers. Your
Snipers should do the rest.
Counter - Stinger Soldiers.
[ Helicopter Anti Tank ]
Strategy - Nice for harassing enemy tanks, especially when they are trying to
siege and are hitting your walls.
Counter - Stinger Soldiers yet again.
[ Sea King ]
Strategy - Great for sea defense since they, like all choppers, have no flight
time and can just hover around. Great for harassing enemy naval units and
taking down Transport ships!
Counter - Destroy with F-15's, if you have enough flight time. A Carrier also
works well, send your F-14's and destroy it. (Carriers are also great support
for them if they get harassed by F-15's)
( *** Naval *** )
[ Sub - Nautical ]
Strategy - The best sea to sea unit. Great for attacking enemy bases, just
bring some Sea Kings for support, and a Carrier for air support.
Counter - Sea Kings destroy them easily. Or use your own Nautical subs.
[ Transport ]
Strategy - Not bad if you want to feel like Navy SEALs. Actually they are good
for bringing some Civilians and troops to build expansion towns just outside
the enemy base. Sea route are *usually* safer than air, just bring some backup
with you.
Counter - Sea Kings work BEST, since air support over sea is unlikely. Sub
Nauticals also do the trick.
[ Carrier Enterprise ]
Strategy - These are actually pretty cool to have around. Use for air support
over sea, and to defend against Sea Kings.
Counter - Tough to counter, since bombers don't work well. Probably better to
rush it with Sub Nauticals.
Welcome to The Art of War. This section is designed to teach you to not only
become a better EE player, but a better strategy/war gamer in general, and a
better thinker. Most of the strategies are designated for this specific epoch,
but with some modifications can be used for other epochs and online against
other players as well.
( *** Basic Strategies ***)
Civilians are your friends. They build structures for you to make weapons of
war, and they gather resources to feed, clothe, arm, and build your army. At
the beginning it is crucial to keep pumping out peasants. The more you have,
the faster your economy will grow, and eventually, boom.
When attacking or being attacked, always try and kill the artillery first.
Your Snipers (you DID bring them along right??) can easily pick off the enemy
infantry, but the most dangerous are by far the Artillery, and tanks (which cut
down your infantry faster than a lawnmower). AT guns work well against them.
When attacking, always advance slowly, in short sections. Advance your Snipers
first, since they have invisibility, followed by infantry/AT guns, and finally
artillery. Always destroy Towers first.
Always make sure you control the entire map before you make your final siege on
the enemy stronghold. Invade and destroy, or capture all enemy expansion towns
and forts. Try and build Forts and barricade the enemy. The same can be done
on the sea.
Abbreviations:
AP - Armor Piercing. Most effective against armored units, such as tanks, and
certain types of artillery. Weak against infantry, buildings, and lightly
armored units.
AA - Anti-Air. Usually only attacks air units, or most effective.
AT - Anti-Tank. Most effective against tanks, usually contains AP rounds.
EE - Empire Earth!
( *** Advanced Section *** )
[ Dealing with Snipers ]
This epoch is reliant on infantry, and you may find yours being harassed by
unseen Snipers. Countless times my entire army fell to these sneaky bastards.
I have found a few ways to deal with this problem.
First, you can spread out your own Snipers and cover your army. Enemy Snipers
can't see yours, and when they step in to kill your infantry, or harm your
artillery, your Snipers can pick them off.
Or, you can use choppers or any other fast unit to reveal them. You can
identify a Sniperr attack when your infantry starts getting picked off, and
immediately you should scour the area for the puff of smoke that comes from
your assailants' guns. Then simply point your choppers at them to reveal them
for your Snipers, or kill them with the Gunship chopper.
Watch out for Stinger Soldiers and Flaktracks, though. Kill the first with
Snipers, and the latter with AT guns.
[ Expansion Towns ]
*** THIS IS A MUST READ ***
This is a very important strategy. If you've ever played Starcraft or Age of
Empires II, you would know that expansion towns are very important in TWO ways.
First, and most obvious, is for more resources. Expansion towns are usually
built near mines.
Second, expansion towns can be expanded to forts by surrounding it with walls
and towers. So when choosing an expansion town always look for natural
defenses such as trees and water. It is not wise to build an expansion town on
bare plains, and then surrounding it with walls on all 4 sides.
Supply forts with Barracks, and Siege Factories. The benefit? You've
shortened the time it takes for your army to reach the enemy. Reinforcements
are crucial during a siege, and can often decide victory and defeat. By
building a Fort near or just outside an enemy base, you can bring in fresh
troops faster than ever. This is CRUCIAL to success!
Airports take advantage of this even more. The distance from your bombers to
the enemy base is greatly reduced, and you can keep up the air support while
you move your ground forces in.
[ Destroying Expansion Towns ]
And making sure they are destroyed for good. After you destroy an enemy
expansion town they may build one again. The simple solution is by placing
about 2 Snipers near that area, preferably beside the mines.
[ Control the Map ]
Ever played Risk? After you've revealed the map, take note of the best spots
for Forts. Attack and defeat enemy Forts, and build your own there. To save
population count, build static defenses to protect those Forts. After you've
controlled the map and barricaded your enemy, victory is in your grasp.
[ Tanks Are Useless ]
My favorite unit, the 120mm AT Cannon, rips up tanks faster than a stray
starving cat. Therefore, I advise you to put your Civ points elsewhere instead
of upgrading tanks. If you like the Flaktrack, which is a pretty good
anti-air, you can consider getting the Attack and Range upgrades.
The Modern Atomic epoch is very authentic. My only gripes is that the game is
too much locked into a stalemate, because its very balanced. Tanks are strong
but the biggest counter are AT guns. Nonetheless with the right strategy and
planning, you can have loads of fun with authentic real-life units. Some
people have requested that I make a WW2 Atomic epoch FAQ, and I do know it is
probably the most popular epoch, that and WW1 Atomic. However, you must
understand that I chose Modern Atomic because all 3 atomic epochs are very
similiar and are in the same tree basically, with Modern having the most units
and technologies, the highest branch. So instead of making 3 FAQs I just made
one and man was it exhilarating.
I hope you enjoyed reading this FAQ! Please feel free to send your comments,
suggestions, and requests to my e-mail at "ekinlegend@yahoo.com".
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