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Command & Conquer: Generals Beginner's FAQ for Command & Conquer: Generals
By: TAKOYAKI
E-mail:
Last updated: 4/21/03
Best viewed with a fixed width font such as Courier New or else the FAQ would
look horrible. . .
Space Check: (if the below characters aren't aligned, better switch to the
aforementioned font)
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|!@#$%^&*()|
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Versions:
6/28/03: v1.0 - First release. Didn't add too much to the Strategies section
for a hasty release, sorry, I really have to upload it now,
because of this thing called "school". Oh, and just broke the
100k mark! *throws party* Oh, and finally got Harry Potter and
the Order of the Phoenix last week!!! (it's so cool, I
finished reading it in less than 12 hours!!!)
6/9/03: v0.9 - Preparing for initial release... added many things and
finished the Units section (what an overdue update!!!)
5/9/03: v0.5 - Finished Structures section, added Upgrades to Structures
section
5/5/03: v0.4 - Major update, refined some existing elements and added more
content to the Structures and Upgrades section
4/22/03: v0.2 - Added some Newbie Tips, and started the Structures section
4/21/03: v0.1 - First version, nothing special here, except for the fact that
I've got the FAQ started
I. What this FAQ is all about...
II. Legal Stuff
III. E-mail Policy
IV. Newbie Tips
V. Structures and Upgrades 101
VI. Units 102
VII. Strategy 103
VIII. Generals Abilities 104
IX. Credits
__/\__+-------------------------------+__/\__
\ /| |\ /
/_/\_\| What this FAQ is all about... |/_/\_\
|/||/|| ||/||/|
|/||/|+-------------------------------+|/||/|
This is a Beginner's Guide to those struggling newbie commanders out there,
as Generals is quite hard to learn by someone on his own. This FAQ assumes that
you are acquianted with the basic elements of the game, since I'm not going to
discuss them. (read the manual, dammit!)
C&C Generals is amazing at the very least, it strays from previous C&C games
since it runs on EA's SAGE engine (correct me if I'm wrong), and the game is
not connected with any of the previous C&C games storyline. Almost all units
and structures are not bogus (previous games had weird units and structures
like Cyborg Commandos and Tesla Coils), making the game more realistic. The
ever-present Construction Yard (the backbone of every base in C&C games) is
gone now, replaced by the worker-units-build-structures-system thingie that's
present in almost all RTS games out there. Throw in the Generals experience
system and the new unit/structure upgrades that previous games didn't have, you
have a first class RTS game!!!
If you're one of those people who don't know how to utilize your units well,
have an abundant supply of cash, seizing terrain advantages, or just plain win,
then read on! Accomplished commanders may also make use of some of the
information here in this FAQ!
(from Kao Megura's FAQs, because I am too lazy to type up my own legal
stuff. . .)
*quote*
This document is protected by US Copyright Law, and the Berne Copyright
Convention of 1976. It is for private and personal use only--it cannot be
reprinted in part or in whole, or reproduced in any way or in any form
(written or otherwise). It is a free document that cannot be used in any sort
of commercial transaction, including selling it or giving it away as a gift.
This FAQ cannot be referenced, altered, or used by anybody
(including webmasters, publishers, and magazine staff) without my express
written permission. This FAQ was created and is owned by me, SSJ4TAKOYAKI . It can be found exclusively at
(www.GameFAQs.com). All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged and
respected that are not specifically mentioned herein.
*end quote*
This FAQ may be found outside GameFAQs, but only by my permission.
You may also not rip off parts of this FAQ and use it for your own purposes.
Remember, plagiarism is a crime and is punishable by law. If you want it on
your site then ask my permission first. It won't take less than 5 minutes of
your time, trust me.
You shouldn't also make money from my FAQ!!! It's a very evil thing to do,
making money from other's works without their consent.
Shall you disagree with any of these statements, delete this FAQ and discard
any help it has done for you.
I shall make it clear: do not put my FAQ in your site unless I give you
permission to. If I get notified that your site is hosting my FAQ, then I will
have to get dirrty!
If you find this FAQ on sites which are not listed below, then that site did
not probably ask my permission to post my FAQ on their site. Report it to me
and you'll be in the Nice People List!
1. All replies about the FAQ should have a relevant subject or else I will
regard them as spam, delete them, and block the sender.
2. No spam, death threats, hate mail, and chain letters. If your letter
contains anything listed previously, I will delete it and block you from my
list. And no, I don't want to get into flame wars, sorry.
3. No asking for CD keys!!! 'Nuff said.
4. No, I don't want to be your friend, sorry I'm not trying to be rude but my
schedule is very tight and I can't go online much... But you can see me in
IRC, (Undernet) and my nick is usually B00GS. The channel I'm usually on is
#bedan. (sometimes I hang out on #capcom, EFnet server, which is SRK's channel)
5. Reader suggestions and contributions (like rushes or so) are gladly welcome.
Just follow the guidelines above. If your contribution WILL make it
to my FAQ I will give you due credit.
6. If you provide me with a link that links to a site which STOLE my FAQ, you
will make it to the Nice People List.
*ON BASIC ARMY MANAGEMENT*
First and foremost, the SPACEBAR is your friend. Make it a habit to press it
when you see a radar event (cue the message on the upper left-hand corner of
the screen or an minimap event). This little knowledge may to save your butt
from being kicked! I've seen lots of matches lost because the loser didn't
respond quickly to his opponent's attack, even when the message "Structure
under attack" got spammed on his screen... Use it after building a superweapon
(so you could hotkey it instantly), use it when your opponent launches a
surprise attack on your units, and use it when Colonel Burton is wreaking havoc
on your damn base!!! Don't ever forget this piece of advice!
Place your idle units on guard mode. Normally, units don't automatically
attack the enemy even if they're already planting TNT on their sorry asses. A
simple press of the "guard" key and a click on their present location should
prove to be sufficient. That way, when a MiG shows itself to your Quad Cannons,
they'll shoot it down promptly. Or, you could just attack-move your units to
the location you want them to guard.
Pay close attention to the minimap! (assuming you have radar, which is a
must have) Try to memorize your allies color so you know which units they are
controlling. If you ever see a speck on the map with a different color than
yours, check it out! Check if the enemy unit is going to attack you, and
prepare your defenses if they are. Forewarned is forearmed!!!
*ON DISPOSING INFANTRY AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE*
First and foremost, if you have some vehicles, run the little buggers over!
In this game, you only need to bump off the infantry to kill them, instead of
of running over. (if you don't understand, watch how the AI does it) Also, if
they are on your base, train some rifle infantry and mow them down, for you can
produce as many of them, while your opponent is stuck with his attack squad.
(unless he has a Barracks near your base, that is)
For garrisonned infantry, there are many ways, but the USA's method is far
the best. Why? Because it only costs 1025 bucks!!! Just get a Ranger, and
research Flashbangs! Then send a decoy force (unoccupied Humvees recommended)
to divert attention from your Ranger, and throw a Flashbang at the offending
building. It's that easy. For China and GLA, just make some Dragon Tanks and
Toxin Tractors respectively, and try the same tactic above, since both have low
health to start with. Of course, USA has the Combat Drop, but it is easily shot
down unless the garrisonned infantry are all rifle infantry
*ON CERTAIN DEATH SITUATIONS*
When a nuke/SCUD storm is on its merry way to obliterate your army (a very
good strategy, IMO), try to evacuate and get the hell out of there!!! This does
not just apply to the aforementioned, it also applies to things like Fuel Air
Bombs and EMPs! (I once lost my whole marauder/quad batallion to one Fuel Air
Bomb!!!) It's very humiliating to build a whole mess of Overlords and Nuke
Cannons, only for them to go up in smoke, or get disabled and mopped up by
incoming enemy troops.
If, your base is being attacked by the enemy and there are no means of
preventing the inevitable collapse of your base, take whatever worker units and
supply collectors with you, and make another base in a distant location from
yours. (USA is best at this, use your Chinooks) Build a Command Center first,
then a Supply Stash.
*ON DEFENSIVE STRATEGY*
If you have truly built an Alcatraz of a base, then try to force your
opponent to attack. The simpliest way to do this is build a couple of
superweapons (GLA is very good at this), and your opponent might get annoyed
and attack you. The other one is to destroy his cash flow. Simply hunt down his
expansions and raze them to the ground, and don't forget to get his oil
derricks, too! (just destroy them if you can't get 'em)
Don't only place defensive structures near entrances to your base, place it
everywhere, for Sun Tzu's sake! (Sun Tzu wrote the famous "The Art of War",
which still plays an important part in military strategy, and you should get
your copy now, since I got mine already!)
Speaking of your cash flow, don't wait for your primary supply depot to get
emptied before finding another one, get an expansion before the supplies on
your primary supply depot get lower than 4000 dollars. And make sure to save up
to build another supply stash! I've seen people build lots of defenses, only to
sell them when their primary supply depot is screwed and they don't have any
cash left. If you see your opponent do THAT, then attack!!! He will be crippled
since he doesn't have a main way of collecting income (i.e. collecting supplies
from supply depots as opposed to secondary ways like oil derricks, black
markets, hackers and supply drop zones)
*ON SCOUTING*
Scouting is very important and should never be discarded. Without proper
scouting, your troops may find themselves ambushed, your income disabled, and
your attack routed.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|"If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware |
|that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway toward |
|victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that |
|our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone halfway toward |
|victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our|
|men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the |
|ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway toward |
|victory." |
| -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
You should ask yourself some questions. "What is the layout of the enemy
base?" "Where is his army positioned?" "What supply depots are currently being
used by him?" "Where is his superweapon positioned?" And finally, "How am I
going to answer all of these questions?"
Simple. By scouting. Scout using fast, light vehicles. (like Technicals,
Humvees and Troop Crawlers) Scout your immediate area first, while going
farther from your main base. If you see his base, attempt to go to the deepest
parts of his base, since your purpose here is to scout, and not a nuisance
attack (which is easily taken care of, BTW). Take note of the topography of his
base, as well as the surrounding area of his base. Only by then can you be able
to attack efficiently.
USA and GLA have means of scouting which does not use of any ordinary unit.
This is called spying. The USA has three methods of spying, and the GLA has
only one, albeit arguably better than the USA's three methods. Let us study
them below:
*USA SPYING METHODS*
1. Spy Satellite - Will reveal a large area upon where it was deployed. Lasts
for a few seconds before the Fog of War reappears. Detects invisible units.
It can be accessed through the Command Center. It recharges every 1:00.
2. Spy Drone - Will continue to reveal a large area upon where it was deployed.
An invisible, airborne drone will "sit" indefinitely on the said area,
detecting invisible units. However, it can be shot down by anything that can
attack air units. However, it should be detected first by a stealth-detecting
unit (like Radar Vans) or an ability (like Spy Satellites). Should it be shot
down, the said area will remain revealed for a few seconds, and after that
the Fog of War cover the area. It can be accessed through the Command Center
or the right-hand edge of the screen. It recharges every 1:30. It must be
"purchased" from the General Abilities screen. (Level 1 General Ability)
3. Intelligence - Will reveal every non-stealthed unit the enemy has. Lasts for
30 seconds before the Fog of War reappears. It can be accessed through the
Detention Camp. It recharges every 2:00.
*GLA SPYING METHODS*
1. Radar Scan - Will reveal a moderately-sized area upon where it was deployed.
Lasts for a few seconds before the Fog of War reappears. Detects invisible
units. It can be accessed through a Radar Van. It recharges every 0:30. It
must be researched from the Black Market for 500 cash.
As you see, the GLA are best in spying. Not only are Radar Vans cheap, you
can virtually abuse the Radar Scan!!! However, this can't be done in the early
game, since you need to research it from the Black Market, which is practically
at the top of the GLA tech tree. With the USA, you could spy immediately and
plan a rush at once!!! Poor, poor China...
*ON ATTACKING*
When fighting with your allies, attack together, and attack at different
angles. This will ensure that your attack will succeed even against a superior
adversary. Your opponent will panic because the enemy is attacking at different
angles!!! This will split up his defending troops, which should spell his
downfall. (should he defend one part of his base the other part will be crushed
by the other) This will also work against the computer, but I believe that the
AI will perform better since the computer doesn't panic!!! This is in no ways
cheap, since if your opponent has allies then they should've helped him defend.
That's what's allies are for!!!
When attacking, you should have some anti-air units present. As you see,
Commanches firing rocket pods at your army isn't very pretty to look at. Well,
if you brought some Gatling Tanks with you, then you'll get them promoted (if
the enemy doesn't go for them first) and maybe YOU, too. Beware of Auroras!
If possible, attack from the rear. Since the rear is usually less well-
defended by the enemy, then you will have better chances of penetrating
through. Your opponent may call you cheap, but then again, it was his fault
that he left his back door open, and that shall be his undoing.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|"Rapidity is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness,|
|make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots." |
| -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
*ON AVERTING THE POSSIBILITY OF YOUR WHOLE BASE BEING DESTROYED BY AIRBORNE
AGENTS*
Place lots of anti-air defenses around your base! Since lots of deadly
things like EMPs, Fuel Air bombs, Paradrops, Cluster Mines and Anthrax Bombs
come from some big-ass cargo plane, your anti-air should be adequate enough to
stop them before it's too late!!! Since your opponent makes use of these to
catch you napping, it's imperative that you should take cautionary measures.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|"No matter the fighting style, one cannot defend an attack from the air."|
| -- Hennya, Rurouni Kenshin |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
*ON BASE MANAGEMENT*
As you see, a build order is imperative. Playing without a build order is
like an adventure without a handkerchief! (*cough* Bilbo *cough*) Excuse me for
the obscure reference... Get your own build order! A basic one is:
1. (for China and USA) Build a Nuclear/Cold Fusion Reactor, respectively (GLA
doesn't need to do this)
2. Order your Command Center to make a worker unit
3. (for China and USA) When the Reactor is finished building, build a Supply
Stash near a supply depot (for GLA just build a Supply Stash ASAP with your
first worker)
4. As soon as the worker unit comes out of the Command Center order it to build
a Barracks
5. When the Barracks is finished pump out some basic infantry units (i.e.
Ranger/Red Guard/Rebel) for immediate defense against rushes, if your opponent
is USA then build some rocket infantry too (i.e. Missile Defender/Tank Hunter/
RPG Trooper)
6. Research Capture Building and take over any nearby Tech Buildings
Well, you shouldn't follow the above one religiously, its just a basic build
order! Feel free to add/change things of your own!
Try to set rally points for your production buildings, that way, units won't
crowd in the war factory/barracks. Try to put them in strategic places and make
them guard ground to have more defense.
This section will deal with the different buildings of C&C Generals, like
how to use them properly and making the most out of them. I also added some
things to remember about them. I also added the different upgrades to this
section, and a brief description about them and how to make the most out of
them.
+----------------+
| USA Structures |
+----------------+
*Note on all USA Structures*: All USA Structures repair themselves, making them
very newbie-friendly.
Command Center
Cost: 2000
Abilities: Deployable general abilities (like fuel air bombs, A10 strikes,
paradrops, and emergency repairs), Spy Satellite (1:00 countdown)
Builds: USA Construction Dozer
The Command Center creates your builder units, so you must protect it! It
may not be as important as the Construction Yard of previous games, but lose it
and you're in big trouble unless you make another one. You also need to have
one if you plan on using those Particle Cannons of yours. Use the Spy Satellite
to spy on the enemy, since it reveals a large radius where you deploy it. It
also spots cloaked units. Unlike the Spy Drone, the Fog of War returns after a
few seconds, but it can't be stopped by outside forces. (unlike the Spy Drone
which could be detected by enemy troops and shot down) It can also stand severe
punishment from a superweapon strike. Oh, and you start with it in every
skirmish and multiplayer game. It also provides you radar automatically.
Cold Fusion Reactor
Cost: 800
Upgrades: Control Rods
Power provided: 5 (10 if you upgrade it with Control Rods)
Power is needed for your static defenses, superweapons, and radar to work.
Therefore, Cold Fusion Reactors are a vital part of your base. You should build
a whole lot of them since they only provide 5 power compared to China's Nuclear
Reactor which provides 10 power. If your base is too cramped then research
Control Rods on your Reactors. Two unupgraded Reactors are better than one
upgraded one since one Reactor is easier to destroy than two of them. Cold
Fusion Reactors with Control Rods researched will glow a yellow color from
their windows (so you know which Reactor has Control Rods researched) Also,
scatter your Reactors since things like Particle Cannons and nukes will destroy
a whole lot of them in one use.
Barracks
Cost: 600
Upgrades: Flashbangs, Capture Building
Builds: Ranger, Missile Defender, Pathfinder, Colonel Burton
Power consumed: NONE
This building has no prerequisites and eats up NO power. It is also a vital
tool for victory. For it trains all USA infantry and heals them (just order
wounded infantry to enter the Barracks and the Barracks will heal it). It also
has important upgrades like Flashbangs and the Capture Building upgrade.
Flashbangs give Rangers a secondary mode of attack that only damages infantry
(but does a very good job at it). Capture Building allows Rangers to capture
Tech Buildings (Oil Derricks and the like) and enemy Buildings. The good thing
is you don't lose your unit anymore when you order it to capture buildings.
If you train lots of infantry then you should have more than one of these in
your base.
Supply Center
Cost: 2000
Builds: Chinook
Power consumed: 1
Prerequisites: Cold Fusion Reactor
Supply Centers spawn a supply gatherer which goes to supply depots to
collect supplies, and when they can't carry anymore supplies they return to the
Supply Center to dump supplies, which is converted to cash. (whew, I said a lot
of supplies!) That means that to have the money flowing, you should have one of
these. As in all RTS games out there, no resources means defeat. Build more
than one of these so you'll speed up your income. (Chinooks drop supplies one
at a time, not like Chinese Supply Trucks) Info about Chinooks will be in the
Units 102 section.
Patriot Missile System
Cost: 1000
Power consumed: 3
Prerequisites: Cold Fusion Reactor
This daddy is your only static defense. It excels in almost anything, it is
quite effective against infantry! (something rockets aren't usually strong at)
Try to place Patriots near each other, because when one of them fires at the
enemy it relays the enemy's position to other Patriots which then start
shooting when it normally couldn't! YAY!!! Eats a good lot of power, though,
and doesn't have much health. Still better than Stinger sites, though, because
they are smaller and not as easily neutralized.
For such a cheap price, the Airfield will be a powerful tool to victory.
Why? The Americans have the best air in the game. Raptors for defending your
base, Stealth Fighters to strip the enemy of his defenses, Aurora Strike
Bombers for mass building destruction, and Commanches for various uses.
Airfields repair damaged aircraft, and reload them (except the Commanche, which
reloads automatically in the air) when their ammo is expended. Rocket Pods is a
cheap, albeit important upgrade for Commanches while Laser Missiles is very
important when you find yourself using Raptors and Stealth Fighters a lot. Be
careful though, Airfields have minimal armor and low health, so protect them
well, since grounded aircraft are an easy target for Rebel Ambushes and the
like. Also, your allies can also land and refuel on your Airfield.
War Factory
Cost: 2000
Upgrades: TOW Missile
Builds: Crusader, Humvee, Paladin, Tomahawk, Ambulance
Power consumed: 1
Prerequisites: Supply Center
Another important building. Builds USA armor and repairs them. Since USA
vehicles are a very good lot, you'll need this structure badly. Too bad, it
isn't as well-armored as it was in previous C&C games...
Strategy Center
Cost: 2500
Abilities: Bombardment, Hold the Line, Search and Destroy
Upgrades: Advanced Training, Drone Armor, Composite Armor
Power consumed: 2
Prerequisites: Airfield OR War Factory
This building researches vital upgrades for you. Not only that, it can be a
defensive structure by itself! (Bombardment)
The strategies Bombardment, Hold the Line and Search and Destroy need some
explaining. Only one strategy can be declared at a time, and you can change
strategies when needed. When you declare a strategy, your Strategy Center will
be revealed to enemies (so don't throw out strategies at once!), and if your
Strategy Center is already imposing a strategy and you change it, your units
will temporarily be disabled.
If you choose Bombardment, your units will receive a 20% damage bonus. And
also, your Strategy Center will deploy a big cannon that acts just like the
Grand Cannon from Red Alert 2. (big range and damage, has minimum range)
Hold the Line increases the Strategy Center's armor. (you'll see it filled
with sandbags) Its primary bonus adds 10% armor to all units.
Search and Destroy however, will add a 20% sight range AND attacking range
bonus to all units and structures. (yeah!!!) The Strategy Center can now detect
invisible units and has a longer sight range than usual (so put the Strategy
Center in from of your base).
Now, go figure which strategy is the best. Hold the Line is certainly the
WORST, since it gives so little bonus and the extra armor doesn't really help.
(unless your base is being overrun by the enemy) Bombardment is especially good
for those who love to attack the enemy, since the 20% damage increase is very
good. Well, for those who can't choose, Search and Destroy is best! Not only
does the 20% increased range help Tomahawks (which are very long ranged units
on their own) outshoot any artillery, it gives them extra sight range, too!
(more if you have scout drones) And I believe that Search and Destroy adds
firing range to Patriots!
Detention Camp
Cost: 1000
Abilities: Intelligence (2:00 countdown)
Power consumed: NONE
Prerequisites: Strategy Center
Build lots of these since they don't take any power. The Intelligence
ability is important since it allows you to see all non-stealthed enemy units.
Knowing where these units are is the key to victory. 'Nuff said.
Particle Cannon Uplink
Cost: 5000
Abilities: Particle Cannon (4:00 countdown)
Power consumed: 10
Prerequisites: Strategy Center
I recommend to build at least two of these nasty little buggers, since one
Particle Cannon isn't going to do much damage. With two of them, you could
destroy any structure (superweapons included)! This will INSTANTLY kill any
unit that comes into contact with the beam. You can move the beam by selecting
the active Particle Cannon Uplink (the one that is currently firing a Particle
Cannon and clicking to other places on the map. This is the superweapon with
the shortest countdown, so you'll be able to churn out more superweapon strikes
than the other factions can. Get lots of Reactors to compensate for the INSANE
amount of power this baby consumes...
+--------------+
| USA Upgrades |
+--------------+
Flashbangs
Cost: 800
Researched at: Barracks
Units affected: Ranger
Bonus: Allows Rangers to use the Flashbang attack
Rating: *****
A cheap upgrade which you should get when fighting in urban maps. Flashbangs
kill garrisoned infantry in one attack, also Angry Mobs, too! It's a shame that
you can't use it and the Ranger's normal attack at the same time. You must
select in from the Ranger's command bar.
Capture Building
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Barracks
Units affected: Ranger
Bonus: Allows Rangers to use the Capture Building ability
Rating: ****
You should get this up if you plan on taking Tech and/or enemy buildings.
Since Tech buildings like Oil Derricks play an important role in your economy,
be sure to get this! However, capturing buildings does not mean insta-capture
when your Ranger reaches its target. You must wait for an amount of time before
the building is finally yours. While capturing, the building being captured
will flash your color. When it flashes your color fast it means that the
building is nearly yours! The good thing is you don't lose your unit anymore
when you order it to capture buildings. Be sure to have some escort ready while
doing so.
Rocket Pods
Cost: 800
Researched at: Airfield
Units affected: Commanche
Bonus: Allows Commanches to use the Rocket Pods ability
Rating: ****
A very cheap, albeit important upgrade. If you plan to make the most out of
your Commanches, research this! You don't need any ammo to use it, so if you
deplete your rockets, use this! Beware, the rockets miss a lot and the
Commanche is vulnerable while using this. However, a correctly used Rocket Pod
attack will devastate its target...
Laser Missiles
Cost: 1400
Researched at: Airfield
Units affected: Raptor, Stealth Fighter
Bonus: +25% damage increase to Raptor and Stealth Fighter rockets
Rating: ***
Nothing much to say here, but the extra 25% damage helps a lot in air-to-air
battles. Your call.
TOW Missile
Cost: 1200
Researched at: War Factory
Units affected: Humvee
Bonus: Gives Humvees a secondary rocket attack
Rating: ****
A must-have, if you plan on using Humvees. Since the Humvee's machinegun is
weak, you should put some infantry inside it for additional firepower. However,
if your Humvee gets killed, the infantry inside will die as well, so if you
don't want to waste 300 bucks for every Humvee you have, research TOW Missiles!
This will also let Humvees perform as cheap anti-vehicle and anti-air.
Composite Armor
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Strategy Center
Units affected: Crusader Tank, Paladin Tank
Bonus: +25% armor increase to Crusader Tanks and Paladin Tanks
Rating: ***
Get this is if you like using the aforementioned tanks. This will help in
pitched tank battles, and will give you a bit more error space to operate
against the enemy. This also stacks with Hold the Line, if you don't know yet.
Advanced Training
Cost: 1500
Researched at: Strategy Center
Units affected: All except Construction Dozer, Chinook and Ambulance
Bonus: Units gain veterancy at double the normal rate
Rating: *****
For 1500 cash, all your military units will gain veterancy at twice the
usual rate. That means you will have to kill fewer enemies for your units to
get stronger. Whatever you do, be sure to research this.
Drone Armor
Cost: 500
Researched at: Strategy Center
Units affected: Battle Drones, Scout Drones
Bonus: +25% armor increase to Battle Drones and Scout Drones
Rating: ***
If you plan on making the most out of Battle Drones and Scout Drones, better
give them more survivability for them to last longer. Battle Drones are a very
cheap way to augment your vehicles, and Scout Drones detect stealthed units and
give longer sight range to the unit that built it. So by all means get it!!!
+--------------------+
| Chinese Structures |
+--------------------+
*Note*: All Chinese structures except the Speaker Tower can deploy mines
enveloping the surrounding area. These mines are invisible and will explode
when a land unit comes into contact. Mines are purchased for 600 cash and will
gradually regenerate after detonating. They can be cleared by worker units.
Command Center
Cost: 2000
Abilities: Deployable general abilities (like cluster mines, artillery
barrages, cash hacks, and emergency repairs)
Upgrades: Radar, Mines
Builds: Chinese Construction Dozer
The Command Center creates your builder units, so you must protect it! It
may not be as important as the Construction Yard of previous games, but lose it
and you're in big trouble unless you make another one. You also need to have
one if you plan on using those Nuclear Missiles of yours. It also spots cloaked
units. It can also stand severe punishment from a superweapon strike. Oh, and
you start with it in every skirmish and multiplayer game. Take note that it
does not automatically provide radar and you will have to research it at the
Command Center itself. I recommend that you research it right after you build
your second Construction Dozer. Placing mines around this is paramount! (just
don't do it immediately)
Nuclear Reactor
Cost: 1000
Abilities: Overcharge
Power provided: 10
The Chinese counterpart of the Cold Fusion Reactor. This one naturally
provides more power than Cold Fusion Reactors and is more cost-efficient.
(China spends only 1000 cash for 10 power while USA spends 1600 to get the same
amount) The drawback is it gives out a small nuclear explosion when destroyed,
so try not to build these near your units! Should you run low on power, quickly
toggle the Overcharge ability on your reactors until the power reverts to
normal, and then quickly build more Nuclear Reactors. Should your overcharged
reactor lose half of its HP turn the Overcharge off and select another reactor
to Overcharge. (this means that you will rarely run out of power!!!) Very
ingenious, China.
Barracks
Cost: 600
Trains: Red Guard, Tank Hunter, Hacker, Black Lotus
Upgrades: Capture Building
Power consumed: 0
This cheap building lets you produce your infantry. Chinese infantry is very
good, since their basic infantry unit, the Red Guard is produced in pairs for
$300. This is also important in the late game since it produces Hackers which
are important in pitched battles, since they collect cash for you! Heals
damaged infantry, but Speaker Towers are a better alternative.
Supply Center
Cost: 1500
Builds: Supply Truck
Power consumed: 1
Prerequisites: Nuclear Reactor
This is basically the same Supply Center that GLA and USA has, but instead
of Workers and Chinooks this Supply Center spawns a moderately-fast Supply
Truck that can take $300 before going back to the Supply Center. This means
that it collects supplies faster than Chinooks! And since Chinooks can only get
supplies one at a time when more than one of them are assigned to a supply
depot, USA is at a major disadvantage! Oh yeah! Just protect your Supply Trucks
since they are lightly armored and are easily taken care of, while Chinooks
aren't as easily dispatched. Oh, and build your Supply Centers as close as
possible to the supplies since Supply Trucks aren't airborne units and will
have difficulty reaching a far supply depot.
Bunker
Cost: 400
Power consumed: 0
Prerequisites: Barracks
Surprised by the lack of information about this building? The Bunker is a
very simple defensive structure. If you remember the Battle Bunker from Yuri's
Revenge and/or the Terran Bunker (of StarCraft fame), then this one is an exact
replica of it. You put infantry inside it, and they shoot at incoming enemy
units with a damage and range increase (sorta like Battle Realm's Watchtower).
Put 5 Tank Hunters inside it because anti-infantry is easily handled by Gatling
Cannons and Dragon Tanks. Since this building doesn't consume any power, make
a whole lot of them! What's more, they can't be cleared by ordinary means,
rather, you have to kill the Bunker to get to the infantry inside.
Gatling Cannon
Cost: 1200
Power consumed: 3
Prerequisites: Barracks
Another static defense ripped off from Yuri's Revenge. Gatling Cannons are
expensive (compared to Patriots) but are a bit more effective against air units
since they have a fast rate of fire and good damage. If they fire for a
prolonged period of time, they will fire faster and faster and will deal INSANE
damage per second!!! (just like the Gatling Cannon of yore) Again, don't go
gaga over building them since they have low HP and take a lot of power...
War Factory
Cost: 2000
Power consumed: 1
Builds: Battlemaster, Dragon Tank, Gatling Tank, Troop Crawler, Inferno Cannon,
Overlord, Nuke Cannon
Upgrades: Black Napalm, Chain Guns
Prerequisites: Supply Center
Probably the most important unit-production building for China. This version
produces powerful units essential for Chinese victory! Build one as soon as
possible, and if you have enough money get more of them so you can pump out
vehicles faster! This building also heals damaged vehicles.
Airfield
Cost: 1000
Power consumed: 1
Builds: MiG
Upgrades: MiG Armor
Prerequisites: Supply Center
A large, vulnerable structure, the Airfield doesn't seem a good investment
at first, because it only produces one unit, but it is nonetheless important.
MiGs are arguably the best air unit in the game, with the right combination of
power, speed, build cost, health and armor (*cough* Commanche *cough*). It can
engage both land and air targets and are capable of producing a firestorm. You
know the drill, it repairs and rearms friendly aircraft.Just put these on the
back of your base because grounded aircraft are easy targets for the enemy!!!
Don't be fooled by their large life bar, since Airfields have virtually no
armor at all.
Propaganda Center
Cost: 2000
Power consumed: 2
Upgrades: Nationalism, Subliminal Messaging
Prerequisites: War Factory
This is China's building that will let you access the top of the Chinese
tech tree. You'll need this to build Overlords, so try to get one as fast as
possible. This building also researches important upgrades like Nationalism and
Subliminal Messaging.
Speaker Tower
Cost: 500
Power consumed: 1
Prerequisites: Propaganda Center
This simple defensive structure will increase nearby units' rate of fire and
grant them automatic health regeneration as long as they are within a given
radius. Research Subliminal Messaging to further improve these vital bonuses.
Note that this is the only Chinese building that cannot deploy mines...
Nuclear Silo
Cost: 5000
Power consumed: 10
Abilities: Nuclear Missile (5:00 countdown)
Upgrades: Uranium Shells, Nuclear Tanks
Prerequisites: Propaganda Center
Ah, China's superweapon. I believe that the Nuclear Missile is the best
"buildable" superweapon in the game. Its countdown may be a bit long, but it
definitely has a better effect than the SCUD storm. Also, it creates a very
large mushroom cloud that will really piss the victim off!!! It also houses
some upgrades for your vehicles, which makes this building a must have! Build
a whole group of them and watch the enemy panic, which will make him attack you
with impunity. Of course, your units should be able to tear them to pieces
before they reach your base, right?
+------------------+
| Chinese Upgrades |
+------------------+
Radar
Cost: 800
Researched at: Command Center
Buildings affected: Command Center
Bonus: Provides radar
Rating: *****
Research this as soon as you get your second Dozer. Don't ever think that
you can survive without any radar...
Capture Building
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Barracks
Units affected: Red Guard
Bonus: Allows Red Guards to use the Capture Building ability
Rating: ****
You should get this up if you plan on taking Tech and/or enemy buildings.
Since Tech buildings like Oil Derricks play an important role in your economy,
be sure to get this! However, capturing buildings does not mean insta-capture
when your Red Guard reaches its target. You must wait for an amount of time
before the building is finally yours. While capturing, the building being
captured will flash your color. When it flashes your color fast it means that
the building is nearly yours! The good thing is you don't lose your unit
anymore when you order it to capture buildings. Be sure to have some escort
ready while doing so.
Black Napalm
Cost: 2000
Researched at: War Factory
Units affected: Dragon Tank, Inferno Cannon, MiG
Bonus: +25% damage increase to all flame units
Rating: ****
Dragon Tanks are very powerful once you research this for them. Inferno
Cannon and MiG firestorms will become much more powerful. And since the MiG
heavily relies on its firestorm attack to deal decent splash damage to vehicles
and buildings, go get it!!!
Chain Guns
Cost: 2000
Researched at: War Factory
Units affected: Gatling Tank, Gatling Cannon, Overlord Gatling Cannon
Bonus: +25% damage increase to all gatling units
Rating: ****
Not only does this upgrade increase the damage dealt by gatling units, this
also increases their rate of fire, I believe. This means that your gatling
units are more powerful, and if the enemy is using lots of infantry and air,
your gatling units will waste them with ease.
MiG Armor
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Airfield
Units affected: MiG
Bonus: +25% armor increase to MiGs
Rating: ***
MiGs really don't have much armor, so every point of armor counts! This is a
good way to ensure that your MiGs reach their target.
Nationalism
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Propaganda Center
Units affected: Red Guard, Tank Hunter, Battlemaster
Bonus: +25% increase to hoard bonus effect
Rating: ****
If you plan on using units with hoard bonus (which you WILL use frequently),
Nationalism will further increase the rate of fire bonus to hoard bonused
units. The 2000 dollars you spend on this upgrade is compensated by the
increased firepower of your units.
Since the Speaker Tower's effects are very useful to your units, this
really cheap upgrade will almost double its usefulness!!! I don't see why you
shouldn't get it.
Uranium Shells
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Nuclear Silo
Units affected: Battlemaster, Overlord
Bonus: +25% damage increase to Battlemaster and Overlord shells
Rating: ****
An expensive, albeit powerful upgrade for your tanks. This will make
Battlemasters and Overlords (which IMO don't really need a firepower upgrade)
more powerful, and will make mincemeat out of enemy tanks!
Nuclear Tanks
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Nuclear Silo
Units affected: Battlemaster, Overlord
Bonus: +25% speed increase to Battlemaster and Overlord
Rating: ***
This upgrade will transform your clumsy Overlord to a speedy beast. And
your already fast Battlemasters will become much faster!!! The side effect is
your affected tanks will explode upon dying, and will deal some splash damage
to nearby units. And if you upgraded your Overlord with a Bunker, you put in
some infantry, and the Overlord dies, your infantry will get hurt by the
radiation, too.
*Note*: All GLA structures transform into a Hole when destroyed. The Hole will
regenerate its health, and when it is fully regenerated the original building
(the building that was destroyed previously) will appear in place of the Hole.
Neat, eh? This means that GLA buildings have a bit more health than their
American and Chinese counterparts! Also, the GLA doesn't need any power, so
keep on building those SCUD storms!!!
Command Center
Cost: 2000
Abilities: Deployable general abilities (like rebel ambushes, emergency
repairs, and anthrax bombs)
Trains: Worker
The Command Center creates your builder units, so you must protect it! It
may not be as important as the Construction Yard of previous games, but lose it
and you're in big trouble unless you make another one. You also need to have
one if you plan on using those SCUD storms of yours. It also spots cloaked
units. It can also stand severe punishment from a superweapon strike. Oh, and
you start with it in every skirmish and multiplayer game.
Barracks
Cost: 600
Trains: Rebel, RPG Trooper, Hijacker, Angry Mob, Jarman Kell
Upgrades: Capture Building
The GLA produces no-nonsense infantry that are very easy to use, and these
infantry have very good upgrades to start with. Make sure you have a Barracks
up ASAP since the GLA doesn't need any power. The Barracks also heals damaged
infantry. Nothing much to say, but since Angry Mobs are quite powerful build
more than one of these to speed up your infantry production.
Supply Stash
Cost: 1500
Trains: Worker
Nothing much different here from the other sides' Supply Stashes, only thing
is, your harvesting unit is also your builder unit! Since Workers take only a
few seconds to get supplies and return to the Supply Stash, you will see that
the GLA is best at harvesting supplies this way! If you have at least 8 of them
harvesting your economy is booming! Very vulnerable though, so have some
defenses ready...
Stinger Site
Cost: 950
The Stinger Site gets my vote as the WORST defensive structure ever. It is
just a building where 3 RPG Troopers take shelter and fire at every enemy unit
that comes by. The problem is, the building doesn't provide any defense for the
RPG Troopers so they can be killed by virtually anything! (Jarman Kell being
the worst killer...) Flashbangs, flames, toxins, snipers, anything!!! Your only
consolation is that it leaves a Hole when destroyed, and the RPG Troopers fire
quite fast. Eventhough it is dirt cheap, this building takes an eternity to
build, and while building it the worker is just as vulnerable!!!
Nonetheless, you should build lots of these since it provides the GLA
defense against vehicles and aircraft. Should the RPG Troopers get killed, the
Stinger Site will respawn them.
Tunnel Network
Cost: 800
Wow, EA sure gets a lot of ideas from rival game companies, right? This is
the GLA's version of the Zerg Nydus Canal from StarCraft. You put infantry
inside it, select another Tunnel Network, ungarrison them there, and they will
come out at that Tunnel Network! It also has a machine gun that fires at enemy
units and is good against infantry (weak, though). You can put up to 8 infantry
inside, I recommend to put 6-7 RPG Troopers and a Worker or two. The machine
gun should be enough in dealing with enemy infantry, but if you're against the
USA then get some Rebels or even better, Jarman Kell, to kill the annoying
Colonel Burton they send to kill your expansions... Builds faster than the
Stinger Site, too. Get one near your Barracks, and one in every expansion. (put
some around your base, too)
A more expensive War Factory we got here. The extra 500 cash is a bargain
because this building produces what may be the most versatile array of units in
the game. And since the GLA only has two military unit-producting buildings,
make more than one of them since the GLA isn't known for fast production. If
you plan on using Scorpion Tanks, Scorpion Rocket is a must-have. It is what
the TOW Missile upgrade is to Humvees! You may already know it, but I'm going
to say it anyways: this building repairs damaged vehicles!
Demo Trap
Cost: 400
Abilities: Detonate Now!
A very simple trap, should an enemy unit come close to it, it will explode!
You can also rig it to explode at your command! It is invisible and will most
of the time surprise your opponents!!!
Palace
Cost: 2500
Upgrades: Camouflage, Arm the Mob, Anthrax Beta, Toxin Shells
This building gives you access to the juicy SCUD storm and the all-important
Black Market. You can also garrison 5 infantry units inside so put this in the
front of your base to make the most out of it. Be sure to get the upgrades as
you get a Palace up because all four are important in bringing out the best in
your units!!!
Black Market
Cost: 2500
Upgrades: AP Bullets, AP Rockets, Junk Repair, Rocket Ammo, Radar Scan
Another important building with very important upgrades. Also, as a bonus,
this building gives you 20 dollars for every second that ticks!!! Get at least
5 of them to make the most out of it! The first upgrade you should research
ASAP is Junk Repair, and then Radar Scan to have some cheap intelligence. AP
Rockets is important since it strengthens ALL rocket attacks that the GLA has
(except for the SCUDs).
To start with, this baby doesn't take any power so you don't have to spend
extra bucks to power this ones up!!! This is also the most ANNOYING superweapon
since it has an INSANE spread effect and a potent Anthrax side-effect! It may
not be very accurate, but it will really wreak havoc on a cramped base! (which
is a bad idea, since your opponent's superweapons can be targeted on a smaller
area, since the base is so small) 3 of these will really piss off the enemy,
use them at the same time to really make him mad, then attack him!!!
Capture Building
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Barracks
Units affected: Rebel
Bonus: Allows Rebels to use the Capture Building ability
Rating: ****
You should get this up if you plan on taking Tech and/or enemy buildings.
Since Tech buildings like Oil Derricks play an important role in your economy,
be sure to get this! However, capturing buildings does not mean insta-capture
when your Rebel reaches its target. You must wait for an amount of time before
the building is finally yours. While capturing, the building being captured
will flash your color. When it flashes your color fast it means that the
building is nearly yours! The good thing is you don't lose your unit anymore
when you order it to capture buildings. Be sure to have some escort ready while
doing so.
Scorpion Rocket
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Arms Dealer
Units affected: Scorpion Tank
Bonus: Gives Scorpion Tanks a secondary rocket attack
Rating: *****
This is TOW Missile of the Scorpion Tank. 'Nuff said.
Camouflage
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Palace
Units affected: Rebel
Bonus: Rebels are invisible when not shooting
Rating: ****
This upgrade gives Rebels the edge they need to compete with the other
sides' basic infantry. As soon as you finish researching it, your Rebels will
become mini-Jarman Kells! Just walk by his expansions, and start shooting at
his defenseless workers! Or Radar Scan his base to find out weak points, and
deploy your Rebel Ambush at the weakest possible point for a surprise attack!!!
Arm the Mob
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Palace
Units affected: Angry Mob
Bonus: Gives Angry Mobs AK-47 weapons
Rating: *****
I've never use Mobs until I finish researching this vital upgrade. With this
your Mobs' firepower will be much, much better. It's very cheap to boot!
Anthrax Beta
Cost: 2500
Researched at: Palace
Units affected: Toxin Tractor, Scorpion and Marauder Tank (if upgraded with
Toxin Shells), SCUD Launcher (with Anthrax warhead), Bomb Truck (if armed
with Bio Bomb)
Bonus: +25% damage increase to all toxin units
Rating: ****
A must-have for any GLA commander. The steep price is worth it since it also
(correct me if I'm wrong) makes the anthrax side effect of the SCUD Storm
stronger! And I know that you will be using the units I mentioned above. If you
upgrade them with this the green toxin will turn into blue!!!
Toxin Shells
Cost: 1000
Researched at: Palace
Units affected: Scorpion Tank, Marauder Tank
Bonus: Adds a small amount of anthrax for each shell
Rating: *****
You can't do without this one. This will enable your Scorpions and Marauders
to easily dispose of enemy infantry! Also, research Anthrax Beta for more
damage.
AP Bullets
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Black Market
Units affected: Rebel, Technical, Quad Cannon, Jarman Kell
Bonus: +25% damage increase to Rebel, Technical, Quad Cannon, and Jarman Kell's
bullets
Rating: ****
Rebels may have no gimmicks unlike their American and Chinese counterparts
(who have Flashbangs and hoard bonuses, respectively), but they deal more
damage if you researched this upgrade. And since Quad Cannons are vital for
anti-infantry and anti-air, be sure to get this if you have the cash to make
things easier.
AP Rockets
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Black Market
Units affected: RPG Trooper, Rocket Buggy, Scorpion Tank (if upgraded with
Scorpion Rocket), SCUD Launcher(?)
Bonus: +25% damage increase to all rocket units
Rating: ****
Oh, and Stinger Sites are also affected by this upgrade, since the units
inside are RPG Troopers, anyway. This will make Rocket Buggies even more
ANNOYING than they are, because *mimics the Rocket Buggy driver's voice* they
have AP roooockeeeeettts noooooow.
Junk Repair
Cost: 2000
Researched at: Black Market
Units affected: All vehicle units
Bonus: All vehicle units self-repair
Rating: *****
This is the first upgrade I research when I get a Black Market up because
this upgrade increases the survivability of your GLA vehicles! No stupid
Speaker Tower healing, nor some weird drone repairing your damaged tanks, but
junk!!! (bad joke intended) It sure beats sending your damaged vehicles all the
way back to the Arms Dealer...
Rocket Ammo
Cost: 1200
Researched at: Black Market
Units affected: Rocket Buggy
Bonus: Rocket Buggies will fire 25% more rockets than normal
Rating: ***
This simple upgrade will make Rocket Buggies fire MORE rockets than normal,
making it a very damaging unit. (combine it with AP Rockets for sheer
destruction!!!) Its not that vital, but you may want to get it. You'll also see
a visible effect on your Rocket Buggies' appearance. (bigger rocket launchers)
Radar Scan
Cost: 500
Researched at: Black Market
Units affected: Radar Van
Bonus: Allows Radar Vans to use the Radar Scan ability
The best method on spying on the enemy. You can build a a lot of Radar Vans,
and keep on spying nonstop on his base!!! Then wreak some havoc by deploying
Rebel Ambushes on weak parts of his base! (if your opponent is China, try to
deploy your Rebels near Hackers to disable his income) What's more, it's so
cheap!
Now that I have effectively discussed the different structures and upgrades
of the game, on to the units!!! Same thing here, you shall learn how to make
the most out of your units and use them effectively. I also added some data to
remember about them.
*Note*: All vehicles can crush infantry unless otherwise stated
+-----------+
| USA Units |
+-----------+
Construction Dozer
Cost: 1000
Built from: Command Center
Abilities: Build a USA structure, Clear mines
Prerequisites: Command Center
This unit is the first unit you'll acquire in any skirmish or multiplayer
game, and there is a good reason: it builds all your structures! The Dozer
doesn't have any weapon (although you can squish infantry with it), and is
lightly armored. You must protect these units at all costs! If you lose all of
your Dozers and Command Centers then you cannot build structures anymore! Make
a lot of these to ensure fast base construction.
Ranger
Cost: 225
Trained from: Barracks
Abilities: Flashbangs (secondary attack), Capture Building
Innate Abilities: Can be garrisonned inside certain buildings
Prerequisites: Barracks
Basic infantry units are weak. At most they could engage light vehicles, and
still they will get wasted by them. Well, they play an important in capturing
buildings, and are cheap anti-infantry. Make sure to upgrade Flashbangs as it
will help you deal with annoying Angry Mobs and will enable your Ranger to take
out hordes of opposing infantry! Oh, and you can garrison them inside some
buildings, but flashbangs, toxins, and flames will get them, not to mention
combat drops!
Missile Defender
Cost: 300
Trained from: Barracks
Abilities: Laser Lock
Innate Abilities: Can be garrisonned inside certain buildings
Prerequisites: Barracks
Your American rocket infantry is equipped with a high-tech missile launcher
(although I've been told its just a LAW with a laser designator) with a laser
designator. You can use Laser Lock to lock on a vehicle target for a second,
and after that second is up your Missile Defender will fire on that unit
faster!!! Very good against aircraft and vehicles, and you can garrison them
inside buildings, which will help eradicate the problem of building clearing
weapons!!! (all of them are vulnerable to rockets) Assuming you have enough of
them, of course. They are also very quick to build if your in some trouble.
Pathfinder
Cost: 400
Trained from: Barracks
Innate Abilities: Invisible (unless moving or firing), Can spot invisible units
Prerequisites: Barracks, Level 3 General Ranking
A mini-me of Jarman Kell. He is a sniper with the added advantage of
stealth. Unlike Jarman Kell, he will lose his stealth when he moves, but he can
also shoot at invisible infantry (like Black Lotus). Oh, and one shot kills any
infantry. You have to "purchase" them from the Generals Abilities to be able to
produce them.
Colonel Burton
Cost: 1500
Trained from: Barracks
Abilities: Knife, Remote demo charge, Timed demo charge
Innate Abilities: Invisible (unless firing or planting a demo charge), Can
climb over cliffs
Prerequisites: Barracks, Strategy Center
The most versatile hero unit. Colonel Burton plays like Tanya from the Red
Alert series of C&C games. He lost the dual pistols, but gains a gatling gun
(ala Vulcan Raven) to lay waste to infantry, vehicles, and even buildings. He
also has this "silent" knife attack on infantry which kills them without
revealing Burton. Of course, what could Tanya be without her famed C4 charges?
Burton has them, in the form of Timed and Remote demo charges. The Timed charge
deals more damage, and has a 10 second countdown. Remote demo charges are
weaker, but you can instantly detonate them (of course, that's not a good idea
since Burton is so close to the building that he may be taken out as well).
Remote demo charges are hard-wired to Burton's heartbeat. Should he die, they
explode, too. Also, he has this innate ability that other infantry don't have:
he can climb over cliffs! If your opponent's base is surrounded by mountains,
you can make him scale them and immediately penetrate his defenses! (assuming
he didn't place some overlooking the mountains...) As all hero units go (in
this game that is), he is invisible when not attacking or using an ability.
(except for the "silent" knife attack)
Chinook
Cost: 1200
Built from: Supply Center
Abilities: Combat Drop
Innate Abilities: Can hold up to 8 units (infantry take 1 space, Dozers take 5
spaces, while vehicles take 2 spaces), Harvests supplies ($1200 per drop-off)
Prerequisites: Supply Center
Now, EA has upped the ante on logistics by employing the famous Chinooks as
harvesters. A very good idea, IMO. Chinooks are fast, aren't hampered by the
terrain, and takes quite a while to die. It can also transport units, which it
does a very good job at. The problem is, they take a while to harvest supplies
(the long rope coming down to get a crate of supplies is soooo slow, it even is
slower when dropping them to the Supply Stash). And they can be dispatched
easily with an EMP bomb! Remember, you can't transport heavy units like
Overlords, Nuke Cannons and SCUD Launchers.
Another innovation EA made, is the Combat Drop. Just put some Rangers inside
your Chinook, select Combat Drop, and select a garrisonnable building. Your
Rangers will rappel down the Chinook with the ever-present long rope, and take
the building for themselves. Should there be enemy infantry inside it, the
Rangers will instantly kill all of them should one of them enter the building.
(they should be very good at fighting in built-up areas!) Beware, rocket
infantry could easily shoot your Chinooks down before they have a chance to do
the Combat Drop.
Raptor
Cost: 1400
Built from: Airfield
Prerequisites: Airfield
The Raptor is your basic aircraft. It can engage air or ground targets, and
holds 4 missiles. It isn't very fast, but it can take some beating. Use these
to guard some important parts of the map. Other than that, I haven't got much
to say about them. If you use them frequently, them maybe you should consider
researching the Laser Missiles upgrade, which helps Stealth Fighters as well.
Commanche
Cost: 1500
Built from: Airfield
Abilities: Rocket Pods
Innate Abilities: Automatically reloads in the air
Prerequisites: Airfield
Ah, the fabled Commanche helicopter. As all helicopters do, they have
pitiful armor. However, they are very fast for helicopters (they seem to be
faster than Raptors!) and could easily fire some rockets at unsuspecting enemy
units, and retreat immediately when they encounter some organized resistance
(in simplier terms, when the enemy starts shooting at them!). Very annoying,
especially if you're GLA (they could dispatch your defenseless Workers and run
away ASAP). Now that you have an inkling of what to do with them, I haven't got
much to say. Remember, super speed, pitiful armor. Get Rocket Pods ASAP if you
plan on making the most out of your Commanches, but be warned, although the
rockets cover a large area, they aren't very accurate.
Stealth Fighter
Cost: 1600
Built from: Airfield
Innate Abilities: Invisible (unless firing)
Prerequisites: Airfield, Level 1 General Ranking
Basically, a high-tech version of your normal Raptor. Stealth Fighters are
invisible unless firing at something, so its quite good for defending (the
enemy can't see it unless it engages them). However, it isn't very good in
dealing with units, but it makes an excellent job destroying defensive
structures. Remember though, you have to waste a hard-earned General Ability to
authorize construction of them!
A Fast Fact:
In real life, stealth aircraft can be spotted by the naked eye. In fact, the
only thing that's stealthed in it is it can't be seen on radar, and can't be
easily targeted by heat-seeking missiles (to an extent, that is). Of course,
firing at a high-speed plane with no radar is just like trying to shoot hawks
without any sights at all! This make it so hard to shoot it down, even if you
see a stealthed airplane, you have virtually ZERO chance of shooting it down
with anti-aircraft guns/missiles! Even heat-seeking missiles have trouble
tracking them down, thanks to the specially designed engine that minimizes heat
leakage from the plane!
Aurora Strike Bomber
Cost: 2500
Built from: Airfield
Innate Abilities: Invincible on its attack run
Prerequisites: Airfield, Strategy Center
The famous Aurora Strike Bomber is the most expensive unit in the game. Let
me see its assets. Its virtually invincible on its attack run, so you don't
have to worry about those Gatling Cannons your opponent placed all over his
base. It will almost obliterate any unit it fires at! (be warned though, each
Aurora can only carry 1 bomb, so choose wisely) When coupled with more Auroras,
it will create an unbelievable shockwave that will inflict GRIEVIOUS amounts of
pain on whatever it hits. Unfortunately, Auroras lose speed after dropping its
payload, and is easily destroyed by the enemy defenses afterwards. Most often,
your Auroras won't survive the return trip, so choose your target wisely. I've
seen people who rushed 4 Auroras to the enemy superweapon, took it with ease,
and got shot down after doing so. (that's an unfair trade; the guy lost $10000
but his opponent lost only $5000) Bombardment will make these things even more
fearsome.
Crusader Tank
Cost: 900
Built from: War Factory
Upgrades: Battle Drone, Scout Drone
Prerequisites: War Factory
Ahhh... Your standard MBT (Main Battle Tank). Good HP coupled with decent
firepower makes it a good choice to have. However, it sucks against infantry,
as most tanks do. You may want to pair them with some Humvees and build some
Battle Drones to lay waste to enemy infantry. It basically is your staple on
land, but you may want to discard them in favor of longer-lasting Paladin
Tanks. Will deal good damage against enemy vehicles and buildings.
Humvee
Cost: 700
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Holds up to 5 infantry (infantry can fire from them)
Upgrades: Battle Drone, Scout Drone
Prerequisites: War Factory
The Humvee is the most versatile unit in the game, hands down. It's fully
customizable, since infantry inside can shoot within. Research TOW Missiles,
put in 5 Missile Defenders and you have a fearsome anti-tank unit than can also
function as potent anti-air. Put in 5 Pathfinders to annihilate whole legions
of infantry. I recommend putting 3 Missile Defenders inside, and 2 Pathfinders
for the best of both worlds (research TOW Missile for that extra rocket), but
if you're like me I don't want to spend $1700 only for it to be wasted when the
enemy Overlords start pouring in. I recommend 1 Missile Defender for starters,
but if you get better at micromanagement then put more inside. (remember to
evacuate them before the Humvee dies) Also a very fast recon unit that can take
care of enemy infantry. Its only flaw is its low health.
Ambulance
Cost: 600
Built from: War Factory
Abilities: Clear Toxins
Innate Abilities: Heals nearby infantry, Holds up to 3 infantry (infantry are
healed while inside)
Upgrades: Battle Drone, Scout Drone
Prerequisites: War Factory
Many people overlook this unit, mainly because it doesn't have much fighting
potential. Sure, you can put up to 3 infantry inside, but they can't fire from
within and only get healed while inside. The Humvee provides better transport.
However, it is vital against the GLA since it will clear any toxins or
radiation in the selected area, which is useful for clearing up anthrax from
SCUD attacks and maybe anthrax bombs (haven't actually tested it, sorry). It
also renders the Contaminate ability of Toxin Tractors useless.
Paladin Tank
Cost: 900
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Has a laser that can shoot incoming missiles
Upgrades: Battle Drone, Scout Drone
Prerequisites: War Factory, Level 1 General Ranking
A souped-up version of the Crusader Tank. Not much change in firepower here,
but they have more armor and health to boot. They also have an extremely useful
laser that shoots at incoming missiles, almost any missile can be destroyed by
this, except for extremely large missiles (like SCUDs). This tank also uses a
laser designator to guide its attacks to the target, but I don't see any
increase in accuracy or damage. Well, you have to spend a General Ability for
this to be available to you, but its worth it. Get Composite Armor to further
increase your armor, and declare Hold the Line to make them longer-lasting.
(of course, if your opponent chose Bombardment then it won't make much of a
difference...)
Tomahawk Missile Launcher
Cost: 1200
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Automatically locks on vehicles
Upgrades: Battle Drone, Scout Drone
Prerequisites: War Factory, Strategy Center
The Tomahawk Missile Launcher is the resident USA artillery. It does a very
good job at exterminating vehicles, since its missles lock on them. It packs a
good punch against almost anything, though you should have more than 6 of them
to stand a good chance of punching through the enemy defenses. Anything less
wouldn't make the cut. If you declare Search and Destroy then this unit will
even gain more range!!!
+---------------+
| Chinese Units |
+---------------+
Construction Dozer
Cost: 1000
Built from: Command Center
Abilities: Build a Chinese structure, Clear mines
Prerequisites: Command Center
This unit is the first unit you'll acquire in any skirmish or multiplayer
game, and there is a good reason: it builds all your structures! The Dozer
doesn't have any weapon (although you can squish infantry with it), and is
lightly armored. You must protect these units at all costs! If you lose all of
your Dozers and Command Centers then you cannot build structures anymore! Make
a lot of these to ensure fast base construction.
Red Guard
Cost: 300 (comes in pairs)
Built from: Barracks
Abilities: Capture Building
Innate Abilities: Hoard bonus, Can be garrisonned inside certain buildings
Prerequisites: Barracks
Red Guards are your basic Chinese infantry units with funny accents, nothing
special here, but you have the ever-important Hoard bonus that allows you to
squeeze in a few more shots against the opposition. They are produced in pairs,
which means the better to overwhelm your enemies! They also capture buildings,
so make a few of them to get some Oil Derricks.
Tank Hunter
Cost: 300
Built from: Barracks
Abilities: TNT charge
Innate Abilities: Hoard bonus, Can be garrisonned inside certain buildings
Prerequisites: Barracks
Tank Hunters are your rocket infantry with a twist: they have Hoard bonus
and the strange but useful TNT charge. It's just like Burton's Timed charges,
but the seemingly lowly Tank Hunter has it. This will obliterate almost any
vehicle it is planted on! Make lots of them to put inside Bunkers.
Hacker
Cost: 625
Built from: Barracks
Abilities: Building hack, Collect funds
Prerequisites: Barracks
This is your secondary income source. The primary ability of Hackers is to
collect funds by stealing money from the Internet. Of course, the money they
steal is pitiful, starting from $5 (hey, real-life Hackers can do better than
that!!!),to $10 for every 3 seconds. However, they aren't very cost-efficient
because they cost a lot of money and it takes time for them to collect a big
amount of cash for you. Also, don't put them in one place! They can die to one
Rebel Ambush! Also, beware of things such as fuel air bombs and anthrax bombs,
which will make very, very short work of them. Put them at the back of your
base to minimize the risks of them being killed.
Black Lotus
Cost: 1500
Built from: Barracks
Abilities: Cash hack (not to be confused with the Level 3 General Ability, Cash
Hack), Vehicle hack, Building hack
Innate Abilities: Invisible (unless using an ability), Can spot invisible units
Prerequisites: Barracks, Propaganda Center
This is the Chinese hero, this Black Lotus babe. She doesn't have any
weapons, which sucks, since EA could've gave her some pistols to kill infantry.
(like Tanya from the Red Alert series) The good thing is she is quite fast for
infantry and has a huge sight range. She can also spot invisible units like
Demo Traps so she could dodge them. Her primary ability is the infamous Cash
hack that shall steal half of your opponent's cash! He should be fuming after
this. She can also disable vehicles and buildings. This makes her a super
Hacker!!!
MiG
Cost: 1000
Built from: Airfield
Innate Abilities: Can create a firestorm (if at least 4 MiGs simulteneously
strike a target)
Prerequisites: Airfield
Ah, the infamous MiG. MiGs are the fastest and most manueverable aircraft in
the game, are very, very cheap, and are deadly against buildings and infantry.
If at least 4 of them are firing at one ground target, the blast will create a
firestorm that will deal heavy damage to the target, and has major splash
damage, too! They are also very good at defending your base. Be careful though,
they can only house up to 2 rockets...
Battlemaster Tank
Cost: 800
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Hoard bonus
Prerequisites: War Factory
Battlemasters aren't very special tanks, since they have low HP and are
easily taken care of. They have the incredible Hoard bonus with them though,
and are good meat shields to divert attention from your more important
Overlords. Make some of them, but don't overdo it. Overlords are much, much
better.
Dragon Tank
Cost: 800
Built from: War Factory
Abilities: Firewall
Innate Abilities: Can clear garrisonned buildings (not the Chinese Bunker) with
flames, immune to flames
Prerequisites: War Factory
This is an annoyance unit than anything else. It clears garrisonned
buildings with its flames, and will nearly kill infantry in one heartbeat! A
bunch of them creating a firewall around your base is very useful to dissuade
enemy infantry from intruding, but beware of Jarman Kell (who could easily
disable your Dragon Tank) and Black Lotus (who see your Dragon tank from a mile
and disable it with ease). Get some MiGs to alleviate the problem. The problem
with this defense is you have to turn off the firewall to let your other units
pass through since the flames hurt your own units, too (wouldn't want you to
learn that the hard way). Their firepower is boosted dramatically if you
research the very-important Black Napalm which turns their flames to a blue
color. Oh, and they are immune to their own flames, so fire away!
Gatling Tank
Cost: 800
Built from: War Factory
Prerequisites: War Factory
Gatling Tanks are the mobile versions of Gatling Cannons; they function
just like Gatling Cannons but they are cheaper and are mobile. (they also don't
take up power) These tanks are fantastic against infantry and aircraft, so you
should take them along while attacking the enemy base. These are better
anti-infantry units than Dragon Tanks, since they have a longer range and
better armor. Get Chain Guns to increase the damage output, and the rate of
fire. Rapid fire!!!
Troop Crawler
Cost: 1400
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Holds up to 8 infantry (infantry are healed while inside),
Comes with 8 Red Guards
Prerequisites: War Factory
Did you know, that the not-so-fast Troop Crawler is China's fastest unit?
Well, I'm stumped! This unit comes pre-loaded with 8 Red Guards. Yes, 8 of them
and a fast transport for 1400 bucks! Very good for rushes. Send at least 5 of
them, get Red Guard Training from the Generals Abilities, and attack! I they
may not give you the win, but they will sure put the enemy base in a bad shape,
ready for you to place the finishing blow. When facing the GLA, get some of
these on your attack squad, because if Jarman Kell disables one of your
vehicles, just pop out a Red Guard out of it and send it to the disabled
vehicle! (of course, you have to dispose of Jarman Kell first or he'll repeat
the process again and again)
Inferno Cannon
Cost: 900
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Can create a firestorm (if at least 6 Inferno Cannons are
simulteneously strike a target)
Prerequisites: War Factory, Propaganda Center
The cheapest artillery you'll ever find. Inferno Cannons are just your
standard artillery, low armor, slow, long-ranged, and has good if not great
firepower. Inferno Cannons are best as siege or long-range anti-infantry. Of
course, since they are sitting ducks while firing their flaming shells, get
some escort! Same thing as MiGs here, they can create a firestorm if at least 6
of them are firing at the same target. If you love using this and the Nuke
Cannon, get Artillery Training from the Generals Abilities to automatically
produce veteran artillery!!! YAY!!!!!
Nuke Cannon
Cost: 1600
Built from: War Factory
Prerequisites: War Factory, Propaganda Center, Level 1 General Ranking
This unit is possibly the unit with the most firepower I've ever seen in my
RTS-playing career (excluding the Mammoth Mk.II from Tiberian Sun or a glitched
Koril from Battle Realms). Nuke Cannons have the ability to rout an entire army
in its tracks. (my friend had 3 Nuke Cannons destroy 7 Crusaders and 3 Paladins
in one volley!) Its disadvantages is it takes years to unpack itself (kinda
like the Trebuchets from AOE), and even longer to reload. It is also damn slow,
maybe as slow as the Reavers from StarCraft! (you can see that I play lots of
RTS games!) Fortunately, all of the above problems can be remedied with a
Speaker Tower, even Overlords upgraded with them also work! The only thing the
above tip can't cure is its low health. It is easily disposed of so keep them
from the front lines.
Overlord Tank
Cost: 2000
Built from: War Factory
Innate Abilities: Can crush vehicles (except for other Overlords)
Upgrades: Propaganda Tower, Gatling Cannon, Bunker
Prerequisites: War Factory, Propaganda Center
This behemoth is the grandaddy of all Mammoth units from the previous C&C
games. Overlords outclass any previous Mammoth unit because they are EXTREMELY
powerful and will give your opponent a major headache while dealing with them.
The reason: he has 3 different unit upgrades!!! Gatling Cannon is your normal
Gatling Cannon defensive structure mounted on top of your Overlord. Bunker is
same as your plain old Bunker where you house your infantry units, only that
the Overlord carries it. And last but not the least, Propaganda Tower is your
Speaker Tower strapped to the Overlord's massive turret. Heck, it can also
crush vehicles like the Battle Fortress from Yuri's Revenge! Not only does it
have an INSANE amount of health and armor, its strength can be even more
powerful if you research Uranium Shells from the Nuclear Silo! Yes, it is slow,
but you can remedy that with Nuclear Tanks, which will make your cumbersome
Overlord faster.
Get it. Lots of it. It is very powerful to the point that you won't need
much of other units. 'Nuff said. Oh, and for choosing those 3 upgrades, choose
Propaganda Tower if your Overlord is playing defensive, Gatling Cannon for
base assault, (since the Gatling Cannon is useful against enemy aircraft and
infantry, units which the Overlord has trouble dealing at) and maybe Bunker if
you want to fully customize your Overlord.
+-----------+
| GLA Units |
+-----------+
Worker
Cost: 200
Trained from: Command Center, Supply Stash
Abilities: Build a GLA structure, Clear mines
Prerequisites: Command Center
This unit is the first unit you'll acquire in any skirmish or multiplayer
game, and there is a good reason: it builds all your structures! This guy is
vulnerable to anything that fires. You must protect these units at all costs!
If you lose all of your Workers and Command Centers then you cannot build
structures anymore! Make a lot of these to ensure fast base construction. Take
note that they are the slowest worker unit in the game, not only do they run at
a snail's pace, they take a loooong time to finish building structures... So
protect them!
"No cost is too great!!!" That is the motto of the GLA's basic infantry
unit, the Rebel. Unlike his other counterparts, he doesn't have any special
abilities other than Capture Building. Fortunately, he can be upgraded with AP
Bullets, which will increase the damage dealt by his guns. But the real thing
that keeps the Rebel the leader of the pack is the all-important Camouflage!
This will turn them into ultimate ambush units that can open fire on the enemy,
and hide into the shadows on the first sight of retaliation!!!
Like most GLA units, this unit doesn't have your usual special feature from
the other warring factions. However, it is still useful because it provides
very cheap anti-vehicle and anti-air. They are quick to build too, which will
help if you are under siege. With AP Rockets, you can increase their damage
output, something that Missile Defenders and Tank Hunters don't have.
Hijacker
Cost: 400
Trained from: Barracks
Abilities: Hijack
Innate Abilities: Invisible (unless moving or using an ability
Prerequisites: Barracks, Level 3 General Ranking
Shades of the Mutant Hijacker from Tiberian Sun here. The Hijacker is
invisible when not moving so just let him lurk somewhere, and when a lone enemy
vehicle comes by, hijack it! Of course, you should mindlessly hijack any
vehicle that comes by (if its a Dragon Tank, then you're toast). Rather, try to
take defenseless units like Supply Trucks or Dozers. Just watch out for their
escorts, since a smart player won't send a Dozer far from his base alone and
unguarded. Since Hijackers require a Level 3 General Ranking you can't get them
soon enough. Sorry...
A better tactic in hijacking is to have Jarman Kell kill the driver of the
vehicle you want to get, and send a camouflaged Rebel inside it. There!
This is a very strange, but entertaining unit. An Angry Mob consists of
civilians which band together to form one unit. This means multiple attacks!!!
Some people throw molotov cocktails while others throw rocks at the enemy (they
fire AK-47s if you researched Arm the Mob). The rocks and the AKs are great
against infantry, while molotov cocktails are fantastic against vehicles and
buildings. Their disadvatage is the Mob is quite slow and are easily killed by
flashbangs, flames, and toxins so watch out! If used correctly they can wipe
out the enemy. Quite expensive and takes time to train, though.
Jarman Kell is the most annoying hero unit in the game. He is an upgraded
Pathfinder, and he is invisible when not shooting! Not only does he have the
Pathfinder's long range rifle, he can kill the driver of a vehicle rendering it
neutral for infantry to ride it! As you see, this ability will give your
opponent major problems in killing him, since he is quite fast and will cloak
himself right after shooting. The Disable vehicle has long cooldown, so you
can't abuse it.
Oh, and after sniping that driver, immediately move Jarman Kell from his
immediate position since smart opponents will force-fire upon the area where he
was last seen in.
Scorpion Tank
Cost: 600
Built from: Arms Dealer
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer
Scorpion Tanks are very, very cheap, so you may think that this unit is
very, very, weak, right? Wrong. On their own Scorpions suck, but if you acquire
all their upgrades then they will become much more powerful. If you get
Scorpion Rocket the effectiveness of Scorpions will be increased tenfold since
this upgrade will allow them to waste infantry (yep, that's right, infantry!)
and aircraft with incredible ease! Also, if you research Toxin Shells and
Anthrax Beta, the aforementioned upgrades will turn your tank into a mini-Toxin
Tractor!!! And for the icing on the cake, get Junk Repair and AP Rockets to
further enhance the capabilities of your Scorpion Tanks! What's more, they are
fast, small units and can overwhelm the enemy with their numbers. Of course, as
cheap units go, they are lightly armored are and very susceptible against high
HP units like Overlords and Paladin Tanks.
Technical
Cost: 500
Built from: Arms Dealer
Innate Abilities: Holds up to 5 infantry, Steals the weapon of the vehicle it
scavenged
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer
The name of this unit is LAME!!! Technical? The first time I heard about
this unit I though of a repair vehicle or something like that. However, imagine
my shock when I built one and realized that it was a highly mobile, cheap
transport that can hold up to 5 infantry units!!! What maybe the most
innovative idea that the GLA fabricated was its scavenging ability! Should you
see the scrap of a destroyed vehicle and take it with your Technical, your
Technical will acquire the weapon of that vehicle! Even vehicles like Troop
Crawlers give the Technical a badass gun that will kill infantry in two rapid
shots!!! Beware, they aren't built to last a century...
Radar Van
Cost: 500
Built from: Arms Dealer
Abilities: Radar Scan (0:30 countdown)
Innate Abilities: Can spot invisible units
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer
This should be the very first unit you build upon finishing construction of
your Arms Dealer. This cheap van will provide you radar, and if all of them get
destroyed, you lose it (obviously, of course). So, build lots of them and
scatter them all over your base (put some in the frontlines to spot invisible
units). An added extra is that you can use the very crucial Radar Scan which
will make your Radar Van an espionage unit! Not only does it have fast
cooldown, it also allows you to see the enemy base nonstop as long as you have
lots of Radar Vans at hand. Of course, Radar Scan is researched at the Black
Market so you may have a bit of trouble since it comes after you've reached the
top of the GLA tech tree. (which you should do fast)
Quad Cannon
Cost: 700
Built from: Arms Dealer
Innate Abilities: Upgrades its weapon upon scavenging
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer
GLA is very resourceful. They attached a simple flatbed truck with quad
machine guns to create a good anti-air unit. It's also very powerful against
infantry, too. The main problem is its low armor and it gets creamed by rocket
infantry. Try to pair this with Radar Vans around your base to spot Spy Drones
and shoot them down. Remember that it upgrades its weapon upon scavenging
something, and the machine guns get more powerful with every upgrade...
Toxin Tractor
Cost: 600
Built from: Arms Dealer
Abilities: Contaminate
Innate Abilities: Can clear garrisonned buildings (not the Chinese Bunker) with
toxins
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer
Another innovative idea from the GLA. Add a toxin sprayer to an ordinary
tractor to transform it into the dreaded Toxin Tractor! In case you're
wondering, this is the GLA's answer to the Dragon Tank. It has less armor, but
has basically the same mission, to clear buildings garrisonned by the enemy.
Its toxin attack almost kills infantry instantly, but doesn't do much damage
to anything else (unlike the Dragon Tank, which is very effective against
buildings). Its upgrade, Anthrax Beta is slow to research and expensive, unlike
China's Black Napalm, which can be accessed immediately from the War Factory.
In other words, the Dragon Tank is a much more useful unit than this one, but
Toxin Tractors nevertheless do the job.
Contaminate is a very underused ability. Unlike the Dragon Tanks' Firewall,
this lingers on even if the Toxin Tractor stops the ability. And, its toxins
cover a larger radius than the Firewall. (use it against swarms of rocket
infantry!)
Finally, a fast recon unit that can hold its own against other units. Rocket
Buggies actually count as artillery, since they have long range to outshoot
other enemy units. It also has the other attributes of its brethren, low armor
and slow firing rate. Fortunately, you can improve the damage output of this
unit by researching the cheap Rocket Ammo upgrade. With this upgrade you can
fire more rockets per rocket volley! And, to further increase the damage dealt
by its rockets, get AP Rockets!!! Oh, and this unit is one of the most annoying
units in the game. It can zoom up, fire at your lethargic units, and retreat
after emptying its load. Grrrr....
Marauder Tank
Cost: 800
Built from: Arms Dealer
Innate Abilities: Upgrades its weapon upon scavenging
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer, Level 1 General Ranking
A step up from the Scorpion Tank. Marauder Tanks actually pack a punch; that
is, if they scavenge enough vehicles. Scavenging at least 2 enemy vehicles will
add an extra turret to its arsenal. Powerful stuff, that's what I can say. It
has more HP than Scorpions, so they make good meat shields to divert attenton
from your better armed Scorpions. Toxin Shells make this unit dispatch infantry
(that is, if they are standing still) with ease. Quite fast for its size, too.
Bomb Truck
Cost: 1200
Built from: Arms Dealer
Abilities: Disguise as vehicle, Detonate Now!
Upgrades: Bio Bomb, High Explosive Bomb
Prerequisites: Arms Dealer, Palace
Remember the Demolition Truck from Red Alert 2? This is its brainchild, with
some few changes. First, it can disguise as any vehicle that it wishes, and can
further increase the damage of the explosion for a measly 500 bucks. A further
way to further increase the havoc created is by getting the Bio Bomb upgrade,
which will spread toxins around the explosion area. (for those who are asking,
you can get both of them)
A good tactic is to get a Scorpion/Marauder army, have your Bomb Trucks
disguise as Scorpions, and while engaging the enemy defenses, rush your
disguised Bomb Trucks to key enemy targets!!! This way, your opponent won't
know which units to kill first, tsk tsk tsk...
GLA's artillery doesn't come cheap, but you can choose between two flavors:
anthrax and explosive (warheads, I mean). For me, I don't see any difference
between the two, yes, the anthrax warhead spreads toxins around the area, but
the explosive warhead deals a large amount of splash damage, and wipes out
infantry from the face of the battlefield... The range is shorter than Nukes
and Tomahawks, but it still outranges all defensive structures, enough for you
to make short work of them. Also, they fire faster than Nukes, and can fire a
missile while moving.
Newbies get stumped by which General Ability to pick, so I'll give them a
hand! I added some useful tips for people to add to their arsenal. Enjoy!!!
*Note*: Some General Abilities can be strengthened if you put more than one
General Ability point at them, but this only goes for some Level 3 Abilities.
+------------------------+
| USA Generals Abilities |
+------------------------+
* * *L E V E L O N E* * *
Paladin Tank
Rating: ****
This Ability allows you to create the Paladin Tank at the War Factory. What
I do is get this after the Spy Drone Ability, which is infinitely useful,
because you can use it at once!!! Very vital if you're going hardcore land
assault.
Stealth Fighter
Rating: **
I usually don't use Stealth Fighters, since they are just like Raptors with
stealth and other things (like easy defense killing), so I really don't make
much of a point to spend my points on this unit. Oh, and this Ability lets you
create Stealth Fighters, duh...
Spy Drone
Rating: *****
This is the Ability I research ASAP as USA, since you can utilize it
immediately. With this, you could plan a rush at once!!! It also has fast
cooldown and is a pain to track down. Get it at the beginning of the game, and
get the other two Abilities when you actually start fighting.
* * *L E V E L T H R E E* * *
Pathfinder
Rating: ****
Get this as soon as you reach Level 3. Pathfinders very useful and will kill
loads of infantry for a low, low price! Yeah!!!
Paradrop
Rating: **
A so-so General Ability. This will drop Rangers at the target. Level 1 will
drop 5, Level 2 will drop 10, and Level 3 will drop 20 Rangers. Not very
useful, since the plane can be shot down... Rebel Ambush is better.
A10 Strike
Rating: ****
This will call a number of A10s (depending on its level, first level calls
1 of them, second calls 2 and does much more damage, while the final level
calls 3 A10s and deals MASSIVE damage) which will fire machine-guns at the
given target, and then fire its missiles. More A10s = more damage. A very good
offensive tool, but the A10s take a while to reach the target, as they are
appear from one side of the battlefield, and they can be shot down. (though
they have lots of armor)
Emergency Repair
Rating: ***
This isn't a very good ability, as cooldown is insanely long. Basically it
repairs damaged units in a given area. The more levels, the more HP healed.
BTW, this ability is universal, so all sides have this.
* * *L E V E L F I V E* * *
Fuel Air Bomb
Rating: *****
As soon as you reach Level 5, get this one. This is USA's alternate
superweapon, and has the firepower to wipe out an entire army, while damaging
buildings to the point of destruction. Basically, a huge cargo plane appears
and drops a bomb that will explode, (and deal a small amount of damage) spewing
fuel in the process, and after a few seconds, the fuel will ignite and will
literally make everything in the area go up in smoke!!! As you see, the plane
can be shot down, so you may have to destroy the enemy anti-air before
deploying the bomb. Use wisely!!!
+---------------------------+
| Chinese General Abilities |
+---------------------------+
* * *L E V E L O N E* * *
Red Guard Training
Rating: **
This Ability will make all your trained Red Guards veteran. Only select this
if you are going for a rush, as Red Guards are still weak even as veterans...
Artillery Training
Rating: ***
Slightly better than the previous Ability, this one will make all your built
Inferno Cannons and Nuke Cannons veteran. Much better, but pales in comparison
with the Nuke Cannon Ability.
Nuke Cannon
Rating: *****
This is the ability to get, 'nuff said. Nuke Cannons are an absolute must
for every Chinese commander. Get this first if you aren't rushing.
* * *L E V E L T H R E E* * *
Cluster Mines
Rating: ***
Average Ability. This will drop mines on a given area, and the mines are
similar to the mines deployed for your structures, only that they don't respawn
when detonated. If you're going to use it, deploy the mines on places where the
enemy is likely to tread upon to give him a nasty surprise.
Artillery Barrage
Rating: *****
Better than USA's A10 Strike, since this Ability cannot be stopped. This
ability will send lots of artillery shells plummeting to a given area, and will
deal heavy damage to anything it touches. The more points you pump on it, the
more shells will appear per barrage. Max this before EMP Bomb, as this is
better, but the EMP is better if you plan on using it right before a major
attack.
Cash Hack
Rating: ***
This will steal money from a target Supply Center, and give the amount
stolen to you. Level 1 steals $1000, Level 2 steals $2000, while the final
level steals $3000. As you see, you only steal a little amount of money, but
you got it from your opponent anyway, so this ability is quite good, but
Artillery Barrage is much, much better.
There is a nasty trick involving this and the Artillery Barrage. First, find
out the location of the enemy base. Then, Artillery Barrage the supply depot
nearest to that base. Now, when the Artillery Barrage reveals the area, search
for any Supply Centers and Cash Hack them, should your opponent build them
right next to the supply depots, which most people do. Now, not only did you
deal some damage at your opponent's economy, you also stole some money from
him!!!
Emergency Repair
Rating: ***
This isn't a very good ability, as cooldown is insanely long. Basically it
repairs damaged units in a given area. The more levels, the more HP healed.
BTW, this ability is universal, so all sides have this.
* * *L E V E L F I V E* * *
EMP Bomb
Rating: ****
The cargo plane is back, and it has a different present for your opponent,
in the form of the insidious EMP Bomb. This bomb won't do any damage, but will
release an electro-magnetic pulse that will put every vehicle and building that
it hits out of commission for a few minutes. As pointed out, very destructive
if you deploy it right before a major attack, as the defenses are fizzled out
to intervene...
+-----------------------+
| GLA General Abilities |
+-----------------------+
* * *L E V E L O N E* * *
Technical Training
Rating: **
This Ability sucks!!! Please don't get it, because even with veteran status,
Technicals are still puny.
Marauder Tank
Rating: ****
This one however, is the Ability to get. Marauder Tanks don't need anything
but the Arms Dealer, so this is a good first buy.
SCUD Launcher
Rating: ***
SCUDs require a Palace, so you might need to get the Marauder Tank first.
This however, is a must-have. You can survive without any Marauders at all but
not without any SCUD Launchers!
* * *L E V E L T H R E E* * *
Hijacker
Rating: **
Just use Jarman Kell and Rebels instead of this Ability, which costs you a
hard-earned General point.
Rebel Ambush
Rating: ****
Better than USA's Paradrop. This Ability will immediately spawn a number of
Rebels upon a given area. Level 1 spawns 5 Rebels, Level 2 spawns 10, while
Level 3 spawns 15 Rebels. Research Camouflage and AP Bullets to make this
Ability even deadlier. Use this to kill Hackers, as they have very low, low HP.
Cash Bounty
Rating: ****
An economy-oriented General Ability. This will give you some resources upon
killing enemy units or buildings. The resources given is equal to a small
percentage of the destroyed unit/building's cost. Level 1 gives back 5%, Level
2 gives 10%, while Level 3 gives 20%. A very good buy, this will make the GLA
prosper in long games where all the supply depots are exhausted.
Emergency Repair
Rating: ***
This isn't a very good ability, as cooldown is insanely long. Basically it
repairs damaged units in a given area. The more levels, the more HP healed.
BTW, this ability is universal, so all sides have this.
* * *L E V E L F I V E* * *
Anthax Bomb
Rating: ****
This is GLA's additional superweapon, and is dropped from a big-ass cargo
plane. Basically, what this bomb does is spew anthrax all over ground zero (in
different colors, I might add) which will almost instantly wipe out infantry
while damaging vehicles severely. The anthrax lingers for a few minutes before
disappearing. No effect on buildings. A great superweapon, but the Fuel Air
Bomb is better, since it can destroy buildings as well.
Sorry, I only have a few basic strategies for starting players, but expect
more to come. Experienced players can also submit their own, but keep it simple
because this FAQ is for beginners!!!
The name says it all. Starving your opponent out shall put him out of
commission, with only a few skirmishes.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without |
| fighting." |
| -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Well, the concept is simple, but in reality it isn't as easy to pull off.
However, once done correctly, your opponent will be hard-pressed to shake this
strat off. But you have to be fast.
Basically, just find out the location of his base as early as possible in
the game, and build Supply Centers near supply depots nearest to him (not the
one that he starts with). Then get some Barracks or War Factory there and pump
out units to secure that outpost. Build some defenses too, but units are your
first priority. Now, just let your units guard theses supply depots and destroy
any enemy unit that comes. Now, after you've already drained that supply depot
of resources, it's time to move on to another supply depot near him and secure
it before he does, or you're screwed. Be sure to have more than one supply
depot at your control, as this strat can be quite taxing to your resources.
Now, when your opponent's harvesters travel farther and farther to gather
resources, he will find difficulty in producing a decent army, because of his
weak economy.
The best time to do this strat is in early to midgame, where both
of you haven't got much units out yet. Best to use on people who don't know
when to expand and attack, so know your opponent! You can use this against the
AI, but they won't react as badly as human players do, and are oblivious to the
fact that your economy is thriving while his income is rotten, and will produce
units, anyway.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a |
|hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory |
|gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor |
|yourself, you will succumb in every battle." |
| -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The "Turtle"
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|"The art of war teaches us not to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's |
|not coming, but on our own readiness to recieve him; not on the chance of his|
|not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position |
|unassailable." |
| -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
With this strategy, you don't even need to attack. Just mass your troops,
build defenses (lots of them!) and expand, expand, expand. Guard every passage
to your base. Don't let anything through. Now, when you feel that your base is
strong enough, lull your opponent into attacking. Now, when he DOES attack,
crush his army. With the units you have massed, you should be able to send them
to attack the enemy base, which should have a few units left. Now, while you're
at it, here are some ways to force your opponent to attack you:
1. Type annoying, n00bish messages like, "Bet you can't break through my
Alcatraz of a base!!!", or, "What's the matter, scared of attacking, you big
*insert expletive here*?". Oh, and add a :P to further infuriate your
opponent. You know, actions speak louder than words...
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|"If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be|
|weak, that he may grow arrogant." |
| -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
2. Constantly spam "annoyed and bored" messages like, "Man, I was supposed to
ask my girl for a date, oh bummer...", or "Hey guys, do me a favor and end
the match quickly, I'm bored, you know? Please?". These messages may irritate
your opponent to the point of doing exactly what you told him to do, where he
will be for a big surprise.
3. This is quite old, but pretend to be an annoying newbie! Just keep on asking
how your opponent got those "groovy planes" or "massive tanks", and he
might bite the bait and attack you, thinking that you don't know a thing or
two about C&C Generals. Well, commander, show him that you do!!! Oh, and tell
your allies (privately, of course) that you are just enticing the opposition
to attack your well-defended base, or they might lose respect for you and
worse, desert you.
4. Ambush his harvesters. 'Nuff said.
5. Mass tons of superweapons and allow them to count down to zero, but don't
use them. Oh, the pressure!!!
Of course, this strat works better if all of you are turtling, that way,
your opponents will have a harder time breaking through. Works good on
impatient people with short tempers, but not on the AI, who doesn't really put
too much ooomph on his attack to have only a handful of men in his base after
being beaten back by the defenders.
Remember that your opponent could starve you out or mass superweapons to
beat you without losing a unit. Act accordingly.
Beware, most people will call you a n00b for this. Tell them that they fell
for an old Chinese strategy over a thousand years old!!!
- God for allowing me to walk this world
- My parents for shaping me into the man I am now
- My pesky little brother for allowing me to test some tactics with him
- Gravity, for this exciting, new, cool game, called Ragnarok Online (pity we
have to pay for it) which I got instantly hooked!
- People at the GameFAQs boards for the hilarious threads and tips that kept me
coming back
- Sun Tzu, for the extraordinary book "The Art of War", which holds true to
this day
- My friends for providing me with various tactics
- Square-Enix for classic RPGs which kept me occupied at home
- People at the AN (AnimeNation) forums for being, very, very nice people who
respect the integrity of others (which most forum sites lack nowadays)
- J.K. Rowling, for a new Harry Potter book!!! I'm a big fan!!!
- CJayC for hosting this FAQ
- Me for writing this FAQ
- You, the reader, for reading this FAQ, and respecting it as it is (hopefully,
that is)
