Chapter 1: Buildings And What They Do...
Chapter 2: Units And What They Do...
Chapter 3: Infantry And What They Do...
Chapter
4: Offensive Strategies...
Chapter 5: Defensive Strategies...
Chapter 7: MULTIPLAYER GUIDE...
Common:
Advanced Power Plant:
A lot better than the original power plant because it can double the power output of the first but for only 200 credits more. The drawback of the APP is it's size, because it is very large. Don't put these in mass groups otherwise an Atom Bomb could cut off most of your power making you totally vulnerable to attack!
Armour: Light
Cost: 500
Tec Level: 5
Prerequisites: Power Plant
Building Type: Power ProviderConcrete Wall:
A great improvement upon the Soviets barbed wire and the Allied sandbags in the way that it stops any type of unit from crossing it. The wall is still prone to tank shells and can be shot down easily but it still holds back the enemy while you prepare a defense. Best used to stop infantry getting into your precious buildings though.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 100
Tec Level: 5
Prerequisites: Con Yard
Building Type: DefensiveConstruction Yard:
When you deploy a Mobile Construction Vehicle it will turn into this building which allows you to build all of the structures in the game. Without this the game would be very boring and pointless. There really isn't much to say about this except that it is good to have 2 or 3 around your base or in a secluded corner so that if one gets destroyed you still have some others.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: MCV costs 2500
Tec Level: MCV's is 8
Prerequisites: None
Building Type: ProductionHelipad:
This allows the construction of helicopters such as the Hind(Soviet), Chinook(Soviet) and the Allies' Apache Longbow. It can also reload the helicopters weaponry once it has run out. One helipad is not really worth building, but 4 or more are. Helicopters are best at taking out large, slow-moving targets such as a Cruiser, Mammoth Tank or structures.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1500
Tec Level: 6
Prerequisites: Radar Dome
Building Type: ProductionMissile Silo:
This building harbours the nasty A-Bomb which is very good at taking out armoured targets and infantry. The disadvantages of it are its slow reload time and its cost. Very useful, but very slow. One good tactic is using it in conjuction with a Chronoshift. If there is a Soviet base in the region with lots of Tesla Coils then firing the A-Bomb at an Advanced Power Plant will take all of the Tesla Coils offline leaving you to send in an MCV and start `turreting' his base without any resistance.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 2500
Tec Level: 10
Prerequisites: Tech Centre
Building Type: OffensiveOre Refinery:
The backbone of any base, the ore refinery gives you a free Ore Truck when built and it will immediatley scout out the terrain and find some Ore or Gems to harvest and bring back to base. Once the truck is full it will empty its load by the refinery and you will recieve cash to build units and structures with. Multiple ore trucks can work for the same refinery but don't have too many otherwise you will be waiting for ages until each of the trucks empty its load. Always look out for damage in your refineries and Ore Trucks and be prepared to repair REGULARLY!
Armour: Light
Cost: 2000
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Power Plant
Building Type: Ore Collection & RefiningOre Silo:
When your refineries are full up you will hear the annoying message `Silos needed'. The message becomes very repetitive after a while and you start to lose money so it is worth building lots of them, at least 10 or so. They can also be exploited and used for a nasty tactic which allows you to build up to an enemy's base and start destroying it with the Tesla Coils or Turrets you decide to put on the other end! He He!
Armour: Light
Cost: 150
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Ore Refinery
Building Type: Ore StoragePower Plant: This structure is the first structure you can build and will build because it allows the construction of everything else and it also provides power to every structure in your base. You will undoubtedly need more than 1. The Advanced Power Plant can double the output of this one and costs 500 compared to the 300 of this one. The reason for building this one is that it is very small compared to the APP.
Armour: Light
Cost: 300
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Con Yard
Building Type: Power ProviderRadar Dome: This is a very useful structure to build because it allows the use of a radar screen above the building options. It can show a zoomed in area of the map or a zoomed out area which is very useful for seeing the enemies units assembling or an attack on your base. It does consume a lot of power though and tends to shut down often if you build too many power consuming buildings. If you build a Tech Centre you can sell this building as it takes up quite a lot of power and gives you 500 credits back.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1000
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: Ore Refinery
Building Type: Allows Radar ScreenService Depot:
This is worth building just for the fact that you can build MCVs in multiplayer games. It is also very handy for repairing units which saves you a lot of money. In the original C&C no-one ever built one of these because they were too expensive and repair prices were sky high! Now lots of people buy them because they are needed for a few units like the mine layer and MCV. Unfortunately they are very easy to kill which can be quite annoying.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1200
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: War Factory
Building Type: Repairs UnitsWar Factory:
The most useful building in the game, in my opinion, because it allows the production of all of the units. Where would you be without one of these? It is handy to have 2 or 3 around so you can produce vehicles quickly in times of battle. Many buildings are needed before you can build all of the units so building them is the first priority.
Armour: Light
Cost: 2000
Tec Level: 2
Soviet:
Airfield:
The airfield is very useful and allows a number of unit options and special abilities. It allows the construction of Yaks and MIGs which can be reloaded from the airfield at any time. An airfield can support one aircraft only though which can be annoying. To build a fleet of MIGs you would need lots of airfields and this requires a lot of power and money, but if you have back-up ore to replace the dead aircraft then you will be able to decimate the enemy instantly!The airfield also allows the use of Spyplane, Paratroopers and Parabombs which can be good but only if used to the full effect.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 600
Tec Level: 3
Prerequisites: Radar Dome
Building Type: ProductionBarbed Wire Fence:
This is a modest defense against infantry and non-tracked vehicles. It is rather pointless but for 25 credits it does stop infantry.
Armour: Light
Cost: 25
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: None
Building Type: DefensiveFlame Tower:
Another guard tower which can decimate infantry in seconds. Very useful to have around the base when your opponent decides to send in a group of Tanyas, engineers or some other infantry type.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 600
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Barracks
Building Type: DefensiveIron Curtain:
The Iron Curtain is the Chronosphere's counterpart and allows any type of unit, except Infantry, to become invulnerable for a period of around 30 seconds. You may think that 30 seconds is not long but the effect can be devastating. You could use it on a Chinook full of 5 Tanyas and your opponents base would be reduced to rubble afterwards. Its major defect is it's lack of speed when reloading which is a shame but otherwise it would be unfair.
Armour: Light
Cost: 2800
Tec Level: 9
Prerequisites: Tech Centre
Building Type: Allows InvulnerabilityKennel:
This building(if you can call it that) allows the `construction' of attack dogs. Many people think they are a waste of time. They are not. They can be used to hunt out spies which is a very handy use. They can also take out infantry rather easily and in groups can stop a nasty Tanya attack that the Allied Scum might be planning. Definately worth buying!
Armour: Light
Cost: 200
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: Barracks
Building Type: ProductionSAM Site:
The SAM site is very effective against Allied air units and can take out a fair number in groups. If you have ever played the original C&C then you would know that SAM sites were lethal compared to these ones and had an extreme range. This made it extremely difficult for the GDI player to get into a NOD base with a Chinook but Westwood have made the SAM slightly fairer this time round. The SAM, like many other units, functions at its best in groups.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 750
Tec Level: 6
Prerequisites: Radar Dome
Building Type: DefensiveSub Pen:
This handy production centre allows the construction of Submarines and LSTs. It is best to build 2 or 3 so that Submarines can be built fairly quickly because they tend to get destroyed easily by the pesky gunboats and destroyers.
Armour: Light
Cost: 650
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: Power Plant
Building Type: ProductionTechnology Centre:
This is very similar to the Allied tech centre but allows different units and buildings to be built. 2 main units and structures that can be produced once you have the tech centre are the Mammoth Tank and the Tesla Coil.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1500
Tec Level: 4
Prerequisites: War Factory & Radar Dome
Building Type: PrerequisiteTesla Coil:
A nasty piece of work! This structure can destory vehicles, ships and infantry in seconds. If you have played the original C&C then it is rather similar to the Obelisk of Light. The major drawbacks of it are its power consumption and its cost but it makes up for that with its ability to reduce units to rubble with ease. In groups these can be completely devastating and one preferred tactic is to take out your nice, new, shiny Advanced Power Plant leaving your base completely open to attack, so just remember to have lots of power in times of battle.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1500
Tec Level: 4
Prerequisites: War Factory
Building Type: Defensive
Allied:
AA Gun:
This is one of the best base saving weapons for the Allies. It will not function if power is off-line and is best for taking out slow moving aircraft such as Hinds and Yaks. Always have a pillbox or two near your AA guns so they can shoot the stray para-trooper who falls out of the plane! As will ALL defensive structures this will function a LOT better in groups.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 600
Tec Level: 3
Prerequisites: Radar Dome
Building Type: DefensiveCamouflaged Pillbox:
A very useful anti-infantry device but made even better by the fact it is almost completely camouflaged. The 200 extra is worth investing because your multiplayer opponent will definately miss it in a time of battle when everything is hectic and the screen is being scrolled a lot. I am unsure as to how the AI detects it or not. If anyone does know just E-Mail me. Thanks.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 600
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: Barracks
Building Type: DefensiveChronosphere:
The Chronosphere allows movement between two points without crossing the space in between. This can be very handy for sending MCV's into the opponents base! Having a pre-built building can also help and if your level contains lots of ore then you can have lots of MCV's back at base and build lots of turrets at your new `base site' then you can destroy your opponent from inside out. To use the Chronosphere click on the `Chronoshift' icon once it is ready then on the unit you wish to teleport. Once you have selected your unit you can click anywhere on the map(if it is passable terrain) and your unit will jump straight there!
Armour: Light
Cost: 2800
Tec Level: 9
Prerequisites: Tech Centre
Building Type: Allows ChronoshiftFake Structures: - Multiplayer Only -
There are four different fake structures available to you and these are: ConYard, War Factory, Radar Dome and Naval Yard. As you can see these are key structures and would be targeted by an intelligent commander when assaulting a base. The trick is not to build them next to the real building but to spread them out or `hide' the real building elsewhere on the map. The downside to them is that they have very little armour and you cannot build next to them if they are out of base range.
Armour: None
Cost: 50
Tec Level: Original Building's
Prerequisites: Original Building
Building Type: Confuses EnemyGap Generator:
The gap generator is one of the most useful buildings on the Allied side and can be exploited for use in many tactics. The Gap Generator hides a large area under an artificial shroud which lets you hide a large force of tanks or a new structure for instance. One tactic which is used by many is sending an MCV into an opponents base using the Chronosphere(see above) and deploying it and building a Gap Generator next to it. It is wise though to pre-build the gap generator before you send in the MCV so you can cover the base instantly. This covers the enemy base in a shroud and they have to shoot the Generator in order to see again. While they are doing this you could use the MCV to build a War Factory(see below) or any other building and destroy his base from inside out.
Armour: Light
Cost: 500
Tec Level: 7
Prerequisites: War Factory & Radar Dome
Building Type: Obscures StructuresNaval Yard:
This building allows the construction of Allied vessels for use against Submarines and in the case of Crusiers, against a base. It can be built a fair way from the nearest building and can also repair ships too. You will need other buildings to build different ships but it is good value for what it is. Very useful!
Armour: Light
Cost: 650
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: Power Plant
Building Type: ProductionPillbox:
A useful structure which kills enemy infantry in seconds and in groups can take out a tank or too before being destroyed. A very useful building, always have at least 4 around your base and MCV to stop pesky Engineer and Tanya attacks.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 400
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Barracks
Building Type: DefensiveSandbag Barrier:
Exactly the same as the Soviet equivalent, barbed wire, in the way that it stops non-tracked vehicles and infantry. Tracked vehicles can just run straight over them or shoot them.
Armour: Light
Cost: 25
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Con Yard
Building Type: OffensiveTechnology Centre:
This building allows the use of the GPS. This special Allied feature allows Recon on the whole map(with the exception of enemy gap generators.) In addition to the GPS Satellite higher level structures and units can be manufactured. The Cruiser and Gap Generator are 2 examples.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1500
Tec Level: 7
Prerequisites: War Factory & Radar Dome
Building Type: PrerequesiteTent Barracks:
This performs exactly the same operation as the Soviet equivalent but doesn't produce the same units. It is needed for most of the higher tec buildings and can be very effective when you have lots of money and have around 6 barracks for producing Tanyas in groups and sending them into the enemies base and taking out their buildings.
Armour: Light
Cost: 300
Tec Level: 1
Prerequisites: Power Plant
Building Type: ProductionTurret:
This has the same use as the pillbox except it takes out tanks instead of infantry and, as the pillbox, it is much better in groups. Another use is joining it with a pillbox group, this conjuction can almost stop anything.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 600
Tec Level: 2
Prerequisites: Barracks
Building Type: Defensive
Common:
LST:
The LST is the water version of an APC. It has the ability to hold 5 units, either infantry or vehicles. They are used in water assaults and are advantaged with their speed. Because of their speed, they can avoid most fire from Boats and Subs. The LST can only be loaded and unloaded on beach, and not cliff.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 700
Prerequisites: Sub Pen for Soviets, Naval Yard for Allies
Unit Type: Marine TransportationMCV:
The Mobile Construction Vehicle can be moved around to find a suitable position to build your base. It can then be deployed and you can begin to build. In multiplayer games a second MCV can be built to make a secondary base or to have 2 just in case your oppenent kills one.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 2500
Prerequisites: War Factory and Service Depot
Unit Type: Allows ConstructionOre Truck:
The Ore Truck comes as part of the Ore Refinery deal and you can also buy them seperately. They are fairly tough and although they have no weapon they can squash enemy infantry.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 1400
Prerequisites: War Factory and Ore Refinery
Unit Type: Ore Collector
Soviet:
AP Mine Layer:
The Anti-Personnel Mine Layer is good for blocking off choke points. By blocking off choke points with mines you have almost guaranteed that no infantry can get through. It can hold 5 mines and it can be reloaded at a service depot. The good thing about the Mine Layer is that reloading doesn't cost anything. They look like APCs and are good at squashing enemy infantry.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 800
Prerequisites: War Factory and Service Depot
Unit Type: Anti-infantry mine layerHeavy Tank:
The Heavy Tank is one of the Soviet's best units. It should be heavily exploited because it's twin cannon means it can easily beat any of the Allied units. It's one disadvantage is it's lack of speed, but this is more than made up for in its fire-power.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 950
Prerequisites: War Factory
Unit Type: Attacking enemy units and structuresHind:
The Hind is good because it can shoot air-to-air (i.e. it can shoot enemy air-craft in mid-flight). They are good in teams at wiping out enemy structures and tanks. They are also good at shooting moving objects and are in teams can be used to give your oppnonents ore trucks hassle. They also have heavy armour which means they can take a lot more of a beating from AA-Guns when you need it most when taking out an enemy Construction Yard. Hinds come free with a helipad. Unlike MIGs once you build a Helipad you can build as many Hinds as you want and you only need one helipad. The Hinds come fully charged but with only one pad it will take a long time to recharge your teams.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 1200
Prerequisites: Helipad
Unit Type: Basic air attackMammoth Tank:
Well like it's name suggests, it is a mammoth tank. These massive tanks can take a real pounding and with its twin cannons, it is one of the Soviet's best units. It is disadvantaged in it's lack of speed but makes up for it in every other way. It is also the only tank to be capable of shooting aircraft.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 1700
Prerequisites: War Factory and Technology Centre
Unit Type: All round attack and defenceMiG:
The MiG carries Heat seaking missiles which are excellent at destroying enemy units and structures. They are probably the best Soviet air unit which is why they cost 1200 credits. Remember though, each MiG will need it's own Airfield. You will only be allowed to build MiGs if you have Airfields for them to recharge at. With the cost of an Airfield at 600 and a MiG at 1200, 600+1200=1800 which is quite a hefty cost.
Armour: Light
Cost: 1200
Prerequisites: Airfield
Unit Type: General air attackMobile Radar Jammer: Contrary to what the information cards say this is a Soviet unit. I have virtually no experience with it, but I have read off the newsgroups that you have to move it to next to your enemy radar dome and it blocks obscures his map and communications. If you do make use of this unit then protect it because it has only light armour.
Armour: Light
Cost: 600
Prerequisites: War Factory and Radar Dome
Unit Type: Jams enemy radarParachute Bombs:
Also dropped from the Badger Bomber are Parachute Bombs which are high explosive bombs. They can be used to destory structures but enemy infantry run away if they see them coming.
Armour: N/A
Cost: 0
Prequisites: Airfield
Unit Type: Air to Ground BombsParatroopers:
Paratroopers are dropped from the Badger Bomber at your selected destination. They are in essence, a bunch of 5 flying rifle infantry and so aren't really effective at destroying anything other than other men. They can be handy for recon as they can be dropped in parts of the map that haven't already explored. Paratroopers working the same way as the Spy Plane. Once you build an airfield the paratroopers appear on your units you can build scroll. When they are ready the computer tells you and you select where you want them to drop.
Armour: None
Cost: 0
Prerequisites: Airfield
Unit Type: Flying rifle infantrySpy Plane:
The Spy Plane is like the Parachute Bombs and Paratroopers in the way that it is a free Soviet service which comes with the Airfield. It is used to get recon on areas which are unexplored and is handy when the area you need to see is heavily guarded.
Armour: Light
Cost: 0
Prequisites: Airfield
Unit Type: ReconaissanceSubmarine:
The submarine is the Soviets attempt to match the Allied Naval Fleet. The Sub cannot shoot structures on land but it can destroy bridges and all of the Allied boats. They remain undetected until they surface to shoot. In numbers they are reasonably effective against the Allied Ships.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 950
Prerequisites: Sub Pen
Unit Type: Allied Ship AttackTransport Helicopter:
The Transport chopper is usually only avaliable in multiplayer games and only on some special single player missions. They brilliant for Engineer and Tanya attacks. A common mistake people make it that if their base can only be entered from one choke point, and that if they surround their base with SAM sites that they can't be attacked by transport choppers. They are wrong. All you need to do is take it into a space around the base which is enclosed by cliff so they think it is safe where there are no SAMs and deploy your Engineers or Tanyas and walk them in through the undefended back of the base and let them do their stuff.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 1200
Prerequisites: Helipad
Unit Type: Air TransportationV2 Rocket Launcher:
The V2 can lauch it's enourmous rockets from a tremendous distance. The V2 Rockets are deadly against teams of infantry and in teams of just two, can inflict an amazing amount of damage to structures and turrets etc. Their weakness is their speed and that are quite weak and so need protection from other units.
Armour: Light
Cost: 700
Prequisites: War Factory and Radar Dome
Unit Type: Structure destructionYak:
The Yak attacks with a strifing run of twin machine guns. It's only real use is to kill teams of infantry which get shredded to bits by the yak. They can be used to destroy structures but you need at least 5 which doesn't really make it worthwhile compared with a team of MiGs.
Armour: Light
Cost: 800
Prerequisites: Airfield
Unit Type: Infantry attack
Allied:
APC:
The APC can carry five infantry units and also handy in the base as defence. I like to have a couple around to squash annoying enemy infantry which are out of reach of Pillboxs. Their good speed makes them a good unit for Tanya and Engineer attacks. Quite often, if you have a couple a base defences will not be able to kill them on entry to their base because they are so fast.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 800
Prerequisites: War Factory and Technology Center
Unit Type: Infantry TransportationArtillery:
The Artillery is very vulnerable because of its lack of speed and speed to fire so it needs protection from tanks. When in position it can shoot from a fairly large range, and in teams can easily wipe out enemy structures in strategic attacks.
Armour: Light
Cost: 600
Prerequisites: War Factory
Unit Type: Enemy structure destructionAT Mine Layer:
The Anti-Tank Mine Layer s identical to the Soviet mine layer except that the Allies have developed one which deposits mines to destroy enemy tanks rather than infantry. I think this is better as tanks are far more powerfull and so I would much prefer one of these. Like it's Soviet partner, the AT Mine Layer can be reloaded a the service depot for free.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 800
Prerequisites: War Factory and Service Depot
Unit Type: Used to block off choke points etcCruiser:
The Cruiser is possibly the best Allied unit and if the map you are playing has water, it should be heavily exploited. It needs protection from Subs which could come from Destroyers or Gunboats. The Cruiser has a massive range. It is quite staggering. A couple of Cruisers can take out most structures in a few shots. They are so lethal because they can destroy a whole base from a massive range. Soviets should build their base a long, long, long way away from any seas or should have a lot of Subs for defence against them. Because they are so amazing they will set you back 2000 credits each.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 2000
Prerequisites: Naval Yard and Technology Centre
Unit Type: Enemy structure destructionDestroyer:
The Destroyer is the a good all round Naval Unit. It can shoot Naval Units, Aircraft, and objects on land. It's all round capabilities make it ideal for protecting a group of cruisers. It should be used for destroying enemy Subs and should leave land destroying to the incredible Cruisers.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 1000
Prerequisites: Naval Yard
Unit Type: All round Naval, Air and Land defenceGPS Satellite: I don't know if you call this a unit, but we have included it here. When you build a Tech Center this little baby starts building free of charge. When completed it will launch from your Tech Center, looking very much like a Nuclear Missile and will shoot up the map. When it reaches the top it will allow you to see the whole map (i.e. take away all the blackness). If you are in a multiplayer game, gap generator's effects are uneffected by the GPS and you still won't be able to see past it. This is extremely handy and saves a lot of time and hassle.
Armour: N/A
Cost: 0 Yes, it's free!!
Prerequisites: Technology Center
Unit Type: Allows view of whole mapGunboat:
The Allied Naval Fleet starts with the Gunboat. The Gunboat is good as a sea scouting unit. It can shoot other Naval units like the Soviet submarine but should travel in numbers to be able to safely destroy a few subs. If possible Destroyers should be purchased to take care of Submarines and Cruisers for structures. They are quite cheap though so they are quite economical in groups.
Armour: Light
Cost: 500
Prerequisites: Naval Yard
Unit Type: Sea Reconassiance and Light Sub AttackLight Tank:
The Light Tank should only really be used when you need a speed tank rather than a stronger, better fire-powered medium tank. They are good for rapid attacks and sneak destruction of enemy structures.
Armour: Medium
Cost: 700
Prerequisites: War Factory
Unit Type: Light tank attack/defenceLongbow Apache:
The Allies Aircraft is not it's best area. It has one aircraft, the Longbow Apache. Very much like an Orca from C&C it fires missiles at its targets. In groups of 5 or more they can take out enemy structures with ease despite heavy air defence. They are also handy in multiplayer games for giving your enemy Ore Trucks hassle. You get one with a helipad andyou can buy them seperately from then on.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 1200
Prequisites: Helipad
Unit Type: General air attackMedium Tank:
The Medium Tank is the standard tank you should use in base defence and in numbers they will win you many games. They are the Allies best tank but they cannot match the Soviet's heavy tank in fire- power. A good general tank.
Armour: Heavy
Cost: 800
Prerequisites: War Factory
Unit Type: General TankMobile Gap Generator:
To be honest these are not worth buying. Their range is so minimal compared with the normal gap generator thay they can only hide a few units. They also only provide protection while they are stationery. When they aren't moving, they hide the nearby area in blackness for your oppenent, thus hiding a few units from his vision.
Armour: Light
Cost: 600
Prerequisites: War Factory and Technology Center
Unit Type: Provides hiding for a few unitsRanger:
This is the Allied Scout unit. The Soviets appear not to have a fast mobile unit which can be used for reconassiance which means they have to do it in a tank. The Ranger is a simple Jeep which light machine guns have barely much effect on tanks. They are best put to use at the start of games when you need to recon on an enemy base. It's speed helps it from getting destroyed when it's running past your enemy's units.
Armour: Light
Cost: 600
Prerequisites: War Factory
Unit Type: Reconaissance
Sonar Pulse:
I have never used this as it seems a lot of work with not much reward. You have to get a Spy into one of your enemy's Sub Pens. It allows you to temporarily see all the Soviet Submarines.
Armour: N/A
Cost: 500 (Well you've got a buy a Spy)
Prerequisites: Get a Spy in his Sub Pen
Unit Type: Temporary sight of enemy Subs
Common:
Engineer:
Engineers have no weapons and are so very vulnerable. They therefore need protection by other units and should preferably be transported in APCs, LSTs and transport helicopters. One engineer can be taken into one of your own damaged buildings and can instantly fully repair it. Unlike in C&C, in Red Alert you will need 4 engineers to safely capture an enemy structure. An engineer can only capture an enemy structure if is in the red on its energy scale. One way of minimising the number of engineers you need is to get some tanks to shoot the structure until it is in the red and then by bringing one engineer into it, you can seize control of the building.
Armour: None
Cost: 500
Prerequisites: Barracks
Unit Type: Structure capture and repairRifle Infantry:
This is the equivalent of a minigunner from traditional C&C. There only real use is that in large numbers they can destroy Tesla Coils because Tesla Coils can't shoot them fast enough.
Armour: None
Cost: 100
Prerequisites: Barracks
Unit Type: Light infantry defenceRocket Soldier:
This unit fires Dragon Rockets which are generally best used against vehicles and structures. Effective but expensive. They can also be used as light air defence. They are not nearly as good as sam sites though.
Armour: None
Cost: 300
Prerequisites: Barracks
Unit Type: Anti-vehicle infantryTanya:
This time in C&C Red Alert the commando is female. She works in the same way as her male partner. She can shoot any other infantry (apart from another Tanya) in one shot. Her range of infantry killing is quite tremendous. Her other main use is her ability to blow up enemy structures with bombs. Tanya's weakness is against vehicles where her Dual Colt .45s have virtually no effect on them. Tanya is only availiable in multiplayer games apart from special single player missions.
Armour: None
Cost: 1200
Prerequisites: Barracks and Technology Center
Unit Type: Infantry and structure attack
Soviet:
Attack Dogs:
Attack dogs can easily be killed, but like their flamer friends, are excellent at getting rid of enemy infantry. They are very vulnerable to enemy tank fire. Attack Dogs are unqiue because they are the only unit which is able to detect Allied Spies. When you look at an enemy spy, it looks like one of your minigunners. If an Attack Dog notices a defence- less spy the dog goes over and kills him.
Armour: None
Cost: 200
Prequisites: Kennel
Unit Type: Anti-infantry dogFlame Infantry:
Flame Infantry are lethal against enemy infantry. Their flames instantly kill virtually all enemy infantry in the area. They are also a potential risk to themselves, if you have a group of them, if one of you men dies, he catches fire which in turn catches any nearby infantry on fire. If this happens its quite a spectacular display. They are good at getting rid of Tanya and engineer attacks.
Armour: None
Cost: 300
Prerequisites: Barracks and Technology Centre
Unit Type: Anti-infantry unitGrenadier:
Unlike in C&C, the equivalent of Nod have received the most infantry units. The grenadier is a good all round unit. Effective against infantry, vehicles and structures. They are fairly cheap and are good as a multi-purpose infantry unit.
Armour: None
Cost: 160
Prerequisites: Barracks
Unit Type: All round attack and defence infantry
Allied:
Medic:
Medics are the infantry version of a repair bay. When in the range of injured men, they automaticly revive them, giving them full health. Unlike in repairing a vehicle, once a medic is bought, that is all the cost, it doesn't matter how many times you use him and you don't have to replenish his supplies. By adding a few to your ifantry teams, he helps them all along in the midst of attack. You can of course, manually revive your infantry. This is accomplished by selecting your medic, and clicking on an injured unit. He then goes over and gives him the necessary medicine.
Armour: None
Cost: 800
Prerequisites: Barracks
Unit Type: Infantry healing unitSpy:
The spy is one of the Allied elite units. To an enemy oppenent, one of your spies looks like a minigunner. He can be taken into a number of enemy structures to find out a range of information. In a construction yard he tells you what the enemy is building. In an ore refinery it shows his stores of ore. In a silo, he can tell how much money the opponent has. In a war factory he gives information on the unit he is building. The spy's only weakness is that he can be detected by the Soviet's Attack Dogs.
Armour: None
Cost: 500
Prerequisites: Barracks and Radar Dome
Unit Type: InfiltrationThief:
The thief can be taken into an enemy Ore Silo or Refinery in the same manor as a Spy or Engineer. By entering a Silo or Refinery you receive half the credits in that structure.
Armour: None
Cost: 500
Prerequisites: Barracks and Technology Centre
Unit Type: Credit stealing
My favourite strategy that is needed on practically every level is the LST and Medium/Heavy Tank combination. You may think 5 tanks is enough but you will need at least 15. Sending 15 or more tanks into the enemy base can usually take it out or at least destroy its main buildings. The first structure to go for is an Advanced Power Plant. This will stop Soviet Tesla Coils destroying your tanks and if you have air reinforcements, it will stop AA Guns. Take out as many Advanced Power Plants as you can then destroy the MCV. This will leave your opponents base without power and production time will be severely crippled. Then take out the War Factory, Barracks and Sub Pen/Naval Base in that order. Your tanks would have suffered a crippling by now from the remaining tanks but you should be able to give them hell with your forces. Once this has been completed, build another batch but this time reduce its size and send in again. Also bring in an anti-infantry unit like a flame-thrower or APC to mop up the remaining men. Note: Your LSTs and Tanks are most vulnerable when unloading. Always unload quite a distance from your enemy's base.
Another favoured tactic is building ore silos up to an enemy's base and building Tesla Coils, Flame Towers, Turrets or Pillboxes at the end. This will decimate ANY sort of base but just remember to build lots of Advanced Power Plants at the other end so you have enough power. If your ore silos are getting a pounding and you are playing Soviet, then build Kennels instead. They have greater armour and you can build Attack Dogs to stop the men. Note: Have lots of money stored up to use for repairing your buildings and silos. Also an a second MCV is helpful because buildings can take a long time to build and your opponent will be gunning down your silos as you do this!
Cruisers are one of the most effective units in the game and most of the time will win the level for you! Build multiple naval yards and quickly build up some destroyers and gunboats. Then build a 2 or 3 cruisers. Once you feel like attacking the enemy base send in the gunboats first and keep them moving even if fired upon by submarines. This will stop them getting completely bullied. Use the destroyers to take out the submarines while they shoot the gunboats. Once all of the Submarines have been taken care of, destroy the Sub Pen from a distance with the Crusiers. Then if is rebuilt, destroy it again before the opponent has the chance to build another one. Then with the Cruisers shoot the base from a long distance, some of the time a human opponent will get demoralised and resign. Other times you may have to make them watch their base crumble into ruins! He He! Just remember to watch your base while you are planning your naval campaign because your base might be the subject of a tank or Tanya attack, so be prepared!
If you are Chronoshifting an MCV into someone's base always remember to prebuild the building you are going to deploy so that you don't have to waste time getting destroyed while you are waiting for your structure to be manufactured.
If you chronoshift a lot of units then sometimes you will see an ovular shaped `cloud'. This is one of the side effects that are mentioned in the Red Alert manual and it mostly tends to hang around the lower part of the screen. If your opponents base is there then it will be in for a right pounding because the oval destroys any unit, building or soldier on contact so watch out!
When you feel like destroying the opponents base(every time you play!) then send in a Chinook full of Tanyas. `But it will get shot down by my opponents SAM envelope' I hear you cry. Worry no more! Use your Iron Curtain on it and you can get all 5 Tanyas into the base and destroy a fair amount of buildings before the Tanyas start to perish. Very useful!
How about Chronoshifting a cruiser into a lake near your enemy? He He! `nuff said!
When playing Single Player missions you will usually tend to build just one Ore Refinery but if you have a lot of ore then build a second early on. This will give you a lot more money in the long run which can be very helpful when the AI decides to send in his Mammoth Tank Division!
When playing Soviet one the most obvious and easiest ways to take out the opponent's MCV and any other building really is a MiG Fleet! 8-10 will easily destroy an MCV and on the second run could be used to take out an APP or two. This will make your opponent suffer for all the grief they have given you and you should be on the road to victory after the attack!
Not many people try this tactic but it is so effective and nearly always works. A two-pronged attack can seriously ruin your day and can confuse your opponent as well as make them panic! On one prong you could have an APC group with Tanyas or Engineers inside while on the other hand a Tank Division could be rolling in. This will make your opponent ask themselves, which of my defensive forces should I send where? To really make your attack effective have two prongs each with an APC group and a tank group. This is practically unstoppable!
Distractions are also handy at confusing your opponent. Force firing the ground is a good idea and will induce panic. An air or naval attack can distract your opponent from your `real' ground attack or APC force. Sending a lone mammoth which is Iron Curtained into a base can be a real annoyance and a large follow-up attack should commence.
Chrono (gmcgough@p3.net)
Have a nuke ready, look for an area in his base where two power
plants are next to each other, put the nuke right between them,
they should both blow up, this will stop the soviets Tesla Coil,
and the allied AA guns, so if there soviets you should follow up
with the chronosphere right in the center of his base and when
he's say ****!, you come in with all you got, make sure you can
stand a chance. If there Allies, and they have gap generators, it
wont work because you cant see there base most of the time.
Ian Tucker (ian@tuck.softnet.co.uk) Small tips
If your opponent is a bit thick, and sends a large fleet of
cruisers your way without any backup from Destroyers, then take
advantage and MIG them into oblivion before they even look at
your base!
Justin Bakst (evol@ntr.net)
Here's what you need to do this, so make them if you don't
already have this equipment:
1) Chronoshifter
2) Service Depot
3) A decent tank force
Now, here's what to do, in order:
1) Build an MCV.
2) Build a barracks, but *DONT* construct it!
3) Start training a tanya, and when she is about 20 seconds away
from finished, continue with the procedure.
4) When the chronoshifter is all charged, chronoshift your MCV
that you created as close as you can to the enemy base, and even
better, INSIDE his base (if there's room).
5) Launch the MCV and make your construction yard.
6) Construct the barracks that you have built in his base.
7) Make that barracks that you just built your primary building,
and little Tanya will pop out.
8) Have fun while your tanks are occupying his in battle and your
Tanya is destroying his base!
NOTE: This little strategy is VERY time and money consuming, but has helped me win quite a few wars really efficiently. This strategy will not work very well against your enemy if he is an allied force and has gap generators up. It is also a very risky strategy, and DOESN'T work all the time, but when it does it's a sure way to win.
Matthew Mueller (donut@azstarnet.com)and Justin Bakst
(evol@ntr.net)
The first thing you must do is make a sub pen. Once that is
built, build an Iron Curtain and place it anywhere in your base
(preferably somewhere that it cannot be easily destroyed). While
the invulnerability is charging, build a water transport, MCV,
and a tesla coil (DONT CONSTRUCT THE COIL YET!). When the iron
curtain is finished charging, put your MCV in the water transport
and send it on over to your enemy's back door. Once again, these
tactics work best when your enemy is occupied, with your armada
of tanks coming at him for instance. Take the MCV and put it
somewhere in or as close to his CY as you can get it. Then,
construct the tesla in his base, and put the charged iron curtain
invulnerability on it. This way his base is doomed.
Also, like my last tactic, this will take a long time and a lot of money! But trust me, it is worth the effort if you are playing someone good.
In any base in multiplayer games, you should have plenty of Flame Towers (Soviet) or Pillboxes (Allies) to stop Tanya and Engineer Attacks.
Walls are now almost completely useless as they can't be used like silos to build next to, and they can also be run over by a range of vehicles. The only two real uses could be to make your base look nice or to surround your important structures so that Tanyas and Engineers can't get to them.
It is quite a good idea to put Pill-Boxes or Flame Towers next to any AA-Guns or SAM Sites you have. This is because, when you shoot down an enemy plane, quite often a para-trooper will fall from it which can give your structures damage, especially if you don't have any units nearby.
When attacking a base, by destroying the power plants, you can effectively bring a base down. All the Tesla Coils, Radar Domes, AA-Guns and other defensive structures will stop working. Therefore, when building your base, make sure you have loads and loads of spare power.
When you have a lot of spare cash, build at least two construction yards just in case one gets taken out. Do the same with Weapon Factories and Barracks. Building more Kennels, Barracks, Weapon Factories and Helipads also greatly increases the production speed of Dogs, Men, Vehicles and Aircraft.
Something to watch out for, when playing Allied, is your Tech Center. You can see the whole map, but if the Tech Center gets destroyed, the only map visible are the parts you have got recon on (i.e. taken units to).
So even when you have the GPS Satellite operational, get a Ranger and go around the screen a bit to get some recon just in case your Tech Center gets taken out.
When Ore Trucks unload their ore, they do it extremely quickly. So instead building loads of Ore Refineries in multiplayer games, build a weapons factory and loads of ore trucks because one Ore Refinery can be used by more than one ore truck.
Buildings in your base can be vulnerable to attacks from spies, engineers and Tanyas. To combat these guys especially spies build walls around your expensive and strategical buildings. This stops them from getting in and so your oppenent will need to have a few bazooka men to take out the walls. Anti-Personnel mine layers can be used to stop infantry attacks.
Power is one of the most vital things in Red Alert and so always build advanced power plants because they are cheaper and take up less room. Never have big groups of power plants, spread them around so in a Tanya/Engineer attack is a lot harder to do. Always build loads and loads of spare power plants and if you've got loads of money, two Radar Domes gives peace of mind in an attack.
This is especially handy if you are the Soviets and like to use Tesla Coils. A good way to attack a base defended by Tesla Coils is to take out the power plants. But when someone does this to you instead of sitting there as your base gets pounded, sell some power intensive buildings like your radar dome so that the Tesla Coils come back on-line.
Make sure when you are the Soviets that you build up a large fleet of submarines at the start to combat the cruisers and destroyers which can effectively single handedly win the game for the Allies. When you have about 5, move them to the enemy base to where he has a Naval Yard or a postion where he would be most likely to build one.
If your oppenent is one of those people who does 'combined' attacks, i.e. Atom bombing your Construction Yard and bringing planes to finish it off. Have a few engineers handy to instantly restore your buildings to full energy. Put them in an APC for protection and your enemy cannot see them.
I don't think mine layers (especially the Allies one) are really put to full use. They are extremely effective and cheap because they can be reloaded on a service depot for free. If you are the Allies then build one as soon as possible and mine your enemies ore patch so that when his ore trucks come along, they get a severe hammering.
If you are the Allies then make use of the Fake Structures. Defend all your Fake Structures as if they were real so to not give away which are real and which aren't. Also, when building them, don't build them all at once because the enemy should notice how fast you seem to be turfing out the buildings and will therefore know which ones are Fakes. Another strategy, which can be dangerous, is to deploy your MCV in a really stupid place which is vulnerable, and to then build a Fake Construction Yard where a normal person would deploy theirs at the start of a game. This makes your oppenent think that you're real Construction Yard is a Fake because it is in a really stupid position. Like I said, this can be dangerous because your real construction yard is is a very vulnerable position. For full effect, make sure you heavily defend your Fake Construction Yard.
A player who is the Allies should make heavy use of Gap Generators. They are simply invaluable in multiplayer games. They don't require a hurrendous amount of power and are only 500 credits. When you build one, it makes the area around it invisible to your enemy, even if they have discovered it earlier in the game. When playing Allies V Allies, even if you have the GPS satellite, you will not be able to see past Gap Generators. If a unit goes into an area shrouded over by a gap generator then the immediate area around it will be shown, but as soon as they move somewhere new, the shroud will almost instantly regrow. If you are the Allies then make full use of this amazing structure. Place one in the middle of you base, and in the corners. Guard them from aircraft with at least 2 AA-Guns. In my experience, mobile gap generators are virtually useless, as the area they cover is tiny and they only produce shroud while they are stationery.
When defending your base you should make full use of turrets, pill-boxes, flame-towers and Tesla Coils because in time of an enemy attacking you, you can repair your turrets etc. But his tanks will be on their own. So basically don'y rely on units to completely defend your base, use structures to. A handy tactic for say blocking of ore (especially useful in single- player) is if you are the Allies, to do a line of turret-pillbox-turret- pillbox. This combination takes out men and tanks. Be sure to watch them and keep them repaired. One draw back is aircraft so you will have to build AA- Guns to defend them if your enemy has aircraft. Turrets and pillbox combos are also excellent for blocking off choke points. Making sure you put the odd AA-Gun here and there for peace of mind.
At the start of a game make sure you get your base up and running quickly so as not to fall behind.
When you are the Soviets make sure you have plenty of Dogs to keep out those Allied Spies. Keep them in groups for safety. They can also be useful in attacks because they easily kill men with one bite. If you are the Allies and are playing against the attack dogs, tell your men to shoot the dogs and they will die with one shot. Basically whoever attacks first between a dog and a man wins.
Always keep a couple of destroyers around your cruisers because you never know when a bunch of MiGs are going to come out of the sky and bully your vessels.
If a cruiser is bringing you down(and your MCV) then send in your force of helicopters, `Here's some I made earlier'. The cruiser cannot defend against the onslaught and will die! Unfortunately this trick can only be used a number of times before your opponent realises that destroyers do actually have a use and starts to build a couple.
If you are playing Soviets always keep a couple of attack dogs around so you can sniff out the spies and keep away the pesky Tanya commandos.
A good idea to stop Ore Trucks becoming scrap metal is to use the Ctrl+ Alt+Left Click command which makes a unit guard another unit or structure automatically so while you're happily destroying a base you can be sound in the knowledge that your Ore Trucks are still harvesting those fields of ore for you.
Although expensive, having turrets and camouflaged pillboxes(a lot better than pillboxes because of armour and stealth) around, or even blocking, choke-points stops practically all attacks from the enemy and if you have repair money you can defend against attacks while waiting for ore to grow back leaving you with a virtually unlimited amount of money.
Tim Moss (chris.moss@zetnet.co.uk)
I don't find the base defence structures much use in
Multi-Players if you're playing a good opponent. There are
however a few things of use. AA guns or SAMs are very useful for
obvious reasons. Engineers are of use, despite the fact that
no-one ever seems to use them, as they can repair your structures
fully and instantly. If you tend to play games which last a long
time as opposed to attacking straight away then Pill Boxes and
Flamers round your base are useful.
Also...
I don't find the base defence structures much use in
Multi-Players if you're playing a good opponent. There are
however a few things of use. AA guns or SAMs are very useful for
obvious reasons. Engineers are of use, despite the fact that
no-one ever seems to use them, as they can repair your structures
fully and instantly. If you tend to play games which last a long
time as opposed to attacking straight away then Pill Boxes and
Flamers round your base are useful.
When using Attack dogs, make sure you tell them to attack the enemy infantry as soon as you see them. One shot from any infantry kills a dog instantly. Beware, tanks are also lethal to dogs.
Some people may call this being a wimp, but it is perfectly strategical to blow up bridges. Gather a few tanks and press control to force fire on a bridge. After a while the bridge will be unpassable. This can be used to block oppenents paths to ore and routes which leave your base vulnerable to attack.
Not really a tip but its small. Unlike in the origianl C&C, in Red Alert you can place structures up to 2 blocks apart which helps to stop cramped bases. Westwood have however made it so that you cannot build a structure next to any type of wall.
When playing multiplayer, people ask "where are the parabombs?". Consulting the information cards provided with the game shows they are only availiable in single-player missions.
If your Construction Yard or any other building is under severe attack, sending one of your engineers into the damaged building restores it to full energy instantly in times of desperation.
If the map you are playing has land around all the edges, you can send spies and Tanyas along the edge. The unit will barely be visible on the side of the radar screen and the chances are your oppnent won't see it.
When playing an Ally and trying to figure out which one of his
construction yards is real you have two options:
1)Send a unit to shoot at it and if its energy goes down very
quickly it is a fake.
2)When your oppenent builds a structure, the real construction
yard's arm will move but any fake ones will remain stationery.
Quite often, aircraft will be employed by your oppenent to give hassle to your ore trucks. I have found that rocket infantry are excellent at shooting aircraft so keep them scattered around your ore field. They are also handy for having around the base for when a pesk chopper comes in. A good feature is they are portable unlike AA-Guns and SAMs.
A handy use for the AP Mine Layer is actually to mine your own base. Thus any engineers, Tanyas etc will die as they travel through your base. They can also be handy for mining beaches for when Tanyas are deployed from an LST.
Never Chronsphere an APC with men in as they will die. Only vehicles can be chronoshifted.
Iron curtain a hind, and send it towards the enemy aa guns, then, while they are busy shooting at that, use 5 migs to take out the construction yard or other buildings!
Load up 3 APCs with rocket soldiers (15 total). Move your APCs close to the enemy's ore fields. Pretend that you're AT-MINING his fields. The APC looks almost exactly like an AT-Mine vehicle, and only registers as an enemy vehicle upon cursor inspection. If he is smart he will send all of his precious MIGs or Hinds to wipe you out fast. Oh No! 15 rocketeers just jumped out and wasted his precious aircraft!
Having a spy in a power plant may not seems to be very useful. But in fact it can be used to find out whether his Tesla Coils and AA-Guns are operational.
This tactic may be considered as wimpy and cheating but it's pretty funny. If an oppenent is sending an APC across to your base and you know it's got a Tanya in etc. Click on one of their units and press A to ally with them. Then use the Chronosphere to move their APC to the other side of the screen and thus giving you time to shoot it.
Some people think cruisers are good for defence, that is their opinion. Exploit this by Chronoshifting a unit with high armour into their base. Their cruisers will start shooting at you but because of their lack of accuracy will damage enemy buildings.
Just something I read somewhere, if you edit your rules.ini you can make it so that when you Chronoshift an APC, the men inside stay intact. This can only be used in multiplayer if you have indentical rules.ini files. The following line is what you need to add to the file: ChronoKillCargo=no
Kelvin Valters Small tips ALWAYS build 2 or more naval yards/Sub pens because the building speed with just one is way too slow (especially for Cruisers).
Alex Murison (alexmurison@cyberstop.net) Theives are a much maligned unit, use them to "lock" your opponent (the opponent is unable to build anything etc). If you have the advantage then it will stop an opponent from responding to you're threats especially if they have no harvesters. An early Theif assault can do untold damage. Always combine them with APC's and circle their Refiinery/Silo (AP Mines). The Iron Curtain can be used to the same effect as the Chronosphere, allowing you to transport vehicles through dangerous areas unharmed.
Siloing: This tactic is very simple yet very effective. All you need do is to build silos into your opponents base or ore field and putting Tesla Coils down. Then slowly work your way into their base and use Flamer Towers to kill their base as they are better than Tesla Coils and kill men quickly.
LSTs: Simply build LSTs and send in anything out the back of their base, and hopefully it wont be protected. V2s are quite good at this if you are trying to kill their MCV or another building as they can launch their missiles and run away.
Yaks!: For some obscene reason no-one but myself seems to like these killing machines! They may not be good at killing tanks or even that good at men, but they are cool against several buildings. Power plants, War Factories and Naval Yards will fall victim to just a few Yaks and these are very important buildings.
Tanks: Not very original, or ingenious; but it works. Just build loads of heavy tanks and deck their Trucks and their base in general.
Units: Heavy tanks are good as explained above. V2s are really cool but not on their own, best combined with tanks as they can kill turrets and things from afar and they also are very effective against most buildings.
Dogs, in my opinion, are completely useless! The only use as far as I can tell is to put a few round your base to sniff out Spys. Bazooka infantry are useful for air defence and are good at killing trucks as tanks dont kill them.
MiGs are decent especially early in the game and for killing trucks. Yaks are useful against specific targets.
Hinds are quite effective despite taking half an hour to align themselves with their target. They are good against men, better than you might think against tanks and good against most buildings.
Chinooks are very good for engineers and Tanya, especially so when combined with the Iron Curtain.
Mine layers for Soviets are bit rubbish in comparison to their Ally counter part, but they are good at defending your MCV etc.
Submarines are often a requirement but for their price they're not particularly good.
Flamers and Grenadiers are quite good as support but not particularly impressive.
Mammoths arent, for some reason, used much despite the fact that they seem to have several advantages. They are self repairing, anti-aircraft and hard, though they are expensive, slow building, not to mention slow moving.
Buildings: Tesla coils are worth buying especially if you're not playing a tank person and to stop APC attacks.
Flamer Towers are okay at just taking out men, for support or engineer defence, but a tad rubbish otherwise. I don't really build Tech Centres as they dont tend to give you much unless you happen to like Mammoths and Tanya. SAMs all round your base are useful. Several War Factories, Barracks and MCVs are very useful, but not essential.
General: I myself am not an Allies man but some people seem to like them. My order of building is more or less the same as Soviet though you have to be a tad more subtle than just building tanks as Heavy Tanks are much better for their cost. I suggest you use artillery to support them as they kill men and are powerful for price. Naval Yards are a must, as Cruisers and Destroyers are cool. Again I suggest several Refineries and loads of Trucks.
Defence: Same as the Soviets, pretty rubbish. Despite the fact that a turret can kill a Medium tank, cost less and can be repaired they seem to be of little use for no obvious reason. Pill boxes around your base. AA guns, and tons of them. Bazooka dudes with Medics to kill planes. Ships: One of the Allies few redeeming features is their Naval compliment. Cruisers are extremely powerful; they have a massive range, can kill about 30 men at a time, cripple tanks, and destroy building with ease. They do however cost 2000, are very slow, not Anti-Aircraft nor can they attack subs. But when they are supported by Destroyers, who are AA and can kill subs, they are very nasty.
Units: Medium tanks are okay but pathetic when compared to the Soviet Heavy Tank, but they are faster!!!
Artillery are pointless on their own but useful support and kill buildings well.
Rangers, why?
APC somewhat better than their friends the Ranger, they only cost 200 more, they are faster, they have a better recon radius, heavier armour, have more health and carry people.
Thieves sound good but as best I know they cost 500 and the most they can steal is 750, what a bargain! Though the opponent does lose the cash too.
Spies are cool, the MCV, War Factory and Barracks show whats being built, the Radar Dome gives you recon around where any enemy unit moves, refineries and silos show how full they are and power plants show how much powers being used.
Apaches are okay, they are better than planes at hitting moving targets but the Soviet air power is far better.
Mine Layers are far better than the Soviets attempt. The Allies anti-tank mine layer is a worthy purchase and are very useful for base defence or for killing enemy trucks.
Buildings: The turrets are in theory good for their money but seem to be rubbish.
The Tech Centres are good as they give you all map, cruisers and the decent men ( and Tanya ).
Gap Generators are often very useful and very annoying to your opponent as they stop them seeing what you're doing or be able to attack your buildings. But this doesn't stop them charging tanks into your base!
Chronospheres are useful but not as good as they might seem, but there are several tactics of use. You can Chronoshift an MCV and deploy in or near their base with either a Gap Generator or a Turret ready, you teleport a cruiser to their base, take a tank and try to kill something or send a Mine Layer outside their War Factory. Be Warned Chronoshifting can cause a dodgy Whirl Pool and it has a strange tendency to destroying your base.
What most of you have been waiting for, he he! This section is split into two parts. One of them is devoted to Skirmish mode and AI tactics, the second is based on Network and Modem play. Although AI players can be integrated into Multiplayer games we will cover that too.
AI tactics:
When starting a skirmish, never `recon around' for the computers base because it only gets the computer aggrovated and thus it will send in a load of tanks into your base. This can be detrimental to your health and thus is not wise. Try other methods of recon such as Spyplanes and GPS satelites. This will get you a fair amount of recon without getting a pounding from your AI chums. If you have played the map before then you should know how much ore is on the map. This can be advantageous and will tell you how many refineries you should build. A largish ore patch is worth one refinery. If there is just one massive patch of ore then build as many refineries as you can in the game, but not all at the start. The AI is low on IQ and subsequently sends all of its forces to your base at the start some of the time. All you have to do is build a few turrets or teslas and the problem is gone!
Human Tactics:
When in the open screen of the Multiplayer section, you will see a list of colours now you will probably choose your favourite and I think the most popular is red. One of the best unsung tactics is choosing a colour that has strategic importance. These colours refer to radar viewing but are still quite camouflaged on normal screens. There is the old GDI colour which cannot be recognised on ore patches. There is the blue(Allied single player) colour which is very hard to see on water. There are also shades of grey which are practically impossible to see on the radar. Employ this tactic when sending attack forces because your opponent will not be able to see your vehicles or infantry at all. If you have the chance survey the map before playing it so you know what colour to choose!
Some people have worked out that when playing two player games that your opponent will nearly always start on the opposite side of the map to you(i.e. Bottom Left-> Top Right) So moving your MCV before deploying it will confuse your opponent. If your opponent is not of the intelligent type then they will deploy right where they are instead of scouting out a practical region to deploy in. If they started opposite you then you will know where they are!
Some people always use the same tactic over and over again. You think that it is unstoppable because you always get beaten by it. All you have to do to overcome it is find the weaknesses of the vehicle or structure that is being used and exploit it completely. This may sound obvious but if you think about it you are always defending against the tactic rather than launching an offensive onto your opponents forces. If you can find a tactic that your opponent can't beat then keep on hounding them with it but just remember to have a backup tactic just in case they realise how to beat you!
I regularly play people who love the Soviets. Most of them employ the same tactics in every game they play. The usual story is when you start, they come over and get brief recon on your base, and the next thing you know they bring a fleet of about 6 Migs over and blow up your construction yard. They come over with a tank rush. After having this done to me so many times I think I have perfected the way to beat it (if you are playing the Allies). Start by deploying your MCV at the very start. Build a power plant, and then a fake construction yard. This is so the people quite often bring their migs over and shoot your fake construction yard. Then build some ore refineries and a barracks. Start building rocket infantry and continue to build them while you build up your base. They act as amazing defence against the weak Migs. Place most of them on the side of your base where the Migs will come from (i.e. the direction of his base). Then build a war factory and like with the rocket infantry, build them throughout the game. Then build 2 service depots as these allow the building of MCVs. Build one in the center and another in a corner so when the Soviet destroys the central one he will think you can no longer build MCVs. Quite often, Soviet players will forget about defending their base, and will simply concentrate on their Mig strategy. So with all your forces, quickly go over and destroy his base, before he has time to build tanks etc.
In C&C original, harvesters took a long time to unload their tiberium into a tiberium refinery. In Red Alert, ore trucks tip their contents into the refineries almost instantly. This means whereas in C&C building extra harvesters was stupid because it took too long for them to unload, in Red Alert, building multiple ore trucks can be a great money boosting idea. Some people say that you can only have 2 trucks to a refinery, but I have had as many as 13 trucks to 4 refineries and it worked fine. Beware of choke points though where you can get 'ore truck jams'. One ore truck starts to go through a choke point and comes to another going in the opposite direction. It turns round to let the other through, but the oncoming ore truck does the same thing. It is quite funny but after a while you notice you don't have much money coming in and you look for your ore trucks and find about 6 turning round in circles!
I have come across this in playing on Westwood Chat and was beaten by it. It is sort of an anti-dote for the Soviet tank-rush. Light tanks build a lot faster than medium tanks, so if you are playing against someone who you know likes tank rushes, build light tanks. They have two main advantages over medium tanks: 1)The main being that they can built considerably more quickly 2)They are fast and so are good for quick attacks on people's ore trucks. They do have less hit points and armour though so in my opinion they should only be used when you are playing against a tank rusher.
A Soviet player can counter cruisers in two ways:
1)At the start build a Sub Pen and start building submarines. Move them round to your oppenents base to where they would most likely to build a Naval Yard. If they don't build one then forget about cruisers. If they do you can immedietely give hassle to the Naval Yard and begin building more Subs to counter any ships that get built.
2)The Soviets have an excellent fleet of aircraft. If you are playing against someone who is prone to using cruisers then have a nice fleet of aircraft at the ready. Have about 5 Migs for generally attacking the enemy and also make use of Hinds. Hinds are better for moving objects. If an Allied player builds a cruiser but doens't move it round towards then watch him with a lot of suspicion. If he does this then you should take the following steps:
1)If possible, check to see whether he has a Chronosphere. If he has then go to number 3. If not go to number 2.
2)Don't worry, but if he builds a Chronosphere, go to number 3.
3)It probably means he might be thinking of Chronoshifting the cruiser to outside your base which will decimate your base and gives you no time to build Subs etc. You have two options. You can either destroy his Chronosphere in any way you can. Or send a team of about 5 subs immedietely to his base to destroy the Cruiser and then the Naval Yard. From then on, keep most of your Subs round his base in case he tries the same thing again.I regularly play people who love the Soviets. Most of them employ the same tactics in every game they play. The usual story is when you start, they come over and get brief recon on your base, and the next thing you know they bring a fleet of about 6 Migs over and blow up your construction yard. They come over with a tank rush. After having this done to me so many times I think I have perfected the way to beat it (if you are playing the Allies). Start by deploying your MCV at the very start. Build a power plant, and then a fake construction yard. This is so the people quite often bring their migs over and shoot your fake construction yard. Then build some ore refineries and a barracks. Start building rocket infantry and continue to build them while you build up your base. They act as amazing defence against the weak Migs. Place most of them on the side of your base where the Migs will come from (i.e. the direction of his base). Then build a war factory and like with the rocket infantry, build them throughout the game. Then build 2 service depots as these allow the building of MCVs. Build one in the center and another in a corner so when the Soviet destroys the central one he will think you can no longer build MCVs. Quite often, Soviet players will forget about defending their base, and will simply concentrate on their Mig strategy. So with all your forces, quickly go over and destroy his base, before he has time to build tanks etc.
In C&C original, harvesters took a long time to unload their tiberium into a tiberium refinery. In Red Alert, ore trucks tip their contents into the refineries almost instantly. This means whereas in C&C building extra harvesters was stupid because it took too long for them to unload, in Red Alert, building multiple ore trucks can be a great money boosting idea. Some people say that you can only have 2 trucks to a refinery, but I have had as many as 13 trucks to 4 refineries and it worked fine. Beware of choke points though where you can get 'ore truck jams'. One ore truck starts to go through a choke point and comes to another going in the opposite direction. It turns round to let the other through, but the oncoming ore truck does the same thing. It is quite funny but after a while you notice you don't have much money coming in and you look for your ore trucks and find about 6 turning round in circles!
When playing the Soviets I suggest you start off your building with at least 2 refineries before building a barracks. Then I normally build another 4 refineries, but from experience it is best to wait. So I suggest that you build a war factory and start churning out heavy tanks plus several ore trucks as they are better than harvesters as they unload quickly so you don't need so many refineries. I suggest you get about 2 or 3 refineries plus an extra 5 trucks or so, then continuously build heavy tanks. Whilst this is going on build a Radar Dome and Service Depot. Then build about 6 Airstrips and get Migs for the lot. Then there are various things you can do: 1. Charge your tanks in and you will more than likely kill your opponent that way. (Assuming they arent very experienced ).
2. Send your Migs in and kill their MCV as they are very unlikely to have AA guns everywhere or have a second MCV. 3. Sit in their Ore patch and kill their Trucks! These tactics are very general and won't necessarily work more than once or be unbeatable, but they tend to be useful.
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Last updated: 10.09.1997, Total 4 times
