TOTAL ANNIHILATION
MISSION SPOILERS
By Jarrod Hampton
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 ARM MISSION SPOILERS
CHAPTER 2 CORE MISSION SPOILERS
CHAPTER 1
ARM MISSION SPOILERS
MISSION 1- A Hero Returns
This is a very easy mission, as all you have to do is get one
of your units to the base of the galactic gate (the structure that is
visible to the north). Simply group all of your units together and click
on the patch of ground just below the gate. As your units move up
they will be engaged by CORE troops, but ignore them. If one or more of
your units get stopped by an enemy unit, click again just below the gate and
they will start moving again.
Most likely it will be a peewee that gets to the gate first,
simply because they are the fastest.
MISSION 2- CORE Kbot Base, Destroy It!
There are three paths across the water into the secion of the
map that you start off in (although the southern two are so close
together that they can be considered to be one), and placing two light laser
towers at each of these is a good way to stop most of the CORE attacks.
However, you may need to attack some Storm kbots as their missiles can
hit the laser towers without needing to get into the lasers' firing
range.
Build your defenses and build up your units for the assault.
Alternately, for a quicker game, build one or two solar
collectors, take your commander south and D-gun your way into the base and D-
gun the kbot lab as soon as you spot it. The AK's you'll encounter can
either be D-gunned or shot with the laser.
MISSION 3-Spider Technology
It may be a good idea to move the spider bots back from the
edge slightly and put them on 'Hold Position'. Moving them back
makes them that much more difficult to hit. Try and keep an eye on the
minimap at all times in case the spider bots get attacked and make sure
they are firing their paralyser at their attackers.
There are three ways across the river that the computer uses,
so protect them with light laser towers, again watching out for
any Storms. Try and clear the right side of the map of all CORE units
before attempting to bring the spiders south. There is a way across
the river just below the mountain they are on, so the spiders never
needs to travel along the left side of the map.
You need to get at least one spider bot into your base. This
means below the line of the dragon's teeth. If you don't get the
victory notice, move them around a bit until you get it.
MISSION 4-CORE Contamination Spreads...
Always keep your base well defended by light laser towers as
this is the first mission that you will face some tough opposition.
Back this up with appropriate units and kbots. As you expand your base,
build additional radar towers for extended spotting range. Use your
Samsons and Rockos (the Samsons are probably slightly better) to
target enemy buildings (use the minimap to target them while outside of
their visual range). Using this method you should be able to destroy most
of the CORE laser towers without losing too many units.
Depending on the level of difficulty you are playing, you may
come across some Reapers which can cause some serious trouble (try
and D-gun them if possible). If you decide to build some Zippers,
remember to keep them constantly on the move, as their speed makes them very
difficult for the CORE units to track. A group of Zippers makes a nice
strategic strike force as they can get anywhere very quickly.
When attacking the CORE base, try and take out their
construction labs as a first priority so they don't keep making new bots.
MISSION 5- The Gate to Thalassean
The key to this mission is to take and hold the choke point
located south of your position by the ocean side. You will know this
choke point by the classic two hills with a narrow pass in between them.
You will need to especially hold the left hill. The computer loves that
hill and will take it if he can since it is a direct route from his
base and offers him a great firing position. Also there is a small
opening on the left side of this hill. It is like a small sea shore where
there is enough room for a big tank to pass through. Blast a few that
try to pass through and that will plug up the gap. There are some low
hills in front of the larger 2 hills. Use these to help you gain cover and
ground as you move forward. The gate is located to the southwest corner
of the map on an island. You can take your squad of aqua tanks there but
there are a few turrets and thuds that will be waiting for you. You will
need your commander to capture the gate himself. I found that 6 tanks +
the commander works pretty well. The walls are too steep for good
fire support from your subs. But on the other main land mass, you
can harass the enemy by using the skeeter's radar to spot. Once spotted,
use the sub to shoot the units standing on the shore. It is a real
rush shooting away at the enemy when he has no idea were you are underwater.
Subs work great on land units on the shoreline and ships that can't
shoot into the water. Every so often I find a stray unit too close to the
shore and I happily tell the sub to target that radar blip. There will be
some small forces and emplacements to the east of you. A squad of 8 - 10
peewees will be able to take them out. You might consider some rockos
added to the squad to give them some fire support if you wish to
minimize your losses.
MISSION 6-Beachhead on Thalassean
Even though you start with just the Commander, he shouldn't
have any trouble dispatching the Core welcoming committee. Save energy by not
using your Disintegrator Gun.
Collect the metal wreckage before building three Metal
Extractors and Wind Generators. All the time, keep an eye out for Core scout ships
in the harbor area. Once you have your generators, build a shipyard in the
harbor, then construct two Lurker submarines, a Construction Ship, two
Crusader destroyers, and several more submarines. There are still a few
more Core AKs on the island which need taking care of, but build the ships
as fast as you can.
Core naval units approach from several directions, but
primarily east and west.
Position two subs by the eastern islands until you can build a
couple of Torpedo Launchers. Use the Construction Ship to reclaim sunken metal.
Build a small fleet of Lurkers and Crusaders, and a couple of Skeeters as
counterattacks against Core ships. Core Snake subs and Enforcer destroyers patrol aggressively
just outside the harbor. Make sure you have at least two submarines at the mouth of the
harbor at all times to prevent The Core forces from reclaiming it.
Move the Commander to the western side of the island to build
a Kbot Lab. Build six to eight Hammer artillery units to take out the Core surface ships that
soon appear. Create a Construction Kbot to build Guardian stationary plasma cannons along the
western coast. Move your subs and destroyers to the western side of your
island, and as your navy expands, send out a small force of subs and destroyers to the north
side and patrol the area.
Build an Advanced Shipyard and then two Piranha attack subs
(to take out Core submarines) and two Conqueror cruisers, whose long range guns should take
care of the surface ships.
Keep your ships mobile. Core naval units are limited, and you
may need to mop up the last one or two.
Rather than sacrifice your Hammers, repair them when their
health drops below 50 percent.
MISSION 7- The Defense of Larab Harbor
The key to winning this mission is to look after your Moho
Mine, repairing it after each Core attack from the air.
As the mission begins, you are seconds away from an initial
attack. An Enforcer and Hydra arrive almost immediately at the center of the
world, followed by Searchers. A squadron of Shadow bombers will dump its load in
the north-west.
To combat this, move your Ranger ship south, and use your
Skeeters and Crusader for a full-on attack. Move two Jethros and a Samson
to the west of your base as anti-aircraft defense.
Use the shipyard to produce a Construction Ship and several
Lurkers.
Get the subs to the south-east edge of the harbor to protect
against the Core ships.
Use the Construction Ship to build an Advanced Shipyard
immediately so that you
can produce Piranhas, Rangers and Conquerors. Use the
Commander to repair the Mine,
collect metal and build a Vehicle Plant. The latter should
first create Samsons as air defense,
and then a Construction Vehicle to build Defender missile
towers against air attack and plasma
cannons against sea-based offensives. Use the Construction
Ship to reclaim metal
from the sea before building several Torpedo Launchers at the
harbor opening,
while being protected by submarines. Use the Commander to
build more Solar Collectors (or
Wind Generators) and reclaim metal. The Construction Vehicle
should now take
over the task of repairing the Mine between attacks.
Build two more Construction Ships to reclaim sunken ships,
while maintaining
energy and metal levels so that you can continue to build the
expensive naval
units in the Advanced Shipyard. Bear in mind that your task is
to protect the
Mine. Don't try to attack The Core, whose force is enormous.
If you
are in danger of being overrun, build extra Torpedo Launchers
to protect the
gaps between the harbor and the small island in the mouth.
Group land-based
defenders near the Mine, ready to repel any amphibious tanks
that might get
past your subs. The Dragons Teeth slow any amphibious tanks,
and you can concentrate your
firepower, including the Disintegrator Gun. When the attacks
begin to trail off,
it's probably safe to seek out the remaining forces to end the
mission.
MISSION 8-The Gate to Tergiverse IV
This mission is best described as a cow. Set aside a couple of
hours to finish
it. And save regularly, because all your hard work will be in
vain if you
accidentally destroy the Galactic Gate on the northern island.
Build a
Construction Ship immediately, followed by several Lurker
submarines. You
also need to construct a radar tower as soon as possible; the
tiny island
immediately to the north-west is an ideal location - the
Commander can even
walk to it. Energy and metal are scarce, and sources are
scarce, so collect any
wrecks you find.
While building the Construction Ship, get the Lurkers,
Skeeters, Crusader and
Ranger to patrol around your base. Get the Construction Ship
to build at least
three Torpedo Launchers around the top of your island, while
your Commander
builds a Vehicle Plant to construct Samsons. Also create a
Construction Vehicle to make
Guardians and Defender missile towers.
The purpose of the mission is to gradually expand onto the
four islands to your north
(you can ignore the larger one immediately to the north-east).
Use the smaller islands to
protect against naval attacks. Concentrate defenses around the
channels between each of
the islands. Get the Construction Ship to build an Advanced
Shipyard to the south of the
existing shipyard after creating the Torpedo Launchers. Keep
building naval units in both
yards. Build a Guardian on the north-east edge of the second
island you occupy. Once you
have created Level-2 Piranhas, Rangers, and Conquerors, you
can begin your attempt at
occupying the third island in the center of the map. Build
eight to ten Flash and Stumpy tanks
and Samsons as a base defense force, assisted by the Dragons
Teeth you were supplied with at the start.
Your initial assault on the center island can involve a
destroyer shelling Core Torpedo Launchers
out of their range. A long-range plasma cannon will help too.
Finally, go for all out attack with several Conquerors, two
Millennium battleships, several
Rangers, and a few Lurkers, Crusaders, and Skeeters. Your
Hulks can bring over a bunch of anti-air
units - Jethros and Samsons - to take out The Core air force.
Use the new island as a staging area before going for the
final island, but be ready for shelling from that one
and a second to the north-east. Consider building an Advanced
Vehicle Plant to chuck out Amphibious Tanks,
transported to the island by Hulks. Be aware that the Galactic
Gate is likely to get pulverized if you leave your
force to its own devices. Control the attack carefully. When
it looks as if victory is in the bag, walk your
Commander across to capture the Gate.
MISSION 9-The Hydration Plant
You get to play with air units for the first time in this
scenario. As the mission
begins, two Pyros are attacking your Commander. Dispatch them
and capture
the Core Radar Tower and Metal Extractor. Construct your own
Radar Tower
and Aircraft Plant immediately, followed by two Light Laser
Towers to the north
and south.
Core fighters will attack, but should be fought off by the
towers, at least until you
can get some air defenses going. With your first Freedom
Fighter, patrol around
the top of your base. Repair the Laser Towers and Metal
Extractor as
necessary.
With several Freedom Fighters and Thunder Bombers, patrol your
base to gradually
disable the Core air force.
You'll need plenty of aircraft to wipe them out completely,
though, sending them to
the northern edge. While they
work the enemy, continue to build aircraft, including Atlas
transports. Although you
are thinning the Core's force, it's still safer to fly the
Commander to the second hillock
to your north. Unless you have destroyed it already, you will
find a Light Laser Tower here.
Capture the Solar Collectors. To the north of this second
hillock is the Hydration Plant,
surrounded by Dragon's Teeth. Either fly or walk the Commander
to it, taking out any
remaining Core troops. Once the Plant is captured, the mission
is a success - you don't need to wipe out The
Core to succeed.
MISSION 10-The Bromid Maze
Leave the Zippers in the upper left corner as moving them out
of that
area seems to trigger an airstrike. Ths map is excellent to
establish
kill zones for your defensive structures. You should focus on
Defenders
as they will provide you with excellent air defense as well as
good
ground defenses. If you look at the map, you should only need
to build
two sets of defenses as you can build your base so that there
are only
two entrances.
You want to build an advanced plant to get an advanced
construction
unit so that you can build mohole mines to replace your metal
extractors.
Just grab those mines that are in the southern section of the
map. Don't
try and expand too far north, as when you have converted to
all mohole
mines, you will have an ample metal income. You will need to
build a lot
of solar collectors as you cannot build a fusion reactor or
geothermal
plant. Use construction aircraft to build Defenders on top of
the ridges
your other construction bots can't reach.
You will get your first chance to see a Brawler pack in action
on this
map. Build up 7 or 8 Brawlers and start targetting red dots on
the map.
For an even better coverage, set a patrol point in the midst
of a
collection of red blips. The Brawlers will make short work of
most
things. If you come across a defensive structure (the CORE has
a Punisher
and a number of Gaat Guns), target it immediately. Send the
Brawlers home
is they get damaged - it is best to have one or more
construction
aircraft on patrol in a section of your base as you can then
land the
Brawlers there and they will get automatically repaired.
Your defenses and Brawler pack will mean that you shouldn't
have any
trouble with CORE forces. If you see a column on the move
towards your
base, intercept them with the Brawlers and see how effective
they are
against ground forces.
MISSION 11-The Gate to Barathrum
The canyon in which the Galactic Gate is situated is heavilly
guarded
by CORE Gaat Guns and Pulverizers, the later of which will
cause your
aircraft serious problems in that area until you destroy these
defences.
Try and get another construction craft built as soon as you
can and start
building your own missile towers in strategic points. You will
face some
CORE aircraft, but building enough Defenders should leave you
safe.
Build up your metal extractors around the site where you
started, and
continue expanding your mining operation to the right of the
map,
building defenses as you go.
When you have your force of Brawlers established, have then
take out
the defenses in the canyon, and then all of the canyon's
defending units.
Put the Brawlers onto 'Return Fire' rather than 'Fire at Will'
because
you don't want them to attack the Galactic Gate by mistake.
Destroy everything on the map and walk your Commander to the
Gate and
have him capture it (remember to put him on 'Hold Fire' so
that he
doesn't attack the Gate with his laser).
MISSION 12-Barathrum!
The moho mine that you need to capture is in the upper right
hand
corner, so when you send your units there, be careful what you
destroy.
Also in this section are a number of windmills and metal
extractors.
Instead of getting rid of the computer's production
capabilities
piecemeal, you should wait until you have a squad of about 7
Brawlers and
then raid the upper right hand corner and destroy everything
(except the
moho mine!), and then head directly south into the lower right
hand
corner. This corner holds nearly all of the other metal
extractors that
the computer owns - destroying these will halt the computer in
its
tracks. There are a couple of Gaat guns and Pulverizers and
Crusher Kbots
in this area, so you should target them as a priority, but
your Brawlers
should make short work of them.
You can claim all of the upper left hand side as your own, as
you can
establish four small packets of defensive structures that will
cover all
the four land paths into that section of the map. Again,
Defenders are a
good choice here, but always back them up with at least 1
Sentinel laser
as a rush of fast units may get past the Defenders (they have
a long
range but don't do a great deal of damage). Set up patrol
paths for
multiple scout planes so that the Defenders have a chance of
firing at
their extended range. Putting a construction plane on patrol
in each of
these four areas will reduce the chance of you losing a
defensive
structure.
Any air assaults the computer makes will be dealt with by the
Defenders. When you have the opportunity, upgrade some of your
metal
extractors to moho mines. Don't bother trying to establish a
geothermal
powerplant, as you will have to do that outside of your
fortified area.
It is much easier to build a vast array of solar collectors -
the upper
left hand corner makes a good place.
When you start, build metal extractors and solar collectors as
your
Commander makes his way down the pathway in the lava. D-gun
the laser
tower that will attack him. Once out of the lava, you should
have him
build a light laser tower and then an aircraft plant. From
there it is
just a matter of following the adive above.
MISSION 13- Landown's Interface
You will only be attacked by CORE air troops in this mission,
but
there will be a lot of them(This may different in your
experience but this happened to me).
Defenses will be a heavy line of Defenders
at the top of your base, with a few more scattered throughout
your base
(as it is likely that a few planes will make it through your
first line
of defense).
You should build your Defenders close enough to the cliff face
(scout
it with the Zippers you start out with) so that they can just
reach the
units on top of the cliff, but are out of range of units on
the cliff,
and are far enough away so they aren't continually attacked by
aircraft.
CORE will build a huge number of ground units and pile them
against
the cliff edge. You can forget about them for the most part,
but be aware
that they contain a number of missile-firing troops, so your
aerial
forays to the top of the cliff should avoid the group of unit.
Build at least 2 advanced aircraft plants and have them
constantly
churn out Brawlers and Hawks. You will need the Hawks to take
out the
CORE fighters, as they are a serious problem to your Brawlers.
Assign
numerous construction units to each advanced aircraft plant to
speed up
production (through the Guard function).
When attacking the cliff top, you should have your aircraft
move up
from the far left or far right, and then sweep along the top.
Your
priority targets should be the aircraft plants, then the other
plants. It
you see a construction unit, destroy it! You don't want the
CORE base
being rebuilt.
Metal and energy should not be a problem in this mission after
you
establish two or three moho mines and two geothermal plants.
Where ever
you build one of these advanced structures, you shuld protect
it with a
ring of about four Defenders.
MISSION 14-The Heat Increases
The Roach bombs come fast and frequently on this level, so you
will
need to establish a fairly large visual range around your base
so that
you can pick them off before they get close enough to do you
any damage.
You shuld aim to get another construction unit build as fast
as you can
so that you can start setting up Defenders. At the start of
the mission,
use the Zippers you are given to patrol the outskirts of your
base,
giving your other troops a chance to target the Roaches from a
distance.
There aren't many large hills or lava lakes in the area of the
map
where you start, which means that you will have to establish a
large
perimeter rather than concentrating on a few spots. Your
static defenses
should focus on Defenders because you will be hit with a lot
of air
attacks. However, you shouldn't rely on these for all of your
anti-air
capabilities, as the CORE force will attack with Rapiers,
which can cause
your base serious damage if they get past your initial row of
defenses.
Some Jethros or Samsons scattered throughout your base
(usually in groups
of 2 or 3) should be able to destroy any aircraft that make it
through
the screen of Defenders.
When building the Defenders, you should build them in groups
of 3 or 4
to make them that much more effective.
The CORE base is defended with a lot of Gaat guns and is
staffed by
many Can Kbots, so expect heavy laser resistance. There is a
fusion plant
in the base which makes an excellent target for your Brawlers.
The large number of thermal vents in the area where you start
means
that power is never going to be a problem, and you will have
such a huge
power surplus that you should build 7 or 8 metal makers. You
should be
able to get a metal income of 30 after upgrading one or two
metal
extractors to moho mines.
Have an advanced aircraft plant build a Brawler swarm and
start taking
apart the CORE base. If they are engaged by enemy planes,
return them to
base and hopefully the CORE planes will follow and be
destroyed by your
defenses. Once you have eliminated all of the CORE forces,
capture the
Galactic Gate.
MISSION 15-Rougpelt
It is probably easiest to not attempt to capture any enemy
units with
the Commander, although it is possible to do so. Having
additional units
on this map means that you have to micromanage them to some
extent to
stop them from blowing up the advanced radar tower when they
come across
it. The Commander is able to destroy any CORE forces on the
map with his
D-gun.
You may feel like building a couple of radar towers of your
own as you
move down the map, so that you can get some idea of the
movements of the
CORE troops. Reclaim the plants if your energy gets too low,
but this
shouldn't really be a problem. Capture the CORE solar
collectors that you
find, although you should set up a radar tower here so that
you can
determine whether there are any CORE troops in the area that
will come
along and destroy them.
The advanced radar tower that you have to capture is defended
by laser
towers, but you should be able to D-gun them without taking
too much
damage. Remember to put the Commander on 'Hold Fire' or
'Return Fire' so
that he doesn't destroy the advanced radar tower by mistake.
MISSION 16- Stockpile at the Abutment
You will come under air attack very early in this mission, so
you
should try and build some anti-air capabilities as soon as
possible. Your
third building (after a metal extractor and solar collector)
should be
either a vehicle or kbot plant. Build a few Jethros or
Samsons, and then
a construction vehicle. When this construction vehicle has
been finished,
have it build a Defender if the CORE planes are still
harassing your
forces.
There are so many thermal vents on this map that you will be
able to
get a massive power surplus. Build 10 or 12 metal makers after
you have
placed the geothermal power plants, as this will give a real
boost to
your metal income. You will notice that you can build a fusion
power
plant in this mission, along with a Big Bertha cannon. The
best place on
the map to build the Bertha cannon would be on top of the
rocky outcrop
near the center of the map. This will let the cannon fire onto
the top of
the Abutment. An advanced radar tower placed near the Abutment
will give
you radar coverage over most of the top (although some
sections will be
hidden by radar jammers). Use the Bertha to start shelling any
red blips
(you don't have to capture anything, so just destroy it all).
You should build some heavy defenses as a few columns of tanks
will
attack you. Placing a ring of Sentinels and Defenders around
the path
down the Abutment will be able to stop any ground offensives
the CORE
launches at you. Place these structures back a bit from the
cliff face,
to give them the best firing solution. Put some scout planes
on patrol
over the pathway.
You should build a small strikeforce of Brawlers to help
defend these
defensive structures, as they are likely to come under fire
from mobile
artillery, and possibly Diplomats.
Don't neglect your anti-air defenses towards the latter stages
of the
mission, as air strikes will continue throughout the mission,
although
not on the same scale as what you faced at the beginning.
After your Bertha cannon has taken out all visible targets,
use scout
planes to search for any other units that were hidden by a
radar jammer.
Make the radar jammer your priority target as destroying this
will then
reveal all the previously hidden target.
MISSION 17-Fortress at Brooban's Isle
There are three islands along the botom of this map, and you
should
try and expand to all of them as quickly as you can. The
leftmost island
contains a thermal vent that you should build a geothermal
powerplant on.
There are only a few metal deposits available to you, so try
and upgrade
them to moho mines when you have build an advanced
construction unit
(most likely this will be an advanced construction aircraft).
The starting Jethros will most likely be able to take care of
the
early air attacks, and your starting ships should be able to
dispatch the
few Searchers and occasional Enforcer that attack you. You may
want to
build an early metal storage building as you don't want to
waste any
salvagable metal early in this mission.
The CORE sea attacks don't hold back in this mission. Expect
to face
fleets of 4 Warlords attacking you at once, backed up with
subs and
sub-killers. The heavy lasers of the Warlods can take out a
Defender with
one hit and outrange Defenders, so they are of no use against
these
fleets. After this attack, you can expect a fairly large
convoy of Crocks
to rumble towards your shores. You can actually D-gun Crocks
just as they
are coming out of the water but before they can fire.
Try and build up a group of torpedo bombers to help destroy
the
Warlords when they come, or a large force of submarines and
sub-killers,
although the latter method must first engage the Warlords'
submarine
defenders before engaging the Warlords themselves. There are a
couple of
advanced shipyards that will be producing various ships,
namely Warlords
and Hives. When you locate CORE construction ships, destroy
them as they
will repair other CORE ships.
CORE has access to numerous Titan torpedo bombers and Rapiers.
If you
take an aggressive stance and use a squad of your own torpedo
bombers to
cause some damage amongst the fleet of Warlords and Hives,
expect the
Titans to come south and attack you. Use Hawks to destroy
Rapiers.
In the top left and top right corners are moho mines, which
you should
try and take out to reduce the computer's metal income.
When attacking the center island, be especially careful as
your units
will treat the Silencer (the building that you have to
capture) as an
enemy weapon, and hence attack it automatically if set to
'Fire at Will'.
Similarly, you should not let them attack the fusion power
plant that is
right next to the Silencer, as its explodosion may destroy the
Silencer.
If you build a Bertha cannon on the middle island on the
bottom of the
map, you will be able to shell the defensive structures on the
southern
side of the main island without having to worry too much about
hitting
the Silencer. You will need to build a fusion plant of your
own as there
is only the single thermal vent, and there isn't enough land
available to
build lots of solar collectors.
MISSION 18- Vengence!
A fairly easy and very short mission. Your peewees will be
killed
fairly quickly, but if you concentrate their firepower, you
should be
able to cause some damage to the currounsing units. Heed the
briefing and
don't bother building anything, as the CORE troops will head
north after
killing the peewees. However, you may like to build another
solar
collector to power the D-gun.
Your Spiders can be very useful when the CORE units are
approaching,
for they will stop the CORE units from beign able to attack or
move,
making them perfect targets for the rest of your troops. You
should be
able to destroy the CORE troops without too much of a problem,
especially
with a few sprays of the D-gun.
MISSION 19- The Motien Ramp
Surprisingly easy. The CORE base has an Intimidator gun and
uses it
througout the mission, but I didn't lose a single unit to this
cannon.
The hill to your north provides good protection from it, so
try and build
your critical buildings behind this hill.
You will need some air defenses and also a few laser towers to
turn
away the few ground attacks that will be launched.
Using massed Rapiers, you can destroy the CORE base piece by
piece.
Start by destroying the vehicle plants, then working your way
through the
rest of the base.
MISSION 20-DUMP
There is a way to get access to aircraft on this mission -
capture the
CORE Kbot that is wondering around near where you start. Not
only can you
build aircraft after capturing this Kbot, but using it to
build an
advanced construction unit allows to you build all of the high
tech level
buildings - including the nuclear missile silo!
There are quite a few 4,000+ metal wreckages on this map, and
you
don't want to waste them so you should build enough metal
storage
buildings until you have a maximum metal reserve of something
approaching
6,000 units. Your only opposition will be some ground units,
so you can
forget about building missile towers and concentrate on Gaat
Guns. Three
Gaat Guns next to each other can stop most of the advances,
but you
should watch out for attacks by Diplomats, which will strike
from beyond
your range. There will be some Goliaths and Reapers that you
need to deal
with, so choose your weaponry well.
Energy will be a bit of a problem as you will have to rely on
solar
collectors for a lot of energy. Again, build one or two energy
storage
buildings so that you don't waste excess energy.
When choosing which piece of wreckage to reclaim, you should
never
choose one with a metal value that is not enough to fill up
your metal
reserves. You don't really want to waste any metal on this
level.
If you do capture the construction Kbot and use it to build
aircraft,
it is interesting to note how far a bomber's payload travels -
gravity is
very low on this moon.
MISSION 21-Welcome to CORE PRIME
There are two pathways into the area of the map that you start
in, but
the CORE forces only seem to use the middle one. At the start
of the
game, build 2 light laser towers at the top of the ramp after
building a
couple of solar collectors and metal extractors near the
galactic gate.
These will hold off the first wave of attacks. Build a vehicle
plant and
then an advanced vehicle plant and a Spider. Use the Spider to
paralyze
the Pyros so your Commander can capture them, then send it to
paralyze
the CORE construction KBot that is patrolling the top area of
the map.
Capture that with the Commander as well, and then have the
Commander
capture the solar collectors and metal extractors that are
along the top
area of the map.
Build some Sentinel towers and a few missile towers to further
protect
the middle ramp, and also one or two Guardians. When you have
built at
least 1 fusion plant, start construction of an Annihilator at
the top of
this ramp as well - when this comes on line, no enemy units
are going to
get anywhere near your base.
Use Peepers to patrol the area of the map at the bottom of the
middle
ramp, so that your defenses will fire at their longest range.
You have
access to the Bertha cannon in this mission, although the
presence of the
high walls mean that it cannon attack many areas of the CORE
base, but it
is still a good option to build one to attack the areas of the
map that
it can reach. The middle ramp will be used a fair bit by the
CORE troops
during this mission - your static defenses will quickly rack
up the
kills. You Annihilator may reach a triple digit kill count.
You should build three fusion reactors on this map, to make
sure the
Annihilator always have enough power to fire. Metal is not a
problem,
naturally.
Use either Brawlers or Phoenix strategic bombers to soften up
the CORE
base. If using the Phoenix aircraft, keep them together and in
numbers -
their massed lasers will destroy all the CORE aircraft with
relative
ease. Then clean up the rest of the CORE base with whatever
you feel like
building. There are a number of vehicle, Kbot and aircraft
plants that
you should make your first priority in attacks.
MISSION 22- Battle for Coordinate 6551:447
You have the bottom of the map all to yourself, and do not get
attacked by land units in this mission. You will notice that
there are
two rows of 5 square hills in the bottom section of the map -
on the
middle hill in the top row build a Guardian cannon and a radar
tower and
start shelling the ships in the first section of water. Then
shell any
ground units that are in range. Don't target the solar
collectors yet.
You should build some missile towers around this hill, as it
will come
under air attacks later on.
Build one or two fusion plants and moho mines to give you a
good
income, and build a Bertha cannon on the same hill that you
built the
Guardian cannon. The Bertha can hit all of the map. Also build
an
advanced radar tower here. Now, start shelling everything else
on the map
with the Bertha cannon - make sure that you have set up your
anti-air
defenses beforehand because Rapiers can take out a Bertha
cannon quickly.
To get your Commander on top of one of these hills, you will
have to
use an Atlas.
To speed up the destruction of everything, build some
strategic
bombers and start bombing the numerous fusion plants that line
the top of
the map. If you think that you have killed everything but the
mission
hasn't ended, chances are that you missed the submarines.
There is a sub
in each of the waterways. Use a Peeper to find where they are
and use an
Atlas+Invader combo to destroy them (detonate the Atlas above
the sub,
and the sub will get blown up).
MISSION 23- Crossing Aqueous Body 397
You will see some large columns of Crock amphibious tanks
attack you
in this mission. However, there are only a couple of ramps on
the
southern section of the map that they are able to move up, so
blocking
these with Dragon's Teeth will vastly reduce their
effectiveness. An
Annihilator or some heavy lasers will destroy those Crocks
that do
wander out of the depths.
The computer doesn't have a shipyard on this level, so is
limited to
the ships it starts with. However, this includes a couple of
Warlords, so
you will need some long range weapons to combat these beasts.
Two
Guardian cannons built on the middle 'pier' will let you
engage them from
afar. You should have 6 or 7 torpedo bombers ready to attack
the Warlords
as soon as you have spotted them. If you are having difficulty
with the
Warlords, build an Annihilator on this pier as well - not even
a Warlord
can survive more than a few shots from this laser.
Have some Peepers constantly patrolling the ocean, as this
will give
you the location of any submarines that are near your base.
The computer
can use these subs as spotter units for their Warlords. These
subs
usually arrive in numbers, making them costly to attack with
ships. A
couple of Atlas+Invader combos will sink them without a trace,
however.
Build a Bertha cannon on the middle 'pier' as well, and start
shelling
everything on the radar. Use suicide scout planes to try and
locate any
large ships that are currently 'parked', and target them. Then
go after
the construction plants.
At the beginning of the mission, you will come under attack by
a few
Avengers. However, they are really just a nuisance. Jethros
don't seem to
be too effective against Avengers, so you may not want to
bother building
them and just ignore these attacks until you can build some
Defenders.
If the mission isn't ending and you think that you have killed
everything, most likely there is a Crock or submarine that you
haven't
killed. Use your Peepers to sweep the water looking the the
remainding
units.
MISSION 24 Breakthrough to Central
Consciousness
You don't come under attack for quite a while on this level,
so take
your time to build up. The bottom section of the map is more
than enough
space for your base, so don't expand beyond the southern
'walls'. Block
off all but one or two of the entrances to this section of the
base with
Dragon's Teeth, and build an Annihilator at the entrances you
have left
open. Backed with a heavy laser tower, and even when The Cans
come after
you, nothing will get close. Peepers patrolling the area will
give these
big guns enough warning of an approaching enemy column.
Either build a good fighting force of Hawks or a lot of
Guardians
(Hawks are better in this mission) as you will get attacked by
Vamps and
Rapiers after you start demolishing the CORE base. You do this
demolition
job with a Big Bertha - build it on top of one of the walls,
and you can
hit anything on the map. You'll need an advanced construction
aircraft to
do this.
The computer doesn't have any factories on this level, so all
you have
to do is gradually wear its forces into the ground. After you
have
destroyed the CORE airforce with your Hawks, you own the skies
- and this
means death to the CORE. Your Bertha, Brawlers or bombers can
now get
about the task of killing the last of the CORE vermin.
There are numerous Doomsday machines protecting the dome which
would
make a ground-based attack suicidal. Combined with The Cans on
patrol
around the base, air superiority becomes vital.
Once you have killed all the CORE units and structures, move
your
Commander into the center of the dome and you will win.
MISSION 25 CORE PRIME Apocalypse. Free at
Last!
Unless you are unlucky or very stupid, your troops should be
able to
destroy the Roaches by themselves. The layout of this map
makes setting
up kill zones very easy. You don't need to extend your base
beyond the
lowest level (the one you start one). Set up your defensive
structures so
that they have line-of-fire on the two ramps down into your
section (you
will need to construct two clumps of defenses). These should
include at
least 2 Sentinels, 4 Defenders and at least 1 Guardian. Patrol
the first
step with scout planes so that these defenses will
automatically fire.
Build some Dragon's Teeth at the bottom of the ramp, leaving a
small hole
for units to pass through.
Metal is no problem here, naturally, so you should be able to
get to
the advanced buildings and units fairly quickly. However, you
shouldn't
forget about the low tech units, especially Jethros, which
will be
especially useful in numbers to protect your base from Rapiers
and Vamps.
An advanced radar tower will provide coverage for most of the
map,
giving you warning of when another attack is about to begin.
Put each of
your defensive clumps onto a hotkey and when you see an enemy
convoy
approaching, target it for destruction. Building Brawlers and
having them
patrol the first step is also a good way of dealing with
attacks (your
static defenses will also start to fire after the Brawlers
engage the
enemy). Build some air repair pads, and your planes will
automatically go
to them when damaged.
Once you have built a Bertha cannon (try and do so early),
start
shelling everything on the map. If you build 2 fusion power
plants, you
will never have power problems. CORE rebuilds their base, and
more, in
this mission so expect to destroy a lot of buildings. If you
are going to
use ground attacks, take out the multiple Doomsday Machines
with the
Bertha cannon. CORE will have an Intimidator cannon, which
should be
taken out as well. You could also use Merls to take out any
static
targets on the radar map (although always keep your eyes on
those little
red blips, and get your Merls to safety if you see some coming
your way).
A swarm of 6 or 7 Brawlers should be able to destroy the CORE
Commander (although they will be killed as a result of the
explosion). If
you can destroy all of the CORE construction units (there are
quite a
few), then you will simply be able to Bertha them into
oblivion.
To win this mission after destroying the CORE forces, move
your
Commander onto the CORE symbol on the Command Dome.
CHAPTER 2
CORE MISSION SPOILERS
MISSION 1-The Commander Reactivated...
Simple sweep and clear on your way to rescue the commander.
Take your whole group straight north. If possible, keep Storms
to the rear as they have longer range. Near the top of the
map,
you'll find a ramp to an upper level. Move your group west to
bottom of ramp, then up it.
Resistance is minimal, but you'll probably have lost a few
units
by this point. Continue along the upper level to the west then
follow it south at the corner. About halfway down the map
you'll
find another ramp to the east where the last of the Arm vermin
and your deactivated commander await. Kill the last of the
rebels
and you're done.
MISSION 2-Vermin
Quickly move your commander east and start him on 2 metal
extractors
and 2 solar collectors. While he's working on that, break
units into
two groups: one to the north and a second to the west. Expect
nuisance
attacks from both directions early in the mission.
Add a vehicle plant to your commander's build orders, as well
as a couple
more metal extractors and a solar collector. Optionally, you
can
set up a couple light lasers (LLTs) to the north for extra
defense, but by
no means are they necessary.
When the vehicle plant (VP) comes online, get it to work on a
few Instigators
to help provide cover while the rest of your resources are
built. After your
commander finishes building collectors and extractors, set him
to guard the
VP. This way, he will automatically contribute his rapid
building ability to
the VP's production so your assault force will get done
quicker.
Gather vehicles in the canyon just north of your position. It
is possible to
just take one large force and finish the mission, but due to
the narrow areas
you have to pass through it is more efficient to use two
smaller waves. The
bulk of your force should be made up of Instigators and
Raiders, with a few
Slashers for backup. About twelve units per wave should do the
job nicely.
Once your first group is gathered in the canyon, take them
straight north
until you encounter a wall. Head west to the middle of the
map. You'll see
an opening in the wall to the south - that's where your enemy
is hiding. Move
in and take them out. Be sure to focus your fire on the
targets that can fire
back first (LLTs and bots).
By the time the Arm can take out this group, your second wave
should be ready.
Take them along the same path and finish the job.
MISSION 3-Ambush!
There is only 1 entrance to the area you start in, which means
you can
establish heavy defenses around it. As fast as possible,
establish a
light laser tower near the entrance (but still within the
enclosed area)
as you will get a visit from some peeweesquite early. Don't
try and
establish yourself out of the starting area just yet. If your
two
starting Storms get killed before you can get the laser tower
up, D-gun
the attackers.
Build up your metal and power income and produce some kbots.
You will
probably have noticed that there are some kbots on the left
wall that can
shell you - Storm kbots work well in taking them out. Put the
Storms onto
'hold position' about 5 or so body lengths away from the wall.
A line of
5 Storms will soon clear the wall of any intruders.
Beef up your defenses a bit with another laser tower. You can
slowly
creep out of the starting area and establish a laser tower
outside. Once
you have done this, its really all over. A group of three
light laser
towers can stop all the attacks this mission throws at you.
Produce
Storms like mad and go on a rampage.
Storms are particularly useful in this mission because their
missiles
can hit from a distance (get rid of those pesky peewees) and
can also
shoot units that are standing on walls.
MISSION 4-Enough is Enough
Move your Commander to the top of the high plateau to the
right of the
starting position. D-gun the LLTs guarding the on-ramp near
the right
edge of this high ground. Then you should be able to build up
your base pretty
much unmolested. (Just make sure to set up some defenses at
the on-ramp).
After this, there are many possible ways to end this mission.
Set up
some missile towers just a couple of "squares" from the edges
of the
plateau so that they are less prone to be hit from below, and
kill all
the patrolling "red blips" on the mini-map (never seen the
"faces" of
any of them). :) And then just send a mixture of AKs and
missile bots to
clean up the ARM base and capture the gate.
MISSION 5-Barathrum!
You'll have two Arm Pee-Wees attacking you as soon as you
enter. Hit one
with the D-Gun and capture the other. The gate you came
through sits on top
of a large hill; head down it to the south. At the bottom you
should see a
couple metal deposits, set extractors to work on them, get a
couple solar
collectors up and a radar tower.
You absolutely must get a K-bot lab up quickly here. Your
metal production
will be limited at first, and the bots are much cheaper to
build.In particular,
get a few Crashers finished to take care of any Arm aircraft
that happen to
come by. Get a construction bot built, then work on some
Storms and Thuds
for ground defense, as well as some more Crashers. Have the
construction
bot start building Pulverizers around your base. Be very
careful at this
point as the Arm will send wave after wave of annoying little
groups down
to harass you. Until you've got a good line of Pulverizers up,
you are vulnerable.
Do repairs on damaged towers when possible, and keep some
units out in front so
you can see the enemy coming.
While all this is going on, have your commander place several
metal extractors
around the area. Metal deposits are scarce, but the planet's
crust is mineral
rich enough that an extractor placed anywhere will turn out
0.5 units per tick.
You'll need many more of these than you did on Core Prime, and
thus you'll need
extra solar collectors to power them and your other
buildings.By now you should
have a decent number of ground forces with a fairly solid air
defense. A vehicle
plant is your next priority. As soon as it's done, get a
construction vehicle built
and working on an advanced vehicle plant. Time to build the
vehicle swarm again - Instigators,
Slashers, Reapers, Diplomats and an Informer or two.
The Arm base isn't well defended so it shouldn't take a very
large swarm to finish
them off. If you want, you have the option of constructing an
aircraft plant to
turn out some air support. Setting a few air units on patrol
around your base
can also help make your Pulverizers more effective by spotting
approaching enemies
while taking less fire than ground-based spotters.Once the
swarm (and optional air
support) is ready, send it north to take out the Arm base. One
good-sized group
should do the job, but it's a good idea to always have a
backup group being built
anytime you launch an attack. The base is fairly spread out,
so you might have
to search around a bit to find all the Arm units. Finish off
the last one and your job is done.
MISSION 6-The Cleansing Begins
You start in the ideal place to set up a good base, so build
Metal Extractors and energy
generators where you stand. Build a Kbot Lab as you will soon
come under
attack from Arm aircraft. Build six or seven Crashers and move
them
underneath the flight path of the Arm patrols.
Use the Fink scout plane to patrol east to west above your
base, providing early
warning of Arm attacks and saving you having to build a costly
Radar Tower.
When you have a few Crashers, send the Fink on recon to the
east, west, and
north of your base. It should discover a few useful energy and
metal resources.
To defend against the constant onslaught of Arm attacks, build
a line of Crashers
and Storms. Also build a couple of defensive structures -
Light Laser Towers, or
preferable Heavy Laser and Punisher Towers. Repair damaged
units to expand the
size of your army. Build a Vehicle Plant, a Construction
Vehicle and an Advanced
Vehicle Plant to build Diplomats. Having beaten off a few Arm
attacks, you can
start on the offensive. Build several Diplomats and Reapers.
Once assembled,
wait for the next attack before issuing a counterattack.
The Arm's defensive structures will be more troublesome than
the few remaining
units. Advance slowly and build Radar Towers, using the data
to dispatch the
structures from a distance. With the base smoking, send out
small patrols to
mop up any surviving Arm units.
MISSION 7-Pulling the Noose Tight
This is an easy one. The units you start with won't last long
as a group of
four Arm Zippers come down to bother you. Enlighten them as to
the error of
their ways with the D-Gun.
You'll find several metal deposits near your starting
position. Use this to
your advantage and set up base right where you start. After
your K-bot lab
comes up and you've built a group of Crashers, get a couple
construction bots
out in the field claiming metal deposits and geothermal vents.
Arm forces are strangely quiet during this mission, apparently
content to
sit back and wait for you to come to them. Use this to your
advantage.
While the construction bots work on getting you more
resources, have the
commander get the vehicle plant built. Time to build a vehicle
swarm,
but this time instead of a single large swarm, it's best to
build two smaller ones.
This is because the arm base is surrounded by a lava moat with
two narrow
entrances on the east and west sides. The only trick is to be
careful
with your targeting. You need to capture at least one of Arm's
Moho
mines to win. Move the mini-swarms along either side of the
Arm base and
hit them both simultaneously. (This isn't necessary to win,
but gives you
practice for later missions.)
Once everything that can shoot back is destroyed, walk the
commander in to
capture at least one Moho and D-Gun anything left over.
MISSION 8-The Gate to Aqueous Minor
There are two pathways into the northern section of the map,
both
guarded by dual ARM Sentinel towers. There will be very few
attacks, and
certainly nothing very serious, so you can take your time
establishing
your base.
Although the ARM base contains construction plants, it does
not use
them very much - but it is still best if you destroy them as
soon as
possible. If you use a bombing run to destroy these plants,
you should
make sure that the bomber force is large enough to destroy the
target
before they are in turn destroyed, because ARM does have a
construction
unit, and it will repair damaged buildings.
About the only attacks worth noting are the aerial attacks -
ARM will
use bombers against you, so you should have aerial defenses
scattered
throughout your base. ARM cannot rebuild their airforce, so
once you have
destroyed it, you will dominate the skies.
MISSION 9-The Purgation of Aqueous Minor
This is a fairly easy one set up to introduce the naval part
of the game.
Right at the start you'll be assaulted by four Pee-Wees, take
them
out. There's no point in capturing one as this mission will be
fought in
places they can't go.
Get the basic startup structures built and have the K-bot lab
turn out six
to ten Storms. These will help defend your coast while you get
better defenses
up. The easy way to take care of business here is to build a
line of Pulverizers
all along your northern shore. This "Pulverizer wall" will be
more than enough to
take out the few Arm ships that happen to come too close to
your base. Don't
forget to have a construction bot claim the Geothermal vent
you'll find
nearby. Once that is up, you can use a few metal makers to
help supply the
resources your navy will demand.
Put a shipyard in the channel to the east. Here it will be
relatively safe from
Arm attacks while you turn out a small to medium navy. Get a
few Enforcers into
the water first to take care of anything that the Pulverizers
can't hit (like subs).
Building a construction ship next can help by building torpedo
launchers and then
helping with more ship building. Get another five or six
Enforcers and a few
Snake subs finished,then sweep the seas to the north. You'll
need to take out
some structures on the small islands, but they pose little
threat to your ships.
Chase down the last of the Arm Crusaders and Skeeters and
you're done.
MISSION 10-The Gauntlet
You have a lot of time to establish yourself on the starting
island
before anyone comes to look for you, so take your time. The
air attacks,
when they come, are pretty pitiful and can be easilly
destroyed. There
will be some amphibious tank attacks, but these can be easilly
repulsed
with a Shark or two, or come Roaches placed in the water. If
an enemy
Lurker is stupid enough to attack a Roach that is underwater,
that Lurker
will die.
When you build an advanced construciton unit, replace all of
the metal
extractors with moho mines, and build one or two fusion
reactors so that
you can power a lot of metal makers. You should be able to get
a metal
income of 40+ doing this.
Build an advanced radar tower on your island, and use a
missile
frigate to destroy all the red blips that you see. Now you are
left with
the remaining ships near the Gauntlet and the defenses on top
of the
Gauntlet itself. You can use Sharks in large packs to slowly
pick apart
the ships, and then use them to scout close to the shoreline
of the
cliffs to see where the defenses are. Once spotted, they can
easilly be
destroyed by missile frigates.
Alternatively, you can try the explosive method. Have an
advanced Kbot
lab continually churning out Roaches, and a shipyard
continually building
Envoys. As each Envoy is built, load it with 4 or 5 Roaches,
and drive it
in a direct line for the mouth of the Gauntlet. If it gets
destroyed, the
explosion will take out most ships and submarines on the
screen. Or you
can just drive them into the pack of ships you see, and self-
destruct it
- not many ships left after that! After a couple of these, you
will be
able to get a transport ship through the Gauntlet pretty
easilly.
MISSION 11-Isle Parche
You'll have even more time to prepare on this mission than the
one before.
An advanced K-bot lab is still required so you can get Moho
mines, a fusion
plant and advanced radar up. As before, use the extra power
for metal makers.
Once your resource base is established, start on an airfield
and use it to
build a construction aircraft. In turn, it should start on an
advanced
airfield. While it is doing that, get a few Finks in
production.
You'll use these as spotters later on.
Here is where things get fun. First thing you should do is
change the default
orders on the advanced airfield to "hold fire". This way, all
planes produced
from that field will not target anything you don't explicitly
tell them to,
thus reducing the chances of one accidentally taking out the
Zeus you need
to capture. Begin building a sizable force of Rapiers along
with a few Vamps
and three or four Titans. Group the Titans separately as they
will be used
(with the Finks) to take out Arm subs in the area while the
rest of the
planes head for the Arm base to the south.
When your air force reaches the Arm base, target missile and
laser towers
first. They should fall quickly to your Rapier gunships. If
there
are still any enemy planes in the air, try to take them out
next before
starting on the various vehicles scattered about the island.
There's
only one Zeus bot here, be sure you don't hit it! Once the
base is finished
and the Zeus is alone, build a Valkyrie to take your Commander
to the southern island. Capture the Zeus and that's it.
MISSION 12-A Traitor Leads The Way
A fairly easy mission that gives you a chance to build up
quite a lot
before you come under attack. On the northern end of the
island you start
on, you should build at least 2 Punishers - you will need
these later in
the mission when the battleships, cruisers and destroyers
venture south.
There isn't much space on your starting island, and nowhere
else to
go, so build a compact base. After building metal extractors
on all the
metal deposits and solar collectors, build a Kbot lab and a
construction
Kbot, and put that thermal vent to good use. As soon as you
can, build an
advanced Kbot lab and two or three advanced construction
Kbots. Then set
about converting the metal extractors to moho mines, and
building two
fusion plants.
The first attack won't come for a long time (nearly 20
minutes), so
you should be able to do all of this before the cruisers
arrive. The bulk
of the ARM forces won't attack you until you start attacking
them. ARM
has only one construction plant - a shipyard - so destroying
that (it is
in the upper right corner) will make this a battle of
attrition.
You can use either air power (you can only build the basic
aircraft
plant) and destroy ARM with bombers and fighters, or you can
dominate the
seas, in which case you have access to all of the CORE ships.
Have some
missile towers in your base to protect yourself from the few
aircraft ARM
possesses. You should have no trouble destroying the ARM
forces, although
you may like to build some flying bombs for anti-submarine
duty.
To win, capture the galactic gate with your commander, and
move the
Zeus next to it. You may have to move the Zeus around the gate
a little
for it to register.
MISSION 13-Rougpelt
A very quick mission. First, D-gun the Zeus bot. Capture the
windmill
for additional power for the D-gun. Travel south and capture
both the
Fink and Atlas. Load the commander into the Atlas and fly both
straight
south to the botth of the map.
Move the Fink to the right until you spot the shore and unload
the
commander as close to the shore as you can. You might like to
put the
Fink into a patrol route that flies around the island you just
landed on
in an attemp to draw some of the fire. However, don't let the
Atlas get
killed - you will lose the mission if it gets killed!
There is a light laser tower just a short distance inland - D-
gun this
and any units in the area. Move the commander along the bottom
of the map
until you come to the advanced radar tower. If you are coming
under heavy
fire from the missile Kbots, you might like to D-gun them, but
make sure
they aren't too close to the tower or it will get caught in
the blast.
Capture the tower, and you're done.
MISSION 14-Scouring Rougpelt
The mission description says your goal is to capture as much
of the base
to the east as you can. It lies. Capturing the base is easy.
The trick is
keeping it.
Dispatch the pathetic defenses Arm had set up around this base
and capture
everything you can. Get some construction bots built in a
hurry and have
them start setting up Guardians (the Arm equivalent to your
Pulverizers)
all around the base, starting with the southern
edge. Be careful to set the towers up on top of the hills that
ring the
base and not behind them.
Once you've got the construction bots working on the
Guardians, start
producing Pee Wees as fast as you can. They won't be able to
stop the
impending assault, but they are cheap to build and make
excellent spotter
units for your Guardians. Don't stop producing them after you
have enough
to circle your base - you'll need extras to replace the ones
that get killed.
When your construction bots finish with the Guardians, set
them on patrol the
wall you just set up. There are meteor showers in the area
that will randomly
come down and damage or destroy your defenses. If anything
gets destroyed,
replace it immediately.
The Arm will come, but not in huge numbers. Many of the units
they bring
are heavily armored so they might survive long enough to
damage some of your
Guardians. Your patrolling construction bots should repair
them automatically.
Whatever you do, don't try to take the fight to them. Just
relax,
keep your defenses up, and the Arm will eventually run out of
units.
MISSION 15-Xantippe's Abyss
The Big Bertha gun is located about half way up the right side
of the
map. It is protected by two laser towers and a single
construction Kbot.
Depending on your level of difficulty the type of laser towers
change,
and on hard level, there may be a few extra Kbots around. The
laser
towers are far enough away from the Bertha to be safely D-
gunned. On Hard
difficulty, there are 2 Bertha cannons that you could capture.
There is no opposition in the southern three-quarters of the
map, so
feel free to grab as many metal deposits as you can. Build a
lot of power
generators, as the Bertha uses a heck of a lot of power each
shot (over
1000 units of power).
Build an aircraft plant and a couple of finks and do suicide
runs
along the northern section of the map until you locate the
Annihilator.
When you have spotted it, pause the game, and target the
Annihilator with
the Bertha. Eventually it will hit it, and you will win the
mission.
The path across the Abyss is at the far right of the abyss,
and there
are some good spots for placing Gaat Guns and Pulverisers just
in case an
enemy comes down to greet you. On Easy you don't have to worry
about
this, but on hard you get attacked by a fairly large column of
heavy
armoured units so this may be necessary. A large group of
rocket and artillery
Kbots should be able to handle this column however.
MISSION 16-Departing Rougpelt
The problem here is that the meteor showers will awaken
ARM units that should not wake up yet. If you are unlucky with
the meteor
showers, this could mean that five Brawlers pay your base a
visit a
minute into the game.
You have to get some defenses up ASAP (definitely anti-air in
case of
a bad meteor shower). Your Commander can probably take care of
any land
attacks, provided that you have set up a few solar collectors.
ARM has no construction plants, so if you can survive an
initial rush
(or are lucky enough to not have this happen), you are likely
to win. The
galactic gate is located on the top of the 'pyramid'.
MISSION 17-The Lost Isle
The simple key to this mission is building a string ship
defensive
arsenal. The idea is, sooner or later the computer will start
shelling
the hell out of the tiny island you start on, and no Kbot or
tank will be
able to stop a Millenium's incredible firing distance. If this
happens,
you are one dead duck, as there is no defense. So in order to
make a
strong defensive ship base, start off the mission with some
basic
tactics.
First, clear away the trees (have the Thud light them up, or
if you
don't feel like clearing all the foliage, use the D-gun), then
build some
basic land defense units. I start off by building a Kbot lab,
then have
my Commander plant solar collectors and metal collectors
around the
island, while the Kbot lab produces a construction Kbot to
build more
complex structures. A few missile towers, on each side of the
island will
do. Crank out some Crashers and Thuds, and you are all set to
fend off
the few Triton invasions that come your way in the beginning
of the
mission.
Next, build a shipyard, I like to build a couple of Snakes and
then 2
or 3 Enforcers for every Searcher. In and of themselves, the
Searchers
are weak, but they can be a nice complement to a force of
Enforcers. By
this time your Commander should be done planting 4 or so solar
collectors
and metal collectors, so I have him guard the shipyard to
increase
production. Note that an advanced Kbot lab, or a vehicle plant
is almost
useless. The Kbots that an advanced Kbot lab produces are all
units that
need to be in close range to have any benefit, which makes
them
ineffective. Tanks are nice for land defense, but they still
can't reach
the ARM ships' range, so they aren't a wise move either.
An airport would be a much better thing to build at this time
(as
you're cranking out ships). Setting some Shadows on patrol can
help your
Enforcers immensely, and if you have time to build a
construction
aircraft, head to the small island directly to the south east
of your
starting island, clear the few trees, and build a metal
collector on the
metal deposit. There is also a metal deposit at the island to
the
northwest, but it is in much riskier territory, as a heavy ARM
ship
assault soon comes from the west.
MISSION 18-Slolam Pilago
You get a break here with plenty of time to build. Get the
standard
stuff up, and move to Moho mines and fusion as quickly as
possible.
Once you have advanced radar up you'll notice several red dots
circling
around your island. These Arm subs will keep you from setting
up
a shipyard anytime soon, so focus your efforts on air power
instead.
In fact, you can just skip the shipyard entirely. Get your
advanced
airfield up and start on a dozen or more Rapiers with a few
Vamps for
support. There are five small islands and two larger islands
to the
north of your base. Each of the small islands has a cluster of
Arm
defensive structures. The larger island to the west has a
group of planes
and the eastern one contains the fusion reactor and several
Sentinels.
Sounds impressive, but each of these will fall in short order
to your gunships.
Start on a second group while you use the first wave to clear
the small islands.
If you've got enough left over (and you should) you can also
clear out the western
large island. By now you've probably taken enough losses to
need that second
wave you've been working on. Bring them up and take down the
Sentinels protecting
the fusion reactor on the eastern island.
In the meantime, put a few Titans in the air to take out the
Arm subs
that have been circling your base. You'll have to target them
manually
by using the radar display, but they'll do the job quickly.
Your gunships
should have the island clear by now, so take out the fusion
plant.
Finish off any remaining red dots and you're done.
MISSION 19-The Vebreen Fleet
In general, defensive missions are a pain and this one is no
different.
Get your resource production up and a shipyard. You want as
many of those
Snake submarines as you can build. Split them into two packs,
one on each side
of your island so nothing gets through.
When the Arm carriers start arriving, target them first. You
don't want them
to get planes in the air to complicate your already difficult
mission. Make
use of the Punishers whenever Arm ships come in range. They
deliver a heavy
blow to anything they hit.
Keep turning out Snakes to replace any that fall in battle.
It's simply a matter
of making sure nothing sneaks by at this point. Keep your
defenses strong and
it's an easy win.
MISSION 20-The Gate To Aegus
ARM has no construction capability on this mission, so it is
simply a
matter of attrition. You can concentrate purely on aircraft on
this
mission, or branch out into ships if you want. Don't bother
about
building a Kbot or vehicle plant as it just takes up space
that you can
use for something else. You don't come under attack for a
fairly long
period of time, so feel free to build.
Use construction aircraft to build metal extractors on the two
small
islands to the north. When you can, convert metal extractors
to moho
mines. With a few metal makers built early on, you should be
able to
construct an advanced aircraft plant and get moho mines and
fusion plants
up fairly soon.
A force of torpedo bombers can be used to destroy the ARM
ships.
Strategic bombers should be used to destroy the Defenders on
the main
northern island so that your torpedo bombers don't suffer
heavy losses.
If you have two or three Finks on patrol across the middle of
the map,
they will warn you of the approach of the amphibious tanks -
use your
torpedo bombers to destroy them. Any that reach land can be
easilly
D-gunned.
MISSION 21-Aegus...Empyrrean's Guardian
Despite what you may infer from the mission briefing, there
doesn't
appear to be a time limit on this mission. Use Diplomats
supported by an
Informer and Deleter to take out buildings from afar. The
galactic gate
is in a large crater just north of the center of the map. Also
in the
crater is a fusion reactor - taking this out may reduce the
effectiveness
of the Annihilator (if you encounter one on the difficulty
level).
Capture the buildings along the eastern side of the map,
especially
the moho. Don't be too fussed about protecting the radar to
the north if
you capture it. The computer will use Erasers to hide some of
its troops
so having some fast units around to search for them may be of
help.
You can build an Intimidator here, but be careful when you aim
it as
you don't want to destroy the gate.
At the bottom left of the map are a number of metal mines in
close
proximity. Getting these (either capturing the existing mines
or
destroying them and building your own) will greatly increase
your metal
income. Protect them with a Doomsday Machine (after building a
fusion
reactor or two), some troops and a Deleter.
You apparently don't have to kill all of the enemy to win,
just
capture the galactic gate.
There only seems to be one way down into the valley along the
eastern
side of the map, so protecting this with a Doomsday Machine or
other toys
will prove helpful as it is a fairly good place to build your
base.
MISSION 22-A Big Empyrrean Welcome
Arm Zippers will attack when you enter - warm up the D-gun on
them. You'll
be using that super weapon quite a bit in this mission, so get
used to it.
Of course, to use it you need power, so you'll want to set up
a sizable
cluster of solar collectors behind a hill to the east. Here
they will be
safe from Bertha fire and from the Zippers that hang around
nearby.
Unlike the previous Bertha capturing mission, this time the
big gun is
shooting back. And it has only one target in mind - your
commander.Have any
surviving Pyros and the construction bot set to guard your
commander as you
begin the long walk south. Don't head straight for the Bertha
however, or
your mission is likely to end very abruptly. Take a zigzag
path, hiding
behind hills when possible.
Along the way you'll encounter more Zippers and some Hammers.
Use the D-gun again and be glad you set up those solar
collectors
earlier. Once you're close enough, the Bertha simply can't hit
you. Walk up and capture it.
MISSION 23-The Fortress Falls
The computer player has numerous construction units on this
map, and
will use them to replace destroyed buildings, especially
fusion plants
and moho mines. You will want to establish one large defensive
fort that
can cover both the main valley to the north that the computer
uses, but
also the area to the east where some units will also be sent.
This fort
should include at least 2 Punishers, and at least 3 Gaat Guns
and
Pulverizers. It will come under attack by Fidos and Bulldogs,
so you need
planes on patrol in that area to give advanced warning. Use
Avengers
rather than Finks for this patrol duty, as they will lend a
hand. Keep at
least one construction unit on patrol over these defensive
structures, as
the Pulverizers don't last long if they are getting pounded.
Use the Punishers you built to destroy the ARM static defenses
near
the northern valley, and also to destroy any Spiders on the
cliff walls
(the Spiders can paralyze your planes). You don't have to
expand all the
way across the map for metal as you can easilly get a 20+
income in the
area you start in after you convert your metal extractors to
moho mines.
An Intimidator cannon can reach most parts of the map, so use
that to
target fusion reactors, moho mines and construction plants.
ARM has a
Bertha cannon of its own in the north east corner, so you
should take
that out, either with your own cannon, strategic bombers or
Rapiers.
You will definitely need to build a small force of Vamps,
because ARM
will use Brawlers, Hawks and Thunder bombers against you. If
you have
good radar coverage you can intercept any enemy planes with
your Vamps
outside of your base. If your Hawks are having a hard time,
and you have
some Hurricane bombers, launch them into the air so that they
will start
using their air-to-air lasers against the attackers.
Once you have crippled the ARM economy and destroyed all their
construction units, kill the rest of them with your units of
choice
(there are a fair few Sentinel towers around, so take care).
MISSION 24-Surrounded and Pounded
You're in a bad position. Your starting units are damaged, the
mesa
you start on is surrounded by Arm units and you're vastly
outnumbered.
The first thing you need to survive is to know where Arm
forces are and
when they're coming. This obviously calls for radar. Set up
radar towers
on the east and west sides of the mesa, then start on repairs.
While the repairs are going on, have your construction bot
start on
your usual compliment of structures. Vehicles won't do the job
here, so
you'll need a K-bot lab and airfield in short order. As usual,
Pulverizers
are your friends, and you want to have lots of friends. Arm
Brawlers
will be joining the party shortly, and you want your friends
to show them a good time.
Solid defenses are vital to your continued existence. Not only
will you
have to contend with the Brawlers, but an Arm Merl will pepper
you base with
missiles. Gather a group of AKs and send them down to take it
out.
You'll lose them in the process, but it's worth it. This
should buy you
enough time to get an advanced airfield operational and start
it turning
out large numbers of Rapiers and Vamps. A sizable group of
these can
easily take control of the battlefield. Like the previous
mission, take
your Rapiers from target to target, clearing out the Arm
vermin.
MISSION 25-Empyrrean's Final Stand
But first, you must be concerned with simple survival. The
last thing you
can afford is to draw the attention of Arm's powerful airforce
too early,
so take your starting force and run for one of the southern
corners of the
map. There, you should have enough time to get some reasonable
base defenses
up before the Arm onslaught begins.
Start with the usual mix of structures and get some Crashers
and Storms out
just in case any Arm units happen to stumble onto you early.
As soon as you can,
start on a two-deep Pulverizer wall around your perimeter with
AKs doing
the spotting. While that's in progress,begin work toward that
all-important
advanced construction bot so you can get fusion power up. This
time,
you'll want at least two fusion plants and enough metal makers
to use up
the entire output from one of them (about sixteen).
Now you should have enough resources coming in to support a
pair of
advanced airfields. Have one working on Vamps while the other
starts on
Rapiers. By now you've been fending off raids from Arm forces
- don't forget
to keep spotters out to let your Pulverizers do their job.
If you find an advanced construction bot has nothing to do,
set it to work
on another fusion plant. Use half the extra power for metal
makers and put
up a third advanced airfield. From this point on it's a simple
job of turning
out huge numbers of Rapiers and slowly working your way
through Arm's defenses.
At first you'll lose quite a few, but it won't take too long
to punch a hole in their perimeter.
As the Arm units start to dwindle in numbers, be on the
lookout for the Arm commander
hiding in some trees. You'll need to take him out as well to
finish the mission.
Once the last Arm unit is gone, you've done it. The galaxy is
now yours.
