=================================================== ADVANCE WARS DAYS OF RUIN / DARK CONFLICT UNITS FAQ =================================================== v1.33 (29/Jun/2008) Created By generiX ADVANCE WAR-NING! ----------------- To All Days Of Ruin Owners! I use EU unit names in this FAQ. I do mention US names, but they are NOT commonplace! Neither are US CO names, CO Power names or anything else. ===== INDEX ===== 1. Introduction 2. Game Mechanics a) Damage Formula b) Defense Formula c) Movement Costs Table d) General Strategies 01) Early Game 02) Direct Fire Units 03) Indirect Fire Units 04) COs And CO Powers 05) Choke Point Central 06) How To Beat Various Map Types 3. The Units a) Ground Units 01) Infantry 02) Bazooka/US Mech 03) Motorbike 04) Recon 05) Flare 06) Anti-Air 07) Tank 08) Heavy Tank/US Medium Tank 09) Mega Tank/US War Tank 10) Mech Gun/US Artillery 11) Anti-Tank 12) Rockets 13) Missiles 14) Mobile Workshop/US Rig b) Naval Units 01) Battleship 02) Carrier 03) Submarine 04) Cruiser 05) Lander 06) Missile Boat/US Gunboat c) Aerial Units 01) Interceptor/US Fighter 02) Bomber 03) Fighter/US Duster 04) Battle Helicopter 05) Transport Helicopter 06) Ship Plane/US Seaplane 3. Thanks =============== 1. INTRODUCTION =============== Hello, and welcome to my first FAQ on an Advance Wars game! Simply put, the Advance Wars series is easily one of the most underadvertised games Nintendo make, and also one of the best! If you've never played Advance Wars before (why are you looking at this then?), it is probably best that you go out and find a copy of the original game and get hooked up (AW:DC, while it is absolutely BRILLIANT, it's also extremely difficult, almost on par with AW2). I aim to lend the uninitiated a helping hand with the game by listing details on the 26 units of the game. Personally, this game is right up there as one of THE best games in the world. The previous incarnations were also brilliant, but AW2 was frustratingly difficult, and AW:DS was, in a word, unbalanced. Even an absolute idiot could win thanks to some COs who were beyond broken, and to some units which were almost unstoppable. Now, AW:DC is perfectly balanced, there are no overpowerful COs (well, one), and every unit can be countered, resulting in a strategic masterpiece with potentially limitless replay value (thanks to an awesome map editor). Differences Between AW:DC and AW:DOR ------------------------------------ * A lot of identities are different, such as the army titles, CO names, CO Power names, and some terrain tiles. * Several units have different identities, and the descriptive text is also different. In my opinion, AW:DOR have worser unit names (exclude Mech and Artillery, maybe Seaplane). * While the storyline is the same, the language used in AW:DC is much more serious (and better) than in AW:DOR. AW:DOR also has a liberal spread of profanities in the script. * The title icon has a different look between games (not just the name change, obviously). * There are also rumors of random game glitches in AW:DOR not present in AW:DC. I don't remember the exact details, but it involved submerged subs, bridges, and infantry. * The personalities of some of AW:DOR's COs are much more extreme than in AW:DC (to the point where Lili and Penny act completely differently). SERVICE HISTORY --------------- v0.1 18/Apr/2008 - Began work on the FAQ. v1.0 06/May/2008 - Eventually remembered to finish the FAQ and get enough data in for a worthwhile posting on gameFAQs. v1.1 18/May/2008 - Massive influx of new (and maybe useful) data. 20/May/2008 - Allowed SuperCheats.Com permission to host the FAQ. v1.2 21/May/2008 - Allowed MyCheats.Com and NeoSeeker.Com permission to host the FAQ. Refined damage charts and included 'Attacks Used' charts for units, and added additional info in various sections. 22/May/2008 - Discovered and corrected minor errors. v1.3 23/May/2008 - Created the 'General Strategies' section (I know, it's getting a bit beyond a simple unit guide). 30/May/2008 - Allowed gamesradar.com permission to host the FAQ. Possible typo fixes included. v1.31 31/May/2008 - Corrected an error in the damage chart, and included a separate 'Secondary Attack Chart' section. v1.32 01/Jun/2008 - Corrected another damage chart error. Added a few random details here and there. v1.33 29/Jun/2008 - Revised attack damage formulas. Corrected detail on Bad Company's defense boost. Allowed pwnguide.com permission to host the FAQ. Revised details on several non-ground units. Speaking of which, gameFAQs is the sole site allowed to host this FAQ. Anybody caught posting this FAQ elsewhere will be mercilessly hunted down by a killer lawsuit. Or something like that. I mean, I wrote this FAQ to be read by all, just ask before nicking it for your own sites. If you are looking for the latest version of this FAQ, look for it on gameFAQs first. EDIT - Other sites have started calling for permission. I shall now list the sites which have permission to host the FAQ # gameFAQs.com # supercheats.com # mycheats.com # neoseeker.com # gamesradar.com # pwnguide.com Whatever you do, don't claim this FAQ as your own work. It makes no sense at all. It is the work of pretty much every Advance Wars forum on the internet. Without those guys, this guide would have been left in limbo for a long time. ================= 2. GAME MECHANICS ================= A) DAMAGE FORMULA ----------------- If you want to win, you need to understand how the damage system in this game works. If you have arrived here straight from AWDS, listen up; the formula has changed slightly. The formula is:- [BASE DAMAGE] X [ATTACKER HP / 10] X [ATTACK STAT / TARGET DEFENSE STAT] = __% In the case of an attack which ends in decimal figures, the final damage is ROUNDED DOWN. Example: A Tank hits an enemy Tank on a road. The formula would become:- 55% X 10/10 X 100/100 = 55% Damage. That was kind of obvious; there was no defensive cover, and the attack power of the Tank was basic. Now assume the enemy Tank is on a Woods tile, and it has an Ace/Veteran level. The attacker has 8HP and is at Level 1. The formula changes to:- 55% X 08/10 X 105/(100+20+30) = 30.8%, rounds down to 30%. Quite significant. Also, units can deal additional damage known as 'luck'. Luck is calculated as a random value between 0 and 1, and is multiplied by the unit HP to give up to an additional 10% damage. Of course this means that weaker units cannot unexpectedly deal another 1HP of damage, and weaker units will generally deal less luck damage than healthy units. Luck damage is also weakened by the Defense stat of the target (during Finn's CO Power Bad Company, luck damage falls to almost negligable levels). My guess for this formula is:- ( [RANDOM NUMBER 1 to 10] X [UNIT HP] ) / [TARGET DEFENSE STAT / 10] = __% Here is how the Attack stat is determined:- # The default value for attack is 100%. # If the unit is at Level 1, add another 5%. # If the unit is at Level 2, add another 10%. # If the unit is at Level Ace/Vet, add another 20% # If the unit is in the Command (CO) Zone, add another 10%. # If the unit is in the CO Zone and meets the COs criteria, add another 10% for each star. # If the team has any Communications Towers in their possession, add another 5% for each one. # If there is a Sandstorm in effect (and the CO is not Lili), subtract 30%. For your convenience, here is a list of base damage values for each unit type combination, including those damn Meteor fragments. These are for the IDEAL circumstances: the enemy has 100% defense (no cover) and the attack stat is also 100%, and the Primary Weapon has ammo. Cases where primary ammo runs out are mentioned shortly. /===========+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===\ | \ Defender| | | | | | | | | | | | | | M | B | | \ | | | M | | | | | H | M | | A | | | . | a | | \ | I | | o | | | A | | v | e | M | n | | M | W | t | | \ | n | B | t | | | n | | y | g | e | t | R | i | o | t | | \ | f | a | o | | | t | | . | a | c | i | o | s | r | l | | \ | a | z | r | R | F | i | | | | h | - | c | s | k | e | | \ | n | o | b | e | l | - | T | T | T | | T | k | i | s | s | | \ | t | o | i | c | a | A | a | a | a | G | a | e | l | h | h | | \ | r | k | k | o | r | i | n | n | n | u | n | t | e | o | i | |Attacker \| y | a | e | n | e | r | k | k | k | n | k | s | s | p | p | >===========+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===< |Infantry | 55| 45| 45| 12| 10| 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 10| 30| 20| 20| 14|---| |Bazooka | 65| 55| 55| 85| 80| 55| 55| 25| 15| 70| 55| 85| 85| 75|---| |Motorbike | 65| 55| 55| 18| 15| 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 15| 35| 35| 35| 20|---| |Recon | 75| 65| 65| 35| 30| 8 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 45| 15| 55| 55| 45|---| |Flare | 80| 70| 70| 60| 50| 45| 10| 5 | 1 | 45| 15| 55| 55| 45|---| |Anti-Air |105|105|105| 60| 50| 45| 15| 10| 1 | 50| 15| 55| 55| 50|---| |Tank | 75| 70| 70| 85| 80| 75| 55| 35| 20| 70| 30| 85| 85| 75| 8 | |Hvy. Tank | 90| 80| 80| 95| 90| 90| 70| 55| 35| 85| 35| 90| 90| 90| 10| |Mega Tank |105| 95| 95|105|105|105| 85| 75| 55|105| 40|105|105|105| 12| |Mech Gun | 90| 85| 85| 80| 75| 65| 60| 45| 35| 75| 55| 80| 80| 70| 45| |Anti-Tank | 75| 65| 65| 75| 75| 75| 75| 65| 55| 65| 55| 70| 70| 65|---| |Rockets | 95| 90| 90| 90| 85| 75| 70| 55| 45| 80| 65| 85| 85| 80| 55| |Missiles |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Battleship | 75| 70| 70| 70| 70| 65| 65| 50| 40| 70| 55| 75| 75| 65| 45| |Carrier |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Submarine |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 80| |Cruiser |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 38| |Msl. Boat |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 40| |Interceptor|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Bomber |115|110|110|105|105| 85|105| 95| 75|105| 80|105| 95|105| 85| |Fighter | 55| 45| 45| 18| 15| 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 15| 5 | 20| 20| 15|---| |Battle Heli| 75| 65| 65| 75| 75| 10| 70| 45| 35| 65| 20| 75| 55| 70| 25| |Ship Plane | 90| 85| 85| 80| 75| 45| 75| 65| 55| 70| 50| 80| 70| 75| 65| \===========+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===/ /===========+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===\ |\ Defender| | | | | | I | | | B | T | | | | \ | | | | | | n | | | a | r | S | | | \ | | S | | M | | t | | | t | a | h | | | \ | | u | | s | | e | | | t | n | i | | | \ | C | b | C | l | | r | | F | l | s | p | | | \ | a | m | r | . | L | c | B | i | e | . | | M | | \ | r | a | u | | a | e | o | g | | | P | e | | \ | r | r | i | B | n | p | m | h | H | H | l | t | | \ | i | i | s | o | d | t | b | t | e | e | a | e | | \ | e | n | e | a | e | o | e | e | l | l | n | o | |Attacker \| r | e | r | t | r | r | r | r | i | i | e | r | >===========+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===< |Infantry |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 8 | 30|---| 1 | |Bazooka |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 12| 35|---| 15| |Motorbike |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 12| 35|---| 1 | |Recon |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 18| 35|---| 1 | |Flare |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 18| 35|---| 5 | |Anti-Air |---|---|---|---|---| 70| 70| 75|105|120| 75| 10| |Tank | 8 | 9 | 9 | 55| 18|---|---|---| 18| 35|---| 20| |Hvy. Tank | 10| 12| 12| 55| 22|---|---|---| 24| 40|---| 35| |Mega Tank | 12| 14| 14| 65| 28|---|---|---| 35| 45|---| 55| |Mech Gun | 45| 55| 55|105| 65|---|---|---|---|---|---| 45| |Anti-Tank |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| 45| 55|---| 55| |Rockets | 55| 65| 65|105| 75|---|---|---|---|---|---| 55| |Missiles |---|---|---|---|---|100|100|100|120|120|100|---| |Battleship | 50| 65| 65| 95| 75|---|---|---|---|---|---| 55| |Carrier |---|---|---|---|---| 35| 35| 40| 45| 55| 40|---| |Submarine |110| 55| 20|120| 85|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Cruiser | 38| 95| 28| 85| 40|105|105|105|120|120|105|---| |Msl. Boat | 40| 40| 40| 75| 55|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Interceptor|---|---|---|---|---| 55| 65| 80|120|120| 65|---| |Bomber | 85| 95| 50|120| 95|---|---|---|---|---|---| 90| |Fighter |---|---|---|---|---| 40| 45| 55| 75| 90| 45| 1 | |Battle Heli| 15| 15| 5 | 85| 15|---|---|---| 65| 85|---| 20| |Ship Plane | 65| 55| 40|105| 85| 45| 55| 65| 85| 95| 55| 55| \===========+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===/ In some rare cases, you can continue to attack the enemy using Secondary Weapons when you run out of ammo. It is extremely inadvisable to run around the battlefield with no ammo, but as a last resort they can sometimes do okay levels of damage (but only against unarmoured ground units). There are five units that can attack even when out of ammo: the Bazooka, all three Tank types, and the Battle Heli. Bazooka ------- Bazooka and Motorbike units share the same Machine Gun type, so the damage is the same for both. Light Tank vs. -------------- Recon: 40% Flare: 35% Anti-Air: 8% Light Tank: 8% Heavy Tank: 5% Mega Tank: 1% Mech Gun: 45% Anti Tank: 1% Rockets: 55% Missiles: 55% Workshop: 45% Meteor: 1% Heavy Tank vs. -------------- Recon: 40% Flare: 35% Anti-Air: 8% Light Tank: 8% Heavy Tank: 5% Mega Tank: 1% Mech Gun: 45% Anti Tank: 1% Rockets: 60% Missiles: 60% Workshop: 45% Meteor: 1% Mega Tank vs. ------------- Recon: 45% Flare: 40% Anti-Air: 10% Light Tank: 10% Heavy Tank: 10% Mega Tank: 1% Mech Gun: 45% Anti Tank: 1% Rockets: 65% Missiles: 65% Workshop: 45% Meteor: 1% Battle Heli vs. --------------- Recon: 30% Flare: 30% Anti-Air: 1% Light Tank: 8% Heavy Tank: 8% Mega Tank: 1% Mech Gun: 25% Anti Tank: 1% Rockets: 35% Missiles: 25% Workshop: 20% Meteor: 1% B) DEFENSE FORMULA ------------------ Defense works dramatically different from previous games. Earlier, defense was known as 'Absolute', meaning that 20% defensive cover reduced damage by exactly 20%. With enough defense (I'm looking at Javier here) units could become completely invulnerable. Now, defense works as an Attack/Defense RATIO. It'll make sense in a minute. # The default value for defense is 100%. # If the unit has Ace/Veteran status, add another 20%. # If the unit is in the CO Zone, add another 10%. # If the unit is in the CO Zone and fills the COs criteria, add another 10% for each star. # If the team has any Communications Towers in their possession, add another 5% for each one. # If the unit is lying on defensive cover, add another 1% for each star, multiplied by the units HP. # If Finn's CO Power (Bad Company) is in effect, add approximately 270%. (Note: I thought it would be a bit more precise, like 250% or something.) It doesn't really matter though: if Bad Company is in effect, his aerial units take less than 25% of the base damage. C) MOVEMENT COSTS TABLE ----------------------- I should mention now that the two tables here aren't entirely my work. The information was found on several AW forums and gameFAQs, and the table design is adapted from a chart by 'Deathborn 668'. The chart indicates how many mobility points are used up in crossing each type of terrain. Higher movement costs cause the actual mobility of the unit to falter. /=======+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===\ | Tile| | | | | | | C | | | | | | | M | | W | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | o | | a | |\ | | | F | A | | | m | | | | | | | u | | s | | \ | | | a | i | | | | | B | | P | | | n | | t | | \ | | | c | r | | R | T | | r | | l | S | R | n | W | e | | \ | | C | t | p | P | a | o | S | i | R | a | h | i | t | o | l | | \ | | i | o | o | o | d | w | i | d | o | i | o | v | a | o | a | | \ | H | t | r | r | r | a | e | l | g | a | n | a | e | i | d | n | |Type \| Q | y | y | t | t | r | r | o | e | d | s | l | r | n | s | d | >=======+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===< |Inftry | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |Bzka | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |Tire A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |---|---| 3 | 3 | |Tire B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |---|---| 3 | 3 | |Tank | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |---|---| 2 | 2 | |Air | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |---| 1 | 1 | 1 | |Ship |---|---|---|---| 1 |---|---|---| 1 |---|---|---| 1 |---|---|---| |Trpt |---|---|---|---| 1 |---|---|---| 1 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| \=======+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===/ /=======+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===\ |\ Tile| | | | R | S | | | | | \ | | | | g | e | | | P | | \ | R | | | h | a | | | l | | \ | u | | R | | | | F | a | | \ | i | S | e | S | F | S | i | s | | \ | n | e | e | e | o | k | r | m | |Type \| s | a | f | a | g | y | e | a | >=======+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===< |Inftry | 1 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Mech | 1 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Tire A | 2 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Tire B | 1 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Tank | 1 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Air | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |---|---| |Ship |---| 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |---|---|---| |Trpt |---| 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |---|---|---| \=======+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===/ D) GENERAL STRATEGIES --------------------- 01) Early Game -------------- In the first stages of pretty much any good map, you'll be looking to capture properties to secure those all-important funds. Look around and find 'key' properties such as production bases, com towers, and mass clumps of cities. You should rush the capture of key distance properties rather than slowly expand your collection from your main area onwards. The various Infantry units have unique movement speeds and types, so they can reach properties in varying amounts of time. Basic Infantry have 3 mobility and are slowed down by mountains and rivers. They are also the cheapest of the three types, and are advised for capturing where the path is full of forests or wasteland. Bazooka/Mech units have 2 mobility and aren't slowed down at all (although at 2 mobility it's horribly slow). Use them for capturing through mountain ranges. Motorbikes have 5 mobility and are generally your best bet for long-range capturing, but they are massively slowed down by any non-paved/plain tile, and cannot cross mountains at all. They also cannot use Transporters (excluding Landers). For the less capable Infantry and Bazooka units, there are transport vehicles that you can utilise to massively boost their mobility. These are the Mobile Workshop, Transport Helicopter, Lander, and Missile Boat. They can drop off your Infantry in relative safety and, providing it can return to base, it can be re-used to transport more units around. However, they cost at least two Bazooka/Motorbike units to build, so they should be used carefully. Mobile Workshops can haul Infantry around ground maps with 6 mobility, resupply more rounds to Bazooka units, and build Temporary Structures (more on those later). In essence, these pretty much act as little 'bases' for your Bazooka units. However while they can easily outrun Motorbikes across heavy terrain, light unrestrictive land means that it can prove tricky for this unit to pay for itself in comparison to a Motorbike. On the plus side, it's fairly sturdy in the early game, and the onboard Infantry won't be harmed at all if it comes under fire (unless the unit is destroyed, in which case both units are lost). Transport Helicopters are usually your best bet for moving foot soldiers about. They travel by air, so they aren't slowed down at all, and they are fairly quick to boot. They burn fuel daily, so the return leg can be a little close for call on a few occasions. The main problem is that they are notoriously incapable of withstanding attacks, and they are preyed upon by a lot of stuff. Landing craft can transport 2 units of any type (from Infantry to Motorbike to Mega Tank) across naval maps. They are pretty damn strong and fairly quick. Only capable of dropping off units on Shoals and ports, it's range of areas it can be used for is sometimes a little off. It also burns fuel daily. Missile Boats are a new addition (and replaces the AW:DS Black Boat) and are a good thing to have around with you. They have the highest movement range of any transporter (7 mobility outruns a lot of stuff including every other naval unit) and act like Landers. They can transport ONE foot soldier (so it's like the Workshop) and drop off at beaches and the like. They are also capable of self-defense: they have a powerful anti-ship weapon that usually pays for the cost of the unit if it connects. After it strikes, it becomes defenseless, having only one shot. It's also extremely fragile and it doesn't take much effort to sink one. Once you've become skilled in perfecting your early game abilities, why not try screwing up your opponent's opening turns while you're at it? Usually you're best sticking to using Recons to disrupt the enemy as they are cheap, really fast (well, most of the time) and do enough damage to warrant some severe cursing from your opponent. Sometimes you can send other types around to cause annoyances. Using Flare tanks is a good idea on plains-heavy maps where Recons would get hit quite badly by the terrain penalty (as well as intercepting enemy Recons aiming to cause you some trouble as well). Battle Heli's and the Fighter/Duster are useful in long-range naval maps. However, doing this will usually just cause your opponent to divert his funds to developing a simple countermeasure (this is sometimes a good thing though). Rememer not to spend too much on early disrupture of the enemy, and focus on building a powerful assault force. If the enemy is causing you some hassle, develop counters of your own. A good way of trying to annoy enemy Recons is to prioritise building Bazooka units and Mobile Workshops to move them fast. Recons excel when they attack Infantry and Motorbikes because the counterattack damage only becomes apparent after a few attacks. Bazooka units can quickly nullify the threat of a Recon, and even if the Recon gets a first strike, the counter is much more noticeable. 02) Direct Fire Units --------------------- Direct units attack enemies by moving next to them to launch an attack. Direct attacks are simple and usually effective, but there are a few drawbacks, most notably luring. Be aware that most opponents are sneaky bastards and love to taunt your most important units into the range of their indirects and other powerhouses. Only wander into the range of indirects if you have enough units at hand to completely annahilate the enemy's stranglehold on the area, or you quite frankly have no choice in the matter. Direct attackers will suffer counterattack damage (unless the opponent can't hit the target, or the opponent is wiped out). Even the most resiliant units can have their HP slowly whittled away by luck damage. The best way to null the threat of counterattack damage in direct attacks is to maximise your attack power by unit promotion and CO Zone, or simply using heavy armour. Counter damage is basically negligable if you leave enemies at 2HP at most. Most of the time, direct units will be playing what is known as 'range dodging' with enemy units. On several occasions, tanks may face enemy tanks and stay at the edge of each other's attack range. This is rangedodging, and one reason why people keep shunning the Mega Tank. More agile units (Missile Boats and Light Tanks) can sit outside the range of other units and attack the next turn, often forcing the enemy to retreat. Don't let this happen to you. If it does, have spare units or heavy armour around to deter the threat. Fog of War has changed massively in the transition from the previous game. There are loads more hiding places for enemy units to hide around. Compared to before, unit vision is spread across the entire area that they move (instead of just being moved about, causing visible enemies to vanish from view), and so hiding places are much less effective. Have your directs drive past many hiding places in one turn to scan them all at once for the enemy, then whack'em! 03) Indirect Fire Units ----------------------- Indirect units bombard the enemy from far away with no fear of suffering a counterattack. Indirects cannot move and fire on the same turn (excuding the Battleship), cannot counterattack when hit (excluding the Anti-Tank) and have a 'blind-spot' where it cannot strike (excuding both the above units). Indirects are fundamental in success in almost any map, but are at their most effective in choke-points (mentioned later). Indirects are also great for laying a defensive 'shroud of fire' around allied units: your units become much less attractive a target if enemies will get pounded by your Rockets! Protecting indirects is extremely important. Because they cannot counterattack (and because some are really costly), they will always be considered a priority target by your foe. They are also really fragile, so defending them becomes an art that must be mastered. Loads of people suggest the use of Infantry units as blocking units, but they cannot take much damage and are extremely easy to KO in one hit at that stage of the battle. Also, a good player can move his CO Zone so the shielding units charge his CO Meter like there was no tomorrow. The art of defending units with other units is commonly known as 'meatshielding' and it doesn't apply solely to indirects, either. Fog of War was almost a godsend for Indirects. Previously, all indirects were blind and needed Recons to spot stuff to shoot at. Now, the improved Mech Gun/Artillery unit has enough vision to act independantly from other units. Indirects use hiding places to thrive and survive, relentlessly pounding away at the enemy while they are stuck thinking "where the hell did that come from?" and such. If the area you wish to use has no hiding place, make one! Have a Mobile Workshop build a Temporary structure to hide your cowardly indirects. The enemy may now know where they are, but they can't hit it if they can't see it! 04) COs And CO Powers --------------------- There are twelve Commanding Officers (COs) in this game and they all play quite differently. There is also a 13th option: playing with no CO at all. I advise inexperienced players to fight a few Free Battles in No CO mode. The boost from the CO Zone may be handy, but in most cases there are multiple battles all over the place and you can only fight the rest using a 'bland' army. Get used to getting units at Ace/Veteran Level: these are extremely important for No CO mode. Units level-up when they KILL a unit (whichever unit lands the last hit gets the level, even if they did minimal damage). To use the abilities of the CO, he/she must first board the unit, either at the HQ or a production base (temp. structures don't count). When the unit is on one select the CO option from the move menu (don't move the unit from the base) to board the unit at 50% the cost of the unit it has boarded. CO Units are at the maximum level (Ace/Vet) by default, and they also generate a CO Zone around them. The radius and effects of the Zone vary across COs. Ten of the COs also have a CO Power they can use to tear the rulebook to shreds and potentially turn the entire game around. Battles that take place in the CO Zone increase the CO Meter. The meter has two distinct halves, each with 6 individual segments. Each segment fills up with every 5HP damage you cause, irrespective of what unit it was. Counterattack damage by your units also fuel the CO Meter, but the enemy must also be in the CO Zone for this to occur. When the first half of the CO Meter is filled, the radius of the CO Zone goes up by one. When filled totally, the radius increases by another one, and the CO unit can choose to exchange its entire meter (and its turn) for usage of the CO Power. Upon usage of the CO Power, the meter drops to Zero, and the Zone fills the entire battlefield (so every unit gets boosted, not just those in the zone) however the meter cannot recharge during a CO Power. In addition to boosting all units, an additional effect occurs that helps the player. These vary from CO to CO, and some are more useful than others. If the CO Unit is destroyed, the meter falls to zero, the Zone dissappears, and the user will have to wait until his next turn to re-deploy the CO. If the CO Power was in effect, the effects of the CO Power will also be nulled. When it comes to the actual COs, you'll want to adapt your strategies to make the most of the abilities of the CO. The Zone gives a bland boost by default (10% increase in attack and defense) and other boosts depending on the CO. Stat boosts are mentioned as (Atk/Def %):- *SPOILER WARNING* Ed/Will Laurentian military cadet rescued by the 12th Independant Legion, led by Captain O'Brian. He vigilantly refuses to give up, at any cost. He also shares a close friendship with the amnesiac Catleia. CO Zone Radius: 2, boosts Ground Directs by 20%/00%. CO Power: New Era/Rally Cry. Increases mobility of Ground Directs by 2. Moderately useful. Although he is a specialist CO, the units he boosts are extremely important. During New Era, his directs gain enough mobility to allow him to tear dispersed enemy armies apart. His effectiveness weakens on choke-point laden and island maps. O'Brian/Brenner Captain of the 12th Independant Legion (Brenner's Wolves in AW:DOR), he has massive faith in the power of humanity. It remains strong despite the actions of people such as Admiral Sigismundo and the bloody Mayor of Freehaven. He is killed (or rather annahilated) by Sigismundo via one of Stolos' creations. CO Zone Radius: 3, boosts all units by 00%/20% CO Power: Lifeline/Reinforce. Restores 3HP to all units for free. Easily my favourite CO of them all. O'Brian is far from an aggressive CO to play as, so you will need to use a slow and steady approach. Defense boosts mean blocking units withstand more damage, so its best to use indirects as him. Lifeline patches up unit damage without cost (akin to Andy from earlier games), so build more expensive units to exploit the free repairs to the max. Lin Second in command of the 12th Independant Legion. Calm and 'unflappable', she believes that "In battle, the clearest thinker wins". CO Zone Radius: 1, boosts Ground Units by 20%/20%. CO Power: Night Vision/Scout. Increases vision by 2, hiding places become visible from any range. Another specialist CO, Lin is hard to use due to her weak CO radius. Don't fret though, as the boost affects all ground units, and they are the most important. You may want to treat Lin's unit as a solo powerhouse: go beserk and hit lots of stuff, then return with (hopefully) a larger CO Zone. Her CO Power is quite weak, but the boosts are strong and can prove decisive. Mostly though, you will want to hang on to the increased Zone. Catleia/Isabella An amnesiac girl who remebers nothing, except for pretty much every single military secret on the planet. She develops a strong friendship with Ed, and is probably the one person who's wishes Ed fights for: peace. You don't play as her in the main story mode for unknown reasons. CO Zone Radius: 2, boosts All Units by 10%/10%. CO Power: Overlord/Deep Strike. Increases indirect attack range by 2, and all mobility by 2. The boosts may only be minor, but Catleia is definitely a top-tier CO, if only for the awesome CO Power. Overlord grants battlefield opportunites that some COs in AW:DS would have died for. Use enhanced range to pummel forces from afar, have directs move at lightning speed for vital kills. And of course, having 14 RANGE BATTLESHIPS. Has an unusually peaceful soundtrack too. Zadia/Tasha Flight Lieutenant of the Zephyrian/Lazurian army. She fights solely to avenge the death of his brother Johnathon, who was executed by Sigismundo and the New Laurentian/Rubinelle Army. Later on she would join the 12th Independant Legion to fight the NLA. CO Zone Radius: 1, boosts Aerial units by 40%/20%. CO Power: Fox One/Sonic Boom. Increases Aerial unit mobility by 2. Zadia is extremely difficult to use, however the pay-off can be lethal. Like Lin, you can try to exploit the CO unit and mercilessly blow up stuff (which with a 170% Attack stat isn't very hard). But Air units seem to play a weaker role in battle with cheap, improved countermeasures. You may actually want to put her in a Tank and take the fight to the ground. Then have the air force ready to unleash Fox One. 11-range Interceptors and 9-range Bombers simply annahilating everything in their path: priceless. Unlocked by defeating Mission 12: History Of Hatred/History Of Hate. Trak/Gage Zephyrian army soldier, with ice blue hair and sniper rifle for the win. He brings back memories of Hawke with his quiet and serious persona. He does what is necessary, and that is enough to keep him happy. CO Zone Radius: 2, Increases naval units and indirects by 20%/10%. CO Power: Long Barrel/Longshot. Increases indirect range by 2. Pretty basic CO, but gains plus points for coolness. Although his indirects have increased power, range is only boosted during Long Barrel, so don't think of him as the new Grit. His major boon, aside from the CO Power, is his naval game. Trak in a Battleship; great fun. His directs are a little un-boosted, so watch for people forcing a change in your tactics. Unlocked by defeating Mission 13: Rearguard Action/Greyfield Strikes. Carter/Forsythe Current leader of the Zephyrian Army. A veteran with honour and morals, Carter is comparable to O'Brian. He sticks by his code of honour and dismisses the use of war-breaking devices made by Stolos. He is eventually executed at the hands of Sigismundo and Finn. CO Zone Radius: 5! Increases all units by 10%/10%. CO Power: He doesn't have one. That means the radius doesn't get any bigger. Carter is simple to use and extremely effective. A massive CO Zone is offset by the lack of a CO Power to turn the tables. Minor boosts to a lot of units means that Carter can strike hard using lots of units, rather than a single power-hit with Lin or Zadia. Easily a high-tier CO. Unlocked by defeating Mission 14: A Hero's Farewell. Finn/Waylon Captain in the 13th Airborne division of the Laurentan Army, later transferred to the New Laurentian Army. As Finn, he is vain and seeks only to fulfill his desires. As his US persona Waylon, he also gets some of the more memorable quotes in the game. His whereabouts at the end of the game are unknown... CO Zone Radius: 2, boosts aerial units by 20%/30%. CO Power: Bad Company/Wingman. Increases aerial defense by 250%. A more user-friendly variation of the aerial specialist. His defensive boost is severe enough to deter attempts to attack his CO unit using like units. Unlike Zadia, Finn is best in the air blowing stuff up. Use Bad Company to basically reduce damage by +75% and blast into enemy territory with less fear. Be aware that you can only attack for that turn. Afterwards, you are vulnerable to attack. Unlocked by defeating Mission 20: Counter-Attack/Waylon Flies Again. Sigismundo/Greyfield Admiral and supreme leader of the New Laurentian Army. He wants to destroy anyone who stands in the path of his route to becoming ruler of the Earth. He sees the meteor strike as a mere 'test' for the strong, and is seen by a few fans as the most evil character in the game. He is eventually executed by Lin, avenging the death of O'Brian (although with his bodily bulk, I'm surprised Lin didn't use a harpoon to bring down the fat walrus). CO Zone Radius: 3, boosts Heli's, Ship Planes and naval units by 10%/40%. CO Power: High Command/Supply Chain. restores fuel ammo AND materials. He's awkward to use, but Sigismundo has an ace on every battlefield. On ground battles, he can have powerhouse units keep moving by restoring ammo at crucial times. In Aerial battles, his Battle Heli's are incredibly stubborn to erase. He truly shines in naval battles, though. His navy is almost untouchable, so prioritising his CO Unit in a naval battle is even more important. Human players tend to leave behind loads of temporary structures on the field with Mobile Workshops getting their materials back. Unlocked by defeating Mission 21: Countdown/Lin's Gambit. Lili/Penny Youngest child of Stolos, Lili is quite mental. Numerous experiments have shattered her mind permanently. She is more memorable in AW:DOR where she seems to be a collaborative mind of her and her teddy bear. She survives the storyline after being 'rescued' from the IDS Pulsatrix/Great Owl mega-bomber by Catleia. CO Zone Radius: 3, no boosts though. All units are unaffected by weather. CO Power: Enigma/Stormfront. Randomly changes weather conditions for 3 days. Lili revolves solely around her CO Power. Without it, she is outgunned even by Zadia. The weather changes to either Snow, Rain or Sandstorm for three turns incuding the turn it is triggered. Snow reduces mobility by 1, allowing Lili to range-dodge more effectively. Rain reduces enemy vision to 1 and blinds base vision (even Lili's bases). Sandstorm forces the enemy to lose 30% attack power and is extremely useful. With the duration of the weather, Lili can even chain CO Powers back-to-back, making her almost unstoppable in the right hands. Also has the most unusual theme tune in almost any game. Unlocked by defeating Mission 24: Inside Pulsatrix/Crash Landing. Larissa/Tabitha Oldest daughter of Stolos, Larissa has, quite easily, the most unusual dress code for almost any computer game character. Supposedly cruel and harbors a hatred of weak people (especially as Tabitha in AW:DOR, where she is also quite rude), she loyally follows her fathers footsteps. She hosts some of the best Tactics talks in story mode, where she tries to get Ed to be her servant for life. She is still alive at the end of the story, but her whereabouts are unknown... CO Zone Radius: ZERO. Boosts all units by 50%/50%. CO Power: Apocalypse/Firestorm. Launches a fireball at the most expensive area of enemy units. Damages units for 8HP. Loads of forums out there have topics debating whether this CO is actually in the Broken tier, alongside her father Stolos. All I can say to the contrary is that her usefulness reflects the capability of the player controllong her. It is extremely difficult to use Larissa considering her Zone only affects her unit from the off. But the boosts are incredible, and bends the rulebook in her favour on most occasions. When facing her, HER UNIT IS THE PRIORITY. If she gets her meter to 50% full, she will gain momentum very fast and launch her CO Power, basically winning the battle for her. Her main weakness is that until then, the rest of her army is bland. So prioritise her unit while using your own CO Zone to nullify her supporting army. Unlocked by defeating Mission 25: Final Experiment/Lab Rats. Stolos/Caulder Head of the private military company Intelligent Defense Systems, IDS. He has a unique fascination with death, and has conducted many inhumane experiments in his life. He is actually the only remaining clone of the original Stolos: he cloned himself many times, but the clones started fighting each other. What we see here is the sole survivor. He also created the dreaded Floral Virus/Creeper and he also cloned Larissa, Lili, Catleia (known as Lutia) and a younger pacifist brother named Cyrus. He is killed in the wreckage of the Owl's Nest, his main base of operations. CO Zone Radius: 3. Boosts all units by 50%/50%, and heals for 5HP each turn. CO Power: He doesn't need one. He's powerful enough with those boosts. THE Broken CO in the game, Stolos outguns everybody. If you face him, you will almost certainly get mowed down. I don't need to say much about Stolos: he is banned from Wi-Fi play, and players mutually agree not to play as him. Unlocked by defeating Mission 26: Beam Of Light/Sunrise. *END SPOILER WARNING* 05) Choke Point Central ----------------------- To new players, look at some maps and find areas where the land forces the path of enemy units into a very narrow passage. This is known as a chokepoint, and it is critical to success. By simply parking a unit in the choke, you have made a wall against the enemy onslaught. Chokes are often blocked by expendable Infantry, but they will simply fuel a good player's CO Meter in my experience. You will want to block the choke using heavy armour (you CAN get away with a Tank, but heavier armour is advised) to make it hard for the enemy to press on. They may be expensive, but they are much more useful and stubborn to wipe out, especially on harsh terrain. Try to place the blocker unit on defensive cover (especially Woods, even moreso in Fog of War) to further boost the defense. Be aware that this defense will go down if the unit has sustained ANY damage. The reason why people keep saying how chokepoints can turn the battle around is because indirect units thrive on chokes. Guard the area in front of the blocker unit with a simple Mech Gun, and you can force the enemy to back off, giving you some breathing space. Countering an enemy's stranglehold on a choke can be tricky, and downright evil on ground-only maps. You will want to knock down the enemy blocker unit, but you need indirects of your own to do this (or face getting smashed by the enemy indirect). The best unit to use is the Rocket unit. Providing they don't have one, simply out-ranging the enemy can give you the edge (and a well-deserved punch in the face in non-Wi-Fi matches). In Ground-Aerial battles, chokes are MUCH less effective as Battle Heli's and Bombers can navigate around the blocking units to get a power-hit on the indirects. 06) How To Beat Various Map Types --------------------------------- Loads of different maps lie in this game (and on the Internet), and some types require unique approaches. Ground-only battles are simple, all-out affairs. Be extremely wary of chokes, as it can be almost impossible to beat one without a CO Power. In wide spaces, COs such as Ed and Catleia with their CO Powers have a distinct advantage. Ground-Aerial battles are great fun. Depending on how many chokes the map has, you can have lots of dogfighting in a few turns. Chokes are much weaker here than before, so have a good air force around: it'll prove vital to success. The aerial specialists can have a good chance for victory here. Ground-Naval battles can get tricky. Ground units have almost nothing to hit the navy with, so take the fight to the seas with Battleships (with Cruiser escort, obviously), Submarines and Carriers. Carriers allow for aerial battles even if there are no airports; build Temporary structures at will to allow the Ship Planes to work alongside your ground invasion. The navy specialists shine in these fights. Ground-Naval-Aerial battles are easily the hardest fights in the game. There are countless possibilities for strategies and methods of countering them, so my only advice is to understand and exploit each units advantages to the full. CO choice is tricky, my advice is to choose who you feel most comfortable with. Maps also are divided into two distinct types: Solo Mass levels (one island, sometimes linked to another half by Bridges) and Island maps (many different islands to fight over). The sole type players should NOT fight on are G-A fights on Island maps (Triangles and Devil's Inlet). Those maps always end up as stalemates. Island maps are hardest of the two, since you will need lots of Landers to make an effective landfall, and protection for them too. The best plan is to determine what you need to send into the enemy domain, and organise your Landers and where they will drop off your army. You will want to land as many units as possible on ONE turn: if you drop few units, you will lose them, it's that simple. Its also advised to lay covering fire for these units, use aerial units and Battleships to lay a solid foothold on the ground so you can move on with minimal resistance. If there are properties, ensure you have some Infantry in the landing squad so you can secure extra funds, as well as a repair area for the ground troops. There are loads more map types out there, and I can only summarise the general types you will find. However, there are some odd types of maps out there, and you can generally find these on the 'Advance Wars By Web' website. A fan's attempt at creating an online variation of AW:DS, it also harbors pretty much THE biggest map archive on the internet. However, you'll have to copy them to your game manually, and you may also have to adapt them to fit the new game's tiles (ie you can't use pipelines and units exclusive to AW:DS). But once you get good at adapting maps from here, you can essentially multiply the replayability of the game by a limitless amount! ============ 3. THE UNITS ============ I will list critical details about units, such as pricing, movement range/type, power, as well as information about how (or if) the unit has changed from previous games, and US names (oddly, unit and CO names from AW:DC and AW:DOR are rather different. The language used in the storylines also vary a bit as well). # Armor applies to vehicles and determines its defensive capability. Armor varies from SL (super light) through to SH (super heavy). Offensive units will have their ability to take on various armor mentioned in the summary. # Cost is funding required to deploy the unit (if the price has changed, the difference is stated). # Range is the maximum movement range of the unit. Remember that terrain limits this in some cases. # Vision is the vision range of the unit in Fog of War conditions. No matter how large this is, you can only see into hiding places when you are next to them. Certain units can only hide in certain places, these cases will be noted in the intro for each unit category. # Type is the movement type used by the unit. It dictates what the unit can(not) traverse, and how quickly it can travel across it. # Fuel is the maximum number of spaces the unit can travel before it cannot move any more. Remember that non-ground units burn fuel automatically each day. If the counter reaches 0, the unit either becomes immobile or falls out of the sky/sinks into the sea. # Primary Weapon is the units main weapon (if it has one). Ammo for the weapon is in brackets. If the primary weapon runs out of ammo, the unit can only attack with the secondary weapon (if it even has one). Certain targets can only be hit using the Primary Weapon (usually applies to attacks against Naval units by Tanks). # Attack Range applies to indirect units, and states how far the attacks of the unit can reach. # Secondary Weapon is the units backup weapon, if it has one. These have infinite ammunition, but are less effective than primary weapons. They are sometimes used against specific units (usually Infantry and Helicopters). # Material is sometimes equipped with units. These can be used to build stuff, but materials cannot be resupplied (excluding Sigismundo's CO Power High Command) so another unit is needed to gain more materials. # Attacks Used shows which weapon(s) are used in attacks against certain units. Specific units can only be harmed by either Primary or Secondary weapons. Primary Weapons will always be used over Secondary Weapons unless there is no ammo for the Primary Weapon. # Positives is a list of good things about the unit. All units have something going for them, exploiting these points to their maximum is one of the many keys to success in the game. # Negatives is a list of bad things about the unit. Take these into account when choosing between different units to deploy. # My Two Cents is my personal opinion of the unit, an in-depth description of how the unit can be used to their full, and sometimes mentions how the unit can be countered. # Takedown is the suggested method of eliminating the unit with minimal trouble. This term 'Takedown' is the art of destroying enemy units in one attack. # CPR is Command Post Recommendation. This lists whether the unit is useful as a CO Unit, and it tends to mention what units the CO Unit can now cripple/takedown. # AI Posts is a list of which COs will board this unit when controlled by the AI. Useful this; if you see the computer build one, try to hit it for at least 3HP damage. If you can, you can prevent the CO from wanting to board it. Due to certain COs only wanting to board the more expensive units, even top-tier COs controlled by the AI can be easily beaten. # E-3-2-1 is the system that I use to summarise what the unit is effective against and vulnerable to. For each of these four tags, there is a list of unit abbreviations. E - Units that this unit is effective against. With a few exceptions, 'efffective' attacks deal at least 4 HP of damage. 3 - Units that can take down this unit in two or three attacks. These units can face off against the defender and usually get 'even damage' (attacker loses 2, enemy loses 4-5) 2 - Units that can score heavy damage on this unit. Users should watch out for these. When softened up slightly, there is the risk of a KO. 1 - Units that can potentially one-hit-KO the unit. Stay away at all costs! For American readers, I will use the EU names for each CO. Beats having to write (EU Name/US Name) all the time. The listing is as follows:- EU Name <-> US Name ======================== Ed <-> Will O'Brian <-> Brenner Lin <-> Lin Catleia <-> Isabella Zadia <-> Tasha Trak <-> Gage Carter <-> Forsythe Finn <-> Waylon Sigismundo <-> Greyfield Lili <-> Penny Larissa <-> Tabitha Stolos <-> Caulder I should also mention what the Yellow/Red Danger symbols on the units data screen mean (I haven't listed them because the E-3-2-1 system works better in my opinion). Units in the Yellow category deal +70% damage to the unit, and Red category units deal +90% damage. In essence, it's a summary sheet of what units can cause collateral damage to the target. A) GROUND UNITS --------------- Ground units do not burn fuel on a daily basis like the other units. If these units run out of fuel they are stranded until they gain fuel via a CO Power or Mobile Workshop or joining with another unit which has fuel. Ground unit hiding places include Ruins, Woods, and any Base that does not belong to the enemy. Even if you park on another enemys base (in 3-4 way brawls), it is only visible to that player. 01) Infantry Previously... ------------- Cost: 1000 Range: 3 Vision: 2 Type: Foot Fuel: 99 Currently... ------------ Cost: +500 (1500) Range: 3 Vision: 2 Type: Inftry Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: None (0) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Anti Tank, Trans. Heli. 3 - Infantry 2 - Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Tank, Anti Tank, Battleship, Fighter, Battle Heli. 1 - Anti-Air, Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Mech Gun, Rockets, Bomber, Ship Plane Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry|---| Y Ground|---| Y Aerial|---| n Heli's|---| Y Ships |---| n Subs |---| n Positives --------- Cheapest unit (costs more than it used to, though). Can capture bases. Effective against other soldiers. Fastest soldier across difficult terrain. Vision increases by 3 when on a mountain. Effective against Anti-Tanks. Negatives --------- Pose little threat to armor. Does negligable damage to non-infantry units (except Transport Helicopters). My Two Cents ------------ Infantry units form the core of pretty much any army. You need these units to capture bases to help secure funds for those more decisive units, and you need them to launch missile silos as well. On the battlefield, Infantry are pretty much cannon fodder. They are only good against other Infantry units. They suffer slightly against the more advanced Infantry (Bazooka and Motorbikes). They can be used as a cheap 'meatshield' for your indirects as well. They also work as an effective anti-Anti-Tank unit, as it deals the same damage to it as the more expensive Light Tank. Takedown -------- Loads of stuff can KO infantry, but sweeping them away in one attack can prove tricky, especially if it is parked on heavy terrain. AAs, Mega Tanks, and Bombers can nail the elusive OHKO, but they need to be at Level 2 before you can try for a takedown in the more restrictive areas. CPR --- Not really. With the exception of a few Trial maps and super-small maps, it is inadvisable to put your CO aboard one (unless you prioritise the CO Zone over a CO unit). AI Posts -------- Nobody. Not really surprising when you think about it. 02) Bazooka (US Name: Mech) Previously... ------------- Name: Mech(anized Infantry) Cost: 3000 Range: 2 Vision: 2 Type: Mech Fuel: 70 Currently... ------------ Cost: -500 (2500) Range: 2 Vision: 2 Type: Bzka Fuel: 70 Primary Weapon: Bazooka (3) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Tank, Anti Tank, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Trans. Heli. 3 - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Fighter 2 - Recon, Flare, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Bomber, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Anti-Air, Mega Tank Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n | Y Ground| Y | Y Aerial| n | n Heli's| n | Y Ships | n | n Subs | n | n Positives --------- Strongest infantry unit. Capable of taking on light armor. Can capture bases. Fastest soldier across mountains. Vision increases by 3 when on mountains. Most powerful ground direct vs Anti-Tanks. Cheaper than in previous games. Negatives --------- Slowest unit in the game. Generally incapable of counterattacking well. My Two Cents ------------ Mech units have remained largely unchanged. Their biggest boon is the reduced cost from previous games, which allows for them to be spammed at will. Be aware that while Mech Spamming is still an effective tactic, it only works well against inexperienced players; veterans of the series can get past these with no problems. Offensively, Mech units are extremely good, but the 2 Mobility will ensure that it reaches its destination by next July unless you use transporters. The low mobility also puts it at immense risk of being hit first in an attack. It also has massive trouble with indirects. Other than that, if the Mech attacks, the target will be in some severe pain. It also has the distinction of being the most effective ground direct unit against Anti-Tanks (but the range makes it vulnerable on the approach, and experienced players will not allow you to connect the attack). Takedown -------- Oh god. Taking them out is easy, taking them out in one hit can prove a daunting task, even for the AA and the Mega Tank. Fortunately, you have an ace in the form of Bombers and ranged attacks. These units cannot move through the range of an indirect unless it is Fog of War. Nonetheless, it is more resiliant to damage than the standard Infantry, and that makes takedowns difficult. Hitting them for less than 8HP damage is inadvisable as the counterattack damage from the Bazooka's, well, Bazooka will eventually make your powerhouse units ineffective over a period of time. CPR --- Unless your CO is Stolos (b*****d) and you're gunning for the HQ capture, it's not a good idea. Mainly due to being so damn slow. AI Posts -------- Nobody. 03) Motorbike (US Name: Bike) An All New Unit. Currently... ------------ Cost: 2500 Range: 5 Type: Tire B Fuel: 70 Primary Weapon: None (0) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Anti Tank, Rockets, Missiles, Trans. Heli. 3 - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Fighter 2 - Recon, Flare, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Bomber, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Anti-Air, Mega Tank Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry|---| Y Ground|---| Y Aerial|---| n Heli's|---| Y Ships |---| n Subs |---| n Positives --------- Fastest soldier across light terrain. Can capture bases. Large movement range allows for long-range capture without transport. Particularly effective as a cheap anti-infantry unit. Effective against Anti-Tanks. Negatives --------- Completely harmless against armor. Cannot board Transporters (excluding Landers). Agility is ruined by heavy terrain. Cannot traverse mountains. My Two Cents ------------ As soon as the Motorbike was announced for this game, players all over were saying that they would never need Infantry units ever again. Now its here, it doesn't quite live up to its hype. It has 5 mobility, so it can reach long range properties faster and cheaper than an Infantry-APC combo. However, it has move type Tire B, so it is terrible in woods, and cannot move across mountains. Also take into account how quickly various Infantry type units can reach their targets. In rare cases, Infantry can reach them just as fast as Motorbikes. In battle, Motorbikes act as nimble Mech units minus the Bazooka. Possessing superior defense and speed than the Infantry, these act as a more dependable form of 'meatshield'. At Ace/Vet level, Motorbikes can act as a point defense unit against Infantry units flying over to your HQ from a Transport Helicopter. It is also the sworn enemy of Anti-Tanks, being capable of sitting well out of its attack range and dealing solid damage on the offensive. All in all, a good unit to have on your side, just remember that Infantry have their uses as well. Takedown -------- The same rules apply for the Motorbike as the Bazooka, but the Motorbike has it harder because it is unlikely to lie in harsh terrain due to its move type. Plus, the lack of a Bazooka means that it cannot score solid counterattack damage on most occasions. CPR --- Okay choice for an inexpensive posting. Its mobility allows for local spreading of the CO Zone, and you can gun down enemy Infantry without much hassle. AI Posts -------- Nobody. 04) Recon Previously... ------------- Cost: 4000 Range: 8 Vision: 5 Type: Tire Fuel: 80 Currently... ------------ Armor: SL Cost: 4000 Range: 8 Vision: 5 Type: Tire A Fuel: 80 Primary Weapon: None (0) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Trans. Heli. 3 - Recon 2 - Bazooka, Flare, Anti-Air, Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Rockets, Bomber Positives --------- Very high movement range (on super-light terrain). Large vision makes it essential in Fog of War. Effective against Infantry and Indirect units. Negatives --------- Agility is destroyed by even light terrain. Ineffective against all armor excluding indirects. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry|---| Y Ground|---| Y Aerial|---| n Heli's|---| Y Ships |---| n Subs |---| n My Two Cents ------------ They were designed for use in Fog of War, with a vision range of 5 it could spot incoming threats before they could see you. Now in this game, with loads more hiding places than before, it has a rival in the form of the Flare tank. Both have their advantages, the Recon's being beneficial in light terrain, as well as spotting air units (after all, they can't hide at all). On the battlefield, Recons act as cheap anti-Infantry units. If there are plenty of roads to help this Tire A type unit across to the enemy, it also works to disturb the enemys early-game equilibrium and slow down their rate of capture. Other than these points, they can annoy enemy indirects, although you shouldn't expect a KO. Takedown -------- If it causes an explosion, it stands a chance at taking this unit down in one hit when at Ace/Vet level. Recons have the notorious ability to be flattened by even Bazooka units. At Level 0, Mega Tanks and Bombers can sweep these away. CPR --- You can do worse, but this isn't too good an idea. If there are many roads, it is excellent for moving the CO Zone about, but you're stuck to hitting Infantry and enemy Indirects for the most part. AI Posts -------- Nobody. 05) Flare An All New Unit. Currently... ------------ Armor: SL Cost: 5000 Range: 5 Vision: 2 Type: Tank Fuel: 60 Primary Weapon: Flare Rockets (3) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Trans. Heli. 3 - Recon, Flare, Anti-Air 2 - Bazooka, Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Bomber Positives --------- Flares allow you to spot enemies nearby, even if they are in Woods, etc. Effective against infantry and SL armor. Negatives --------- Rather vulnerable to attack. Flares have limited coverage and range, and the viewed area goes dark at the end of the turn. Uselfulness drops massively outside of Fog of War. Slightly lacking in speed. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry|---| Y Ground|---| Y Aerial|---| n Heli's|---| Y Ships |---| n Subs |---| n My Two Cents ------------ This new addition to the roster is rather interesting in practice. To fire a Flare Rocket, don't move the Flare and you get the option to fire the flare up to five squares away. The actual flare illuminates a 13-square area of land, including hiding places. In levels with lots of woods, it is probably advisable to prioritise building Flares over Recons. Flares reveal units hidden in any hiding place, but they will not reveal submerged Submarines. Outside of Fog of War, this unit has a few things over the slightly cheaper Recon unit. Firstly, it runs on tracks, so if the terrain is plains-heavy, this unit outmaneouvres the Recon. Secondly, it is 'slightly' more powerful than the Recon against Infantry. Most importantly, however, it can tear apart enemy Recons, as well as break even against Anti-Air units. Takedown -------- The major difference between the attack and defense abilities of this and the Recon is that the Flare has more attack power. Thus, it can be stomped on in the same manner. CPR --- At this price range, it would usually be wise to save up for a CO Tank, or fall back on a CO Recon or Motorbike. It may be more useful than the Recon, but its not too fast and is torn apart by explosive weaponry. AI Posts -------- Nobody. 06) Anti-Air Previously... ------------- Cost: 8000 Range: 6 Vision: 2 Type: Tracks Fuel: 60 Primary Weapon: Vulcan Cannon (9) Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Armor: L Cost: -1000 (7000) Range: 6 Vision: 2 Type: Tank Fuel: 60 Primary Weapon: Vulcan Cannon (-3, 6) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Interceptor, Bomber, Fighter, Battle Heli., Trans. Heli., Ship Plane 3 - Flare, Anti-Air, Ship Plane 2 - Bazooka, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Bomber 1 - Mega Tank Positives --------- Devastates helicopters. Causes massive damage to planes. Obliterates infantry. Deals good damage to L armor. Negatives --------- Defenseless against heavy armor. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| Y |--- Heli's| Y |--- Ships | n |--- Subs | n |--- My Two Cents ------------ THE primary counter to an aerial assault. This unit turns choppers into Swiss Cheese, and tears apart planes as well. The single aerial unit the AA needs to watch for is the Bomber, which isn't afraid to flatten the AA unit. You can discourage this by having AA units travel in pairs. The backup can make an enemy attack extremely cost-ineffective. Apart from this, the AA unit is extremely stubborn in a ground battle as well. Its the single most cost-effective counter against swarms of Infantry, and it can also hurt indirects very well. Just watch out for Tanks, though. Takedown -------- Although this thing will fall at the hands of Tanks, it takes a Mega Tank or Ace/Vet Heavy Tank to knock them down in a single hit. Don't attack these with Bazooka units unless it is the finishing attack, otherwise the counterattack will hurt a bit. CPR --- Introducing the CO powered AA, the latest technology in bug extermination. Have your CO board an AA unit, and you'll have Infantry flying about in diverse directions, and be KO'ing Fighters in one attack, and crippling anything else that's airborne. A fun post no doubt. You'll just have to rely on the CO Zone to bring down those damn Tanks. AI Posts -------- Nobody. That's a good thing, though. 07) Tank Previously... ------------- Cost: 7000 Range: 6 Vision: 3 Type: Tracks Fuel: 70 Primary Weapon: Cannon (9) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun Currently... ------------ Armor: M Cost: 7000 Range: 6 Vision: 3 Type: Tank Fuel: 70 Primary Weapon: Tank Gun (-3, 6) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Tank, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Missile Boat, Trans. Heli. 3 - Bazooka, Tank 2 - Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Bomber Positives --------- All-around good ground unit. Effective against infantry and L armor. High agility. Relatively inexpensive. Negatives --------- Helpless against aerial attacks and heavy armor. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n | Y Ground| Y | Y Aerial| n | n Heli's| n | Y Ships | Y | n Subs | Y | n My Two Cents ------------ Always a staple unit, and easy to use. Not much to say, they are effective at what they do; blow stuff up. They have superior mobility to their more powerful cousins, and can therefore be used to great effect in breaking a ground stalemate by forcing the enemy to make a move. However, you would be hoping the Tank had even more power in some cases. It's completely helpless against Mega Tanks and Anti-Tanks. It can do okay damage to Heavy Tanks, but the Tank must strike first, and the target must be out in the open for the trade-off to be worthy. Takedown -------- Only the Bomber and a boosted Mega Tank can get the one-shot here. Anti-Tanks will work, but the problem with the Anti-Tank is that it's usefulness shines only at chokepoints. Their move-or-shoot behaviour makes it ineffective in open terrain as they will just back off and attack your other units. Choppers work too. CPR --- Most people say that there are only two decent CO Posts, the Light Tank, and the Fighter/Duster. For the most part, they are correct: A CO Tank can generally score takedowns on unarmoured ground units. It's pretty fast, and solid all-around, and can take on bland Heavy Tanks. No faults here. AI Posts -------- Lots of them; Ed, O'Brian, Catleia, Carter, Lili, and Stolos. Get used to countering CO Tanks, they show up a LOT. 08) Heavy Tank (US Name: Medium Tank) Previously... ------------- Name: Md. Tank Cost: 16000 Range: 5 Vision: 1 Type: Tracks Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Cannon (8) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun Currently... ------------ Armor: H Cost: -4000 (12000) Range: 5 Vision: +1 (2) Type: Tank Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Heavy Tank Gun (-3, 5) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Missile Boat, Trans. Heli. 3 - Tank, Heavy Tank, Battle Heli., Battleship 2 - Mega Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Ship Plane 1 - Bomber Positives --------- More difficult to destroy than regular tanks. Bigger cannon results in solid damage against M armor. Better against infantry than regular tanks. Negatives --------- Somewhat less durable than before. Slower than regular tanks. Still helpless against aerial attacks. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n | Y Ground| Y | Y Aerial| n | n Heli's| n | Y Ships | Y | n Subs | Y | n My Two Cents ------------ In comparision to its previous forms in older AW games, the Heavy Tank is a shadow of its former glory, especially in terms of defense. Not to worry, though. The price went down, and that makes this unit better than ever. Its mobility is slightly weaker than the Light Tank, but this will only cause major annoyances in heavy terrain. With the lower cost, its even possible to spam the Heavy Tank. It has enough attack power to make most ground units cringe, and turn Recons into scrap in one attack. At Ace/Vet level, it becomes the best of the ground units. Be aware that until then, don't get hit by indirects and Anti-Tanks, and get the first strike on any enemy Mega-Tanks. Takedown -------- Bombers can flatten them in a single bound. Other than this, you'll need some heavy armour of your own to nullify the threat of these tracked menaces. As before, you can use Anti-Tanks against them, but only in those damn chokepoints. You can also try just throwing everything you have at it. Eventually the Heavy Tank will fall, or limp away with little health left. Battle Heli's can also cause them some annoyances, but it'll be a bit of a struggle, and a good player will always have an AA on standby. CPR --- For 18000, a CO Heavy Tank is rather costly, but also ridiculously effective at tearing things to shreds, including Light Tanks. If you are looking for a powerhouse, this is probably your best bet. AI Posts -------- The same as for the Light Tank. 09) Mega Tank (US Name: War Wank) Previously... ------------- Cost: 28000 Range: 4 Vision: 1 Type: Tracks Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Mega-Cannon (3) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun Currently... ------------ Armor: SH Cost: -12000 (16000) Range: 4 Vision: +1 (2) Type: Tank Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Mega Tank Gun (+2, 5) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Ground Units, Missile Boat, Battle Heli., Trans. Heli. 3 - Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Mech Gun, Battle Heli., Rockets, Battleship, Ship Plane 2 - Anti Tank, Bomber 1 - N/A Positives --------- Strongest tank unit. Massive attack power. Easy to level up. Not as vulnerable to Battle Helicopters as its lesser cousins. Negatives --------- It's nothing like the Megatank from AW:DS. It's comparable to the previous Md. Tank, actually. The armor is not as strong as you would expect. Lacking in mobility. Vulnerable to swarming attacks. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n | Y Ground| Y | Y Aerial| n | n Heli's| n | Y Ships | Y | n Subs | Y | n My Two Cents ------------ This unit is nothing like you would expect. The large attack power is always handy, but the armor is rather weak for something that looks like a solid block of steel. Most often used as a CO command post by AI players when they aren't busy in Fighters. Irrespective of these points, the Mega Tank is excellent at holding key properties, and is nowhere near as terrible as people keep saying about it. The biggest criticism of the Mega-Tank is the paltry movement range. However, on small maps this isn't a problem at all, and on larger maps, you would usually have factories close to the front lines anyways. The main threat to Mega-Tanks are indirect attacks and some air units, but not Battle Helicopters (unless it has Zadia at the helm). This unit fares well against choppers, and providing it gets a first strike, it also goes well versus Anti-Tank units. Overall, it should be saved for area defense, and late pushes for victory. Takedown -------- A one-hit takedown requires an Ace/Vet Bomber and a lot of luck. Mega Tanks have lots of trouble with Rockets, being incapable of playing a game of range-dodging with them (because they can't move through for the KO in one turn like Heavy Tanks). Exploit this and slam some Rockets into a chokepoint alongside some heavy-duty 'persuaders' and watch them run. Battle Heli's won't work anymore, though. Anti-Tanks were designed to knock these fiends down, but don't leave them on roads EVER. A Mega Tank can do surprisingly good damage to Anti-Tanks, especially when boosted. Whatever you do, don't let the enemy Ace/Vet a Mega Tank. This can prove difficult, however, as Mega Tanks tend to gun for your much more vulnerable units (Infantry, Recons) first rather than aim for a 'decent' attack, to quickly boost its abilities. CPR --- The biggest fault of the CO Mega Tank is the 24K price tag. For that, though, you get an extremely powerful force that's also quite stubborn to knock out. If the attack boost reaches 150%, then you can knock out Bazooka units in one hit, even if they are in the mountains. Be aware that for an additional 1000 you could get the decisive Battleship (if there's a navy you can use, mind). AI Posts -------- Same as before, including Lin and Larissa. A Larissa Mega Tank can tear armies apart almost single handedly, keep that in mind when you face her as an AI player. 10) Mech Gun (US Name: Artillery) Previously... ------------- Name: Artillery Cost: 6000 Range: 5 Vision: 1 Type: Tracks Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Cannon (9) Attack Range: 2-3 Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Armor: L Cost: 6000 Range: 5 Vision: +2 (3) Type: Tank Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Cannon (-3, 6) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Ground Units, All Naval Units 3 - Recon, Flare, Anti-Air 2 - Bazooka, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Mega Tank, Bomber Positives --------- Cheapest indirect unit. Powerful against all attackable units. Can attack naval units. Decent defensive strength. Vision Range is high enough for it to fire in Fog of War without a Recon to help it spot targets. Negatives --------- It cannot move and fire at the same time. Fairly short range. Cannot counterattack. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| n |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y |--- My Two Cents ------------ Infinitely better than before, especially in Fog of War. A vision zone of 3 means that the only way it cannot see where it is shooting is during a Trak-Catleia CO Power! Being an indirect unit it is incapable of self-defense, so guard it with any and all units at your disposal. Even 1HP Infantry have their uses, you know. Provided it is protected well, this unit can be decisive in taking an enemy Factory by softening up anything the enemy builds from it. The only weakness of this unit is the Rocket unit, which outclasses it in virtually every way (except mobility, Tire A movement is annoying). Takedown -------- Mech Gun units are easy to knock out, but because the enemy will protect them with units and useful terrain, it can prove problematic especially in low-fund maps. Chokepoint effectiveness becomes minimal in maps with airports so sneaking a Battle Heli. in for a pot-shot can buy you enough time to push onwards. Aside from this, out-range them with superior Rockets and Battleships. CPR --- I've not practiced with this type of CO Post, but I hear it's quite the beast. Having the defending units in the CO Zone is enormously useful (as long as you aren't using Larissa) for one. It is far from the most mobile CO Unit you'll ever see, though. AI Posts -------- Nobody. Shame. 11) Anti-Tank An All New Unit. Currently... ------------ Armor: SL (vs Infantry) H otherwise Cost: 11000 Range: 4 Vision: 2 Type: Tire B Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Cannon (6) Attack Range: 1-3 Secondary Weapon: None. E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Ground Units, Battle Heli., Trans. Heli. 3 - Infantry, Motorbike, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Battleship, Ship Plane 2 - Bazooka, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Bomber 1 - N/A Positives --------- Only indirect capable of counterattacking (also means there's no blind-spot). Massive defenses against most attacks. Extremely effective against vehicles. Somehow, it is effective against helicopters. Negatives --------- It's not as effective against some ground units than other indirects. Cannot move and fire. It may need assistance in Fog of War to locate targets. Surprisingly vulnerable to Infantry units. Vulnerable to swarming attacks. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| Y |--- Ships | n |--- Subs | n |--- My Two Cents ------------ In a sentence, the Anti-Tank is probably the single most unbalanced unit in AW history. Taking one down cost-effectively requires the strategic know-how of a crack team of WW2 generals. To make matters worse, it pulverises ground vehicles and helicopters and withstands attacks like a solid block of Titanium, AND it can counterattack! What is wrong with this unit, and how can it be stopped?!? Well, let me calm down for one. The main method for disposing of these pesky units is to out-range them using Rockets and Battleships. At the very least, you can force it away from that vital piece of land it is trying to cover. Secondly, despite its awesome offensive prowess, its shells do what is known as piercing damage. It therefore has a few problems with Infantry (however, it will still hurt). Thirdly, with a mobility rating of four and Tire B movement, it is hopleless at reaching its destination in good time. Most importantly, however, Infantry deal good damage against Anti-Tanks. They may not take them down in 2 hits, but they deal damage comparable to what a Tank would cause. Takedown -------- I've already mentioned this, but here's a recap. Anti-Tanks will eventually fall, but you need to hit it a lot before you can even cripple it. If you used vehicles against it, ensure that the counterattack damage doesn't exceed the cost of the Anti-Tank (ie 11000). Like the Mech Gun though, the best method is to out-range it with Rockets and Battleships. Battle Heli's won't work though, you're limited to Ship Planes and Bombers to KO it by air. Also remember to throw Infantry-type units at it, particularly Motorbikes. CPR --- Extremely slow, rather costly, and also quite awesome, is the CO A-T unit. You'll once again have your meatshielding units in the CO Zone for additional longevity. You'll see Trak in this unit a lot. AI Posts -------- Trak shows up a lot in one. Lili also boards them on rare occasions. 12) Rockets Previously... ------------- Cost: 15000 Range: 5 Vision: 1 Type: Tire Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Rockets (6) Attack Range: 3-5 Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Armor: SL Cost: 15000 Range: 5 Vision: +2 (3) Type: Tire A Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Rockets (-1, 5) Attack Range: 3-5 Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Ground Units, All Naval Units 3 - Motorbike 2 - Bazooka, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Mega Tank, Bomber Positives --------- Ground indirect with largest range. Effective against ground and naval units. Negatives --------- Extremely fragile. It moves on tires so it is far from mobile. It may need assistance in Fog of War spotting things to shoot at. Large blind spot. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| n |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y |--- My Two Cents ------------ Comparing the Mech Gun to the Rocket unit is akin to comparing the scale model of the Enterprise to the real deal (not that it exists *ahem*). Everything is bigger with the exception of mobility. The actual mobility is unchanged, but Tire A type units lose colossal amounts of agility over any tiles with no roads/cities. The attack power goes up by about +2HP damage, the range goes up from 3 to 5, the blindspot goes up by 1. And the usefulness? Unmeasurable. A well-placed Rocket unit is the best unit in the game. Just protect it well, it has little tolerance to enemy attack. Takedown -------- Out-ranging a Rocket unit is only possible with the Battleship, so you will have to use your head to take one down. The best counter to a Rocket is to prevent it from reaching that crucial choke in the first place. If it heads your way, go out of your way to hit it hard. If it does make its nest, your only chance is to rush it with a massive armada of heavy armour, or to throw air units at it. The Battle Heli can pay for itself in terms of the damage it can do to even a well-shielded Rocket unit. CPR --- Not too useful actually. For one, it's damn expensive, damn slow, and the large blind-spot means that you need a CO Zone radius of at least 2 to defend it effectively. Really useful attack boosts at hand though. AI Posts -------- Same as for the Anti-Tank, Trak and Lili. 13) Missiles Previously... ------------- Cost: 12000 Range: 4 Vision: 5 Type: Tire Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Missiles (6) Attack Range: 3-5 Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Armor: SL Cost: 12000 Range: +1 (5) Vision: 5 Type: Tire A Fuel: 50 Primary Weapon: Anti-Aircraft Missiles (-1, 5) Attack Range: 0,+1 (3-6) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Air Units 3 - Motorbike 2 - Bazooka, Recon, Flare, Anti-Air, Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Mega Tank, Bomber Positives --------- Absolutely destroys aerial units. Extremely helpful in Fog of War due to massive vision range. Negatives --------- Defenseless against ground units. Large blind-spot. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n |--- Ground| n |--- Aerial| Y |--- Heli's| Y |--- Ships | n |--- Subs | n |--- My Two Cents ------------ Due to the redesigned Carrier, the Missile unit remains the sole (yet original) ranged aerial counter. From previous games, the range has increased to 6. Which is peculiar because Rockets have a range of 5, you would expect similar payloads to travel the same distance, surely? Anyways, this unit makes anything airborne cower. Choppers? Blown away. Fighters? Shot down. Bombers? Pulverised. Providing the unit isn't at Ace/Vet level or is lying in a CO zone, it'll get wiped out in a single attack. You can completely ruin an enemy airport by parking one of these nearby. The enemy isn't likely to build anything if it is instantly knocked out of the sky before it can even move! Watch out: somehow, in Fog Of War, Airports actually act as aerial unit hiding places! Usual indirect rules apply though: guard them well. Takedown -------- Because it only hits air units, feel free to go in with the Tanks to hit it unless it has some serious backup. Despite the fact that it counters aircraft, Battle Heli's can camp just outside their range and go in for a power hit the next turn. CPR --- Bad choice. Why would you want to anyway? It can KO all aerial units in one hit, remember? AI Posts -------- Nobody. Easy to see why. 14) Mobile Workshop (US Name: Rig) Previously... ------------- Name: APC Cost: 5000 Range: 6 Vision: 1 Type: Tracks Fuel: 70 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Armor: L Cost: 5000 Range: 6 Vision: 1 Type: Tank Fuel: 70 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: None Materials: 1 E-3-2-1 ------- E - N/A 3 - Recon, Flare, Anti-Air 2 - Bazooka, Tank, Mech Gun, Anti Tank, Rockets, Battleship, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Bomber Positives --------- Can transport Infantry and Bazooka Units. Can re-supply adjacent units. Now capable of erecting Temporary Airports and Ports. Negatives --------- Defenseless. Attacks Used ------------ Incapable of attack. My Two Cents ------------ We all know this as the APC from previous games. Compared to previous generations it would seem that nothing has changed. Oh, but it has! It can now create Temporary Airports on Plains and Temporary Ports on beaches! Easily worth the asking price all on its own! But just how useful are these structures? They generate no funds, so don't think of it as a cheap way of boosting money. They can't build anything, just service existing units. Their defensive cover is nothing compared to their true counterparts. However, they can reduce move cost for those annoying Tire A units. T-Ports allow ships to move deeper inland than usual, while keeping enemy ships (not landers) out. Be creative with where you put them and you can create a safe naval haven from enemy Submarines (Channel City comes to mind)! Most importantly, and most overlooked, they create hiding places for Fog of War! In some maps, placing one in a hiding-place-free chokepoint can make the enemys lives just a bit more annoying to bear. Another thing is that because the temporary structure is a property, it generates a field of vision in Fog of War like the other bases. Takedown -------- Unless the enemy is totally reliant on these to help his war effort, don't prioritise them (unless it's bearing down on you with an Infantry aboard). The CPU never build these anyways. CPR --- I don't need to say anything at all. Just. Don't. Bother. AI Posts -------- None. B) NAVAL UNITS -------------- Unless stated otherwise, naval units burn 1 unit of fuel per turn to stay afloat. If there is insufficient fuel, the unit sinks. Naval unit hiding places include Allied/Neutral (Temp.) Ports, Reefs and Sea Fog. 01) Battleship Previously... ------------- Cost: 28000 Range: 5 Vision: 2 Type: Ship Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Cannon (9) Attack Range: 2-6 Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: -3000 (25000) Range: 5 Vision: 3 Type: Ship Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Cannon (-3, 6) Attack Range: +1,-1 (3-5) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Ground Units, All Naval Units 3 - Mech Gun, Rockets, Battleship, Cruiser, Missile Boat 2 - Submarine, Bomber, Ship Plane 1 - N/A Positives --------- Solid attack power. Capable of moving AND attacking. Rather durable. Negatives --------- Defenseless against submarines and aerial attacks. Moving to hit distance targets means it can be lured into enemy fire. Attack power is much lower than in AW:DS (but still usable). Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| n |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y |--- My Two Cents ------------ Ah, yes, the Battleship. Before it was an immobile super-Rocket unit. Now its been changed rather massively. Everybody talks about how its better than ever, but its also been nerfed and some people just don't see how, they just say '10 range FTW' or equivalent. Speaking of range, this is the sole indirect blessed with the ability to move and fire on the same turn. So, combine 5 mobility with a 3-5 range and you do indeed get the kind of attack range Nostradamus didn't see coming. Hold it though, don't get carried away. In comparision to before, its attack power seems to have fallen off the radar since AWDS. Not that it's low, its just unspectacular. In small seas, it can be difficult for the enhanced range to be utilised effectively. Also, be careful attacking units at the far reaches of the Battleships attack range, you may end up sailing into the line of fire if you are careless! Takedown -------- This can prove tricky. Battleships are rarely seen without Cruiser escort. If you are lucky and the Cruiser is nowhere to be seen, feel free to hit it with air units and Submarines. If the Cruiser is in the area, this can be a fatal error. Your best bet is to prioritise taking the Cruiser with a Battleship of your own. Failing that, send 3-4 Missile Boats across and swarm the Battleship, or try to lure it into a trap. CPR --- In. Cred. Ible. A CO Battleship gets the firepower it had in the previous games. Charging the CO meter in one of these is no problem at all. Just be careful. At 37500 it's extremely costly, and it also becomes a priority target for the enemy. AI Posts -------- Trak and Sigismundo. Siggy never shows up on anything else. Watch for the moment he builds one, and don't hold back, or it'll become nigh invincible. 02) Carrier Previously... ------------- Cost: 30000 Range: 5 Vision: 4 Type: Ship Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Missiles (9) Attack Range: 3-8 Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: 28000 Range: 5 Vision: 4 Type: Ship Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: Anti-Aircraft Gun Materials: 4 E-3-2-1 ------- E - Interceptor, Fighter, Trans. Heli. 3 - Mech Gun, Rockets, Battleship, Cruiser, Missile Boat 2 - Bomber, Ship Plane 1 - Submarine Positives --------- Allows deployment of Ship Planes. When fully equipped, it becomes a deadly attack squadron. Capable of supplying AND repairing Aerial units. Negatives --------- Hideously Expensive. Defenseless against Naval attackers. Very low attack power. EXTREMELY vulnerable to Submarines. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry|---| n Ground|---| n Aerial|---| Y Heli's|---| Y Ships |---| n Subs |---| n My Two Cents ------------ The Carrier is completely different from the one in AWDS. Previously it was a naval Missile unit which happened to be able to haul aircraft around. Now it revolves completely around what actual Aircraft Carriers are supposed to do; be a naval base for an air force. Offensively, the Carrier has virtually nothing going for it on its own. It has an AA gun, but it does very low damage, and should be used only as a finishing attack or when there is no risk of a counterattack. Defensively, it is very fragile and is constantly in fear of being sunk in one hit by enemy Submarines. The main reason for building Carriers is the ability to manufacture up to four Ship Planes. These are covered later on, but to summarise, for an additional 15000 credit, you gain a short range attack plane that can attack almost anything and score high amounts of damage. Even if you run out of materials for the Carrier, it can service any other aircraft such as Bombers and choppers, AND repair them as well! Deadly, but don't prioritise building one until your navy is set up first. Takedown -------- Submarines can sink Carriers in one blast. Trying to take it down using other methods is dependant on if the Carrier has any Ship Planes. If not, flatten it. If it does, be extremely cautious: Ship Planes OHKO Missile Boats, cause pain to Battleships and even Cruisers can be Double-Teamed. Still, use Submarines. Anything else is a Plan-B. CPR --- Zero. Why would you want to board a 42000 unit that can barely attack, unless your CO is Sigismundo or Stolos and you have more money than Bill Gates? AI Posts -------- No-one. No comment needed. 03) Submarine Previously... ------------- Cost: 20000 Range: 5 Vision: 5 Type: Ship Fuel: 60 Primary Weapon: Torpedoes (6) Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: 20000 Range: +1 (6) Vision: 5 Type: Ship Fuel: +10 (70) Primary Weapon: Torpedoes (6) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - Battleship, Carrier, Submarine, Lander, Missile Boat 3 - Missile Boat 2 - Mech Gun, Rockets, Battleship, Submarine, Ship Plane 1 - Cruiser, Bomber Positives --------- Has the ability to submerge and become very difficult to spot and destroy. Extremely powerful against ships. Massive field of vision. Negatives --------- Ambient fuel burn rate increases to 5 when submerged. Extremely vulnerable to attack when on the surface. Usually taken down in one hit by Cruisers. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n |--- Ground| n |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| n |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y*|--- * Can attack submerged Submarines. My Two Cents ------------ Other than the Battleship and maybe the Missile Boat, this is the primary anti-ship weapon for any navy. A MAJOR boost for the Submarine is that it is already submerged when built, meaning you can sneak them out of the port without the enemy being capable of killing it before it can even move! You get the option to rise and dive the Sub when moved. On the surface, it acts like a Missile Boat and is very much a priority target for the enemy (get it now or play hide and seek later), and underwater, the fuel burn rate goes up 500% but it is virtually impossible to see or hit! To even see one, you need to move a unit directly next to the Sub. Offensively, it remains rather unchanged. However, it has more trouble against Landers; you'll need at least an Ace/Vet boost for any chance of taking them out in one attack. It is still preyed upon by Cruisers, so stay well away! If there is one nearby and you can attack a key target, only do so if you have another unit to hit the Cruiser and/or you KO the target: If the target survives the hit, the Sub may as well have a 'Kick Me' sign sticking out of the water 'cos it's an easy KO for the Cruiser. Takedown -------- Cruisers. I don't need to say much else other than trying to reveal hidden Subs can be a mission in itself. Subs can only wipe out Missile Boats and Carriers in one hit. If it hits anything else, it will likely be a sitting duck as the wounded vessel marks the Sub with a bullseye. If you are actively searching for a Sub, have 1-2 Missile Boats escort the Cruiser. Have them move randomly around the ocean and hope they crash or park alongside the Sub. And if the Sub takes out one of the Missile Boats, move the other one onto the other's grave and get'em! CPR --- Interesting to say the least. 30K nets you enough attack power to kill Landers in one hit now. This doesn't mean that it is brilliant however. Even when submerged, a skilled human opponent can locate a CO Submarine by attacking nearby naval units. If it takes unusually low levels of damage, the CO post is nearby. AI Posts -------- Nobody, surprisingly. 04) Cruiser Previously... ------------- Cost: 18000 Range: 6 Vision: 3 Type: Ship Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Missiles (9) Secondary Weapon: Anti-Aircraft Gun Currently... ------------ Cost: -2000 (16000) Range: 6 Vision: +2 (5) Type: Ship Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Anti-Ship Missiles (9) Secondary Weapon: Anti-Aircraft Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Battleship, Carrier, Submarine, Lander, Missile Boat, All Air Units 3 - Missile Boat, Bomber, Ship Plane 2 - Mech Gun, Rockets, Battleship 1 - N/A Positives --------- The only unit designed to take down Submarines. Extremely dangerous to aerial units. Particularly difficult to take down. Capable of servicing 2 Helicopters. Massive field of vision. Negatives --------- Not much. Watch out for Battleships and Missile Boats. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n | n Ground| n | n Aerial| n | Y Heli's| n | Y Ships | Y | n Subs | Y*| n * Can attack submerged Submarines. My Two Cents ------------ Previous title holder of 'Most Stubborn unit to kill' and still going strong. Cruisers have way too much good stuff considering its relative inexpensiveness. 5 vision, 6 mobility, KOs aerial units and Subs in one hit, annoys everything else, what is wrong with this unit? And the answer is: nothing. It cannot enter the ground battle, but the Cruiser is still a ridiculously over-useful naval assault force. It now does more damage to any naval unit (except other Cruisers) since the last outing. Although they can be taken out, it is impossible to KO in one attack unless the attacker has some serious boosts. Oh, and did I mention it can transport 2 choppers in complete safety? Takedown -------- The only time a Cruiser can be KO'd in one hit is with a highly boosted Battleship. Even without the boost, Battleships are the primary counter to enemy Cruisers. Cruisers can also be pinned down by Missile Boats; bring 2-3 along for a good old game of range-dodging. CPR --- The only core benefit of a CO Cruiser is the ability to sweep up Missile Boats like they didn't even exist, and to guarantee that damn Sub never rises again. AI Posts -------- Nobody. 05) Lander Previously... ------------- Cost: 12000 Range: 6 Vision: 1 Type: Lndr Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: -2000 (10000) Range: 6 Vision: 1 Type: Trpt Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - N/A 3 - Cruiser 2 - Mech Gun, Rockets, Battleship, Submarine, Missile Boat, Ship Plane 1 - Bomber Positives --------- Can transport two ground units. Most durable transporter. Negatives --------- Defenseless. Attacks Used ------------ Incapable of attack. My Two Cents ------------ Nothing has changed for this unit, except maybe the price and a slight up in defense. You need these to launch offensives in island maps. They can carry 2 ground units and drop them off on ports and beaches. Very little to say since it is defenseless. Just watch out for Submarines. Takedown -------- The best way to tackle these things is to block off any area of land where the enemy Lander is likely to dump its cargo, using anything you have. There isn't much point in using landing craft if there is nowhere to land in the first place! Actively taking them down in one hit requires a Bomber or a boosted Submarine/Battleship/Ship-Plane. Cruisers and Missile Boats dent them well too. When they land, Tanks and ranged attacks can weaken the Lander slowly but surely. CPR --- Just don't bother. AI Posts -------- Don't need to say, really. 06) Missile Boat (US Name: Gunboat) An All New Unit. Currently... ------------ Cost: 6000 Range: 7 Vision: 2 Type: Trpt Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Anti-Ship Missile (1) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Naval Units 3 - N/A 2 - Tank, Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Cruiser, Missile Boat, Battle Heli. 1 - Mech Gun, Rockets, Battleship, Submarine, Bomber, Ship Plane Positives --------- Can carry 1 Infantry unit. Fastest Naval unit. Weapon does solid damage to Naval units (the damage is similar to the cost of the Missile Boat). Particularly brilliant against Cruisers (fortunately). Inexpensive. Negatives --------- Incredibly fragile. Has only ONE shot before a reload is required. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n |--- Ground| n |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| n |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y |--- My Two Cents ------------ A new addition to the naval frontier, and it has a bit of an identity crisis. The EU call it a Missile Boat but the Americans call it a Gunboat. In reality, it's a Missile Boat (look it up on Wikipedia if you don't believe me). Akin to Landers, they can carry ONE Infantry/Mech unit and transport them faster with their 7 mobility. Defensively, they are among the most fragile units around (even Tanks KO them in 2 hits). Offensively, they have only one shot of their Anti-Ship gun before a resupply is needed. The actual attack does approximately 4HP damage to ships and 6HP damage to transporters. That may not seem much, but get a lucky shot on a Carrier and the 6000 credit Missile Boat has paid for itself twice! On their own, however, they can only play range-dodging with enemy Cruisers. Have them travel in pairs (or even wolfpacks if you like overkill) and experiment with luring Battleships, blocking and smashing supply lines and causing general havoc. Just ensure they have no Submarines, and have fun! Takedown -------- They are ridiculously fragile. They are felled in one hit by ranged attacks, Subs, Bombers and Ship Planes. If you can hit it, you can at least get a 2HKO. The problem is that good players have them travel in packs, making KO via Battleship/Cruiser a poor option. CPR --- Fun to say the least. Fastest naval unit allows for maximum zone spreading across large oceans. You are still really vulnerable to attack, and the attack power boost has more trouble paying for itself now the price jumps to 9000. AI Posts -------- Nobody. C) AERIAL UNITS --------------- Helicopters burn 2 units of fuel per turn, and Planes burn 5 units of fuel per day to stay in the air. They crash and burn if they don't have enough fuel to stay aloft. New to AW:DC/DOR are Aerial unit hiding places. These include Allied/Neutral (Temp.) Airports. 01) Interceptor (US Name: Fighter) Previously... ------------- Name: Fighter Cost: 20000 Range: 9 Vision: 2 Type: Plane Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Missiles (9) Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: 20000 Range: 9 Vision: +3 (5) Type: Air Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Anti-Aircraft Missiles (-3, 6) Secondary Weapon: None. E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Air Units 3 - Carrier, Fighter, Ship Plane 2 - Anti-Air, Interceptor 1 - Missiles, Cruiser Positives --------- Obliterates all other aerial units in 1-2 hits. Massive attack range. Improved vision range since AW:DS Negatives --------- Vulnerable to units designed to counter Planes. Not as effective as it used to be (vs. Bombers). Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n |--- Ground| n |--- Aerial| Y |--- Heli's| Y |--- Ships | n |--- Subs | n |--- My Two Cents ------------ If you see a squadron of air units approaching, you can pump out the Anti-Air units. If you force them to retreat, gun them down with these! Interceptors have unrivalled mobility in the skies! They can one-shot enemy choppers, cripple Bombers, flatten Fighters and cause general mayhem in the air war. They also have high vision, so they can be used as scouts in Fog of War (although at 20000 a piece, it's not too wise to venture TOO far into the enemy domain). Their attack power does seem to have faltered a bit since AWDS. Either that or the Bomber makers have gotten wise and fitted heavier armor, because Bombers can no longer be KOd in one hit by enemy Interceptors. Mind you, it will still hurt a lot. Takedown -------- The most resiliant of air units alongside the Bomber. All air units can be swept away with Missiles and Cruisers. Outside of this rule of thumb, the strategies vary a lot. The Interceptor was designed for Aerial combat, so avoid this method unless you have no other option. Other Interceptor units deal about 6HP damage, Fighters about 4HP. So use Aerials as a finisher. Other than that, use AAs to soften them up a bit. Another annoying thing you can do to air units (particularly Interceptors) is to surround them with nearby units. If the enemy was playing sneaky around the area covered by your countermeasures, you can hold the target in place long enough to get the AA in for a KO. CPR --- Whoa. Guaranteed one-hit KOs on anything excluding other Interceptors and maybe Bombers. A very intimidating sight, but it's costly and a little restrictive on what it can hit. Best unit for moving that CO Zone about. AI Posts -------- Quite a lot: O'Brian, Catleia, Zadia, Carter, Finn, Lili, Larissa, and Stolos. As I said before, a CO Interceptor can dominate the aerial assault, so only attempt to take to the air if you can guarantee that the enemy CO unit is going down in a blaze of anti-glory. 02) Bomber Previously... ------------- Cost: 22000 Range: 7 Vision: 2 Type: Plane Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Bombs (9) Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: -2000 (20000) Range: 7 Vision: +1 (3) Type: Air Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Bombs (-3, 6) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Ground Units, All Naval Units 3 - Carrier, Fighter 2 - Anti-Air, Interceptor, Ship Plane 1 - Missiles, Cruiser Positives --------- Colossal attack power. Slightly more durable than before. Negatives --------- Defenseless against Interceptors and Fighters. It seems to be less powerful than in AW:DS vs Anti-Airs. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| n |--- Heli's| n |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y |--- My Two Cents ------------ Known in the field as the true definition of 'overkill'. Bombers are your primary weapon against those decisive units such as Battleships and Anti-Tanks. Unless the enemy has some serious defenses the Bomber can send just about anything into a world of pain. Just be aware that this thing is helpless against Interceptors and even Fighters. Keep an eye out for Cruisers and AA units that travel in pairs. It may seem like an easy power-hit, but the next turn will make mincemeat out of 20000 credit of flying death. Takedown -------- Cruisers and Missiles work. Ensure the Bomber doesn't hit the Missiles first though. Interceptors and Fighters can outrun Bombers and make them run for cover. AA units will work, but the Bomber will not likely fall in one hit unless it's been weakened slightly (usually from hitting another AA). Use multiple AAs to deter them. CPR --- AA units everywhere will have sleepless nights over these. Even a Lili CO Bomber can knock them out in one hit on (and up to) 1-star terrain. Any more boosts and it gets simply beyond overkill and more like genocide. AI Posts -------- Nobody. Thank god. 03) Fighter (US Name: Duster) An All New Unit. Currently... ------------ Cost: 13000 Range: 8 Vision: 4 Type: Air Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Machine Gun (9) Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Bomber, Fighter, Battle Heli., Trans. Heli. 3 - Carrier 2 - Anti-Air, Interceptor, Fighter, Ship Plane 1 - Missiles, Cruiser Positives --------- Capable of taking down helicopters. Relatively inexpensive. It CAN take down other planes, but you may need some backup. Safely annoys enemy foot-soldiers. Large field of vision. Negatives --------- Can only attack vehicles for luck damage. Does limited damage to Interceptors. Defenseless against countermeasures. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| Y |--- Heli's| Y |--- Ships | n |--- Subs | n |--- My Two Cents ------------ Call it an 'Entry-Level Interceptor' if you will. This unit also has conflicting names. Europeans get Fighter (the name for the Interceptor in previous games) where the Americans get the name 'Duster' (probably related to in-game stories about the unit being a converted cropduster). They actually resemble good old WW2 fighter planes, and that can only be a good thing, right? Well, sort of. Being propellor driven means it cannot outrun Interceptors (however 8 mobility isn't exactly slow). And having Machine Guns means that the damage it deals isn't too spectacular either. It will need to be at Ace/Vet level to KO choppers in one hit. It can also attack ground units, but only expect decent damage versus Infantry. Where this unit truly shines is in the hands of a specialist CO, where it becomes an aerial powerhouse for slightly less money than the Interceptor. Takedown -------- Aside from the usual two, Interceptors have a chance for a takedown if it is at Ace/Vet level. AAs also work the same. If Fighters aren't hitting every chopper you have, they will most likely be taking pot-shots at your capturing Infantry, so escort them with an AA to give them an afterthought or such. CPR --- The second half of the AWDC fanbases CO unit pairing. Very fast, guaranteed takedowns on choppers, can hold their ground against Interceptors even. Still can't hit armor for much though. AI Posts -------- The same as for the Interceptor, namely loads of them. You'll be seeing these a lot in any aerial battle. 04) Battle Helicopter (US Name: Battle Copter) Previously... ------------- Name: B. Copter Cost: 9000 Range: 6 Vision: 3 Type: Heli Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Missiles (6) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun Currently... ------------ Cost: 9000 Range: 6 Vision: -1 (2) Type: Heli Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: Air-to-Surface Missiles (6) Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun E-3-2-1 ------- E - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mega Tank, Mech Gun, Rockets, Missiles, Mobile Workshop, Battleship, Carrier, Submarine, Lander, Missile Boat, Battle Heli., Trans. Heli. 3 - Mega Tank, Anti Tank, Carrier 2 - Fighter, Battle Heli., Ship Plane 1 - Anti-Air, Missiles, Interceptor Positives --------- Effective against most ground units. Effective against other Helicopters. Seems much more powerful than in AW:DS. Negatives --------- Seems to be a bit more vulnerable than before. Preyed upon by countermeasures. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| n | Y Ground| Y | Y Aerial| n | n Heli's| n | Y Ships | Y | n Subs | Y | n My Two Cents ------------ Previously, the Battle Helicopter was a unit that took what I refer to as binary levels of damage: it would take no damage, or get swatted down like the swarm of annoying flies that they are. Forget flies, actually, they are more like wasps. Now, they seem to be much more vulnerable to damage from Machine Guns than before, resulting in a slightly lower effectiveness on the battlefield. What's more, the introduction of cheap Fighters and AA units make it even harder to use than before. Don't get put off though, because they can prove decisive. Their relative cheap cost means that in a deadlock, you can send them across the front lines on suicide missions. Nail a few key units and you can gain an opportunity to push though and cause a lot of damage. Considering their low cost, they work well up to Heavy Tanks, but Mega Tanks can gain the upper hand if they hit first. All in all, still useful, but more vulnerable. Takedown -------- Lots of stuff can hit choppers. Any aerial countermeasure (minus Fighters) smash through these in one hit. Fighters cripple them, Mega Tanks dent them a bit. Be aware that the enemy may use these to annoy your key units. Use Missiles to cover likely attack spots the chopper may use. But be careful using Missiles as Battle Heli's can range-dodge these units and win. CPR --- Potentially scary, but with cheaper AA units and low-cost Fighters, using one is no easy feat to achieve, to say the least. A Zadia Battle Heli. sweeps Infantry away and are capable of threatening even enemy Mega Tanks. AI Posts -------- Nobody. 05) Transport Helicopter (US Name: Transport Copter) Previously... ------------- Name: T. Copter Cost: 5000 Range: 6 Vision: 2 Type: Heli Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: None Currently... ------------ Cost: 5000 Range: 6 Vision: -1 (1) Type: Heli Fuel: 99 Primary Weapon: None Secondary Weapon: None E-3-2-1 ------- E - N/A 3 - Infantry, Bazooka, Motorbike, Recon, Flare, Tank, Heavy Tank, Mega Tank 2 - Anti Tank, Carrier 1 - Anti-Air, Missiles, Cruiser, Interceptor, Fighter, Ship Plane Positives --------- Can transport Infantry across all terrain quickly. Negatives --------- Defenseless. Attacks Used ------------ Incapable of attack. My Two Cents ------------ These haven't changed at all. Use them to transport Infantry/Mech units across mountains and seas to capture distance properties. They possess the armor of a sheath of silk and are liable to being shot down in one hit by nearly every aerial countermeasure. Be vigilant. Takedown -------- LOADS OF STUFF. The same as the Battle Heli, but the Trans. Heli. is vulnerable to just about any unit that can attack it. Even Infantry stand a chance of a 3HKO on one, so don't venture into an area even if it doesn't have any AAs. CPR --- Why would you want to anyway? AI Posts -------- No-one. 06) Ship Plane (US Name: Seaplane) An All New Unit. Currently... ------------ Cost: 15000 (From Carriers) Range: 7 Vision: 4 Type: Air Fuel: 40 Primary Weapon: Missiles (3) Secondary Weapon: None. E-3-2-1 ------- E - All Units 3 - Carrier, Fighter 2 - Anti-Air, Interceptor, Ship Plane 1 - Missiles, Cruiser Positives --------- They can attack any unit for solid damage. Relatively inexpensive. Negatives --------- Extremely low fuel count. Can only be deployed from an expensive Carrier. Not particularly capable of causing collateral damage to units. Slowest plane. Attacks Used ------------ Target|P-W|S-W ======+===+=== Inftry| Y |--- Ground| Y |--- Aerial| Y |--- Heli's| Y |--- Ships | Y |--- Subs | Y |--- My Two Cents ------------ The ace in the Carrier's hand. The Ship Plane is cheap, but to build one you need 28000 to get a Carrier. It takes three days and 43000 credit overall to let loose with even one Ship Plane. So, what is the point, really? This unit can attack anything and everything (well, exclude hidden Subs from the equation) and score solid damage (~6HP on average). Absolute genius. However, look at the fuel gauge and it really does say 40. This unit has extremely low range. Go 10 spaces from the Carrier and you risk it falling out of the sky. Also, it isn't exactly fast (well, for a plane). Takedown -------- Ship Planes have notoriously low supply levels. If you can't knock it out and it is inland, surround it with units and wait for it to run out of fuel. Be careful, because the enemy will not let that happen and it is likely that they will send in a rescue force. Release it just as it is about to crash and burn so you can get back to helping the war effort. CPR --- This would have been a good CO Post if it didn't have a fuel tank the size of a light bulb. As an attack force, then, a CO Ship Plane is extremely capable, but a little too short on range (unless you have Sigismundo in the cockpit and is trying to chain CO Powers. It's possible!). AI Posts -------- No-one. ========= 3. THANKS ========= Thanks for reading this FAQ, and I hope it has been of use to you guys. As of now, I have started countless FAQS, but this was the only one that hasn't been in a state of limbo. If you wish to contact me with any fixes, feel free. The address is...wait. I'm sure you know this, but swap the symbols with the appropriate substitutes. Anti-spambot thing, see. "wormmayheminc (a) hotmail (d) com" Yes, i've not used (at) or (dot). Something tells me that the bots can get around that now. Thanks anyways! (c)generiX 2008