GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION EXODUS by Briareos Kerensky (briareos_hf@tiscali.it, briareos_CWE), ver 1.2 04 July 2004 Table of Contents 1-Disclaimer 2-Update History 3-History Briefing 4-Unit Stats Briefing 5-NSA Units Briefing 6-Viron Units Briefing 7-Terran Units Briefing 8-Fixed Emplacements Briefing 9-General Tactics 10-Multiplayer Tactics 11-Walkthrough 12-Cheats 13-Credits and misc ************ 1-DISCLAIMER ************ All names and marks are property of their respective owners; this document is copyright of Briareos Kerensky: unauthorized reproduction of this document as it is or in part is forbidden; to ask authorization send a mail to me (briareos_hf@tiscali.it). Do not send mails asking CD keys or other personal codes which changes with every CD package: every softhouse has its own way to use these keys, and I won't deny myself the possibility to play online a game only because someone has "lost the package" or "the package is corrupted". If some sections have cheats which includes alteration of hex codes, renaming files, creation of new ones, I will not answer of HD formatting, lost datas, World Wars, nuclear explosions, invocation of demons of any kind or any other damage derived from those operations. I'm Italian, so do not pay attention to the many mistakes I'll do in spelling, grammar construction and so on. **************** 2-UPDATE HISTORY **************** 04 July 2004 - version 1.2. Fine-tuned units description, added missions 2 through 5 of the NSA walkthrough. All other sections recieved updates as well. 01 July 2004 - version 1.0. It has been a while since I've written a walkthrough, I hope I'm not rusted too much to do a good work. This initial release is mostly about general document layout, though NSA Units already have full stats. Tutorial walkthrough completed. ****************** 3-HISTORY BRIEFING ****************** ********************* 4-UNIT STATS BRIEFING ********************* Each unit in Ground Control II is defined by a series of stats. Here's a breif explanation of the various values you'll find n each field in the following sections. If a stat has a value between brackets, it indicates that this particular stat changes while in secondary mode. If a stat doens't have any other value, it means it's the same in both primary and secondary modes. TYPE: unit's name and general role it has in the deploying army HEALTH POINTS: maximum heath points the unit has. Once dropped to zero, the unit is destroyed. ARMOR TYPE: describes the armor the unit uses. Different armor types react in a different way to the different weapon types. ARMOR RATINGS: divided into four arcs (front, sides, x and x, respectively), describes how much damage the armor absorbs before affecting the health points. A 0 (zero) rating means there is no armor and the weapon does full damage. MAXIMUM SPEED: self expliantory. Probably in m/s. WEAPON TYPE: the general type of weapon the unit uses. Different weapon types react differently when impacting various types of armor and are more suited to fight certain types of units due to their features. Gatling indicates the unit uses a fast-firing, low-caliber gun; they are one of the best weapons against infantry. Snipe are extremely precise balistic weapons with low rate of fire; Sniping weapons can take out troopers with one or two shots but are totally inadeguate against heavy terradyne armors. AT means Anti-Tank; the projectiles' caliber ranges from medium to big and it is studied to penetrate heavy armors usually employed on Terradynes. The allocate a good amount of damage, but they are usually mounted on relatively slow-tracking turrets and doesn't have a fast rate of fire, resulting inadeguate to deal with infantry. Missile are guided munitions, usually able to track both Terradynes and Helidynes. They cannot target infantry as it poses a too small target for their tracking system. Missile weapons usually suffer of a low rate of fire, balanced out by their range, accurancy and firepower, especially against air targets. Explosive indicates a weapon using some kind of projectiles which detonate upon contact with target or terrain features; the resulting explosion allocates damage, though less than a direct hit. Usually explosive rounds are carried by artillery units and are used to attack a large area instead of a precise target. Gas weapons are the most effective weapon against infantry; this category includes flamethrowers or other gas weapons. Their range is limited and their usefulness against vehicles is often questionnable. Plasma weapons are extremely rare; they are effective against any kind of armor and a single shot from a plasma weapon will heavily damage even the strongest vehicle. WEAPON DAMAGE: the first number denotes the minimum damage a weapon can inflict, the second one, the maximum; damage inflicted is a number between these two values. The effective weapon damage is also affected by weapon type vs armor type, armor rating and various bonuses given by altitude, buidlings, forests and so on. WEAPON RANGE: weapon's maximum range, in meters VISUAL RANGE: in meter; how far the unit can see units within a circle with the value as its radius, with the unit being the center of this circle. Unit detection is also affected by terrain features and other units' stealthness STEALTHNESS: how much the unit is "invisible" to enemy units. A value of 0 (zero) means the unit is visible as it enters the other unit's visual range, a value o 100 means the unit is completely invisible to enemy units. AP COST: Acquisition Points required to order a single unit DROPSHIP SPACE: slots a single unit will occupy on a Dropship ******************** 5-NSA UNITS BRIEFING ******************** type: Light Assault Trooper - NSALAT-94 "SOLDAT" health points: 200 armor type: infantry armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 5 weapon type: gatling (AT) weapon damage: 2-4 (15-30) weapon range: 100 visual range: 150 stealthness: 20 AP Cost: 150 Dropship space: 1 type: NSA Sniper - NSA/RICI-5 "RAPTOR" health points: 180 armor type: infantry armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 7 (0) weapon type: none (snipe) weapon damage: none (30-60) weapon range: none (250) visual range: 150 stealthness: 50 (20) AP Cost: 255 Dropship space: 1 Specialized anti-infantry units. Snipers are probably the most effective infantry-killers used by all armies in this conflict. They are almost invisible even when firing, they move fast and they strike at long ranges with a very powerful gun, able to kill a single man in two or three, well placed shots. A small group of Raptors can effectively travel from building to building and quietly kill all infantry with little risk of being spotted and shot back. They can also attack vehicle, aiming at their weak spots, but the gun was not designed for penetrating thick armors, so their usefulness is extremely limited if there is no infantry in the area. The biggest drawback of this unit is that it cannot fire while in primary mode and that it cannot move in secondary mode, forcing commanders to wisely place Raptors; also, their armor is very thin and are very susceptible to any kind of fire. type: NSA Siege Soldier - M4340HC1 "OGRE" health points: 250 armor type: infantry armor ratings: 30/30/30/30 maximum speed: 6 (3) weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 3-7 (5-10) weapon range: 110 (100) visual range: 150 stealthness: 5 (0) AP Cost: 410 Dropship space: 2 The Ogre's M4340HC1 powered suit allows them to withstand an impressive amount of damage from various types of weapons before losing combat effectivness and to support one of the most destructive infantry weapons designed by the NSA, the P97h assault minigun. The uranium-depleted bullets used by this minigun are capable of penetrating most types of armor and allocate damage even to the heaviest Terradyne. Ogres are also faster than normal Troopers, which make an ideal assault force in urban combat, as they can benefit of all bonuses of normal infantry. In secondary mode, Siege Soldiers set their miniguns in full-auto mode, dramatically increasing their rate of fire and damage potential. As the gun creates a strong recoil, the Soldiers cannot move while firing. Basically, Siege Soldiers are miniaturized tanks. Even a small group of them can take assaults from multiple Terra- and Hover- dynes, with good probabilities that the vehicles won't leave the battlefield...or leave it in a very bad shape. Combined with their ability to take cover in buildings and forests and their stealthness (low for an infantrymen but higher than a Terradyne), Siege Soldiers can spearhead an assault with very few worries. type: NSA Light APC - LAPC-780 "RHINO" health points: 250 armor type: light armor ratings: 50/20/20/0 maximum speed: 15 weapon type: gatling (none) weapon damage: 5-10 (none) weapon range: 100 (none) visual range: 120 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: 400 Dropship space: 2 type: NSA Assault APC - AAPC-D90 "VULCANO" health points: 350 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/10/0 maximum speed: 12 (none) weapon type: gas weapon damage: 15-30 (10-20) weapon range: 50 (100) visual range: 100 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: Dropship space: type: NSA Recon Terradyne - ATPJS90 "GUARDIAN" health points: 180 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 30/20/0/0 maximum speed: 20 (8) weapon type: AT (none) weapon damage: 12-25 (none) weapon range: 150 (none) visual range: 250 stealthness: 0 (100) AP Cost: 350 Dropship space: 2 type: NSA Rocket Terradyne - AMRLV-320 "MARAUDER" health points: 140 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 40/20/0/0 maximum speed: 12 (0) weapon type: missile (none) weapon damage: 15-30 (none) weapon range: 130 (none) visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: Dropship space: type: NSA Combat Engineer - ACEUV-905 "ZAPPER" health points: 150 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/10/10 maximum speed: 12 (0) weapon type: none weapon damage:none weapon range: none visual range: 100 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: 510 Dropship space: 2 type: NSA Fortress Terradyne - DTU-7499 "RAVAGER" health points: 500 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/10/10 (80/0/0/0) maximum speed: 6 (none) weapon type: AT weapon damage: 30-60 (35-70) weapon range: 100 (130) visual range: 80 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: Dropship space: type: NSA Main Battle Terradyne - SEK-450 "LIBERATOR" health points: 300 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 maximum speed: 12 weapon type: AT (snipe) weapon damage: 25-50 (25-50) weapon range: 120 (100) visual range: 120 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: 950 Dropship space: 3 type: NSA Mobile Artillery - AFAS-109 "HAIL" health points: 240 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 20/10/0/0 maximum speed: 8 (0) weapon type: explosive weapon damage: 15-30 (20-40) weapon range: 300 (400) visual range: 100 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: Dropship space: type: NSA Light Helidyne - IRH45 "SHADE" health points: 250 armor type: air armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 25 (35) weapon type: missile weapon damage: 10-20 weapon range: 120 visual range: 250 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: Dropship space: type: NSA Transport Helidyne - AVTCH-6 "BIGBIRD" health points: 300 armor type: air armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 (20/20/20/20) maximum speed: 20 (10) weapon type: none weapon damage: none weapon range: none visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: Dropship space: type: NSA Defensive Unit - TTP-90 "SENTRY" health points: 200 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: none weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 7-15 weapon range: 100 visual range: 120 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: 250 Dropship space: 2 type: NSA Field Sensor - MSRS-4 "DETECTOR" health points: 200 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: none weapon type: none weapon damage: none weapon range: none visual range: 350 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: 500 Dropship space: 2 type: NSA Dropship health points: 1000 armor type: very heavy armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 100 weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 6-12 weapon range: 200 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 AP Cost: none Dropship space: none type: Saergent RHO health points: 250 armor type: infantry armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 7 weapon type: snipe weapon damage: 20-40 (40-80) weapon range: 110 (220) visual range: 200 stealthness: 50 (20) AP Cost: none Dropship space: none ********************** 6-VIRON UNITS BRIEFING ********************** type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: type: health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: AP Cost: Dropship space: *********************** 7-TERRAN UNITS BRIEFING *********************** type: Imperial LEGIONNAIRE health points: 150 armor type: infantry armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 6 weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 2-4 weapon range: 100 visual range: 150 stealthness: 20 type: Imperial DRAGOON health points: 250 armor type: infantry armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 5 weapon type: gas weapon damage: 5-10 weapon range: 50 visual range: 100 stealthness: 40 type: Imperial Light APC - "PEDES CONVINUS" health points: 200 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 maximum speed: 15 weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 6-12 weapon range: 100 visual range: 120 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial Centurio Hoverdyne - D4451 "CENTURIO" health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: type: Imperial Light Hoverdyne - "PATHFINDER" health points: 150 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 maximum speed: 20 weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 6-12 weapon range: 120 visual range: 200 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial DESTROYER Hoverdyne health points: 350 armor type: heavy armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 maximum speed: 15 weapon type: AT weapon damage: 30-60 weapon range: 120 visual range: 120 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial A4 Combat Strider - "TEREBRA EXARCH" health points: 210 armor type: light armor ratings: 30/20/10/10 maximum speed: 6 weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 5-10 weapon range: 100 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial Rocket Strider health points: 200 armor type: light armor ratings: 30/20/10/10 maximum speed: 7 weapon type: missile weapon damage: 12-25 weapon range: 150 visual range: 175 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial Howitzer IMHH65 - "IMPERIAL FIST" health points: armor type: armor ratings: maximum speed: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: type: Imperial Dropship health points: 1000 armor type: very heavy armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 maximum speed: 100 weapon type: gatling weapon damage: 6-12 weapon range: 200 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 ***************************** 8-FIXED EMPLACEMENTS BRIEFING ***************************** type: "SHRIKE-5" Cannon Turret health points: 350 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 weapon type: AT weapon damage: 40-80 weapon range: 140 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial SAM Site health points: 300 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 weapon type: missile weapon damage: 30-60 weapon range: 250 visual range: 200 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial Anti-Infantry Turret health points: 200 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 0/0/0/0 weapon type: snipe weapon damage: 1-2 weapon range: 200 visual range: 200 stealthness: 0 Fixed Emplacement specialized in long-range artillery fire. type: Imperial Anti-Tank Turret health points: 300 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 weapon type: AT weapon damage: 40-80 weapon range: 140 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial flamethrower anti-infantry turret - SCORCHER T-99 health points: 300 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 weapon type: gas weapon damage: 25-30 weapon range: 90 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 type: Imperial Pulverizer turret AND-1 health points: 500 armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: 50/20/0/0 weapon type: plasma weapon damage: 75-150 weapon range: 140 visual range: 150 stealthness: 0 type: health points: armor type: fixed emplacement armor ratings: weapon type: weapon damage: weapon range: visual range: stealthness: ***************** 9-GENERAL TACTICS ***************** ********************** 10-MULTIPLAYER TACTICS ********************** ************** 11-WALKTHROUGH ************** ------------ --TUTORIAL-- ------------ Name: TUTORIAL 1 Briefing: the Terran have a resupply convoy passing through this area once every month, and by destroying it you will deny all needed supply for the Terran units on-planet. Starting units: + Saergent Rho Primary Objectives: + Rho must survive + Stop the Terran convoy Secondary Objectives: none Map Description: hilly terrain, with the East part dominated by a city, and to the west of it, a small forest. Various Nav Points are signaled by red markers. Support Availability: no Dropships or Off-Map Attacks. Extra Unit Availability: none Weather Description: cloudy, but no rain, fog or other troubles during the whole mission Walkthrough: Pretty simple. Just follow what the AI tells you. At the second marker you'll get four Light Troopers, the third a Recon Terradyne and at the fourth a Combat Engineer. The final two markers are located where the Terran convoy will appear; move the Infantry to the building east of the entry point, facing north or west, then move Sarge Rho to the first marker. The convoy (2 Light APCs and some Legionnaires) will appear. Use the Trooper's AT weapons to take care of the APCs then switch to primary mode the kill all Legionnaires. The second market signals a building with 4 Raptors, but they will remain neutral even if you bring Rho or the Troopers near them. De-briefing: "No more burgers for the Terrans", as Sarge Rho says. Name: TUTORIAL 2 Briefing: there's a base which is the last NSA stronghold in a Terran-occupied urban area. You will have to organize the base defenses and then repel the present Terran forces. Starting units: none Primary Objectives: + Defend LZ + Repair the Cannon emplacements + Conquer all VLs Secondary Objectives: none Map Description: the West area is occupied by a large city- The base itself can be accessed trhough a single bridge at the center of the map, very near to the Shrike-5 cannons. There are two observation towers just behind the cannons and your first LZ is placed well inside the base. There's a third Shrike-5 cannon south of the LZ, though it is pratically useless. Just west of the bridge there's a second LZ, occupied by the Terrans. The first VL is located northwest of the second LZ, sorrounded by buildings. The second VL is south of the first, in a open place. Support Availability: Dropships and Normal and Large Artillery Barrage. Extra Unit Availability: Light Trooper, Recon Terradyne, Combat Engineer Weather Description: cloudy, with a hint of rain just after you start to move from the base. It won't last long, though. Walkthrough: Although Sarge Rho will be on-map, it will act as a neutral unit, not under your direct comand. He will place himself on the sout tower and will automatically shoot at everything coming within range. As soon as you get command of the Light Troopers near the LZ, move them at the base entranceto fend off incoming Terran attacks. As soon you have enough Resource Points, deploy a Combat Engineer and repair the two Shrike-5 cannons near the entrace, and move a single Trooper inside of them to have them on your side. These cannons are premiere anti-Terradyne weapons, the rest of your Troopers will have to fend off any infantry attack. In any case, don't let any of the attackers near the LZ. You'll also have to destroy two Imperial Destroyer Terradynes with your Troopers, by using their secondary mode (AT weapons); probably one will enter the lower Shrike-5's weapon range, so you'll only have to flank the remaining Terradyne to strike at its sides with your AT weapons; the Terradyne won't ever fire back, so it will be a very easy task. Now to the enemy LZ, defended by 5 Legionnaires. Order a couple of Light Troopers or a pair of Recon Terradynes to take care of them, and be sure to bring your Combat Engineer and use its secondary mode to heal all your firing units while fighting. As you have captured the LZ, you can order an other pair of Recon Terradynes or five other Troopers. By using the Recon Terradynes' secondary mode (stealth mode), highlight all Legionnaires hiding in building to the first VL and take them out with your Troopers. You can also de-cloack the Rhinos to obtain some fire-support from them. As you capture the first LZ, the computer will inform you of the off-map attacks. Use a single Rhino in stealth mode to scout where the Legionnaires are most concentrated and order a Large Artillery Barrage to take them out, then move in all your forces to exterminate any resistance. De-briefing: Captain Angelus has been recalled to New Darwin for active combat duty. -------------------------- --NORTHERN STAR ALLIANCE-- -------------------------- Name: DERATIZATION Briefing: A strange object, probably an unmanned recon pod, detached from a Terran spaceship, fell in New Darwin City and smashed through two buildings before stopping its fall. The situation in the city is almost desperate, NSA forces are engaging Terran units in every part of the city. The object should be really important, as Empress Vlaana is devoting resources for its retrieval. You objective is to trieve it first and denying her this object. Starting units: + 9 Light Troopers Primary Objectives: + Capture the Unmanned Capsule + Repel Dracus' Assault Force Secondary Objectives: + Conquer VL at Loengard Square + Conquer VL at Toll Road 4 Map Description: Your initial force is located in the south. The unmanned pod is located in the northwest; Toll Road is the VL on the pod's right while Loengrad square is in the south, one or two clicks from you starting position. The whole map is filled by buildings and several roads have blockades, making somewhat difficult for vehicles to travel. There's a river running through the map, but you'll hardly notice it; you'll have to cross a bridge to enter the city, which is the only real spot without cover for your infantry. Support Availability: no Dropships or Off-Map Attacks. Extra Unit Availability: none Weather Description: cloudy, no rain. Walkthrough: Start by moving your units north of your starting position, as quickly as possible and order them to take cover in one of buildings near the other end of the bridge. There will be some Legionnaires in the buildings in the area and soon a Light Hoverdyne with four additional Legionnaires will appear from the east. Quickly order your Troopers to attack the Light Hoverdyne with AT weapons (secondary mode) and then take out the Legionnaires. During this attack, or shortly after, Major Grant will send you 3 Light Troopers and 3 Recon Terradynes. They will enter the map from the west and will be under your command as soon as you recieve Grant's communication. Group all your units and proceed toward Loengard Square by plcing your Troopers in buildings while the Rhinos scout the area in stealth mode. Loengard Square is defended by 3 Terran infantry units right on the VL marker plus other two in the building to the east. Additional 3 infantry units will move from the north once their comrades will be under attack, so place your Troopers in one building to the south while your Rhinos offer fire support; now conquer the VL to recieve an additional Recon Terradyne (it will appear in the east part of the map, just as the previous reinforcments). Now move toward Toll Road 4. Just follow the road, ordering your Troopers to advance by hopping from a building to an other while your Rhinos scout the area while in stealth mode. There should be no Terran soldier if not near the second VL, which will be even easier to conquer then Loengard Square; you'll recieve an other Rhino as reward. Once both VLs are under your control and you have grouped all your units, move toward the primary objective, the unmanned pod. This location is lightly protected by a couple of Legionnaires, you'll have no problem to conquer this location, but just after that, Dracus, the local Terran commander will order you to leave the area or face immediate destruction. You have little choice, defend the location at all costs. Major Grant will send you additional 5 Recon Terradynes (this time they will enter area where you started). Move your Troopers in the buildings "guarding" the only entrance to the crash site, facing north and east and order them to use their AT weapons; cloack your Rhinos and place them just outside the VL and wait for the Terrans. They will come from the east, and they will reclaim Toll Road before arriving. The Terran retaliatory force is composed by one Assault Hoverdyne and six Legionnaires. Destroy the Hoerdyne first, by letting all your Troopers shooting with everything they have and by decloacking the Rhinos at pointblank range, then target the Legionnaires (revert the Troopers to primary mode and if necessary make them exit the buldings). De-briefing: Major Grant congratulates you, but Geeral Warhust wants you immediately at Fort Parker. Name: SITUATION REPORT Briefing: In a private message to Alice McNeal, Angelus tells her that when he was garrisoning the borders all he dreamt about was an hot shower and he and his men spent months without action. Now he takes a shower everyday to wash away the blood of the soldiers died under his command. General Warhust wants to push the Terran further from the capital, eradicating their presence from Gideon's Landing. Captain Angelus, Lieutenant LaCroix and Major Grant will stage a combined attack to beach defenses first and then to the base itself. Starting units: + 18 Light Troopers + 3 Light APCs Primary Objectives: + Conquer all VL and LZ on the beach + Conquer the Terran base Secondary Objectives: none Map Description: the lowest part of the map is dominated by a beach, filled with various bunkers and several Anti-Infantry turrets. The zone is heavily defended by standard Legionnaires and Light Hoverdynes, plus few Striders. The main base is separated from the beach by a deep chasm and can be only reached through two bridges, positioned on the west and east; a third bridge connect the east part to the base. The base has several buildings, plus two AT turrets and one Anti-Infantry turrets, placed near the two entrances. LZs are located in the base itself, to the north of your starting position (east part of the map) and on the opposite side. Five VLs are spread throughout the beach, plus two located north of the bridges. There are at least two bunkers near each VL (except the norther-most ones). Terrain is hilly and favors the defenders, though thick forests will help your Infantry in taking additional cover. Support Availability: Dropships but no Off-Map Attacks Extra Unit Availability: Light Trooper, Light APC, Recon Terradyne Weather Description: it will rain for few minutes in the beginnng, then will get sunny. Walkthrough: Immediately move all your Troopers near the Anti-Infantry turrets and have them fire a salvo of AT rockets at them to quickly disable one, then move and attack an other turret; a single salvo from 16 Troopers should be enough to take care of a single turret, but it it's still operational, continue to fire in primary mode: normal rounds will do considerably less damae, but they will finish the turret off. There is a total of 6 turrets in the area you have been assigned, and they all have to come down before moving on. Repeat this tactic with all turrets in the area and move toward the VL north of your starting location. Although there will be four Legionnaires in the bunker east to it, they will flee after a brief skirmish, rather than fightin to the death. You also might want to upgrade the Dropship's weapon systems right now: in this map, the enemy will continue to attack you and will send reinforcments from all LZs still under their control, and a powerful Dropship will help you in defending the captured LZs. Be sure to order the Dropship to stay at the LZ as long as possible to have additional firepower if needed. Armor won't be a problem, it's impossible that the enemy will assemble a strike team strong enough to destroy the Dropship. The first LZ is protected by few Legionnaires situated in a bunker to the east and to the south. Your Troopers won't have any problems in taking care of them; there is also a Rocket Strider patrolling the area, as well as a Light Hoverdyne and an Anti-Infantry turret; the turret will probably the hardest nut to crack; remember to use AT rockets to deliver a strong punch, then immediately switch to primary mode and move to the target's weak side and fire at it without hesitation. Once the LZ is under control, Grant and LaCroix will begin to order Light Troopers; this won't affect your Acquisition Points but they will delay your Dropships; also, these units won't be under your direct command and they will only move toward the VLs and LZs on the beach, entering bunkers if necessary to defend them; unfortunately, they won't swith to secondary mode when attacking or being attacked by vehicles, so you might need to support them a little. Notice that the enemy will always try to recapture all locations, no matter what. Now systematically capture all four VLs left on the beach and be sure to have at least two full groups of Light Troopers before invading the second LZ. Be sure that this LZ will have Dropships come by all the time, often carrying Light Hoverdyne and Legionnaires and I've seen it drop an Heavy Hoverdyne once. Defenses on this base are also tight: an Anti-Infantry turret covers the left flank, helped by a bunker and your units won't have an easy time passing through the forest on the right site for an assault. However, the forest is the weak point of this base, as you'll have additional cover and you won't be an easy target for the defenders. If you want, you can wait that either Grant or LaCroix send some of their men to assault the base to have additional firepower. Don't bother attacking the enemy Dropship: you still don't have enough firepower to bring it down. Once all VLs and LZs on the beach are secure, move your main assault force to the west and let it cross the bridge, killing all opposition; you can also move all your men you placed in the bunkers to guard the east-most bridge, as most Terran reinforcments will pass on that bridge. Do not push too forward on that bridge or you'll alert the defenders; it is not imperative to conquer the lastest VLs but you are free to do it if you want: just be prepared for an intense firefight on the east. The Terran base is protected on the west by an Anti-Infantry turret and a Legionnaire atop of an observation tower; the north entrance is protected by an AT turret and an other Legionnaire on an observation tower. There's a second AT turret near the final LZ which you'll have to engage plus a Rocket Strider; expect some Legionnaires and Dropships. Attacking from the west is the most straight-forward option, and probably the best, as you won't have to deal with two AT turrets. A combined strike from 2 full groups of Trooper will be enough to take care of both Anti-infantry and AT turrets, nor Legionnaires will be a problem against such massive firepower. Once the LZ falls under your control, mission will be over. De-briefing: Major Grant rejoices as Gideon's Landing is back to NSA control and that he won the stake with Warhust. Warhust cuts the comm and orders everyone to get back, something big is about to happen. Name: SMELLS LIKE VICTORY Briefing: Telling his wife what happened, Grant praises the new captain and that Warhust still hasn't paid the debt. Closing the message, Grant also tells about something big that will change the situation. Your mission is to capture or kill Empress Vlaana herself, located in the Goran-5 base; she was inspecting her troops but her shuttle broken down and she's now at the base until the shuttle is repaired. Starting units: + 24 Light Troopers + 8 Siege Soldiers + 1 Combat Engineer Primary Objectives: + Establish an Operation Base + Capture or Kill Empress Vlaana + Cross the Bridge Secondary Objectives: + Capture the Radar Station + Capture another LZ + Disable Perimeter Defenses Map Description: Hilly terrain, with several valleis connected by a net of bridges, especially in the northwest part. East and southeast parts are mostly beaches. A Radar Station is in the east-most peninsula. An energy station is in the south. The main base in the northwest corner, heavy protected by turrets and atop of a hill that really help the defenders in their job. There are four LZs: one northwest from your starting position, one between the previous LZ and the Terran base and one just outside the base, to the north. The first LZ is protected by two SAM sites and two bunkers. The bridge you'll ahve to cross to take the second LZ is protected by three Flamethrower turrets and some bunkers. Support Availability: Dropships, no Off-Map attacks Extra Unit Availability: Light Troopers, Siege Soldiers, Light APCs, Recon Terradyne, Combat Engineers Weather Description: large clouds will randomly darken the battlefield for few seconds; no rain. Walkthrough: Well, if you played the demo you already know the mission, although you won't have Raptor or Artillery support. It's not as bad as it can sound as you still have Siege Soldiers. Begin to move all your units to the forest to the east, taking care of the Legionnaires you'll encounter. Place your Siege Soldiers as vanguard and move toward the first LZ passing through the forests; kill any unit within range and be sure to disable both SAM sites, or the Dropship will have an hard time delivering reinforcments. The second site is on the hill south of the LZ, near a bunker; on the oppisite side, a couple of Legionnaires stand still near some explosive crates; although it's impossible to aim the crates directly, a missed shot will ignite them, making short work of both Legionnaires. Repair all your units and order as many Siege Soldiers you can, then send them to the Radar Station on the peninsula; there are only 5 Legionnaires (all grouped near the Radar itself) and one Light Hoverdyne defending the station, they fill fall easily against concentrated fire. Once the Radar is under your control, leave 6 Light Troopers to the current LZ, heal your men and head slowly toward the second LZ. You'll notice that the bridges here are protected by Flamethrower turrets, which are able to literally roast any kind of infantry in seconds; use your Siege Soldiers in primary mode to take them out at range, anything else won't work (no, mass-attacking turrets is not a good idea). Capture the second LZ, then split your troops: send the Siege Soldiers toward the main Terran base while 6 Light Troopers go for the south LZ. Leave any excess unit guarding the LZ. As soon as the Ogres cross the bridge, Saergent Rho will alert you that the base is defended by 4 Pulverizer turrets; the easiest and safest way to disable them is to destroy the energy station near the southermost LZ. The energy station is lightly defende, with only seven Legionnaires patrolling the area. One of these Legionnaires is standing on a observation tower north of the station, and it's the most dangerous of the group due to its better line of sight. When the last Legionnaires has been dispatched, attack the energy station (the large well-like structure using the water at the bottom of the valley) and when it's destroyed, move all your Light Troopers to the second LZ. There's no reason in attacking the third LZ as the enemy will employ some time in gathering enough forces to attack you and to track you down. Now that the defenses are gone, move your Siege Soldiers (if you want, or you need them , call other Soldiers down) toward the base. There will be a very light resistance from the few Legionnaires in the bunkers and on the observation towers, though a couple of Striders are patrolling the area. Once you have reached the base entrance, be sure to capture the LZ and call down any reinforcment you need to, and if you do, be sure to order the Dropship to stay on site as long as possible...though it's not necessary, additional firepower is always appreciated. As the LZ falls into your hands, Saergent Rho says he has a weird feeling about the situation, he'd have expected a lot more resistance if Vlaana was there... Move your units to the last VL, inside the base to complete the mission. De-briefing: There's no trace of Vlaana, and Angelus is sure that she hasn't slip by. Grant suggests that she wasn't here at all, and played both commanders as fools. A priority message comes from New Darkin, uncoded: Alice McNeal alert all NSA untis that New Darwin has lost its defensive shield and is under heavy enemy attack and heavy bombardment. Name: FALLING DOWN Briefing: the shields protecting the NSA cities are generated by various stations within the city perimeters. They use a controlled megnetic-pulse beam that enlarges at a pre-determined altitude. All vehicles, guided projectiles or objects with electronic devices are rendered inoperative and destroyed if they come in touch with the shield; shield are combined with anti-nuclear, bacteriological and other mass-destruction weapons, but are useless at ground levels, as they will make NSA technology useless, so planetary defenses have been designed to repel such attacks. Vlaana used her shuttle as a bait to lure from the capital the best troops; captain Angelus and major Grant have been assigned to the Nova Legia sector, where Shield Node 69 is down; Grant's wife lives in this residential block. Starting units: + 16 Light Troopers + 3 Snipers + 3 Recon Terradynes + 1 Liberator + 1 Combat Engineer Primary Objectives: + Conquer and Repair Shield Node 69 + Defend Shield Node 69 + Meet Major Grant Secondary Objectives: + Reconquer all defense turrets Map Description: Large city, composed by 5 large blocks connected by a series of bridges. The largest block contains 4 VLs and two LZs. The northmost LZ is under your control and it's your starting point. The three VLs on the top corner of the map are protected by three Shrike-5 turrets each and are your secondary objective; note that at least one for each group of turrets is active, so it won't be shown on map. South of your starting position, on a small island, there's a VL with the Shield Node; there are 4 inactive SAM sites sorrounding the Node and two Anti-Infantry turrets protect the bridge. The second LZ is protected by two other Anti-Infantry turrets and unlikely the one you start with, isn't sorrounded by any buildings, making impossible to be ambushed by Legionnaires. Right to this LZ there's a VL guarding a long bridge which connect the mainland with the residential block; there are no turrets protecting the bridge or turrets inside this area. Later on, a LZ will be created in the east part of the residential block, plus four VLs place near the docks (north), the main residential palaces (west), near a bridge connecting the palaces to the rest of the map ("center") and one located in a small square (or what remains of it...east). The east part has no place of interest. Support Availability: Dropships and Smoke Screen Off-Map Attack Extra Unit Availability: Light Troopers, Snipersm Siege Soldiers, Light APCs, Recon Terradynes, Combat Engineers, Liberators, all deployable turrets. Weather Description: some clouds, but no rain. Walkthrough: OK, things start to get interesting. You have a good choice of units, including long-range Snipers and assault units like Liberators and Siege Soldiers. The map is full of enemies and things will begin to heat up from this mission. Once you have command of your troops, immediately put the Snipers and Combat Engineer in secondary mode; group the Light Troopers and move the Liberator next to the Snipers; cloack the Rhinos and put them on the LZ's left side. The Terrans will attack soon, with a good quantity of Legionnaires and even a couple of Rocket Striders. There are two Light Hoverdynes near the VL behind you, use your Liberator to lure them within Sniper range and destroy them. Once the first attack has been repelled, move your Snipers inside the building south of your position (note that it's the building right on top of your LZ, the camera angle is flipped, so what you see on the top edge of the screen is south), facing the depot; they will be able to heavily damage or destroy even vehicles. Leave the Troopers near the LZ and if the Snipers need help, move them to support. Now order as many Siege Soldiers you can; if you want, you can also order Liberators, but they cost a lot more and Siege Soldiers will work just fine...for this mission, a group of 16 Liberators or about 16 Siege Soldiers will work fine: considering you have already a Combat Engineer, you'll be able to advance while repairing your units. Siege Soldiers are also better suited than Terradynes in urban combat as they can take cover in buildings. With the first VL under your control, move your main force toward the second and last LZ the Terrans can use to bring down reinforcments; these reinforcments will usually be a group of three A4 Combat Striders, so keep your force together and concentrate fire on a single target rathern than letting your unit aim what they want. The LZ is protected by two Anti-Infantry cannons plus one Destroyer Hoverdyne. Expect a Dropship to come by and deliver some units near it, but it won't really pose a problem. Without LZs Terrans won't be able to call down reinforcments, so begin to sweep the upper part of the city before going to the Shield Node. There are very few Legionnaires in the area, and there is only one active Shrike-5 turret in the secondary VLs, so you might want to call down a couple of Liberators (if you are relying on Siege Soldiers) to quickly take care of the two spots while your Siege Soldiers reach the bridge connecting the island where the Shield Node is and take out the two Anti-Infantry turrets guarding it, but don't cross the bridge yet. It is now time to move all your forces except three or four Light Troopers near the VL north of the bridge connecting the residential block to the mainland. The east part of the city offers a single Destroyer Hoverdyne as prey, take it out if you want. Once all of your units not taking part in the attack at the Shield Node have reached their position, begin the attack. The isle is protected by two Rocket Striders, one Destroyer Hoverdyne and one Legionnaire, easy preis for Siege Soldiers in secondary mode. Once all enemies are gone, repair the two Anti-Infantry turrets and place one Light Trooper inside each turret and the third in the SAM site nearest to the Node. Move your main assault force to the VL where your other forces are waiting and only after they are there repair the Node. If you have lost your Combat Engineer and cannot earn enough Acquisition Points to call down a second vehicle, the bridge connecting the residetial bloack and the mainland offers 4 Destroyer Hoverdynes and two Legionnaires, enough to call down what you need. Once the Node is repaired, Major Grant will order you to join forces and repel all what's left of the Terrans in the city; the rendez-vous point is the VL near the now-famous residential block bridge; if you already conquered the VL and destroyed the Terran units on the bridge itself, the next event will be automatically triggered, if not, conquer the VL and destroy the Terrans. Captain Angelus will spot incoming alien pods falling from the shield, which passed through the shield and landed in the residential block; those things are not terran, but the Major will go berserk as his wife is in that residential block; his forces (5 Liberators) won't have an easy time: the things dropped from the sky are Virons, an alien race that had no contact with the humans for hundred of years, and it's impossible that the Terrans are using them, as the Virons are extremly xenophobic...however, Ghall, commander of the assaulters declares himself as an allied of the Terran Empire. Immediately move all your forces to the new LZ on the east part of the residential block: you don't want that the Virons secure an LZ and start to call down reinforcments. Leave the Recon Terradynes and the Snipers as guard there while your main force sweep the area, killing any alien it encounters and conquering the VLs. Your only opponents will be Viron infantry, but do not underestimate them: the Prime Clanguards can easily dispatch a Liberators if caught offguard, and the Infector Clanguard can be a nasty opponent even to Siege Soldiers, although these units will have less problems than Liberators in dealing with them. If your force consists in Liberators, switch them to secondary mode and in any case bring with you a Combat Engineer. Once the last VL has been taken, the mission is over. De-briefing: Although the NSA was able to fend off the Viron attack, little remain of the residential block. Captain Angelus tries to comfort Major Grant, telling that his wife could be elsewhere...but Grant knows she was there. Saergent Rho will come to pick up Angelus as per General Warhust's direct order. Name: ALL DEAR THINGS Briefing: Few things are known about the Virons. The first contact with this race was made by the renegade officer Sarah Parker, who violeted their airspace, probably with the legendary warship "Astrid". Virons are extremely xenophobic solitary, and the only certain things are that they are biped and use nano-organic technology. There's an unconfirmed report about fights in the Ragnarok nebula, probably their homeplanet. General Warhust wants the captain to defend the xenotechnic lab in the area. Major Grant has been "delayed" by Vrions in Nova Legia and he's currently annihilating any resistance. Starting units: + 6 Light Troopers + 1 Sniper + 1 Siege Soldier + 1 Light APC + 4 Recon Terradynes + 1 Liberator Primary Objectives: + Reach Alice McNeal + Retreat to Mannerheim Tunnerl Secondary Objectives: none Map Description: A Large city again, and again there are lots of bridges that makes difficult to cross for broad formations. The city itself is composed by 5 big isles, plus a little one on the east. Bridges and VLs (except the inital LZ and the lab) are protected by Shrike-5 Cannons. Every turret doens't need repairs to be manned by an infantry unit, though a pair of them is under Terran control and you'll need to destroy them and then repair to use them. There are two allied squads in the west side of the map that will come in handy. Support Availability: no Dropships, Smoke Screen Off-Map attack Extra Unit Availability: none Weather Description: night operation. Some broken clouds, but otherwise clear. Walkthrough: The Dropship has been shoot down by Terran missile fire. There aren't much chances that Warhust will be able to send you an other Dropship soon, so take good care of your units. Board all infantry on your APC and put the Liberators in secondary mode and have them advance past the bridge, taking out all Viron Clanguards you'll encounter. Pay attention to these units as they carry AT weapons, which can make short work of your Terradynes if they flank them. Use your Engineer for on-the-flight repairs and be sure to have all units in perfect shape before entering the lab compound. Place all your infantry units on the buildings in front of the lab in secondary mode and the Liberators just outside the gates: soon the Terrans will send a light attack force. Now enter the lab compound; Alice McNeal will greet captain Angelus and will instruct him to take the VIP transport to the Mannerheim tunnel, on the other side of the city; the transport carries the key to the NSA survival, and must not fall under enemy hands or be destroyed. All units within the lab compound will be put under your command, Field Sensor aside (which is also basically useless, leave it be); there are 2 Liberators, 8 Light Troopers, a Light APC, 2 Combat Engineers and 2 Recon Units. Once the first Terran strike has been fended off, repair your units, group them and board all infantry on the APCs. Don't leave anyone behind. Move to the west, where the map signals allied units. Bring an Engineer near them to add to your task force an other Liberator and 3 Light Troopers. Move two or these men in the Shrike-5s nearby and advance to the north, to meet a second group of allied unit; this time they are 3 Light Troopers and one Combat Engineer, cut away from Major Grant's main force. Move two units in the Shrike-5 turrets on the other side of the bridge and use all units capable of firing (APC and Recon Terradynes aside) toward the VL right to your position, and take care of the Terran units there. Two A4 Striders and 1 Destroyer Hoverdyne are guarding this location, should be a piece of cake. Note that there's an active Shrike-5, be sure not to enter its firing range before having dispatched all unit. Now, repair all units and the disabled turret and place 6 Light Troopers in the six Shrike-5 cannons. This is very important. Soon, the Virons will appear on map, first by capturing your first (and only) LZ, then following your tracks to your current position; as they will use Terradynes this time, these six emplacements will buy you some time while you run toward the tunnel. Also, if you plan to use the bridge north of the one you crossed, it's impossible, so you basically have to go through all VLs (and Terran defenses) to reach the tunnel. Once all repairs are done, move your usual assault group to the second VL to take care of the units there; this time it will be harder: four A4 Striders and one Destroyer Hoverdyne preside the place and there's an active Shrike-5 cannon. You'll need all the firepower you have, plus at least one Shrike-5 cannon to overcome this situation; move one Light Trooper to the nearest emplacement and commence your attack. As usual, repair all units and turrets and fill them with Light Troopers to slow down (or stop...it's highly probable that the Virons will have an hard time against the first line of defense, though they will be able to pass) the pursuers. Now, the last VL before the tunnel. If you have lost all your Liberators, move two infantry units to the two cannons on the other side of the bridge, and try to sneak one unit to a third cannon near the bridge facing north: one Destroyer Hoverdyne and one A4 Strider won't be enough to kill two turrets, and the 2 APCs there will prefer to fleet if they are under fire. If you haven't any Liberator, you might want to order your unit to speed through this area while the cannons lay support fire. Now reach the tunnel, lightly defended by a couple of Legionnaires in a building (even your Rhinos will be able to kill them in few shots) and one Destroyer Hoverdyne. A second Hovedyne patrols the area, but it shouldn't be a problem. Once the tunnel VL is secured, mission is over. De-briefing: Alice can't reveal too much about the nature of the good Jacob protected, she only tells him it's of historical nature and it's the only option left now that the Virons are allied with the Terrans. Warhust cuts in and tells the captain it's a strict need-to-know information, orders him to get some rest as there will be soon an other mission. Name: SILENT WOLF Briefing: Starting units: + Primary Objectives: + Secondary Objectives: Map Description: Support Availability: Extra Unit Availability: Weather Description: Walkthrough: De-briefing: Name: Briefing: Starting units: + Primary Objectives: + Secondary Objectives: Map Description: Support Availability: Extra Unit Availability: Weather Description: Walkthrough: De-briefing: ---------------- --VIRON NOMADS-- ---------------- Name: Briefing: Starting units: + Primary Objectives: + Secondary Objectives: Map Description: Support Availability: Extra Unit Availability: Weather Description: Walkthrough: De-briefing: Name: Briefing: Starting units: + Primary Objectives: + Secondary Objectives: Map Description: Support Availability: Extra Unit Availability: Weather Description: Walkthrough: De-briefing: Name: Briefing: Starting units: + Primary Objectives: + Secondary Objectives: Map Description: Support Availability: Extra Unit Availability: Weather Description: Walkthrough: De-briefing: Name: Briefing: Starting units: + Primary Objectives: + Secondary Objectives: Map Description: Support Availability: Extra Unit Availability: Weather Description: Walkthrough: De-briefing: ********* 12-CHEATS ********* During a mission, hit twice the tilde ( ~ key...for non US jeyboard users, it's the key left to the "1" key) to bring up the game console and type these codes: GODMASSIVE : invicible units FPS: shows frames per second GOMASSIVE: unlock all missions ******************* 13-CREDITS and MISC ******************* And here it goes...Massive and Sierra for the game, you for reading everything above and everyone else not reading this but playing this game. I'd write the usual sequence of metal bands/soundtracks that served as musical background for the countless hours spent writing this document, but since I'd write down the usual names, I pass this time. But there's someone I'd like to thank wil all my hearth: the people at Nippon Ichi. Thanks for La Pucella and Disgaea. I can't wait to lay my hands on Phantom Brave. Ride the sky, people. So far, these are all sites that can display this FAQ/walkthrough: 1) Wolfart (http://wolfart.altervista.org; my personal site...pay a visit, pleeeeeeeez) 2) GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) 3) IGN FAQs (http://faqs.ign.com) 4) Action Trip (http://www.actiontrip.com) 5) Cheats.DE (http://www.cheats.de) 6) Cheat CodeCentral (http://www.cheatcc.com) 7) DLH.NET (http://www.dlh.net) To ask permission to post this document, just send a mail writing down the URL. To contact me, write at briareos_hf@tiscali.it; ICQ UIN is 40534369; Odigo ID is 264286. Write only about this FAQ or if you have a cute (female)friend/sister to introduce. Copyright (c) Briareos Kerensky 2004/2005. Reproduction and translation of this document (as a whole or parts of its) in any mode without permission is strictly forbidden. All names and marks are proprerties of respective owners. Sunrise I greet you, the beauty of your sight so warm and tender was never the night In tears I see you, the last time it will be so give me your blessing I'll meet my destiny -Leif Edling, "At The Gallow's End"