Command and Conquer Generals Walkthrough
Complete Guide For All Nations
About this guide:
I'll again apologize for my poor graphics card, Generals looks much better on something other than my Geforce2, so the screenshots aren't that great. Still, you can hover the mouse over an image to read the info, then click the image to open a new window showing you a larger picture. The idea is to relay the data from the battlemap, what's going on in a battle or other helpful info. Some images are only there to fill space and beautify the guide but about 80% are useful in some way.
Tips
USA
Groups of paladin tanks can nearly nullify enemy rocket soldiers and other missile attacks. Though you must spend a general point on these they are worth it. They can even target infantry with their laser and destroy them in a single shot.
Use the strategy center wisely. Switch between battle plans as the need arises. Extra range can be useful when you are assaulting an enemy base with cruise missiles. Bombardment can be used when you are using your aircraft to attack, or if they are going to face heavy anti-air defenses you might consider the hold the line plan.
The particle cannon is best used against clusters of enemy buildings. If the enemy has several base defenses tightly positioned you might want to target that area with the cannon. As this is a time-limited superweapon you need to do as much damage as possible in a short amount of time. Try to move it in a line. With this you can try to open a hole in the enemy defense to slip your invading army through.
Humvees aren't very well armored but are good fast response vehicles. And the units inside can fire as though a building were garrisoned. Place multiple rangers inside to deal with infantry or many missile defenders to deal with enemy vehicles. A mixture of the two can be useful as well, especially not knowing what the enemy is going to throw at you.
Every vehicle in the USA arsenal can use one of two drones. In an attack force usually you will want most vehicles to use the attack drone, but I like to throw in a couple scout drones as well. It's good to know what's ahead and behind and these drones are excellent for reconnaisance.
Often the best way to deal with an enemy controlled civillian building is to use the combat drop ability of the chinook supply helicopters. You can minimise casualties this way and after the indoor battle is over you will control the building. Only rangers may perform this action.
The fuel-air bomb is best used against enemy troop concentrations. Use the command center's spy satellite ability (or the detention center's ability) to locate prime targets. As with most superweapons use this before your assault. The enemy can rebuild any damaged structures or units so you need to move to take advantage of the damage you've caused.
Use comanches as early base defenders. It's not hard to get them in your army early in the game. They can take out early tank and other vehicle rushes - I recommend at least four hotkeyed for fast response. Use the rocket barrage ability on concentrations of unsuspecting troops (use your spy satellite ability!). As these are not very heavily armored it may be wise to use the hold the line battle plan and focus fire on any anti-air capable units in the enemy group.
Colonel Burton can plant multiple remote charges before he has to detonate. If you're having success with stealth try to plant as many as you can without being detected. Once you're ready, leave the area and detonate. All the charges will go off at once destroying multiple targets!
Many defensive structures don't take four aurora bomber bombs to be destroyed (with bombardment battle plan). Hotkey them in two groups of two and use them to soften the base defenses before you attack. In conjunction with the reconnaisance of the spy satellite and detention center abilities and a superweapon you can eliminate most static base defenses just before you roll in your troops. This is highly effective and a good reason to save your superweapons for the prime time to strike with your ground units.
Like the GLA Ambush ability (though not as effective) you can airdrop your rangers with the paratrooper general ability and capture poorly defended enemy structures. Make them poorly defended with well implemented bomber strikes and superweapons. Use this and sell them, then find another good target. The paratroopers were free (money wise) and the enemy would have to spend cash to rebuild the structure you sold. You profit and the enemy loses. Good deal.
China
Overlords are very powerful, of the upgrades you can choose in my opinion the gatling cannon is the most effective. Two gatling overlords and a speaker tower overlord are a very efficient mobile base defense. Don't forget to plant some bunkers and gatling cannons though... Overlords aren't infallible.
For stationary base defense I found that two bunkers surrounded by two gatling cannons are an effective defense. If you put only rocket soldiers in the bunkers. It will at least slow the enemy down a LOT. Of course you should never rely on just the stationary defenses. Keep a couple overlords and gatling tanks handy to deal with anything that breaks through as well as long range units (scuds, nuke cannons).
A mixed unit of red guard, rocket soldiers and a couple gatling cannons is pretty effective at taking out most things. It's good early on to gain control of special structures (especially oil derricks). Place more than 5 of each type of foot soldier so you can maintain the horde bonus a little longer in battles. Overall against hard level AI opponents this was fairly effective for me.
Dragon tanks are wonderful infantry killers and can provide decent defense with the fire storm special ability. Especially with black napalm. Keep a couple overlords with speaker towers near these to provide good defense against any tanks that take a while to die in the inferno.
Effective use of the MiGs: Large mass of enemy units? Control + click to attack the ground near the center of the formation. What doesn't die in the initial blast will usually be finished off in the inferno. I like to keep a group of four MiGs hotkeyed to 4. Any time I see such large masses I destroy them swiftly. Keep your migs running to improve their levels, and place a speaker tower nearby to help them to heal faster in between air strikes. See a tank heading for your base? Hit it with the MiGs. You want these guys to survive. Make sure you keep them at the airfield until they're fully repaired.
Any helicopters hit by the EM pulse weapon will crash to the ground. Use this weapon before your assault for best effect. Any flying base defenders will be crushed as well as temporarily disabling base defenses within the area of affect.
GLA
The marauder tank general ability allows you to construct the marauder tank. Use it. I love this tank as when you destroy enemy vehicles you can collect the parts from the wreckage and upgrade the main gun. This thing can have two powerful cannons mounted which fire pretty rapidly, multiple upgraded marauders can take out buildings in seconds.
The contaminate area ability of the GLA toxin tractor can be used to contaminate ground over key areas (terrain your opponent has to use to get to your base). This causes those green gas clouds to appear in an area, they last a while too.
The GLA have tunnel networks. Use them! It's a great way to get workers and small infantry units around to perform specialized tasks. Guard key tunnels with vehicles and even a stinger site or two. Set up a tunnel network near a new supply depot that's far away so you can get reinforcements to defend your new found resources.
Technicals aren't all that powerful but they are definitely fast! Use it to your advantage. Use technicals to transport workers to far away locations or even load them up with suicide bombers and use the evacuate command to have all of them exit the vehicle immediately. Then, you can get the technicals back to your base to grab another load.
The cash bounty general's promotion is great. I had a nice anti air defense set up in one game and the enemy kept sending me plenty of migs to blow up. Every time I got several hundred dollars out of the deal and they lost their planes. You even get cash when you use a bomb truck on enemy units/buildings.
I hate sending in bomb trucks one at a time. I usually build about 3-4 and disguise them/upgrade their bombs with both anthrax and high explosives. This is an excellent way to begin an attack with the GLA. Focus these trucks on base defenses or get near a large group of powerful enemy units and detonate the bomb manually!
I use the rebel ambush ability to quickly take advantage of any deficiency in the enemy's base. Sometimes my attack fails, but the enemy is left with almost nothing. I'd have to build a new attack force or send an existing one across the map if not for this. Instead I pick a vulnerable spot and insert the rebels. They usually succeed in capturing a building or two if I'm lucky and it can be kinda funny going in and taking over an airfield and destroying the rest of the base with the planes I build.
Rocket buggies are weak. Really weak. Keep them behind a nice attack force consisting of tanks and they will have a nice time eating up the enemy vehicles while the enemy either struggles to take out the tanks or tries its best to get to the rocket buggies. Focus your tanks' fire on any units that try to come around the line. And, if your attack fails the buggies should have an easy time fleeing back to your base.
I don't have a lot to say about Jarmen Kell but he is useful to keep around in your base. Overlord coming for you? Snipe the driver! He can also be used to snipe the driver of an enemy construction vehicle and have one of your infantry units take it over, then you can build enemy buildings.
The scorpion tank's rocket attack packs a powerful punch. When possible, target the most powerful unit or defensive structure with the scorpion so this powerful attack isn't wasted on something like an infantry unit as it takes a moderate amount of time to prepare for the next attack.
Research the junk repair ability at your black market asap. This greatly improves the survivability of your vehicles in combat. And it's nice to keep those rank 3 units around.
