Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour/USA Superweapon General vs. USA Air Force General

Yes, this mission is beatable on the hard level. This contributor was beginning to think it was simply not possible, but the right combination of defenses can beat the brutal air assault that begins this mission.

As inferred above, this mission is much more difficult than when the Laser General battled on this same map. The EMP Patriots are powerful against aircraft, but evidently not quite as effective as the Laser Turrets.

Another reason this mission was more difficult is that the Patriots are not nearly as effective against infantry. Since there is an infantry drop at the very beginning of the attack, inadequate defenses against them will doom the mission from the start.

It is necessary to build a Weapons Factory (2000 credits) plus at least one Hummer to fight them off. This is very distracting, as it is essential to build a large Patriot contingent immediately.

Important: It is necessary to build the Patriots in the proper configuration to survive the assault. If they are spread out too far, the east and west flanks will be picked off one at a time. If they are bunched up too much, the Cluster Bomb attack will destroy multiple units.

The basic configuration is a straight line of five Patriots parallel and fairly close to the waterfront, with the east and west flanks covered with two additional Patriots sloping down further toward your base – kind of like a very thin “C” or “[“ configuration.

An additional strategy that made surviving the first assault possible is building three or four Missile Defenders and placing them separately in the small buildings near the river. The aerial assaults directed at these buildings will take a lot of pressure off of your Patriots.

Walkthrough
Time is of the essence. This sequence should be performed without interruption.

Build a Reactor next to your Command Center. Create a second dozer while this is building. Build a Barracks with the second dozer close to the oil derrick.

Upgrade the Reactor and start building a Supply Center by the Supply Dock. Try to not let the Barracks and Supply Center overlap each other so that the Carpet Bomber can take out both of these buildings on one bombing run.

Without any downtime, start researching Capture at the Barracks when it is completed and queue up two Rangers. Build an extra Chinook supply helicopter immediately. Have the first Ranger capture the nearest oil derrick, while sending the second Ranger to capture the derrick further to the west.

Start building two Patriots fairly near the waterfront and parallel with it pretty much centered with your base. You can do this while you are still researching the Capture command.

Build another Reactor, upgrade it, and build your third, fourth and fifth Patriots parallel with the other two along the riverfront.

Start building four Missile Defenders and send them toward the small buildings near the river. Have each one occupy a separate structure.

Build the sixth and seventh Patriots sloping back further away from the river toward your base, but close enough to create a stronger flank, with the two “end” Patriots working in unison for attacks coming towards the sides of your base.

Build a War Factory, and a Hummer immediately afterwards. You are really cutting it close. Upgrade it with a Battle Drone and load one or two of the Rangers inside of it, if you get the chance. If you have time, create two Hummers. You may want to create the War Factory a bit sooner in the building process if it is cutting it too close.

You should survive in fairly good shape. Replace whatever buildings are lost, especially Patriots or Reactors. Make sure you have more Reactors than you need in case some are destroyed.

Try to add another Patriot or two to the mix. You will lose plenty of them. Just keep replacing them as necessary. You should eventually build avengers too for extra air support and you could expand to the supply stash to the north east for extra money.

As soon as possible, start building a Strategy Center and a couple of Supply Drop Zones.

Eventually start building Particle Cannons. A single Particle Cannon blast can take out two Airfields.

By now the tides have turned in your favor. Keep destroying the base at your leisure.

Mission accomplished!

Second option I agree on some points with above writer and disagree on some other points.

In the beginning I thought it was a hard mission as well. However using the right strategy, you reach the point at which you can't lose anymore within 15 minutes.

From my point of view EMP patriots are useless in this mission. They provoke attacks from aurora's and don't really take down the enemies aircraft. Missile Defenders are useless as well.

Instead laser Avenger, even though expensive, provide ideal support. If placed in a grid of 4 (yes I know this cost $10.000) with about 2 avengers lengths between them they take out everything flying, take out all missiles from king raptors and the best is only one dies when hit by an aurora.

Also note that taking out his supply chain is like performing lobotomy... No money means no fighters…

Don't develop your spy drones or stealth fighters, they are useless in this mission.

walkthough,

Time is critical so build everything with the speedcode.

On start press D (build dozer) and build the first powerplant. When the dozer comes out build barracks above the Command Centre. Order dozer #1 to build a supply centre. Build 3 rangers and develop capture building. Order the construction of a second supply chopper.

Order the first ranger to walk near the oil derrick below your base pick up the other 2 in a supply chopper and drop them near the 3 supply derricks on the north of the map.

Capture all the derricks (also the one below your base, and the one right above the base). Fly the chopper back and use it in your supply chain again. Don't bother defending the derricks, the benefit is in claiming $5000 for capturing them.

Meanwhile build a war factory, just below the command centre. Despite what other people say, keep your base compact, if played well he does not deploy anything from his command centre.

Start producing 4 humvees. When ready upgrade them with battle drones. When the war factory is completed you don't really need your dozers anymore. Move them to the back of your base (behind the supplies) so they become a harder target. Keep them apart.

After the humvees start producing 4 avengers. Now align the avengers in a square grid as mentioned above.

Now build 3 more humvees and after that as many avengers as possible. Place the humvees in a circle around your avengers (positioned in front of the command centre).

Here the first assault starts, a infantry drop combined with commanche attack. The commances should go down without even getting close. Kill the infantry with your humvees, focus on the ones attacking your avengers first

Usually your barracks are destroyed at this point, it was obsolete anyway... From this point on the strategy is straight forward, just build avengers and kill incoming aircraft.

Soon you will hit rank 3 in your promotion. Choose a level 1 spectre gunship and level 2 A10's. Target the A10's at his supply centre and the spectre gunship at his supply drop zone. This should reduce his income to almost none.

Now if you did not lose too many defenses it's game. He hardly attacks you anymore and you can kill him any way you like... I usually choose building a (or 2) supply drop zone, take out his last supply drop zone with the spectre and go for a coffee or a meal. Coming back I have enough money to build plenty of particle cannons and blast his base to bits.