Battlezone (Activision)/Wrangling the Fleeing Herd

"Our attack on the Soviet base really opened our eyes to the power of the Cthonian relics. The Soviet walkers killed hundreds of NSDF recruits. For the first time, every one of us fully realized that the war, and our survival depended on controlling the technology. When a Soviet platoon escaped with one of these relics, each and every one of us begged for the mission to recapture it. I...still don't know if we...acted out of fear, or bravado, or...perhaps two blended together at the extremes."

We've identified a CCA convoy carrying the relic to a Southern launch pad. We must take advantage of having the CCA on the run and make sure that we capture the relic.

MISSION OBJECTIVES:
 * Rendezvous with NSDF MUF.
 * Destroy all CCA Artillery.
 * Capture the convoy and relic.

ENGINEERING REPORT: Our engineers have tooled the MUF to duplicate the walker technology that we saw the CCA using in your last mission. These new units will bring unrivaled firepower to the battlefield, but unfortunately they are so heavy that they can no longer hover or move nimbly.

Walkthrough
One of the more challenging missions in the campaign, this mission is one of the few where you will never get a recycler. Begin by proceeding south to meet up with the only forces you have - an armory, a unit factory, a construction rig, and three scavengers. The unit factory and at least one of the scavengers must survive the mission. However, losing any one of these assets makes the mission considerably harder, and may warrant restarting the mission. The unit factory will warn you that the area ahead is patrolled by several Soviet Cannoneers on high plateaus and are shadowing the entire area. While not much of a threat to a nimble fighter, they can make mincemeat of your scavengers, especially as they attempt to gather the scrap that is covered by their area. Therefore, neutralizing the three eastern artillery is of the highest priority.

Fortunately, your scavengers will not begin gathering scrap until you deploy the unit factory. You have one geyser available, so begin by deploying your armory there. You'll need its ammo and resupply abilities to neutralize the eastern artillery, as well as to repair the scavengers and the construction rig. Alternatively, you can also deploy the unit factory here - however, you'll need to keep your scavengers safe, and they start the mission heavily damaged. Deploying the unit factory here can let you build a tank to try to keep your scavengers safe while you destroy the artillery. However, deploying the unit factory also activates the scavengers and makes them start gathering scrap on their own, making them possibly wander into artillery fire. Additionally, the Soviets will send flankers and pak turrets into the large scrap field covered by the artillery, making it a death trap for scavengers.

Keep in mind that with no recycler, the scavengers will not have a drop off point for their scrap until you build a silo with your construction rig. Do not attempt to build too many repair and ammo powerups, as you may find yourself without enough scrap to build a silo and thus end up with no way of getting more.

It is possible to reach the artillery by either approaching from the southern ramp, or by using your jump thrusters to launch yourself up to the nearest artillery. It will hit you pretty hard, and is fairly durable, necessitating some repairs and ammo resupply after a few artillery kills. Some of the plateaus have ramps that let you jump off to reach the other cannoneers. Prioritize the ones closest to the scrap field; the ones on the western plateaus cannot reach your forces, but still must be destroyed before you move your forces southward.

It is advised to have your armory resupply your tank after destroying two artillery - chances are you'll be low on both ammo and health. Before continuing your artillery killing spree, drop back down into the valley to intercept any Soviet vehicles that might be trying to go for your scavengers or your other forces holding position. After destroying some or all of the western artillery, consider moving your construction rig forward to construct a scrap silo, a power plant, and some gun towers to help lock down the scrap field for your scavengers. Continue to keep an eye on your scavengers as you do so, however, as the CCA will be relentless in trying to pick them off. If you need help in protecting your scavengers, pack up your armory and unpack the unit factory to produce some allies to escort your scavengers. Remember - at least one, but ideally all three, must survive the mission, and there is no way to replace them.

Traveling southward, you will encounter another alien relic. Scan it with I, then ignore it for the rest of the mission.

Once you've destroyed all the artillery, you can move the unit factory and all your other forces southward to nav beacon 1. You can leave your armory behind, as it can fling its powerups from a safe distance. However, ensure it's protected by gun towers, as a few flankers can sometimes work their way around the mountains in the middle to it.

Secure the area around Nav Beacon 1, using the Unit Factory to produce additional units as needed. Once it's secure, you can start fortifying it as quickly as possible. The enemy will approach from the east, and you must stop them from reaching the launch pad at all costs. Thankfully, your construction rig is more than up to the task by setting up multiple gun towers in the convoy's path. This can also be a time for the newly unlocked Sasquatch to join in the fray, as its immobility will be a moot point with the enemy charging your position themselves.

While it is possible to destroy the landing pad, it is generally not worth it as it is heavily guarded by several gun towers. The relic is, ultimately, all that matters.

Secure the area and interdict the convoy when it arrives. Use a Tug to secure the relic after the fray and bring it to the unit factory to end the mission.