Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3/Odessa


 * Mission Objectives:
 * Escort the Transports
 * Destroy the Artillery Batteries
 * Bonus Objective:
 * Destroy the Landmarks
 * New Units:
 * Striker VX
 * Shogun Executioner

Key Intel and Strategies

 * This mission introduces the Chopper VX and its transforming abilities and the Shogun Executioner.
 * There are a number of combination of attacks by your Striker-VX units that will allow safe passage of the ten Transports, but all of the strategies involve one key concept: Do not destroy all of the Akula Subs in a linear fashion from east to west.  It is necessary to jump ahead to attack the Stingrays before they destroy the lead Transports.
 * It is not necessary to destroy all of the Akula Subs to win the mission. In fact, you will probably be guaranteed a loss if you try to accomplish this.
 * Although it is possible to win this mission without using the “split technique,” one method to win is to split up your Striker-VX units: Place two of them on the ground near the docks to destroy incoming Twinblades and the other two to continue attacks on other Akula Subs.
 * Strategy regarding the Shogun Executioner: Carry out massive destruction to everything in its path!!  Destroy, destroy, destroy!  Except for the Tesla Coils.  The Executioner will actually utilize their power to regenerate its strength.

Walkthrough
Quite possibly the best level in the entire game, Odessa involves a careful defense followed by a joyride of destruction.

The start of the mission puts you in command of a squadron of Striker-VX anti-air/anti-ground transformers. Use their copter mode to protect the transports that appear from the enemy Stingrays and Akula subs that show up to attack the transports. Note that you can lose one of the transports (8 of 9 must survive on medium difficulty), but a majority must reach the warehouse. Make good use of your co-commander and his forces to help hold off attacks.

A good strategy for your forces is to fly immediately up to the first unit quickly, since your co-commander will usually be a step behind. The first transport gets attacked first by everything in the river, so stay in front of it attacking enemy units as they appear.

When the first transports arrive at the warehouse, send your Striker-VXs to the warehouse and switch to Ground mode to take out the Twinblades, using your co-commander to protect the rest of the transports from the subs.

Wait for all the transports and enter the cut-scene of destruction!

You now have control of the Shogun Executioner, that walking behemoth of fun. To complete the bonus objective, head southwest of the warehouse to take out the castle in one strike. What fun!

Move to each objective, taking out anything in your way. Do NOT target any of the tesla units they send at you as these units will restore the health of the Shogun Executioner when they attack. Note that the Executioner can just walk over buildings and destroy them, so do not waste your time hitting everything. Be wary when targeting a building or unit for an attack, because the sword swipes of the Executioner will destroy multiple buildings and units within a small radius. You can also use the special ability of the Executioner, the Omega Shockwave, to deal with the ground forces. The shockwave will also take out all base buildings within its range. Use your co-commander and support powers to deflect and destroy the twinblades that attack you. Twinblades can also be killed by walking into them.

With the last cannons and structures destroyed, take the fight to Krukov's base and lay waste to it, hitting all the objective structures. This will end the mission.

Alternate Walkthrough

 * Note: Written for the hard setting.

This is a bizarre combination of missions. The first mission is quite challenging, threading ten Transports past a series of Akula Subs and Stingrays.

The second part of the mission is a stroll in the park with your Shogun Executioner – the difference being that the Executioner will turn everything in its path into a shattered and broken wasteland. Pretty bloody overwhelming, mind you.

Turn this part of the mission over to the nearest three-year-old you can find. The child will be a gamer for life.

Okay. Back to the Transport mission. This is a bit tricky and each time played may give slightly different results, but overall, these methods work quite well.

Don’t wait for the narrator to stop talking or to watch the pretty Transports start queuing up. As soon as you can take command of your four Striker-VXs, start blasting the first four Stingrays encountered. Saving the slightest bit of damage to your first Transport is important, as this one is going to take the brunt of the damage as it leads the way.

It is necessary to now wait a few moments for the first Akula Sub to come to the surface so that you can attack it. Destroy it and move on immediately.

From here, you have a choice. Wait for the second Akula Sub to surface and destroy it or go immediately and destroy the next two Stingrays slightly to the west, then go all the way to the western dock to destroy the last two Stingrays. (Eight in total for the entire mission.)

Sometimes this second Akula Sub will hang back for a bit and you have no choice but to skip it and go on to destroy all remaining Stingrays. Either way, the mission can be won, although it’s going to be very tight.

If you destroy this second Akula Sub, go ahead and destroy the four remaining Stingrays like above, but you will just be a little bit later in the process.

After all of the Stingrays are gone, you will have a chance to destroy three more Akula Subs before needing to land at the docks to protect the Transports from the Twinblades.

Depending on your methodology, you will have destroyed a total of four or five Akula Subs. It is then necessary to land your Strikers ASAP at the dock or Transports will be destroyed by the Twinblades.

It’s going to be close. If something goes wrong, just try it again and aim to have absolutely no down-time between attacks.

Another method is to land two of your Strikers at the dock after destroying all of the Stingrays. Take the other two and finish destroying three more Akulas, then have them join the other two Strikers at the dock.

During the second part of the mission, there is no real strategy involved. It’s just pure stomping, smashing and wanton destruction to everything in your path.

Don’t “intentionally” destroy the Tesla Coils, as the Shogun Executioner will utilize the power to heal itself.

Don’t forget to use the Omega Shockwave ability of the Executioner. It’s a bit of overkill, but what the hay.

Mission accomplished!