Overview[edit]
All you need to do is get Black Lotus to the train bridge in the northeast, and she will "do the rest". Unfortunately, the GLA and angry mobs will make sure this is not as easy as it sounds.
The game begins with a minimal base and you will not be able to build additional structures. Initially, the only income will be from three hackers and you cannot create additional hackers. When your income becomes low, you will be shown the location of two supply stashes that Black Lotus can hack for much needed cash.
GLA troops will be arriving by train at a station in the east, and (if you're not careful) angry mobs will emerge from a stadium in the west.
Keys to Success[edit]
- Keep Battlemaster tanks flanked on both sides by Gattling tanks to protect from angry mobs on the west and RPG troopers on the east.
- Use Black Lotus to capture funds from supply stash. Important: You must first click on Cash Hack command before clicking on the supply stash or the building will be captured. (The symbol is identical for Cash Hack and Capture Building.) The GLA will then attack it, and no more funds can be obtained.
- It is not necessary to destroy the stadium to win the mission!
- It is also NOT necessary to trigger the Angry Mob attack, if you don't send ANY troops through the middle bridge at nine o'clock.
- Avoid occupied civilian buildings to the northwest. It is not necessary to destroy these structures. Their RPG troops will destroy an entire battalion of tanks.
- GLA troops arriving by train can be avoided altogether! A flame tank wall-of-fire can continually destroy troop trains before they arrive.
Getting Started[edit]
Strategy 1[edit]
Only a basic encampment is allowed. No buildings can be constructed. Pick up UN supplies (small boxes) to the east and west of base for quick cash. Start building Battlemaster tanks and Gattling tanks. To the East is a Arms dealer, which you can capture for GLA vehicles.
Make sure you put the hackers in a safe position in the back of the camp and have them hack the Internet for cash.
Assign a number to Black Lotus for quick location and send her east of the river toward the GLA town. Locate the supply stash and start stealing funds from their stash. If GLA tech vehicles enter the area, cancel the Cash Hack to keep Black Lotus from being detected.
When Black Lotus no longer receives $1,000 per hack, move her further north to a second supply stash to continue her cash hacking.
Set up a defensive position of BM tanks and Gattling tanks at the east entrance to the base. Keep an eye on these vehicles when you see enemy troops approaching on radar to help manage the battle. It is not necessary to defend the north entrance to the base.
Send a contingent of at least four Gattling tanks straight north toward the stadium. (This is your northern defense.) Before you reach the stadium, a cut scene will appear, and then the mob starts coming. They will not stop until you destroy the stadium.
Position your gattling tanks in a safe position away from street corners. Mob members rounding these corners have a better chance of destroying your Gattling tanks.
It is also possible to garrison Red Guard troops in buildings to stop the mob advance.
Keep the mob away from your Battlemaster tanks at all cost. Always having Gattling tanks positioned between your BM tanks and the stadium. As you move your Battlemaster tanks toward the town center, continue to adjust your Gattling tanks north with them.
You must also protect your Battlemaster tanks from incoming RPG troopers being dropped off at the train depot, so also keep Gattling tanks stationed to the east.
Slowly build up a large contingent of tanks to take on the GLA armor at the town center. This is where the main tank battles will occur.
It is a good strategy to garrison tank hunter troops in civilian structures near the town center to destroy GLA armor. After the battle, be sure to vacate the tank hunters to a safe location near your Battlemaster tanks so random mob members do not destroy the building they are in and then the actual troops.
Strategy 2[edit]
This only works if you're playing normal mode.
- Build 2 Dragon tanks
- Buy the Black Napalm upgrade
Direct your Black Lotus to football stadium at the West side of map. But be careful not to go too far west because there is stinger sites and tunnel networks that can detect stealth. Also keep your watching black Lotus' surrounding for any radar van.
Then move the Dragon tanks to the two entrance of your base which is two ridges. Have the tanks use fire wall to constantly sweeping the entrances of your base. But be careful not to burn your own units or buildings.
Simple and easy Strategy[edit]
This works on any difficulty.
Build a couple of Gatling tanks from the War Factory. Get your hackers to work. Once the those tanks are completed, get one of them near the eastern bridge, and another to your other backdoor entrance. Now get Black Lotus across that eastern bridge. You will see the Arms Dealer there. (At Brutal, it's poorly guarded by Demo Traps) This Arms Dealer and its guardian stinger site are the keys to this strategy. Although you can't build any GLA tanks, you can farm as much quad cannons as you like into Elite by destroying that stinger site (don't get carried away by destroying it; micromanage so more quad cannons would turn elite in short order.) Your funding would come from the GLA supply stashes from the north (don't capture them; they'd probably destroyed due to lack of defenses). Go figure how to get money from them without getting your own workers. About 15 elite quad cannons should be able to power through the GLA tank platoons to the north, but the garrisoned buildings are another story. Topple the nearby towers to save yourself some money for buying Dragon Tanks for the buildings without adjacent towers. Once you've cleared most of the northern garrisons, you can power through the remnants as you have easily turned the GLA armored patrols into Swiss Cheese. Don't forget your mission objectives, though.
The Stadium[edit]
Strategy 1[edit]
After the town center is clear, the stadium is the next logical target. It is not necessary to destroy the stadium to win the mission.
If you choose to destroy the stadium, protect your BM tanks from the mob by positioning Gattling tanks on both sides of them. It is a bit awkward destroying the stadium because of the stinger site to the south and the occupied structure to the northeast.
Strategy 2[edit]
After your Black Lotus reached the football stadium there should be horde of angry mobs coming out of the stadium to attack your base. But don't worry they will only burn in the fire wall that you have created by your dragon tank.
Fortified Civilian Structures to the Northeast[edit]
Strategy 1[edit]
Black Lotus cannot use her Capture Building command on these fortified civilian structures.
It is only necessary to destroy the two civilian structures on the far east of the map nearest the bridge. The structure at the south-east corner can be easily destroyed by putting ten tank hunters in the civilian building immediately to the south. As soon as the GLA building is destroyed, GLA's soldiers will spill out of the charred remains and target your tank hunters. Immediately retreat to the south to save as many tank hunters as possible. Have your tanks ready to protect their retreat.
The second fortified structure at the north-east corner near the bridge is a bit more messy. A suicide charge by ten or more Battlemaster tanks, along with surviving tank hunters, should work. There may not be any survivors to this charge. Clean up any remaining GLA ground troops with your gattling tanks.
Once the area is clear of ground troops, don't worry about the stinger sites. Black Lotus can avoid them and run safely onto the bridge. Mission accomplished!
Strategy 2[edit]
Direct your Black Lotus to the bridge at the top right hand corner. Try not to go though the center of the map nor the very top because there are GLA bases that have stinger sites and a tunnel network.
As you get to the bridge you will realize that there are two stinger sites guarding it. But don't worry, just make a mad dash to the bridge because most likely the RPG will miss you (they have about a 10% chance of hitting you).
Once Black Lotus reaches the bridge, a cinematic will play showing Black Lotus blowing up the bridge.
Strategy 3[edit]
You can simply create a base (as above said, hack money if needed) and just go near the train station. Take note that everyone knows that missiles miss moving infantry, so just get Black Lotus to zoom through the bridge. The forces will not attack you.
Mission complete!