Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour/USA Mission 4

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This is an extremely difficult mission. Time is of the essence. The majority of the challenge is to keep your base intact long enough to build a missile strike to destroy the Scud Storm. Colonel Burton will play a key role by aggressively attacking incoming GLA vehicles.

A strong defense is necessary to the west as you fight your main battles to the north. The Avenger will slow down Rocket Buggy attacks, but the Tomahawks are needed to destroy them.

Defenses must be set up north of the base and at the bridge to the west of the base. A few oil derricks across the river can be temporarily held for much-needed credits. Two A10 Missile Strikes must be used to take out the Scud Storm before it launches. The next three missile strikes will be used to take out three different Arms Dealers, then the Speaker Tower. The GLA base must be destroyed to win the mission.

[edit] Establishing Your Base and Western Defense

Although the brunt of the attack will come from the north, GLA forces will still have a significant force crossing the bridge from the west. Even with a strong defense on this bridge, you should not forget about it while fighting in the north. Scud Launchers and Rocket Buggies can seriously erode your forces when you are not watching. A well-placed Avenger may protect it from these vehicles.

The western defense is established first so most of your attention can then be devoted to the north. Because of this, you will probably be “fighting for your life” as you finish setting up your northern defense.

• Use the bulldozers to clear the booby-trapped oil derricks. Use your tanks or Colonel Burton to destroy the other Demo Traps. While doing this, load up five Rangers in a Humvee and move it half-way across the bridge to the west of camp. Any further, and a Demo Trap will destroy it.
• There will be two Rangers left. Use them to capture the oil derricks south of your soon-to-be-built base.
• With the two bulldozers, simultaneously build a Cold Fusion Reactor and Barracks. Research the Capture command at the Barracks.
• Next, simultaneously build a Supply Center and a Patriot near the western bridge entrance.

Rangers destroy demo traps before making a "suicide run" to detonate the boobytraps on the oil derricks. The second round of Rangers will then be able to successfully capture these resources.

• While the above is happening it is very important to be positioning your Pathfinders. There will soon be an ambush to the east of your base on the runway, so put one Pathfinder at the north end of the runway and another a reasonable distance down to catch them in a crossfire. Send another Pathfinder onto the bridge to help spot the Demo Trap that is lying in front of the Humvee. Send another two to the west side of the base to be ready for future ambushes. Send another one up north to play a key role in controlling infantry in the battle to come.
• Exit your Rangers from the Humvee and destroy the Demo Trap near the bridge and any that exist near the two nearest oil derricks. After destroying these Demo Traps, send two Rangers on simultaneous “suicide runs” to attempt to capture the booby-trapped oil derricks. When they are blown up, send another two more Rangers to take their place to successfully capture these two oil derricks. If you have time and so choose, you can repeat this procedure on other oil derricks, but it is not necessary to win the mission.

Cash funds accumulated from these U.N. supplies will come in handy.

• Drive the Humvee west down the narrow valley on the far south side of the map, picking up the U.N. supplies for credits. Don’t get too distracted doing this, as you must keep the base-building operations moving at all times!!
• Label Colonel Burton with a number for easy locating and move him to the north near your Pathfinder.
• Build eight Missile Defenders and move them toward the western bridge.
• Try to keep the building of your base as fluid as possible. I won’t list every time you need to build a Cold Fusion Reactor, but build one every time the power bar turns yellow. If and when time allows, build an extra one or two in case one is destroyed.
• Next build another Patriot near the western bridge, while the other bulldozer is building the War Factory.
• Build a Fire Base in-between the two Patriots and put three Missile Defenders and the Pathfinder that is already on the bridge inside of it. Keep an Avenger nearby to help destroy missiles fired from Rocket Buggies and Scud Launchers.
• If and when time permits, a Tomahawk by your western defense will help destroy pesky Rocket Buggies.

[edit] Northern Defense of Base

• Now let’s turn our attention to the north. It is necessary, while carrying out all of the chores listed above, to build Cold Fusion Reactors, a Strategy Center (for Avengers), and a Command Center. The Command Center is absolutely key as you must have this to use your A10 Missile Strike ability.

Keep Colonel Burton busy destroying incoming GLA forces. Keep him in the area northwest of your Patriots to give him time to detonate Truck Bombs.

• Build an Avenger and three Paladins and send to the north side of the base.
• Move five of the Missile Defenders that are still at the western bridge up north.
• Suggestion: Garrison the North tower with the maximum number of Missile Defenders and one Pathfinder. Nothing will get through, not even the Truck Bombs.
• Now is probably a good time to save, in case a Truck Bomb gets through your northern defense and all your work goes up in smoke.
• Under the watchful eyes of Colonel Burton, the Pathfinder, your limited number vehicles and four Missile Defenders, you must build a cluster of two Patriots with a Firebase in-between them. There will be Truck Bombs in the area. Place the Missile Defenders inside the Firebase. If the Pathfinder is placed slightly to the east of the action, he can usually keep himself pretty safe.
• Set your units on Guard mode, as they seem to be more proactive destroying approaching GLA.
• Use Colonel Burton to help control the mass of units that start coming your way in an extremely chaotic manner. He is pretty darn resilient. The one mistake you can make is standing in front of a charging Truck Bomb or Car Bomb. Keep him to the northwest of your base to give him first shot at incoming Truck Bombs. Be sure he is off to the side a good distance when one of these vehicles is about to be destroyed.
• ‘’’Important: Choose no more than one of your General’s Powers until you get third level A10 Missile Strike capability, as this will be essential to knocking out the Scud Storm. Your Command Center must be built before the Scud Storm countdown begins, as you must strike it twice in order to completely destroy it. You can choose Paladins first and still have time to build up to Level 3 A10 Missile Strike in time.
• Have the Avenger placed south of the Firebase to give it some protection. Use Colonel Burton to proactively destroy Rocket Buggies, Scud Launchers and Truck Bombs first before focusing on other vehicles.
• Important: Use the Guard command to keep your troops proactive. Slow response is a dead response when it comes to Truck and Car Bombs. Set the center of their “active range” in the center of the Firebase, so that everyone has equal opportunity to strike the targets.
• If you have the time and funds, place an ambulance slightly south of the Firebase to keep your Missile Defenders and Colonel Burton healthy.

[edit] Destroying the Scud Storm

If you have not done so already, use up three of your General Powers getting the third-level A10 Missile Strike. When the Scud Storm five-minute timer begins, immediately attack the Scud Storm. Your Missile Strike will recharge in four minutes and you can finish destroying the Scud Storm. If there is less than 4 minutes and 20 seconds left on the Scud Storm countdown when you strike, you may be too late, as it takes time for your planes to reach their destination.

Save the game occasionally, as the slightest distraction will allow a truck bomb to destroy your northern defense. During the four minutes waiting for the A10 Missile Strike to recharge, you will have to continue fiercely defending your base.

Although two more Missile Strikes will knock out the Speaker Tower that incites Truck and Car Bombs to attack your base, the next two strikes can be put to better use taking out two of the Arms Dealers at the GLA base. This will significantly slow down the attack rate on your base. The third strike will take out the final Arms Dealer. The fourth and fifth strike will then destroy the Speaker Tower.

By now, you are very low on funds, but no more vehicles, including suicide bombers, will threaten your base. A line of three Pathfinders on the other side of the river (fairly far north to protect most of the oil field) will set up a gauntlet that no infantry can pass through, and you can safely capture as many oil derricks as you see fit.

[edit] Offensive Operations

You can now attack the GLA base to the north at your leisure. Build up a fleet of seven or more Tomahawks and move them due north from your base led by a Pathfinder. Destroy all GLA structures from a distance with your Tomahawks while keeping them safe with your sniper. Be careful and avoid getting caught in a crossfire with your Tomahawks between two of the tall minaret structures. They seem to blend into the background and can do a lot of damage.

Before heading to the western part of the base, have your Tomahawks joined by a battalion of Paladins, as the GLA defense is more aggressive in their counterattack. Watch out for Scud Launchers that can destroy a large number of your Tomahawks.

Finish destroying the base and your mission is accomplished.

[edit] Alternate Strategy

Use Col. Burton to destroy the explosive barrels when no one is near them at the beginning of the level. Have your dozers clear the mines on the Oil Derricks then capture them. Send one Pathfinder near each bridge to kill every infantry unit that tries to cross. Use your Humvees and the remaining rangers to guard your base against rebel infantry attacks. Send Col. Burton with the remaining pathfinders over the north bridge and destroy the stinger site. Build up your base and defend the bridges with Paladin Tanks and Tomahawk Launchers (Plus the pathfinder that should already be there)

If you are quick with Col. Burton in the beginning of the level, he can actually take out the radio tower before enemy troops garrison around it. Have him and your pathfinders move west to the edge of the enemy base and the scud storm. Position your path finders to take out enemy troops trying to garrison building in the center of the map between the two enemy camps.

Use your A-10 Generals Power against the Tunnel Network Bunker on the eastern edge of the main enemy camp. After it is destroyed Col. Burton can easily take out the two stinger sites with cover fire from the pathfinders. Then he can methodically destroy the whole base. Of course he should start with the Scud Storm and use the help of A-10 attacks against large concentrations of vehicles and other tunnel bunkers. A fully healed Col. Burton can take out most vehicles one on one (except a quad cannon).

By destroying every building in the northwest campsite you will win the game, you only need to keep your base defended long enough to give Col Burton and the pathfinders the time needed to do it. This strategy is probably the easiest way to win on hard difficulty but you will probably take one scud hit.