Zero Hour – Stealth General vs. General Leang
This mission is extremely difficult. Of the myriad of strategies that can be attempted, only a small number will lead to success.
The first goal is to survive the Sneak Attack tunnel that will pop onto your base early in the mission.
The second goal is to add to your armored units by leading Jarmen Kell to the northeast and sniping the Overlords parked in this area.
The third goal is to survive long enough to build two Scud Storms and destroy the Air Fields in the eastern part of General’s Leang base.
The fourth goal is to hold this area with captured Overlords and Hijackers and eventually destroy the base from this vantage point.
Good luck!
Key Strategies:
- The Sneak Attack tunnel will be triggered by the completion of the Palace. Before the Palace is finished building, have two captured Battlemaster tanks, three Quad Cannons, two Tunnel Networks and their accompanying RPG Troopers in the area to destroy the incoming units.
- Don’t capture the oil derrick right away. It will be destroyed. In fact, no matter when you capture it, it probably will be destroyed eventually and you must count on the Level 3 Cash Bounty to keep your funds flowing in.
- Have Jarmen Kell immediately head to the northeast once the Palace is completed and he can be recruited. Snipe the soldiers around the first Bunker so that it will be easier to destroy it later on. Snipe the Overlords to the north and wait until you can utilize the Level 2 Rebel Ambush to capture them in mass. Have Jarmen approach the Tunnel Network in this area to get additional units to exit it and be sniped.
- Build two Scud Storms in your original base area. Trying to extend the base outside of this area will be met with severe air assaults.
- After launching the two Scud Storms to destroy as many Patriots around the Air Field as possible, launch your Sneak assault with six Overlords, three Hijackers and Jarmen Kell. Capture the first dozer you can and build a Reactor, Barracks and Patriots to help guard the area.
- Your Overlords can climb the hill to the north to destroy the Particle Cannon, although resistance will be fierce. Destroy the Scud Storm when your Scud Storms recharge. You can survive the nuclear blast, then continue to destroy the rest of General Leang’s base.
- Build a complete wall of Stinger Sites along the northern ridge to fight off the air assault. Go ahead and built spare Stinger Sites in other available spaces within your base. You will have plenty of credits to do this and this will help control a truly distracting part of the mission.
Walkthrough:
Following these initial directions closely will help you survive the Sneak Attack that will be coming three to five minutes into the mission. Completion of the Palace will definitely trigger this attack.
Build about eight extra workers. Build a Barracks to the east of the Command Center and then a Supply Stash to the far west of the map.
Build a Tunnel Network at the northwest part of your base along the northern ridge. Build an Arms Dealer at the same time.
Build a second Tunnel network further east along the northern ridge, about even with your Barracks. This will help take care of the first set of Rangers that will come onto your base.
Go ahead and recruit two Hijackers and have them on Guard mode in the middle of the bridge after the Rangers are disposed of.
Build three Quad Cannons and position them between the two tunnel networks in anticipation of the Sneak Attack tunnel.
Go ahead and research Capture at the Barracks and recruit a single Rebel for when you are ready to capture the oil derrick. Don’t capture it yet.
Have the Hijackers capture the first two tanks that cross the bridge. Keep them in the area to destroy a Rocket Buggy or two. Heal them and have them join the Quad Cannons to wait for the Sneak Attack.
Start building a Palace in the far southeast corner of your base. Queue up five RPG Troopers so they can garrison this structure.
The Sneak Attack can be handled quite well with your troops in the northwest area. Have your Quad Cannons specifically target the infantry.
As soon as this attack is over, be sure your Palace is garrisoned and build a Stinger Site over by the oil derrick. The entrance to your base is now reasonably well defended.
Add Camo to your buildings to help slow down attacks. It doesn’t stop them totally.
Recruit Jarmen Kell, then start building Stinger Sites along the northern ridge. The air assault is going to pick up and not slow down. It is quite a nuisance. Add a few Quad Cannons if you feel you can afford it.
You will run out of funds soon so don’t waste resources. Go ahead and capture the oil derrick, although it will probably eventually be destroyed. Keeping it constantly repaired with a worker will extend its life. Once Jarmen Kell is ready, be sure to save the game. You are about to enter the second stage – capturing the Overlords to the northwest.
Snipe as many troops as you can on the way to the northeast to quickly reach Level 3. Choose the Level 2 Cash County and Level 1 Rebel Ambush. You need to keep the cash flow rolling. Be sure to snipe the troops around the Bunker halfway up. This way, it will be easier to destroy this Bunker before the twelve-minute timer expires.
Snipe at least five Overlords to the north.
With at least a minute left on the countdown timer, perhaps even sooner, launch a Level 2 Rebel Ambush and destroy the Bunker.
Start building a second Scud Storm.
When your Rebel Ambush recharges, capture at least six Overlords near the northeastern bunker. Have Jarmen ready so that when an extra Overlord pops out of the Tunnel Network you can snipe and capture it too.
Upgrade any of the Overlords that you can with Gattling Cannons.
Build the Black Market and obtain the Radar upgrade so that you can reveal the Airfields in the southeast corner of General Leang’s base.
Build extra Stinger Sites in as many empty areas of your base as you desire. This will help alleviate the air attack.
Continue to capture further Overlords if you desire. Six is enough to win the mission.
You can build a Sneak Attack tunnel right in this area, but it is easier to just retreat with Jarmen and your six Overlords back to your base and put them inside of a Tunnel Network in preparation for your Sneak Attack. The Sneak Attack tunnel is a popular target for the enemy jets and it might not last long enough for you to build a second Sneak Attack tunnel inside General Leang’s base.
Before you launch the Sneak Attack tunnel have Jarmen go back to your base and snipe a number of vehicles on the bridge to the east of your base to slow down any assaults that may occur while you are busy on General Leang’s base. (Be sure your Overlords can reach a Tunnel Network before you do this.)
Use the Radar function to detect the Airfields in the southeast area of Leang’s base. Launch two Scud Storms spread out so it will destroy: two Airfields, the War Factory, the two Patriots below the southern Airfield and two Patriots on both sides of the northern Airfield.
Place Sneak Attack tunnel centered on the northeast corner of the lower Airfield to keep it from being attacked by the various other Patriots in the area.
Have three or four Hijackers in the Sneak Attack tunnel but only exit with the six Overlords while the toxins still linger in the area. Make a loop around the area to destroy any remaining Patriots and Bunkers in the area.
When the toxins are gone, have the Hijackers exit and capture one of the many dozers in the area. Use your Rebel Ambush and capture at least two of the Reactors in the southeast corner of the base.
Build a Barracks and then multiple Patriots and Gattling Cannons to protect the area.
If you want, build a War Factory for additional units, although you don’t need them.
Go to the north and destroy the Particle Cannon. If you have waited until the Scud Storm is recharged, use it to clear the way before destroying it.
From the northeast corner, calmly sweep to the west, destroying structures and units as you go along. (It is not necessary to destroy the Reactors to win the mission.)
Besides the northern area of the base, there is one additional Barracks on the lower plateau that must still be destroyed.
Congratulations! You have beaten General Leang!
Mission accomplished!