Battlemaster tank

"WE ARE INVINCIBLE!"
 * Overconfident Battlemaster driver

The Battlemaster was China's basic tank. Inexpensive and quick to build, the Battlemaster was designed to be rushed at the enemy in great numbers; groups of 5 or more Battlemasters gained a Horde Bonus, improving their rate of fire. The Battlemaster lacked any anti-air protection. They also lacked efficient anti-infantry weapons, but could run down infantry.

The Battlemaster shares the same basic hull as the Type 88 Main Battle Tank, and may have been a development or modernization of this design.

Upgrades
"You're going to need many tanks to defeat me, General! GOOD LUCK!"
 * Townes mocking General Taos Battlemasters

The Battlemaster could be upgraded with Uranium Shells and the Nuclear Tanks upgrade, improving its firepower and speed respectively. General Tsing Shi Tao's Battlemasters had these upgrades by default at no cost, with an added bonus of radiation, which is a useful item to kill off any infantry that may try to attack the Battlemasters.

General Ta Hun Kwai had his tanks made compatible with the Autoloader Upgrade, which increase their rate of fire by firing 3 shells in a quick succession.

The Nationalism upgrade improved the effects of the Horde Bonus.

Tactics/Counters
"ENOUGH! DO NOT DESTROY ANY MORE OF MY TANKS GENERAL!"
 * Kwai at the sight of his Battlemasters being torn apart

The Battlemaster, in small quantities, was something of a mediocre unit, lacking the speed of the GLA's basic Scorpion tank and the armour of the USA's Crusader. It was still quite effective against vehicles and structures, but China's key armoured unit was the Overlord. The Battlemaster required protection from other units to compensate for its weaknesses - Gatling Tanks were most effective for this purpose.

The Battlemaster, however, was potentially an extremely capable anti-tank unit once it reached a certain mass. When grouped in units of 10 or more, it could maintain the devastating horde bonus long enough to eliminate its enemies. This tactic still had many drawbacks. The Battlemaster was about as fragile as an Overlord for cost, but was far cheaper, meaning that an air strike that would leave an Overlord on Propaganda Tower repair would instead kill off a Battlemaster. A mass of Battlemasters would also have a large footprint, making it impossible for them to have the entire platoon fire from stand-off distances, thus necessitating that Battlemasters would have to close distance, possibly into enemy traps. Finally, as Battlemasters would require large scale to be effective; a true Battlemaster attack would be a bit of a gambit, absorbing large quantities of resources without providing versatility to defend against its counter-units.

One of General Kwai's Generals Powers allowed him to drop Battlemasters anywhere on the map by air (up to 4 Battlemasters at the highest level).