Overlord tank (Generals 1)

Overlord Tank is the heavy tank unit of China in Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansion, Zero Hour.

Background
Large and slow, the Overlord tank is a battlefield force to be reckoned with. In addition to its powerful twin cannons, it is large enough to crush smaller vehicles. A bunker, a gatling cannon, or a propaganda tower can be installed on its back.

General Ta Hun Kwai developed a newer version of the Overlord tank known as Emperor Overlord tank.

Unit
The following upgrades are purchased for each individual tank. Only one may be applied to any single tank at a time.

Base
The following upgrades are purchased at various buildings.

Game unit


The slow-moving, overwhelmingly-armed Overlord epitomizes the basic approach of the Chinese army. In order to be most effective these tanks should be used in mixed squads, with varied upgrades and flank protection from other units.

With their double cannons and thick armor they make good tank destroyers in addition to running over infantry and vehicles including enemy tanks. A large group of upgraded Overlord Tanks (more than three) is unstoppable, unless met with overwhelming force or dedicated AA weapons. Due to their armor they are ideal for making the initial breach in the enemy line and allowing smaller, faster, less armored units to attack the rear and fight in the confines of the enemy’s base. The Overlord can also play a role in defending a base or key areas on the battlefield before more permanent base defenses can be constructed.

Overlords are unwieldy and the slow traverse of their turrets means that large groups of smaller and more mobile anti-tank units can quickly overwhelm them (although, it should be noted that when facing large number of smaller vehicles in a confined area, the Overlord can simply run them over). The Overlord's armor is particularly vulnerable to rocket-wielding infantry units and enemy aircraft, although the Gatling Cannon upgrade compensates for this to an extent. Despite their apparent size, Overlord is transportable.

Jarmen Kell's skill at killing vehicle drivers makes the slow-moving Overlord particularly vulnerable and a favorite target-of-opportunity to the GLA. Rocket firing aircraft (F-22 Raptors, MIGs, Comanches, etc.) are recommended as counter, as the Overlord fares poorly against aircraft even when upgraded (although the bunker upgrade with five tank hunters somewhat compensates for this). General Granger's fleet of King Raptors can also make short work of them. Hijackers may also easily approach and capture the vehicle, especially if the Overlord is not upgraded. Terrorists and Bomb trucks are also quite effective counters, as the Overlord is unable to outrun them or gun them down quickly enough. A rogue nuke cannon with neutron shell would be a final say for overlord. Chinese opposition can also use EMP based weapon on it. Also all three US generals have units (King Raptor, Aurora Alpha, Laser Crusader) that are fairly effective against the Overlord.

Because of these weaknesses, Overlord tanks should never be sent into a battle unescorted. It is strongly recommended to support them with artillery, anti-air, anti-infantry, sensor and air support units. One Overlord can be upgraded with speaker tower, improving the safety of the group.

The Overlord's voice is calm and (sometimes thought to be) sarcastic. Their voice may seem creepy and unsettling.

Changelog

 * Generals sneak peek patch 1.02: fixed stacking of speaker tower healing on Overlord tanks
 * Generals patch 1.05: build time increased from 20 to 25 seconds

Trivia

 * Other than the Emperor Overlord, the Overlord tank is the only vehicle that can crush other vehicles in Generals and Zero Hour.