Ambushing (Generals)

"Our base is under attack!"

- Announcer, warning the General

Ambushing is a tactic used by generals of all the factions.

Attack
General Malcolm Granger's Comanche helicopters can be upgraded with stealth generators. The Stealth Fighter is also helpful. Another ambush tactic used by American forces was the use of Pathfinders to kill groups of enemy infantry from the shadows. The ability to airdrop troops also helped ambushes because Rangers could be placed strategically behind enemy lines to capture buildings and kill enemy soldiers. Dropping soldiers and tanks with Chinooks was also a common tactic.

Colonel Burton is also excellent at ambushing the enemy in their own base, able to climb on walls and mountains that he is able to get in places who are not likely to attack and thus not defend properly. Able to plant charges, when staying out of stealth detection units, he is able to blow up an entire base with one push of the button and knife-attack infantry without being detected.

Defense
The USA is an expert in detecting stealthed units, with their Spy Satellites, Spy Drones, Scout Drones and Sentry Drones to start with, all cheap units, deployable anywhere, anytime, when properly used, it's impossible to get inside the USA base by the GLA or China. Also, one of the most used strategies from the Strategy Center, the Search and Destroy strategy, also made all invisible enemy units visible in a wide range. The Pathfinder was also very useful as defence, detecting stealth units in an extreme range for a single infantry and killing even Commandos with one single shot. The King Raptor from General Granger is the only stealth detecting airplane, and with the Gatling-Helix from the Chinese (a Helix equipped with a Gattling Cannon) the only airborne units that have Stealth Detection. Of course, the Patriot Missile System also had stealth detection.

Attack
China can drop land mines to stop chokepoints using the Generals' ability called Cluster Mines. Inferno and Nuke cannons can be placed around the valley to catch the enemy in a hail of fire. However, China is not the best faction for ambush tactics because of the size, speed (or lack thereof) and noise of their units.

Black Lotus or, even better, Super Lotus can take over a big part of the enemy's base. The only problem is that she's most effective in the rear of the base and it's not easy to get there. A Helix (or Assault Helix) can be a solution. When able to take control of a War Factory or a Barracks, the general can create an army inside the enemy's base. Also, when a superweapon is nearing their fire sequence, the superweapon can be taken over to fire it at the enemy itself! Note: Doing so too late will not have a positive result, while doing it too early will allow the enemy to re-take or destroy the superweapon.

Unfortunately. Lotus is China's only stealthed unit capable of launching stealthed offensives, making her Eastern power suffer in this field.

Defense
China's biggest advantage over the two factions is that it has mobile Stealth Detection that at the same time is strong enough to take care with most of their invisible surprises. The Overlord Tank, the Emperor Overlord and the Helix (not the Assault Helix) are good examples. When equipped with a Gattling Cannon, they are able to see Stealthed units, and take good care of infantry (Overlord and Emperor also Aircraft and Tanks). Their hero, Black Lotus is also the only hero that has stealth detection.

The Internet Center can also be a good help to prevent being ambushed. With Satellite Hack 1, the general can see where the enemy is hiding and where his command center is, even when it's camouflaged like Prince Kassad, the GLA commander for stealth tactics. With Satellite Hack 2, when there is a gap (visible, but no units) in the fog of war moving towards you, you're about to be ambushed. The stationary Gattling Cannon is also able to detect stealthed enemies and is highly effective against para drops and Rebel Ambushes.

General Shin Fai has a different way of detecting and killing enemy ambush units. The Attack Outpost is a decent way of defending the base, it's stealthed when standing still, and able to see stealth in a wide area. When standing two or three next to each other, they heal themselves, making it an almost perfect stealth bunker, if they didn't lack so much in armor. The Assault Troop Transport is ideal to take care of stealthed drones, infantry and Commandos.

Attack
The GLA, compared to its other technologically superior factions, are the true masters of stealth.

The GLA have Hijackers that can ambush vehicle convoys and capture vehicles. Jarmen Kell is also excellent at ambushing infantry and vehicles, especially if he is garrisoned in a building. GLA Workers can build tunnels to get your units from place to place quickly and surprise unsuspecting foes, as well as the ability to place an unarmed Tunnel Network anywhere on the map. They can build Demo Traps which will detonate among enemy forces, wreaking havoc. Their Technicals are excellent for moving men quickly, allowing ambushes to be rapidly set up, or run from, if the situation turns sour. The GLA Generals' ability called Rebel Ambush can deploy men anywhere, which is perfect for ambushing. Add to this, the ability to make all Rebels stealthed, and the GLA becomes a nasty threat to an unwary general. Bomb trucks can disguise themselves as enemy or civilian vehicles and only reveal themselves before greeting their foes with an explosive surprise.

Prince Kassad could even ambush the enemy with an entire base, which he could use stealth on it entirely, built with Workers that have been GPS scrambled.

Defense
The GLA is not practical in defending against ambushing. The only main advantage is that ambushes are rarely with enemy units. The only GLA stealth detections are Stinger Sites, Tunnel Networks or a Radar Van (line of sight and the Radar Van Scan). But, once detected, the GLA has the advantage to be VERY mobile, with Tunnel Networks and their overall speed, they can destroy the threat quickly.

USA
Power and money is the main task. Attack from behind with Rebel Ambush or Paradrops and disable their power. Watch out for airplanes and (especially) helicopters with the assistance of anti-air.

USA Superweapons
Power and money is the main task. Attack from behind with Rebel Ambush or Paradrops and disable their power. Watch out for airplanes and (especially) helicopters also anti-air. USA superweapons does not have tanks!

USA Laser
Power and money is the main task. Attack from behind with Rebel Ambush or Paradrops and disable their power (first priority, disables defenses, superweapons and tanks!). Watch out for Laser Turrets, airplanes and (especially) helicopters.

USA Air Force
Well have you notice in no-time, and his aircraft will be there also. He does not rely on power, but needs a steady income. Destroying a few Supply Centers will not have a massive impact, nor attacking his Supply Drop Zones. His big weak point lies in the fact that he cannot replenish his army quickly. An EMP battery or a Sneak Attack (not directly in his base, he will have it destroyed in no time) filled with Quad Cannons will decimate his aircraft, open for the final blow. When you destroy his Strategy Center, he will not be able to Carpet Bomb you or build Auroras (the bomber).

China
China's secondary income (Hackers) are a weak point, especially when he wants to build high-tech units. Destroying it will cripple China.

China Infantry
An ambush is best performed without airborne units, but with tanks like the Gatling Tank, Dragon Tank, Quad Cannon or Humvees with Pathfinders and Missile Defenders. Attack from behind, swiftly, watch out for mines and Fortified Bunkers(!).

China Tank
If you are the GLA or USA commander, use the Rebel Ambush or Paradrops filled with Rangers to get behind this base and destroy his power and tank-making factories. Watch out for anti-air, tanks and for the GLA, use demolitions to blow your main infantry up to destroy the War Factory and Power Plants if you are the GLA demolitions commander.

China Nuclear
Use the GLA or USA Rebel Ambush or Paradrops to take out main Power Plants which are the key to the Nuclear Missiles which this commander will use to destroy your base if you don't use any of the ambush tatics. Look out for anti-air, tanks (with nuclear inside them) and for the GLA, use demolitions to blow up the Power Plants if the GLA demolitions commander is you.

GLA
For both the USA and China, use the Paradrops to capture or destroy the Supply Stash which the money is the main task to the GLA being wealthy during the war on terror worldwide in missions and skirmishes. Look out carefully for anti-air like Quad Cannons and tanks but if the ambush tactics didn't work, use your aircraft, tanks or the superweapon you have in your base to distract the GLA of an ambushed diversionary tactic.

GLA Demolitions
Use Paradrops again to capture or destroy the GLA Supply Stash which money is the main task to the terrorists being the wealthiest in the war. Look out for anti-air, demolitioned troops and vehicles but use the superweapon of your faction (China or America) to destroy it to pieces including the base with aircraft.

GLA Toxins
Use Paradrops to capture or destroy the GLA Supply Stash in this base of operations by China or the USA. Watch and look out for anti-air, tanks (with Toxin Shells), Toxin tractors and Networking Tunnels that will choke your troops but using your aircraft or superweapon will take out his base.The commander can do is to send tanks to drive along (there is Demo Traps somewhere in his area) and destroy it including the base as a diversionary ambush.

GLA Stealth
You have come to the right place at the wrong time. This GLA commander has his base, defenses and everything around him stealthed by camouflage when you (either American or Chinese) must use paradrops again to control or destroy the base (which in the Generals' battleground, he has an outpost on the south-west of your position) by destroying or use control of the GLA's Supply Stash and the rest of the base. Watch out for anti-air and vehicles all under the stealth regime but to do an ambush tactic, you need tanks to create an ambush on his vehicles and defenses, superweapons to clean out the base and aircraft on the other defenses if the tanks are under fire by bunkered troops of the GLA.