Conscript (Red Alert 2)

The conscript is the basic Soviet infantry unit in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge. Along with their counterparts in other factions, conscripts are able to garrison civilian structures.

History
The USSR and their affiliated states preferred to use conscripted soldiers to comprise the bulk for their military. They were armed with a PPSh-41 sub-machine gun and a revolver, and protected by metal breastplates worn over brown greatcoats and bulky respiration equipment built into their suit.

Some conscripts were also trained as paratroopers. However, they were not trained to swim (a problem affecting many Soviet infantry, including Boris).

In-game
Conscripts are incredibly vulnerable in the open. While large hordes of them can overwhelm the occasional tank, it is ill-advised to train them as they are very easily and cheaply countered, making armies of conscripts very cost-ineffective. They are most useful when they garrison a structure, which removes their vulnerability and increases their firepower considerably. If maps are lacking in usable structures, then battle bunkers may be constructed (in Yuri's Revenge only). However, artillery units can attack them with impunity when garrisoned, especially prism tanks. They can outrange, outrun and fry conscripts by the dozen.

They also have uses on the attack. A group of accompanying conscripts will cheaply stop chrono legionnaire attacks. They can also garrison any key buildings they find along the way to form a fall-back position. Against Tesla coils and psychic towers or other psychic units, they serve as a very useful, expendable meat shield for tanks. Send them ahead as a bullet magnet: it is better for a few conscripts to fry or become mind-controlled, than for your tank crews to suffer such a fate. If playing as Yuri, conscripts serve as a cheaper additional power source for bio reactors.

Conscripts can overpower prism towers as they only target one Conscript at a time. However, prism tanks can vaporize multiple conscripts at once.

When selected

 * Awaiting orders.
 * Comrade?
 * Conscript reporting.

When moving

 * Moving out.
 * Order received.
 * For the Union!
 * Da!

When ordered to attack

 * For home country!
 * Attacking.
 * You are sure?
 * For Mother Russia!

When suppressed

 * Mommy!
 * (crying)
 * We are being attacked!

Cameos
Alpha cameos:



Trivia

 * Conscripts are played by Andrei Skorobogatov and Marlo Lewis in the cutscenes.
 * The concept art of the conscript originally had the heavy shock trooper label. They are equipped with a breathing apparatus, a pair of iron plated shoulder pads, a revolver, a bandolier loaded with munitions, and (occasionally) an Uzi sub-machine gun.
 * In-game, they use the PPSh-41, which is roughly 30 years old by the time of the Third World War.