Ten to One

"Soviet forces are trying to retake the pass you cleared for our convoys. Don't let this happen. Hold the pass and prevent the Soviets from taking this vital area. Destroy all Soviet units and buildings in this region."

- Mission briefing

Ten To One is the fourth Allied mission in Red Alert 1.

Background
Despite Field Commander A9's victories, the Allied Greek front was collapsing and Germany was all but taken. With many of the Soviet armored divisions halted in their tracks, the Allies were able to focus on rebuilding their front. In many areas, the Allied forces were reeling, but they still had a lot of fight left in them. The Soviet armor that was supposed to arrive several days before via the destroyed bridges had been rerouted through a certain pass in the snowy mountains.

This was the very same pass that the Allies had cleared out to unclog their lines. Needless to say, this was one of the few fights that the Allies had planned and were confident. A decisive victory against some of the finest in the Soviet army would be a great boost of morale.

Events
The Allied divisions within the area were well aware of the oncoming Soviet army. The heroic infantry battalion that had cleared the pass out earlier was still present at the new Allied garrison. This time, they were backed up by Allied light tanks. Having been in control of the area for some time, the Allies knew the territory well. Several armored platoons were stationed along ambush points. As the first Soviet armored division began to roll through, the Reds realized that their sheer firepower was matched perfectly by the Allied mobility and tactics. The initial attack was a disaster for the Soviets as their lead platoons were taken entirely off guard.

The Allied light tanks pulled back within the safety of the thick snow as the slower yet heavily armed Soviets began to file through. However, the Soviet incredible firepower was to be feared, even in the roughest terrain. Several Soviet platoons struck one of the Allied defense lines with full force. The Allied troops within the area inflicted heavy casualties yet were beaten back. The Soviets breached a second defense line, pushing the Allies in retreat on two sides. The lighter Allied tanks were left in ruins as the three remaining Soviet Armored Divisions began to roll to the Allied rally point, the garrison.

However, it all had been a ruse by the Allied Commander. As the Soviets pushed in further with reckless abandon, they failed to secure their flanks. The Allies still had several armored units left to spare and had circled around while the Soviet tanks would hit the defenses head on. The Soviets found a stiff-neck line of defense. They were slowly grinded to a halt when the Allied tanks attacked from all sides. It was a disaster for the Reds. Despite their superior numbers, the confusion had taken its toll. The garrison's defense were not breached at all and the Soviet Armored Divisions were left in smoking in the snow. Not wanting to lose momentum, all of the Allied soldiers and tanks were sent to destroy the hastily constructed Soviet base.

Aftermath
The defeat of their forward armored divisions gave the Soviets a nasty shock. It showed the grit and determination of the Allied war effort. Furthermore, it was a brilliant display of cunning. While many of the other fronts were collapsing at the moment, the victory gave the Allies quite a consolation. Plus, it kept a small gap open for a counterattack against the Soviets.

Walkthrough
You will start with whatever you finished the second mission with for this mission, including the structures. Your first priority should be defending the top of your base against the Yaks the Soviets will be sending at you. Train three rocket soldiers and a pair of medics, then stick them in a tight cluster near your ore refinery. Next, concentrate on defending the top of your base against infantry and heavy tanks - your rocket guy cluster will do quite nicely against the tanks, but it will be defenseless against grenade troops. You will need a few pillboxes to handle them, and a few turrets probably would not hurt. Defend the bottom entrance of your base with a few more turrets and some pillboxes, but leave the middle of your base open - the units you will be building will handle that area just fine.

Speaking of which, you will notice you can now build a war factory. Definitely do so, and I suggest you place it west of your construction yard. Build another pair of ore miners first, then crank out light tanks. You will need a cluster of about twenty if you want to ensure the destruction of the Soviet base in one attack.

Move your cluster to the bottom-left corner of the map, then make your assault to the north (the Soviet base is in the top-left corner). Make sure you keep your tank cluster close together - you do not want them to accidentally get split up on two sides of a ridge. You will probably encounter an ore miner and some heavy tanks in front of the base, so slaughter them first. When things are fairly clear, press onward and target the important base structures first. If you can knock out the war factory, barracks, and construction yard, the Soviets will probably sell everything else. Wipe out the survivors, and the mission will be over.