| “ | Our Battlemaster tanks are vastly superior to anything the GLA can send against us. Like many of our units, they are most effective in large groups. - Lin Zhong |
” |
The Battlemaster tank is China's main battle tank (MBT) in Generals and Zero Hour.
Overview[]
Occupying the middle tier of the three faction's basic tanks, the Battlemaster is relatively inexpensive and quick to build. It is designed to be used in numbers; groups of 5 or more Battlemasters gain a Horde Bonus, improving their rate of fire. While it is not as advanced as American tanks, it is easily capable of crushing the relatively frail GLA armour in a head-on fight, and performance can be improved with upgrades from the Nuclear Missile Silo.
Game unit[]
| “ | We will prevail! - Battlemaster |
” |
The Battlemaster comes with reasonable firepower and armor. They are also cheaper than the USA's better armored Crusader Tank, which makes them easier to deploy in larger numbers. General Kwai's Battlemasters are even cheaper to produce than other Chinese factions, costing as much as a Scorpion Tank with the added perk of starting as veteran units from the factory. However, it is defenseless against aerial units and its weapon remains ineffective against infantry, though like most vehicles it has the option of running them over at close range.
Strategy[]
Battlemasters shine when fielded in groups of five or more; the Horde Bonus that these units gain provide them with a rate-of-fire increase.
Battlemasters can benefit from a number of upgrades. Most Battlemasters could be fitted with better engines and more potent ammunition, thus increasing their speed and damage respectively. Coupled with their Horde Bonus, which can also be improved, they potentially remain effective throughout a match.
Battlemasters were most effective on maps with relatively open terrain, allowing them to assemble in lines facing the opposing force and to simultaneously fire while benefiting from the horde Bonus.
Counters[]
Although a relatively balanced main battle tank on paper, the Battlemaster alone is something of a mediocre unit, lacking the speed of the GLA's basic Scorpion tank and the armour of the USA's Crusader Tank. The Battlemaster is more fragile than its American counterpart, and their lack of AA weapons mean that air strikes can devastate a horde of Battlemasters very quickly. Tanks also sometimes accidentally damage each other when firing at infantry that another is attempting to crush, and a larger group of tanks correspondingly increases the risk of this fratricide.
The Battlemaster,'s cannon is only effective against vehicles and structures. Gatling tank escorts were almost a necessity, as Battlemasters are helpless against aircraft and ineffective against infantrymen. If stealth threats were expected, detector vehicles would have to be added to the force, further complicating the tank formation. Distributing support units properly among the tanks without losing the Horde Bonus could be tedious, especially given their different speeds.
The Battlemaster's Horde Bonus conditions also confer a serious drawback in that a mass of Battlemasters will have a large footprint. Even assembled into an ideal firing line, only a certain number could engage particular target at once. Destroying a just single Battlemaster can potentially disrupt the Horde Bonus. Ambushes at choke points also take their toll, preventing the entire force from massing properly. Finally, as Battlemasters require numbers to be effective; a full Battlemaster attack is a bit of a gambit, being expensive and time-consuming to assemble without providing versatility to defend against tank countermeasures.
Zero Hour[]
- Armored warfare specialist General Kwai's Battlemaster is automatically granted veteran status (even elite status, if the corresponding General's Power is chosen) and is cheaper to produce. His has an autoloader upgrade that greatly increases the tank's firing rate. He also has a Tank Drop Generals Powers, allowing him to drop Battlemasters anywhere on the map by air free of charge, delivering up to 4 Battlemasters at the highest level.
- Nuclear Forces General Tsing Shi Tao's Battlemasters are equipped with Uranium Shells and Nuclear Tanks by default, ant their shells briefly irradiate their impact point. This also meant that his tanks left behind dangerous contamination if destroyed, but this radioactive residue can be eliminated through the purchase of the Isotope stability upgrade.
- Infantry General Shin Fai does not have access to Battlemasters. However, should he gain access to them by capturing a war factory of another Chinese General, any Battlemasters will enjoy Horde Bonuses from Nationalism and Patriotism.
Upgrades[]
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All Battlemasters will be built as elite.
Purchasable at Ta Hun Kwai's Generals promotion menu at any rank.
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Increases the Battlemaster's firing speed (fires three shots before reloading).
Purchasable at Ta Hun Kwai's Propaganda Center for $2500.
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Radiation released by the destruction of the Battlemaster stops harming friendly units.
Purchasable from Tsing Shi Tao's Propaganda Center for $2000.
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Increases the Battlemaster's horde bonus by 25%.
Purchasable from Chinese Propaganda Center for $2000.
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Increases the Battlemaster's damage by 25%.
Purchasable from China and Ta Hun Kwai's Nuclear Missile Silo for $2500.
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Increases the Battlemaster's speed by 50%, and causes them to release a nuclear blast on destruction. Automatically applied to Tsing Shi Tao's tanks.
Purchasable from China and Ta Hun Kwai's Nuclear Missile Silo for $2000.
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- Note
- Nuclear Tanks deals 25 Explosion damage within a radius 0-25 and 10 Explosion damage within a radius 25-75 upon death. Before Isotope Stability is researched, Tao' Nuclear Tanks deals 110 Explosion damage within a radius 0-80 and 70 Explosion damage within a radius 80-100 upon death.
Changelog[]
- Zero Hour patch 1.03: now displays upgrade cameo for isotope stability (Tao only)
Quotes[]
| When created |
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| When selected |
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| When selected (General Tao's variant) |
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| When ordered to move |
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| When ordered to attack |
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| When ordered to crush |
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| When received upgrade: Uranium Shells |
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| When received upgrade: Nuclear Tank |
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| When received upgrade: Autoloaders (General Kwai's variant) |
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Cut quotes[]
| When received upgrade: Fusion Reactors |
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| When received upgrade: Weapons Grade Uranium Shells |
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Trivia[]
- The Battlemaster has what appears to be a machine gun mounted on top of the turret, though it cannot be used.
- Much of the Chinese arsenal in Generals resembles a Cold War-era military force (with obvious exceptions, like the Overlord). In the Battlemaster's case, this is almost certainly because the older, Soviet-style 'pudding-basin' turret makes it easy to visually distinguish from American tanks.
- Although sharing a design language with many real-life Chinese and Soviet tanks, it's probably closest to the Type 79 main battle tank (a development of the earlier Type 59 tank). This model is distinguishable from other Cold War Chinese tanks by having five road-wheels and a fume extractor in the middle of the main gun, rather than near the tip - visual distinctions which the Battlemaster shares.
See also[]
- Crusader tank, American counterpart
- Laser tank, General Townes counterpart
- Scorpion tank, GLA counterpart
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