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Unit and Structure in-depth FAQ v1.0 9-12-99
This FAQ is copyrighted to Brian Yip (me). Feel free to distribute, just as long
as you don't make any money off of it, and do not modify it.
This is a FAQ to go in depth of the units and structures of both the GDI and the
NOD
of Tiberian Sun. My main intention is to show more than just what the manual
shows,
telling the effectiveness of each and every unit and structure.
If you have any comments or questions, direct them to me at
night-dragon@geocities.com
Part 1 - General notes
Infantry vs. Vehicles:
Infantry is vulnerable to bullet-type weapons, but most explosive type weapons
such as
rockets/missiles have a MUCH less of an effect. There are exceptions however
(such as
disc from disc throwers, lasers, etc.) and I will note them in this FAQ.
Vehicles on the other hand I categorize as medium or heavily armored. Medium
armor
means that they are vulerable to all weapon types, but to a lesser extent from
each.
Heavy armor means they can easily absorb damage from anti-infantry weapons, but
are more vulnerable to anti-vehicle weapons.
GDI vs. NOD:
I really can't say. GDI has more brute force, but NOD has some very tricky
maneuvers,
and they got great artillery. I play both sides equally and enjoy both... so
it's
a very tough call for me. But use this FAQ to get a good idea of how to use your
units
and make up your own decision.
Part 2 - The GDI
==========
Structures
==========
Construction Yard - This of course, is the MOST important structure.
Defend it at all costs.
Power Plant - The effectiveness of the power plant that the GDI has
over the NOD is that it can house two power turbines at a cheaper price
for more power output. When a power plant has two power turbines, its
power output and price is the equivalent of a NOD advanced power plant.
The main advantage is that these can be constructed in the very early stages
of the game so you don't have to waste money making new plants. Power is
essential for keeping your ion cannon, hunter seeker, and fire storm
generator online, as well as keeping all construction at its fastest rates.
Barracks - This provides training of your infantry. Once you construct a
radar tower, jump jet infantry will be available. Barracks are also necessary
to build a war factory and static defenses.
Refinery - Each refinery can store up to about 2500 credits of Tiberium, and
each comes with a harvester. Sometimes it's better to construct another
refinery rather than building another harvester because of Tiberium storage,
and having a place for a full harvester to make its drop without waiting for
another harvester that already may be at a refinery. Protect these as well, for
any Tiberium stored will all be lost if they are to be destroyed or stolen. It
is
INCREDIBLY detrimental if your harvester is docked at the refinery at the time
it
is stolen, because the harvester will also belong to the opponent. But remember,
you can also use this technique as well.
Radar Tower - This gives you the minimap of the battlefield so you can know what
movement is going on anywhere. In order for it to remain active, you need to
have
your power output at sufficient levels.
Tiberium Silo - These small structures house excess Tiberium when your
refineries
are full. In most circumstances you will not need to construct these, because
you'll be spending most of your credits anyway. But in the event your income
is increasing very rapidly and you don't want to build another refinery, then
silos are what you need. Usually silos are unnecessary, and mostly built in
single player when you're clearly winning the mission.
War Factory - This provides construction of vehicles. As you increase in
technology, you'll be able to build more advanced vehicles. Note that building
multiple war factories does NOT reduce the time in building units like in Red
Alert.
This was taken out to prevent "tank rushing".
Component Tower - Once built, a turret can be placed on top to serve as your
static defenses.
- Vulcan Cannon Turret - This turret serves as a rapid fire cannon that is
most effective against lightly armored units such as infantry. It works
against heavily armored units to a lesser extent. However the BEST use for
this turret is against ENGINEERS. Careful placement of vulcan cannons can
easily make or break you because of engineers.
- RPG - This turret launches explosive projectiles at enemies, and is
especially suited for heavily armored units. It works against infantry as
well
with almost equal effectiveness. With its splash damage, this turret is the
best overall against ground units. However, it DOES have a minimum range,
and
any unit that gets right next to it can attack it with impunity.
- SAM - This serves as anti-air, and can ONLY fire at aircraft. Lightly
armored
flyers such as the Harpy and Orca Fighter will fare the worse against a
SAM.
EMP Pulse Cannon - This structure is used to disable any incoming vehicle for a
short
time. While disabled, you can freely attack the enemy vehicle with impunity.
Helipad - Allows construction of flyers. Any attacking flyer must reload at a
helipad,
and if you plan to have multiple flyers, it is wise to construct an equal amount
of
helipads as you do flyers. This will speed up reload times after attack runs,
rather
than having one flyer reload, get off, reload another, get off, etc...
Service Depot - This allows repairs on any vehicle. You can repair multiple
vehicles
in a queue by selecting each vehicle and clicking on the depot. However, if you
forgot
to put a vehicle on the queue, you cannot "add" to it. Thus, you must either
wait until
all the vehicles on the current queue are done repairing, or select each vehicle
in the
current queue and have them move somewhere else, re-select the vehicles you want
to be
repaired and click back on the depot.
GDI Tech Center - This allows your other buildings to create more advanced
units. Takes
up a LOT of power, so make sure your power output is VERY high before putting up
a
tech center, otherwise you may find yourself low...
GDI Upgrade Center - This can house 2 upgrades. But remember that you must have
enough power to keep them functional.
- Ion Cannon - Once charged, you can freely fire a high damaging laser from
up
above. This cannot destroy ANYTHING. But key things you will want to
destroy
will be any static defenses (especially the Obelisk of Light), stealth
generators,
and power plants. Most other buildings cannot be destroyed by a single hit
of the
ion cannnon, and the building will most likely get fully repaired. However,
if you
have an ally and both have a ready ion cannon, then you can easily destroy
ANY
building (construction yard maybe? ^^)
- Seeker Control - This will allow the deployment of the hunter seeker droid.
This takes a long time to charge, but the droid can destroy anything it
targets.
The main downside is that it picks its target randomly. But on the plus
side, this
is EXCELLENT for cleanup. If you destroyed your opponent's base, and found
out that
he somehow constructed another one on undiscovered territory, then the
droid will
find it for you. Release the droid, and follow the dot on the minimap and
see
where it detonates. This will most likely be the location. Also if you
haven't found
your opponent AT ALL, then this would be another use as well.
Firestorm Generator - Once built, you must build firestorm wall sections. This
can be
VERY costly if you intend to surround a large area of your base, but it
sometimes well
worth it. When you have build your firestorm wall sections, these sections will
erupt
large columns of energy once you activate the generator. The energy fields are
completely
impenetrable, and any unfortunate unit directly ON the wall sections is
instantly
vaporized. This energy wall only lasts for a short time and requires a recharge
once its
energy is depleted. Thankfully, it charges quite fast. But remember that you
must have
sufficient power to keep it running. There is also a bug where you can have an
INFINITE
energy wall. Simply activate the Firestorm Generator, then while it's on, power
off your
power plants so that you have low power. As long as you have low power, the wall
will
run until the power is back on.
Concrete Walls - These prevent any unit from crossing, and must be destroyed by
explosive type weapons if units wish to pass. However, some units can also fire
over
the wall, but those that can't must destroy it.
Automatic gate - This prevents Tiberium growth and enemy units from entering
your base.
However, the gate will lower for friendly units, making this decent for
protecting your
refineries.
Pavement - Usually overlooked, pavement is a MUST in many situations. Pavement
prevents
the spread of Tiberium veins from entering your base, and also prevents
burrowing units
from emerging. If you someday find a sneaky NOD opponent sneak a subterranean
APC filled
with engineers enter your base and capture all your buildings... that means you
didn't
pave your base! This also prevents Flame Tanks from emerging in the middle of
your base
as well as protect your base from craters. In addition, units move faster on
pavement. Always be sure to have a good amount of pavement when facing off
against a NOD
opponent... you never know when he might sneak underneath.
=====
Units
=====
Infantry
Light Infantry - Lightly armored, these guys' main use is against OTHER
infantry. Against
heavier armored units, light infantry is pretty much useless other than cannon
fodder.
Mainly use them to support your heavy hitters against heavier infantry such as
rocket
soldiers. They are also excellent at disposing engineers. Other than that, they
are pretty
much useless.
Disc Thrower - These guys are your heavy hitting infantry. They are lightly
armored like
light infantry, but their payload is VERY impressive, ESPECIALLY in numbers and
with
medics. Their discs are equally effective against ALL unit types, and in
numbers, they can
take on odds higher than you'd think. As offense and defense, these guys are
almost TOO
good for their cost. Plus, they get veterancy VERY fast, making them even more
deadly!
Their rate of fire, cost, and movement is better than the NOD equivalent, the
rocket
soldier. Their main weakness is that they cannot attack the air... but other
than that
they are definitely the best infantry unit in the GAME.
Medic - Medics are ESSENTIAL when performing offensive warfare. Using multiple
medics
along with disc throwers will allow you to take on odds you won't believe!
However,
there is the problem of having medics "accidentally" get within enemy lines and
get
killed! The way resolve this is to put all your medics in a number group using
the
ctrl-# method, and then select your units, and select the target. Then
immediately
press the # of your medic group, and once your units have engaged, press the "G"
key
to put your medics in guard mode. Thus, once battle is taking place, they will
heal
any infantry unit who takes damage without accidentally walking into enemy
lines.
Engineer - These guys have 3 very important uses:
- If you get them in any enemy building, it becomes yours. If you capture
a building that produces things of the other side, you'll also be able to
produce
those things. However, you still need the other appropriate buildings of
that side
to produce the more advanced stuff.
- If one of your buildings is heavily damaged, the engineer can bring it back
to
full health. This is VERY useful in single player if you need to protect
certain
structures.
- If a bridge is destroyed, the engineer can repair it by entering the repair
hut
on either side.
Jump Jet Infantry - Used as flying scouts, jump jet infantry can attack from up
above.
They can also attack enemy flyers as well with good effectiveness against
lightly
armored ones. They are also EXCELLENT at taking out those annoying NOD
artillery!
However, they are very vulnerable to anti-air weapons and it only takes a few
hits
for them to go down... but they can be healed by medics.
Ghost Stalker - You can only have one of this guy... but he's very deadly. Armed
with
a rail gun, he can blast through multiple units, potentially destroying them in
a
single blast. Any light or medium armored unit is instantly killed. If you can
get him
inside the enemy base... his C4 charges can destroy any building in one hit if
you
can get him close enough. And to add to his strengths... he can HEAL in
Tiberium!
I actually hardly use this guy surprisingly, because he's SLOW... but if you
decide to use him, use him wisely! He's expensive!
Vehicles
Wolverine - Medium armor, these fast moving units are excellent for scouting and
against
enemy infantry. A handful of these guys can easily take on large groups of
infantry,
especially slow firing rocket soldiers. Excellent at cleaning up the infantry
that come
out of destroyed buildings. And another note: Wolverines are the ONLY walking
vehicles
that can cross Tiberium veins without taking damage!
Amphibious APC - Medium armor sadly... but they are useful for taking infantry
across
large Tiberium patches and especially over water.
Titan - Heavily armored, these are the main backbone GDI units. Their laser is
also 100%
accurate so they never miss moving targets! They have moderately long range as
well,
and can outrange laser turrets and vulcan cannons. Although slow, they can crush
infantry
underneath their legs, and their weapon can easily take out other vehicles with
ease.
Hover MLRS - Medium armor like the APC, they can cross over water, and they can
ALSO hover
above Tiberium veins which is a good plus. They also serve as EXCELLENT
anti-air, firing
two powerful rockets at any air unit just as effectively as a land unit. Their
rockets
are best used against vehicles, and almost useless against infantry. However,
like the
Titan, they have long range and can attack laser turrets and vulcan cannons with
impunity.
Combining these with Titans and/or Disrupters will have a nearly unbeatable
force.
Disrupter - Heavily armored, this specialized unit fires a wave of energy.
Anything caught
in the blast takes HEAVY damage, regardless of loyalty. VERY VERY VERY effective
against
grouped units, and SUPER effective at bunched up buildings!!! Effective against
all unit
types, the Disrupter should be in the front lines of your attack force to avoid
friendly
fire. HOWEVER... the Disrupter's attack does NOT effect your other Disrupters!!!
With a
good number of these babies in your front lines... you have a total destruction
in your
hands! For maximum efficiency, always target the furthest unit or structure, so
it can
damage as many things as possible in its path.
Mammoth Mk. II - You can only have one of this huge behemoth at any one time.
Although
expensive, its performance is unmatched. Like the Ghost Stalker, it packs a rail
gun
which can instantly kill nearly any unit in one shot. Against buildings, the
rail gun
can take them out in two. And to add to its formidable power, it has rockets for
anti-air!
This however is a favorite target, and cannot last long against too many
enemies... so
try to keep it safe by taking it away from battle to rest... because it can
self-heal.
If damaged below 50% and left alone, it will heal back to 50%. The rest most be
recovered
at a service depot.
Mobile Sensor Array - These are used to detect burrowed or cloaked units. When
they detect
one, a yellow square will show up on the mini map showing where the unit is, and
you
will be able to see it if your screen is at that position as well. Not entirely
useful...
but useful at sniffing out sneaky stealth tanks and maybe flame tanks and APCs.
However,
in single player you'll be using these a lot...
Orca Fighter - Somewhat vulerable against anti-air defenses, the Orca Fighter is
fast,
and carries lots of missiles that are useful against armored ground units. It is
fragile
though, and it only takes a few shots for it to go down... so the better unit to
get is...
Orca Bomber - Heavily armored, but slow, the Orca Bomber lets loose a barrage of
explosives in a straight line, leaving destruction in its wake. Using lots of
these guys
can decimate an entire base EASILY. Also useful against pesky artillery! Since
they're
so armored, they can usually survive an attack run from enemy SAM sites as well.
Take out
the SAM sites with a few bombers (you will have little or no losses), then take
out the rest
of the base with the rest! It might be costly, but if used right, you can easily
win the
game using these guys alone. The only unit that might stand a chance is the
Hover MLRS...
but usually not even that can stop a raid of Orca Bombers!
Orca Carryall - Used to carry one ground unit to any location... including the
Mammoth
Mk. II. Can also be used to quickly transport units to a repair pad as well!
Harvester - What more can I say? These guys are essential!!! You usually won't
have to
keep too much of an eye on them, because you'll be warned if they are under
attack.
Thankfully they are very heavily armored, and they can self-heal as well. As for
how many
to put into play... I usually have FIVE of these guys around!
MCV - If you manage to find this in a crate... man are you lucky. Use to replace
your
lost construction yard.
Part 3 - The Brotherhood of NOD
==========
Structures
==========
Construction Yard - This of course, is the MOST important structure.
Defend it at all costs.
Power Plant - Supplies power, but unlike the GDI power plant, you cannot build
extra turbines. For more power output you gotta build another plant until at
least you get to advanced power plants.
Advanced Power Plant - Comes after building a war factory, but once you have
these,
you'll be building them instead of regular power plants.
Hand of NOD - This provides training of your infantry. The Hand of NOD is also
necessary
to build a war factory and static defenses.
Refinery - Each refinery can store up to about 2500 credits of Tiberium, and
each comes with a harvester. Sometimes it's better to construct another
refinery rather than building another harvester because of Tiberium storage,
and having a place for a full harvester to make its drop without waiting for
another harvester that already may be at a refinery. Protect these as well, for
any Tiberium stored will all be lost if they are to be destroyed or stolen. It
is
INCREDIBLY detrimental if your harvester is docked at the refinery at the time
it
is stolen, because the harvester will also belong to the opponent. But remember,
you can also use this technique as well.
Radar Tower - This gives you the minimap of the battlefield so you can know what
movement is going on anywhere. In order for it to remain active, you need to
have
your power output at sufficient levels.
Tiberium Silo - These small structures house excess Tiberium when your
refineries
are full. In most circumstances you will not need to construct these, because
you'll be spending most of your credits anyway. But in the event your income
is increasing very rapidly and you don't want to build another refinery, then
silos are what you need. Usually silos are unnecessary, and mostly built in
single player when you're clearly winning the mission.
War Factory - This provides construction of vehicles. As you increase in
technology, you'll be able to build more advanced vehicles. Note that building
multiple war factories does NOT reduce the time in building units like in Red
Alert.
This was taken out to prevent "tank rushing".
Laser Turret - The main anti-surface static defense structure. Equally effective
against
infantry and vehicles... but is very short ranged. Easily outranged by many
vehicles, so
its use is only most effective against infantry and engineers.
SAM Site- This serves as anti-air, and can ONLY fire at aircraft. Lightly
armored
flyers such as the Harpy and Orca Fighter will fare the worse against a SAM
Site.
Obelisk of Light - The laser turret's larger cousin, this towering nightmare can
destroy
nearly anything in a single blast. This also has VERY long range, and can hit
any vehicle
(with the exception of artillery) that can outrange the standard laser turret.
However
its has HUGE drawbacks. It's expensive, it takes HUGE amounts of power, and goes
OFFLINE
when you are on low power!!! And to add to its downsides, it is a FAVORITE
target of
missile launches and ION CANNONS! They also take a while to fire each shot...
and a
smart person can use a decoy to take the blast while the heavy hitters can
destroy the
obelisk while it's powering up. These things IMO are just not very cost
effective...
EMP Pulse Cannon - This structure is used to disable any incoming vehicle for a
short
time. While disabled, you can freely attack the enemy vehicle with impunity.
Helipad - Allows construction of flyers. Any attacking flyer must reload at a
helipad,
and if you plan to have multiple flyers, it is wise to construct an equal amount
of
helipads as you do flyers. This will speed up reload times after attack runs,
rather
than having one flyer reload, get off, reload another, get off, etc...
NOD Tech Center - This allows your other buildings to create more advanced
units. Takes
up a LOT of power, so make sure your power output is VERY high before putting up
a
tech center, otherwise you may find yourself low...
Temple of NOD - This allows the deployment of the hunter seeker droid and will
allow you
to train a cyborg commando and mutant hijacker.
Missile Silo - A cluster missile will construct right after you build this. The
missile
spreads damage over a small area, unlike the ion cannon which focuses all its
energy on
one spot. Against structures, it's not too effective... but against a large
group of
attacking units... YES!
Tiberium Waste Facility - Acts like the refinery, but it processes Tiberium
veins instead
for production of a chemicle missile. This missile is more like the ion cannon,
but
with an added effect: It leaves toxic clouds which damage any units and
structures
that touch them, forcing the commander to maintain and repair his base. Note
that you
must have weed eaters to bring the veins to the waste facility like how
harvesters
bring Tiberium to a refinery.
Stealth Generator - In a large radius, any unit and structure will be cloaked.
Attacking
however will reveal the unit... and you must have power to keep it online. This
is
completely USELESS against the CPU, because the CPU still knows where you are...
and it
will still use an ION CANNON against you even though it's cloaked... *sigh* But
against
a human opponent, this might be useful... but not TOO useful once he knows the
location
of your base.
Laser fencing - When placed at even straight lines from each other, laser walls
are
formed which will prevent units from crossing. Certain units can still shoot
OVER
though, but those that can't must destroy the posts, which is more difficult
than
destroying stone walls. Must have sufficient power to keep it online as well...
NOD walls - These prevent any unit from crossing, and must be destroyed by
explosive type weapons if units wish to pass. However, some units can also fire
over
the wall, but those that can't must destroy it.
Automatic gate - This prevents Tiberium growth and enemy units from entering
your base.
However, the gate will lower for friendly units, making this decent for
protecting your
refineries.
Pavement - Usually overlooked, pavement is a MUST in many situations. Pavement
prevents
the spread of Tiberium veins from entering your base, and also prevents
burrowing units
from emerging. If you someday find a sneaky NOD opponent sneak a subterranean
APC filled
with engineers enter your base and capture all your buildings... that means you
didn't
pave your base! This also prevents Flame Tanks from emerging in the middle of
your base
as well as protect your base from craters. In addition, units move faster on
pavement. Always be sure to have a good amount of pavement when facing off
against a NOD
opponent... you never know when he might sneak underneath.
=====
Units
=====
Light Infantry - Lightly armored, these guys' main use is against OTHER
infantry. Against
heavier armored units, light infantry is pretty much useless other than cannon
fodder.
Mainly use them to support your heavy hitters against heavier infantry such as
rocket
soldiers. They are also excellent at disposing engineers. Other than that, they
are pretty
much useless.
Rocket Infantry - Can take a little more punishment than most infantry, but
still
vulerable against anti-infantry units. Their cost and speed are a bit steep...
making
them less useful than disc throwers. However, they have anti-air capabilities
which
makes up for it. But even this plus is pretty much useless against the heavily
armored
Orca Bombers. These guys aren't so good... but sometimes you need em against
armored units.
Cyborg Infantry - These guys are armored like vehicles, which is a plus and
minus. On
the plus side, they can easily wipe out enemy infantry with ease. They take take
a lot
of punishment from infantry and even if they end up getting destroyed, they
still live
to dish out more damage, but just move MUCH slower. And finally, they heal in
Tiberium.
On the minus side, they are a little expensive for their usefulness, and are
VERY
vulnerable to anti-vehicle weapons. Once they've been destroyed and are on their
hands,
they're pretty much useless because they move too slow. I barely use these guys.
Engineer - These guys have 3 very important uses:
- If you get them in any enemy building, it becomes yours. If you capture
a building that produces things of the other side, you'll also be able to
produce
those things. However, you still need the other appropriate buildings of
that side
to produce the more advanced stuff.
- If one of your buildings is heavily damaged, the engineer can bring it back
to
full health. This is VERY useful in single player if you need to protect
certain
structures.
- If a bridge is destroyed, the engineer can repair it by entering the repair
hut
on either side.
Cyborg Commando - This dude fires a green glob which does catastrophic damage to
any
target. Much like the rail gun, but a little less effective, but it does fire
faster.
He's also armored like hell, heals in Tiberium, and once destroyed he can still
walk on
his hands! However, he does cost a bundle, and he's just too slow. It's best to
pop him
in a subterranean APC and unload him in an unprotected side of the enemies base
to wreak
havoc. He's good at defense as well, but surpringly, I really don't use this guy
that much.
Mutant Hijacker - This guy is used to steal vehicles... incluing a Mammoth Mk.
II. He can
even steal civilian buses and cars as transport units. But his main use is
stealing enemy
vehicles to be used against the enemy and to steal another once it's been
destroyed.
He is lightly armored though, and can easily be killed once the vehicle he is in
is destroyed. Fortunately, he can heal in Tiberium! Note when trying to steal a
Mammoth
Mk. II, you'll have to make it fire first, and then steal it when it's powering
up for
its next shot, or else your hijacker will be ripped a new one.
Vehicles
Attack Cycle - The fastest unit in the game. Great for scouting, and it fires
rockets
which are useful against armored units. However it only has medium armor and
doesn't
last long... but it's fast so it can usually outrun danger and scout a lot of
the map,
making it very useful.
Attack Buggy - In every way like the GDI Wolverine, but it can take damage from
Tiberium
veins.
Tick Tank - This is pretty much the nearest thing to the Titan as the NOD will
get. It's
not as accurate as the Titan, and when it's not burrowed, it can't take as much
punishment either. But WHEN it's burrowed, its armor GREATLY increases. It works
great
as defense and offense, which makes it take a while to take out. But the
downside
is that it cannot move... and heavy hitting infantry can easily take out a
burrowed tick
tank. Titans can still take on a tick tank even while burrowed, but at least the
extra
armor helps even the odds. I don't use these guys too much...
Mobile Repair Vehicle - This thing is a MUST. I ALWAYS build these guys!!!
Always at
least two. Four if possible! These guys are essential for keeping your vehicles
alive
in the midst of battle! Since most the GDI units 1-on-1 against you will usually
win
the mobile repair vehicles will definitely help turn the tables. Also, during
artillery
sieges, mobile repair vehicles will help them stay alive while they continue
decimating
the enemy base. Like the medic though, they can accidentaly wander into enemy
lines along
with your units. To prevent that, use the same tactic in the medic section, and
put them
in guard mode.
Subterranean APC - This can burrow underground and pop up anywhere in the map,
except
where there is pavement. A person foolish enough not to pave his base should be
punished
by filling an APC full of engineers (or cyborg commando if you wish) and
emerging right
in the heart of his base, stealing his most precious structures! Its stealth is
the key,
but if a person was smart enough to pave his base... then its effectiveness is
pretty
much shot.
Artillery - Okay... this is _THE_ NOD unit. These are the main units you will
win with.
Their range is the LONGEST in the game, and their damage is incredible. They can
be used
defensively just as well as offensively. Simply get any number of these babies
and head
for the enemy base... and deploy. If you have enough artillery and/or backup
units, any
incoming enemy units will easily be destroyed due to the superior range of the
artillery.
The main weakness of artillery is their inability to hit air targets... so you
MUST
defend them with either lots of rocket infantry, or stealth tanks (yuck). But...
if
used properly, you pretty much have victory in your hands.
Stealth Tank - They have cloak, but if they attack, they reveal themselves. They
are
also revealed by a mobile sensor array, and infantry. However, they make good
scouts,
and sometimes if the enemy does not have too much defenses at his base, you can
sneak
them to a place where they can be undetected, and possibly take out some
buildings.
Their missiles also have anti-air capability... But don't count on it... their
armor is PITIFUL. These guys suck just as much as in the first C&C... *sigh*
Devil's Tongue Flame Tank - Burrow just like the APC, but they are VERY fragile
like
the stealth tank! But their true power is shown when up against infantry! One
stream of
fire can instantly kill a good number of soldiers, and groups of flame tanks can
wipe
out LEGIONS of troops. But if their flames cross, their hurt each other as
well... and
their flames do almost NOTHING against the heavily armored GDI units. They are
solely
anti-infantry, and they do decent damage to structures. But up against vehicles,
they
can't do too much...
Harpy - An anti-infantry flyer. Can't take too much punishment from anti-air,
but it
can harrass infantry pretty effectively. But all-in-all... it's relatively
worthless.
Banshee - This is somewhat of a lower grade Orca Bomber. It's MUCH faster, but
it's
less armored, and doesn't deliver as much damage. You'll need a LOT of these
guys just
to deal significant damage to structures... so they are probably best used
against units.
I'd use em more often if they were stronger, but they're just not cost effective
enough
for me.
Weed Eater - Just like the harvester, but it collects Tiberium veins instead in
order
to produce the chemical missile, and you can only have one Tiberium Waste
Facility.
I usually tons of weed eaters so that I have chemical missiles ready at very
fast
and constant intervals.
Harvester - What more can I say? These guys are essential!!! You usually won't
have to
keep too much of an eye on them, because you'll be warned if they are under
attack.
Thankfully they are very heavily armored, and they can self-heal as well. As for
how many
to put into play... I usually have FIVE of these guys around!
MCV - If you manage to find this in a crate... man are you lucky. Use to replace
your
lost construction yard.
To wrap things up, this FAQ is purely straight from my own observations, and all
this
was straight from my head with no references other than the game manual. If you
wish
to find me on the Westwood server, my name on there is "night900". Direct all
questions and comments to my e-mail at night-dragon@geocities.com.
Happy gaming.
This FAQ is copyrighted to Brian Yip (me). Feel free to distribute, just as long
as you don't make any money off of it, and do not modify it.
This is a FAQ to go in depth of the units and structures of both the GDI and the
NOD
of Tiberian Sun. My main intention is to show more than just what the manual
shows,
telling the effectiveness of each and every unit and structure.
If you have any comments or questions, direct them to me at
night-dragon@geocities.com
Part 1 - General notes
Infantry vs. Vehicles:
Infantry is vulnerable to bullet-type weapons, but most explosive type weapons
such as
rockets/missiles have a MUCH less of an effect. There are exceptions however
(such as
disc from disc throwers, lasers, etc.) and I will note them in this FAQ.
Vehicles on the other hand I categorize as medium or heavily armored. Medium
armor
means that they are vulerable to all weapon types, but to a lesser extent from
each.
Heavy armor means they can easily absorb damage from anti-infantry weapons, but
are more vulnerable to anti-vehicle weapons.
GDI vs. NOD:
I really can't say. GDI has more brute force, but NOD has some very tricky
maneuvers,
and they got great artillery. I play both sides equally and enjoy both... so
it's
a very tough call for me. But use this FAQ to get a good idea of how to use your
units
and make up your own decision.
Part 2 - The GDI
==========
Structures
==========
Construction Yard - This of course, is the MOST important structure.
Defend it at all costs.
Power Plant - The effectiveness of the power plant that the GDI has
over the NOD is that it can house two power turbines at a cheaper price
for more power output. When a power plant has two power turbines, its
power output and price is the equivalent of a NOD advanced power plant.
The main advantage is that these can be constructed in the very early stages
of the game so you don't have to waste money making new plants. Power is
essential for keeping your ion cannon, hunter seeker, and fire storm
generator online, as well as keeping all construction at its fastest rates.
Barracks - This provides training of your infantry. Once you construct a
radar tower, jump jet infantry will be available. Barracks are also necessary
to build a war factory and static defenses.
Refinery - Each refinery can store up to about 2500 credits of Tiberium, and
each comes with a harvester. Sometimes it's better to construct another
refinery rather than building another harvester because of Tiberium storage,
and having a place for a full harvester to make its drop without waiting for
another harvester that already may be at a refinery. Protect these as well, for
any Tiberium stored will all be lost if they are to be destroyed or stolen. It
is
INCREDIBLY detrimental if your harvester is docked at the refinery at the time
it
is stolen, because the harvester will also belong to the opponent. But remember,
you can also use this technique as well.
Radar Tower - This gives you the minimap of the battlefield so you can know what
movement is going on anywhere. In order for it to remain active, you need to
have
your power output at sufficient levels.
Tiberium Silo - These small structures house excess Tiberium when your
refineries
are full. In most circumstances you will not need to construct these, because
you'll be spending most of your credits anyway. But in the event your income
is increasing very rapidly and you don't want to build another refinery, then
silos are what you need. Usually silos are unnecessary, and mostly built in
single player when you're clearly winning the mission.
War Factory - This provides construction of vehicles. As you increase in
technology, you'll be able to build more advanced vehicles. Note that building
multiple war factories does NOT reduce the time in building units like in Red
Alert.
This was taken out to prevent "tank rushing".
Component Tower - Once built, a turret can be placed on top to serve as your
static defenses.
- Vulcan Cannon Turret - This turret serves as a rapid fire cannon that is
most effective against lightly armored units such as infantry. It works
against heavily armored units to a lesser extent. However the BEST use for
this turret is against ENGINEERS. Careful placement of vulcan cannons can
easily make or break you because of engineers.
- RPG - This turret launches explosive projectiles at enemies, and is
especially suited for heavily armored units. It works against infantry as
well
with almost equal effectiveness. With its splash damage, this turret is the
best overall against ground units. However, it DOES have a minimum range,
and
any unit that gets right next to it can attack it with impunity.
- SAM - This serves as anti-air, and can ONLY fire at aircraft. Lightly
armored
flyers such as the Harpy and Orca Fighter will fare the worse against a
SAM.
EMP Pulse Cannon - This structure is used to disable any incoming vehicle for a
short
time. While disabled, you can freely attack the enemy vehicle with impunity.
Helipad - Allows construction of flyers. Any attacking flyer must reload at a
helipad,
and if you plan to have multiple flyers, it is wise to construct an equal amount
of
helipads as you do flyers. This will speed up reload times after attack runs,
rather
than having one flyer reload, get off, reload another, get off, etc...
Service Depot - This allows repairs on any vehicle. You can repair multiple
vehicles
in a queue by selecting each vehicle and clicking on the depot. However, if you
forgot
to put a vehicle on the queue, you cannot "add" to it. Thus, you must either
wait until
all the vehicles on the current queue are done repairing, or select each vehicle
in the
current queue and have them move somewhere else, re-select the vehicles you want
to be
repaired and click back on the depot.
GDI Tech Center - This allows your other buildings to create more advanced
units. Takes
up a LOT of power, so make sure your power output is VERY high before putting up
a
tech center, otherwise you may find yourself low...
GDI Upgrade Center - This can house 2 upgrades. But remember that you must have
enough power to keep them functional.
- Ion Cannon - Once charged, you can freely fire a high damaging laser from
up
above. This cannot destroy ANYTHING. But key things you will want to
destroy
will be any static defenses (especially the Obelisk of Light), stealth
generators,
and power plants. Most other buildings cannot be destroyed by a single hit
of the
ion cannnon, and the building will most likely get fully repaired. However,
if you
have an ally and both have a ready ion cannon, then you can easily destroy
ANY
building (construction yard maybe? ^^)
- Seeker Control - This will allow the deployment of the hunter seeker droid.
This takes a long time to charge, but the droid can destroy anything it
targets.
The main downside is that it picks its target randomly. But on the plus
side, this
is EXCELLENT for cleanup. If you destroyed your opponent's base, and found
out that
he somehow constructed another one on undiscovered territory, then the
droid will
find it for you. Release the droid, and follow the dot on the minimap and
see
where it detonates. This will most likely be the location. Also if you
haven't found
your opponent AT ALL, then this would be another use as well.
Firestorm Generator - Once built, you must build firestorm wall sections. This
can be
VERY costly if you intend to surround a large area of your base, but it
sometimes well
worth it. When you have build your firestorm wall sections, these sections will
erupt
large columns of energy once you activate the generator. The energy fields are
completely
impenetrable, and any unfortunate unit directly ON the wall sections is
instantly
vaporized. This energy wall only lasts for a short time and requires a recharge
once its
energy is depleted. Thankfully, it charges quite fast. But remember that you
must have
sufficient power to keep it running. There is also a bug where you can have an
INFINITE
energy wall. Simply activate the Firestorm Generator, then while it's on, power
off your
power plants so that you have low power. As long as you have low power, the wall
will
run until the power is back on.
Concrete Walls - These prevent any unit from crossing, and must be destroyed by
explosive type weapons if units wish to pass. However, some units can also fire
over
the wall, but those that can't must destroy it.
Automatic gate - This prevents Tiberium growth and enemy units from entering
your base.
However, the gate will lower for friendly units, making this decent for
protecting your
refineries.
Pavement - Usually overlooked, pavement is a MUST in many situations. Pavement
prevents
the spread of Tiberium veins from entering your base, and also prevents
burrowing units
from emerging. If you someday find a sneaky NOD opponent sneak a subterranean
APC filled
with engineers enter your base and capture all your buildings... that means you
didn't
pave your base! This also prevents Flame Tanks from emerging in the middle of
your base
as well as protect your base from craters. In addition, units move faster on
pavement. Always be sure to have a good amount of pavement when facing off
against a NOD
opponent... you never know when he might sneak underneath.
=====
Units
=====
Infantry
Light Infantry - Lightly armored, these guys' main use is against OTHER
infantry. Against
heavier armored units, light infantry is pretty much useless other than cannon
fodder.
Mainly use them to support your heavy hitters against heavier infantry such as
rocket
soldiers. They are also excellent at disposing engineers. Other than that, they
are pretty
much useless.
Disc Thrower - These guys are your heavy hitting infantry. They are lightly
armored like
light infantry, but their payload is VERY impressive, ESPECIALLY in numbers and
with
medics. Their discs are equally effective against ALL unit types, and in
numbers, they can
take on odds higher than you'd think. As offense and defense, these guys are
almost TOO
good for their cost. Plus, they get veterancy VERY fast, making them even more
deadly!
Their rate of fire, cost, and movement is better than the NOD equivalent, the
rocket
soldier. Their main weakness is that they cannot attack the air... but other
than that
they are definitely the best infantry unit in the GAME.
Medic - Medics are ESSENTIAL when performing offensive warfare. Using multiple
medics
along with disc throwers will allow you to take on odds you won't believe!
However,
there is the problem of having medics "accidentally" get within enemy lines and
get
killed! The way resolve this is to put all your medics in a number group using
the
ctrl-# method, and then select your units, and select the target. Then
immediately
press the # of your medic group, and once your units have engaged, press the "G"
key
to put your medics in guard mode. Thus, once battle is taking place, they will
heal
any infantry unit who takes damage without accidentally walking into enemy
lines.
Engineer - These guys have 3 very important uses:
- If you get them in any enemy building, it becomes yours. If you capture
a building that produces things of the other side, you'll also be able to
produce
those things. However, you still need the other appropriate buildings of
that side
to produce the more advanced stuff.
- If one of your buildings is heavily damaged, the engineer can bring it back
to
full health. This is VERY useful in single player if you need to protect
certain
structures.
- If a bridge is destroyed, the engineer can repair it by entering the repair
hut
on either side.
Jump Jet Infantry - Used as flying scouts, jump jet infantry can attack from up
above.
They can also attack enemy flyers as well with good effectiveness against
lightly
armored ones. They are also EXCELLENT at taking out those annoying NOD
artillery!
However, they are very vulnerable to anti-air weapons and it only takes a few
hits
for them to go down... but they can be healed by medics.
Ghost Stalker - You can only have one of this guy... but he's very deadly. Armed
with
a rail gun, he can blast through multiple units, potentially destroying them in
a
single blast. Any light or medium armored unit is instantly killed. If you can
get him
inside the enemy base... his C4 charges can destroy any building in one hit if
you
can get him close enough. And to add to his strengths... he can HEAL in
Tiberium!
I actually hardly use this guy surprisingly, because he's SLOW... but if you
decide to use him, use him wisely! He's expensive!
Vehicles
Wolverine - Medium armor, these fast moving units are excellent for scouting and
against
enemy infantry. A handful of these guys can easily take on large groups of
infantry,
especially slow firing rocket soldiers. Excellent at cleaning up the infantry
that come
out of destroyed buildings. And another note: Wolverines are the ONLY walking
vehicles
that can cross Tiberium veins without taking damage!
Amphibious APC - Medium armor sadly... but they are useful for taking infantry
across
large Tiberium patches and especially over water.
Titan - Heavily armored, these are the main backbone GDI units. Their laser is
also 100%
accurate so they never miss moving targets! They have moderately long range as
well,
and can outrange laser turrets and vulcan cannons. Although slow, they can crush
infantry
underneath their legs, and their weapon can easily take out other vehicles with
ease.
Hover MLRS - Medium armor like the APC, they can cross over water, and they can
ALSO hover
above Tiberium veins which is a good plus. They also serve as EXCELLENT
anti-air, firing
two powerful rockets at any air unit just as effectively as a land unit. Their
rockets
are best used against vehicles, and almost useless against infantry. However,
like the
Titan, they have long range and can attack laser turrets and vulcan cannons with
impunity.
Combining these with Titans and/or Disrupters will have a nearly unbeatable
force.
Disrupter - Heavily armored, this specialized unit fires a wave of energy.
Anything caught
in the blast takes HEAVY damage, regardless of loyalty. VERY VERY VERY effective
against
grouped units, and SUPER effective at bunched up buildings!!! Effective against
all unit
types, the Disrupter should be in the front lines of your attack force to avoid
friendly
fire. HOWEVER... the Disrupter's attack does NOT effect your other Disrupters!!!
With a
good number of these babies in your front lines... you have a total destruction
in your
hands! For maximum efficiency, always target the furthest unit or structure, so
it can
damage as many things as possible in its path.
Mammoth Mk. II - You can only have one of this huge behemoth at any one time.
Although
expensive, its performance is unmatched. Like the Ghost Stalker, it packs a rail
gun
which can instantly kill nearly any unit in one shot. Against buildings, the
rail gun
can take them out in two. And to add to its formidable power, it has rockets for
anti-air!
This however is a favorite target, and cannot last long against too many
enemies... so
try to keep it safe by taking it away from battle to rest... because it can
self-heal.
If damaged below 50% and left alone, it will heal back to 50%. The rest most be
recovered
at a service depot.
Mobile Sensor Array - These are used to detect burrowed or cloaked units. When
they detect
one, a yellow square will show up on the mini map showing where the unit is, and
you
will be able to see it if your screen is at that position as well. Not entirely
useful...
but useful at sniffing out sneaky stealth tanks and maybe flame tanks and APCs.
However,
in single player you'll be using these a lot...
Orca Fighter - Somewhat vulerable against anti-air defenses, the Orca Fighter is
fast,
and carries lots of missiles that are useful against armored ground units. It is
fragile
though, and it only takes a few shots for it to go down... so the better unit to
get is...
Orca Bomber - Heavily armored, but slow, the Orca Bomber lets loose a barrage of
explosives in a straight line, leaving destruction in its wake. Using lots of
these guys
can decimate an entire base EASILY. Also useful against pesky artillery! Since
they're
so armored, they can usually survive an attack run from enemy SAM sites as well.
Take out
the SAM sites with a few bombers (you will have little or no losses), then take
out the rest
of the base with the rest! It might be costly, but if used right, you can easily
win the
game using these guys alone. The only unit that might stand a chance is the
Hover MLRS...
but usually not even that can stop a raid of Orca Bombers!
Orca Carryall - Used to carry one ground unit to any location... including the
Mammoth
Mk. II. Can also be used to quickly transport units to a repair pad as well!
Harvester - What more can I say? These guys are essential!!! You usually won't
have to
keep too much of an eye on them, because you'll be warned if they are under
attack.
Thankfully they are very heavily armored, and they can self-heal as well. As for
how many
to put into play... I usually have FIVE of these guys around!
MCV - If you manage to find this in a crate... man are you lucky. Use to replace
your
lost construction yard.
Part 3 - The Brotherhood of NOD
==========
Structures
==========
Construction Yard - This of course, is the MOST important structure.
Defend it at all costs.
Power Plant - Supplies power, but unlike the GDI power plant, you cannot build
extra turbines. For more power output you gotta build another plant until at
least you get to advanced power plants.
Advanced Power Plant - Comes after building a war factory, but once you have
these,
you'll be building them instead of regular power plants.
Hand of NOD - This provides training of your infantry. The Hand of NOD is also
necessary
to build a war factory and static defenses.
Refinery - Each refinery can store up to about 2500 credits of Tiberium, and
each comes with a harvester. Sometimes it's better to construct another
refinery rather than building another harvester because of Tiberium storage,
and having a place for a full harvester to make its drop without waiting for
another harvester that already may be at a refinery. Protect these as well, for
any Tiberium stored will all be lost if they are to be destroyed or stolen. It
is
INCREDIBLY detrimental if your harvester is docked at the refinery at the time
it
is stolen, because the harvester will also belong to the opponent. But remember,
you can also use this technique as well.
Radar Tower - This gives you the minimap of the battlefield so you can know what
movement is going on anywhere. In order for it to remain active, you need to
have
your power output at sufficient levels.
Tiberium Silo - These small structures house excess Tiberium when your
refineries
are full. In most circumstances you will not need to construct these, because
you'll be spending most of your credits anyway. But in the event your income
is increasing very rapidly and you don't want to build another refinery, then
silos are what you need. Usually silos are unnecessary, and mostly built in
single player when you're clearly winning the mission.
War Factory - This provides construction of vehicles. As you increase in
technology, you'll be able to build more advanced vehicles. Note that building
multiple war factories does NOT reduce the time in building units like in Red
Alert.
This was taken out to prevent "tank rushing".
Laser Turret - The main anti-surface static defense structure. Equally effective
against
infantry and vehicles... but is very short ranged. Easily outranged by many
vehicles, so
its use is only most effective against infantry and engineers.
SAM Site- This serves as anti-air, and can ONLY fire at aircraft. Lightly
armored
flyers such as the Harpy and Orca Fighter will fare the worse against a SAM
Site.
Obelisk of Light - The laser turret's larger cousin, this towering nightmare can
destroy
nearly anything in a single blast. This also has VERY long range, and can hit
any vehicle
(with the exception of artillery) that can outrange the standard laser turret.
However
its has HUGE drawbacks. It's expensive, it takes HUGE amounts of power, and goes
OFFLINE
when you are on low power!!! And to add to its downsides, it is a FAVORITE
target of
missile launches and ION CANNONS! They also take a while to fire each shot...
and a
smart person can use a decoy to take the blast while the heavy hitters can
destroy the
obelisk while it's powering up. These things IMO are just not very cost
effective...
EMP Pulse Cannon - This structure is used to disable any incoming vehicle for a
short
time. While disabled, you can freely attack the enemy vehicle with impunity.
Helipad - Allows construction of flyers. Any attacking flyer must reload at a
helipad,
and if you plan to have multiple flyers, it is wise to construct an equal amount
of
helipads as you do flyers. This will speed up reload times after attack runs,
rather
than having one flyer reload, get off, reload another, get off, etc...
NOD Tech Center - This allows your other buildings to create more advanced
units. Takes
up a LOT of power, so make sure your power output is VERY high before putting up
a
tech center, otherwise you may find yourself low...
Temple of NOD - This allows the deployment of the hunter seeker droid and will
allow you
to train a cyborg commando and mutant hijacker.
Missile Silo - A cluster missile will construct right after you build this. The
missile
spreads damage over a small area, unlike the ion cannon which focuses all its
energy on
one spot. Against structures, it's not too effective... but against a large
group of
attacking units... YES!
Tiberium Waste Facility - Acts like the refinery, but it processes Tiberium
veins instead
for production of a chemicle missile. This missile is more like the ion cannon,
but
with an added effect: It leaves toxic clouds which damage any units and
structures
that touch them, forcing the commander to maintain and repair his base. Note
that you
must have weed eaters to bring the veins to the waste facility like how
harvesters
bring Tiberium to a refinery.
Stealth Generator - In a large radius, any unit and structure will be cloaked.
Attacking
however will reveal the unit... and you must have power to keep it online. This
is
completely USELESS against the CPU, because the CPU still knows where you are...
and it
will still use an ION CANNON against you even though it's cloaked... *sigh* But
against
a human opponent, this might be useful... but not TOO useful once he knows the
location
of your base.
Laser fencing - When placed at even straight lines from each other, laser walls
are
formed which will prevent units from crossing. Certain units can still shoot
OVER
though, but those that can't must destroy the posts, which is more difficult
than
destroying stone walls. Must have sufficient power to keep it online as well...
NOD walls - These prevent any unit from crossing, and must be destroyed by
explosive type weapons if units wish to pass. However, some units can also fire
over
the wall, but those that can't must destroy it.
Automatic gate - This prevents Tiberium growth and enemy units from entering
your base.
However, the gate will lower for friendly units, making this decent for
protecting your
refineries.
Pavement - Usually overlooked, pavement is a MUST in many situations. Pavement
prevents
the spread of Tiberium veins from entering your base, and also prevents
burrowing units
from emerging. If you someday find a sneaky NOD opponent sneak a subterranean
APC filled
with engineers enter your base and capture all your buildings... that means you
didn't
pave your base! This also prevents Flame Tanks from emerging in the middle of
your base
as well as protect your base from craters. In addition, units move faster on
pavement. Always be sure to have a good amount of pavement when facing off
against a NOD
opponent... you never know when he might sneak underneath.
=====
Units
=====
Light Infantry - Lightly armored, these guys' main use is against OTHER
infantry. Against
heavier armored units, light infantry is pretty much useless other than cannon
fodder.
Mainly use them to support your heavy hitters against heavier infantry such as
rocket
soldiers. They are also excellent at disposing engineers. Other than that, they
are pretty
much useless.
Rocket Infantry - Can take a little more punishment than most infantry, but
still
vulerable against anti-infantry units. Their cost and speed are a bit steep...
making
them less useful than disc throwers. However, they have anti-air capabilities
which
makes up for it. But even this plus is pretty much useless against the heavily
armored
Orca Bombers. These guys aren't so good... but sometimes you need em against
armored units.
Cyborg Infantry - These guys are armored like vehicles, which is a plus and
minus. On
the plus side, they can easily wipe out enemy infantry with ease. They take take
a lot
of punishment from infantry and even if they end up getting destroyed, they
still live
to dish out more damage, but just move MUCH slower. And finally, they heal in
Tiberium.
On the minus side, they are a little expensive for their usefulness, and are
VERY
vulnerable to anti-vehicle weapons. Once they've been destroyed and are on their
hands,
they're pretty much useless because they move too slow. I barely use these guys.
Engineer - These guys have 3 very important uses:
- If you get them in any enemy building, it becomes yours. If you capture
a building that produces things of the other side, you'll also be able to
produce
those things. However, you still need the other appropriate buildings of
that side
to produce the more advanced stuff.
- If one of your buildings is heavily damaged, the engineer can bring it back
to
full health. This is VERY useful in single player if you need to protect
certain
structures.
- If a bridge is destroyed, the engineer can repair it by entering the repair
hut
on either side.
Cyborg Commando - This dude fires a green glob which does catastrophic damage to
any
target. Much like the rail gun, but a little less effective, but it does fire
faster.
He's also armored like hell, heals in Tiberium, and once destroyed he can still
walk on
his hands! However, he does cost a bundle, and he's just too slow. It's best to
pop him
in a subterranean APC and unload him in an unprotected side of the enemies base
to wreak
havoc. He's good at defense as well, but surpringly, I really don't use this guy
that much.
Mutant Hijacker - This guy is used to steal vehicles... incluing a Mammoth Mk.
II. He can
even steal civilian buses and cars as transport units. But his main use is
stealing enemy
vehicles to be used against the enemy and to steal another once it's been
destroyed.
He is lightly armored though, and can easily be killed once the vehicle he is in
is destroyed. Fortunately, he can heal in Tiberium! Note when trying to steal a
Mammoth
Mk. II, you'll have to make it fire first, and then steal it when it's powering
up for
its next shot, or else your hijacker will be ripped a new one.
Vehicles
Attack Cycle - The fastest unit in the game. Great for scouting, and it fires
rockets
which are useful against armored units. However it only has medium armor and
doesn't
last long... but it's fast so it can usually outrun danger and scout a lot of
the map,
making it very useful.
Attack Buggy - In every way like the GDI Wolverine, but it can take damage from
Tiberium
veins.
Tick Tank - This is pretty much the nearest thing to the Titan as the NOD will
get. It's
not as accurate as the Titan, and when it's not burrowed, it can't take as much
punishment either. But WHEN it's burrowed, its armor GREATLY increases. It works
great
as defense and offense, which makes it take a while to take out. But the
downside
is that it cannot move... and heavy hitting infantry can easily take out a
burrowed tick
tank. Titans can still take on a tick tank even while burrowed, but at least the
extra
armor helps even the odds. I don't use these guys too much...
Mobile Repair Vehicle - This thing is a MUST. I ALWAYS build these guys!!!
Always at
least two. Four if possible! These guys are essential for keeping your vehicles
alive
in the midst of battle! Since most the GDI units 1-on-1 against you will usually
win
the mobile repair vehicles will definitely help turn the tables. Also, during
artillery
sieges, mobile repair vehicles will help them stay alive while they continue
decimating
the enemy base. Like the medic though, they can accidentaly wander into enemy
lines along
with your units. To prevent that, use the same tactic in the medic section, and
put them
in guard mode.
Subterranean APC - This can burrow underground and pop up anywhere in the map,
except
where there is pavement. A person foolish enough not to pave his base should be
punished
by filling an APC full of engineers (or cyborg commando if you wish) and
emerging right
in the heart of his base, stealing his most precious structures! Its stealth is
the key,
but if a person was smart enough to pave his base... then its effectiveness is
pretty
much shot.
Artillery - Okay... this is _THE_ NOD unit. These are the main units you will
win with.
Their range is the LONGEST in the game, and their damage is incredible. They can
be used
defensively just as well as offensively. Simply get any number of these babies
and head
for the enemy base... and deploy. If you have enough artillery and/or backup
units, any
incoming enemy units will easily be destroyed due to the superior range of the
artillery.
The main weakness of artillery is their inability to hit air targets... so you
MUST
defend them with either lots of rocket infantry, or stealth tanks (yuck). But...
if
used properly, you pretty much have victory in your hands.
Stealth Tank - They have cloak, but if they attack, they reveal themselves. They
are
also revealed by a mobile sensor array, and infantry. However, they make good
scouts,
and sometimes if the enemy does not have too much defenses at his base, you can
sneak
them to a place where they can be undetected, and possibly take out some
buildings.
Their missiles also have anti-air capability... But don't count on it... their
armor is PITIFUL. These guys suck just as much as in the first C&C... *sigh*
Devil's Tongue Flame Tank - Burrow just like the APC, but they are VERY fragile
like
the stealth tank! But their true power is shown when up against infantry! One
stream of
fire can instantly kill a good number of soldiers, and groups of flame tanks can
wipe
out LEGIONS of troops. But if their flames cross, their hurt each other as
well... and
their flames do almost NOTHING against the heavily armored GDI units. They are
solely
anti-infantry, and they do decent damage to structures. But up against vehicles,
they
can't do too much...
Harpy - An anti-infantry flyer. Can't take too much punishment from anti-air,
but it
can harrass infantry pretty effectively. But all-in-all... it's relatively
worthless.
Banshee - This is somewhat of a lower grade Orca Bomber. It's MUCH faster, but
it's
less armored, and doesn't deliver as much damage. You'll need a LOT of these
guys just
to deal significant damage to structures... so they are probably best used
against units.
I'd use em more often if they were stronger, but they're just not cost effective
enough
for me.
Weed Eater - Just like the harvester, but it collects Tiberium veins instead in
order
to produce the chemical missile, and you can only have one Tiberium Waste
Facility.
I usually tons of weed eaters so that I have chemical missiles ready at very
fast
and constant intervals.
Harvester - What more can I say? These guys are essential!!! You usually won't
have to
keep too much of an eye on them, because you'll be warned if they are under
attack.
Thankfully they are very heavily armored, and they can self-heal as well. As for
how many
to put into play... I usually have FIVE of these guys around!
MCV - If you manage to find this in a crate... man are you lucky. Use to replace
your
lost construction yard.
To wrap things up, this FAQ is purely straight from my own observations, and all
this
was straight from my head with no references other than the game manual. If you
wish
to find me on the Westwood server, my name on there is "night900". Direct all
questions and comments to my e-mail at night-dragon@geocities.com.
Happy gaming.