Part 62: Campaign Mission 21AME: The Final Battle! as Andy, Max and Eagle - Part 2
Mission 21AME: The Final Battle! as Andy, Max and Eagle (or "Operation Golden Ending") - Part 2Welcome back. Previously on Advance Wars...
Max took a meteor for the first time, but despite that we had considerable success in pushing Sturm back. Maybe because I wasn't such a dork with Max's medium tanks this time round - if you recall, I dithered quite a bit with them in the early stages of Operation Orange Star. Or maybe just because Andy is getting support from both sides at once this time round, rather than just having Sami sit back as the Designated Meteor Strike Tank. Anyway, let's continue, shall we?
Day 7 - Andy
Yeah, that's a lot of anti-aircraft measures. Suggests to me that tanks will be a lot more useful than planes on the final leg here.
But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. First we have to stop Sturm crossing our bridges.
Artillery and B copter take care of this tank.
And I finish capturing a city, too.
AA and medium tank ferret out some of Sturm's infantry.
One of my infs deals with the 1HP infantry that my AA left, and the 4HP medium tank heads over the other side of the river as a kind of stopgap.
Movin' and buildin'.
Day 7 - Max
Okay, let's set about getting some revenge on this medium ta-
-welp. Yes, I attacked with the 3HP middie first. No, I don't really know why I did that.
That's more like it.
Y'know, if I was worried about not being able to finish that medium tank off, I should still have gone in with the full health one first and used the 3HP one to finish the job. Oh well. Alas, poor medium tank.
Anyway, that was the exciting part of Max's turn.
Other than that, once more it's just a case of moving...
... and building.
Day 7 - Eagle
Now then. I mentioned that I'd be crossing a bridge when I came to it. Well, here we are. Put bluntly, with all that AA it's going to be a nightmare trying to take that area with planes. And I'm pretty sure Sturm's due for a meteor strike.
So the rational response is to let Eagle's planes take the hit. I know, I know, I wanted to try and use Max a bit less this mission, but the cold equations say that it's Eagle's turn.
Anyway, have a tank and an infantry.
Day 7 - Sturm
Well, there we go
.Day 8 - Andy
But other than the meteor, Sturm launches no attacks. So the tanks can continue to press their assault.
Well okay, this isn't a huge press. 4HP middie damages AA, and my own AA finishes the job.
It's something though (Worth noting that Sturm, noticing our change of attack away from air power, has finally built a B copter).
And we're getting into a good position at this bridge, the B copters and artillery sitting in the pocket waiting to pounce.
Arguably I shouldn't have been building so many B copters as Andy, especially given the COs that are sitting either side of him. Trouble is, I'd got locked into a mentality by his point of tech-spamming infantry from every base, leaving the airport as the only production facility Andy had left. Hence all these busy Bs.
Day 8 - Max
Bam! Max continues to crunch things up.
That middie's low on fuel, though.
APC rushes up to provide sustenance, as an infantry unit chips a cheeky hit point off this APC. They all count!
Andy's busy building infantry and B copters, but Max is bringing in the tanks.
Day 8 - Eagle
And so once more we have to deal with the aftermath of a meteor.
Well okay, not just yet. Got a mech to get rid of first.
There we go. Infantry do some capturing (we can at least set up some repairs at this city) and I build a fresh B copter.
The damaged planes head out. Maybe they'll be good distractions at some point.
Day 8 - Sturm
Max's APC goes down, but at least it completed its refuelling mission first.
Andy's damaged medium tank takes a further bashing.
And Eagle's light tank gets a knock from that B copter.
Day 9 - Andy
Slightly problematic - especially with Sturm fielding a medium tank and a light tank this turn. But we've still got the momentum.
We'll start by having the arty and middie take down this AA.
Possibly a mistake - I should really have seen if the medium tank could one-shot the AA, and if it could then I could have used the artillery to soften up that mech back there.
Instead it takes both B copters to bring down the mech.
And those B copters are now pretty exposed to Sturm's machinations.
Maybe this T copter and infantry will distract Sturm a bit (well, except for the bit where the T copter's in missile range so it's a free kill. Whoops).
Some good news, at least: all those shenanigans have cleared a path for Andy's AA to take down Sturm's B copter. That'll help protect our tanks a bit.
The infantry/B copter spam continues apace.
Day 9 - Max
With all these AAs around, is there anything Max can do to save Andy's B copters?
Well for a start, we can smash up one AA.
While that's going on, Max's infantry continues to target this APC, whittling it down to 7HP now. It's something to do.
AAs roll up to surround one of Andy's B copters and keep it safe.
Max has got plenty of light tanks waiting in the wings to back up our assault.
Day 9 - Eagle
So what can Eagle do here?
B copter moves forward, fighter retreats to pick up some health from the airport.
Back at the frontline, the tanks take down another mech.
Hopefully that 5HP light tank will draw Sturm's fire, so that the middies stay in good shape.
The rebuilding continues.
Day 9 - Sturm
Andy's T copter falls to missiles, and one of his B copters gets eliminated as well.
His AA takes a battering too. Max fairs a little better.
And Eagle's 5HP tank goes as well. But again, that stops Sturm's middie attacking our middies.
Day 10 - Andy
Oh great, he's got a bomber. With luck, Max might be able to take a chunk out of it before it can do any serious damage to us. We'll need to clear a path, though.
So let's get started on that. First Andy can clobber this light tank with his Middie.
B copters fly through and do some softening up, and I clear my northern infantry out of the way so it doesn't clog up Max's advance.
Beyond that, it's a case of infantry infantry infantry infantry infantry...
Day 10 - Max
Right then, let's set about clearing a path through to that bomber. Easily done with Max.
Medium tank brings down the 8HP AA, while a 4HP AA is more than a match for this softened-up mech.
Right then, there's our path...
... shame the only AA in range of the bomber is Max's 5HP one, but 67% is solid enough damage for now.
More unnecessary sweatdrops. And so it doesn't feel left out, I let the full health AA take on one of Sturm's AAs.
Light tanks move up to fill the gaps that the AAs left behind.
And even more light tanks are inbound.
Day 10 - Eagle
So here I've left Eagle to deal with Sturm's medium tank.
Which he does a reasonable job of. His 2HP bomber targets the damaged AA for good measure, doing an impressive 3HP of damage.
The B copters move in close as well.
And other stuff, with the 4HP fighter heading back over the mountain range. I've also put that 2HP APC in a place where it might lure the bomber in.
Day 10 - Sturm
Here we go folks, last Meteor Strike of Normal Campaign (and probably the last one of the thread unless I completely surprise myself in my Advance Campaign attempt).
Because I didn't really prepare for it, Andy takes the hit. Oh well, it shouldn't make any real difference.
Didn't notice that B copter in missile range, whoops.
The bomber gets lured in by Eagle's damaged APC, as hoped.
Battle of the crippled units!
Max's damaged AAs go down, but they did their duty.
Day 11 - Andy
But again, the good news from Andy getting hit by a meteor is...
... we finally get a use for Hyper Repair!
Granted it isn't going to leave me with a great force, but with Sturm in the state he is this should easily be enough.
First, let's use this 3HP artillery to finish a 1HP AA.
That clears a path for this B copter to fly through and attack its cruel missile oppressor.
Joining. Thanks to Hyper Repair, we've got a 6HP and a 4HP medium tank to join together to create a nice healthy one. Some infantry also join.
More infantry, more!
Day 11 - Max
Busy turn for Max. Many Max turns are busy, of course. But this one seems especially so, as we get to the business of mopping Sturm up.
AA brings down B copter, medium tank deals with AA.
Guess what these two attacks do.
Yep, that's right. It's Max Force time, and time for the Charge of the Light (Tank) Brigade. Hopefully with better results this time round.
Can't quite finish off this AA sadly, but it's a good effort.
This mech receives a nice round 100% damage though.
As does this one.
Eat your heart out, Lord Cardigan.
This attack with a 6HP tank is a little less successful, but I join the 2HP tank to it afterwards to keep it at 6HP.
B copter swoops in from the left and finishes off that APC, hiding in the missile launcher's range shadow.
And sure, why not, let's build a bomber. It won't reach the front line in time, but hey.
Day 11 - Eagle
Eagle's got some big shots in store, too.
His 4HP fighter sees off the 5HP bomber, and his medium tank finishes off the job it started by dealing with Sturm's middie.
With those two gone, any remaining threat is pretty much neutralised.
B copter finishes off the 5HP missile launcher, letting the 1HP bomber through to kill the 1HP AA.
At this point, Sturm is down to a missile launcher and a 5HP mech. Can't quite finish him this turn, though.
But we can give him one last parting shot this turn by attacking that mech with the 2HP B copter for a couple of damage.
Eagle has plenty of backup resources in the pipeline. We won't be needing them, but just in case.
Day 11 - Sturm
No attacks from Sturm this turn. The end is nigh.
Day 12 - Andy
He does build some more stuff, though. Stuff that won't even get a chance to move.
Andy gets the ball rolling by having his B copters take down one of Sturm's new choppers.
Handy, since Max only has the one AA.
But thanks to Max's wave of tanks blocking the way, Andy can't do that much else.
So I'll leave you with a shot of a quite ridiculous number of infantry, plus a random fighter.
Day 12 - Max
The basic conclusion though is that if you want something doing, give it to Max.
6HP tank takes out 5HP infantry. One down.
The other B copter falls to Max's AA, and this new APC gets knocked down to 1HP.
Before getting finished off by yet more crazy overkill.
Tanks work together to take down this mech.
And all that's left is the missile launcher.
And we're done!
now let's find out who's REALLY behind that mask!
oh um hello
gasp! it's sonja!
but hang on sonja's over there! oh come on andy we've dealt with enough clones by now
oh yeah right wait if sturm was really clone sonja... do you think our sonja's working with her and pretending to be kidnapped? nah that'd be silly
(whew dodged a bullet there) (thanks a lot) anything to say for yourself, clone sonja? yes... i'd have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling COs... and your stupid advisor!PAULLY WAULLY WOO!
careful there maxie you don't want to strain somethin'
anyway guess i was right when i reckoned there was somethin' fishy goin' on with sturm that time well glad we got all that cleared up anyway sort of but yeah, good job back there you too paul, andy. see y'around or somethin'Cheerio, Grit. So all that's left is Eagle, since for once we don't get that Drake dialogue again:
And Sturm's army is gone for good, too. Eagle! Thanks for your help!
No thanks are necessary. After all, much of your hardships were caused by my earlier mistake. Facing you in combat was really a tough struggle. There was absolutely no margin for error!
Yeah, but it was a ton of fun! For me as well!I don't really know how many more times I can link that one Awkard Zombie comic.
Why not? Hey, Andy!
Wait, what?
What do you say? Are you up for the challenge?What?
Another battle? You know it! Let's go!Oh man, there's got to be some sort of international law against this...
Still an A-Rank, because although Andy has better Speed and Technique scores than last time, his Power suffered. Maybe I could have built a few more medium tanks as him rather than beelining straight for infantry and copters. Still, twelve days. I never even thought I'd be able to do The Final Battle in twelve days. I thought nineteen was pretty fast during the first two runs (I swear it took me thirty-odd days to beat The Final Battle on my first try). But twelve.
Anyway, we're still not quite done with Campaign yet. Thanks to Eagle, we've got one last bonus mission to do...
... Rivals! See you next time!