Part 92: Payback Time

This is it! The UCS are moving against the Sunlight Control Center (that pointless third HQ I showed at the beginning of the LC campaign). Without the Control Center Sunlight is completely useless. We cannot be sure of our plan's success unless the UCS are completely removed from the area.



With the map zoomed out a bit you can get a sense of what our base setup is like. We have the 4 Control Centers in the middle. We cannot lose a single one. Surrounding it are the Xyrex Power Plants needed to keep the Control Centers online. We can afford to lose at most two of them. To the north and southeast are our Mines. We don't need that much in the way of resources this mission, so they're a low priority. Finally to the east are our Solar Batteries, Supply Depot and 3 Main Bases. These aren't mission critical either.



And finally there's our-hey what the hell? The UCS is actually attacking our Xyrex testing facility!



Fortunately for us, we start with a fully loaded army: Crions, Super Fighters, Thunderers and Craters. Strong enough to form an assault group in their own right, they'll be enough to take care of the enemy harassing our outpost.



We're taking serious damage here. The UCS Grizzlies have actually managed to destroy two Guardian. This might be their best showing in this entire campaign.



But just like that, our units silence them.



Clever. The primary UCS AI has sneaked a Cargo Salamander into the back of our base and its managed to ruin our mining operations there.



Nothing our newly landed units from HQ can't dispose of though.



Meanwhile, our first strike force has found something. Something very scary. It looks like Fang's mission against the UCS Plasma Control Centers was no as successful as it first appeared. I guess they got some of the satellites in orbit because that's a PCC right there and no doubt it's gunning for the Control Centers. Its destruction must be our top priority!



Or I guess we can just cut the power. That works too.





The units from HQ, hereafter the second strike team, have found a UCS patrol.

They've found a UCS patrol...that actually is sensibly composed. They even manage to heavily damage one of my units. I'm stunned.



The first strike team has found one of the four UCS bases in the region. Let's go to town.



Are...are those SHIELDS!? They did it. They finally learned to put shields on their buildings. I'm so proud of them.



In the southeast of the map, the second strike team is also encountering stunning displays of competency. It's weird. It's almost like someone flipped a switch and improved their AI. But of course, that's impossible.



The main gates of the base are down, now we just need to pour in and do our usual electricity shooting thing.



The southeastern base is beginning to crumble.



Up north, the northeastern base is also beginning to buckle. Yet another boring miss-wait... What's that?

Did anybody else just hear something?



No.

It can't be.

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

We destroyed the Plasma Control Center! How can they be firing on us!?




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE1GP2dak4c


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO




We have failed. Sunlight has been destroyed. Even as we speak the debris are falling on Luna, destroying everything on the surface. The UCS has won. We will not make it to Mars. I am sorry Celestial Counci-





















Bet you didn't expect to see a Game Over here. The UCS actually have a few aces up their sleeves. First off, there's not one but four Plasma Control Centers in this mission. And you have a bit under 12 hours of in-game time to destroy them. The UCS will fire at the Sunlight Control Center at almost 0500 exactly, hitting you at around 0520. 4 Plasma Control Centers in about 5 minutes. Can we do it?

Second, the UCS will actually make aggressive moves against you in this mission. Note how the patrol did something more than just die, combined with the attacks in the first few minutes.

Third, and most annoying, all four UCS factions will sort of cooperate. They defend each others buildings and while they don't do true coordinated attacks, they'll put enough pressure on you enough that it seems like they do.

And finally, the UCS will aggressively rebuild and re-equip their base. No more blowing up their power and being done. We have to be more vigilant in ensuring they're destroyed.

I'm glad you guys told me to try this mission on Hard. It's pretty tricky even on Average, but with the difficulty boost you're going to need to be at your sharpest to make it out alive.



We're back at our last autosave, right when the UCS moved into our mineral patch. Let's see if we can get a different outcome this time.



We attack the PCC again, but this time we'll need to make sure it's completely destroyed.





Just in case we screw up, I put maximum shields on everything. It costs about 30,000 but it's the only defense we have against the UCS.



The second strike squad has found the second UCS PCC. Looks to me like they're due north, south, east and west from the main LC base. Once the first group is done I'll send them south and I'll send the second group north.





PCCs are weak to: Crion shots.



In the south you can see the coordination I spoke about earlier. The Silver UCS faction is building a bunch of buildings here to help defend the purple PCC.



Fortunately, they're not built yet so we'll be able to overwhelm this nascent outpost.



The main UCS faction (red) has test-fired their PCC. Looks like they're working to me. We have 3 in-game hours until they fire for real.





Notice how the Dragons here are coordinating with the Grizzly and Tiger. The Grizzly and Tiger are trying to pull our attention to the front so the Dragons can shell us from the back. Since we have a lot of rockets, this won't work, but it's better than sitting all of them on top of each other.



The first squad is successful. 1 more to go.



The UCS is already attempting to rebuild their destroyed PCCs. To prevent this, or at least, get notified if they do, I'm putting a Nest at each PCC location.



Teal is also working on setting up defenses for their compatriot's PCC.



But we're faster! And just in the nick of time too. We had about 30 in-game minutes, or about one real-time minute to destroy the PCC. Thank the Goddess.



The UCS reinforcements are too little, too late. The northern base is where the primary UCS faction will attempt to rebuild, so we're going to need a bit more than a Nest there. I drop down a Xyrex to begin preparing a more elaborate defense.



The first squad has regrouped and returned to base. The question now is, where will we move first? I'm going to go south since I think the north will be better defended, being that the primary UCS faction is there.



Shit. The second squad is on their way back from the northern edge of the map, but the UCS has already begun to rebuild the western PCC base. Time for a detour guys! It's a building in progress, so it's not too hard to take out.



Aaand we arrive back at base just in time to destroy a strike team. They managed to hit one of the Xyrex plants and got very, very close to destroying one of the Control Centers. Yikes.

While I don't like the majority of the LC campaign, this last mission makes up for all the tedium of "find base, destroy base" in the four sectors.



Yet another attempt at rebuilding in the east. If we're going to go on the offensive, we might need a more robust strategy than observational Nests.



I think an array of 4 Guardians should be enough, right?



Now then. Strike team one has moved into the southeastern (purple) base. Let's try destroying it again.



The UCS attempts to rebuild continue. Now featuring "units that can actually do some damage." I send the second squad over again to clear them out. The Guardians, once they're built should be enough.



Bam. Guardians. They're totally going to take out those units clearing out the debris.



Meanwhile, down south the first squad is tearing the UCS a new asshole.



The Guardians are also doing their job to the east. There's a lot going on this mission!



With the outposts at the PCCs (mostly) secure now with the Guardians, its time to give the UCS a taste of their own medicine. The second squad begins attacking the southwestern (silver) base.



It's Super Effective!



We can look through the fog from the southwest and see the battle that's currently raging over the southern PCC location. Hard to say who's winning it right now, but with the way we're tearing through the silver base it's not going to matter.





Attacks at the northern and eastern PCC locations are constant.



The southeastern (purple) base is nearly finished. Just need to take out the power and any stragglers. Throwing 7 Crions with a strike team is a surprisingly effective strategy.



Look at this. The UCS, growing tired of throwing good machines at our outposts have noticed how poorly defended our main base is. They're not going for the Control Centers, as they know that will bring me running. Instead, they're taking out any and all air units in the area. Since we need the Mercury transport to resupply, it's not a bad idea. Unfortunately for them, I've left a single unit behind who is more than capable of dealing with a bunch of anti-air units.



And now they're really getting bold: they're going for the Jupiter transport.



It took some damage, but we manage to fend them off.



Just in case they try anything sneaky again, a grid of Guardians will stop them.



Power's out in the southwestern base. Just a few more seconds now and we'll have the first faction defeated.



The southeastern base is going a bit slower as they're more reliant on the Crions.



1 down, 3 to go.



Sorry, make that 2 down, 2 to go.



Both squads meet up as they head north, taking out any stragglers they run into on the way.



The UCS are now running headfirst into our Guardians. Glad I decided to build them, as they're bringing actual firepower to bear here.



I built a shitload of Regenerators and Rechargers and put them over the damaged Control Center. It's almost back to full health now. Meanwhile, the few remaining Thunderers take on the UCS attack.



Aaand now the Thunderers are all dead. Welp. Not like we needed them that badly anyway.



The pressure on the northern outpost has grown to a fever pitch. Without mobile units I'm worried the UCS will be able to dislodge us.



But now we're dealing with an onslaught of UCS Harvesters trying to steal our resources. Can't allow that!





The situation is getting a bit dire up in the outpost. We're down to 2 Guardians and the UCS is bringing a lot of plasma. Time for a counterattack.



See this is why I was worried. The UCS has gotten the Power Plant they need for the PCC up.



Not that it lasts that long.



The UCS counter-attack to our counter-attack comes...



And is utterly annihilated. Our path to both the northern bases is now clear.



The Fortress at the entrance is down, time to move on in.



The UCS continues to send Harvesters to their death.





Hey guys, we brought chips and dip can we come party?



No?





Well fuck you and fuck your power plants then!





That's what you get for being a rude host teal faction.



With the main UCS faction being the only one left, it's time to end this.



While the second strike team hits from the east...



The first will hit from the south.



You can actually see the damage the second group is doing from our vantage point in the south. Neat!





Both groups are moving to meet up. There's almost no resistance at this point. The main UCS faction has run out of funds and units.



With both squads combined, its just a matter of time until the final UCS base falls.



The UCS have lost their last power plant on Luna. It's over.





We just need to clean up...



And it's done! The LC are victorious! We've kicked the UCS off the Moon and Sunlight is fully operational. We're getting word that the UCS have not agreed to our terms. It is unfortunate, but we will now use Sunlight to destroy their Spaceport and strand them on Gaia as it dies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBrouHnSyfk


That's it for the LC campaign folks! Next time: we go back to Earth and see what the Eurasian Dynasty has been up to all this time.