Part 57: Madagascar

Good news comrades! We've finally found a site containing the LC shield technology. All we need to do is grab it and we'll finally be able to enshrine our dominance.



Terrible news comrades! Military intelligence has started us on a poorly defended beachhead with outdated units.



But we've finally got some new research avenues opened up to us. We'll start today with the Heavy Cannon. You've seen this before (in the UCS and LC campaigns). It can mount on any heavy unit and is a good late-game replacement for the cannon on the Pamir.



This mission can be very tough; unlike the other 2 factions the ED for whatever reason start this mission with no nearby minerals. Establishing a base will be very difficult.

Why it's almost like the game wants you to try out the new toy you got last mission...



In theory you could try to steal from this field the UCS are using but it's literally right on the doorstep of their base. Waves of plasma Spiders and Panthers aren't my idea of fun. I've got a much more exciting idea.

It involves alien spacecraft



This will be the first true combat test of the alien craft. Its escape from Area 51, while impressive, was not a test against a fully armed and prepared force. Nor did it have to deal with the LC shield technology. I have decided to invite Commander NEO to observe the engagement. He may learn something about the enemy systems here.



The 120mm Cannon is complete. It allows you to mount a sub-weapon, just like the LC Heavy Electro-Cannon and the UCS Rocket Launcher/Heavy Plasma. There's almost no reason to ever put it on a Volga though, so while the unit here is showing off the tech, I'll never actually build any of these.



Our intelligence indicates that the shield technology is underneath the LC base. Obviously we should dig there from the north since the LC can't have underground defenses like the UCS does.















This thing just took on an entire UCS defensive line and survived. Holy shit.

I wouldn't be surprised if the UCS attempted some sort of recovery mission. We're beating them with their own secret tech.



While the UFO tests went well we appear to have run into a wall with our tunneling scheme. Literally. The LC base is surrounded by rock walls that our Gruz can't dig though. We'll need to conduct a frontal assault.

I think the LC need to meet our new alien friend. Er, alien craft friend.

Look it's a UFO and it's going to blow up a bunch of LC stuff okay?



Well not if the LC take out our base first. Recall that I'm working with only what the mission gives you to start + 5,000 credits I brought over in the Ukraine. That's not a lot to defend a base against Thunderers with Heavy Sonic Cannons. How the hell did they get that advanced!?





The UFO kills the LC just as well as it kills the UCS.





While we're cutting through the LC defenses our base is seriously compromised. The Thunderers are just going on their merry way, blowing up everything they sit on top of. It gets so bad I bring the UFO back to take care of the ground units so the rocket-equipped units can focus on clearing the skies. Yeesh.



We go back for a nice bit of counter-attack though. No ground unit in the LC (or UCS) army can stand against the UFO.



OH COME ON! Why the hell do you keep sending me these updates Igor!? I know we're ahead of schedule. Stop reminding me you dolt! I just want to kill moon hippies in peace



We start shooting at the next Guardian and...wait a second. That thing has shields. The UFO shoots energy weapons. But the shields aren't going down. Does...does this mean it's an energy weapon that ignores shields?

You're goddamn right it is! UFO I love you please never leave me die due to my incompetence as a commander.



Our regular tanks are much less effective against the UCS Panthers than the UFO is.



The only counters to the UFO the LC have are Thunderers and Meteors. The Thunderers are particularly worrying since the UFO doesn't have any shields. A tactical retreat here is very wise.



Meanwhile, the UCS has finally figured out we're here, have little to no defenses and are close to getting our hands on their ally's precious shield tech. So for probably the only time in the game so far, they do a really effective Gargoyle harass. They just keep flying around in circles over the base, taking a potshot here and there and generally whittling away at my army.





The UFO is fast enough to outrun the LC airforce and make them lose sight of the UFO. If this thing could shoot air units or make copies of itself it'd be the most overpowered weapon I've ever seen in an RTS.



Eventually I'm able to get rid of the Gargoyles but my base has taken an incredibly brutal beating. Most of my anti-air units are dead and the UCS also managed to kill the landing zone.

Oddly they didn't seem to notice NEO chilling in the back of the base. You would think he'd be their #1 target. Maybe he's cloaked?



So



Have I pointed out



That the UFO



Is really great at killing things? Because it is. Look at the timestamps on those screenshots. I started my assault at 5:30 PM. The base had no power by 7:40 PM and was totally destroyed except for some powered-down Mines and Main Buildings by 9:10. This is maybe a minute or two of game time. The UFO just destroyed a heavily defended LC base in under 2 minutes.

I know I'm heaping praise after praise on this thing but you really have to play the game to understand how ridiculous this thing is. The UFO is why the ED campaign is the second-easiest after the LC; after you finish Area 51 you can just use the UFO to kill everyone, plop down a bunch of Mines and win the game in a few missions.

The only annoying thing is the LC Thunderers are still out there. But I have a plan to deal with them.



After watching all their sisters die in seconds I'm thinking these pilots want revenge.



Just follow me into the woods. This poor innocent little UFO will be helpless there. Well ya know, except for the Groznys waiting there! (Thunderers with Heavy Sonic Cannons can't shoot air units).



There. All done. Now to get the shield tech and go home.





I hate to give credit to a lowly soldier, but I think we need to send our regards to whoever we have piloting that UFO. It's an army unto itself.



Research will begin on the shield technology immediately. Credits back at base are getting a bit thin though. And we have a lot of things we'll need to research soon.





And just in case things weren't lopsided enough, the UFO just found some PSU 3600 shields. Have fun with that LC/UCS.

Kurtchatov Research Center has news about our new shields! Let's take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnOz4fx9cKI





And remember folks, all that damage was done with only one unit (except for anyone who died attacking our base. And the Thunderers I guess)




Another fucking mineral collection mission!? No. No. We're not doing this. Our army has too many needs, we need to upgrade everyone with shields and we still don't have the most advanced generators. Space Station Salut can wait.

It's time we finally stop doing pointless missions we don't need to do to win this war. We're the Czar's son for god's sake! We have better things to do with our time than mine a few thousand credits for the evacuation ship. Why don't we just take the credits and use them to improve our army? That's a much better use of resources. I'm sure we can pin the lost shipments on whoever is in charge of India. Who is in charge of the Indian front these days?

Hmm...General Fedorov? Yeah this should work. He'll never figure out what we're going to do with those credits. He's too busy playing politics to notice a few missing shipments. Igor's an idiot, if we tell him Fedorov stole the credits he'll believe us.

Time to initiate Operation: War Profiteer