Yes, that’s right...I’m back. *Insert evil laugh here* This time, I assure you it’s not an Emperor: BFD report. It’s on C&C: Generals! If you know nothing about this great game, go here. Then go buy it!

The story:

OK, so I was playing QM, and I get matched against this guy named “Sgt_Death”. His record is about 180-40, while mine is 6-10. (Gotta love that matchmaker.) So, I figured, I was dead. Nonetheless, I decided this would be good for some laughs. Thusly, we exchange “hello”s, and begin!

The players:

Why is it expected that I know these random fools I get matched against? OK, uh, anyways:

-Sgt_Death: From what I hear (AFTER the game, of course), he likes to Fac Rush. I’ll explain that in the report... He was red China.

-lowlymarine: Uh, that’s me. You know me. The E:BFD guy. Generals I am about “decent” at. Not great, but not awful either. I’m almost always Chinese, for the same reason just about everyone else is always Chinese: They are hideoulsly overpowered. I was pink China. (No, I did not choose the color!)

    The Map:

Let’s start with a minimap:

Final Crusade (2)

This is a very small map with very few resources. As you can imagine, this makes for a very short game. The two bases are connected by only two bridges across the river. Each base has two supply docks, one slightly closer and larger than the other, represented by dollar signs ($). There are also two oil derricks in each base, represented by the stars (*). There is also a third derrick near, but not in, the bases.

     The Early BOs:

I started out with a very cut-and-dry Chinese BO: Second Dozer, Nuclear Reactor, Radar, Supply Center, War Factory. I had hoped to tech up to Overlords and Nuke Cannons early enough to destroy his facs before he got Overlords, while simultaineusly rushing his Supply trucks with Gat tanks.

Sgt_Death had built only a Nuclear Reactor and Supply Center. He had something a little more devious up his sleeve: the infamous (actually, I’ve never seen it before) War Fac rush. A single dozer moved down to my base and constructed a War Factory. About the time my first Gattling Tank finished, I saw a Draqon Tank open fire on my War Factory, followed by the usual “Our base is being attacked!” message. The Gat Tank opened fire on the Dragon Tank, splitting it just as another Dragon Tank moved into position. My now two Gat tanks destroyed the second Dragon, with one the Gats getting a veterancy stripe. Just then, a BattleMaster attacked my Gat Tanks, forcing a slight retreat and regroup. Nonetheless, I destroyed the BM, though I lost a Gattling Tank. I saw the dozer attempting to retreat, and knew something was up. I began building my on BattleMasters and a Dragon Tank, while ordering my now-level-2 Gat tank to feast on the Dozer. Then I spotted Sgt_Death’s War Factory. I moved my Gat and Dragon tanks over to attack it just as another BM came out. I managed to destroy this BattleMaster as well, though I lost the Dragon Tank. My first BM arrived on the scene at the same time as another one of Sgt’s. My BM and Gat tank triumphed over his BattleMaster, but my BM was almost dead. However, another Battlemaster from each side came out at once, giving me another kill. Then, another Dragon Tank popped out of my Factory. I sent it over and used it’s “Wall of Flame” command to begin destroying his War Fac. My Gattling Tank and BM destroyed another enemy BattleMaster (though not before it destroyed my Dragon Tank) and polished off the Factory. His response was, quote, “****”, as Westwood finally figured out how to make the language filter work in-game. The Beautiful Collage® below gives a Brief Graphical Overview™ of what happened.

The real game begins:

I decided to scout out his base with my level-3 Gattling Tank. As it crossed the bridge, it spied two defenseless Supply Trucks ferrying supplies around and permantly unemployed them. I ordered it to move on into the base. A factory was under construction in the center of thebase, so I ordered to Gat Tank to attack the Contruction Dozer. Although the Dozer was destroyed, it managed to complete the Factory first. A BattleMaster was quickly built to dispatch of my Gattling Tank, which is indeed what happened.

However, using my new-found skill of macromanagement, I had built an Overlord Tank and two Nuke Cannons. I upgraded a Speaker Tower for the Overlord as I moved out in search of my foe.

As my forces approached his base, I deployed my Nuke Cannons and opened fire on his Supply Center. The Overlord destroyed a Supply Truck and the BM that had destroyed my Gat Tank earlier. I proceded to demolish his factory.

But Sgt_Death wasn’t going to just roll over. He had other plans. A flight of MiGs took off to Destroy my units. First, he took down a Nuke Cannon, and then pounded at the Overlord until it died. Finally, he crushed the other Nuke Cannon. Nonetheless, he lost his Command Center, War Factory, Supply Center, and two Nuclear Reactors. And a MiG that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yet, I have continued to macro my heart out. I have three more Overlords ready, one with a Speaker Tower and two with Gattling Cannons. However, no less than 4 MiGs fly in and deal a significant amount of damage to one of the tanks, forcing me two repair it.

After that’s done, my forces move out to crush my opponent. The tanks move into Sgt’s base, or what’s left of it. Of course, his MiGs decide this would be a good time for an attack run. Through some outstanding Micro, he manages to take down two of my overlords and damage the third, though one airfield went down before this could happen. The last Overlord polishes off the other Airfield and Nuclear Reactor, and moves on toward his expo. There, it finds a Supply Center and 3 Trucks, which it proceeds to crush. However, the Overlord is destroyed by mines while chasing down the last supply truck.

The end is near...or is it?

During the battle, two “super”things happen: I earned enough Generals points to buy a level one Artillery Strike (which I had proceeded to use on a Nuclear Reactor), and I began construction on the awesome Nuclear Missile Silo.

Unfortunately, I begin contruction of my $5,000 Nuke Silo about the same time my Supply Dock runs dry. I haven’t expaned yet, and I don’t have enough money to. Oh well, it’ll all be over soon anyways, right?

After my Overlords all die, I move my army (two Gattling Tanks and two BattleMasters) to his “expo” to mop up. However, as I move across the bridge, I notice some Supply Trucks at his main Supply Dock. Haden’t I killed that Supply Center already? I happily blasted away at the trucks, then moved forward. And there it was: A new base, consisting of a Nuclear Reactor, a Supply Center, and two Airfields. And the Construction Dozer I let escape during the first attack.

The MiGs destroyed a Gattling Tank, and I was forced to retreat. But I had an idea. You know what they say, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“Warning: nuclear missile launched.” were the last words that poor bulldozer ever heard. In a blinding radioactive flash, most of his base disentegraded. Unfortunately, the two Airfields just barely survived (though the MiGs fortunately did not).

I moved my remaining units towrd his base, intent on destroying what he had left and ending this now. But Sgt_Death still had other plans. (Always does, doesn’t he?) He had rebuilt a few MiGs, which he successfully used to destroy my Gattling Tank and a BattleMaster before the Airfields were finally permanantly brought down. After the deed was done, I moved on to finish off his last Supply Center and destroy the Truck working there.

    Sgt’s last stand...or final victory?

But wait! This should end the game! Either he was cheating, or he had another building on the map!

I sent my BM out to find (and hopefully destroy) anything Sgt_Death still had standing. But what he had standing quickly destroyed my BattleMaster, and my hopes: A massive army of Tank Hunters clustered around a barracks in the mountains, near his oil derricks. Then, I got the dreaded warning: “One of our buildings is being captured!” Two of Sgt’s Red Guard were trying to capture my Nuke Silo and a Nuclear Reactor. I was forced to crush them with supply trucks.

Sensing I might need units to end the threat, I sold my useless supply center, Propaganda Center, and a Speaker Tower sitting at the front of my base. Deciding that this reduced my power needs significantly, I sold a Nuclear Reactor as well...and my entire base went black. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to rebuild it. I set my other Reactor to “Overload”, simultainiusly repairing it.

However, he attacked shortly around this time. My Nuke was ready, and, sensing no alternative, I blasted his troops into radioactive goo.

However, Sgt had two Oil Derricks firmly in his hands, and was continuing to produce troops like crazy. I had, however, built 3 Dragon Tanks and, coffers empty once more, decided it was time to make my final move. I moved my Dragon Tanks on Sgt’s last refuge. They met up with a huge army of Tank Hunters. The fight was devastating, resulting in the death of over a dozen Tank Hunters and all three Dragon Tanks. As his few remaining troops, and a constant stream of Red Guards behind them, moved on my base, I couldn’t help but think it was all over. I desperately tried to use my Construction Dozers and Supply Trucks to run down his troops, but little came of it. I began selling off structures to get money, but my factory was destroyed before it could build a thing.

But, at the last moment, a ray of hope shone through. My Command Center was still intact, and my Artillery Strike became ready again. In a last, frantic attempt to save my skin, I fired it at his barracks, hoping and praying it was his last building. And judging by his response, “Oh ****!”, I figured it probably was. As the artillery shells rained down on Sgt_Death’s barracks, we exchanged “GG”s and I got that beautiful message:

(As a note, my Command Center had less than a tenth of it’s health left. Mere seconds later, and it would have gone the other way.)

Lessons Learned:

1. China is way overpowered.
2. Never give up, no matter how desperate the situation looks.
3. Don’t sell Power Plants until you are absolutely certain you don’t need them.
4. Expand early, expand often.
5. Don’t forget about your Generals abilities.

Conclusion:

Well, talk about close games! I want to note that even if I had lost, I would have reported this game; it’s by far the best I’ve ever played. I would also like to say that Sgt_Death is the most well-mannered player I’ve ever met; I hope I get matched with him again some day.

Well, That’s about it for my third Battle Report. Please feel free to post questions/comments/concerns/criticisms, but try to keep it constructive. OK, have a nice day! Y’all come back now! Buh-bye!