RED ALERT 2
SOVIET UNITS
Conscript
The Conscript is the more basic form of infantry on the Soviet side. Compared to the allied GI, the conscript is very weak, as it does not have the option to deploy and use a heavy machine gun. However it is worth remembering that the conscript only costs half as much as an allied GI. Conscripts are extremely vulnerable on their own, and should be in large groups at all times to compensate for their lack of firepower. On the battlefield conscripts are not very useful, but they can be used to garrison buildings at a relatively cheap cost compared to the allied GI. Likewise conscripts can be stationed in a battlebunker, and can inflict a good deal of damage, and the structure compensates for their weakness. In this way conscripts can easily attain elite status, making then much more powerful.
I've made bunch of structures for a Red Alert 2 mod called Mental Omega. These here are just a fraction of them and more are still being made. Boris Statue is one. RA2New Airsrike plane for Boris Moderators: Global Moderators, Media Hut Moderators, OpenRA Moderators, Red Alert 2 Moderators, Tiberian Sun Moderators Page 1 of 1 12 Posts.
Tactic: Compared to the hi-tech units and structures available, conscripts have a minimal use on the battlefield. Their only real use is to be stationed in battlebunkers, as this way each structure only costs £1000 and can take out tanks and infantry very well. One battlebunker with 5 infantry units is a better alternative than 2 sentry guns.
Tesla Trooper
The Tesla trooper costs 5 times as much as a conscript, but is an excellent all round unit. Tesla troopers are very effective against both infantry and tanks, and cannot be run over by vehicles. A group of Tesla troopers can easily deal with a few allied Grizzly tanks. Although they are not as fast as some infantry units, they can be stationed around Tesla towers to increase their range and damage. They can also power a Tesla coil even if your power is sabotaged or falls dramatically. They are viable on the battlefield, but they are best placed inside Flack Tracks, so that their lack of speed is no longer a problem. In this way they can be rapidly transported past enemy lines to wreak havoc in a base.
Tactic: Although Tesla troopers are good all round units, it is best to concentrate on tank production, as two Tesla troopers equate roughly to the same as a Rhino tank. Tesla troopers are quite expensive, as the allied rocketeer is a fraction more expensive, but is much more useful. Tesla troopers are not useful for base assaults, as they have a very short range. In this way one tank can destroy them by getting close, firing and then retreating and repeating this process.
Flak Trooper
This unit is useful for attacking both ground and air targets, although it is best used against aircraft and infantry units. The flak trooper fires explosive flak that can smother a group of infantry if they are close together. They are excellent against Rocketeers, but in order to stop Harriers you need to have large group of them. Despite their ability to target aerial attacks, they are very weak and should never be at the front line of your base. They cost roughly the same as a Guardian GI, but the Guardian GI is a far superior unit, as it is excellent against tanks as well as aircraft.
Tactic: Always build flak troopers in groups of 5, and assign each group a Flak Track so that the units can be placed inside it and moved around the map as necessary. Using this strategy, they can be quickly assigned to vulnerable areas of your base, or can venture outside to protect your War Harvesters. Although flak troopers are cheap to produce, it is better to invest in the more powerful Flak cannon.
Crazy Ivan
This excellent unit offers a wealth of strategic options. Although the Crazy Ivan cannot fire at an enemy, he can plant bombs on anything, ranging from units to structures, as well as blowing up bridges. Never build more than about 5 Crazy Ivan units as they are never used for defensive or offensive purposes, but instead for surprise attacks against your enemy. A Crazy Ivan can plant bombs on Chrono Miners, which are good targets as they have no defences and are very expensive. Another option is to place 5 Crazy Ivan units inside a Flak track, and rush them into a base, unload them and quickly target key installations. Although an engineer can disarm a crazy Ivan bomb, it is rare that you have large swarms of engineers standing around idle next to your buildings.
Tactic: Use a crazy Ivan to plant a bomb on a terror drone, as they are very fast and cheap. Wait a little while and then send the terror drone onto a Chrono Miner, so that when it jumps in it explodes later, destroying the Harvester. If you do this too early, the Chrono Miner will teleport back to its base, and your terror drone will fall out. Experiment with the timing to get this just right. Just remember that when a Crazy Ivan dies, he explodes taking out nearby units.
Attack dog
The attack dog is your first, last and only defence against enemy spies sabotaging your base. Attack dogs are very cheap to produce, but are very vulnerable to attack. They are excellent against enemy infantry, and are best used with other infantry. This makes up for their lack of strength, as the enemy will attack all of your troops, and not just the attack dogs.
Tactic: Always have a few attack dogs scattered across your base near key installations to deter enemy spies. Another fiendish use of dogs is against Yuris Psychic Towers. If you send 3 dogs to the tower, they will all be captured. After this, send a couple of tanks to destroy the tower, as it will have captured the dogs, which will be unable to attack you, and the dogs mean that the tower cannot capture your tanks.
Engineer
Engineers are unarmed infantry units, but offer a wide array of strategic options in battle. They cost only $500, but one engineer has the potential to capture a building by left clicking on it, and can also be used to destroy or repair bridges, by entering the bridge hut. Once used, the engineer does not reappear. Engineers can also repair your own buildings by entering them, and restoring them to full health. They can also capture the neutral technology buildings such as oil derricks. However despite these advantages, engineers are unarmed, reasonably slow and very vulnerable and need to be protected.
Tactic: At the start of a game build three engineers and immediately capture any oil derricks to boost your money. In order to cause maximum chaos, build 5 engineers and put them in a carrier vehicle. When you begin an attack on the enemy, send the carrier with the 5 engineers into your opponents base whilst they are distracted by your attack.. Deploy the engineers and use them to capture key buildings such as the construction yard, war factory and the ore refinery's, and then immediately sell them. This way, you cripple your opponent, as they cannot produce vehicles or structure and tanks, and so will almost certainly lose, and you profit from it.
Boris
Boris is the Soviet hero unit, and aside from being able to kill infantry units, he can call in a laser guided aerial attack by a group of Russian MIG's, instantly destroying any structure. This is a decisive ability, as the Soviets do not have any fast attack aircraft. Boris therefore can be put in a flak track transport, driven to the allied superweapon and target it from distance using his laser sight, and call in an air strike. However if the base is well guarded, the MIG's may be shot down. Although this is a neat ability, Boris cannot rapidly destroy multiple buildings, whereas Tanya could by running up to each building and planting a C4 charge. This means that Boris should not be used in a head on attack.
Tactic: Boris can easily kill of infantry, and is capable of taking out any light Soviet vehicles, even a Rhino tank. However it is his ability to call in airstrikes that is crucial, and it is best to put Boris in a flak track, and to try to get him near your opponents base and to take out a building. However the targeted building will glow red, which might give your plan away, and the airstrike takes about 30 seconds to arrive. If Boris receives a veteran or elite status, then you will receive an extra MIG each time. Even if all of the MIG's are destroyed, another wave will arrive.
Cuban Terrorist (Cuban Special Unit)
The terrorist is a cheap unit that cannot fire at enemy units, but when he reaches the target, the terrorist will detonate causing a powerful blast. They are flawed however, as they are very weak, and if they are bunched together then when one terrorist explodes, they all explode. This means you can only send a few at a time, and since they are very weak they are easily killed.
Tactic: The terrorist has no real use on the battlefield, and it is best to choose a different side that offers a better special unit.
Iraqi Desolator (Iraqi Special Unit)
This unit is very appropriate given the circumstances, and the Desolator has two main forms of attack. He can fire a powerful radiation cannon that turns enemy infantry units into green slime, thanks to a very cool animation. However the second attack of the Desolator is the most deadly, as when deployed he poisons a vast section of terrain. This turns the ground green with nuclear fallout, making it impassable for enemy infantry. However in this mode, the Desolator cannot defend himself. However the wide radius of the fallout means that any friendly units inside will all be killed, especially infantry units. Therefore don't assign a Desolator to protect you most prized elite infantry units.
Tactic: Use two or three Desolators together, and spread them apart until the radius of their nuclear fallout just overlaps. Therefore when they are deployed, they can block a vast section of terrain. This will kill all infantry units, and is the best way to stop a massive infantry attack. However it is less effective against vehicles, and the best way to kill the Desolator is to hold back your forces and use aerial attacks, such as the rocketeer or the Harrier to remove the Desolator.
Soviet Units - Vehicles
Rhino tank
The Rhino tank is more powerful and stronger than the allied Grizzly tank, but it is more expensive and is slower in combat. The Rhino is geared purely towards firepower, and is extremely effective against structures and other vehicles. The best use of the Rhino tank is to produce 8 and use them as the first wave of an offensive against an enemy base, to tie down and distract the defences so that your Apocalypse tanks can take out the defences. The Rhino is the most balanced Soviet ground vehicle, as nearly all of the other units are extremely powerful and very slow, or very quick but very weak. Aside from the Apocalypse tank, the Rhino is the only Soviet tank, as the allies have a much more varied selection.
Tactic: When you have established your base, concentrate on producing Rhino tanks rather than being tempted to produce the Apocalypse. You can build 2 Rhino tanks for each Apocalypse, and if you are attacked suddenly you will have more tanks available, which will be faster at reacting to the threat. Only when you have enough Rhino tanks to guard your base should you start to produce the much more expensive Apocalypse.
Flak Track
This unit is the main Soviet scout, and it is very cheap to produce, fast but very weak. It is capable of storing up to 5 infantry units, and can use its small flack cannon to target aircraft as well as ground targets. It is best used to transport your key infantry units around the map, and to attack vulnerable groups of enemy infantry. Compared to the allied IFV, the flak track is a weak unit that does not have the advantage of altering its weapon configuration depending on which unit is put inside. However the flak track can carry 5 units, whereas the IFV can transport only 1 unit at a time. The flak track should never be used in the front line of an attack, but rather as a troop transport to get large quantities of infantry into an enemy base during the attack, such as engineers.
Tactic: Use the flak track to help transport your troops around the map quickly, and to provide some defence against allied rocketeers. The flak track is the best vehicle to transport Boris around the map, so that he can call in airstrikes, and quickly retreat afterwards. A group of 6 flak tracks full of Tesla troopers and engineers can be rushed into an enemy base during your main attack, and can capture key buildings.
V3 Rocket Launcher
This is my favourite Soviet unit, as although it is extremely weak, slow and can easily be destroyed by a GI, the V3 has an incredible range. It should be noted that the V3 takes time to fire its rocket, which unlike the previous Red Alert game, does not instantly hit the target. A V3 rocket is very slow, and can be shot down quite easily. This means that you cannot sneak a V3 up on a tank, fire at it and destroy it and retreat quickly, as the V3 is very slow. Therefore it is best to blockade the enemy base with tanks, and use V3 launchers to cripple base defences before an attack.
Tactic: The V3 rocket takes a long time to hit a target, and this means that if you have targeted a vehicle or unit which moves, the rocket will not be able to adjust. The V3 is almost useless if your opponents base it very well protected by Patriot missiles, guardian GI's and Aegis cruisers, as they can shoot down the missiles. However if you can get a V3 to elite status, the rockets are horrendously powerful, and can take out almost any structure in one shot. However I much prefer the V2 launcher on Red Alert, as although it was weak it was very fast, and once fired the missile instantly hit its target.
Terror Drone
A terror drone is a tiny spider-like robotic unit that attacks vehicles by jumping on them and dismantling it. Once a terror drone is inside a vehicle, it will be rapidly destroyed unless the vehicle can quickly get to a service depot. Although the terror drone is very fast, it is extremely weak and can be killed by fire from a deployed GI. Terror drones can also attack infantry units. Terror drones offer a wealth of strategic options, as you can use the Iron Curtain on a group of 9 to make them invincible, and then target expensive allied tanks, such as the Prism tank, since terror drones are very cheap. They can also be used in this way as remote bombs, if you get a Crazy Ivan to plant a bomb on a terror drone, and then rush it into a base, and leave it next to a building.
Tactic: Terror drones are best used in surprise attacks against slow units that have a slow rate of fire. Remember that if you target a Prism tank, the allied vehicle will shoot the terror drone, and the blast will radiate onto the other drones, normally killing all of them. To be successful against a single unit, surround it and attack from all sides so that some drones will get through. Also remember that if you target a Chrono Miner, when it teleports back to the base the terror drone will fall off.
Apocalypse Tank
This is by far the most powerful tank in the game of either side, as it has a powerful twin barrelled gun, as well as missiles to target enemy aircraft. The Apocalypse tank is reasonably fast considering its huge size, and can ensure a lot of enemy fire before it is destroyed. An elite Apocalypse tank is unstoppable, as it fires 4 shells in each volley. If you build a group of 9, and then use the Iron Curtain to make them invincible no one will be able to stop you. However it is worth remembering that for each Apocalypse tank, you can produce 2 Rhino Tanks.
Tactic: The Apocalypse tank is best used with other Rhino tanks. Using this formation, enemy tanks will target the Rhino tanks first, protecting the Apocalypse tank and allowing it to unload its destructive potential. If the Apocalypse is attacked first, it will be able to absorb the damage, and the Rhino tanks will fire multiple volleys. Just remember not to keep groups of Apocalypse tanks close together, as the allied Chronosphere can pick up a group of 9 vehicles if they are squashed together and throw them in the sea.
Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV)
The MCV is the most important ground unit at the start of any game, as it forms the heart of your base, and allows you to produce structures and defences. If you lose your only MCV in battle, then you can no longer expand your base, and so every building you lose you cannot replace, unless you build another MCV, which are very expensive. Once you have developed your base, it is always worth building another MCV for added protection, and it also allows you to produce structures faster.
Tactic: Although defenceless, an MCV can be craftily used to destroy an opponent's base. A good trick is to sneak an MCV near the back of your opponent's base, and to immediately deploy it. Make sure that you have built a war factory ready to place, and a Tesla coil and have halted the production of about 6 Rhino tank's just before the first is ready. Then resume their progress once the war factory is built. (Make sure you make it your primary building by left clicking on it twice) This means you can suddenly establish a base to produce tanks, with defences in your opponent's base. If it is attacked, then use your Force Shield to protect your construction yard. Also build a barracks, and mass-produce engineers to keep fixing your buildings.
War Miner
The war miner is the Soviet equivalent of the allied Chrono Miner, as both vehicles form the heart of your economy by collecting ore and transporting it back to your base to be turned into credits. However the War Miner cannot chronosphere back to the base once it has collected its load, and this means that it takes the Soviets longer to acquire the same levels of resources and finance as the allies. However the War Miner has a powerful machine gun which can adequately defend against small groups of enemy infantry. If you ever manage to get an elite War Miner, which is unlikely unless you are very sad, the War Miner has the same weapon as the allied Grizzly tank.
Tactic: Try to monitor where you War Miners are going, as if they are suddenly attacked you cannot simply teleport them back to the safety of your base. Always act on the warning you receive if your War Miners are under attack, and remember that the allied battle fortress can actually run them over and instantly destroy them.
Siege Chopper
This is a somewhat odd vehicle at first, as it is a helicopter than has a small machine gun which is capable of dealing with enemy infantry units. However the vehicle can land, and when it deploys it has the ability to fire a very powerful, long range cannon that is effective against vehicles and structures alike. However remember that it takes the siege chopper quite a while to deploy and un-deploy, making it vulnerable to a sudden attack by a few tanks. The inclusion of this unit was an attempt to redress the deficit the Soviets had in airpower, as they lacked a fast attack aircraft such as the Harrier.
Tactic: The siege chopper is best used in groups of three. This is because when they land and fire at structures, their position is instantly given away. Therefore you need to be able to inflict serious damage on the enemy in the narrow margin of about 20 seconds, which can be achieved by 3 siege choppers. The siege chopper is not a conventional unit, as it is a hybrid between a Harrier jet and an Apocalypse tank in terms of firepower. Therefore they should be used in an opportunistic way, as if you find a weak point in your opponents base it can be exploited.
Kirov Airship
This was the only Soviet aircraft on Red Alert 2, and it is a huge Soviet zeppelin that can drop huge bombs. Normally two or three of these will destroy most structures, and they are dropped at a very fast rate. An elite Kirov Airship is deadly, as each bomb can completely destroy any structure. The Kirov is extremely resistant to damage, which is not very realistic as normally airships are full of volatile gasses that tend to explode with the slightest charge. However the Kirov is exceedingly slow, which means that it is easy to spot and shoot down. Since they can only drop bombs directly below them, it takes them time to be able to get within range of a base. Normally a few Patriot missiles can severely weaken them before this. Aegis cruisers are the best way to destroy a Kirov. However when a Kirov is destroyed it spins to the ground, and the impact causes further destruction.
Tactics: The Kirov is best used en masse, and the airships should be spread out, as Kirov's that bunch together are all damaged by attacking units. It is best to get Kirov's near a base, and then to bring the power supply down before attacking. However Kirov's take a long time to build, and once produced they make a noise which alerts all other players to their existence, allowing them to take precautions. The problem of the Kirov is its slow speed, as it cannot react fast enough to developments on the battlefield, and cannot be quickly recalled.
Tesla Tank (Russian special unit)
The Russian Tesla tank is a large ground vehicle that fires a powerful Tesla charge, which is effective against vehicles and infantry alike. The Tesla tank is also capable of firing over enemy walls, as the electricity arcs to reach its target. However they are not very powerful, and should be used in a group of Rhino tanks, to provide cover against any infantry units, which the Rhino tank is not equipped to deal with. They are quite fast and so make good scouts, but are very expensive considering how weak they are.
Tactic: The Tesla tank is quite powerful and fast, and is best used in surprise attacks. Due to their lack of strength, they are unsuited for a prolonged firefight as they will soon be destroyed. They are best mixed with the Soviet Rhino tank, so that you have a well balanced force, as the Rhino tanks concentrate against defences and tanks and absorb the bulk of the damage, whereas the Tesla tank can deal with infantry and unguarded structures.
Libyan Demolition Truck (Libyan Special Unit)
As you might have guessed, this unit is a suicide vehicle that unleashes a small atomic charge when it is destroyed or reaches its target. This nuclear blast is not as powerful as the Soviet Nuclear Missile, but is extremely effective against infantry units and weak structures, such as power plants. However the truck is very expensive and is not really worth the cost. It is also quite slow, and takes a long time to accelerate, making it vulnerable to being destroyed before it reaches the target. Also a wise commander can spot the truck before it poses any danger, and send 2 Harrier aircraft to intercept and destroy it. If you do chose to build these trucks, you will need several to destroy a few key installations, and for the same price you could construct a Nuclear Missile Silo. Demolition trucks are best used when you have breached an enemy base, and can get them to critical building without being destroyed. Remember that when they are produced, they are in your base and so if they are attacked and detonate, you will suffer the consequences.
Tactic: Although the demolition truck is a cool vehicle, it is not very useful against a human opponent, as their bases are well guarded. They are too expensive, and too prone to not reaching their target to be considered very useful on the battlefield.
Soviet Naval Units
Typhoon submarine
This is the standard Soviet naval unit that you will have to contend with. The Typhoon attack submarine is completely invisible while it travels underwater to the target, and when it fires its torpedoes. This makes the submarine much more tactically viable, as on Red Alert the submarine had to surface before firing, giving away its position. However the attack submarine can be detected by allied destroyers, making it visible and allowing the Osprey attack ship on the destroyer to take off and sink the submarine. Never use a submarine in a prolonged conflict, but use them in surprise attacks, inflict damage and then retreat.
Tactic: The submarine offers a wealth of tactical opportunities, as it is invisible. This means that you can assemble huge fleets without your opponent realising the kind of firepower you have. Remember that it takes a single destroyer two strafing runs from the Osprey before the submarine is destroyed, so always retreat after the first attack. Use submarines en masse, as when your fleet is detected all of the destroyers target the same submarine. This will be obviously destroyed, but it allows your 6 other submarines about 5 volleys without being attacked, allowing you to sink at least 4 enemy ships. If you keep repeating this process the enemy will run out of ships before you do. Remember that when you destroy your opponent's naval shipyard, spread your submarines across the immediate coast, so that when they try and place another one, it will be blocked. In order never to lose a submarine, use two submarines with two sea scorpions just behind them. When the destroyer spots the submarine and the Osprey takes off to attack, it will be shot down by the sea scorpions, and as they are behind the submarine the destroyer cannot attack them. Use this little configuration to defeat any isolated destroyer without loss.
Dreadnought
The dreadnought is the Soviet version of the allied aircraft carrier. The dreadnought attacks by firing two missiles (similar to those on the V3) which have an enormous range. They can take out any target with ease, but the missiles can be shot down by Patriot missiles or the wonderful Aegis cruiser. (No bias here) The problem with the Dreadnought is that it is very slow, and takes a very long time to actually turn. It is also very vulnerable to robot tanks, as the dreadnought can only hit stationary targets at long range, and cannot deal with close range targets. Dreadnoughts are best used in groups of 3, so that six missiles are fired at one target, making it inevitable that some will get through, even in a well guarded base.
Tactic: Use the dreadnought to attack bases from the safety of a long range, and just keep probing the defences of the base. However ensure that dreadnoughts are well guarded, as the allied robot tank can hover over water. It is best to keep the Iron Curtain on standby if you send Dreadnoughts to your opponent's base, so that if they are confronted by robot tanks you can protect them.
Sea Scorpion
This stupid, even deranged little unit is very feeble and weak, and is completely worthless in attacking anything except rocketeers. The flak that it fires can stop rocketeers, but in order to stop Harriers you need to have a large group of sea scorpions. These units are excellent scouts, as they are cheap and very fast. It is worth having some around the coast of your base as an added protection against aircraft, just in case your power supply is sabotaged.
Tactic: Use sea scorpions in groups of 3 in order to protect your submarines anddreadnoughts against any allied aircraft. They are also the only way to stop Tanya and navy Seals from swimming up to your ships and planting C4 charges on them.
Giant Squid
The giant squid is a stealth unit like the submarine, and is the fastest Soviet naval unit. It attacks by grabbing allied ships with its tentacles and rocking them back and to in order to inflict damage. Although this takes time, it can completely disable an enemy navy. The only way to remove a giant squid from a stricken ship is to use the dolphin to fire a sonar beam at it. However most players hate dolphins as they are annoying and make stupid sounds, and so don't build them. This means that an entire navy can be quickly disabled by giant squid.
Tactic: Use giant squid in wolf packs to disable as many enemy ships as possible. Remember that even one squid can grab a ship, and then it cannot be attacked by the other enemy ships. Try to concentrate against aircraft carriers, as they are the most expensive and vulnerable.
Red Alert 2 Boris Full
Amphibious Transport
This unit is used to carry armoured vehicles across water, and depending on the size of the vehicle, it depends how many tanks can be fit inside. Never send lose infantry units in the transport, instead put them in a battle fortress to save space. Amphibious transports can go across land as well as water, and generally they are quick enough to get past a naval blockade. However they are very vulnerable to aircraft and base defences. If your amphibious transport is destroyed, you lose all of the contents.
Red Alert 2 Boris Sezona
Tactic: Whilst typing this I have thought of a potential strategic use for this unit, but only if you play as the allied side. Fill several amphibious transports with tanks, put them in a group and chronosphere the lot of them into the back of an opponent's base, and then instantly deploy all of them. This means that instead of teleporting 9 units, you could teleport many more.