BATTLEZONE
Playing Guide
SOVIET MISSIONS
Mission 1
Build a construction rig and a scavenger immediately. Drive up the river bed and
build a silo in the main clearing where the passes converge. Build four
scavengers. Move all your offensive units and turrets out into the clearing to
prepare for the ambush. Be sure not to move your walker when you move the rest
of your offensive units. Build a MUF
as soon as possible and start bulking up your offensive
You will be warned that the Americans are moving. Shortly after you will be
informed which pass they are heading down. Immediately move your walker to the
walker cut-off nav beacon; set up your turrets just inside the exit of the pass
the Yanks are moving down and line up your offensive units behind them. Soon you
will see the recycler and it will retreat. A few of its escorts will attack your
ambush party. Hold back and let them engage the turrets. Then order all your
offensive units to take out the recycler and her escorts as you see fit. For
maximum glory order your subordinate units to take out the recycler while you
deal with the escorts personally.
Once the recycler is destroyed, fortify the clearing with gun towers and
turrets. Place the gun towers facing the north-west so they can pick off the
reinforcements that arrive later in the mission.
Position turrets at the middle and lower exits to wreck any units attacking your
base from the American outpost. Then churn out some offensive units and head for
the enemy base. Once you get there nobble the power supplies first to cripple
the gun towers. Then destroy the MUF and the silo.
Mission 2
Quickly organise your offensive units into two groups mapped to f1 and f2. Order
them to attack the two incoming units the moment they appear on your radar.
Order them to assault the two other incoming units as soon as you make radar
contact.
At this point you have three choices. You can (a) take the route laid out by the
nav beacons, (b) go directly south and try to cut behind the mountains which
follow the southern route of the pass, or (c) head north and try to sneak around
the mountains that border the northern edge of the nav route.
Do not try (c). You will be met by a lot of Black Dog units and the terrain is
barely passable.
If you choose option (a), organise your units into either three or four small
groups (depending on how many you have left). You can order the transports to go
directly to the launch pad but it’s probably best to go to each one and scout
ahead, checking out the terrain for unpleasant surprises. Proceed carefully. If
you lose track of the transports and they get too far ahead and into trouble,
then you’ll lose the mission.
Once you get to the second nav beacon, four Black Dogs arrive from the mountains
to the south. Quickly order your small groups to pick one up each. Then join the
fight yourself. If your transports are headed directly to the launch pad, you
should stop them.
When the attacking units are dead, move along the route again. You will be
warned about artillery at this point. Order your small groups to accost them.
There are objectives set on the artillery so you need only select the group you
want to send, point the reticle on the objective until it turns red and hit the
spacebar. Immediately order your transports to follow you. Keep them on the move
or they will be shelled to death. Guide them around the minefield the Black Dogs
have laid in your path.
Once all of the transports have cleared the minefield, instruct them to head
straight to the launch pad and then recall all of your offensive units to your
position. Follow the transports and pick up the attacking units that come in
south-west of the launch pad. Once the transports reach the launch pad the Black
Dogs will retreat.
If you pick option (b), you will need to stay far to the south of the mountain
to avoid alerting the main platoon in the area. You will run into a security net
they have laid there. The net runs north to south. If you try to get through
without taking it out, the platoon will swarm down on you. Order the convoy to
stop some distance back, around 200-150 metres. Slowly move up until you can
just see the camera. Destroy it. Move quickly to the next one and smash it as
well. Then whisk your convoy through as fast as you can. Make sure they go
through the area you have cleared or all your efforts will be for nothing. Soon
after you take out the net, the Black Dogs send scouts to investigate. Don’t
hang around for this.
Once you’re through, proceed quickly to the launch pad. It won’t be long before
assailants are on your tail. Use the small group technique described in scenario
(a) to deal with any attackers before they get close to the transports.
Mission 3
Take the upper or middle route. The lower route has mines that need to be
cleared and this takes too long. Once you learn of the patrol, hide in one of
the volcanic formations (the little inlets) off the beaten path to avoid
detection. Once the units pass, continue toward the outpost. Take out the
turrets guarding the entrance. Then order your bombers to take out both solar
arrays at the same time. Once the gun towers are crippled, take out the recycler
and return home. Move quickly or you will encounter the Black Dogs on their way
back.
Mission 4
Set up your recycler and build two scavengers. Build wingmen as soon as you have
the scrap. Drive toward the bridge destroying the NSDF units on the way. When
you arrive at the bridge, take out the howitzers in the vicinity. You will have
to drive across the bridge to get to one of them. Either jump to the other one
or pummel it with your own artillery. If you jump to the artillery piece, you
may need to eject your way back.
Once you have eliminated the units near the bridge, send in some of your own
forces to defend it.
Don’t bother attacking the NSDF recycler. Once the transports have crossed the
bridge you will win.
Mission 5
Destroy the artillery on the ridge immediately. Take out the walker and the
turret at the base of the ridge. Rebuild your base defences as necessary for the
coming waves. Attack the NSDF recycler when it is identified.
Mission 6
Thump your way through the minefield. Use your walkers to blow away the turrets.
Leave defences around your recycler to protect against the counter-attack. Use
artillery or APCs to demolish the gun towers in the canyon. Once you pass
through the canyon use tanks or bombers to raze the field HQ.
Mission 7
Do not attack anything on your way to the jail. Position your APC close to the
jail before you obliterate it. Once the engineers are on-board, head out of the
NSDF base the way you came - to the north and then head south-east. Always keep
your engineer-laden APC with you. Follow the old CCA roads - laid out in the
Titan river-beds - to find the three main lost items: a Unit Factory, a scrap
silo and a hidden supply hanger. Finding the hidden supply hanger gives you two
bonus scavengers you can take to your silo and start collecting scrap with.
Don’t worry about losing units, just keep the APC alive as long as there are
engineers on board; your real goal is to recover your Recycler, and once you’ve
done that you can start re-building anything you’ve already lost. Take the
initiative and get the APC, with the engineers, near your Recycler inside the
NSDF base. Try approaching the base from the south-west. There is a passageway
to the Recycler to the west of the NSDF base.
Mission 8
There is a large scrap field to the east of your starting position; set up a
silo there immediately and get your scavengers hoovering. Try to stop the NSDF
Unit Factory from taking the centre.
Cripple the foe by concentrating your efforts on destroying their scavengers
whenever possible.
Don’t build too many defensive units, instead always try to ensure you have a
fair number of wingmen with you. The NSDF forces will not attack your factories
often - they are more concerned with controlling the scrap fields.
US MISSIONS
Mission 1
We won’t insult your intelligence.
Mission 2
A walk in the park. Instruct your recycler to build a scavenger. Escort the
scavenger to the scrap field and fend off the enemy in the heroic style. As you
return to base you will be ordered to escort a second scavenger which has
appeared at the scrap field. Escort it back to base and it’s all over. Bit of an
anti-climax really.
Mission 3
Look for the command tower position indicator on your view screen and rush
immediately to defend it from incoming Soviets. Instruct your recycler to find a
geyser. Build three or four turrets to defend the whole base. Place the turrets
strategically around the base defending key structures (i.e. the command tower
and the solar array). Place the turrets up the side of a hill, giving you a
strategic advantage.
Defend your base until told otherwise. Once the tugs arrive instruct your tank
and scout to follow the tugs to the evacuation site. Take the lead and defend
the tugs from Soviet attack until you reach the evacuation site.
Mission 4
Having landed on Mars you must set up a base. Check the Nav beacons for the best
sites to build a base.
The best site will have plenty of scrap and at least two geysers. Mountainous
areas are easier to defend than flat areas. The NE geyser is the best site to
set up a base. Instruct the recycler to follow you to the NE geyser and set up
base. Now tell your recycler and factory to find a geyser in the area. Build
about four turrets to defend your base from the Marxist-Leninists. Build a few
tanks and scouts to assist in defending the base. When the mission objectives
change send a scout to investigate the CCA base. After discovering an alien
relic at the base build a tug to capture the relic. With your base well defended
escort the tug back home with a couple of tanks.
Mission 5
Find a geyser for your recycler and armoury close to the volcano and alien relic
site. Build about six turrets and send three to the volcano to defend the
volcano entrance (at Nav beacon 1). Use the other two to defend your recycler
and armoury which may come under attack while you’re at the volcano. Use your
armoury to send resupply ammo and repair to the volcano site.
Build as many scouts as possible to help you defend the recycler and the
volcano. Defend the volcano and alien relic from Soviet attack until
reinforcements arrive. When you are warned of a bomber attack then defend the
relic personally to ensure none of the Commies breaks through.
Mission 6
Do exactly what your superior tells you or you’ll fail the mission on the
grounds of insubordination. Build as many tanks as possible during the first few
minutes, then go to the launch pad. Head directly for it; you should be able to
power straight over the cliffs. When you find the launch pad avoid the two gun
towers and concentrate on destroying the solar plant from your cliff-top vantage
point. Then return the way you came, pick up your base and get out.
Mission 7
Deploy your artillery on the first geyser; do not bring it along to the meeting
point. Leave it defended by the two turrets. To get into
the Soviet base, eject near the 3rd Nav beacon when it signals to you, then take
over a Soviet turret to destroy the Radar Array. Once the Radar Array is
destroyed, go straight to your recycler to protect it. Build at least two or
three tanks to defend it before building your scavengers.
Destroy the Soviet factory first, then the recycler. Target the enemy power
stations to disable their gun turrets.
Mission 8
Use the construction rig. Build gun towers and scrap silos near large deposits
of scrap.
When the Colorado is being attacked DO NOT attempt to help - it is supposed to
get destroyed in the mission. Have a good number of wingmen with you at all
times (especially when attacking walkers). Cripple the CCA’s ability to create
new units by destroying their scavengers. The CCA main base is well defended by
gun towers - use APCs or artillery to take them out before attacking the base.
Mission 9
Rendezvous with your unit factory but do not deploy it. Deploy your Supply
Launch Facility on the geyser provided and have your factory, construction rig
and scavengers wait there (the scavengers provided will automatically follow the
unit factory until it is deployed). Take out the artillery as quickly as
possible by heading south and climbing the incline in the terrain near Nav 1
ÔChoke Point’. Bear in mind you will need to get reloaded with ammo AT LEAST
once while taking out the artillery. If you have ammo-packs launched to Nav 1
before you start taking out the artillery it can be waiting for you there when
you really need it. Once the artillery is destroyed, have your construction rig
build a scrap silo in the scrap field and have your Unit Factory set up on the
geyser near Nav 1. When you start to accumulate scrap, build a tug first (you
need it for the mission) then start building walkers and keep them near Nav 1.
Also start building gun towers near your scrap silo to protect your scavengers.
The CCA convoy must pass near Nav 1 on its way to the launch pad. Concentrate
your fire on the CCA tug carrying the relic. If you’ve built enough walkers then
they should deal with the rest of the convoy. When the CCA tug is destroyed use
the tug you’ve built to capture the relic and haul it to your Unit Factory.
Mission 10
Go to the relic as quickly as possible with a tug and wingman. Keep building
cheap units (i.e. scouts and turrets) as scrap becomes available and command
them to protect the relic. When your tug has the relic, order it to ‘go to’ Nav
3 ‘Drop Zone’ while you protect it; alternatively, have the tug pick you up so
you can pilot it back to base more quickly.
Mission 11
Command your tanks to follow you. Destroy the enemy turrets and fighters as they
appear on your path. Don’t follow the third transport, ignore it. When the
transports stop, get health and ammo via the armoury. The transports will stop
until you take out the walker and the turret. Use your wingmen to take out the
walker first, then the turret. Let the launch pad be destroyed, but kill the
tanks. Destroy all the fighters that attack you on the way to the second launch
pad.
Mission 12
Don’t leave your tank out in the open. Wait by the hills near the CCA check-
point tower - a fighter will come by and stop at the barracks at regular
intervals. Shoot it when it stops. Identify the first check-point tower (using
the ÔI’ key) and it will turn on a camera near the second check-point tower - go
to that tower. Identify the second check-point tower and it will open up a
camera to all the other check-points. Look through the camera to locate the
correct check-point in this order: turret silo, unit factory, scrap silos. The
cameras will turn off when you get a certain distance from the towers; just keep
heading in the same general direction and you will find the check-points. If you
get lost, try following some of the other CCA fighters, as they know their
check-point route better than you. Once you have completed the patrol route,
locate then approach the communication tower as quickly as possible. Get close
to it to start the down-load and stay close until the down-load is complete.
Mission 13
Use your recycler to build up some defences immediately. Three turrets are
usually enough to stop the first wave. Once the first wave is over start
building scavengers and a base as usual but don’t set up your base near the drop
zone - move all your factories and buildings out into the scrap field. All of
the CCA units will attack through a narrow pass near the first CCA check-point
tower (where you sniped the fighter in the last mission). Controlling this pass
will make your job a lot easier. The CCA unit factory is not well protected -
use bombers to destroy it quickly.
Mission 14
Set up a base as soon as possible, either in your start location or in the
canyon. Build scavengers and a unit factory. Have the unit factory go to a
geyser and build an APC. Send the APC to Nav beacon ‘rescue 1’. Stay at your
base and defend it from the Commie dogs. As your scavengers get scrap, improve
your defences. Don’t attack the CCA base. Allow the APC to reach ‘rescue 1’
(don’t follow it), and let it wait there to pick people up. Once everyone’s on
board, a new Nav beacon will appear, ‘rescue 2’. Send the APC to ‘rescue 2’.
When the APC arrives at ‘rescue 2’ send it to ‘rescue 3’. En route it will pass
by a base. You should protect it with a couple of tanks at this point. By now
the alien Furies will have started laying into you. You should have been able to
build up enough firepower to defend against them. Stay with your base and fight.
After you’ve picked everyone up from ‘rescue 3’, bring back the APC and protect
it. If you lose your APC at any point, build another and keep going. Eventually
you’ll have to send an APC to a Soviet building. Protect it with as many units
as you can muster. Bring the snatched Sov scientists to your recycler.
Mission 15
Wait for some CCA units to join your forces. Set up your recycler to gather
scrap. The best set-up location is by the buildings to the north. Recycle the
CCA APC for scrap. Rendezvous with the NSDF units at the Nav beacon, when you’re
instructed, and then send them back to your base. Recycle the NSDF APC for
scrap. Spend your scrap on scavengers. It isn’t always worth defending them, but
have plenty of them gathering at all times. Build two silos on the plains to the
north. When you are close to having enough scrap, recycle units until you have
more than 75 pieces.
Mission 16
Set up your recycler and your MUF at your starting location. Take out the mines
leading toward the factory with your thumper. Have your construction rig build
gun towers around your recycler and your unit factory. Build offensive units to
break through the first pass (with the bolt mines). Once you have broken
through, set up your armoury on one of the geysers inside. Use units (walkers,
APCs, howitzers) to destroy the gun towers at one of the entrances to the CCA
factory. While you’re destroying the gun towers make sure your recycler and
factory are still defended. Once you destroy the gun towers, break out and
destroy the CCA bases as fast as possible.
Mission 17
Deploy the recycler and unit factory immediately. Build a construction rig and
fortify the entrance of your base, just before it begins to slope down, with gun
towers. Don’t block the entrance entirely. Move the two turrets provided to
protect your recycler. Begin to construct offensive units. Begin taking out the
towers when you have about eight units. Destroyed towers will reveal geysers.
Once you have knackered all the towers, and the mine field is down, you can move
your MUF and SLF up to the geysers. This will be closer to the factory and so
when you assault it your reinforcements will arrive more quickly. Scrap silos
are very important. The best area to build one is around the two geysers, after
you destroy the towers and Fury units. Ignore the four main factory buildings;
they are made of the new bio metal and can’t be harmed. You must go for the
three power converters behind them. Once they are destroyed, the factory will
blow.
Mission 18
Build two scavengers. Then construct three turrets and as many offensive units
as you can. Place the turrets around your recycler. If you are taking the
northern route, expect to fight three Fury units on your way. If you take the
western route, then bring two additional turrets with you. The western route
will turn north to head toward the transport. When it does, you will see a fork
that heads west. Place the two additional turrets here to cut off any Furies
coming up that pass. Once at the transport, move quickly to destroy each of the
thrusters. Do not attempt to destroy the main body of the transport - it is made
of the new bio metal and can’t be blown up. You will need a lot of units to pull
this off because the thrusters are very durable. Once all four units are blown
up, head back and take the route, originally the northern route, home. The
entrance to this route will branch off to the south-east when you are heading
south. Return as soon as you can or you’ll be left behind. Don’t wait for your
units to follow you.
