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Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour Strategy Guide by Alasdair Lo
System: PC, CD-ROM
E-mail: kylohk@netvigator.com
Date: 19 June, 2004
Version 4.5
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Contents [Search Key]
1. Introduction [CCGZH1]
2. Updates [CCGZH2]
3. The Sides [CCGZH3]
4. A Brief Introduction of the Units [CCGZH4]
5. USA Campaign [CCGZH5]
6. GLA Campaign [CCGZH6]
7. China Campaign [CCGZH7]
8. Generals Challenge [CCGZH8]
a. USA Superweapon General: Alexis Alexander [CCGZH8A]
b. USA Airforce General: General Malcolm "Ace" Granger [CCGZH8B]
c. USA Laser General: General "Pinpoint" Townes [CCGZH8C]
d. GLA Toxin General: Dr. Thrax [CCGZH8D]
e. GLA Toxin General: Prince Kassad [CCGZH8E]
f. Chinese Tank General: General Ta Hwun Kwai [CCGZH8F]
g. Chinese Nuke General: General Tsing Shi Tao (Clear Stone) [CCGZH8G]
h. Chinese Dragon General: General Leang (Boss General) [CCGZH4H]
9. More Tips [CCGZH9]
10. Conclusion [CCGZH10]
Appendix I. Feedback Information [A1]
Appendix II. Letters from Readers [A2]
Appendix III. A Comparison of the Sides [A3]

-------------------------
1. Introduction [CCGZH1]
-------------------------
Command & Conquer: Generals is the newest installment of the world famous
real time strategy Command & Conquer series. As usual, there is more than
one side. This time, there are 3! USA, GLA and China. This guide will give
some basic walkthroughs to the single player missions. It will also give
some tips for multiplayer games, mainly LAN games, as I play with friends
in the LAN at home, and seldom play online. OK, let's begin. As you can
see, most of the units in the side comparison guide version 3.3 have already
been explained. So, it should not be necessary to introduce them in detail
again. The single player walkthroughs are oriented to the Medium Difficulty.
At present, I have completed the guidelines for all of the missions in
the game. If you have any other tips you would like to share with me, feel
free to e-mail me.

By the way, I have only added a short description for the units of the
USA and GLA. The descriptions of the Chinese Units also have been recently
added.

At the meantime, I plan to add the strategies to beat each talented General
in the Generals Challenge Campaign. Although the strategies are similar
for certain generals, I will split them into different cases for each
general you may be playing as. Therefore, there can be up to 8 strategies
for beating a particular general, as you will face all the generals apart
from the one you are playing as, neither you will face General Rodall "Demo"
Juhziz nor General "Anvil" Shin Fai.

--------------------
2. Updates [CCGZH2]
--------------------
Version 4.6:
Added a new submitter's tip, added a search key system to make it easier
to navigate the guide.

Version 4.5:
Added a short comparison of the sides at the end. For a more detailed
comparison, read the Side Comparison Guide.

Version 4.4:
Added the Hard Mode Strategy for USA Mission 4, at the request from a reader.

Version 4.3:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign against General
Leang, the Chinese Dragon General.

Version 4.2:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign to give tactics
to people who play as General Alexis Alexander, the USA General talented
in Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Version 4.1:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign to give tactics
to people who play as General "Anvil" Shin Fai, the Chinese general talented
in infantry.

Version 4.0:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign to give tactics
to people who play as General Ta Hwun Kwai, the Chinese Tank General.

Version 3.9:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign to give tactics
to people who play as Prince Kassad.

Version 3.8:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
General Tsing Shi Tao, the Chinese general talented in nuclear energy.

Version 3.7:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign to give tactics
for people who play as Dr. Thrax. Updated a submitter's tip.

Version 3.6:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
General Alexis Alexander, the USA General talented in using Weapons of
Mass Destruction.

Version 3.5:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign that tell you
what to do in each level if you are playing as General "Pinpoint" Townes.

Version 3.4:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
General Ta Hwun Kwai, the Chinese General talented in using tanks.

Version 3.3:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
Prince Kassad, the GLA General talented in camouflage and stealthy attacks.

Version 3.2:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
Dr. Thrax, the GLA General talented in chemical weapons.

Version 3.1:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
General "Pinpoint" Townes, the USA General talented in laser technology.

Version 3.0:
Added the strategies for the Generals Challenge Campaign battle against
General Malcolm "Ace" Granger, the USA General talented in air power.

Version 2.9:
Added the descriptions of the 9 talented Generals and their respective
modifications.

Version 2.8:
Added some more detail to the introduction of the units.

Version 2.7:
Added a new tip concerning a hacker farm by Raptor11790.

Version 2.6:
Added an alternate method to beat GLA Mission 5.

Version 2.5:
Added a new section: Appendix II: Letters from Readers

Version 2.4:
Added a new chapter that gives a short introduction to the units of the
3 sides available in the game.

Version 2.3:
Changed some wordings to make the guide more humorous and reader-friendly.

Version 2.2:
Added a new Submitter's tip.

Version 2.1:
Added a new Submitter's tip.

Version 2.0:
Added a new Submitter's tip.

Version 1.9:
Added Appendix I: Feedback Information

Version 1.8:
Added a Submitter's tip to China Missions 4 and 5.

Version 1.7:
Corrected some silly mistakes.

Version 1.6:
Added a chapter called More Tips.

Version 1.5:
Added Chapter 3: The Sides

Version 1.4:
Added Chinese Missions 3-5.

Version 1.3:
Added Chinese Missions 1 and 2.

Version 1.2:
Completed the GLA Campaign.

Version 1.1:
Added the GLA Campaign. The Missions are not completed though.

----------------------
3. The Sides [CCGZH3]
----------------------
USA: (The Boring old Blue Team)
Apparently, the Blue Team is supposed to be the good guys in the Command
and Conquer series, this time, it is no exception. It is also the team
with the most boring and conventional attack methods. (For example,
remember the Allie Forces, anyone?) The United States of America is
definitely the side with the most high tech units. Many units can make
use of many technologies to boost their attack ability. The air power of
the United States is something to be reckoned with, as they have 4 different
air units, suited for various tasks! In fact, a lot of units in reality
appeared in the US arsenal.

GLA: (The Greedy Green Team. They finally have a GREEN Team for a change,
Green is my favorite color, heh heh heh.)
Since Tiberian Sun, there was only the battle between the Blue Team and
the Red Team, and now, after a long wait, with 3 sides available, the
producers of the game have given GLA the Green color! The Global Liberation
Army is a multi-national terrorist organization based in Kazakhstan (They
need not obtain any financial backing from any official government in the
world). They are practically the most cunning and most resourceful side
in the game. 3 of their units can upgrade their own weapons by picking
up the scraps of the enemies they have defeated. Using the Palace and the
Black Market, they can acquire many important upgrades and funds, which
come from the darkest corners of the globe. Of course, these terrorists
have a lot of nasty tricks up their sleeves, as you can see later.

China: (The Ready-on-the-move Red Team. That's where I live, heh heh heh.)
It has been a tradition of the Command and Conquer series that the Red
Team is the evil team of the game, (For example, Brotherhood of Nod, Soviets)
and the Red Team just loves to use superior numbers and brute force to
attack their enemies. But this time, they are the good guys! The People's
Republic of China is certainly becoming more and more powerful these days.
With a population of about 1.3 billion, China certainly has a very large
army. In fact, many of China's units become more powerful, when used in
large groups! The good thing is, certain Chinese units can be produced
en masse in a blink of an eye, and can literally like, squash an elephant
with a horde of ants!

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4. A Simple Introduction of the units of the game [CCGZH4]
-----------------------------------------------------------
*****UNITED STATES OF AMERICA*****
The United States of America is the world's most high tech army. They can
make use a lot of strategy to win, and that's why it takes the most skill
to master. Tee hee hee... Anyway, a lot of America's units are heavily armored
or fast yet expensive, making them the most suitable for "search and destroy
missions".

--------------------------------
Bullet Based Anti Infantry Units
--------------------------------
Ranger Cost: $225 Requires: Barracks
Pathfinder Cost: $600 Requires: Barracks + Level 3 General
Ability
Colonel Burton Cost: $1500 Requires: Barracks + Strategy Center
Humvee Cost: $500 Requires: War Factory
Sentry Drone Cost: $400 Requires: War Factory

All of these units use guns, and are very effective against infantry. If
you have the money, pay $1000 so that the Rangers can use Flash Bang Grenades
against infantry, they are very effective in dispersing Angry Mobs.
Pathfinders are simply snipers, and only snipers. So, obviously, they kill
all infantry units in one shot, so does Col. Burton, but he is a hero unit,
so he can stab infantry to death with his knife, and also plant charges
on enemy structures. Humvees and Sentry Drones are all ideal scouting units,
the Humvee can be loaded full of infantry, and they can fire at outside
units! As for the Sentry Drone, you will have to pay $1000 to upgrade them
with the heavy machine gun before you can use them to attack the enemy.

--------------
Ranger
--------------
Cost: $225
Flashbang Upgrade: $1000

The US Ranger is the most expensive of the lot, however, they are the only
rifle infantry in this game who can use 2 weapons, the Assault Rifle and
the Flashbang Grenades. The Flashbang Grenades are particularly effective
in clearing large structures and dealing with angry mobs.

For a Rifle Infantry that has 2 functions, it is definitely worth paying
$225 for this as it costs $112.5 for each function. Another good thing
is that a flash bang upgrade is definitely cheap and should be researched
as soon as possible.

---------------
Pathfinder
---------------
Cost: $600
The US Pathfinder is like a "stealth nun with a sniper rifle" (actually,
it is some kind of camouflage suit for those jungle operations.). His
ability to garrison buildings without detection really helps to kill large
numbers of enemy infantry from a long range!

The Pathfinder costs $600, and that is all you need to take out a large
hoard of infantry! In fact the kill ratio is about 1 to 20 or even higher
when used properly. So, well, it is an excellent value for money!

---------------
Colonel Burton
---------------
Cost: $1500
The United States do not have to rely on that arrogant Tanya Adams anymore.
Instead, we have Colonel Burton, the man with the most tricks up his sleeve.
Colonel Burton's rifle can make a quick work of enemy armor and infantry
units. His knife, can kill enemy infantry without being seen. His Demo
Charges can be activated by a timer or by remote. Burton can climb over
steep hills into the enemy base!

To use the Knife Attack:
Click the Knife Attack button and then click the enemy infantry unit you
want to use it on.

To use the Timed Demo Charge:
Click on the Timed Demo Charge button and then click on the building you
intend to use it on. Colonel Burton will then go over to the building,
and tinker with his bomb for a while before the bomb is placed. The timer
is set to 20 seconds, plenty of time for you to get away.

To use the Remote Demo Charge:
The same steps apply for Remote Demo Charge, only that you can detonate
them at will. To detonate the charge, click the Detonate Charges button,
and beep! BOOM!

For a unit that practically has everything,(a Swiss army man in fact),
paying $1500 is certainly worth it, as it is just like a destruction starter
kit all hauled up in one person.

--------------
Humvee
--------------
Cost: $700
TOW Missile Upgrade: $1000
Scout Drone Upgrade: $100
Battle Drone Upgrade: $300
Hellfire Drone Upgrade: $500

The standard troop transport of the US is here. Equipped with Gun-Ports,
infantry units inside can fire at the enemy. The Humvee can also be equipped
with a TOW Missile to attack armored targets. There is a catch though,
if the Humvee is destroyed, the infantry inside will all die! Just a pity
it does not come packaged with missile defenders.

---------------
Sentry Drone
---------------
Cost: $800
The new sentry drone is stealthy, and can detect stealth. It can be upgraded
with machine guns to make it more powerful, but this unit is pathetic,
as it cannot gain veterancy. When I used these in USA Mission 1 in Zero
Hour, they were practically the first to die.

-----------------------------
Missile Based Anti Tank Units
-----------------------------
Missile Defender Cost: $300 Requires: Barracks
Tomahawk Missile Cost: $1200 Requires: War Factory + Strategy
Center
Raptor* Cost: $1400 Requires: Airfield
Stealth Fighter* Cost: $1600 Requires: Airfield + Level 1 General
Ability
Comanche* Cost: $1500 Requires: Airfield
* = Air Units

All of these units make use of missiles to attack their targets. The Missile
Defender is America's "Man-with-a-missile". He can use his laser sights
to improve his rate of fire against enemy vehicles and aircraft. The
Tomahawk Missile Launcher is a long range ballistic unit, its missile NEVER
misses its targets, unless the target is an infantry unit due to its
guidance system. The Raptor fires 4 missiles, the Stealth Fighter Fires
2 while the Comanche fires 4, and reloads in the air, while continuing
to pummel their target with its 20mm cannon. The Stealth Fighter and Raptor
can be upgraded with Laser Guided Missiles to increase their attack power
by $25, while the Stealth Fighter can also be upgraded with the Bunker
Buster missiles to clear out any type of garrisoned building, except
Internet Centers. Note that the missiles of all of these 3 units can be
easily stopped or blown off course by Paladin Tanks, Avengers and ECM Tanks.

-----------------
Missile Defender
-----------------
Cost: $300
The US Missile Defender is just a person with armed with a high tech Rocket
Launcher. They laser sights improve their rate of fire, and that's about
it.

To use the Laser Missile:
Click the Laser Missile Button, and then click on your target. The Missile
Defender will focus on the target with a laser, and then, wow wow wow wow
wow! They fire their rockets in an insane speed, similar to the speed of
Tank Hunters with their hoard effects. I found out about this when I head
some Tank Hunters fight some Missile Defenders head to head. (In case you
wondered how I fight missile defenders with tank hunters who use the laser
missiles, I was playing against the computer, and it obviously cheated.)

-----------------
Tomahawk Missile
-----------------
Cost: $1200
Composite Armor Upgrade: $2000
Scout Drone Upgrade: $100
Battle Drone Upgrade: $300
Hellfire Drone Upgrade: $500

USA's Long Range ballistic is here. The Tomahawk Missile has a very long
range, and its missile has a tendency to lock onto the enemy, so it seldom
misses. However, air defenses can easily stop the missile, so build at
least 2 or 3 for a better effect.

For an accurate long range ballistic unit, the Tomahawk Missile is just
evenly priced. As it is the USA army's one and only one long range unit,
you better rely on them. Still, it's a good value for money.

---------------
Raptor
---------------
Cost: $1400
Laser Missile Upgrade: $1500
Countermeasures Upgrade: $2000

The US Raptor fires 4 missiles each to their targets, and can be used to
guard the air. Their attack power can be increased by 25% by the Laser
Missiles. They can develop countermeasures against anti-aircraft units,
but what use does it have if there are just so many of them lying around?

For an aircraft like the Raptor, I really cannot comment on its price,
as it is just the tradition for C&C programmers to charge between $1200
and $1500 for jet planes.

Supplementary Information: (Reference: Jane's)
In the early 1980s the USAF began the Advance Tactical Fighter programme,
incorporating stealth technology and supercruise (supersonic cruise
without afterburning), as a replacement for the F-15C Eagle. A
Lockheed/General Dynamics/ Boeing YF-22A prototype first flew on 26
September 1990, and won the development contract over the Northrop YF-23A
in 1991. The first EMD F-22A flew on 7 September 1997, and EMD aircraft
have since demonstrated supercruise at more than Mach 1.5 and
thrust-vectoring at high AoA. Cold War requirements for 750 aircraft have
been reduced to 339 F-22As, with the first planned to enter service in
2005.

The Raptor design trades off stealth with agility, to produce a genuine
fighter, as opposed to a low-observable bomb deliver like the F-117A. The
thrust/weight ratio of 1.2 and triplex digital FBW controls gave good
maneuverability, but 'first look, first shot, first kill' capability means
opponents will rarely detect the F-22 before they have been targeted and
hit by BVR AAMs. The Raptors has three internal weapons bays, with two
Sidewinder AAMs stored outboard of the intake ducts, and up to six AIM-120
radar-guided AMRAAMs or two GBU-32 JDAM 1000 PGMs in a ventral bay. Other
stealth features include antennas located in leading or trailing edges
of wings and fins, and internal sensors, including the AN/APG-77 AESA radar.
Highly integrated avionics with a Common Integrate Processor (CIP) will
provide a next-generation operation environment.

-----------------------------------
Specifications of the F-22A Raptor
-----------------------------------
Powerplant: two 156kN (35000 lb st) Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 thrust
vectoring afterburning turbofans

Dimensions: length 18.92m (62ft 1 in); height 5.02m (16ft 5 in); wing span
13.56m (44ft 6 in)

Weights (estimated): empty 14,385 kg (31,670 lb); MTOW 27,216 kg (60,000
lb)

Performance: max level speed (in supercruise) Mach 1.58, at 9,150m
(30,000ft) (with afterburning) Mach 1.7, at sea level 1,482 km/h (921 mph);
service ceiling 15,240m (50,000 ft)

Armament: one M61A2 20mm gun with 480 rds; two AIM-0 AAMs and up to six
AIM-120 AMRAAMs or two JDAM 1000 PGMs in internal bays; four underwing
stores stations, each cleared for a 2,268kg (5000lb) payload

---------------
Stealth Fighter
---------------
Cost: $1600
Laser Missile Upgrade: $1500
Bunker Buster Upgrade: $1000

The Stealth Fighter is like the Raptor, only that it can remain undetected
until the moment before it fires, so it is good against enemy base defenses.
Its bunker buster upgrade can help it damage infantry garrisoned in
Bunkers.

Sigh... I was expecting the Stealth Fighter to be even more powerful than
the Raptor, but in fact, it is only effective against base defenses, as
it is stealthy. Although it can clear garrisoned structures with its Bunker
Buster Upgrade, it is not worth coughing up $1600 for such a plane.

Supplementary Information (Reference: Jane's)
Popularly known as the 'Stealth Fighter', the F-117A Nighthawk is a
precision attack aircraft designed to be nearly invisible to radar.
Development began in the 1970s with the 'Have Blue' design study, and the
first FSD prototype flew on 18 June 1981. Five FSD F-117s were built,
followed by 54 production standard F-117As. Constructed primarily of
aluminium, the F-117A's fuselage comprises flat panel 'facets' mounted
on the aircraft's subframe, their purpose being to reflect radar energy
away from the transmitter, eliminating a viable 'return'. All surfaces
are coated with various RAMs, and all doors and panels have serrated edges
to further minimize radar reflection. Grid Covers on the intakes and the
use of narrow-slot 'platypus' exhausts surrounded by heat-absorbing tiles
reduce the IR signature.

Ahead of the flat plane five piece cockpit glazing is a FLIR sensor,
recessed in a mesh covered housing. In the forward starboard underfuselage
is a retractable IR sensor and laser designator, used with the two LGBs