+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Empire Earth Digital Epoch FAQ by Iced~Metal (ekinlegend@yahoo.com) +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Version 1.0 Last Revision: Dec.13/2001 Creation Date: Dec.13/2001 ******************** ***Copyright Info*** ******************** This document may not be modified in any way, shape or form unless consent by the author or for personal private use. This document cannot be under any circumstances be used for profitable purposes. The author reserves the right to 0wn your ass in Empire Earth any time of the day, any day of the week, any week of the month, any month of the year and any year of your miserable life. ;-) If you wish to have this document placed on your website, magazine, etc, please contact the author. Thank you for your co-operation. And now, onto the good stuff! ==================) Table of Contents ==================) Introduction Digital Epoch Information Unit Analysis Infantry Tanks Artillery Cybers - Combat Cybers - Ultra Aircraft Naval Building Analysis Wonders Unit Strategies Infantry Tanks Cybers - Combat Cybers - Ultra Artillery Aircraft Naval The Art of War Endnote ============================================================= ********************** *****Introduction***** ********************** ============================================================= Empire Earth is the latest strategy game that followed the release of Civilization 3. Expected to compete with strategy gaming genius Sid Meier, what would it be like? Well, it is a game like no other. The only game it can relate to, is Age of Empires 2, but that would be a huge understatement! Instead of the 4 ages in AoE 2, there are 12 "epochs" in EE, from the Prehistoric epoch of 500,000 B.C all the way to the futuristic Nano age. Except for the futuristic ages, every epoch is designed to be as authentic as possible. My favorite epoch is the Industrial age, where the famous American Revolution and Civil War took place. On the Digital age, I spent a little over a week, more than 4 hours a day, and barely finished two huge random map games on Hard difficulty, so I decided to write a FAQ on this epoch alone. Most of this FAQ will be written entirely from my own perspective. It will be written from single player perspective, but most of the unit analysis' and strategies can be used online with little adaption. For further information about this great game, check out the review at Gamespot, or read mine at: http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/review/R26706.html ============================================================= *********************************** *****Digital Epoch Information***** *********************************** ============================================================= The Digital Age is semi-futuristic, and is probably a hundred years or more from today. There is no "robot revolution" yet, but we use robots to assist us in combat. The robots are called "Cybers", and they are killing machines. Cybers are first introduced in the Digital epoch and will replace tanks, taking part in most of the fighting. The Digital epoch is interesting and fun to play around in. More strategy and tactics are required here than the older historic epochs. The following unit analysis will contain ratings that range from 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest). The ratings will, by default, be meant for all unit types unless specified. Example: Civilian has Power Effectiveness of 1, so anything it attacks is only effective of 1. Bronze Cannon has Defence Effectiveness of 5 against specifically rifles, but only 2 against explosive. This game has a very very advanced version of the Rock/Paper/Scissors method of balance! Example: Power - The unit's attack strength and effectiveness, including Rate of Fire (ROF). Defence - Unit's HP and armor, how good it lasts. Speed - Moving speed (NOT projectile speed). Usefulness - A broad rating that combines the above and other factors such as Cost, special ablities, range, etc. ============================================================= *********************** *****Unit Analysis***** *********************** ============================================================= ( *** Infantry *** ) [ Civilian ] Power - 1 Defence - 1 Speed - 1 Usefulness - 3 The civilian uses a rifle to attack, but is very weak and should not be used for fighting. Only has a usefulness of 3 because too many of them only clogs up the population limit. [ Sentinal ] Power - 2 Defence - 2 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 3 They look like Storm Troopers from Star Wars and are really cool. Don't let their tickling laser rifle fool you, they are quite a force when grouped, and can take apart pretty much anything. Cheap to produce, very useful at all times. [ Stinger Soldier ] Power - 4 vs. air Defence - 2 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 5 They are not quite as crucial in this epoch, probably because they are too defenseless. However, they are cheap and nice for securing certain areas or corners. [ Medic ] Power - N/A Defence - 1 Speed - 2 Usefulness - 2 A field medic for healing infantry. Useless if you have the Temple of Zeus! [ Heavy Mortar ] Power - 3 Defence - 2 Speed - 2 Usefulness - 1 Damage seems lower than the previous epochs now that everyone has better defenses. They are really useless in this epoch, and the fact that the computer doesn't use them anymore reinstates my theory. ( *** Tanks *** ) [ Gladiator Tank ] Power - 3 Defence - 3 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 3 This is your one and only all-around assault tank. Great for pounding infantry or protecting something, since they are solid and deal average damage. Not too bad to serve as the main flavor of an army. One last thing... they only have a pop cost of 1 in contrast to 2 for Cybers... a better value. [ Skywatcher AA ] Power - 4 surface to air Defence - 3 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 4 A better anti-air choice because of its armor, which can withstand a few blows, and its speed, considerably fast. Also, they are stronger in defence than Stinger Soldiers, and have the same pop value of 1, so cost and pop-wise they are better. ( *** Artillery *** ) [ Paladin Cannon ] Power - 5 Defence - 2 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 5 My favorite artillery! It spits out some blue fusion blast, and destroys buildings and units alike. Excellent for use as a siege weapon, but needs protection from both air and land. Their speed isn't bad either, but because of slow projectile speed, it is better suited for sieging than attacking units. [ Colossus Artillery ] Power - 5 Defence - 1 Speed - 2 Usefulness - 3 The damage level is about the same as the Paladin Cannon, but the ROF is slower. It does have a better splash and can fire over walls, but it moves too slow and is too easily destroyed. A better choice for defensive purposes, to fire over your own walls. [ Thor AT Gun ] Power - 3 Defence - 4 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 4 This time, they are not only effective against tanks, their armor piercing round rips up Cybers nicely. Not overly powerful, but can be mean in numbers. A very good armor against most damage types, but needs protection from air (explosives, shock). The Thor AT should be the main force of your army. ( *** Cybers - Combat *** ) [ Hyperion ] Power - 3 Defence - 3 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 3 This is an all-around Cyber fighter, and does well against pretty much anything. However, damage is fairly average. [ Ares ] Power - 2 Defence - 2 Speed - 5 Usefulness - 4 The Ares can hover, similiar to a chopper, and travels very fast. It is a very cool Cyber, it fires dual lasers which are not overly powerful, but fires very fast! Can be dangerous in groups. Does steady damage against all armor types. It can even hit some air units, not sure about the Talon or Jackal but definitely downs choppers. [ Pandora ] Power - 3 Defence - 2 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 2 The Pandora fires a red sonic blast that travels reasonably fast and homes to its target, guarantees accuracy, and does good splash damage. It is excellent for killing groups of infantry, does KO against tanks and artillery, but weak against Cybers. Very weak in fact. [ Minotaur ] Power - 3 Defence - 4 Speed - 2 Usefulness - 2 Very similiar to the Hyperion in being an all-around tough Cyber, but has crappier damage. I think its armor is tougher. Really more of a choice for the player. ( *** Cybers - Ultra *** ) [ Appollo ] Power - N/A Defence - 3 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 3 The Appollo is the Cyber medic, and other than healing it has two special abilities. Diffraction Shield - Halves damage done to target for a short period. Good for protecting weak units targetted by fire, can be used on anyone inculding self. Ion Pulse - Disables targets' attack for a short period. Very useful and can turn the tide of battles. [ Furies ] Power - 3 Defence - 2 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 3 Well its regular attack is a gorilla-like arm pound that does average damage, but it has a crappy defence. Its special ability is to self-destruct, which does severe damage in a medium proximity. Can be very useful for weakening strong targets or destroying weak targets outright. [ Tempest ] Power - 3 Defence - 4 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 2 The Tempest is cool because it uses a two-handed sword, has high HP, and runs very fast, but the damage is very low, despite a high ROF. However, refer to the strategy section for effective uses. It has two special abilities. Reasonator - Like the graphical icon, it deflects all firepower around it away. An OK defensive last resort. Anti-Matter Storm - By far the superior ability! It conjures a powerful tornado-like storm that destroys air units, and lasts for a period of approximately 20 seconds, much like the calamity version. Very very powerful especially if a whole group of Tempests cast it. ( *** Aircraft *** ) [ Talon Fighter Bomber ] Power - 4 air to surface - 3 air to air Defence - 2 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 3 These are quite powerful against tanks and artillery, but weak against infantry, like Stinger Soldiers. They attack about two times before running out of ammo. Not very effective against Cybers. [ Jackal Fighter Jet ] Power - 5 air to air Defence - 3 Speed - 5 Usefulness - 4 The Jackal clearly dominates the skies, period. Great for circling your base and chasing away choppers and bombers. Not intended for offense, but if you have enough flight time you can harass enemy aircraft as well, and provide air protection for your bombers. Great for taking out Sea Kings as well. [ B-122 Wyvern Bomber ] Power - 4 air to surface Defence - 3 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 4 The B-2 is a very strong bomber, and rips up artillery and tanks. It is useless, however, against other air units. Very good air support bomber, it is also good for controlling masses of Cybers. [ Titan Bomber ] Power - Extreme (Fusion Bomb) Defence - 3 Speed - 2 Usefulness - 5 The Titan is the grand daddy of bombers. It carries the fusion bomb that devestates any units and structions caught in its destructive proximity. The blast proximity is medium, and a direct hit destroys anything except Capitols (left with 2000 HP), and probably Wonders. It is slightly stronger than its precessor, the B-52, and has a slightly larger proximity. [ Pegasus Transport ] Power - N/A Defence - 2 Speed - 4 when empty - 2 when full Usefulness - 3 This is a transport. It can be downed fairly easily by jets. It carries 10 passengers, and any unit can board it. [ A-10 Anti-Tank ] Power - 3 air to surface Defence - 2 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 2 It fires AP rockets, but isn't incredibly powerful, and it needs to circle around to fire again. Not very useful. Okay for harassing Cybers, watch out for Ares. [ Reaper Gunship ] Power - 3 Defence - 2 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 3 This is actually an Apache. Pretty useful for killing infantry with its machine guns, but suck against anything else. Read strategy section for effective use. They have a laser cannon instead of machine guns, and does quite well against pretty much anything, especially infantry. [ Spectre AT Helicopter ] Power - 4 vs. tanks - 3 vs. everything else Defence - 2 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 4 These fire the same rockets as the A-10, but they hover to fire, damaging much more and faster without the need to circle. Useful for destroying a convoy of tanks. Very good harassing unit. [ Sea King ] Power - 5 air to sea Defence - 2 Speed - 4 Usefulness - 4 They are VERY powerful against ships and pesky submarines! Sometimes they are a better naval defense option than actual naval units! Cannot attack anything other than naval units. ( *** Naval *** ) [ Sub - Nautical ] Power - 4 sea to sea Defence - 3 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 3 These are pretty powerful, and some ships can't hit them. [ Transport ] Power - N/A Defence - 3 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 3 These carry 14 passengers, and are a better transport than choppers if a sea route is available. [ Carrier Enterprise ] Power - 3 air to air Defence - 2 (the Carrier is 4) Speed - 4 Usefulness - 2 The ratings are for the F-14 Tomcats it carries, which is the only aircraft it can carry. The actual carrier is defenseless, for some weird reason it has no surface to air missiles, and is a sitting duck. The Tomcats need to be purchased directly from the carrier, and each carrier can carry 15. The Tomcats are fairly cheap and weak, and 2 are needed to down an F-15, but they look pretty cool and are an okay air support for your navy. [ Sub - Trident ] Power - 5 sea to surface Defence - 2 Speed - 3 Usefulness - 4 The rocket it fires creates a large blast, and is very powerful! It has pretty good range too, so if the enemy is on an island, surround the island with these to bring the enemy to its knees. They are totally defenseless against anything but land units, so requires some support. Units from the Docks suck, except for the Fishing boat. I don't remember the Digital names for naval units, so they should be approximately the same. :P ============================================================= *************************** *****Building Analysis***** *************************** ============================================================= [ House ] Supposed to add 1 Morale each, but I never build more than 3. [ Settlement ] Very important for making expansion towns. Drop off for resources. Will be covered later in the strategies section. [ Farm ] Peasants can harvest Farms for food. [ Granary ] Built in the middle of Farms, drop off point for food. [ Hospital ] Heals nearby units (but not artillery). [ Temple ] Supposed to offer nearby area protection from natural disasters such as earthquakes. [ Town Center, Capitol ] Can create Peasants, and Heroes. Very important and is the center of towns. Should be well guarded. [ Fortress ] Garrisons land units, garrisoned units do not count towards pop count. However, I could not ungarrison my units, so this might be an alternative to the unavailable feature of suiciding a unit? A good solution for putting away those extra peasants you don't need anymore, to free up pop count for more soldiers. [ University ] Offers protection for nearby units against enemy conversion. [ Dock ] Can build ships, heals nearby ships. [ Barracks ] Can train infantry. [ Siege Workshop ] Can build artillery. [ Tank Factory ] Can build tanks. [ Airport ] Can build aircraft. [ AA Missile Tower ] An anti-air static defense, damage is okay but needs 3 or more to be truly effective against bombers. [ Naval Yard ] Can build Subs and more advanced naval units. [ Cyber Factory ] Builds Combat Cybers. [ Cyber Lab ] Builds Ultra Cybers, which have special abilities. [ Tower ] A guard tower, fires on any hostile units (except air). They have crap range, but they're your only static defense choice in this epoch. They will have to do. [ Wall, Gate ] You know damn well what these are for. ( *** Wonders *** ) [ Tower of Babylon ] Enables your priest to convert an entire area (gives splash effect to your priests). This is pretty useful for converting a large portion of an enemy's army rather than one by one. [ Temple of Zeus ] My favorite wonder, should be the one you build first. Enables your units to self-heal themselves. Ships cannot self-heal, however. This is such a powerful Wonder. After a big battle, your army may be hurt, leave then standing for awhile and they will be as fresh as ever. Doesn't revive dead units, but it heals really fast! [ Library at Alexandria ] Reveals enemy buildings. Pretty useful. [ Pharos Lighthouse ] Reveals all water areas, and all units on water. Not as useful unless you're playing a naval map. [ Coliseum ] Supposed to raise your pop cap and lower all enemy's pop caps. I'm not sure by how much, but it raised mine 10% once, and approximately 15% another game. Not very useful IMO. [ Ishtar Gates ] Increases the hit points of your walls, gates, and towers. The boost is double, I believe, or more. Very nice if you like to play defensively. ============================================================= ************************* *****Unit Strategies***** ************************* ============================================================= This section will list specific strategies AND counters for each and every unit (except heroes) of the Modern Atmoic epoch! I hope it helps you. ( *** Infantry *** ) [ Civilian ] Strategy - Never use these for combat. They cannot be built as easily as other games, so protect them and retreat them to somewhere safe when enemies are near. Counter - Kill these with Sentinals, but any unit will do. Tanks, especially. [ Sentinal ] Strategy - Sentinals look damn cool, and when grouped, does well against anything but the toughest Cybers. Cheap, and effective.. Counter - Kill these with Tanks. Hyperions and Ares do well to, with their high ROF. [ Heavy Mortar ] Strategy - Useless in this epoch, but if you must, use them for razing buildings or tanks. Counter - Anything kills them easily, but use Tanks or the Reaper for its speed. [ Medic ] Strategy - Keeping one or two near your infantry should be sufficient, but Temple of Zeus is better. Counter - Just destroy them like you destroy any other infantry, since their healing isn't very important. [ Stinger Soldier ] Strategy - Not as important anymore. Build large groups of these and keep them around your base, until you have some AA Missile Towers set up then take them along with your army and put them on Guard. If there's a Titan Bomber it holds top priority. Counter - Can't destroy them with aircraft, so Hyperions, Ares, and Tanks do well. A Furies suicide rush does well too. ( *** Tanks *** ) [ Gladiator Tank ] Strategy - A good all-around tank that only costs a pop of 1. Build lots since they do stable damage against anything. Counter - Destroy with the Thor AT Gun. Cybers don't do as well. [ Skywatcher AA ] Strategy - The best anti-air solution in this epoch, since they have good armor and last longer than Stinger Soldiers. Still, they need to be protected. Counter - Destroy with Ares, or any other fast unit. Tanks do well. ( *** Cybers - Combat *** ) [ Hyperion ] Strategy - A tough Cyber that can chew infantry to bits. Doesn't work as well against other Cybers, or tanks. Not very useful IMO. Counter - Destroy with the Thor AT Gun. [ Ares ] Strategy - Its super-fast laser cannons can devastate choppers, and infantry. A group of these can be useful, since they are highly mobile (possibly the fastest Cyber). Can do well against other Cybers, except the Hyperion and Minotaur, and destroys tanks too. Counter - They are very weak so hit them with any Cyber or Gladiator Tank. Sentinals do well too (cost-wise, the trade-off is worth it). [ Pandora ] Strategy - AKA infantry killer. Its sonic blast has a rather large proximity, and it has homing, so accuracy isn't a problem. Use to kill masses of infantry, particularly Sentinals and Stinger Soldiers. Not as effective against armor, such as Cybers, or tanks. Counter - Airstrikes work well, like the Wyvern Bomber. Tanks and Cybers destroy it easily, and do not take too much damage. [ Minotaur ] Strategy - Same as Hyperion. Counter - Same a Hyperion. ( *** Cybers - Ultra *** ) [ Appollo ] Strategy - Keep around your Cybers for some healing. Its special abilities are purely defensive, and aren't that useful. Perhaps for keeping a dying Cyber alive with Diffraction Shield, or disabling the attacks of something strong with Ion Pulse. Counter - Destroy with Ares, which has the fastest ROF. Ares rapes any Cyber with weak armor. [ Furies ] Strategy - Normally they suck, but use their special ability (Self-Destruct) and speed to your advantage. Use to weaken strong targets such as masses of Cybers, or destroy infantry. Might be costly, so needs a strong economy to work well. Counter - Kill these fast or you'll be in trouble. Concentrate all fire on them. [ Tempest ] Strategy - Interesting unit. Their attack is weak, but has high ROF, and they run very fast. A good strategy is to weaken everything with a Furies or two, then send in the Tempest army, and watch them kill. They do stable damage against all armor types. The computer did this to me once, sent a few Furies and got all my units to red health, then the Tempests just picked them off. They run so fast that you can't do anything. Counter - Tempests have incredibly high HP, but weak attack. Thor AT Guns do the best, so do Tanks. Other Cybers aren't as effective. Kill everything else first, these hold lower priority. ( *** Artillery *** ) [ Paladin Cannon ] Strategy - They are totally strong, and can raze buildings for you. They outrange many units so good for a first strike for your army, though their accuracy suffers a bit. Good as both a siege and field cannon. Counter - Destroy them first with Cybers or tanks, or bomb them with aircraft. [ Thor AT Gun ] Strategy - Always build these and destroy enemy tanks. Remember to protect them with your own tanks and Cybers, and infantry. They have good armor, but succumb to explosives so always keep a large group of Stinger Soldiers around. Does particulary well against all Cybers, and is my choice for dealing with Cybers. Counter - Best way is to bomb them with artillery or aircraft bombers. [ Colossus Artillery ] Strategy - Can be used for defense or offense since they can fire over walls. Always protect them since they are very fragile. Accuracy is even worse than Paladin Cannons, has a higher splash, but similiar damage. Much lower ROF. Counter - Anything destroys them. Hit and run tactics work best, try choppers since they are fast. They are usually on the rear line and highly protected, so use fast units, such as Ares, which eats them alive. ( *** Aircraft *** ) [ Talon Fighter Bomber ] Strategy - I never use these, they are a hybrid of a fighter and bomber and aren't very good at either. Use them for bombing tank convoys or infantry, general harassment. Counter - Destroy with Stinger Soldiers or Jackals. [ Jackal Fighter Jet ] Strategy - Best used for defense, circle around the sensitive areas of your base. Counter - Very hard to take down using air to air. If they attack your base defense Jackals, let your jets and AA Missile Towers take 'em down. Otherwise Skywatchers work best. [ B-122 Wyvern Bomber ] Strategy - A devestating bomber, best used for destroying unguarded bases and armies. Does extremely well against large masses of Cybers and tanks. Keep well away from Jackals. Counter - Destroy with Jackals or Skywatchers. Don't forget to guard sensitive areas with AA Missile Towers. [ Titan Bomber ] Strategy - These aren't as useful as most think, because of cost. They cost alot, and most of the time they get taken down before they bomb the target, and usually get taken down AFTER bombing the target. You *can* bring Jackals along the way for cover, BUT you will probably lose those Jackals too. BEST used for destroying expansion towns without much defense, AND with proper ground support (Skywatchers to destroy aircraft defense). Counter - Skywatchers work best, 2 AA Missile Towers are needed to defend against them, and Jackals take them down with about 3 shots. Jackals alone probably wont' be enough you NEED the Missile Towers. [ Pegasus Transport ] Strategy - Good for transporting troops but considering the speed gets slowed down greatly when full, it isn't very useful at all. Don't use them for a surprise drop ambush attack because the odds are too great, you lose an entire army AND the transport if it gets taken down. Unless you are sure of what you're doing of course. ;-) Counter - If you see these, point your Jackals over and laugh mercilessly! Skywatchers also work well since they can chase it down or intercept it. [ A-10 Anti Tank ] Strategy - Okay for harassing enemy tanks. Counter - Stinger Soldiers, Skywatchers. [ Reaper Gunship ] Strategy - Good for harassing infantry, and great for keeping around your army for defense against Sentinals. Do not point them at Stinger Soldiers. Counter - Stinger Soldiers, Skywatchers, or Jackal Fighters. [ Spectre AT Helicopter ] Strategy - Nice for harassing enemy tanks, especially when they are trying to siege and are hitting your walls. Counter - Stinger Soldiers, Skywatchers, or Jackal Fighters. [ Sea King ] Strategy - Great for sea defense since they, like all choppers, have no flight time and can just hover around. Great for harassing enemy naval units and taking down Transport ships! Counter - Destroy with Jackals, if you have enough flight time. A Carrier also works well, send your F-14's and destroy it. (Carriers are also great support for them if they get harassed by Jackals, btw I'm not sure if they are called Carriers in this epoch, but you get the idea) ( *** Naval *** ) [ Sub - Nautical ] Strategy - The best sea to sea unit. Great for attacking enemy bases, just bring some Sea Kings for support, and a Carrier for air support. Counter - Sea Kings destroy them easily. Or use your own Nautical subs. [ Transport ] Strategy - Not bad if you want to feel like Navy SEALs. Actually they are good for bringing some Civilians and troops to build expansion towns just outside the enemy base. Sea route are *usually* safer than air, just bring some backup with you. Counter - Sea Kings work BEST, since air support over sea is unlikely. Sub Nauticals also do the trick. [ Carrier Enterprise ] Strategy - These are actually pretty cool to have around. Use for air support over sea, and to defend against Sea Kings. Counter - Tough to counter, since bombers don't work well. Probably better to rush it with Sub Nauticals. ============================================================= ************************ *****The Art of War***** ************************ ============================================================= Welcome to The Art of War. This section is designed to teach you to not only become a better EE player, but a better strategy/war gamer in general, and a better thinker. Most of the strategies are designated for this specific epoch, but with some modifications can be used for other epochs and online against other players as well. ( *** Basic Strategies ***) Civilians are your friends. They build structures for you to make weapons of war, and they gather resources to feed, clothe, arm, and build your army. At the beginning it is crucial to keep pumping out peasants. The more you have, the faster your economy will grow, and eventually, boom. When attacking or being attacked, always try and kill the artillery first. Your Sentinals can pick off the enemy infantry, but the most dangerous are by far the Artillery, and tanks (which cut down your infantry faster than a lawnmower). AT guns work well against them, and Cybers too. When attacking, always advance slowly, in short sections. Advance your Sentinals and Cybers first, followed by AT guns, and finally artillery. Always destroy Towers first. Always make sure you control the entire map before you make your final siege on the enemy stronghold. Invade and destroy, or capture all enemy expansion towns and forts. Try and build Forts and barricade the enemy. The same can be done on the sea. Abbreviations: AP - Armor Piercing. Most effective against armored units, such as tanks and Cybers, and certain types of artillery. Weak against infantry, buildings, and lightly armored units. AA - Anti-Air. Usually only attacks air units, or most effective. AT - Anti-Tank. Most effective against tanks, usually contains AP rounds. EE - Empire Earth! ( *** Advanced Section *** ) [ Dealing with Cybers ] Your best bet are Tanks, since they cost less and pop less. Thor AT Guns also do well in numbers, do not underestimate them. If you see some massing around on the map, send Wyvern Bombers to rip them up. Watch out for Tempests' Anti-Matter Storm though! [ Expansion Towns ] *** THIS IS A MUST READ *** This is a very important strategy. If you've ever played Starcraft or Age of Empires II, you would know that expansion towns are very important in TWO ways. First, and most obvious, is for more resources. Expansion towns are usually built near mines. Second, expansion towns can be expanded to forts by surrounding it with walls and towers. So when choosing an expansion town always look for natural defenses such as trees and water. It is not wise to build an expansion town on bare plains, and then surrounding it with walls on all 4 sides. Supply forts with Barracks, and Siege Factories. The benefit? You've shortened the time it takes for your army to reach the enemy. Reinforcements are crucial during a siege, and can often decide victory and defeat. By building a Fort near or just outside an enemy base, you can bring in fresh troops faster than ever. This is CRUCIAL to success! Airports take advantage of this even more. The distance from your bombers to the enemy base is greatly reduced, and you can keep up the air support while you move your ground forces in. [ Destroying Expansion Towns ] And making sure they are destroyed for good. After you destroy an enemy expansion town they may build one again. The simple solution is by placing about 2 cheap units near that area, preferably beside the mines. Sentinals can be idea for this. [ Control the Map ] Ever played Risk? After you've revealed the map, take note of the best spots for Forts. Attack and defeat enemy Forts, and build your own there. To save population count, build static defenses to protect those Forts. After you've controlled the map and barricaded your enemy, victory is in your grasp. [ Tanks Are Ideal ] My favorite unit, the Thor AT Gun, rips up tanks faster than a stray starving cat. But keep in mind the tanks cost less than Cybers, and have half the pop value. Therefore I advise you to pump your points to upgrading your tanks, since you rely on the Gladiator for combat, and Skywatcher for mobile AA. ============================================================= ***************** *****Endnote***** ***************** ============================================================= The Digital epoch is the not-so-distant future, and is a large step up from the Modern age. Alot of infantries are eliminated, like the pesky Sniper, so no more worrying about that. A large line of Cybers are introduced, and all tanks have been reduced to provide an all-in-one package, the Gladiator Tank, which is surprisingly quite versatile and ideal for combat. This epoch is fun to explore around in, even though most of the Cybers are useless, and can be a pain than fun. My next project will focus on the Middle Ages. I checked out the Nano age for 10 minutes, and found it to be a slight step from Digital. Most Cybers are just updated versions (added "II" to the end, like "Hyperion II") and probably perform a bit better. There are two new Cybers, and tanks are slightly updated. I hope you enjoyed reading this FAQ! Please feel free to send your comments, suggestions, and requests to my e-mail at "ekinlegend@yahoo.com". Hosting Sites ============== Action Trip (http://www.actiontrip.com) NeoSeeker (http://www.neoseeker.com) A special thanks to these sites for hosting my FAQs! Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved