C&C Generals: Zero Hour: Generals Challenge Walkthrough: GLA Toxin General

GLA Toxin General Challenge
Difficulty: Hard
Guide Written By: ZergSwarms

Note: The strategies present in this guide are strategies that I have for the most part tested. I may have made some slight changes to what I had actually done, but do not stray too far from the general idea. Please keep in mind that in no way is this the only way to complete the challenge.

Overview:
Dr. Thrax’s scenario will probably challenge you both in fair and in unfair ways. He has a decent amount of defenses in and around his base, so it will likely take you awhile to complete this challenge. Dr. Thrax’s defenses include Stinger Sites, Toxin Networks, and buildings garrisoned with RPG Troopers. While usually manageable, some of Dr. Thrax’s units are rigged. His rocket weaponry is already aided in power due to the fact that they have a stream of Toxin, but they also have power upgraded even beyond that. To put it into perspective, one Stinger Site can almost fry a basic Overlord, which should never happen. His basic rocket infantry also boast this kind of power as well. Additionally, Thrax’s Quad Cannons also have a beefed up attack and rate of fire that is comparable to a fully upgraded, fully promoted Quad Cannon.
Lastly, Dr. Thrax’s Demo Toxin Traps are especially dangerous. When the ringer goes off, massive damage is done to your units, and once the Demo Trap disappears, damage is again done to your units. The two explosions are (once again) able to take out an Overlord tank. I suggest taking the above into considering when orchestrating your attack and defense. Dr. Thrax also employs several chemical bunkers, which can be destroyed to temporarily eliminate his Stinger Sites. Also worthy of note is that Thrax’s units are scripted to mainly stop and attack your main buildings, meaning that if you place your defenses a good distance above your base, you will never have to worry about SCUD Launchers attacking you outside of your defensive range.

Enemy Arsenal:

• Northern Brdige
  
  • Quad Cannons, Toxin Tractors
  • SCUD Launchers
  • Rocket Buggies
  • Toxin Rebels
  • RPG Troopers
  • Toxin Terrorists
• Southest Corner
  
  • Bomb Trucks with Bio Bomb upgrade
• Anthrax Bomb
• Rebel Ambush
• SCUD Storm
• Jarmen Kell
• Demo Toxin Traps
• several Artillery Platforms

• GLA Generals
• USA Generals
• China Generals

GLA Generals Vs. GLA Toxin General

Prince Kassad or General Juhziz should begin the game in a very basic fashion. It is imperative that you build your Barracks quickly and capture your two Oil Derricks very early in the game in order to reap the benefits. Taking into consideration what is said above, it is advisable that you build your Stinger Sites and Tunnel Networks North of your starting location. You will notice a Toxin Network on the left side of the bridge and a Stinger Site on the right side. Build your defenses on or near the large mound of dirt, just out of range of the Toxin Network. GLA is slightly disadvantaged here due to their Stinger Sites being manned and not automated - enemy toxins will make short work of the operators. Due to this, you should consider building many Stinger Sites at this location to offset this shortcoming. Interestingly enough, it is unlikely that you will actually ever lose any of these defenses. Dr. Thrax’s forces are dead set on getting to your core base. They will bypass your defenses on most occasions, though they will still take damage from the turreted units such as Quad Cannons and Toxin Tractors.

It is now important that you turn your attention to the Southeast entrance to your base near the Oil Derrick. I suggest building three Stinger Sites in a vertical line here, as Dr. Thrax continually sends Bomb Trucks through this area, and also the occasional set of SCUD Launchers. Do not venture too far beyond the Oil Derrick without detector units, as there are a few Toxin Demo Traps concealed here. (Recall that they deal double the damage, so they are more dangerous than usual.) Players that will be employing a significant amount of vehicles should consider capturing the Oil Refinery, just next to the Stinger Site. It is not necessary that you defend the upper-left entrance to your base. Thrax will only send groups of Toxin Rebels here from time to time. However, if you build your main structures too far up here, you may entice him to attack from that direction.

By the time you have your defenses under control, you should be building your Arms Dealer. If you are the Demolition General, it may be wise to invest in some Scorpions due to their ability to resist the Toxins from many of Thrax’s units. If you are playing as Kassad, it would be wise to immediately build your Palace. Be warned, however. Though the Palace is an effective bunker, I do not advise that you place in by your line of defense, as it may encourage the SCUD Launchers to open fire, considering the fact that it is a main building.

Whichever general you are, it is recommended that you immediately save for a SCUD Storm after the Palace is done building. It is imperative that you do not allow Thrax to unleash his SCUD Storm because he has the Anthrax Gamma upgrade and as such it will do massive damage to your base. You have several options to prevent the launch. Prince Kassad will need to construct two SCUD Storms to eliminate Thrax’s. There is really no getting around this for the Stealth General, because nothing you have can get to the SCUD Storm in time to prevent its launch except for two of your own. Rebel Ambush can be used to damage the SCUD Storm, but remember that his base is extremely well defended. However, if there is a Bomb Truck waiting by the SCUD Storm (quite often there is), you may be able to entice it to come to your Rebels and moderately damage the SCUD Storm. Such a tactic is very characteristic of the Stealth General, and can be very rewarding. General Juhziz has an easier time here, given the fact that his SCUD Storm can destroy Thrax’s with one launch. However, keep in mind that it will leave the GLA hole, so I suggest you use it in conjunction with Demolition Rebel Ambush. That way you only need one SCUD Storm to get the job done.

Some time before your SCUD Storm can be launched, you will likely be hit by an Anthrax Bomb. You may have destroyed the plane that carried it, but it is unlikely. If you see it coming, have your Workers run for their lives, and remove anything that can move away from the vicinity of the Command Center, because the attack is usually around that area. Be aware that the Anthrax Gamma can destroy a Scorpion Tank in about five seconds. It is that deadly. Though Structures will only be scratched, scaffolding will still be swiftly destroyed.

Dr. Thrax will rebuild his SCUD Storm several times until you run his funds dry, so always be prepared to remove it from existence once it is built again. The only other power that Dr. Thrax employs is his Toxin Rebel Ambush, which will be dropped near your important structures. It’s hardly a threat unless you have units nearby. Quite often you will find that his Rebels soak each other in toxins by accident, and can be humorous to watch. It should be noted that Dr. Thrax may not even use this ability at all. It depends on how many units he has killed.

Be sure to build an adequate amount of Black markets to fund your war effort. If you decide to wage a conventional attack, a high casualty count is very likely. You could also pummel Thrax with SCUD Storms. Both tactics are equally time consuming.

If you choose the conventional attack, do not use the Northwest road unless you bring a Radar Van along. It is infested with Toxin Demo Traps. A better route is the route that Thrax sends his main attack force on. Be sure to utilize artillery to destroy the garrisons. Trying to clear them with your own Toxin Tractors will likely end up being a waste of resources due to the rigged power of his RPG Troopers. Unless you take your own Infantry and run them around the garrison, and bring up your Toxin Tractors while they are preoccupied. The advantage of taking the far North route is that you don’t have to deal with garrisons, but tight quarters will still be a problem. Whichever way you choose to handle it, it’s likely that you will have to sit back and listen to Dr. Thrax explain how he needs a moment to fix a Toxin nozzle or that he can’t bring you your medicine because you keep destroying his units.
Targets for SCUD Storm: (Assuming you already have one (two in Stealth’s case) delegated to keeping Thrax’s at bay.)

• Target 1: Thrax’s Supply Center, Toxin Network, and Arms Dealer. They are all situated very close to each other, and will all be destroyed.
• Target 2: If those garrisons are still giving you trouble, you know what to do.
• Target 3: It may be possible to remove Dr. Thrax’s Palace and Barracks near his Command Center, crippling his infantry producing capability as well as temporarily denying him his high-tech units and ability to rebuild his SCUD Storm.

It is hard to get a lot of stuff with a SCUD Storm because Thrax has his base adequately spread out. Judge for yourself what is worth it and what is not.

Generals Point Allocation:

• Technical Promotion: Not necessary. Technicals don’t have much use in this battle, much less the promotion.
• Marauder Tank: Definitely something to consider. Dr. Thrax sends a lot of soon-to-be salvageable material your base, and salvaged marauders can be a great addition to your force.
• SCUD Launcher: Reduce those garrisons to rubble with these. Keep in mind though, Thrax’s powerful Stinger Sites will tear these missiles down.
• Cash Bounty: Consider it, but not necessary. It is unlikely that you will suffer from a lack of funds in this game, provided you plan ahead and build your Black Markets.
• Rebel Ambush: Absolutely useful for the Demolition General, but its usefulness is debatable for Prince Kassad.
• GPS Scrambler: Universally useful. Hardly a reason not to get it.
• Repair: Depends on your play style. Generally, for this mission, anything in the scope of Thrax’s rocket soldiers is probably toast anyways.
• Anthrax Bomb: Definitely get it. Will tear apart any unit he can throw at you, except for his specialized Toxin Rebels and Tractors.
• Sneak Attack: Perfect way to infiltrate the base after a SCUD Storm. If you got the Marauders and have been salvaging parts, this would be a good time to use them.

USA Generals Vs. GLA Toxin General

Thankfully, Alexander, Townes, and Granger can work around Thrax’s array of defenses with more precision than can the GLA Generals. Begin the challenge as you would any game. Get the bare essentially running and your Chinooks in the air. Capture your two Oil Derricks in a timely manner, and construct a couple Patriot Missile Systems near the dirt mound North of your base, just outside the range of the Toxin Network. Do not worry about defending the small path opposite of the one you are defending. Thrax usually sends his troops on a collision course to your base, seldom stopping to handle your defenses. Due to this, you will likely not have to worry about his SCUD Launchers shooting at your Patriots. This also means that you should not build your base too far to the North. You do not want to encourage him to start attacking your defenses.

Once you have a couple Patriots in this area (which are hopefully working to destroy the Toxin Network), move a Dozer to the Southeast where your Oil Derrick is. Build two to three Patriots in a vertical line here, as Dr. Thrax will send Bomb Trucks and SCUD Launchers this way. Do not move too far into the small hut village though, those nasty Toxin Demo Traps await you. The upper-left entrance to your base can be neglected unless you start building important structures up there. It is unlikely that Dr. Thrax will attack from this opening unless you give him a reason.

Now that you have your base secure, you should start to climb your tech tree. Build your Warfactory(Airfield if Granger), followed by your Strategy Center. It is not necessary that you build a huge army at this point. Dr. Thrax’s units pose little threat to you, and it would be unwise for you to venture too far out of your base this early in the game, considering the lack of technology. It is safe to refrain from building combat units, though the Airforce General might consider some King Raptors to destroy some Stinger Sites. Once your Strategy Center is completed, save your funds for a Particle Uplink Cannon. Thrax’s SCUD Storm will unveil soon, and with the Anthrax Gamma upgrade, you do not want that weapon fired on you under any circumstance. Unlike the GLA, the USA has many offensive General Powers that can be used to wear down his SCUD Storm. It doesn’t matter what combination of attacks you decide to utilize to keep his SCUD Storm down. Just be sure that it will work and have a backup plan if you’re not certain. He will rebuild it several times, so it is advisable that you delegate that Particle Uplink Cannon to neutralizing this threat.

By this time, your supplies are likely running low. The USA has an option here that is generally unavailable to the GLA and China. East of your base, there is a Toxin Network and a Stinger Site. Remove the Stinger Site, and you can safely fly Chinooks across the river to the other Supply Dock. It may be a slow method of collection, but it is nonetheless available to you. Either way, it is time to start building your late game economy up. I suggest building six to eight Supply Drop Zones, and do not forget the income upgrade from the Strategy Center.

Beware of the Anthrax Bomb that will be dropped periodically on your base. If you build just one Ambulance, you can neutralize this threat as soon as it arises. Since your collectors are airborne, you don’t have the weaknesses to this kind of attack that they other factions have. I’d say the biggest problem here is your docked aircraft and your Dozers. If you have that Ambulance around though, the Anthrax Drop will do little damage to you. Another periodic power that Thrax utilizes against you is the Toxin Rebel Ambush. Which is probably completely uneffective on you. I’d say the worst thing that can happen is if the Rebels are spawned right by your Airfield with your attention elsewhere, and your planes end up blowing up their own Airfield.

Now it’s time to truly go on the offensive now that you have your defenses, economy, and tech tree established. As I said before, the USA has a lot of options for dealing with Thrax. Massing Particle Uplink Cannons is always an option, but the USA will fare better than the GLA would at a ground assault. Though it’s important to note that the Air Force General should stick to the air and rely on the ground forces as support, whereas the opposite should be considered for Laser and the Superweapon General.

Laser has arguably the best ground force. Some Pathfinders, Laser Tanks, and Avengers will make short work of Thrax’s forces. Slowly move your way forward. If you are having problems with the garrisons,(which are even more deadly due to the rigged damage of RPG Troopers) consider upgrading to Flash Bang Grenades for your Rangers. It’s a quick and easy fix, and the Ranger will likely survive, unlike the other methods. You could also utilize the easily-forgotten garrison clearing device - the Stealth Fighter. Given as default to the Airforce General, though it can help all of them. Just be sure to research Bunker Busters to attain the garrison clearing abilities.
The Auroras will also be your friends here. Especially the Alpha. If you’ve made it this far, you’re in a good position to win. Remember to select an ability at your Strategy Center that will best compliment your tactics. It will probably take awhile to wear down Dr. Thrax’s defenses, but they will fall in due time. Enjoy his Toxin ramblings, if you can.

Targets for Particle Uplink Cannon: (Have one on standby for the SCUD Storm, always. Consider these targets as extras.)

• Target 1: Given the precision of the Particle Uplink Cannon, you have more options here than with the SCUD Storm or Nuclear Missile. You can destroy Dr. Thrax’s Supply Center, Palace, and possibly his Barracks. If you’re getting tired of him rebuilding his SCUD Storm, this would be a good move.
• Target 2: The USA can clear garrisons relatively easily, but if you want an effortless method, release your laser on them.
• Target 3: The group of buildings near Thrax’s Supply Stash.

Generals Point Allocation:
Spy Drone: The “Why not?” ability. Excellent early warning system, and good for spotting the Toxin Demo Traps.
Carpet Bomber: An excellent weapon. Very helpful for destroying the SCUD Storm and any other structures, including garrisons.
Stealth Fighter: If you want a faster and easier way to clear garrisons, look no further. Just remember the Bunker Busters, and make sure you know what you’re doing. Two rockets is more than enough to take this thing down, and Thrax has full garrisons. So it’s safe to say that your Stealth Fighter probably won’t be coming back, so make good use of it.
A10-Thunderbolts: I recommend all three levels. Universally useful weapon of destruction.
Ranger Drop: Absolutely low on the list. Even with Chemical Suits, infantry do not fare well against toxins.
Pathfinders: Laser should definitely get this if they utilize a large ground force. The lack of anti-infantry weaponry in the Laser Tank/Avenger combo is more than made up for by this unit. For the other generals, it is just as useful.
Repair: The USA has too many other useful options for this to be of any comparable helpfulness, so I’d suggest skipping it. The RPG Troopers are too powerful anyways, and the tank that they are shooting at will probably be destroyed anyway.
Spectre Gunship: A great power, but do not purchase any level above one. Considering the rocket power of Thrax’s units, it’s unlikely that the ship will even last the duration of level one.
Leaflet Drop: In my opinion, it’s usefulness is in its ability to distract fire from another plane carrying more destruction. If you have some points left over, it can’t hurt.
Fuel Air Bomb: I don’t think there is ever a scenario in which this wouldn’t be worth getting. Take heed though, the plane will likely get shot down, so invest in the MOAB upgrade as soon as you can feasibly afford it.

China Generals Vs. GLA Toxin General

Dr. Thrax’s forces may be cheaply overpowered in this challenge, but they are still poorly matched against the Chinese ground superiority and the bonuses that come from it. General Kwai fares extremely well in this match, and you have the option of seizing a lot of territory very early on thanks to his Emperor. General Tao and General Fai will have to work a little harder. It is important to note that the Infantry General is going to be severely disadvantaged in this match for obvious reasons. Ensure that your infantry are in their Attack Outposts and Assault Troop Crawlers when attacking. Regardless, all three of them should start out with a basic build. It is essential that you capture the two Oil Derricks in your base as soon as possible, to maximize the amount of profit you get from them. You should build one to two Gattling Cannons near the North bridge, but just outside the range of the Toxin network. Your Gattling Cannons are the ultimate weapon against Thrax’s forces. He doesn’t employ tanks for whatever reason, and Gattling Cannons can shred Toxin Tractors and SCUD Launchers easily. You will never have to worry about an inadequate defense when playing as the Chinese as long as you have at least two Gattling Cannons defending the Northern bridge.

Once those defenses are up and running, you should turn your attention to the Southeast entrance, right by the Oil Derrick that you captured. Build two or three Gattling Cannons here to keep the waves and waves of Bomb Trucks at bay. Do not move your Dozer too far away from the Oil Derrick though, as a few Toxin Demo Traps are hidden around the village. A Dozer lost this early is not easily replaced. You may leave the upper entrance to your base relatively unguarded, unless you begin to build into this area. Having important buildings may encourage Thrax to attack you from this angle, so be prepared. Otherwise, he only sends the odd group of Toxin Rebels to try to destroy your Oil Derrick. It is important to keep in mind that Thrax’s forces usually do not attempt to destroy your defenses, they are mainly concerned with your main buildings. Therefore, it is very common to see a SCUD Launcher rolling on by your defenses without paying any attention to it. However, Quad Cannons can shoot on the move, and they are rigged as well. Thus, they do a considerable amount of damage. Keep an eye on the health of your Gattling Cannons and repair them as necessary.

With your defenses now in place, it is time for you to build a Warfactory and Airfield if you plan on utilizing MiGs. I do not recommend that you build a significant military force just yet. It is more important that you climb your tech tree to deal with a more imminent threat. It is imperative that you build a Propaganda Center as soon as possible, followed by a Nuclear Missile Silo. Dr. Thrax will eventually unveil his SCUD Storm, and you want to be in a position to destroy it before it ever has a chance to launch. Your Nuclear Missile itself is not enough to deter this threat, but don’t fret. You should be on your way to General Level 3, which will allow you access to the Artillery Barrage. A Nuclear Missile and Artillery Barrage Level 2 will destroy the SCUD Storm and its GLA Hole, so you should save both of these powers for it.

Once you have that threat addressed, I suggest preparing for the late game by establishing a secondary economy. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Supply Dock that’s especially easy to get to in this challenge, so your best bet is to rely on Hackers. I usually use around 24 Hackers total, 8 in the Internet Center, and the other 16 spread around the base.

Be careful about where you put your Hackers in this scenario, however. As you will be facing a periodic Anthrax Bomb. If you are going to keep Hackers in the open, ensure that they are well away from the Command Center, as the Anthrax Bomb generally hits around this area. Your investment can be destroyed in less than a second if you are not careful.

You much also be wary of the Toxin Rebel Ambush. The Chinese Generals are especially vulnerable to this power because of their Hackers, so prepare ahead of time. Perhaps put your hackers by buildings and Mine them up, and they will be a little safer. There are no guarantees though. Just be certain that you have the highest amount of Hackers in your Internet Center. They, at least, cannot be touched.

Now that you’ve established a defense matrix and a thriving economy, it’s time to focus on destroying Dr. Thrax. There are several way that you can go about this. The Nuclear Missile is not as effective against the GLA as the other two Superweapons are, so if you plan to win by that method, you will need a lot of Nuclear Missiles to clear the GLA Holes. A faster alternative is the method that the Chinese are tailored to, which is ground domination. I suggest that Nuke and Tank Generals should mass Overlords/Emperors, and purchase their respective upgrades. You should consider throwing in some ECM tanks as well to negate the effect of the RPG Troopers and Stinger Sites. The Infantry General should utilize their Attack Outposts and Attack Troop Crawlers especially carefully, so their occupants are not exposed to deadly toxins. The Nuke and Infantry Generals should utilize Inferno Cannons with Black Napalm to clear garrisons. Though very expensive, the Nuke Cannon can be used to clear garrisons as well, provided it has the Neutron Shells upgrade. The Tank General may need MiG support more than any other General due to his lack of artillery units. The likelihood of a Dragon Tank being able to clear a garrison is low, considering the power of the rockets. If you must use this method, consider having infantry distract the rockets, since rockets do limited damage to infantry. It can buy your Dragon Tanks the time they need to clear the building.

Targets for the Nuclear Missile: (Be sure you keep one Nuclear Missile and Artillery Barrage on standby to deal the SCUD Storm. Thrax rebuilds it constantly.)

• Target 1: Thrax’s Supply Center, as well as the Arms Dealer and the Toxin Network. Try to follow up with something else, or wait for another Nuclear Missile to be ready so you can clear the holes.
• Target 2: Perhaps the most useful way to use a Nuclear Missile in this match is to clear garrisoned buildings, since they don’t leave holes.
• Target 3: Considering the fact that your enemy is GLA, the GLA Holes will render your Nuclear Missile’s usefulness very low. Consider using it on mass troop concentrations instead. Thrax tends to mass troops inside his base before he sends them to yours.

Generals Point Allocation:

• Red Guard Training: I highly suggest you skip this. You will likely be making minimal use of infantry, and the Infantry General’s Minigunner is effective enough for the mission.
• Artillery Promotion: Definitely something to consider if you have a point remaining. There is a possibility that you will be relying on artillery to remove garrisons.
• Nuke Cannon: Infantry General only, available by default to the Nuke General and unavailable to the Tank General. If the Inferno Cannons are having trouble staying outside the range of enemy garrisons, the Nuke Cannon will remedy that problem.
• Cluster Mines: Dr. Thrax’s forces generally approach your base in a line, so this ability is amusing if anything. Can be helpful for temporarily deterring an attack while you rebuild a lost Gattling Cannon.
• Carpet Bomber/Nuke Bomber: Both are excellent weapons to have, and can be very helpful for clearing garrisons. The Nuke Bomber more-so.
• Artillery Barrage: This ability is almost required for this scenario. It is instrumental in ensuring that Dr. Thrax’s SCUD Storm never fires.
• Cash Hack: Whatever points you have left over, it can’t hurt to invest in this. In my opinion, it is more helpful than Repair.
• Repair: Considering your other options, you should skip this. Note that in several instances, when I used the Repair ability on Overlords, it did not work.
• Frenzy: Chances are your force is already powerful enough. If you have leftover points, I suppose it’s a better investment than Repair is.
• EMP Pulse(Bomb): One of those get-it-anyway abilities. It can sometimes be useful, so it’s good to have. If you need to get past a bridge without being pummeled by Stinger Sites, and don’t want to use a more powerful ability, this is a good thing to use.

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