Look to the Stars

Description[]

Look to the Stars is the third scenario of the Asian Campaign in Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest.

Briefing[]

UFAR Webcast -- March 2055

Having secured financial and economic stability on the UFAR mainland, the Kwan Do dynasty now turns its attention to the newly revived Space Race, and makes a bid to be the first nation in history to establish a colony on another world. It will not be easy however, as pockets of rebel and fanatical troops have destroyed the two UFAR space centers that had been conducting research and development on the UFAR Space Program.

Turning to its neighbor, Japan, for help, the UFAR government has agreed to help with that countries own Space Exploration program in a joint effort to reach Mars before the Western nations can. Unfortunately, the radical groups that are opposed to the Kwan Do dynasty have now turned against the Japanese and are attacking them as well, straining the relationship between these two powerhouse nations of the East.

If the situation cannot be corrected soon, then the UFAR government could find itself involved in a war on three fronts and the hope of establishing a Martian colony will be nothing more than a dream.

Objectives[]

Establish a military outpost and defend it against terrorist attacks.
Aid the Japanese by rebuilding the Tangeshima Space Complex.
Launch a manned Colony Ship.
Hu Kwan Do must survive.
Build a Military Complex to deal with the Terrorists. The Complex should consist of at least two of each of the following: Barracks, Siege Factory, Tank Factory and Airport
Collect 3000 Iron, 3000 Gold, 3000 Food and 3000 Wood in order to build a University.
Collect 20000 Iron, 20000 Gold and 20000 Wood to aid in the construction of a new Space Center.
With the base complete, this should cut down on the amount of harassment we have been receiving. Train a Combined Force to seek out and deal with the U-K and Eye of God Fanatic forces.
Train a mixed force of troops to accompany Khara Bator on a sweep to clear Japan of any and all enemy troops.
Aid our allies by reclaiming the port town of Sata. Position troops in the city to rescue it.
Clear the island of Tangeshima of enemy forces so that you can construct the new Space Port.
Construct a new Space Center at Tangeshima consisting of two Missile Bases, a Temple, and an FTL Research Center.

History[]

History of the United Federation of Asian Republics -- Chapter 3 March 10 - September 22nd, 2055

The Tangeshima Conflict

After establishing itself as a legitimate government and quelling numerous rebel uprisings, UFAR and its rulers, the Kwan Do Corporation, found itself in a position to join the Space Race.

The International Race to launch colony founding expeditions to Mars were being challenged on several fronts by scientific groups, environmental parties and religious interests, all claiming that the resources needed to fund such expeditions would be better spent on improving the living conditions on Earth, rather than building new colonies on Mars.

Warnings were issued through the press and news media stating that planned space missions could suffer terrorist attacks. Numerous countries and their governments, including Russia, the United States, Great Britain and Japan chose not to be intimidated by these threats and forged ahead with their planned Mars exploration missions.

Despite the repeated warnings that such efforts would become targets of fanatical and terrorist groups, the United States launched its first manned mission to Mars in April of 2049.

Ten minutes after lift off the Shuttle exploded in the atmosphere killing all on board.

Several extremist groups claimed responsibility for the tragedy, but the loudest proclamation came from one Dr. Calvin Jennings Webster, head of the right-wing Eye of God organization, a religious fundamentalist movement which claimed that Earth -- and Earth alone -- was the only true testing ground for God's people. Three more attempted launch missions by other nations, one in Russia and two in the newly establish UFAR territories, all suffered accidents or problems that forced them to abort their countdowns.

Hence the economic riches that might be gained on Mars have yet to be claimed.

The original Chinese Space Complex -- the Juiquan Launch Center, located near the end of the Great Wall in China's Gansu province, was seriously damaged in several rebel and terrorist attacks. Because of these increased attacks, the UFAR government turned to its neighbors for aid in order to advance their plans to be the first human nation to establish an off-world colony.

In a joint secret operation the UFAR and Japanese governments have come together to build and launch an attempt of their own.

Hints[]

Quickly establish a military presence in the area that has been given to you by the Japanese.
Be wary of ambush air raid and sneak attacks.
The Eye of God is not the only enemy you have to face. The Ukrainian-Kazakhstan Union has joined forces with Dr. Webster's Army and they have hired two other Mercenary Groups to aid them as well.
When instructed to rebuild the Space Port, you must build it in the area that was previously occupied by the Tangeshima Space Center.

Storyline[]

The Tangeshima Space Center, 115 km south of Kyushu -- March 10th, 2055 -- 2100hrs

From the personal journal of Hu Kwan Do --

It is said, that each family has it's own difficult saga to tell . . . And that each man in his life, has many dragons to face . . .

My family, the Kwan Do Dynasty -- ruling House of the United Federation of Asian Republics . . . has certainly had many difficulties to contend with, . . . And many dragons to battle these last twenty years . . .

For two decades we have fought and struggled, and just when we thought the dragon facing us would be slain, a dozen more arise to challenge and threaten us . . .

But just as the swords of my ancestors were able to lay low the dragons of the past -- I two must face and destroy the beast to restore peace and order to our people and our nation . . .

Once more we find ourselves set upon by dragons . . . in this foreign land, beneath this ebony sky . . . we are once more beset by noisome and foul tempered beasts . . . winged dragons in the air and steel beasts upon the ground . . .

This is the final time . . . this do I swear . . . this dragon will be the last . . .

A Japanese Space Center is destroyed.

Hu Kwan Do: Though the Japanese have granted us a parcel of land for a temporary base, they are quite upset that our enemies have attacked their cities and destroyed their Space Center.

Hu Kwan Do and his troops press on with their journey.

Hu Kwan Do: We must establish our presence here quickly. Though angry with us, the Japanese require our military support to help beat back the U-K and Eye of God forces and have therefore granted us this small area for the construction of our base. Construct two of each of our military producing buildings so that we may defend ourselves and lend aid to our Japanese ally.

Communications: Warning! Radar Indicates Incoming Enemy Forces -- expect a combined assault from land and air units.

The enemy forces are hastily fought against.

PM Hikaido: You must hurry, Hu Kwan Do! Every moment that Sata lies in enemy hands is a moment we lose precious time! If you do not rescue Sata soon, there will be no chance to rebuild the Space Center in time to beat the Americans or Europeans into space!

PM Hikaido: Hu Kwan Do! Why do you not aid our lost city? You are cruel and heartless! Help me to regain my lost city or there will be dire consequences to face! I swear it!

Hu Kwan Do: We need to improve our economy, or these damn rebels will overwhelm us. Gather at least 3000 units of Iron, Gold, Wood and Food. With this we will be able to construct a University. Once the University is built, we can then research our new Cybernetic Citizen upgrade, which will increase our resource production!

Hu Kwan Do: Excellent! We have completed the construction of our Military Complex, and are now ready to confront this Dr. Webster and his fanatical troops.

A fight is made against the rebel forces.

PM Hikaido: Hu Kwan Do! You must send us aid! The rebel forces under the command of Dr. Webster have seized the port town of Sata. It is imperative that we regain control of this vital sea port. It is the only one available to create the supply ships needed to ferry new units and supplies to the island of Tangeshima so that we may begin reconstructing our valuable Space Center.

A Scientific University is constructed.

Sata is reclaimed from the rebel forces.

Hu Kwan Do: Excellent. We have helped our Japanese neighbors reclaim their port city of Sata. Now let us proceed with the next phase of our glorious mission: the reconstruction of the Space Port at Tangeshima. Construction of the new Space Port should consist of a Temple, a University, two Missile Bases and a FTL Research Center. We must hurry, as the U-K and Eye of God forces will no doubt try to prevent this from happening. We must expect heavy resistance.

The troops land on the island.

Hu Kwan Do: Well done! We have managed to land troops on the island. We must proceed quickly with our plans: the reconstruction of the Space Port at Tangeshima. As a result we are now able to build the necessary buildings to aid in this task: the Missile Base, and an FTL Research Center. Remember, in addition to the 2 missile bases and the FTL Research Center, the new Space Port should also consist of a Temple and a University. Secure the area by destroying any enemy forces on the island. We must be ready for anything; Dr. Webster and his army are not above using unconventional weapons.

The enemy forces at Tangeshima are defeated.

The Space Port at Tangeshima is reconstructed.

And with a magnificent roar of fuel and flame, the Huge Colony Ship lifts off from the newly constructed Space Port -- and streaks through the atmosphere on its way to Mars. What destiny awaits the new colonists and what challenges will they face ... ? Only time will tell ...

Walkthrough[]

Briefing[]

Objectives: You have to reconquer the island of Tangeshima and rebuild a Space Center there. An intermediate objective is to reconquer the Japanese port city Sata. Despite the urgent Japanese requests, you have no time pressure.
Difficulty: Despite first appearances suggesting a medium to high difficulty, this scenario is easy to medium and can be won without any casualties, if you understand the mechanics of the game and the scenario. You start in the Digital Age and can advance to the Nano Age, and you have some triggers you can use to your advantage. The zero-casualty strategy is the purpose of this walkthrough.
Important Triggers:
- you will be prompted early to build a second Barracks, Tank Factory, Siege Factory and Airport in your primary base; doing so will significantly reduce the number of units in each attack wave
- building the "Scientific University" unlocks the option to advance to the Nano Age
- advancing to the Nano Age will stop all enemy attacks at your primary base
- taking over the port city Sata gives you the ability to build Docks (and ships) and Cybers (if you manage to keep the Cyber Factory alive), and unlocks the next trigger
- bringing a unit (even a Spy Satellite or a Fishing Boat) to Tangeshima unlocks the ability to build the powerful Missile Bases

Enemies: you have four enemies this time – the Ukrainian-Kazachian Union (called "Novaya Russia"), the sect "Eye of God" under "Dr. Webster" and two "mercenary groups" ("Rebel Forces"). At the start, they are partially technological inferior (Russia is at WW II), partially more advanced (Eye of God is in the Nano Age), but that will change in the course of the scenario.
Enemy bases: at the start, there are three bases on the mainland and five on the southern islands
Enemy units: they have massive amounts of ground units, cybers, air force and naval force, most notably nuclear bombers, nuclear subs and Zeus II.
Ally: storywise, the Japanese are your ally, and that is confirmed in the diplomacy menu, but there are heavy restrictions: we do not share their field of vision and at the start they are "friendly" to our enemies. Later, when the enemies conquer the port city of Sata, the Japanese will finally take up the fight. They will have their hands full with attacks by all enemy factions, which is a valuable distraction for you, but that means that the main work is yours to do. You can use their Hospitals, which is somewhat useful.
Your main base: the Japanese provided you with a base in the northeast with all necessary resources
Your buildings: you can build more than in previous scenarios, but still not all buildings of this age – no Walls, no Towers, no Cyber buildings, no naval buildings
Your units: At the start they are all from the Digital Age: Sentinels, Riot Police, Tanks, AT Guns, Skywatchers, Paladin Cannons, Artillery, Jackal Fighters, AT Planes, Spectre AT Helicopters, Hyperions, Furies. Later, you will be able to upgrade the most important ones to their Nano Age counterparts.
Upgrades: are not possible
Civ points: they are back again, automatically distributed

Phase 1: Building up the main base[]

Pause the game with F3 to orient yourself and give the first orders. You start at the center of the northern edge of the map.

Start units:

Hero Hu Kwan Do, now at his full power as a Warrior Hero with the highest hero stats shown in the game until now
11 Sentinels
6 Riot Police
2 Missile Troopers
2 Gladiator Tanks
2 Skywatcher AAs
2 Thor AT Guns
2 Paladin Cannons
2 Artillery
2 Hyperions
4 Furies
3 Cargo Trucks with 12 Citizens

The first attacks on your base will be partially triggered by time, partially by your arrival there, so send your troops with all haste to the east. Group the military units as a whole. Group the Trucks in a separate group.

When the base turns visible, pause again with F3 and

Queue up 5 Jackal Fighters at your Airport. You will badly need them soon to counter the nuclear bombers. Set the rally point to a point southwest of your base.
Send your military units to the southern base entrance where the first attack will take place. Your fastest units will arrive in time; they can kill all enemies without a problem because they are WWII and are scripted to "move" to the north of your base
Send the Trucks to the northwest of your base near the gold and iron patches

You have around 10 minutes (there may be a random factor) to build up and prepare for the real attacks. You can do this efficiently with a lot of F3, save and reload. You will have to do a lot of things at the same time and balance out resource investment in economy and defense.

Economy[]

Resource potential: You have 2x gold, 2x iron, 1x stone, 1x food and a lot of forests in your base. Do not touch the third iron patch south of your base, as it is at the spawning area of the attacks on your southern entrance and it is unnecessary anyway.
The first Capitol: Build your first Capitol in the northwest right between the gold, iron and woods, as near as possible to minimize drop-off time and secure the gathering bonus. This spot is by far the most efficient in your base. Assign all your first 12 Citizens here: 4 to iron, gold and wood each, later 6 each.
Food: Invest all your stock of food in new Citizens. The first one builds a Granary adjacent to the food patch. Assign 6 Citizens to forage food there and 2 to the Farms. Assign 2 more Citizens to the first iron and gold patches and wood each. Populate your Granary as fast as possible. Food is your top priority, as you will need large amounts of it for important investments, and it gives you the ability to speed up the gathering of the other resources via populating your drop-off points. When the food patch is harvested, assign its Citizens to the Farms and build a second Granary at a location where it can have all 8 Farms (southwest of the first Granary), also fully populated.
More iron and wood: Build a Settlement east of the easternmost Farm, between the second iron patch and the little forest. Assign 6 or more Citizens to chop wood (until you have built the required buildings), then some of them to iron. Populate it to a Town Center and then Capitol
More gold: Assign 6 more Citizens to the second gold patch southeast of your Capitol
Stone: build a Settlement adjacent to the stone patch. Populate it immediately to a Town Center and mine some stone
Populate your first Capitol until you balance out gathering speed of food and iron/gold

Later, when you have enough resources and more units, you will as usual need to free some population space for your army and reassign some Citizens to different resources (see below).

Defense[]

Buildings: At the start, you have a Barracks, Tank Factory, Siege Factory and Airport. You can use the Japanese Hospital nearby.

Attacks: You will face attacks at three points:

West: Guardians, Nuclear Bombers, Tanks, Black Robes. The tanks will come from a spawn point west of your entrance
South: WWII-Infantry, Guardians, Zeus II, Pandora, Furies. The Cybers will come from a spawn point south of your entrance, directly adjacent to the southern iron patch. It is possible that the enemy helicopter transports unload one or two tanks here, if you did not intercept them with your Fighters
East (from the sea): Phoenix Fighter/Bomber, Wyvern Bomber, Sub Trident. They come probably from a spawn point too

Counters: they are more important than ever, because you have inferior technology at the start:

Airforce: Jackal Fighters, AA Guns, Missile Troopers, Skywatchers. Nuclear bombers: only Jackal Fighters, to intercept them early long before they reach your base
Cybers: Spectre AT Helicopters, Tanks (supported with the morale boost of your hero), Artillery. Pandora and Furies also with AT Guns from the backline
Tanks: AT Guns, Spectres
Guardians: Tanks, Riot Police (stuns for 60 sec)

Defense[]

Airforce: After you have control over your primary base, you should immediately queue 5 Jackal Fighters. Group them (group 1 is best, as you will need it often). Build up your squad fast to 10 to easily counter the nuclear bombers. Scout the plain southwest of your base and readjust the rally point to the narrow passage southwest of the plain. The enemy nuclear bombers and some ground units will take this route.
Ground attacks: Both entrances need the following defense: 4 Spectre Helicopters (in the forefield, in the routes of advance, ideally adjacent to the spawning points), 4 Tanks, 4 AT Guns, 3 Riot Police, 4 Artillery, 1 Hospital (right on the roads). The western entrance gets the Paladin Cannons. The southern entrance, which has heavier attacks to endure, gets the Cybers and Hu Kwan Do, whose morale bonus reduces the incoming damage by -50%, which is crucial for the defense against the Zeus. Position the Sentinels inside the adjacent Japanese city, as blue EOG Citizens may pass searching for your wood. When your Fighters spot Furies attacking through the southwestern passage to the plain, advance with your Tanks and Spectres, build a corridor positioning them at a safe distance from the Furies' advance route so they explode without damaging your units (too much).
Unit buildings: To reduce the attack pressure, build the required second Barracks/ Tank Factory/ Siege Factory/ Airport as fast as your incoming wood allows (and reassign Citizens to chop wood to speed this up). As soon as you have done this, you get an accomplishment dialogue and the attack waves will now have significantly fewer units. Build the Barracks, Tank Factory, or Siege Factory at the northern edge of the map so they are out of your way and near the western entrance to produce easier for it. Build the second Airport east of your first Airport to economize place. You can do this before the first Cyber attacks – having 3 Zeus instead of 5 in a wave really makes a difference; or 2 instead of 3 nuclear bombers. There may be a random factor in this, so as ever save often.
Air attacks: At your coast in the east, initially you will not experience a lot of attacks, but after around 50 minutes there will be a massive wave with a lot of Fighter/Bombers and half a dozen Wyvern Bombers. After arriving at your base, immediately position the Skywatchers and Missile Troopers near the coast. With every defense, keep your distance from the shore to avoid the nuclear missiles from the Trident Sub lurking in the waters. Train 2 Medics and later 2 more Skywatchers. As soon as you finish the required second set of unit buildings, build a strong defense of AA Guns. Around 5 clusters of 6 AA Guns are enough. Begin at the northern edge of your second Airport and secure the coastline until the Japanese city. One cluster can be positioned behind the line. Populate the Settlement at the stone patch to a Town Center and a Capitol to give your AA Guns the useful morale boost that reduces incoming damage. Later you can position 2 Anti-Missile Batteries there to feel sure, but it is an open debate if they work at all.
"Scientific University": when your minimal defenses are set, built as fast as possible this special University that requires 3,000 food, wood, iron and gold each. Immediately afterwards, research the "Cyber Citizen" there. Your Citizens will be transformed into little Cybers that are supposed to gather resources faster. 1-2 minutes later, the ascension into the Nano Age will be unlocked in your Capitol.
Nano Age: advance immediately after you get the required resources of 2,700 food and 1,375 iron and gold each. Immediately thereafter, do the following things:
- In the unit buildings, upgrade units: Tanks, AT Guns, Fighters, Sentinels (→ Guardian)
- In the Hospital, research the Citizen Speed/HP bonus and the +5 to population cap (you now have 167)
- In the Capitol, research the bonuses for gathering iron and gold
- In the Granary, research the bonus on food gathering

As soon as you advance to the Nano Age, the attacks at your base stop. Later, after you enter the sea arena, there may occasionally arrive some enemy helicopters at your southern entrance, so prepare for this building 2-3 AA Guns here.

Phase 2: Attack on the mainland[]

Reconnaissance: Produce 3 Spy Satellites. Send them to the west, the south and the east. Reload if they are shot down and adjust their routes accordingly. You will discover the three bases on the mainland, but do not fly over the port city Sata now. Wait until later to control this trigger to your advantage.

In the west (at the northern edge of the map) is a little Russian base (red)
Further west is a little port base of Eye of God (blue). It possibly sends continuously Citizens into the east, probably searching for the forests in your base
In the middle of the mainland is a big base of the (orange) Rebel Force. It is the nearest and more dangerous one. It works as gate keeper. You have to clear it first to get to the other ones and to Sata
South of the orange base lies the port city Sata (blue)

Attack force: prepare an army that consists of the following units:

10 Tanks
5 AT Guns
5 Skywatchers + 2 Medics
6 Artillery
2x5 Spectre Bomber Helicopters (in two groups to better assign them to specific tasks)
5 Citizens as a construction team

The orange base[]

The best attack point is from the southern bay. Move your army there. You will spot Airports
To secure air superiority, build an Airport at the nearest Japanese city, move there with your 15 Fighters, and secure this position with 6 AA Guns (it will be attacked much later)
Move slowly forward or lure the enemy. Reload if you have losses. Do as much of the work as possible with the Artillery from a safe distance, the other units guarding them (in stand ground mode). Set the rally point of the Airport near your artillery. When the enemy comes, use the appropriate counter units (see above) and retreat the others. When Fighter/Bombers advance, kill them with your Fighters or Skywatchers. When Tanks arrive, kill them with AT Guns and Spectres. When you see infantry, go in with your Tanks. Systematically shred the orange base. After the first Airports, aim for the other at the north of the base first to gain complete air superiority.
The Japanese will join the fights with meager forces, but better this than nothing
When you are halfway through, build an Airport and a Hospital at the north of the former orange base and move your Fighters here
Do not overlook the last group of orange buildings in the south after a little cliff. Eliminate them too to finish off this enemy
Do not advance southwards to Sata. You can retreat behind that cliff and secure it with some AA Guns and your Fighters, then build a Town Center there to be able to produce more Citizens and to chop a more wood, you will need i.t Or, and perhaps that it is the better option because you will have a short while without too many attacks, you can additionally expand your new base to the small plain south of the cliffs, building an Airport, a Hospital and heavy AA Gun defenses along the south and southeastern coast to secure this location.

The red and blue bases[]

Both bases are nearly undefended. Send your Artillery (to do most of the work), some Tanks (as spotters and against occasional infantry) and 5 or all 10 Spectres (to help with the buildings) into the north. They will eliminate the bases fast.

Now you are done with the mainland. From the four enemies, you have eliminated only one (the orange). All the others have bases on the islands in the south.

Phase 3: Sata and Tangeshima[]

Spatially, Sata is part of the mainland, but strategically, it is part of the sea arena where you will fight aircraft and naval forces in large numbers. Sata, once taken over, will be attacked often, and if you wait too long, you will be stuck in a costly defense battle that makes losses unavoidable and will drain your wood reserves. That means that if you take over Sata and decide to use it as starting point for your attack on Tangeshima, you have to do this attack fast.

Sata[]

Taking over Sata is simple: bring one of your units (even a spy satellite) into its center. Depending on the course of the battles between Japan and the enemies, there may be standing some buildings or none.

Sata is not defended other than by occasional Fighter/Bombers, but if there is still a Cyber Factory standing, there will come occasionally Hyperions or Pandora attacking you at your secondary base.

Trigger warning: Taking over Sata triggers

The buildings (if there are any left) will convert to your colors: Town Center, Cyber Factory, Barracks and Fortress
You gain the ability do build Docks and Battleships, Frigates, Cruisers, Transports and Fishing Boats
You can build and upgrade Cybers as long as the Cyber Factory stands (Hyperion, Minotaur), but you cannot build a new Cyber Factory
You were previously attacked occasionally, and now with more intensity with Fighter/Bombers (some from Carriers) and Wyvern Bombers, perhaps also with nuclear missiles from the Triton Subs and even nuclear bombers. Without defense, Sata will be destroyed fast
If you defend Sata, the Japanese will build some Docks there, but not contribute to its defense. Its resources will be tied up in defense battles elsewhere
The next trigger will be unlocked: you now can move any of your units into the center of Tangeshima (or even Fishing Boats to its coast) and gain the ability to build the powerful Missile Base.

You now have to decide about your strategic options:

Defend Sata or not? It is possible, but it will cost you a lot of resources, losses and micromanagement focus, and you are forced to attack Tangeshima fast before your wood reserves drain. This walkthrough assumes you decided against it, as there is a better option.
Attack Tangeshima directly or not? It is possible to attack and conquer Tangeshima directly, but at the same above-mentioned price. The other option is to first eliminate the nearer enemy bases and therewith nearly all resistance on your way to Tangeshima. This is easily done, as they will not rebuild destroyed buildings. This will be the strategy described below.

Prepare for the takeover of Sata:

Secondary base: build up the above-described secondary base, as it will be important for the conquest of Tangeshima
AA defense: build heavy AA Gun defenses in the southeast of this base (on top of the cliffs) to secure your southern Airport and free your Fighters for other tasks. There will be attacks from nuclear Subs (range 24), so if you want, you can move your Anti-Missile Batteries here and produce additional ones at your new base, but as mentioned above, it is an open debate if they are worth it. They do not cost too much population space, so go for it.
Road defense: As long as you do not take over Sata, position your tanks with the Skywatchers and your morale-boosting hero on the top of the southern hill leading to Sata, to get the height bonus while there are cybers incoming from Sata
Sata: At some point, take over Sata and make the cyber upgrades, but leave it completely undefended, as you do not need it to win and will use a smarter way to victory. Doing this takeover early may be an option because this will distract the enemies, giving you time to build up the AA defenses. Perhaps you want to use this distraction for a later step
Reconnaissance: let the Spy Satellites scout what they can without being shot down. Use two of them, moving them along the eastern and the western edge of the map into the south. Leave one at standby nearly in the southwestern corner. The other one can move to a point southeast of Tangeshima at a safe distance. After the takeover of Sata, let him move into the island until you get the accomplishment message and the ability to build Missile Bases. It is possible without losing the satellite, but if you lose it, it will be your only casualty.
Population space: delete your 3 Cargo Trucks, the 6 Riot Police, the 2 Missile Troopers and the 4 Furies to free population space. You will need it later for your fleet. Do not populate Citizens yet, as you will probably need them. If necessary, reassign them to chop more wood.

The islands[]

South of the mainland are five islands that are occupied by the enemies. Consult the in-game map to orient yourself:

The northwestern one by the black rebel forces, with a Dock, a Naval Yard and a Carrier
Directly east of it, one by the red Russian forces, with the same facilities
South of them, a small and a big island occupied by the EOG (blue) and a Russian Airport
Tangeshima is the easternmost of this island group and lies southeast of Sata

The attack forces: use the Fighters, the Spectre and the Missile Bases. Forget about your Cybers, and use the ships only in the end.

Missile Bases: as soon as you gain the ability to do so, build 4 Missile bases at your secondary base and group them into one group. Since a Missile Base costs 2000 wood, you hopefully have prepared for this.

Forward western position: Send your construction team to the Japanese peninsula in the west. Build a Town Center near the wood and some AA Guns nearby. Build an Airport directly adjacent to the Japanese Cyber buildings near the southern coast and secure it with a around a dozen of AA Guns primarily to the east of it (keep some distance to the coast). Move your Fighters and your 10 Spectres here. The enemies will attack the Japanese here, so let your units help with the defense. When a defense phase is done, do a series of hit-and-run attacks on the first islands, with the flight time of the Fighters being the timer: retreat all units BEFORE the flight time is at zero, so the Fighters can defend themselves while retreating. A flight time reserve of about 30 should be enough. Begin the retreat when they reach it.

The black island: Send your Fighters into the south towards the black island. Consult the in-game map to better target it. When your Fighters arrive there, first attack the Docks to have a fast success, lessening the attack pressure on your defenses. Immediately after you spot the Docks, select your Missile Base group and click on the Docks. That should destroy it with one missile volley. Let the Spectres attack the Docks too, just in case. Your air force will not be affected by the nuclear explosion. With each attack, you have the time to do two missile volleys, so if the Docks go down with the first volley, target the second at the Naval Yard. Retreat. Repeat until the Naval Yard is done, then kill the Carrier. Killing him before that would only result in the enemy building another one, so do not waste time with this until the Yard is gone.

The red island: Proceed as with the black island. It will be a bit easier, as there are no more black units from this island, although probably ones from the Tangeshima Airports.

With these two enemy bases gone, the attack pressure on the Japanese will lessen significantly and they will begin to occasionally send some Bombers southwards, which will work well as distraction for your next steps. You can skip the attacks on the blue islands and go earlier to Tangeshima. It is absolutely doable, but the landing there may be a bit easier with EOG and Russia out of the way.

The little blue island: Scout it with your western Spy Satellite, use him as spotter and nuke the Docks and what else may be there.

The big blue island: Let your Spy Satellite scout it cautiously. After spotting and shooting, retreat if necessary. Start with its southeastern side and first nuke the blue airport there, as it is the bigger threat. Work your way along the southern coast westwards and nuke the Naval Yard, the Docks and the three Carriers. Move a bit north to destroy the red Russian Airport.

Tangeshima: at any point, you can use your eastern Satellite as spotter to destroy the two Airports in two or three volleys of nukes. Since it first is guarded by a lot of planes, it is probably better to wait until the black and red islands are cleared, so the Tangeshima air force will be tied up in the attacks at the mainland. When you see them being shot down by your AA defense at your secondary base, advance with the Satellite.

Landing on Tangeshima: Build 3 Docks at your main base. Build 3 Battleships and 6 Frigates (and some Cruisers if you did not eliminate all Airports and Carriers). Let them advance towards Tangeshima and clear the sea of remaining enemies (some Subs and Frigates). In the meantime, build Docks at the big bay near your secondary base (where you attacked the orange base first), build 3 Transports and load some Tanks, your Artillery and your Skywatchers (just in case). Land on Tangeshima's northern coast and build a Dock to repair damaged ships. Destroy all remaining buildings and perhaps units, but the Japanese should have bombed the units by now.

Build the required buildings, 2 Missile Bases (that you can use to nuke the blue island faster, if you did not do this before and feel like a completionist), the Research Center and the Temple to win the scenario.