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Hello Red Alert 3 Fans! This is your Red Alert 3 Developer Tourney champion, Michael Ombao (MikeO)! For the next couple of months, I will be posting my strategies for many of the Commander's Challenge Missions to help you achieve those elusive par times. You will be supplied with a unique Battlefield Overview map, a Tactical Overview, and step by step guides on how to complete the mission under par.

Throughout the company, I have been known for my unorthodox strategies and early-game rushes. This style of gameplay is perfect for the need for speed in these Commander Challenge Missions. It is my hope that these strategies not only improve your times, but help you think about the game mechanics in a different way and use them to your tactical advantage. Together, we will work on reaching 100% completion in Commander's Challenge and unlock the exclusive "bonus" video for completing each mission under par.

Let's begin with Dead Meat and Blood Feud (see below)!

Dead Meat

MikeO says: "Don't worry, Cores are on patrol!"

Battlefield Overview

Tactical Overview

In Dead Meat, the AI opposition from Commander Hill comes mostly in the form of dogs, dogs, and more dogs! With the AI so strongly focused on a single unit, and us firmly aware of what’s coming, we can devise a strategy that will quickly counteract the mass of incoming canines to grab a quick victory under the par time.

The Empire of the Rising Sun has a natural, if unorthodox, counter to masses of dogs (or bears) at tier 1 – the Dojo Core! To beat this map under par time, we will make extensive use of the dreaded Dojo Core Rush.

MikeO’s all-in go-for-the-throat base build:

1. Create and deploy 2 Instant Generators. These will leave you with enough power for 4 Instant Dojos and one Ore Refinery.

2. Create and deploy a single Ore Refinery. The money trickle will provide you with enough economy for creating Engineers while not sacrificing an early $2500 for another Refinery. Engineers play a vital role in beating missions below par time since they capture any unprotected structure in less than 3 seconds.

3. Immediately sell off the Construction Yard (Conyard) after the Ore Refinery comes out. In Commander’s Challenge, selling off your Conyard does not get rid of your radar. You are going "all-in" with this strategy, and since you will not be creating any other structures from the Conyard, the extra $2500 will help tremendously. After selling off your Conyard, make sure to grab the closest Oil Derrick with the Engineer that is left behind.

MikeO’s Dojo Dance:

1. Select the Dojo Core and move it near the exit of the enemy's Barracks.

2. Hold "alt" and quickly right click the circled points shown in the screenshot.

3. This will cause the Dojo Core to patrol the area selected and immediately crush enemy infantry units that come out without having to micromanage it. Though the AI will sometimes squeeze through, it will most likely attempt to attack the patrolling Dojo Core and crush itself in the process.

Dead Meat specific strategy:

1. Create 4-5 Dojo Cores with the Conyard rally-pointed into Commander Hill's base (flag in battlefield overview). The first Dojo Core should be halfway to the enemy base after Commander Hill's in-game cinematic ends.

2. Default to MikeO’s all-in go for the throat base build.

3. At this point, micro your first Dojo Core to crush the Dogs Commander Hill has built. Do not directly chase the Dogs but predicatively move the Dojo Core towards the same location the Dogs are going. Keep this Dojo Core as your main "Dog Crushing" tank and crush any Dogs around the enemy base.

4. Deploy the 2nd Dojo Core near the front of the enemy's Training Facility and create an Engineer to capture it. To neutralize the enemy threat of more Dogs and Peacekeepers/Javelins, use another Dojo Core to perform MikeO's Dojo Dance.

5. The other Dojo Cores should then be deployed in optimal locations that face the exit of the buildings towards the enemy's structures. Since the enemy Dogs and the production structures are neutralized at this point, you can queue up 3-4 Engineers on each Instant Dojo and capture the entire enemy base without worrying about countering other units.

MikeO's Pro Tips:

• Sell off any structure you capture to get extra money and to prevent you from going into low power. The spare Peacekeeper can also help protect the Engineers.
  
  
• When capturing the Conyard, sell it off immediately and use the free Engineer to take over another structure (saves a bit more time from the par).
  
  
• When Engineers exit the Dojo Cores, use their Sprint ability immediately to shave a few seconds from their travel time. Make sure the Engineer is close enough that their capturing mechanic will finish before their resting-phase from sprinting.
  
  
• In case Dogs or Peacekeepers survive the Dojo Dance and head towards your Engineer, you can quickly sell one of your Instant Dojos, activate the secondary ability of the Imperial Warrior left behind by selling the structure, and Bonzai charge any units threatening your Engineers.

 

 

Blood Feud

MikeO says: "Planning Mode is your friend"

Battlefield Overview

Tactical Overview

Blood Feud is another mission where we are able to use the speed of the Dojo Core and the capture mechanic of the Engineer to our tactical advantage. Commander Kenji and Commander Shinzo are completely focused on attacking each other and will not directly engage the player unless their units encounter a direct threat. This "threat" is triggered by directly attacking one of the Commanders or crushing any of their units.

Once again, the Empire of the Rising Sun has an unorthodox way of completing this mission way below par time. Since Japan Engineers do not count as a "threat" until they capture a structure, the player is free to move their Engineers to key locations and capture both bases in one fell swoop through planning-mode.

Build order & Strategy:

1. Create 2 Dojo Cores and deploy them at point A in the Battlefield Overview. Make sure the enemy units do not come near the Dojo Core and get crushed before it is deployed or they will mark it as a valid threat and proceed to attack it.

2. Create 2 more Dojo Cores and deploy them at point B in the Battlefield Overview.

3. Default to MikeO's all-in go-for-the-throat base build.

4. Queue 4-5 Engineers at each Instant Dojo and rally point them into the enemy's bases (A1 and B1 in the Battlefield Overview, respectively).

5. Place an Engineer directly next to ALL enemy structures.

6. Initiate planning mode and queue all the Engineers to capture the structures they are next to.

To initiate planning mode, select an Engineer and left-click the Advanced Commands button. Once the UI expands, left-click the Planning Mode button. You can now order each Engineer to "plan" to capture the structure they are next to by right-clicking on the structure.

7. Left-click planning mode again once ALL the enemy structures are queued for capture. If done correctly, the player will automatically beat the mission once ALL the enemy structures are captured.

MikeO's Pro Tips:

• Make sure you do not let enemy units see the Dojo Cores or they will sometimes mark it as a valid threat and attack it.
  
  
• Never sell off an Instant Dojo or create any other units other than Engineer's from them or the enemy will mark them as a valid threat.
  
  
• Place the Engineers extremely close to the structure.
  
  
• The Archer Maidens from Commander Shinzo will sometimes use their Volley shot at Kenji, make sure your Engineers are not hit by it.