1. PROTECT BLACK SUN (ongoing)
As soon as you start the mission, move your air forces away from the eastern island and under some shields; there’s no time limit on the first objective. This objective is ongoing. Your starting base is mostly upgraded to T3, but it needs more defenses, especially air defenses. You’ll also need a lot of Engineers to get your economy going and build the requisite defenses. Build 4 Heavy Shield Generators around Black Sun itself, plus anti-air guns within the shields and T2 point defense on the north side.
Although you’re on an island, build a ground force, as you’ll face land attacks from the north later on. Build heavy naval defenses to the east of your Naval Factories – groups of Heavy Torpedo Launchers and anti-air should work. Concentrate on the UEF’s air advantage: Heavy Gunships. Strategic Bombers are expensive but work well as naval defense (their firepower is usually wasted on land units). Upgrade both your Commanders’ shields and keep them shielded at all times. Build a Quantum Gate and a pack of Support Commanders for later on; they also help construct more quickly, and can build Resource Collection upgrades to get your economy going enough for multiple nukes.
2. RECOVER THE LAST COMPONENT
Wait until you have a superior force of T2 ships, subs, and T3 aircraft before attacking. You might also want to build a second Strategic Missile Defense if your base expands beyond the first one’s reach, as the Aeon will retaliate with nukes as soon as you accomplish this objective. Have a transport pick up the last component; while carrying it, the transport is invulnerable. During this or the next objective, you’ll want a Strategic Missile Launcher and naval defenses to the east and west. In fact, having a nuke sub (or a second nuke launcher) also really helps.
3. DESTROY THE AEON COMMANDER’S ISLAND BASE
Map expands to the east Before completing this objective, get ready for a large ground assault from the north of the map – make sure your tactical missile launchers are full and your ground forces arrayed to protect Black Sun. Build a nuke launcher south of Black Sun, along with the power and mass needed to run it. The island base has nuke defenses, but it’s possible to overwhelm the defenses by firing all your nukes at once, or you could simply find and kill the nuke defense before you move in. To destroy the base, build a couple Battleships and position them out of range of any torpedoes while they shell it. If you’ve knocked out a Missile Defense, fire several nukes at once at different areas of the island and do as much damage as possible before it is rebuilt. Once you’ve destroyed all Aeon units, be prepared for a huge northern assault; move all your ships to the west and move your Battleships northwest to provide fire support.
4. DEFEAT THE CYBRAN ATTACK
Map expands to the north
The biggest threat is their four Spiderbots, as well as strategic missile launches on your northern defenses. If you don’t have missile defense (or if you lose it to the army) pull your forces back to defend Black Sun itself and start rebuilding your defenses. The best way to take out this attack is with your Tactical Missiles targeting the Spiderbots, then moving in with T3 gunships, while using your land forces to fight their smaller units. Be prepared for naval attacks on the east and west sides. Don’t forget that your T3 subs have tactical missiles as well as strategic ones. Keep an eye on Black Sun’s completion; once it reaches 15%, a massive Cybran and Aeon aerial attack comes from all sides, and a small naval force to the east.
As soon as these are defeated, an enormous ground force appears at the north corner of the map. Use all your nukes to take this one out; remember to target ahead of the army so they’ll walk into it. The Spiderbots will probably survive this nuclear assault; use your T3 bots and SCUs and tactical missiles to kill them. An SCU can upgrade its guns and shields until it can stop even an experimental unit for a few seconds.
After the Spiderbots are killed, two Soul Ripper T4 gunships will come from the northern edge of the map. Your only hope of killing them is with your T3 aircraft – fighters and any remaining gunships. Your SCUs can also distract the Soul Rippers from your airforce. T3 air defenses also work well against these guys; have Engineers rebuilding your northern defenses so that they’ll be ready when the Soul Rippers arrive. At 70% completion, an Aeon Tempest appears off the west coast. Attack this with all your naval forces and gunships; its Oblivion Cannon can take down the shields you built around Black Sun in two shots.
5. DEFEAT ARNOLD AND HIS ASSAULT GROUP
At 80% completion, a large force approaches your island from the northwest. This is the last attack. Put all your troops together at your northern line of defense – remember that Arnold’s death explosion can kill Black Sun if he gets too close before he dies. Your defenses in the north should be rebuilt by now. As a last ditch effort, put your ACUs behind Black Sun’s shields and give them weapons upgrades. Have all your air forces concentrate on the Czar which presages Arnold while your land forces attack him directly. You should have just enough to kill him. Enjoy your victory!