Map 9: Ridge Island

Score achieved: 300 pts, 7 days
100-pt. time limit: 12 days
Player CO: Any CO aside from Max, Jess, Grimm and Kanbei
Enemy CO(s): Grit
Skills: none
Mode: 2.5x EXP

Overview: Max and Jess don’t seem able to do it, because their tanks are too strong – Grit’s infantry won’t attack them, and this leads to all sorts of other problems. Grimm has a similar problem, as well as his defense cut. Kanbei doesn’t have the funds, and would face the same problem anyways.

Due to Sonja’s terrain reduction, the enemy will often move onto roads instead of plains at key points. She has to adjust a bit because of this. Grit *can* more or less follow the strategy despite his weak directs, but he has to avoid taking too much damage with the recon that moves near AI Grit’s HQ, so it can destroy a 1 HP mech on the final turn for Power.

Day 1:

– Build a tank from the east base.

Day 2:

– Move the tank one east, three north.
– Build an APC in the east base and an infantry in the base two west of it.

Day 3:

– Move the tank two west of the rocket. Do *not* attack the infantry.
– Load the infantry into the APC and move it five east.
– Build two recons in the easternmost bases.
– Save.

Grit Day 3:

– Grit must attack your tank with exactly one infantry, and move his mech onto his HQ. It’s useful if the infantry doesn’t do any damage, so that your tank does more next turn. It’s also nice if the APC has 9 HP rather than 8.
– Additionally, the rocket must move one south, rather than staying put. This is fairly common.
– (Sonja: The infantry must attack from the plains, not the road.)

Day 4:

– Save if everything went well.
– Attack the rocket with your tank from the west. If you have an attack boost, make sure it survives, and save when it does.
– With the east recon, attack the infantry near your APC from the east. I’d say keep trying until you don’t get visible damage.
– Move the other recon three east, two north.
– Move the APC one east and four north. Leave the infantry inside.
– (Sonja: Drop the infantry west.)
– Build a recon in the east base.
– Save.

Grit Day 4:

– The tank must be destroyed by the mech and tank.
– (Sonja: The mech must attack from the road, so your recon can hit it next turn.)
– The damaged infantry should move north two, west one to a city.

Day 5:

– This is an important day. But don’t save yet.
– Attack the mech with the eastern recon. I don’t think it matters much if it survives or not, but it should only have 1 HP. If it does, then save. Otherwise, try again from the previous day. (This doesn’t apply to Grit, who can’t weaken it that much. He should still aim to weaken it as much as possible.)
– Move the recon on the eastern base seven east, one north.
– Move the APC onto Grit’s west base and drop east.
– Move the remaining recon two north, next to the city. Do *not* attack the infantry – that just gives Grit a better chance of destroying this recon.
– Build two recons in the eastern two bases.

Grit Day 5:

– Grit will probably use Snipe Attack now. Grit has to build a rocket, and he must not move his damaged rocket to a base. Also, he must attack your western recon with his western tank. If his western tank is the first one to move, this probably won’t happen and you should start over. All of your units must survive this turn. Also, the more HP your recon near enemy HQ has, the better – if you’re lucky, it’ll have 6.

Day 6:

– Almost done. Save.
– Capture the HQ.
– Move the APC to whichever base is free, probably the east.
– Move the recon to the west base and attack the infantry, leaving it with 1 HP.
– Move the recon by Grit’s southwest city as far south as you can. Join the western healthy recon to it.
– Join the eastern healthy recon to the other damaged recon.
– Build two recons.
– Use your CO power. (If not using Hawke or Von Bolt.)
– Save.

Grit Day 6:

– On the enemy turn, you must not lose any units; both tanks must attack the healthy recons, and not the one on the west base, and whatever the enemy recon attacks must survive. Also, the damaged infantry will attack your capturing infantry; due to the CO power, (or Von Bolt’s inherent defense) it likely won’t do any damage. Just try again if it does. If you’re using Hawke, you can afford to take 1 damage, as you’ll get your CO power next turn.

Day 7:

– (Hawke: Use CO power if your capturing infantry was damaged.)
– Destroy either the damaged rocket or the damaged mech with your recon near the HQ.
– (Grit: Destroy the mech, the rocket’s not damaged enough.)
– Destroy the infantry capturing the southeast base with a recon.
– Finish capturing the HQ

Strategy by Dragon Fogel.