Command and Conquer 4

This Tip of the Week will show you the benefits and risks of Dismantling your Turrets and Buildings.

A lot of Players tend to think that just a few Victory Points (VP) lost here and there isn't a big problem, well until you get a close game where end results are something like 2499 vs 2500. After this great match you'll check your gameplay again and notice that one, yes one, one single successful Dismantle would have given you the win instead of your opponents.

Also bare in mind that the bigger Turrets such as Skystrike Artillery will give 12 VP to the opponent who destroys it and the Ion Cannon Structure will give a massive 15 VP to the opponent, it's a big loss when you think about how easily you could have prevented it.









Victory Points are what wins the game. The one with more Points will eventually win. Take a look at this list of Structures in the game and see how much each Structure will reward your opponent if they managed to destroy them or vice versa.







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Look at these numbers and then compare them to the units you normally play with. People usually spend their souls on defending one Mastodon from dying (which is 12VP) but then don't care about Dismantling a Skystrike Artillery (also 12VP). Dismantling the Skystrike Artillery only needs one click of a button and it happens instantly, while Decommissioning a Mastodon takes time and is also a gamble as Decommissioned units give double the VP.

One regular Tier 1 Turret alone gives 6VP, same as a normal tank, not too painful. Though, a normal Tier 2 Turret already give 10VP, same as a valuable assault unit, this is painful if you keep losing them over and over again.

If you think an Artillery Turret can manage to shoot one additional shell then by all means let it live that 2-3 extra seconds and then instantly Dismantle it while the shell is still in mid air. You don't have to wait for it to land on the ground.


Now, take a look at the Crystal Shield Structure.



Kind of regularly used in high level play. Still unfortunately it's a rare sight to see them Dismantled. Players tend to use the epic Stasis Field and then totally forget about the Crystal Shield. To be mostly effective with these, a tip is to time when you use the Shield (it also flickers when Stasis Field is about to end). The Stasis Field effect lasts for 30 seconds so be sure to click it and hit 'C' for Dismantle after the effect is over. This will save you from giving away 10VP.

Yes 10, 10 Victory Points. That's actually a lot.

In a normal good play there's usually used 8 or 10 Crystal Shields. That's already 80-100VP for the opponent if you let them carelessly die. They are vulnerable so Dismantle them after their ability is used.

Furthermore, Tunnels might be the only Structure you shouldn't care about with your whole soul as they only give 2VP, the least VP in the whole game.






This is a sad sight to see, an unpowered Turret getting smashed. First of all it was unpowered so it was already useless, second of all if it was unpowered that means you lost your Crawler so you are probably just AFK (away from keyboard) waiting to Respawn, while waiting to Respawn try to look around the Minimap for possible Structures and Dismantle them!

• Picture 1: GDI Orcas attack an unpowered Nod Rocket Pod.
• Picture 2: Nod Dismantle both Turrets instantly.
• Picture 3: GDI Orcas try to hunt down the last remaining Turret but it also gets Dismantled.
  
• Results: Nod giving everyone 3 Green Crates and no Victory Points to GDI.

After you noticed that Defense Class wasn't your strongest side and you change Crawlers after your Defense Crawler got butchered. Always, I mean ALWAYS Dismantle your left behind Turrets. Offense or Support Crawler can't in any way power up your Turrets left behind, they will always be useless on the battlefield when unpowered.

One use though for an unpowered Turret would be scouting, like having it lie near a ramp or mountain to see the opponent, or if you have Turrets in a safe place (not near enemies) and you are planning on returning back to Defense Class soon.



Thanks to Mel Gibson for this awesome Tip of the Week!


Discuss Tip of the Week #31 HERE!