1.08 has flipped the game of Red Alert 3 on its head in terms of air use. Air is still seen a whole lot in the new patch, however it has effected the Empire of the Rising Sun's Tengus and VXs for the better. Sure these units were around before and were the only way Empire of the Rising Sun had a chance to stay in the game in the previous patches, however, with the changes to Apollos and MiGs along with the balance changes to the Empire, VXs and Tengus are seen more than ever because the Empire has a better fighting chance.
If you are finding problems coping with these changes, you are not alone. It is seen quite a bit over the forum discussions and replays. Hopefully, this Tip of the Week will give you a little insight of how to deal with the Empire of the Rising Sun's aerial threats while still being able to compete on the ground and not get over run.
Allies
IFVsThe IFV hasn't changed much since the last patch. However, the decrease in price by 100 has automatically made it more cost effective for its role. Seeing as you now have the same unit from 1.07 that is fairly solid at anti-air and straight from the first tier for 100 less, it makes sense to try it out and see how useful it can be.
The unit has nice speed on the ground, not as fast as most air units, however fast enough that you can chase down a retreating aircraft for a short time. As previously stated, it is built from the first tier out of the War Factory, so it can be built early in the game and is useful in stock form. What helps it out is that it can garrison an infantry unit it, changing its main weapon. This means that if you are going on the offensive and you have some infantry to deal with on the way, have an Attack Dog or Peacekeeper in it. You can take the Attack Dog out and Bark to make the infantry useless and with the Peacekeeper you have your IFV as an anti-infantry armored unit. It is just a little support that helps you fight on both fronts as the infantry can work well on their own and your IFVs can attack armored units or flying units. Also, if you want to you can place a Javelin Soldier in it, and then you have double the anti-armor/anti-air when you juggle him in and out of the IFV. Don't forget the Spy if you get are at the second tier early on, it snipes infantry, which is really useful for killing key units, and you can get close, kick the Spy out and Bribe a threatening ground force to put them on your side. With lower unit counts being the norm, this happening in the early game can be a game ender.
Riptide ACV and Javelin SoldiersThe Riptide ACV is the exact same as it was in the previous patch, it is decent as an anti-infantry/anti-light armor unit, is amphibious, fairly fast, and shoots torpedos in the water to make it fairly useful for taking on basic units and expansions in the sea. The unit being so well-rounded is the reason that you will be seeing it in the new patch, that and it can transport five infantry units at one time.
With Apollos and Vindicators getting a nerf, it is no longer the no-brainer norm to go with air on medium to large sized maps as it used to be. The Riptide ACV travels across the ground fast and can get your infantry units to the locations they are needed at. When your opponent thinks that it might be easy to pick off the almost helpless Riptide, you can kick the infantry out and give them a suprise. Depending on what your opponent has, you are going to either want five Javelin Soldiers to deal with VXs and Tengus, or a combination of Javelin Soldiers and Peacekeepers to just give you a little extra infantry protection if your opponent is using Imperial Warriors and Tankbusters. What is best is that your opponent doesn't know what you have in it until you deploy the units out of it. Granted you are going to want to go heavy on the Javelin Soldiers, but don't underestimate having a Peacekeeper or two in that Riptide ACV, it could be the difference between having a tank buster killing your Riptide, or being able to glide into someones expansion to waste their economy.
The Multi-Gunner Turret push is very simple to do. You have your infantry push forward and establish a footing near the enemy. After you have both Ore Refineries setup, you can push forward with your MCV and begin deploying multigunner turrets. What makes them so powerful is the fact that, they do ample damage for tier 1 and 2 as well as not building on the field thanks to the Allies build mechanic. This means they are not vulnerable and are ready to use right off the bat with full health. What makes it so great is that right out of the package you have anti-air for Tengus and VXs, which you should be putting heavy pressure or even have them beat before they can build up any noteworthy size of VXs.
If your opponent turns the tables and is going heavy on infantry, just throw a Peacekeeper into your Multi-Gunner Turret to mow down infantry even faster. This is a solid tactic that you should always consider using on smaller maps, or those with a main route that all units take.
Apollo FighterEveryone knows the nerfs given to Apollo Fighters. Remember, however, that they are still a very useful unit that still plays a key role in the anti-air game. Just remember to use them smarter now instead of just flying them in. Pick times to kite your opponent's air units, and pay attention to your opponent transforming so that you can fly them in at the right time to screw over VXs that have just transformed. Also, with well-placed Apollo Fighter fly ins you can force your opponent to transform those VXs into ground mode so that your ground units have easy picking against them. Just use them wisely now instead of thinking of them as indestructable like they were in the previous patch.
Soviets
BullfrogsRemember in the previous patches when even us at GameReplays.org said that Bullfrogs definitely aren't the method of choice for transporting infantry? Well times sure have changes since then with the new physics defying parachute technology that the pesky Soviets have obtained. Since the unit has always been fast and fairly decent anti-air, the fact that transporting infantry in it is viable now makes it a great unit that will be seeing more use for sure in the current patch.
Kiting
Whlie the bullfrog may be a weak unit in terms of health, it is still nimble enough to prolong its life by kiting Vindicators and Attack Copters such as the Twinblade and VX. To kite a unit, move away from them but still follow their predicted direction, which is easier if they are trying to kill the bulfrog. During this time, due to the bullfrogs range, they will be damaged while barely putting a scratch on the bullfrog, forcing them to either pull back, or lose a unit.
Flak Troopers are the obvious choice as to what to transport with them being anti-air, anti-armor, and anti-building. However, just like the Riptide, it might be a good idea to have a Bear or two in there for anti-infantry as you will see infantry often when you are facing Empire of the Rising Sun.
If you are feeling extra tricky, you might want to put a Combat Engineer into the mix and if you can get very close or into the opponent's base you could have a long enough opening to make a Battle Bunker in there for your Flak Troopers to be in safely. It is high risk, however your opponent will be hard pressed to win if you have a Battle Bunker in their base. You even have a Combat Engineer after that to try and capture their Mecha Bay, Ore Refinery or if your facing the largest of noobs, their MCV. It is definitely something that we don't suggest trying often, but sometimes there is the perfect opening for a game ender move such as this.
Hammer Tank/Flak Trooper/Bear spamThis tactic is tried and it is true. It was a very powerful tactic in previous patches and still is in this patch. The reason why this tactic is so powerful is that it covers all grounds. Hammer Tanks are anti-armor/anti-building/anti-infantry monsters, Flak Troopers are anti-armor/anti-air/anti-building fiends, Bears are anti-infantry. The only downside to this is that you only have one source of anti-air. If you find this to be a problem, mix in a couple Bullfrogs in the back if the air presence is getting to much, or get some Migs ready in the wayside. Regardless, it is just a solid mix that covers all grounds which makes it great for steamrolling.
MiGsThe MiG is in the same category as the Apollo Fighter. It is still a very solid unit that is key in the anti-air game, however, with the nerfs that have happened to it you have to use it more strategically. Fly it in at key times to force a transformation to leave your opponent's VXs and Tengus vulnerable and kite your opponent's units at the right times to maximize damage while keeping them safe.
Empire of the Rising Sun
Tengus and VXsIt is the exact same as what your opponent is doing. The key to victory is good micro, numbers advantage, and just strategical timing. While some people call it boring, it is actually some pretty intense thought process as to what to transform when and predicting what your opponent is going to so that you can counter it properly.
It is always useful to have some Tankbusters with your force when ever possible so that you can force switching of Tengus and putting pressure on your opponent if they transform their VXs into ground form. However, this is not always possible, especially since Tankbusters are slow and restricted in their movements.
If you are just having problems with dealing with your opponent, maybe you should try keeping an VX or Tengu or two back for a couple of seconds away from what you think your opponent's sight is and then fly them in so you hopefully catch your opponent after they have transformed and are vulnerable to your plan.
Furthermore, if you are having problems try having your Tengus and VXs travel via ground. Yes, it is slower, however you are in an ideal position with having the ability to transform into the air, have the VXs powerful anti-air capabilities already activated and if your opponent needs to get their VXs out of the air because of too much heat your Tengus are already protected since they are on the ground and can do damage to the VXs before their Tengus get to the ground. It is just the better strategical position to be in.
Forward VX TurretWhereas the Multi-Gunner Turret push has always been powerful, the VX Turret's faster deploy time and ability to finally change between anti-air and anti-infantry/anti-light armor at will makes it a viable defence. If you have forward units such as if you are pushing with infantry, placing one of these just on the edge of their base or even in the range of their base if you can pull it off puts your opponent in a world of hurt. This should be before or around the time of Tengus and definitely before VXs which means you have an solid defense right at their doorstep. It is in some cases more viable than the Multi-Gunner Turret push because you don't have to take your MCV with you, making it more viable very early on Infinity Isle and Industrial Strength.
It is just like the Multi-Gunner Turret push, but different. You have to choose when to do it, as in some situations you are surely to fail and lose extra money by building the VX Turret. It takes some practicing to figure which units to build in which situations to better your situation, but you'll get use to it.
