GetDotted Domains

Retro Game Walkthroughs For
"Advance Wars"
(Game Boy Advance)

Retro Game Walkthroughs for Advance Wars (Game Boy Advance)
Submitted By: Mr Ritze
This walkthrough is to give you information on the opponents you
will face, your units and the best way to deploy them. Made by Mr
Ritze for use on Special Reserve.

1. Allies

The members of Orange Star that you can choose as your CO
(commanding officers)

Andy – He is the first CO that you can use and is probably one of
the best choices, as he doesn’t really have any weaknesses. His
CO power is Hyper Repair, which will heal 2 HP’s per unit that is
damaged on your side.

Max – Max as you could probably guess relies on sheer brute force
and attacking power, he is very strong when in direct combat but
his indirect units like artillery have limited attack ranges. His
CO power is Max Force, which will boost the attacking power of
all direct combat units.

Sami – She is the person to use if you have a terrain consisting
of mountains or rivers considering her speciality is the use of
infantry. Her infantry and mech units will capture buildings and
bases quicker than normal and also her transport units have a
larger range for movement. Her CO power Double Time increases the
movement ranges of her units.

2. Enemies

Members of Blue Moon, Green Earth and Yellow Comet who you will
face during the game.

Olaf – Olaf is the first enemy you will face and possibly the
easiest as his CO Power is considerably lees damaging than any
others. He is greatly affected by the weather; his units are not
affected with snow while there movement range is shortened when
it rains. His CO power Blizzard, causes a snowstorm which will
affects his opponents units.

Grit – Grit is Olaf’s right hand man and an expert at long
distance attacks, His indirect combat units all have an extended
attack range though his direct combat units are not very strong.
His CO power Snipe Attack increases the range and power of all of
his indirect combat units.

Drake – Drake is a master with naval units whilst his air units
are not very good. his CO power is Tsunami, which creates a giant
wave that will damage all enemy units.

Eagle – Eagle is the opposite of Drake in that his Air units are
very strong whilst naval units are his weak point. His CO power
is Lightning Strike, which allows all his units bar infantry and
mech to attack twice in one turn.

Kanbei – Kanbei is very strong and his army have very good
defensive and offensive ratings, however, the deployment costs
for his troops are high which slightly hinders him. His Co power
is Morale Boost, which increases his troops offensive attacking
abilities.

Sonja – Sonja’s troops have a large vision range in Fog of War
and also have a hidden HP status that cannot be seen by the
enemy. Her CO power is Enhanced Vision, which increases her
unit’s vision range and allows them to see units hidden in woods
and reefs.

3. Units

Infantry – Perhaps the most valuable units in the game, they can
cross all terrainand capture bases or buildings, they have a
fairly large movement range and can travel in APC’s, Transport
Copters and Landers although they are hindered by weak
firepower.

Mechanized Infantry (Mech) – These units are the same as infantry
but they have a smaller movement range and increased firepower.

Recon – These are the most valuable units in a Fog of War where
they have a large vision and movement range. They are very good
in combat with infantry units but weak against any anything
else.

Tank – The tanks are very strong against most ground units bar
the Medium Tank, it is very cheap to manufacture and has a large
movement range.

Medium Tank (MD Tank) – This is the strongest ground unit in the
game and has great defensive and offensive abilities.

APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) – The APC has a variety of
capabilities. It has a large movement range coupled with the
ability to carry infantry and refuel and supply other units.

Mobile Artillery (ARTLRY) – A valuable weapon to have in your
arsenal, It is very capable of inflicting a lot of damage to the
enemy but is very weak in direct combat.

Anti-Air (A-Air) – This unit is very strong against all air units
and infantry, it can only attack in direct fire though and is
susceptible and weak from attacks by Tanks.

Rocket Launcher (Rockets) – This is the mobile Artillery but has
a larger range and does more damage.

Missiles – This unit can only fire at aircraft but does so in an
in-direct attack and it has a large vision range in Fog of War.

Fighter – This unit can only engage in direct combat against
other air units, it is most powerful and has a large movement
range at 9 per turn.

Bomber – Inflicts damage upon units by engaging in direct combat,
very much like the Fighter and causes a vast amount of damage.

Battle copter (B Cptr) – Can engage in battle with most units and
can cause a lot of damage to units like Tanks, which cannot fight
back very well.

Transport Copter (T Cptr) – Can carry infantry and mech units all
over the battlefield but has no means of defence, which make it
any easy target.

Battle Ship (B Ship) – This has a large attack range and can
cause major damage to other naval and land units.

Lander – This can transport any two-ground units across seas but
has no form of defence, which makes it an easy target.

Cruiser – This unit acts as an airfield for copters and can carry
two at a time. It does heavy damage to Subs and air units.

Sub – An important naval unit, when submerged it can only be
attacked by
cruisers or found by colliding with it. Also does a large amount
of damage to naval units.

4. Deployment

When you start a non pre-deployed map, you should always start by
building infantry units to capture local buildings to gain funds.
Also build an APC and/or a T Cptr if you have an airport so you
can transport your infantry to buildings at further distances
away. You next want to manufacture a Mech and Mobile Artillery to
defend your base. Once you have gained more funds from the newly
captured buildings you can then build a tank and a B Cptr as your
offence against the opposition. An Anti-Air unit and Md Tank
would then be helpful to further protect and strengthen your
team. Finally build some naval ships if much of the terrain is
sea or air units like the Fighter and Bomber if it is not.

Fog of War

However, if there is a Fog of War, building a Recon unit is
essential to gain valuable vision and scouting ability.
Submitted By: Sibs
===============================
=== ADVANCE WARS MINI-GUIDE ===
===============================



================
=== CONTENTS ===
================

1 - INTRODUCTION
2 - UNITS
3 - TERRAIN
4 - COs (COMMANDING OFFICERS)
5 - TACTICS



========================
=== 1 - INTRODUCTION ===
========================

Advance Wars is a turn-based strategy game. While it may at first seem relatively simple, it has suprising depth hidden beneath its simple, and somewhat cartoony, interface. The game boasts 18 unique units and a multitude of terrain types and COs (Commanding Officers), all of which affect how a battle will play out.

This guide aims to give you a breakdown of all the units, terrain types and COs, giving you a good understanding of how to make full use of your units and the map you are playing on, as well as know the strengths and weaknesses of every CO that you'll take command of and battle against.



=================
=== 2 - UNITS ===
=================

Units can be broken down into categories in many different ways. Very broadly speaking, there are three types of units; Ground Units, Naval (Sea) Units and Airborne Units. There are transport units of each type, as well as both direct combat and long-range units, so it soon becomes very complex breaking down the 'types' of units available.

Below you will find a brief guide to every unit in the game. Each has a description of its various attributes, as explained here:

-- Cost: The cost is the amount of cash you must spend in order to deploy the unit.
-- Primary Weapon: This is the primary weapon of the unit. The number on brackets after is the maximum ammunition for the primary weapon.
-- Secondary Weapon: The secondary weapon is the weapon which will be used in the event that the unit has run out of primary weapon ammo, or is facing a unit which it cannot attack with its primary weapon. Secondary Weapons do not run out of ammo.
-- Combat Range: This is the range of the units attacks, ie. how many squares away an enemy can be for a unit to attack. This is followed by either Direct Combat or Long-Range in brackets. Direct Combat units can both move and fire in one turn, whereas Long-Range units can do only one (so if they move, they cannot then fire as well).
-- Movement Range: This is the basic movement range of the unit. This is followed by the type of movement the unit uses in brackets. Dependant on how the unit moves, movement costs will vary on different terrain.
-- Maximum Fuel: This is how much fuel the unit carries on a full tank.
-- Fuel Usage: This is how much fuel the unit uses when moving.
-- Vision: When Fog of War is on, this is how far a unit can see.
-- Details: This is a description of the unit.


------------------
-- GROUND UNITS --
------------------
Ground Units are your basic units, and the kind you'll be using most often. They don't really have any special features. They can move across most types of terrain. However, only Infantry or Mech units can move across mountains and rivers, and no ground units can move across the sea.

INFANTRY
-- Cost: 1,000
-- Primary Weapon: None
-- Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 3 (Infantry)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 2 (5 if the Infantry Unit is on a mountain)
-- Details: The Infantry Unit is the most basic type of unit. Although it is only equipped with a machine gun and has a relatively small movement range, it is the fastest moving infantry unit over most terrain, and infantry units are an absolute necessity as they are the only units which can capture cities and other structures. In combat, Infantry should only really be used against other foot soldiers, or Long-Range vehicles, as these cannot shoot back if the Infantry are up close.

MECHANIZED INFANTRY
-- Cost: 3,000
-- Primary Weapon: Bazooka (3 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 2 (Mech)
-- Maximum Fuel: 70
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 2 (5 if the Mech Unit is on a mountain)
-- Details: The Mech Unit is another type of infantry, with a few seemingly small, but very important differences. First and most obvious, the Mech Unit has a bazooka, making it much better at attacking vehicles. They also have a movement range of only 2, however, this is counter-balanced by the fact that they can move over any terrain type (apart from the sea) at a cost of just 1. This makes them ideal for moving swiftly across mountains and other tough terrain types. Like the basic Infantry, Mechanized Infantry can also capture structures.

RECON
-- Cost: 4,000
-- Primary Weapon: None
-- Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 8 (Tyres)
-- Maximum Fuel: 80
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 5
-- Details: The Recon Unit is the most basic vehicle, and is only really useful in combat situations for taking out basic Infantry. Mech Units will do hefty damage with their Bazookas, so you really want to avoid putting this unit in danger. It's only really worth building if there're a lot of enemy Infantry about (and even then it's superceded by the A-Air Unit) or if Fog of War is on. However, if Fog of War is on, it becomes a near essential unit, with the (joint) best vision in the game, and a good movement range (although it needs to stick to roads to make full use of it).

TANK
-- Cost: 7,000
-- Primary Weapon: Tank Cannon (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 6 (Tread)
-- Maximum Fuel: 70
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 3
-- Details: Tanks are your bread-and-butter ground units. They are good all rounders, with a Tank Cannon capable of doing significant damage to ground vehicles, and a useful machine gun for clearing up infantry. They should be wary however of Mech Units, whose Bazookas can cause headaches. They have a fairly decent movement range, and their Treads mean they are good on most terrain types.

MD TANK
-- Cost: 16,000
-- Primary Weapon: Md Tank Cannon (8 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 5 (Tread)
-- Maximum Fuel: 50
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 1
-- Details: Md Tanks are the biggest and toughest ground units. Their Md Cannons wreak havok on any vehicles and they're pretty handy at dealing with both Infantry and Mech units too. They need support however, as they carry relatively little fuel and ammo, so will need re-stocking. They also have a vision of only 1, so in Fog of War they'll need other units around otherwise they will invariably run into trouble.

APC
-- Cost: 5,000
-- Primary Weapon: None
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: None
-- Movement Range: 6 (Tread)
-- Maximum Fuel: 70
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 1
-- Details: On first inspection, the APC may seem pointless. No weapons? However, it is there to transport Infantry and Mech units, so they can get to structures and capture them. The APC is also unique as it can stock up other units with fuel and ammunition. It will do this automatically to all units adjacent to it at the start of each turn, or you can manually ask it to restock adjacent units during a turn (useful when you need to restock a unit immediately so it can carry out an action that go). APCs may not seem very useful, but when buildings for re-supplying are few and far between, they are absolutely essential.

ARTILLERY
-- Cost: 6,000
-- Primary Weapon: Cannon (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 2-3 (Long-Range)
-- Movement Range: 5 (Tread)
-- Maximum Fuel: 50
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 1
-- Details: The Artillery Unit is the basic Long-Range unit. It can move reasonably well, but may not move and fire in the same turn, so you must make sure you place it carefully. It is a very useful support unit, although try to keep it out of harms way as it doesn't have the best armour around, and will take damage quite easily. In Fog of War the unit will need others around to spot enemies for it, as it has a vision of only 1.

ROCKET
-- Cost: 15,000
-- Primary Weapon: Rockets (6 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 3-5 (Long-Range)
-- Movement Range: 5 (Tyres)
-- Maximum Fuel: 50
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 1
-- Details: Like the Artillery, but with a more damaging weapon that can be fired over longer distances, the Rocket Unit is a very useful tool. It is best to keep it well out of harms way as it has very weak armour and will take damage very easily. It's tyres also mean it will need to stick mainly to roads, as it can't move well across other terrain. As with the Artillery, it will need spotters during Fog of War. The long range and powerful weapon of Rocket Units make it ideal for taking out heavier targets such as Md Tanks, but they really do need protection, as up close they'll get wiped out easily.

A-AIR
-- Cost: 8,000
-- Primary Weapon: Vulcan Cannon (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 6 (Tread)
-- Maximum Fuel: 60
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 2
-- Details: The A-Air Unit is the basic ground unit for taking down aircraft. It is extremely useful at taking out Helicopters, being able to take B-Copters and T-Copters in one go if the A-Air is on full health. The A-Air unit can also fire on ground units though, and although it isn't too hot at damaging vehicles, it can cause serious damage to Infantry and Mech units. Very handy for clearing up both air and infantry units, but don't try using it against tanks or you'll be sorry.

MISSILE
-- Cost: 12,000
-- Primary Weapon: Surface-to-Air Missile (6 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 3-5 (Long-Range)
-- Movement Range: 4 (Tyres)
-- Maximum Fuel: 50
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost
-- Vision: 5
-- Details: The Missile Unit is solely used for attacking aircraft, but its long range and powerful missiles means it can swat most aircraft out of the sky. You should avoid allowing the unit to take damage though as it has very weak armour. It also has poor movement, so it needs to be placed well to be of any use. It is also noteworthy for its long vision in Fog of War. This makes it a useful unit for keeping close to your base to keep track of any enemies that might be advancing on it. Despite the long vision range, poor movement makes it unsuited to scouting.


---------------
-- AIR UNITS --
---------------
Air units are very useful as they can move across all types of terrain without incurring any penalties. However, because they are in the sky, they get no bonuses for terrain cover. Also, each air unit uses an additional amount of fuel each turn to stay airborne. Should they run out of fuel, they will crash, and you will lose the unit.

FIGHTER
-- Cost: 20,000
-- Primary Weapon: Missiles (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 9 (Air)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 5 per Turn
-- Vision: 2
-- Details: The Fighter is a very specialized unit. It can fire only on aircraft, but is very powerful in the air. No other aircraft can fire on it, so the only thing to be wary of are A-Air and Missile units on the ground, and Cruisers at sea. Other Fighter units may fire on it however, so if you see other enemy Fighters around, try to strike first to give you the upper hand. Apart from enemy Fighters, this unit will rule the sky and can take out other aircraft with relative ease. It also has the largest movement range in the game, and because it is airborne, can move across any terrain with no additional cost.

BOMBER
-- Cost: 22,000
-- Primary Weapon: Bombs (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 7 (Air)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 5 per Turn
-- Vision: 2
-- Details: The Bomber is a fast and versatile aircraft, capable of causing heavy damage to both ground and naval units. It has a large movement range as well, making it ideal for quickly taking out heavy targets. It is very weak against Fighters and Missile units however, so beware.

B-COPTER
-- Cost: 9,000
-- Primary Weapon: Air-to-Surface Missiles (6 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 6 (Air)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 2 per Turn
-- Vision: 3
-- Details: The Battle Copter is your general purpose air unit. It is relatively cheap, reasonably good at getting around, and can fire on almost any unit (infact the only thing it can't fire on is planes, either Fighters or Bombers). It needs to be very cautious of all anti-air units though, as it can be easily taken out in one turn with the right weaponry.

T-COPTER
-- Cost: 5,000
-- Primary Weapon: None
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: None
-- Movement Range: 6 (Air)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 2 per Turn
-- Vision: 2
-- Details: This is your Transport Copter, it's only purpose is to quickly shift troops around. It can be very handy for getting Infantry or Mech units across tough terrain that the APC couldn't handle, such as mountains, rivers or the sea. As with the B-Copters though, you must be very wary of anything with anti-aircraft weapons, or you'll get shot down very swiftly.


-----------------
-- NAVAL UNITS --
-----------------
Naval Units are perhaps the most limited with regards to where they can travel. They can only move within the sea, but may also enter Ports. Landers may also move across Shoals. As with Air Units, Naval Units use up a certain amount of fuel per turn in addition to that they use for movement. If they run out of fuel, the unit will sink, and you will lose it.

B-SHIP
-- Cost: 28,000
-- Primary Weapon: Cannon (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 2-6 (Long-Range)
-- Movement Range: 5 (Ship)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 1 per Turn
-- Vision: 2
-- Details: The Battleship is the most expensive unit in the game, but has some very large advantages. It is the longest range unit in the game, with a maximum range of 6, and it packs a big punch too. It is quite well armoured, but is vulnerable to attacks from Subs or Bombers. If you have an enemy base near the sea, a couple of Battleships can wreak havok on their defences. They can fire on any Ground or Naval unit, with the exception of Subs which have descended below the sea.

CRUISER
-- Cost: 18,000
-- Primary Weapon: Anti-Sub Missiles (9 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: A.A.M. Guns
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 6 (Ship)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 1 per Turn
-- Vision: 3
-- Details: So, you've bought a Battleship or two, but you really need to protect your investment. And the unit to do it is the Cruiser. At sea, Battleships are vulnerable only to Subs, and Cruisers are the only thing that can fire on a submerged Sub. Battleships are also vulnerable to air attacks, and Cruisers are tooled up with anti-air machine guns too, for just such a situation. And while Cruisers are very handy, there's not really a great need for lots of them. One or two to keep the sea safe should suffice. Cruisers can also have up to 2 Copter units land on them. While on the Cruiser, the Copter units are safe from attack, but if the Cruiser goes down, so do the Copters. While this can be a somewhat useful ability, it is very rarely necessary or even particularly beneficial.

LANDER
-- Cost: 12,000
-- Primary Weapon: None
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: None
-- Movement Range: 6 (Lander)
-- Maximum Fuel: 99
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 1 per Turn
-- Vision: 1
-- Details: Landers are the first and only surprise when it comes to transportation units. Because Landers can transport not only Infantry and Mech units, but any type of Ground Unit. In addition, they can carry two units at a time, making them ideal for setting up a swift outpost on a beach-head. They have quite a good movement range, and relatively good defences, but must be wary of Subs and Battleships as well as airborne units, which can all cause problems for the Lander. And you really don't want to lose a Lander as it's probably carrying two additional units in its hold.

SUB
-- Cost: 20,000
-- Primary Weapon: Torpedo (6 Max Ammo)
-- Secondary Weapon: None
-- Combat Range: 1 (Direct Combat)
-- Movement Range: 5 (Ship)
-- Maximum Fuel: 60
-- Fuel Usage: 1 per Movement Cost, plus 1 per Turn (5 per Turn if submerged)
-- Vision: 5
-- Details: Subs are useful for taking out naval units, but must beware of Cruisers. If they are submerged, they cannot be hit by most units, such as air and ground units. Cruisers and other Subs can always attack though. They carry plenty of fuel for staying above water, but are likely to start running low if submerged for extended periods.



===================
=== 3 - TERRAIN ===
===================

Below I will give a brief description of each type of terrain, as well as the defensive cover offered by the terrain (measured in stars). After each type of terrain has been discussed, there's a breakdown of the movement costs of each unit across each terrain type.

HEADQUARTERS
-- Defensive Cover: 4*
-- Details: Each army on a map has an HQ. It offers the best defensive cover of any building, and ground units placed on the HQ at the start of a turn will regain 2 health as well as restock all fuel and ammo. If an HQ is captured, its army is defeated, so make sure to keep enemy foot soldiers away from your HQ! If you can capture your foes HQ, you can get a swift victory, but they'll often be well defended.

BASE
-- Defensive Cover: 3*
-- Details: This building is used for deploying all ground troops. It can also resupply ground troops and heal them by 2 health if they are on the base at the start of a turn. Bases are very important as ground troops are your basic units. Without any bases you won't be able to create any more infantry units to capture buildings.

AIRPORT
-- Defensive Cover: 3*
-- Details: Air units are deployed from Airports, and these are also the only places airborne units can regain health and supplies (although, as with all units, APCs may restock air units). For this reason, they are very important on maps where you need to get around quickly, or where the terrain is tough, as air units move swiftly over all terrain.

PORT
-- Defensive Cover: 3*
-- Details: To deploy sea units, you need a Port. These will be located on the coast, and can restock and heal naval units that are placed within them at the start of a turn. Ports also offer the best possible defensive cover to sea units, as the only other terrain they can traverse is sea (0*), reef (1*) and, in the case of Landers, Shoal (0*).

CITY
-- Defensive Cover: 3*
-- Details: These are usually the most abundant buildings on a map, and although they do not allow you to deploy any new troops, they can restock and re-supply your ground troops, as well as provide very good defensive cover.

ROAD
-- Defensive Cover: 0*
-- Details: Roads are the easiest type of 'regular' terrain to traverse, but offer absolutely no defensive cover. Good for getting units to where the action is, but once there, find somewhere with more cover.

PLAIN
-- Defensive Cover: 1*
-- Details: Plains are generally the most common type of terrain on a map, offering minimal cover, and being easy for most units to traverse. The cover they give is better than nothing, but if you're trying to hold a position, you should probably find somewhere better.

WOOD
-- Defensive Cover: 2*
-- Details: Woods are useful for cover, but are a hindrance to most units movement. They are especially useful in Fog of War, as units in the Woods cannot be seen unless an enemy is in an adjacent square to them. This is good for hiding Long-Range units in so they can bombard unsuspecting enemies out in the open, and also for moving units through areas undetected.

MOUNTAIN
-- Defensive Cover: 4*
-- Details: Mountains offer the best defensive cover of all, aside from the HQ which has 4* as well as the ability to restock and heal units. Mountains however can only be crossed by Infantry and Mech units, or by airborne units (who don't benefit from the cover anyway). Infantry and Mech units increase their vision by 3 when they climb mountains in Fog of War, making them invaluable in spotting enemies.

RIVER
-- Defensive Cover: 0*
-- Details: Rivers cannot be crossed by any ground troops except Infantry or Mech units. Other ground units will need to find a bridge across them. Naval Units cannot make use of them as they aren't wide enough. As usual, air units can cross them freely.

BRIDGE
-- Defensive Cover: 0*
-- Details: This is essentially just a Road over a River, offering no defensive cover, but also being very easy for any unit to cross.

SEA
-- Defensive Cover: 0*
-- Details: The Sea is impassable to all ground troops. Only naval and airborne units may cross the Sea. As you might imagine, there is no defensive cover out at Sea.

SHOAL
-- Defensive Cover: 0*
-- Details: The Shoal is a beach-head, passable by all ground troops. The only naval unit able to move over it is the Lander. Shoals are the border between land and Sea, although they will not necessarily be at every point where land and Sea meet, so make sure there really is a Shoal there before attempting to land your troops on that bit of coast.

REEF
-- Defensive Cover: 1*
-- Details: The Reef is an area in the sea offering minimal cover. However, in Fog of War it can be used to hide naval units just like Woods can hide ground units. Enemies will not be able to see units in the Reef unless they have a unit adjacent to the reef. Naval units cannot move over a Reef quite as easily as they can the open sea.


The following table gives the movement cost of each type of movement across each type of terrain. The brackets after the terrain type indicates the defensive cover offered by the terrain. Air units cannot take advantage of defensive cover.
A ~ indicates that the unit cannot move over the terrain type.

| I | | | | | | |
| N | | | | | | |
| F | | | | | | L |
| A | | T | T | | | A |
| N | M | Y | R | | S | N |
| T | E | R | E | A | H | D |
| R | C | E | A | I | I | E |
| Y | H | S | D | R | P | R |
--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
HQ (4*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
BASE (3*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
AIRPORT (3*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
PORT (3*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
CITY (3*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
ROAD (0*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
PLAIN (1*) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
WOOD (2*) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
MOUNTAIN (4*) | 2 | 1 | ~ | ~ | 1 | ~ | ~ |
RIVER (0*) | 2 | 1 | ~ | ~ | 1 | ~ | ~ |
BRIDGE (0*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ |
SEA (0*) | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | 1 | 1 | 1 |
SHOAL (1*) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | 1 |
REEF (0*) | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | 1 | 2 | 2 |
--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

INFANTRY: Infantry
MECH: Mechanized Infantry
TYRES: Recon, Rocket, Missile
TREAD: Tank, Md Tank, APC, Artillery, A-Air
AIR: Fighter, Bomber, B-Copter, T-Copter
SHIP: B-Ship, Cruiser, Sub
LANDER: Lander



=====================================
=== 4 - COs (COMMANDING OFFICERS) ===
=====================================

There are a wide variety of COs in Advance Wars. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and each also has a unique CO power, which can be used once their power gauge is full.

-----------------------
--- ORANGE STAR COs ---
-----------------------

ANDY
-- Details: Andy is the all-rounder of the game, none of his units have any additional strengths or weaknesses, making him ideal for battles where all unit types will be required.
-- CO Power: 'Hyper Repair', restores two HP to all units immediately.
-- Playing as Andy: Andy is useful as he has no weaknesses. On the flipside, he has no strengths. His CO Power can be very useful though, just make sure not to waste it.
-- Fighting Andy: Again, with no weaknesses Andy can be tough to beat. You'll just have to rely on your skills and exploit the weaknesses of individual units.

MAX
-- Details: Max is the 'brute' of the game, with stronger direct combat units, but weaker long-range units. The maximum firing range of long-range units is also reduced by one.
-- CO Power: 'Max Force', boosts the attack power of all direct combat units.
-- Playing as Max: Max is good out in the open, but will struggle when the terrain is against him and long-range units can take pot-shots. Advance carefully and make sure you can't be targetted by long-range units, and take the initiative by engaging with direct combat units first.
-- Fighting Max: Engage max at long-range and you should be okay. Use direct-combat units to keep him away from your long-range units, and pummel him at long range as he closes in on you.

SAMI
-- Details: Sami is the infantry specialist. Her Infantry and Mech units are stronger, and are 1.5 times better at capturing than other COs infantry. For example, on full health, one of Sami's units would capture 15/20 of a building rather than 10/20. This still means they'll take 2 turns to capture a building at full health, but they can take some damage and still capture the building in only 2 turns. Her transport units get a +1 to their movement. However, her direct combat units are slightly weaker than other COs.
-- CO Power: 'Double Time', makes her Infantry and Mech units stronger, gives them +1 to their movement and allows them to cross all terrain at a cost of just one.
-- Playing as Sami: Sami is very useful at capturing buildings swiftly. This means she's very good at getting in and taking the enemies properties, thus cutting off their funding. Her direct combat units are slightly weaker however, so she needs support from ranged units as well.
-- Fighting Sami: Keep your properties well guarded, and try to take out groups of infantry at long range as they advance. Her direct combat units are slightly weaker, so take advantage and attack first.


---------------------
--- Blue Moon COs ---
---------------------

OLAF
-- Details: Olaf is another all-rounder like Andy. However, his CO Power is perhaps less obvious in its usefulness. He has no advantages or penalties with regards to specific units, but is affected by the weather. His units are very good in the snow, but not in the rain.
-- CO Power: 'Blizzard', makes it start snowing until the start of his next turn. This creates advantageous conditions for his troops, while limiting the movement of his enemies.
-- Playing as Olaf: Again, Olaf has no real strengths or weaknesses aside the weather. His power to make it snow will limit the range of foes, so make use of it to stop enemies being able to reach you and buy yourself extra time to fire on them at long-range, or attack some enemies and ensure they cannot get backup from other units by restricting their movement.
-- Fighting Olaf: No special tactics here really, just keep an eye on his power meter. If it's full or nearly there, be aware that on your next turn, movement range may be limited. If necessary, retreat and allow him to waste his power. Other than that, business as usual.

GRIT
-- Details: Grit is essentially the opposite of Max. He has strong long-range units, but direct combat units are relatively weak. Long range units also gain +1 to their maximum firing range.
-- CO Power: 'Snipe Attack', increases the strength of long-range units, and increases the maximum firing distance of long-range units by 2.
-- Playing as Grit: Make good use of the +1 to your range. It means that Grit can fire on enemy ranged units without fear of them firing back. Also make sure to use them against approaching direct combat units, and make sure you have some direct combat units to prevent the enemy reaching your precious ranged units.
-- Fighting Grit: When you are up against Grit, you need to be very wary of his ranged units. Try your best to get some direct combat units up close against his ranged units, then make mincemeat of them. If you can't get up close in one go (thus avoiding taking a pummeling) being a number of units up, and hope that Grit attacks the most dispensable first. Also be aware of his CO power. If his bar is close to full, get out of range!


-----------------------
--- Green Earth COs ---
-----------------------

EAGLE
-- Details: Eagle is the airborne expert, as you might expect from his name. His air units are more powerful, while his naval units are weaker. Obviously, this makes him favourable to use on maps with a lot of Airports but no or few Ports.
-- CO Power: 'Lightning Strike', allows all his units apart form Infantry and Mechs to move and attack again. This can be a devastating power, as it essentially gives Eagle two turns, except for infantry (probably to prevent him being able to capture buildings in a single turn). However, when he uses his power, his units will be weaker than usual, meaning he is open to counterattack. Make sure you have moved all units prior to using the power.
-- Playing as Eagle: You should be able to dominate in the air, and your ground troops are just as powerful as normal, so your only weakness is at sea. Use ground units to keep any anti-air units off your back, and use your superior airforce to dominate the battle. Make sure you can wipe out all or most enemies in range when you use your CO Power, or they could mount a very damaging counter-attack.
-- Fighting Eagle: Have plenty of anti-air units, Cruisers can be very useful on maps with a lot of Sea, as Eagles naval forces are weak, so you should find it quite easy to keep Cruisers afloat and shooting down air targets. Always keep an eye on his power meter. If you don't and his power takes you by surprise you can end up with your forces all but wiped out.

DRAKE
-- Details: Drake is pretty much the opposite to Eagle, with his naval units being strong, while his air units are weaker. He is useful when there are plenty of Ports around, but few Airports.
-- CO Power: 'Tsunami', causes all enemies to take 1 damage from a huge tidal wave. Note that it will not kill enemies who only have 1 health remaining.
-- Playing as Drake: Naval units are pretty resistant to other units, but attacks from the air, especially Bombers, can cause headaches, so make sure that you have some cruisers around to protect from air units if there are Airports on the map. As with Eagle, his ground units have no penalties, so he should be as effective as anyone else in a ground war. His CO Power can be very useful in weakening enemy defenses prior to attacking.
-- Fighting Drake: Try to take out naval units from the air, or using Rockets. If he has Cruisers, you'll need to take them out either with ranged units or Subs, but remember that Cruisers are designed for taking out Subs and his Cruisers are superior, so you'll need a couple to work effectively together. His CO Power can be annoying, especially when it his infantry, but remember they are not damaged if they are inside transport units.


------------------------
--- YELLOW COMET COs ---
------------------------

KANBEI
-- Details: All of Kanbei's units are stronger than your usual units, but unfortunately they also cost more to deploy. This makes Kanbei the ideal choice for pre-deployed maps, as you don't have to buy new troops! But on regular maps, he'll need plenty of cash to deploy new units, which can be a headache.
-- CO Power: 'Morale Boost', gives Kanbei's units a boost, so their attacks are more powerful. This can be devastating, remember, Kanbei's units are already stronger than regular troops, and his power gives them another boost on top of that!
-- Playing as Kanbei: Your primary objective is to capture as much as possible, so you can afford to deploy enough units. Aside from that just play as you normally would, trying to attack first to make full use of your stronger troops, and using your CO Power when you need to take on well defended groups.
-- Fighting Kanbei: Try to cut off Kanbei's funding, and be wary of engaging him. It's crucial to ware down his strong units at range before engaging them directly. Beware his CO Power as well, because when it's activated, even the best cover around won't be of much use.

SONJA
-- Details: Sonja's units all get +1 to their vision in Fog of War, but she is unlucky, meaning her units usually do less damage than you'd expect. She is really only useful for maps which use Fog of War, otherwise her bonuses are useless.
-- CO Power: 'Enhanced Vision', gives all units another +2 to their vision, and allows her to see into Forests and Reefs that are in her vision range, regardless of whether or not she has units adjacent to them.
-- Playing as Sonja: Sonja's advantage is knowledge. She can see better in Fog of War than any other CO, so use this to your advantage. Deploy ranged units and use your increased vision to spot for them. Use your CO Power to see where enemy units are hidden and flush them out when they're not expecting it. Use your extra vision to see where your enemy is attacking from and lay traps. You really need to fight a guerrilla war with Sonja in order to balance out her weaker troops.
-- Fighting Sonja: Be cautious. She can see far better than you, and so you must advance cautiously, try to scout an area and when you do find enemies, pounce quickly to take them out with your superiour troops. Hiding in Forsts and Reefs will work well normally, but remember it's meaningless when Sonja uses her power, so keep an eye on how full her bar is.


-----------------
--- BONUS COs ---
-----------------

STURM
-- Details: Sturm is the main foe in campaign mode, and his troops have an offensive bonus, but are weaker when defending. His troops may also move over terrain un-hindered by additional movement costs.
-- CO Power: 'Meteor Strike', sends a meteor down on the largest concentration of enemy troops and damages them. The amount of damage varies depending on whether you are playing in Campaign Mode or Vs. Mode.
-- Playing as Sturm: Sturm has no particular units which he should build, but should attempt to attack first whenever possible. This should be relatively easy as he can move across terrain without hindrance. Use his CO Power to soften up large groups of units before moving in to finish them off.
-- Fighting Sturm: You'll want to attack his troops first, but it'll be hard. You'll have to lure him in, making sure you're just out of reach, then attack with ranged and direct units. Also, keep your units sparsely spaced out to make his Meteor Strike less effective. Other than that, no particular tactics really.

NELL
-- Details: Nell has no real weaknesses, and her only advantage is that of luck. It may not sound much, but Nell's troops will often do more damage than you'd expect, and this coupled with her lack of any disadvantages makes her a good all-rounder.
-- CO Power: 'Lucky Star', makes her troops even luckier than usual! This can mean her units do far more damage than they normally would.
-- Playing as Nell: Just play as you normally would with an all-rounder, try to attack first, and use your CO Power for attacking tougher units or groups.
-- Fighting Nell: This is tough as she has no weaknesses to exploit. Just make sure you attack her units with those best suited to taking them out, shooting stuff like Md Tanks at long range, engaging foot soldiers with A-Air guns, and getting up close and personal with any of her ranged units to take them out quickly. As Nell has no real weaknesses, it's up to you to use your CO Power to it's best effect and to exploit the individual weaknesses of each unit under Nell's command.


-------------------------
--- UNLOCKING THE COs ---
-------------------------

Unlock Grit: Choose to send Max on the Campaign Mode mission 'Max Strikes'. Then complete the mission and the Campaign Mode.

Unlock Kanbei: Complete Campaign Mode.

Unlock Sonja: Beat Kanbei's missions quickly (1st mission in 8 Turns, 2nd in 10, 3rd in 12) to unlock Sonja's missions. Then complete these and the Campaign Mode.

Unlock Drake: Use Andy for all 4 of the Campaign missions on Green Earth, then complete the Campaign.

Unlock Eagle: Use Sami for all 4 of the Campaign missions on Green Earth, then complete the Campaign and complete the bonus 'Rivals' mission.

Unlock Sturm: Unlock and buy all other COs (apart from Nell).

Unlock Nell: Complete the Advance Campaign (you can buy the Advance Campaign after completing the Campaign mode).



===================
=== 5 - TACTICS ===
===================

There are many tactics that will help you on your way to mastering Advance Wars, and these are just a few of them:


CAPTURE EARLY
On maps where you can deploy more troops (ie. there are Bases, Airports or Ports available) focus on capturing buildings at the start. This is usually what your opponent will be doing unless they already have all the properties nearby. The more properties you have captured, the greater your income, and thus the more units you can deploy. Capturing early mean that your initial turns should be spent deploying infantry units, and transports to get them to their targets quicker.


CAPTURE AS YOU GO
As you advance you are bound to meet resistance. This will likely cause your troops some damage, and they will fire thus using ammo. Moving also uses fuel. Although APCs can replenish fuel and ammo, only the appropriate buildings will heal troops. It's also a massive help having buildings which can deploy troops near your front line, as you can respond more immediately to what units are required without wasting a few turns getting units up to the front line.


SOFTEN UP TARGETS FIRST
Don't go charging in with your direct combat units if the enemy you're about to attack is in range of your long-range unit(s). Fire first with long-range units to soften up the target, then move in and attack directly. This will lessen the amount of damage you take as a result of return-fire. This is a general rule however. If you're direct combat unit is going to do 100% damage to the unit in question, it doesn't need softening up as your direct unit will take it out in one, so if you do attack with the long-range unit you'll have wasted the attack anyway. But in general it's best to attack first with your long-range units, then move up with direct combat units.


PLAY THE PERCENTAGES
Always check before committing yourself. If you have multiple targets in range, weigh up which is more of a threat, and then move your unit to each, and check the percentage damage shown for firing on the unit. If you're going to do very little damage to a unit it's probably not worth attacking it, especially if you know it'll cause you a lot of damage from return-fire. If you can do significant damage to multiple targets, weigh up the amount of damage done, the amount of damage the enemies could do on the next turn, and what the enemy units could actually target in the next turn. Also, be aware whether or not an attack will kill the enemy. The percentage relates to how much of the enemy's 10 hit points will be lost. Therefore an attack of 100% or more will instantly kill an enemy, whereas an attack dealing around 50% will take off 5 hit points. If the enemy has only 5 health left though, they will be killed! It is always worth knowing when an attack will or won't kill an enemy, because if the attack does destroy your foe, you don't have to worry about return fire dealing any damage to your own unit. Note however, that the percentages are an estimate, and you may deal more or less damage than shown, although it is rare to deal less.


USE YOUR STRONGEST FIRST
As a general rule, if you're going to attack a target with multiple direct combat units in one turn, use the strongest and healthiest unit first (generally the one which will do the most percentage damage). If you use the weakest first, you could find yourself taking hefty return-fire and damage. By attacking with your strongest first, you do the most possible damage to the foe before they can return-fire, and thus when your weaker units attack they will have less return-fire to contend with.


DAMAGE RATHER THAN KILL
Obviously you should kill units completely if you can. But if you simply don't have enough units to destroy a group, focus on damaging them all significantly. An enemy on 4 or less health can't effectively attack a similar unit on near-full health, because it will often end up taking as much damage as it gives. Use this to your advantage. If you have the choice between killing a unit on relatively low health, or significantly damaging a realtively healthy unit, do the latter. Again, this is a general rule and doesn't apply to all situations. You should really try to kill units outright if the enemy is on or close to buildings which can heal it, or if you are fighting on a pre-deployed map, where you and your enemy cannot build new units.


HURT CAPTURING INFANTRY
If you see infantry trying to capture your own or neutral buildings, aim to damage them. When fighting the CPU, it never seems to 'break off' from capturing, meaning when it starts trying to capture a building it won't ever give up, even if you reduce the unit to 1 health and the building still has 10 health (ie. it'd take another 10 turns to capture it). So if the enemy is trying to capture something, damage his infantry significantly, and you can just ignore it until a turn before it will actually capture the building, at which point you should move in to finish it off. This is handy if you do not have the time to stop and finish off enemy infantry.


STOP THE ENEMY DEPLOYING MORE TROOPS
Simply by placing a unit onto an enemy Base, Airport or Port you stop that building from deploying any new troops. This can be incredibly useful when invading the enemy HQ area, as you can stem the flow of new troops quickly. It is also useful because buildings all have high defensive cover ratings, and because you can later move your unit off the building when you have infantry in range, and move directly onto the building to begin capturing.


CAPTURE ENEMY BUILDINGS
When capturing, you will either be capturing neutral (grey) buildings, or coloured buildings that already belong to an enemy. In general, favour capturing enemy buildings. This means you start getting funds from them, but you also cut off some funding to the enemy. Obviously the enemy will try to protect its property, but if you are confident you can defend your infantry effectively, go for it. If not, go for the neutral buildings first, and when you have more money and units, start moving in on the enemies property.


BUILD A BARRIER
If you can see your troops will get attacked next round, try to build up a barrier. This is most obvious and necessary with long-range units. Place some direct combat units with good defense around the long-range unit to keep it from harms way. But it also works with other units too. Place an air unit in the way of your ground units if the enemy has no anti-air units nearby. Most ground units are quite weak when attacking Copters, and can't attack Planes at all! You can also use cheap or disposable units as a sacrificial shield, one that you know will get killed or take a hefty beating, but you don't mind losing. Sacrificial shields aren't recommended when you're going for the top-ranks like S or A rank though. Building shields is vital when you make a move to capture the enemy HQ as they usually have Bases very close to their HQ, so reinforcements will arrive swiftly.


MAKE THE ENEMY WASTE THEIR POWER
This is easier with some COs than others. The CPU always seems to use their CO Power as soon as they can, meaning if you see their bar is full and know their power, you can sometimes move your troops in such a way as to make their power useless. For example, if you're playing a CO whose power makes their troops more powerful (such as Max or Kanbei), simply make sure your troops are out of range when their bar gets full, and they will waste their power.


HIDE YOUR TROOPS (Fog of War)
When Fog of War is on, always do your best to hide your troops in Forests and Reefs. The CPU seems to be able to see everything on the playing field regardless of Fog of War anyway, but won't be able to see hidden units. Use this to your advantage, but don't get complacent; if an enemy moves next to your hidden unit, you're wide open to attack. Using Forests and Reefs to advance on your foe unseen is very useful though, and can prevent bombardment from ranged units.


WATCH AND LISTEN TO ENEMY MOVEMENTS
This is especially useful when Fog of War is on. When an enemy is moving troops watch the screen and listen. You'll be able to figure out vaguely where troops are and what type they are based on where the screen is and what noises are made when enemy troops move. For example, Infantry and Mechs will make a foot-stomping kind of noise, while Copters make a noise like spinning rotor-blades. Learn the noises of each type of troop and listen out for them. By watching and listening you can get a vague idea on what enemies are present and where they are, as well as their numbers (although be aware that the enemy may not move all units each turn, so this may be deceptive).


KNOW WHEN TO GIVE UP
Rather than spending another half and hour fighting a losing battle in Campaign mode or the War Room, give up, learn from what happened, why you lost, what you did wrong, and start afresh, bearing in mind the lessons learnt. There's no point fighting to the bitter end when it's plainly obvious that you're not going to be able to make a comeback successfully. In Campaign mode, Nell will also chip in if you lose or yield with some advice. It's not always especially helpful, but it could point you in the right direction. Giving up and trying again is also near essential if you're looking to get high a high ranking in Campaign mode or the War Room, as you try out various tactics and COs to see which work best. Dry runs are also extremely useful in Fog of War missions, as long range units hidden in Forests or Reefs by the CPU will rarely be moved, so once you know where they are you're life will be made far easier.


CAPTURE, DON'T KILL (Vs. Mode)
In Vs. Mode, if you have multiple opponents, aim to capture an opponents HQ rather than defeat them by wiping out all their troops. If they lose through being wiped out, all their properties become neutral. If you capture an enemy HQ, all their properties become yours! Think of all the extra money, and all the new places to deploy troops from!



As I've mentioned in many of the tactics themselves, these are all general rules. There are situations where you may need to ignore them in order to get the best out of your troops, for example, attacking with multiple weak units in order to clear a path so your stronger unit can then advance on a heavier target (ignoring the USE YOUR STRONGEST FIRST rule). However, more often than not, these rules will serve you well, allowing you to conquer your enemy.



===========================================
Hopefully you will have found this mini-guide to be useful in conquering your enemies in the world of Advance Wars!

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