Can anyone give me any good strategies for doing this level?

LONG LIVE THE EMPORER!

First of all don't worry so much about the clock, you will have plenty of time to take the drill site on top of the volcano.

I found this level quite intriguing, what I did at the start of the mission was set up base and two anti vehicle turrets nearby. Be sure to equip both of them with storm troopers or rebel soldiers will capture the turrets and use them against you (Anti Infrantry Turrets should be added later in the mission when you base is attacked).
Then gather your AT-STs and AT-PTs and have them secure the area just a few 30 meters to the East of your Base. When you can install a Air Control building (not at the beginning), Air Superiority is nice to have in this level. (If your not sure how to use the Landing platform and request for Tie Fighter units just ask).

Once you have acquired at the beginning a compliment of 6 AT-STs,3 AT-PTs, 3 AT-AAs.
Send them out directly East all the way to the end of the map. (Just for positioning sake your Base starts at the West on the edge of the map).

Now your troops may encounter some enemies on the way try to destroy them the best you can only if they engage you. AT-PTS are the better for killing rebel troops, and AT-ST are better for destroying vehicles. Its dangerous to have your units take on a job they are not fit for. Once you get to the edge of the map head directly south. (you should be circling the volcano where the drill is located) Do not head north or you will encounter a large rebel installation.

Once you get to the South Eastern part of the map have your forces take on the two large turrets protecting the Air field. Then once they are destroyed attack the Air Field itself, this should be your primary objective. Once the airfield is destroyed. Attempt to have your troops pull back if you can otherwise make a suicide mission to destroy the rest of the turrets that protected the airfield. (Around this time you should have built a Landing platform, and your base should have been attacked like 2 or 3 times by ground forces.)

Have Tie Fighters fly up to the drill site and take out the rebel soldiers and tanks guarding the site. At the same time construct another attack force of 4 AT-ST 3
AT-PTs and 3 AT-AA if you can. (buy the AT-ST last since the PTs and AA are more important) Once your force is ready have the AT-PTs lead the attack up the volcano with the AT-AA in the middle and the AT-ST also in middle and front. (you may have to repeat this depending on how well you do..)

Once all the enemies have been cleared from the top of the drill site order 3 speed bikers and have dellis get on as well as another storm trooper get on another bike.
Then have all 3 bikers get to the drill site ASAP with Tie fighters covering from above. Once the drill site is taken the mission is basically to mop up the rest of the
rebels in the map.

There is a much larger rebel force at the North Easterrn part of the map, once the air field and its anti air turrets are destroyed. Tie fighter pilots can then do most of
the work of finishing off the installation. However another AT-ST attack force should be used to help destroy the anti-air turrets and the Airfield itself.

This map takes awhile at least it did for me, but over all I get much pleasure from being able to command 10 Tie Fighters to wipe out a base.

BTW after you take the drill site have some tie figthers survey the map and locate the 2 energy bases wipe out any resistance there with the Tie Figthers and have
storm troopers take those small bases, you will get more cp points.

Good Luck in your mission.

-General Thrawn

[This message has been edited by General Thrawn (edited April 04, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by General Thrawn (edited April 04, 2000).]

i have to disagree with the previous reply about the time, keep an eye on it. it stoped me sometimes cuz i was out dinking around. so this is how i did it.

for starters make a wall of protection at the base with your troops. you'll be attacked from almost every side.

build a turret building then put up you actual turrets, i had about 3 or 4 anti-V and at least 2 anti-A. while your doing this send for some more troops some artillery and some at st for sure your gonna need some moble anti air too, so start to build up about 4 to 5 of those over time. take a squad of a hand full of troops (6) in a troop carrier (i had about 3 of them) some atst an anti air (just in case) and raid the control stations (which are on the bottom of the map when you looking at it in the map in theBHCI) once you have those leave a trooper inside them and go back to base. during this time build an landing base and get some ties

your gonna go to the drill now. your gonna need alot of firepower. on the back side of the drill is an air speeder base and each one of the turrets, send a good sized attack on it. i recommend 5 atst, acouple anti air and about 3 to 4 artillary. they do the damage on this level. take out the air strip for sure and try to hit the anti air. once that is done you take then back up to the drill. while you were attacking the airstrip, send the rest up the first side of the volcano. have artillery to do some troop attacks, send in ties to keep um busy. once the lower base is taken out storm and i mean storm the upper levels of the drill area, your time should be cutting down. remember those troop carriers i said to get, well have one loaded with Dellis and 5 storms close but not in harms way. send the other troops carriers (1 or 2) up to the drill and clear it out. once thats cleared out send in Dellis, or you could send him in with the troops, i did that and he didn't take to much damage, but put the smack down himself.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE TIME TO DO THIS, I HAD TO DO THE LEVEL OVER CUZ WHEN I SAVED LAST, AND WITH THE TRIP UP THE DRILL SITE DELLIS COULD HARDLY GET IN AND TIME WOULD BE UP. once you have control of the drill, time stops and never restarts, you have to take out the rest of the rebels, make sure all air units in the rebels power are delt with. order atst's and artillery send them down the volcano over to the rebels wipe them out, all of them. i did recon with the ties, quick flights over the un explored areas, in ever case i had the numbers to kill so. this level is all about numbers.

the drill is first and formost objective.

like i said the artillery is the best, be aware that they have to have a spotter, another unit, any unit, to be around to spot and the art does the rest.

________________________________
"I will not tolerate failure!"

Interesting, I am surprised you were able to make it up the volcano before destroying the nearby Air Field. Every time I sent my units (with 3 AT-AAs) up the volcano without destroying the airfield, only half or less than half of my attack force would make it up there. Then they would be finished off by the rebel air speeders and tanks. I felt I would waste too many units and cp. points continuing to attempt to take the well guarded volcano without destroying the rebels main reinforcements.

I would love to watch your method, too bad LA didn't add a record movie option.

Plus if you fail enough times the rebels are able to get on the offensive and will attack your base more frequently. Using my tactics puts the rebels on the defensive if your fast and know how to use the BHCI well. And they become preoccupied protecting their bases then mounting multiple offensives.

When I captured the drill site I had about 1/3 time left, this is why I feel you have plenty of time to take the drill site.

I have to admit I do not know how to use the mobile artillery units yet, still have to learn how they work. I assume they have to be deployed on the ground like the Field Combat Manual says but I never used them so far.

General Thrawn
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Peace through supreme firepower