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[Dilbert]

I'm back on a GBA kick, so I've been playing FFIVa and thinking about getting back into AW2 as well. I never got very far in the game, though, since I'm not at all inclined towards strategy games.

What is the recommended "standard" build order? Obviously you will need to customize it for the particular map, but every strategy game I've ever seen has an essentially rote set of steps (or principles) for an optimal opening. (I guess it's roughly analogous to opening game theory in chess.)

Is there a standard set of attack groups? In other words (as an example), should you always pair a tank with ______ in order to be maximally effective and defensible?

 

[demi]

More like

Build a shitload of units and blow stuff up

 

[DrLazy]

I'm back on a GBA kick, so I've been playing FFIVa and thinking about getting back into AW2 as well. I never got very far in the game, though, since I'm not at all inclined towards strategy games.

What is the recommended "standard" build order? Obviously you will need to customize it for the particular map, but every strategy game I've ever seen has an essentially rote set of steps (or principles) for an optimal opening. (I guess it's roughly analogous to opening game theory in chess.)

Is there a standard set of attack groups? In other words (as an example), should you always pair a tank with ______ in order to be maximally effective and defensible?

It really depends on the map. Usually you want to start off with infantry to start capturing nearby factories. If there's air power in the enemy, next go for anti-air because they'll get to you before the land forces. The key, in general, is to hurry up and take as much space as possible quickly, sometimes building an APC or transport copter right away helps.

 

[YourMaster]

It really depends an awful lot on your strategy, the mission at hand and the map you play on.

If I had to give any kind of order, it would be simple infantry first to capture cities. Second Scouts to stop the enemy from doing the same and apc's to reach cities a little further from your base. And finally some light tanks to take down their scouts and tanks.

 

[Property of Jumpship]

If you ever decide to sell this game, P.M. me.

 

[Beezy]

Get off the board and just play the game.

 

[ChrisReid]

It really depends an awful lot on your strategy, the mission at hand and the map you play on.

If I had to give any kind of order, it would be simple infantry first to capture cities. Second Scouts to stop the enemy from doing the same and apc's to reach cities a little further from your base. And finally some light tanks to take down their scouts and tanks.

Yeah, there's absolutely no general Advance Wars "build order." Obviously you might need to build infantry to take cities, but even that isn't applicable in half the maps where they give you infantry or there are no cities to take.

 

[sterlingice]

This seems like such a weird question. That game felt so natural as to what to build just looking at what you were up against. The only time I remember being a little overwhelmed was the final level of AW2 where you had to command 3 different groups with a time limit, special weapons aimed at you, and a long ways to go. Beautifully designed game- one of those that really does fit the "easy to play difficult to master (multiplayer)"

SI

 

[A Link to the Past]

Yeah, there's absolutely no general Advance Wars "build order." Obviously you might need to build infantry to take cities, but even that isn't applicable in half the maps where they give you infantry or there are no cities to take.

I can't recall a map that had no cities. Maybe it's just that I haven't played in so long.

 

[golduck342]

Um, I can't really remember AW1 specifically, but I tend to just build tanks at first, seeing as to how they're the most versatile.

 

[firex]

I'm back on a GBA kick, so I've been playing FFIVa and thinking about getting back into AW2 as well. I never got very far in the game, though, since I'm not at all inclined towards strategy games.

What is the recommended "standard" build order? Obviously you will need to customize it for the particular map, but every strategy game I've ever seen has an essentially rote set of steps (or principles) for an optimal opening. (I guess it's roughly analogous to opening game theory in chess.)

Is there a standard set of attack groups? In other words (as an example), should you always pair a tank with ______ in order to be maximally effective and defensible?

Make about 2-3 infantry and 1 APC when starting out on a map, then work your way up according to your CO's specialty (or if using a CO with no specialty, get the strongest direct attack unit and use it to push forward as you create indirect units to support it). At least that's the basic build order I use. If you can get away with spending less on your first turn (i.e. don't produce more infantry than you can move to capture within the next turn) do it, that way you can more easily save up for a bigger unit and therefore lay into the enemy early.

Note that I'm just going by single player war room, I've never gotten to play multi.

 

[ChrisReid]

I can't recall a map that had no cities. Maybe it's just that I haven't played in so long.

There's lots of maps with no factories or build locations, so there's a relatively low priority to capture cities usually then. I guess obviously in those you have no build order as well.

 

[Jiggy]

In Advance Wars 1, Max is so broken that you can pretty much get away with building nothing but a few Infantry (number varies by map size/amount of properties) and Tanks. Other COs should focus on some combination of Tanks and Artillery at a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 ratio. There need to be more Tanks to absorb the front-line attacks so that the Artillery doesn't have to, since those tend to be among the best investments you can make, especially if you're playing in Fog of War.
Grit is an exception to the "formula," though; generally he can get away with just building Artillery.



In Advance Wars 2, it really depends on the CO.

Andy - See the above Tanks/Artillery strategy, except in AW2 you'll need Md Tanks on occasion.
Sami - Flooding Mechs everywhere and throwing in some backup Artillery works; her Mechs only really have trouble with Rockets and Md Tanks, but the numbers game will overtake enemy Rockets, while enemy Md Tanks/Neotanks struggle to break through meatshield walls, then get murdered by the far cheaper Artillery, an economic advantage to Sami. Early on, try to rush some Infantry out in APCs to get to strategic bases faster than the enemy.
Max - Tanks and Md Tanks will do.
Nell - Broken. Do whatever, it barely matters.
Hachi - See Nell.

Olaf - See Andy.
Grit - See AW1.
Colin - Broken.

Kanbei - See Andy. Kanbei's Tanks have the added bonus of absolutely top-notch defense, so enemy Md Tanks and Neotanks will run into huge problems trying to get through to destroy the Artillery that will inevitably be raining down 130% damage devastation all over their ranks. You might not actually need Md Tanks with Kanbei.
Sonja - Don't use her unless you're in FOW.
Sensei - See Sami. Use Sami if you're in a map with no airports or a map with both airports and ports, since her capturing bonus and her stronger infantry (when using powers, anyway) will be the better skill there, but Sensei's incredible B Copters afford him a massive advantage in maps with only airports and bases.

Eagle - See Andy.
Drake - Don't use him if you're not in a sea map.
Jess - See Andy but focus more on Tanks. Her Artillery units are fantastic too, but the movement bonuses from her powers give the edge to Tanks and Md Tanks. No need for Neotanks here, usually, but Rockets can be good if you're in a really big map where they can be afforded without hurting your front lines.

Flak - Don't use him.
Adder - His movement bonuses put a real hurting on the standard Tank/Artillery procedure since he can break through lines of defense, but he needs the extra firepower of Md Tanks and Neotanks to do it.
Lash - Her powers are pretty broken in a lot of land maps.
Hawke - See Andy.
Sturm - Broken.