GroundControl/MissionSpoilers

Ouchies.  Um, how many power stations does it have?  Because Order infantry have detpacks that can take it out instantly, and you just said that infiltration is a breeze.  --Vitenka

Eh? Crayven (Jaeger) infantry have satchel charges, sure. Templars get AA warheads and micronukes; Crusaders have Flamethrowers and an AT weapon. There's only one plant, but it is guarded by THREE Defenderguns, so long range artillery bombardment is right out. (Or at least, it is on normal and hard. I don't play the game on easy or light, because it's silly) --SF

That does still leave you with three rocket-using units and the fighters.  I'd be strongly tempted to actually use planes on this one, if only for the potential to actually see what a heavy bombers explosion looks like as an alpha strike (and who cares if they die once their payload is dropped)....  --Vitenka

You don't have the option to use bomber aerodynes, unfortunately. --SF

Bum.  They don't like making things easy, do they?  Is the base that evil that taking out the arriving forces (and then the reinforcements) first and then assaulting the base as normal won't work?  That many rocket units make me actually think twice about tanks.  Though beam platforms, whilst innaccurate, would wreak mighty amounts of havoc if let loose from within a base.  Not for very long though.  I think you'll have to do it with split forces.  First half being just enough to take out the power station (and thus most of the guns) and then die - the rest outside the base to take out that incoming artillery and then just assault the rocket units.  Plenty of rocket units of your own to take out the planes, and pray that the artillery emplacements go up with the power station.  I'll not have a real 'how I did it' answer for a few weeks at the rate I'm progressing :)  --Vitenka

IIRC there's no 'trick' to it - take the power out of course, using massed air if there's not significant air defence or detaching a tank unit if there is; using a lot of tanks (as they are decent defensive units) and keeping close tabs on your essential air assets; taking an AA unit along with your Templars to deal with fighters and the Crayven air attacks that occur later. And be prepared for losses, rotating out tank units as and when they're close to destruction. --Requiem

"A" tank unit has no chance. There are templars next to the power station, and rocket terradynes in close attendance. My first attempt used all four of my hoverdyne units; with the two templar squads dispatched to nail the rocket units. This may have been too many. --SF

Well, yes. I'm possibly confused as to the location of the power; if it's in the base then yes I would aim most of the force at it. Consider using the special weapon load to take the thing out in one shot (16 medium terradynes all firing their 'enhanced-damage' shot should take out the power). But I'm unsure. It's a long time since I played this game. --Requiem

A lack of regeneration units is going to mean that you lose a bunch of tanks no matter what you do, I think.  Unless you don't have any tanks at all - rocket units cannot target infantry... Um, I'll assume that there's something in the base that can kill them - though you don't list anything.  Then again, three rocket using squads is about average for a group you have to assault - so if you can blow up the generator quickly enough, it shouldn't be much harder than average.  --Vitenka

Oh, it's doable. I've done it twice now; still haven't managed to preserve one unit from each squad though. Using more or less my entire force in the opening base more or less works. Templars against Rocket Terradynes, Templars and Aerodynes against Artillery, Crusaders against Templars, everything else on the power plant...and the enemy defenses only get one volley off. The four hoverdynes will still zot one Artillery dyne, though. 

I can't remember how I did it. --Requiem (playing through the game again, having forgotten a lot of the tricks)

There is no reason you should ever need air defence on this mission. You can do it very simply inside the 20 minute time limit with no or close to no casualties. --SF

I found that without something to shoot down the planes, they could take out my artillery.  Admittedly, it didn't need much - but having a light tank along to mow down infantry was hardly a bad thing.  It was a boring victory, true - but advancing slowly, blowing up the base and then mopping up the outposts worked well.  --Vitenka

It's trivial to do it the way you suggested but in under 20 minutes. So you don't need air defence at all, due to there being no planes. --Requiem

I guess I must play incredibly slowly.  I carpet bombed ever square inch of the map I could reach before advancing a bit and repeating the process.  Overly cautious, but effective.  --Vitenka

This will not work on some later missions on harder difficulty levels. --SF

Well yes, later missions have multiple power units and power that recovers.  And some defence turrets that don't get knocked out when the power goes.  But it helps a lot - and the basic point of 'artillery plus radar is a good thing' stands :)  --Vitenka

No, I mean that base defenses can shoot down incoming artillery shells.... --SF

Hadn't had that happen to any noticable degree.  Fair enough though.  --Vitenka

Not actually true. Heavy tanks have a longer LOS than most turrets. If the enemy has spotter units the turrets can shoot you anyway. --SF

Ahhh, that makes sense.  But most spotter units don't last long against heavy tanks :)  --Vitenka  (The exception being bastard bastard rocket infantry hiding in the cliffs)