Advance Wars Remake Advice

[vanguard333]

Recently, I've been playing Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp. I thought I'd try it since its turn-based strategy is very different from Fire Emblem's and looked very interesting. I'm currently at the final mission of the first game, and I've been struggling with whether or not I've been enjoying the game.

There is a lot that I like: I like that the game encourages aggressive tactics while also punishing leaving troops in the open, I like that the troops being disposable means I need a different mindset from when I'm playing games like Fire Emblem or Valkyria Chronicles, and I like the variety of different units and the ways different commanders affect those units (Incidentally, I mainly use Andy, as I like being well-rounded and his power healing his units makes them less disposable).

However, I have found that, far too often, all it takes is one tiny mistake, or even doing everything in a way that should work, but the enemy AI does something bizarre, for what should've been a quick victory to instead become a slog. I can roll with making mistakes in Fire Emblem so long as a unit doesn't die, as Fire Emblem is more flexible, but it is just not fun to roll with mistakes in this game because of how much those mistakes compound. Mistakes can also compound in Valkyria Chronicles, but Valkyria Chronicles has two things this game doesn't have: the ability to save at any time, and multiple save slots.

It's to the point where, quite often, I'm having to resort to a guide. However, even then, the enemy AI almost always behaves differently from how it does in the guide, ruining the strategies provided by the guides. In those cases, I usually am eventually able to find a way to modify the strategy to make it work, and it is fun when it finally works. Before then, however, are multiple restarts of the map and exercises in frustration.

 

I have heard that the second game is better than the first, but I don't know if it will be any less frustrating. I want to keep playing it, as it can be a lot of fun. But, unless I find a way to mitigate the amount of times I have to restart an entire map because it's become a slog as a result of one small mistake, I may have to stop playing it.

Anyone have any advice?

[Interdimensional Observer]

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

I'm currently at the final mission of the first game

If you need help for this specifically...

• Andy is going to get clobbered right away, just focus on surviving with him.
  • Maybe let Sturm take the nearby neutral airport so he'll churn out air units there, within easy reach of any Anti-Airs you build.
  • Try to get Andy to scapegoat the first Meteor Strike (not if an Infantry cluster is as effective as it used to be at baiting it). If need be, have your two other armies scatter their units the turn you're expecting a Meteor Strike so that the 3x3 +shape is less likely to hit them, or at least cause less damage.
• While Andy holds out, the two side armies need to rush to his aid.
  • As I was used to the GBA originals and cleared the old unlock requirements, I'm not sure if Grit & Olaf and Drake, Eagle, & Kanbei are already unlocked.
    • If you do have a choice, the pick Max for the left side, and pick either Kanbei or Eagle for the right side, that'll be the strongest pair. Don't pick Sami for the right, she's the worst choice here.
  • Send these armies up the left and right, capturing all the properties they can along the way. Churn out Tanks, AA, and aircraft to send Sturm back over the river. He has -20 Defense in AW1's Campaign, his units are squishier than normal. Unless you're Grit, don't bother with indirects, this map has too much movement for them.
  • Given your starting positions, need to take the forward deployment facilities, and not overly abundant funds, it will take a few turns to get to Sturm.

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

(Incidentally, I mainly use Andy,

This won't be an option in the Black Hole Rising campaign. There, for the majority of maps, you'll be assigned a specific CO for a given mission. If they have certain strengths, you can usually expect their maps will emphasize them.

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

However, I have found that, far too often, all it takes is one tiny mistake,

You do know there is a Turnwheel-like feature that was added in Re-Boot Camp, right?

It can only reset the current turn you are on. But if you realize you messed up during the enemy phase, you can exit the game before it's done and you should go back to the end of the player phase, I think?

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

I have heard that the second game is better than the first, but I don't know if it will be any less frustrating. I want to keep playing it, as it can be a lot of fun. But, unless I find a way to mitigate the amount of times I have to restart an entire map because it's become a slog as a result of one small mistake, I may have to stop playing it.

Anyone have any advice?

I'm an AW veteran (all four games) who has logged more than a few hours in Re-Boot Camp. I'm not a perfectionist by any means, though.

I concede I'm not great at giving advice.😅 And I'm not sure if I can wrap my head around what you're feeling given how adapted to AW I am. Nonetheless, I'll try.

A few unit tips.:

• Unless it's Fog of War, skip Recons, they're flimsy, weak, their move isn't great if it isn't on Roads.
• While Mech spam is a great tactic in some Versus maps, on the Campaigns I don't recall many instances where it's a great idea. I make just enough Infantry/Mechs and related transports for my capturing needs, and try to keep them alive. -Unless I'm using Infantry as meatshields for my indirects.
• Your standard Tank is affordable and powerful, the workhorse of any land army.
• If the enemy has aircraft, complement your Tanks with some Anti-Airs. If the enemy has Bombers, carry 2 AA per enemy Bomber. For even if one AA has to be used as bait, the other will be able to follow up cripple the enemy Bomber, if the other AA is still hanging by a thread, you might be able to finish the Bomber off with it.
  • AA are also stronger than Tanks against Infantry and Mechs, although they will take more damage from bazooka rounds if a Mech strikes first.
• On air units.:
  • Battle Copters are versatile and fairly affordable, they make for a nice unit triangle with Tanks and AAs.
  • Bombers are powerful, but expensive. Spamming them shouldn't be done willy-nilly, unless the map necessitates it.
  • Fighters- look at the terrain. If there's plenty of water to cross or big distances to cover or lots of mountains for enemy aircraft to hide in beyond your AAs' reach, then build some Fighters. AA are otherwise less expensive.
• Indirect combat units are better for slower, more defensive play. When you need to hold a chokepoint, when maps have thick terrain, then indirects get better. If a map is open or demands aggressiveness, then Artillery and Rockets find it more difficult to be useful.
• Artillery vs. Rockets- Rockets are a little stronger and have more range. However, you can buy 2 Artillery and 3 Infantry to serve as meat shields for the price of 1 Rocket. Really consider if you need the extra range first.
• Mid-Tanks- Similar to the Rocket consideration. 16k can get you a Mid-Tank, or you can break that into 2 regular Tanks with 2k funds left over. Or 1 Tank and 1 AA, or 1 Tank 1 Artillery 1 Mech. Do you need the extra durability only a Mid-Tank can provide, and perhaps additional single-hit oomph?

 

On the AI- It struggles in two-front wars if you ever get into one. Focus on holding on a single front, then pound away at them on the other. It also doesn't have a great sense of self-preservation in these old games either. And is fairly bad at naval wars too, spamming Landers and not enough combat units to protect them.

With regard to the map- always keep an eye out for any well-placed unclaimed deployment facilities. Get them, deny them to the enemy. The AI doesn't usually see these key properties for what they are.

 

-If you move on the to the AW2 campaign and need advice on any map, just ask. I cleared the normal version almost perfectly last year.

Edited April 26 by Interdimensional Observer

[Armchair General]

54 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

On the AI- It struggles in two-front wars if you ever get into one. Focus on holding on a single front, then pound away at them on the other. It also doesn't have a great sense of self-preservation in these old games either. And is fairly bad at naval wars too, spamming Landers and not enough combat units to protect them.

With regard to the map- always keep an eye out for any well-placed unclaimed deployment facilities. Get them, deny them to the enemy. The AI doesn't usually see these key properties for what they are.

This is on the hardest setting, right? Cuz I kind of assumed that the series was supposed to be capable of putting up an better fight than that

[vanguard333]

7 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

If you need help for this specifically...

• Andy is going to get clobbered right away, just focus on surviving with him.
  • Maybe let Sturm take the nearby neutral airport so he'll churn out air units there, within easy reach of any Anti-Airs you build.
  • Try to get Andy to scapegoat the first Meteor Strike (not if an Infantry cluster is as effective as it used to be at baiting it). If need be, have your two other armies scatter their units the turn you're expecting a Meteor Strike so that the 3x3 +shape is less likely to hit them, or at least cause less damage.
• While Andy holds out, the two side armies need to rush to his aid.
  • As I was used to the GBA originals and cleared the old unlock requirements, I'm not sure if Grit & Olaf and Drake, Eagle, & Kanbei are already unlocked.
    • If you do have a choice, the pick Max for the left side, and pick either Kanbei or Eagle for the right side, that'll be the strongest pair. Don't pick Sami for the right, she's the worst choice here.
  • Send these armies up the left and right, capturing all the properties they can along the way. Churn out Tanks, AA, and aircraft to send Sturm back over the river. He has -20 Defense in AW1's Campaign, his units are squishier than normal. Unless you're Grit, don't bother with indirects, this map has too much movement for them.
  • Given your starting positions, need to take the forward deployment facilities, and not overly abundant funds, it will take a few turns to get to Sturm.

Interesting. I think this is mostly what I tried to do, but I and the guide had Kanbei on the left and Eagle on the right. My problem was that the AI behaved differently from how it did in the guide in a few key ways (for an example: early on, it positioned one of its medium tanks in a way that made it out of reach of Eagle's helicopters on the turn the guide used them to attack that tank).

All those characters are unlocked in the remake if I recall correctly.

7 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

This won't be an option in the Black Hole Rising campaign. There, for the majority of maps, you'll be assigned a specific CO for a given mission. If they have certain strengths, you can usually expect their maps will emphasize them.

You do know there is a Turnwheel-like feature that was added in Re-Boot Camp, right?

It can only reset the current turn you are on. But if you realize you messed up during the enemy phase, you can exit the game before it's done and you should go back to the end of the player phase, I think?

That sounds good. I was just saying that, when given a choice, I usually picked Andy as the CO.

There is? I don't recall the game ever mentioning it at any point. I'm definitely going to look for it now, as that can be a big help, though it only being for the current turn is a little disappointing.

 

Thanks for the unit advice.

[Interdimensional Observer]

6 hours ago, Armchair General said:

This is on the hardest setting, right? Cuz I kind of assumed that the series was supposed to be capable of putting up an better fight than that

TBF, programming AI to think entirely like a human probably isn't easy. Especially taking map-specific details into account.

On naval warfare, even in Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict, the AI produces too many land units on a map where you should first conquer the waves. And it doesn't understand blindly plopping two ground units at a time on beaches that haven't been secured by battleship bombardment and bomber rain isn't an effective amphibious landing operation. (But then, landings can be difficult, major undertakings IRL, Normandy took a long time and lots of resources to prepare.) Land conflict is better for the AI.

 

16 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

Thanks for the unit advice.

In retrospect I realize it wasn't that valuable. The story campaigns of AW1 is heavy on maps with many starting units, with fairly few deployment facilities that'll make mistakes more forgivable. AW2's campaign does shift the balance, somewhat, towards having more deployment facilities. And both are different from the War Room and Versus mode, where the maps feature no starting units, everything has to be built.

Edited April 26 by Interdimensional Observer

[Armchair General]

4 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

On naval warfare, even in Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict, the AI produces too many land units on a map where you should first conquer the waves.

Isn't this what behavior trees are for?