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Rise of the Reds Update: A Change of Heart
MARS
post 23 Dec 2012, 9:12
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Russian Federation, December 2048
St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow


"The President; is he here?" Russian Prime Minister Valentina Baranova asked a dark-suited FSO agent at the entrance of the iconic cathedral. "He is attending the mass, Ma'am." She walked in and quietly positioned herself next to another presidential guard in the grand ceremonial hall which was decorated with gold reliefs and sacral murals, waiting for the procession to finish. President Suvorov was known to be a religious man; not a narrow-minded hardliner, but upright and traditional enough to recognise the value the church held in the hearts of his people. Ever since the outbreak of the war, St. Basil's Cathedral had once again been the site of weekly services where many Muscovites would gather to pray for their fighting friends and family members in Europe. Much to the chagrin of the Federal Guard Service, the President insisted upon attending the mass regularly in an effort to get back in touch with his people and, as some members of his inner circle would claim behind closed doors, seek atonement for the catastrophe that he had unleashed upon the world.

After the mass came to an end, Baranova witnessed the President as he exchanged some words with the priest and a few citizens, trying to provide satisfactory answers to piercing questions about the course of the war, the possibility of a ceasefire or the rationing of food and fuel. Upon exiting the church, she confronted him with her message: "Sir, we have a problem!" "Hm! So what's new then?", the President grumbled snidely as he put on his black fur cap and buttoned his coat to protect himself from the cold winter breeze that blew over the Red Square. "The Chinese, Mister President. Our most recent intel indicates that they're mustering several mechanised and armoured divisions on their side of the Mongolian border and we've just received reports from one of our radar outposts in the Far-East that a PLA air patrol has violated our airspace." The President sighed. Earlier this year, the tide of war had turned for the worse: The Federation had pushed its luck too far and backed the Europeans into a corner from which they lashed out by unleashing a nuclear inferno on their own soil.

General Aleksandr had constantly assured him that one final, grand offensive would put them out of the fight for good, but it was at this point when Suvorov started to question the strategic genius of his long-trusted partner. And yet, he was secretly afraid to speak out against him, fearing his brutal ways and the control that his pervasive Shock Divisions might have over the regular military. Making matters worse, the self-centred Americans exploited this desperate act as a chance to get back on the good side of their former European allies: Their military intervention, even though strictly limited to an enforced no-fly zone, Marine expeditionary landings and covert operations, took a heavy toll on the Federation's air and logistics capabilities, levelling the playing field between the demoralised forces of Russia and the Europeans, who were now throwing everything they had into the fray. Due to the efforts of the many resistance groups, Russia's grip on the countryside outside the cities had long been flimsy at best, allowing the determined ECA forces to regain the initiative while more and more elements of the Russian Army had to withdraw from the front in order to maintain control over their own supply lines in the occupied territories. Now, the fighting had once again shifted north, where the Dutch and Belgian battle groups were about to link up with a sizeable British/American landing force whilst the French and German contingents continued their relentless advance into the Alsace region.

"It was a mistake", Suvorov judged. "The patriotic frenzy of war has merely procrastinated our problems. It worked well as long as we were winning but...soon, the war will come back to us, to haunt our cities; it'll be our land, our blood. We have to find a way to end the madness and keep our face in front of the people." As the two politicians strolled back to the Kremlin amidst a pack of security agents, Suvorov's weary eyes wandered. Among the crowds of passing people, he noticed a mother with her son; a short, blond-haired boy little more than 10 years old. He was wearing little black boots and a child-sized version of the same Flora-patterend battle dress uniform worn by Russian soldiers, undoubtably issued to him by one of the various military-patriotic clubs for working-class children and teenagers. Suddenly, the boy turned around. Upon recognising the President, his innocent face hardened as he stood to attention and rendered a salute while his mother glanced over to him with frightened eyes. Instantly, Suvorov paled with horror while a cold shiver ran down his spine. Indeed, the madness had to end soon.




Even before the creation of the ECA, the nations of Europe were home to many renowned special forces such as the Polish GROM, the German KSK or the Norwegian Jegerkommando. Trained in covert operations and unconventional warfare under the most difficult conditions, many of these units went underground as their countries fell. Now, they form the professional backbone of the armed resistance groups in the occupied territories, providing their irregular comrades with expert knowledge, gathering critical intel and engaging in direct actions against the Federation.

With much of continental Europe under Russian control, the British Special Air Service, Royal Marine and Parachute Regiments remained some of the few special forces that still operated in direct coordination with ECA high command. The Commandos had their finest hour in the late autumn of 2048, after a sizeable detachment of Russian airborne troops had seized control of the European space centre in French Guiana in an attempt to shut down the Solaris network. With only a few firewalls between them and complete domination over Europe's most important power source, its satellite communications and space capabilities, the three elite units were dispatched to South America at once. After a dramatic night time insertion, the Commandos converged on the space port which was held by a large, dug-in VDV force. Against seemingly impossible odds, they managed to reach the command centre and re-routed control of the vital space assets to Spain, preventing a major disaster after the Russians had already used the satellite 'Newton' to fire a solar burst at the USS Spirit of Freedom off the coast of Ireland, rendering one of her flight decks inoperable and forcing the Americans to destroy the satellite with one of their own Particle Cannons.

In combat, the Commandos can only be called into action by experienced commanders. They will then covertly infiltrate the designated area on a moment's notice. One Commando section consists of two anti-tank specialists with Carl Gustav recoilless rifles, two demolitions experts who can place their charges anywhere on the field and one combat medic, all of whom are armed with a specops-modded L85A3 rifle.



The Fennek is a fast, lightly armoured reconnaissance vehicle developed by Germany and the Netherlands. Easy to transport thanks to its low weight, the Fennek is often inserted alongside ECA Commando units. The vehicles used by these elite special forces have been modified with a variety of unique features, making the Fennek a highly versatile support vehicle for sustained operations behind enemy lines. Its small and inconspicuous silhouette make it easy to conceal when stationary and it is equipped with tear gas grenades that sow chaos and confusion. Its primary armament is the recently developed 'Jackhammer' heavy support weapon, a triple barrelled 40mm smoothbore cannon capable of switching between fully- and semi-automatic fire as well as canister shot and slug rounds. In addition, the Fennek can place a small, stationary sensor pod which keeps the surrounding area revealed and marks targets for rapid precision fire until the battery runs out. This multitude of practical abilities allows the Fennek to provide the Commandos with crucial support for reconnaissance and raiding missions.



Clocking in at a mere 6 tons in weight, this light scout tank is oddly reminiscent of the historical tankette vehicles that were developed between the First and Second World War, when the true military role of armoured vehicles was yet to take shape. Affectionally called the 'Hopper' by the PLA for its amazing agility and comical shape, the new vehicle entered service very recently. Whilst American military experts were quick to dismiss it for its anachronistic role and 'ridiculous' design, the Chinese like to point out that a single one of these vehicles is still more resource-efficient and quick to produce than a Humvee, to the point where Hopper Tanks are always built in twos. This allowed China to complete 10.000 units in a single year, which are now serving in the ranks of the PLA and a number of domestic police units. The Hopper can use its stubby 75mm cannon to destroy lightly armoured targets and draw the attention of heavier adversaries away from the actual battle tanks. Its armour is capable of resisting bullets, but doesn't stand much of a chance against larger calibres, let alone dedicated anti-tank weapons, making the Hopper a vehicle that is best used as part of a massive offensive. The crew consists of only two people: A driver and a commander, who also serves as the gunner. True to vehicle's function as a scout, the commander can be ordered to peek out of the hatch and spy ahead with his binoculars, substantially increasing the Hopper's sight radius at the cost of not being able to attack until the commander has re-assumed his position behind the gun. Amazingly for an otherwise low-tech vehicle, the Hopper Tank can also be equipped with depleted uranium shells and a miniature atomic battery.



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Shredder
post 23 Dec 2012, 9:24
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Woah, Woah, WOAH!!!

Lorewise - It seems that Suvorov is a good person after all. (Not that I doubt it) And it seems that China is soon entering the war, only thing left to wonder is how GLA will get in this mess.

Unitwise - I can't wait to use the Commandos in game. smile.gif

Awesome Update, SWR Team. Two more left.

This post has been edited by Shredder: 23 Dec 2012, 9:27
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MARS
post 23 Dec 2012, 9:54
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QUOTE (Shredder @ 23 Dec 2012, 9:24) *
And it seems that China is soon entering the war, only thing left to wonder is how GLA will get in this mess.


They'll get their own mess after this one is cleaned up.
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Darkfire Angel
post 23 Dec 2012, 9:55
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The Commondos looks awesome, I assume they will be a General Point unlock unit?

I'm still holding out hope for an irregular forces resitance unit, but less so now. At least I guessed that the ECA would be able to call in reinforcements from their airbase tongue.gif

"It'll be our land, our blood." Poor Resnov must be rolling in his grave about the failures of Mother Russia. Also shame on your general Tao No nukes? Who can think of such a thing?

This post has been edited by Darkfire Angel: 23 Dec 2012, 9:58


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Claine
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:07
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ohh yeah nice update i wonder what is in the green box. GLA maybe biggrin.gif


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CheoRock
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:07
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It seems that Suvorov is losing the line, and leaving everything in the hands of a higher power. Only a miracle could save the Mother Russia of their enemies, now attacking on two fronts.
Although I do not celebrate it, this will be a great Christmas for me. Very nice additions, particularly the small Metal Slug-ish tiny tank! biggrin.gif


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RocketMan
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:11
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So Suvorov has finally understood that there's something not quite right with Alexander. Now that I think of it, why do I have the weird impression that actually Alexander may ultimately go rogue if Suvorov decides to end the war? BTW did I understand MARS right, that the role of the GLA is not yet over?

It's nice to see that our GROM unit gets some attention here, I actually thought that if there's something that Poland could contribute to the ECA then it could be commandos, although too bad that there aren't any in the ECA military. And I'd like to ask a question: What caused that you decided to add the Hopper tank, what was the reason behind it?


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J Y fortress
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:12
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Hopper tank is so...cute.
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TornadoADV
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:19
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Hopper Tanks, the Red Guard of the armor world.
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Nonchalant Gener...
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:42
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Good to see my faith in Suvorov was justified in the end biggrin.gif
The Russians are gonna fight a two-fronted war now, never ended well for any country, now let's wait for the GLA to open the third front.
So, is there any immediate cause that provoked China into the war? Or is it just an invasion plan the Chinese have been plotting for the last 3 years?

Oh I love the Hopper tanks, they're like Hobbit KV-2s, can't wait swarming a Sentinel with a legion of those. Did Kwai came up with this idea?
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Planardweller
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:46
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QUOTE (TornadoADV @ 23 Dec 2012, 11:19) *
Hopper Tanks, the Red Guard of the armor world.


Hopper tanks remind me of Gretchin tanks, especially with "peek out" mode rolleyes.gif.
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General Tatarin
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:47
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OMG Hopper looks funny biggrin.gif. The crew of two people ! biggrin.gif
Remembers me General Ironside's small sentry tank. But it's without crew ! biggrin.gif
Well done ! Now it's time to GLA show themselves.
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MARS
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:50
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QUOTE (CheoRock @ 23 Dec 2012, 10:07) *
It seems that Suvorov is losing the line, and leaving everything in the hands of a higher power. Only a miracle could save the Mother Russia of their enemies, now attacking on two fronts.
Although I do not celebrate it, this will be a great Christmas for me. Very nice additions, particularly the small Metal Slug-ish tiny tank! biggrin.gif


The Chinese haven't actually attacked Russia. They are merely flexing their muscles in a VERY obvious fashion and provoking them.


QUOTE (RocketMan @ 23 Dec 2012, 10:11) *
So Suvorov has finally understood that there's something not quite right with Alexander. Now that I think of it, why do I have the weird impression that actually Alexander may ultimately go rogue if Suvorov decides to end the war? BTW did I understand MARS right, that the role of the GLA is not yet over?

It's nice to see that our GROM unit gets some attention here, I actually thought that if there's something that Poland could contribute to the ECA then it could be commandos, although too bad that there aren't any in the ECA military. And I'd like to ask a question: What caused that you decided to add the Hopper tank, what was the reason behind it?


Like the Sprut, the Hopper was a relatively spontaneous addition and I'm going to quote Comr4de's comment on ModDB as it explains our reasoning behind this design decision rather nicely:

Honestly I expected this unit to get flak because it's not "ANOTHER GENERIC SUPER-HEAVY TANK LIKE THE OVERLORD". Just because it isn't so doesn't mean the quality and or thinking we have done behind it is any lesser.
These tanks can literally EAT through larger tanks in numbers. Think about the Propaganda bonus, horde bonus, and other upgrades that would make this vehicle a true force multiplier that merely compliments your other tanks.
We are meaning to play on the design of the Chinese in Zero hour and not cater towards the generic battle tanks that would deter this design concept.
Horde these up, and sure you can laugh at them, its a 2 man tank, but the Chinese player will be laughing at you're Sentinels being eaten up by 20 of these - easily. And god help you if you try using AT Infantry, prepare to become a speed bump as these things haul ass.


Sure but these are meant to be force multipliers - everyone expects that we were going to give China -another- big ass tank, when in fact we're taking measures to further compliment the gameplay style of the Chinese in Generals - hordes.
These come in pairs of two when you purchase them in the War-Factory, they're incredibly fast, they can crush infantry and take a few good hits but the fact they build faster than most AT infantry and most tanks, you can expect these (along with battlemasters) to completely OVERWHELM people in numbers - that coupled with the Nationalism upgrade (which increases rate of fire) and the Horde Bonus (an additional bonus with firepower) with propaganda (which further increases THAT) they fire almost like gattling guns and take out Overlords in a matter of -SECONDS- Sure you're going to lose a few of them but you have like 100 BEHIND THEM.
Thats the original point we're trying to do and draw the Chinese away from mroe dedicated, larger tanks that have almost become a staple and the "what everyone expects" every faction to have and would merely make it dull and boring just like any other mod.
We are going to add some other cool vehicles to China but it'll be until 1.82. A tank Destroyer to go ahead and mention it and a few others too =)



QUOTE (Nonchalant General @ 23 Dec 2012, 10:42) *
Good to see my faith in Suvorov was justified in the end biggrin.gif
The Russians are gonna fight a two-fronted war now, never ended well for any country, now let's wait for the GLA to open the third front.
So, is there any immediate cause that provoked China into the war? Or is it just an invasion plan the Chinese have been plotting for the last 3 years?

Oh I love the Hopper tanks, they're like Hobbit KV-2s, can't wait swarming a Sentinel with a legion of those. Did Kwai came up with this idea?


See first quote: Russia and China are not at war yet, but it's obviously getting there. The situation is extremely tense, but they aren't fighting - yet.
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Spejjarn
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:52
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This is one of the best updates for a some time. I like that the Commandos got Carl-Gustavs (yey, me too be patriotic!). I love the RL Fennec and SWR just makes it even more awesome! I'm wondering if the Fennec will be gen power exclusive... let's wait and see! 8Ip.png


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BlitzGeneral
post 23 Dec 2012, 10:56
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Awesome update guys. Bless you General Tao, you would know everything there is to know about nukes (such a wonderful touch you included him somewhere, he was always my favourite ZH general).
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MARS
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:01
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Also, here's a non-fluff explanation on the Commandos/Fennek: The ECA gets a rank 3 general power which calls in an A400M which drops one Fennek full of Commandos
at the designated LZ. It's available to all Generals, you can only get these too units via that power and the Commando -is- that secret GP infantry that I hinted at earlier.
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Col._Sandfurz
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:17
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Pure love for Commandos and the Fennek!!
The only thing I do not understand is the fact that the L85A3 rifles of the Commandos do not have a propper scope but this carrying handle sad.gif

Am I right about the Fennek with this: It can carry 5 infantry (the commandos), is stealthed when not moving, can fire tear gas, has a big f**king semi/full-auto 40mm shotgun with slugs or cannister rounds (which is only effective vs infantry and can deploy sensor pods that have a big scouting range + mark targets like the avenger target laser as long as the battery lasts.. <=that is coool smile.gif
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flyingpancake
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:21
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QUOTE (MARS @ 23 Dec 2012, 9:12) *
it'll be our land, our blood.

Call of duty world at war reference?

Really cool update guys i like every new unit more then the next 8ani5.gif


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SpiralSpectre
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:28
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So Suvorov finally gets a change of heart. Wonder if that would be enough to save Russia now though. The Commandoes look really badass, also loved the lore behind them.

The Hopper looks cute. Though kinda feels like just another generic number multiplier like the many others China already has. Definitely not a generic super heavy like the Ovie, but totally like a generic spam tank like Battlemasters. BTW is it gonna be a Battlemaster replacement for a gen?
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katmoda12
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:31
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I really like this update, interesting the commando and also i like very much the design of the fennek...

On the other side: Hopper Tankette.

I'm doubtful, the reasoning behind it's ok, a very spammable tank with a RL reference, and a new twist in the arsenal of china,I'm pro for China's improved swarm mechanic so i like it. What doesn't convince me is the design. it reminds me really too much ironside's predator drone, so in my eyes is just a china drone with crew.

Till now every units produced by the team has been well inspired, this one, i think, falls out of this category.

Also a fast vehicle for china? I don't really know...

I'm alting my judgement until i'll see it in combat and in game, so my opinion must be taken as it is, on the schematics with no actual reference...
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NergiZed
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:38
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The Fennek btw, is the best harresment unit imaginable, it's got insta-stealth, fuck awesome anti-inf, lays little sensors everywhere, and is loaded with a bunch of really awesome commandos. It it had anti-air, it would be OP.

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Raven
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:46
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Awesome update. Really like to see how the Fennek and commandos work together. Also the hopper looks to fit right into the Chinese doctrine of nos over quality. Its interesting to see how it would affect early game. I believe they can rip apart hum-vees but in turn would get their ass handed to them by rocket soldiers.


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Erich Honecker
post 23 Dec 2012, 11:59
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Is the Fennek going to be stealthed? The last game i know of to feature the Fennek was Act of War: Direct action, and the Fennek was a optically camouflaged scout vehicle with a .50 that was used as a transport for Optical Camo troopers. Seems like there is a similar mindset here.


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Serialkillerwhal...
post 23 Dec 2012, 12:03
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Seems china IS moving towards pro-russia with the tone of the words there.

It's either the fellow easterners who fought them, the americans that use them as meat shields or the europeans that kicked them out.

So that or CHINA is the main baddy.

or it's a GLA scheme..............sorry had my tinfoil hat on.


Anyhow, Hopper vs. TOWvee, which one comes out a non-smoking husk?

This post has been edited by Serialkillerwhale: 23 Dec 2012, 12:07


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Destiny
post 23 Dec 2012, 12:16
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How will the USA ever manage to counter a massive Hoppermaster spam?



The Firebase is a bit slow, given and the Tomahawk can only do that much.














Oh, right. Rocket pods!



...and Nighthawk bunksters.



...and maybe the Aurora.


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