Name: Apache
Era: Tiberian Dawn
Side: Nod
Base asset: Isotx studio (additional texture and coding by me)
Blurb
The return of the Apache is a welcome bonus for the brotherhood. While it appears that the dimensional rift has completely removed the Venom scout craft, the classic trained helicopter pilots never got to grips with the control or style of the Venom.
The brotherhood have rushed the Apaches out, they quickly want to suppress the increased GDI ground patrols.
As such the Apaches are only armed with their chain gun. There is a limited supply of the Apache gunships additional armaments but Kane has something special planned for them.
When GDI troops look upwards they'll see Nods black Death ready to rain Kane's will upon their sorry ass!
Gameplay
The Apache replaces the Venom aircraft.
It does not fulfil the same role has the Venom aircraft.
It is not a 'detector' unit, if you want to reveal stealthed objects you'll have to use something else. It cannot target aerial units, and it has limited ammunition, which requires reloading at an air hanger once it's depleted. It also lacks any 'global' upgrade to improve its effectiveness.
It's main role is as a fast anti-infantry gunship. The Apache is not very efficient at destroying vehicles or structures.
The Apache is very efficient at killing infantry due to a large ammo reserve and a rapid rate of fire, but since each army only has a single infantry unit (ignoring the Masterminds special trick) that can engage aerial units, it is important to separate the Apaches anti-infantry capabilities into 2 categories. It is obviously a hard counter to any infantry unit that cannot respond to its attack (which is the vast majority of infantry units), it is not a hard counter to anti-air infantry.
The Apache can take out these infantry types efficiently (it has to be able to or it would have no use), but you will sustain loses.
If you believe that your enemy will not build tons of, for example rocket squads, then you can probably get away with a single Apache to deal with commandos or any loose infantry squads that are unable to respond to the Apaches attack. If you think that they'll build loads of rocket type infantry (most will), and if you want to counter them with Apaches, then I'd recommend you build at least 4 Apaches, because they will be far more effective against rocket type squads if they attack in spaced groups (no bunching together!).
The rocket type squads tendency to overkill when targeting units, together with their slow reload rate, will mean that while you will almost certainly lose an Apache, the rest of the Apache group will rapidly kill attacking rocket troops. Be warned that you have no choice but to get within rocket type units weapon range in order to kill them (their weapon comfortably out ranges yours).
Vehicle based anti-air can efficiently destroy Apaches, it is not recommended that you attempt to engage them with the gunship.
Apache Rocket Pod upgrade
Each individual Apache can be upgraded with rocket pods. This upgrade (which is purchased at each Apache individually), requires that you are at Tier 3 (so it requires a Technology lab). It adds 4 rocket pods, which each house 8 high explosive rockets.
As with the main gun, once the ammo is depleted, you will have to return to the Air tower in order to reload.
While this upgrade allows you to deal damage to massive groups of vehicles extremely efficiently, the biggest positive is that the upgraded Apache is now a lot more effective vs structures.
Good against large structures!
The rockets are unguided, so they will not home in on a target. This obviously means that fast units will be able to avoid the rockets. Also the rockets are inaccurate, so if the target is very small they can avoid a lot of damage from the rockets, due to frequent misses.
Not great against moving targets
4 upgraded Apaches will do hefty damage to structures even up to War factory class health. They will quickly destroy any large lower health structure (obviously larger structures take more hits due to their size).
8 plus groups of upgraded Apaches are extremely dangerous, and require serious anti-air focus to counter.