Emperor: Battle for Dune - Harkonnen Level 08

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Jimbatron

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Published on March 9, 2024 10:56:08 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Lc4l1JAcA

Game:

Emperor: Battle for Dune (2001)

Duration: 39:50

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3

With the new Dune movie released, I thought I'd upload some old videos of a playthrough of the last licensed strategy game for the franchise released in 2001 (although stylistically it looks more like the David Lynch 1984 film than the descriptions in the books or the visuals from Denis Villeneuve's version).

Strategy overview:
The Atreides capital is on a raised platform, and the long ramps going up are overlooked by rocket turrets and Minotaurus. Anything going up there will take a pummelling, even a large force will take heavy damage. To get around this I use Carryalls to drop Devastators off behind enemy lines. That way the base defences are useless, and the Atreides never manage to get a force back in numbers to deal with them. I also airlift a MCV once the Devestators have a foothold to build units and bypass their turrets.

0:00 Map
The Atreides attack the Ordos - when they really should be attacking the territory I have claimed next to their Capital. The Ordos attack me in the middle of the map, but there is no need to defend. Only capturing one of the opposing house's capital's is necessary to progress, so I advance on the Atreides.
0:28 Briefing
It's simple - destroy the enemy base, once successful, the next mission will involve a strike on their home world
0:47 Game Start
I immediately move my forces and MCV towards the Sardaukar camp to set up next to my allies. They will come under attack so it's best to keep all your forces together to minimise causalities. En route I have the infantry destroy the wreckages to collect the cash bonuses. I start building a base,
3:08 Ornithopters attack
As my infantry are collecting cash from the wreckages, I notice three Atredies Orthnithopters land on the sand next to me. Normally they attack the Sardaukar, the reason for moving the rest of your forces close to them. I'm unclear if they always land at this spot but I take the opportunity to attack them with the troopers.
6:09 First Enemy land attack
They go after my harvesters, and the Mongooses will threaten the carryalls to, so it's important to get to them quickly. The Sarduakar are helpful here to back my vehicles up as the Mongoose missile isn't good against infantry. I just have to make sure the sandbikes don't attack the Sardaukar. I then continue with my base build, focusing on getting three fully upgraded refineries, a barracks and a factory. I start building combat tanks for an forces that harass my harvesters.
9:22 Second enemy land attack
I now have a force of combat tanks to deal with them comfortably. I also build some missile tanks to deal with threats at range, although these are easily destroyed, so I avoid using them in large numbers. I continue to build an outputs, hangar and starport and palace. I also start to construct Devastators
12:20 Scouting the enemy base
I move a scout forward in small burst to keep him stealthed and uncover the enemy base. I avoid getting too close to trenches (there will be stealthed Fremen there who can uncover them). Meanwhile I have a combat tank get some more cash from the wreckages to the north, and order some carryalls that will be used the airlift the Devastators to the back of the enemy capital.
15:46 Third enemy land attack
It's bigger now, and comes in two waves. My missile and combat tanks deal with the ones that go for my harvesters to the east. A force of Mongooses also comes in from the north, but they run into the Devastators I've built and are no match for them.
18:17 Death Hand first launch
Nothing fancy here, I use it to take out one of the missile turrets to enable the carryalls to get through the front line base defences. I continue to build landing pads, gunships, and Devastators
20:51 Prepping for Invasion
I order some more Devastators and an MCV from the starport, and send my 6 gunships to take out the remaining missile turret on the right side of the access ramp
21:34 Devastators Airlift
I pick up 5 of them with my carryalls and deploy them where I took out the missile turrets with the death hand and gunships. Most of my carryalls get destroyed shortly after drop of which shows the importance of a quick set down. The Devastators demolish the Atreides refineries.
25:23 MCV Airlifted in by carryall
This will enable me to build inside the enemy base - advantageous given the slow speed of the Devastator. I build a Barracks and train engineers to start capturing enemy structures, so the Devastators can focus on base defences and units.
32:25 Enemy construction yard captured
At this point, it's pretty much game over. The AI builds a new MCV but the Devastators destroy it easily.
36:30 Enemy in retreat
This happens when I get their last production remaining structure (a barracks), now it's just a count down to victory
39:28 Victory

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