Other elements, such as concrete blocks and mines, can seem like superfluous afterthoughts. The main use for these two elements is in channeling the approach of an enemy force. As the tips for the game state, it is not necessary to fill up every square of the map grid with a mine to create anxiety in an attacking opponent. If one unit blows up in an area, the whole area is suspect until it has been swept, a laborious process. Use a few scattered mines to make an opponent channel an attack into an area covered by every weapon the defender owns.
Concrete blocks are less subtle, but also less easy to eliminate.
An enemy trying for a quick knockout can be very frustrated by the blocks, particularly if he doesn't have the long range detection gear to see them until he is in mid-attack. Intelligence Gathering In M.A.X., Intelligence gathering is essentially the employment of lots of radar and the use of infiltrators. It is never a bad idea to upgrade radar range and build radar units, both fixed and moving. Mobile Scanners are quite capable of operating at all times, unlike mobile anti-aircraft units, and the information they bring in on the move can be vital to an attacking force or to a colonial force trying to get the lay of the land. One unit that can provide knowledge of an enemy's location and composition is worth three combat units flailing about blindly without a clue.