Baikonur Cosmodrome (mission)

Baikonur Cosmodrome is the final mission in the GLA campaign of Command & Conquer: Generals. The main objective of the GLA is to capture the eponymous rocket and control facilities from the defending US and Chinese forces.
==Background==
Chinese attempts to splinter the increasingly-powerful GLA into warring factions had failed with GLA loyalists eradicating splinter cells that were major threats to the organization. With the army reunited, the GLA could now turn their attention to capturing their greatest prize - the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The facility was heavily defended by a joint Sino-American garrison, each boasting their respective superweapons to prevent the GLA from capturing the cosmodrome. Indeed it was the day that the GLA would meet their destiny.
==Key units==
* Jarmen Kell
* Bomb truck
* SCUD storm
==Events==
===Establishing a Base===
While the GLA set up camp at the town, Jarmen Kell scouted ahead and found a massive coalition presence at the rocket launch site. He also witnessed a rocket carried by train and watched the personnel load the launch pad with the missile.
At the GLA base, a famed GLA Commander began expanding his base and prepared base defenses along the railway line. But given a limited amount of funds, the Commander was aware to look out for more supplies and Oil derricks to fund this operation and construct some Black Markets as soon as possible. One such Oil Derrick was captured at the town, but other such structures required venturing across the drained river, where it was eventually reported that American Pathfinders were operating in the area.
Fast reconnaissance by Technicals discovered the Chinese base was located at the production factory to the north of the GLA base. US forces were stationed at the Cosmodrome's airport and also defending the control facility. The main objective was to capture both the rocket pad and the control facility, not defeating all enemy forces in the area. However, the GLA Commander knew that the US base had to be destroyed to capture the control bunker first.
===A Coalition Assault===
The Chinese and American forces soon detected GLA intruders in the region and immediately sent their divisions to destroy them. The GLA picked their defensive emplacements well by barring access to the GLA base along the drained river. Trouble is that the speeding locomotive became an unwitting ally as it actually rammed into US tanks and vehicles without suffering any damage itself. For Chinese assaults, RPG troopers were garrisoned in the town buildings to slow down their advance. Coalition aircraft did become a problem, however as they specifically targeted the GLA Workers repairing the defenses. Furthermore, enemy siege units were able to pummel the GLA defenses from across the drained river. Nonetheless, each attack was repelled.
===Power Play===
As the GLA continued defending their base from coalition raids, GLA intelligence officer Kanwar Khan detected two superweapons being detected - the Particle Cannon and the Nuclear Missile Silo. The GLA hastily constructed their SCUD Storm, but knew that it wasn't enough to take out two superweapons simultaneously. The GLA resorted to Rebel Ambushes and Bomb trucks to take out the Particle Cannon first, before the missile silo since the former had a shorter countdown time.
While the rebels tried to take out as many Cold fusion reactors as they could, the Bomb trucks made their way to the US base (after taking care to allow the train to pass first and then, disguise themselves as US vehicles). The quickest way to the US base was defended by four Patriot Missile Batteries, but luckily the rebels managed to destroy enough reactors to take the base offline. The bomb trucks quickly infiltrated the American base and one by one drove the explosives into the superweapon structure. The Particle Cannon was destroyed (though not before it fired and destroyed part of the GLA base); any remaining Bomb trucks hurtled themselves to wreck havoc on a portion of the American base.
===Capturing the Control Facility===
Taking advantage of the Americans' confusion in the wake of the Bomb Truck attack, the GLA Commander sent a strike force of Scorpion Tanks, Quad Cannons, Marauder tanks, SCUD launchers, and Rocket Buggies to the US base. Casualties were rising on both sides, but the US defenders fell to the assaulting GLA force. The GLA Commander decided to capture the remaining American structures along with the control facility, acquiring US technology to counter Chinese firepower. In the meantime a Rebel captured the control facility, completing one of the two main objectives.
===Chinese Counterattack===
Having lost their American allies, the Chinese counterattacked with brutal tactics. Rather than recapture the control facility, the local Chinese Commander decided to destroy it, forcing the GLA to defend it. The Chinese also fired their Nuke at the GLA base, weakening their foothold in the town, before the GLA could fire their SCUD storm at the Chinese garrison in retaliation.
The GLA now had to eliminate the Chinese base to accomplish their goals. After capturing more Oil derricks, the GLA sent another army to the Chinese base and engaged in a battle of attrition with Chinese tanks. It was lucky that the GLA did not completely destroy the US base, as they were able to build US tanks and aircraft to turn the tide of the battle. Overall, the GLA were too numerous for the Chinese and swarmed the base from two fronts.
===Capturing the Rocket Launch Pad===
The GLA soon converged on the rocket facility, which had since been evacuated of all coalition personnel. Toxin Tractors were sent in to clear out the garrisoned bunkers, clearing the way for a Rebel to capture the launch pad.
==Aftermath==
Having captured the Cosmodrome, the GLA launched an Anthrax-filled missile at a nameless city, killing countless civilians. This shocked the Chinese and American governments, the latter particularly as the GLA could launch missiles at any US base in the world. Now realizing the true threat the GLA posed to American interests, the US government authorized its military to use any means necessary to eradicate the GLA in the Middle East.
==Strategy==
The key to winning this mission is to quickly wipe out China's base while using Quad Cannons to take out USA aircraft, then use the SCUD Storm to eliminate the USA Air Field and deploy a Rebel Ambush to take over the base. All Particle Cannons and Nuclear Missiles' cooldown timers are 5 minutes longer, so with the right strategy it is possible to avoid at least the Nuclear Missile. The Particle Cannon may inevitably fire, but it won't do much. It is possible to win by destroying all enemy units and structures, but depending on the approach, it'll be excessively arduous.
Watch out for the NPC trains that can destroy your units easily on contact. They can also nuke enemy units, but theoretically it only works against China. The fast train near the starting Command Center can be obliterated very quickly by planting a few Demo Traps, but you may not have the time for it until a bit later.
Immediately build an Arms Dealer and Barracks. A cut-scene will play moments later, introducing you to the mission's objectives. Produce six Workers from the Supply Stash, and two extra from the Command Center. Once the Arms Dealer has been completed, produce a Technical and a Radar Van. The Barracks should research the Capture Building ability to take the Oil Derrick nearby with a Rebel. Build a Tunnel Network right next to the Arms Dealer, then build a Palace. Remember to crank out some RPG Troopers, Scorpions (get the Scorpion Rocket upgrade as well) and Quad Cannons.
Load the Technical with two Workers and send it up north. A Bunker will be present, although the vehicle can simply swerve around it. Drop off the Workers so they can build a Barracks behind the civilian structures, and a Tunnel Network ahead of the Bunker. Destroy the Speaker Tower with the Technical. Garrison a nearby civilian structure with RPG Troopers.
Once the Palace has been built, acquire the SCUD Launcher General's Power so they can be produced. Produce two of them and Jarmen Kell (optionally add at least one Stinger Site and a number of Quad Cannons and place them east of the base to fend off Raptors, Comanches, Stealth Fighters and Aurora Bombers), and transport them with Tunnel Networks if necessary. The Quad Cannon can be used to pick off the Bunkers and infantry, but remember to pull it back afterwards and have Scorpions hold the front. Use the SCUD Launchers to destroy the Gattling Cannon, Battlemasters and Troop Crawlers (switch to Anthrax Warhead so the Red Guards won't survive it). Move Jarmen Kell to the area and start targeting the War Factory. If an Overlord comes out, snipe it, and continue demolishing it as well as a nearby Barracks. Use the SCUD Launchers to remove another Gattling Cannon, and go straight for the Nuclear Missile before it could be fired. During all this Battlemasters will attack frequently, so make sure the Scorpions can deal with them. Once that is done, capture the Command Center so you'll gain access to China's arsenal. Do not destroy the rest of the base, just evacuate all units and take a Dozer to the Tunnel Network.
If you haven't already, start building SCUD Storms and a Black Market (the Radar Scan upgrade will help Radar Vans to remove fog of war around the map). A direct assault on the USA base will be much more difficult because there are many more Patriots, not to mention the presence of Paladins and Tomahawks. Use Battlemasters/Scorpions combined with Inferno Cannons/Rocket Buggies to take them down. The USA AI somehow refuses to build any vehicles from their War Factory, so use that to your advantage. Purchase the Camouflage upgrade at the Palace and unlock Rebel Ambush level 3. Depending on the timer, your SCUD Storm may not be ready before the Particle Cannon, but destroying it isn't a priority. If your assault gets there before the Particle Cannon fires, try to take it out, and pay attention to the enemy Strategy Center, as it is set to Bombardment and will shower your units with artillery shells. A group of well-placed Rebels can capture it, and provided if you have the USA Command Center nearby, you can even have two of them (have a captured Dozer build one before you capture the other). Capture all Cold Fusion Reactors to shut down every single Patriot on the map, and build some Humvees to kill off the remaining Rangers. The Detention Center will certainly help in scouting.
Or if you don't want to launch a direct assault you can just just let the Particle Cannon fire. Nuke the Paladins and Tomahawks with a SCUD Storm, and save another for the Air Field if necessary. The USA base will be almost completely defenseless, and the Rangers nearby won't come to the rescue until most of their structures are lost, so be sure to take the War Factory, Strategy Center, Cold Fusion Reactors, Particle Cannon, Command Center and Supply Center. Optionally construct an Air Field and use the Comanches to kill off the Rangers in the open when the Patriots are offline. Toxin Tractors/Dragon Tanks may be needed to clear a nearby garrisoned structure so the Ground Control Building can be captured safely.
The Rocket is guarded by a Nuke Cannon, some Gattling Tanks and Dragon Tanks. There are also some MiGs patrolling the skies, Red Guards/Tank Hunters in structures and Bunkers. Wipe out the ground vehicles with an Anthrax Bomb, then use Quad Cannons/Gattling Tanks to take out the MiGs. Anything else that stands in the way can be handled by SCUDs, Inferno Cannons, and Tomahwaks before sending Toxin Tractors/Dragon Tanks to empty the occupied structures for a clear shot at the Rocket.
==Trivia==
*The train carrying the ICBM is rather glitchy:
**The ICBM wagon treated as a building. It can be loaded with infantry when stationary, and they can fire from within. If its health drops significantly, the infantry inside are forced to exit.
**Putting vehicles in front of the train will cause it to damage and destroy them, but putting them behind when the train is moving backwards will cause it to push them. Rarely, the train can send any vehicles hit airborne, causing them to take fall damage.
**Jarmen Kell does more damage to the train than other units. 
* The rocket fired by the GLA during this mission is based on the Soyuz rocket, although somewhat different in scale.
* In the opening scene, several UN soldiers, UN Humvees, police officers, Police vans, Biohazard Technicians, and civilian supply trucks are seen in the facility, but absent during the assault. It is likely that they are ordered by the coalition forces to evacuate the area.