Superweapon General Challenge

The Superweapon General Challenge is a Generals Challenge level that pits the player against superweapons specialist Alexis Alexander.
==Walkthrough==
The water-dominated map consists of two large islands containing the player's starting location and Alexander's base, as well as several smaller outlying islands. Alexander's base is located on the northern island behind towering mountains ringed with EMP missile batteries, and as such is completely inaccessible to a conventional ground assault. Additionally, the smaller islands are sprinkled with EMP Patriots or Avengers. Not only that, but on Hard difficulty there is a very large cluster of Avenger laser defense Humvees inside her base, making it virtually unapproachable by aircraft. She also has a supply-gathering operation on an island west of her headquarters. 
Given her base's isolation, limited open space within the base itself, presence of numerous defensive buildings, and the fact that that she forgoes large ground attacks, both large armies and hero units alike are usually of limited use. Player strategies should focus on superweapons and General Powers to slowly neutralize her EMP Patriots and other defensive structures. If successful, this can eventually allow for a successful strike force insertion.
Alexander's signature weapons, the Particle Cannons, will escalate with each activation. The first barrage will consist of a single cannon, the second firing will consist of two cannons firing simultaneously, and so forth. 
Somewhat inexplicably, one of Alexander's particle cannons is located on the player's starting island, and is relatively poorly defended. It can sometimes be captured, although unless done by a Black Lotus, she may attempt to sell it, denying the building from the player.
Many of Alexander's strikes are unstoppable, the player will be required to rebuild several buildings over the course of the game, no matter how well-defended the base is. It is often a matter of luck as to where Alexander's A-10s, Particle Cannons, Aurora Alphas and Comanches strike. Sometimes they wipe out everything, forcing a restart, while other times do next to no damage or simply don't even show up. The player can expect periodic air attacks in addition to particle cannon strikes. To complicate matters, she might send some Chinooks to drop off Missile Defenders, Pathfinders and Sentry Drones for a direct raid on the base, though this relatively minor compared to her main attacks. These usually arrive in the southwest valley, approaching from beyond the map's boundaries rather than from her base.
It may be advisable to hold off constructing the Supply Center/Supply Stash until a bit later, as otherwise the early A-10 strike at the beginning will reduce it to rubble. The Barracks is always necessary, since there are two Oil Derricks on the northwest hill and a crate of cash lying there. It also serves as a good location to defend, since the aircraft generally only come in one direction. 
As a conventional invasion of her island is impossible, all strategies rely on surviving her relentless Particle Cannon/A-10 onslaughts while constructing superweapons and baiting hers with cheap structures, a key to victory in this particular challenge. They must be used to eliminate her Particle Cannons, then her Command Center (to prevent her from calling in A-10 strikes), her Air Field and finally her critical buildings to end the battle (Strategy Center, Cold Fusion Reactors, and Supply Center). Until then, expect to replace many buildings as Alexander's units and Particle Cannons destroy them. She will not attempt to rebuild her Command Center or utilize her air power to construct another Supply Center, so destroying the latter effectively prevents the Air Field's own reconstruction. Because of her enhanced power plants, her electricity supply is rather secure and difficult to degrade enough to stop her superweapons. 
This is primarily an air combat challenge, followed by a superweapon shootout. The most useful General's Powers against Alexander include weapons that cannot be intercepted, such as the artillery barrage.
=== USA ===
The USA has an advantage since they'll be confronting her Particle Cannons with those of their own and both specialist Generals have effective air defenses. They also have plentiful airpower options, perfect for crossing water and mountains. Chinooks can be used to ferry ground units across the watery map. Spectre Gunships, A-10s and Fuel Air Bombs/MOABs will come in handy for dealing direct damage. They can also employ their Auroras for their guaranteed hit on important structures, although they remain vulnerable on the return trips and the large cluster of Avenger laser Humvees inside her base is extremely dangerous.
* The EMP Patriots and Avenger defenses must be dealt with before any aircraft-based General's Powers can reach the critical portions of Alexander's main base.
* Construction Dozers seem to be targeted often. There should be multiple dozers on the map; do not allow Alexander to destroy the command center without having a dozer in the field. 
* With only limited land combat, neither the Comanche nor Colonel Burton are very useful.
* The Search and Destroy strategy is recommended from the Strategy Center to assist air defenses. 
==== Malcolm Granger (Air Force) ====
Malcolm Granger's air power proves to be extremely effective in this challenge, allowing him to fly over watery portions that would obstruct land units, once Alexander's EMP Patriots are dealt with. His laser countermeasures can usually deal with these anti-air missiles, although the Avengers both inside her base and on the intervening islands can be a handful. Additionally, his advanced fighter aircraft help him fight off Alexander's own air attacks. This is important, as she has a number of Comanches waiting in ambush early on in the mission, and her limited ground attack arrives by helicopter as well. 
* Note that while his aircraft's PDL provides protection against EMP patriots, a nearby detonation can still take one down, since they have an area effect.
* Alexander normally accumulates a large number of laser Avengers towards the front of her base, so dense that they are unapproachable by most aircraft. It is often worth a Carpet Bomber mission in and of itself so that Auroras can begin strikes (the carpet bomber usually manages to deliver its payload, but only barely).
==== General Townes (Laser) ====
* Laser Turrets are the best defensive structure for this mission, since most air strikes come from predictable directions, there is only limited ground combat and not much need to maneuver. Nevertheless, the player can still expect to lose a few to Aurora Alphas or A-10 strikes, and should take care not place them too close together. 
* It is fairly easy to defend against Alexander's limited ground assaults, and clearing the island itself by ground is not necessary, so not too many Laser Tanks are needed. In fact, it is possible to win the mission without building any. 
* Townes should eventually shift to relying on the Avenger for air defense, which does not burden his power supply and he receives it at a discount. Since he does not have to worry about assembling a large tank force and Avengers can eventually handle air defense, Townes can use his enhanced energy plants to focus on powering a particle cannon arsenal of his own.
* Alexander tends to target power plants, a particular vulnerability of Townes. Some should be placed at the rear or southwest of the player's island, away from the direction of her air attacks, and have them spaced apart.
=== China ===
With a land assault impractical, a nuclear missile strategy is recommended for all three specialized Chinese generals.
* China's MiGs are not as effective as American aircraft, and should be reserved for defensive use, if they are used at all. Their napalm is not particularly effective against defense structures. Support aircraft fare better, but the intervening defenses have to be cleared. 
*The slow, lumbering Helix will be instantly destroyed by EMP Patriot Systems and is very vulnerable to Avengers. Both of these threats are present near the player's starting area and will have to be cleared before the player can take advantage of their air mobility. Defensively Helixes are more viable, as the only proper AA units on the offense are Missile Defenders dropped by Chinooks.
*The Artillery Barrage can hit key structures with impunity. Although Carpet Bombers, Cluster Mines and EMP Bombs are delivered by aircraft immune to EMPs, they're limited to clearing up nearby defenses initially as they simply aren't fast enough.
*Gatling Cannons will come in handy for fighting off Comanches and are vital against her Chinook ambushes. Although they cannot effectively deter Aurora Alphas from attacking, with other structures as bait they won't even survive. However, even with the Chain Guns upgrade, at least two of them would still be necessary to consistently ward off the Chinook.
**Gattling Tanks can also work as a supplementary source of Air Defense. Much like Quad Cannons used by the GLA, they have the advantage of speed and mobility. At least 3 Gattling Tanks are required to consistently counter Chinooks.
*Nuclear Missiles are the only viable sources of offense, so start accumulating them early. Defending them may prove to be a challenge in itself due to their long cooldown, but it can be done.
*The Black Lotus can be used to steal the closest Particle Cannon once the nearby Fire Base and EMP Patriots have been destroyed to alleviate defensive pressure.
==== Tsing Shi Tao (Nuclear) ====
*With cheaper Nuclear Missiles and Advanced Nuclear Reactors, the inevitable superweapon duel is significantly easier.
**MiG with Tactical Nukes set to Guard mode can decimate oncoming waves of aircraft. Still, they carry the risk of destroying themselves, and EMP Patriots/Avengers ringing the player's island make it impossible to fly outside of the starting area until these defenses are dealt with.
*Overlords and Battlemasters come with their Nuclear Upgrades by default and can serve as a quick reaction force to defeat Alexander's periodic raids, but do not play much of a role beyond that. 
==== Ta Hun Kwai (Armor) ====
*Emperors upgraded with Gatling Guns will be the primary defensive force on the ground, although they, too, could be gone without. Take advantage of the cost discount on Gattling Tanks and deploy several to keep the skies clear.
*Don't waste time with a direct assault since those Avengers and EMP Patriots will destroy everything that flies. Instead, aim to hold out while constructing Nuclear Missiles and decimate most of the base. If desiring to do a tank attack simply for fun, wait until her defenses are sufficiently degraded with nuclear weapons before sending units by helicopter to finish the job. The lack of artillery shouldn't matter after the EMP and Avengers are destroyed, since air power can easily handle that.
==== Shin Fai (Infantry) ====
*The lack of Gattling Tanks is less of a concern, as Mini-Gunners can be used in their place when combined with Assault Troop Transports, Fortified Bunkers and Attack Outposts to help Gattling Cannons.
*Super Hackers can be produced earlier to avoid resource depletion and their stealth keeps them safe. Ideally, they should be placed in the back, within reach of Gattling Cannons, so enemy Pathfinders cannot remove them.
=== GLA ===
*The Sneak Attack tunnel is available by default. It requires a fair bit of setup but when used correctly, can insert a large force of attackers to overwhelm her base and destroy it from the inside. Alternatively, the Sneak Attack Tunnel can be placed to bait Aurora Alpha Bombers and Comanches.
*The Scud Storm takes a while prepare, but in general is as effective as the Nuclear Missile.
*The rebel ambush makes it possible for rebels to poach and sell an outlying building, especially if Alexander's Comanches have been depleted. The power plants on a small rear plateau make a good target. 
**The ambush can be used to clear some of the small outlying islands which occasionally contain enemy units. The radar scan should be used to check that there is enough land for the ambush to spawn. 
**It can also be used to steal or destroy the poorly defended Supply Center on the island to the west of her base; while this does not gain a great advantage for the player with all the EMP Patriots around, it can sabotage Alexander economically, as she will not rebuild it. It'll be defended by at least one enemy Pathfinder, an Artillery Platform and those EMP Patriots must be avoided.
*Jarmen Kell is not particularly useful with the number of Spy Drones and EMP Patriot Systems around, effectively deterring infiltration. Furthermore, Alexander does not rely on many vehicle attacks, and only maintains a few inside of her own base, though she does insert some raiding forces by helicopter. These Chinook raids often include at least one Pathfinder/Sentry Drone, both of which can neutralize him easily
**If Kell can be inserted into Alexander's base, he can snipe some of the defending Avengers so an Anthrax Bomber can actually make it. There is at least one sentry drone within the base, towards the back by the rear artillery platform, that has to be avoided. 
**Neutralizing a large number of Avengers, then crewing them all at once with the rebels spawned by a Rebel Ambush can sow great (and often entertaining) chaos inside Alexander's base as her aircraft scramble to retaliate. 
*Stinger Sites alone are insufficient. Support from multiple Quad Cannons are necessary to consistently eliminate enemy air units, backed by structures to draw aircraft away.
**Quad Cannons can also fight off Chinook ambushes, but they'll require some setup. At least three are needed to destroy the Chinook in time before it drops its payload, and in the case that it does, another structure must take the burnt of fire from Missile Defenders until the Quad Cannons get to flank them. Pathfinders and Sentry Drones aren't a threat in this case, as the former cannot damage vehicles, and the latter is too fragile to withstand Quad Cannon's attacks.
*With the Fortified Structures upgrade, the Barracks can actually survive a single Aurora Alpha attack, being instead reduced to a GLA Hole to bait a second strike.
==== Kassad (Camouflage) ====
*Stealth units and structures are not particularly useful in the challenge, as Alexander does not mount much of a ground attack other than the occasional raid, and Particle Cannons are not deceived by them.
**On the other hand, the GPS Scrambler can conceal any allied unit that does not have stealth, which can help Quad Cannons to easily avoid and ambush enemy aircraft.
*Fake Structures built forward of the actual base can be a cheap way of keeping Alexander's air attacks distracted. 
==== Rodall Juhziz (Explosives) ====
* With his enhanced Scud Storm, Juhziz can destroy a particle cannon in a single strike, but he will still need multiple sets to eliminate Alexander's arsenal. The Sneak Attack used in conjunction with a force of Bomb Trucks can be rather devastating, especially considering his small discount on them.
* The Rebel Ambush can pack quite a punch once the Demolition upgrade has been purchased. Rebels can then be commanded to detonate against a building, 
==== Dr. Thrax (Chemical Warfare) ====
*The Toxin Network has a unique advantage over others in its effectiveness against Chinook ambushes. As enemy infantry units do not come with the Chemical Suits upgrade, even one Toxin Network can almost immediately melt them all. A Quad Cannon can then be used to pick off the lone Sentry Drone.
*Upgraded with Anthrax Gamma, the SCUD Storm can destroy a Particle Cannon if centered on one. It should be fired early, buying the toxins enough time to eat away at their target.