Northern Italy (mission)

The mission in Northern Italy is the first of Act V of the Nod campaign in Tiberium Wars.
==Events==
While planning his campaign, Kane knew that the Visitors might not be entirely... cooperative. In order to channel their invasion in a productive direction, he ordered the development of a Tiberium catalyst missile based on information from the Tacitus. The facility manufacturing the missiles was located in northern Italy but as of the briefing, it became under attack from alien forces.
The Legendary Insurgent is dispatched to secure the facility and recover the weapon.
==Background ==
===Saving the catalyst missile facility===
After arriving in northern Italy, the commander noticed that the theater was filled with "islands" connected by bridges and otherwise separated by a sea of Tiberium pits and glaciers. After establishing a base of operations, the Insurgent built up a force to eliminate any alien units attacking the derelict Nod base defending the missile facility. Nod sent two saboteurs to reclaim the surviving construction yard to grant them full use of the remaining structures and repair the facility. Another saboteur captured the reinforcement bay that provided stealth tank reinforcements, which would prove useful to fend of alien air raids.
===Driving back the aliens===
Once the facility was retaken, Nod detected Scrin reinforcements incoming from the north-east. Kane granted the commander the privilege to use the catalyst missile to drive the aliens out of the area and prevent them from threatening the catalyst missile facility. The primary targets were the Scrin's three gravity stabilizers that were responsible for the production of the aliens' air forces. Either through the use of the catalyst missile or through conventional means, the Nod forces held off the alien assaults while systematically destroying the three target structures. After the three structures were destroyed, the aliens retreated further into the red zones and Nod secured the area.
==Aftermath==
With a new addition to their arsenal, Nod was one step closer to Ascension. The next step was to capture the key codes needed to enter the Scrin Threshold towers. However, GDI also learned of the construction of the towers. They have begun their campaign to end the alien invasion by destroying the incomplete towers, something that Kane could not afford to happen.
==Walkthrough==
The player starts out with a small Nod base, 2 Scorpion tanks and a couple bikes.
Stormriders will attack the abandoned Nod base to the east so get the Bikes to destroy them.
Capture the abandoned Nod Construction Yard to turn the whole base over to the players command.
It is highly recommended to delay repairing the Catalyst Missile facility building. Capturing the Catalyst Missile will immediately expand the map and reveal new threats, making the mission much harder.
By delaying repairing, the map will Not expand yet to reveal new Scrin bases, and the enemy attacks are kept to a negligible minimum. A few SAM hubs at your starting base and facility base are enough to keep the stormriders at bay, while giving you plenty of time to build forces and also expand to the blue tiberium field in the SE corner of the map. Also build a shredder hub or two on the north side of your missile facility base to kill incoming infantry. Also build a Temple of Nod, and make sure your nuclear missile is ready for the next phase.
One new revealed base is directly west of your starting location, so the best strategy is to build and position an assault force west of your refinery, so you can destroy the base immediately (or capture the gravity stabilizer and build a drone platform to gain access to Scrin tech), once the map gets expanded. This way you can significantly reduce the pressure of attacks coming your way. The new bases start out very weak, and the western base is only defended by 2 hives. After destroying those, you can easily send in an engineer if you wish. 
As mentioned before, make sure you have a nuclear missile ready to launch when the map expands. It is recommended to use it on the northern middle base, which holds the strongest initial defenses. The nuclear missile is enough to wipe out the gravity stabilizers for the Objective. 
Also be warned that the enemy will start sending heavier air units your way once the facility is repaired and will also build a Rift Generator, so don't let them.
If you followed the previous tips, you will only have one base left to destroy, in the north west. Destroy the last gravity stabilizer as fast as you can before the aliens build up the base. Vertigo bombers can easily snipe it.
===Valuable assets===
*An abandoned Nod construction yard at the facility that, when captured, will turn the base over to your command.
*A Tiberium spike to the north of the facility. Be aware that alien shock troopers are teleported there to strike at the facility's northern entrance.
*Crates (veterancy and money) scattered throughout and at the blue Tiberium field south of the facility.
*A reinforcement bay near the facility that provides four stealth tanks when captured.
==Trivia==
* Even though the catalyst missile is said to be a newly developed weapon in this mission, it was available in previous missions once a Tiberium chemical plant is constructed.
==Videos==