Tsing Shi Tao

General Tsing Shi Tao is a Chinese Class AAA General serving in the People's Liberation Army during the GLA Conflict.
==Background==
The 50 year oldGenerals - Zero Hour, generals.csf, GUI:BioDOBEntry_Pos2 General Tsing gets what he wants, at any cost. Impatient to a fault, General Tsing relies heavily on nuclear technology on the battlefield. Unfortunately, there have been several terrible accidents. While General Tsing was the responsible officer during the Mudanjiang Disaster of 2007, his considerable talents saved his career. General Tsing believes such trials and errors are part of the development process.Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour manual. Los Angeles, California: Electronic Arts Los Angeles, 2003.
His divisions are beginning to see the results of his convictions, as a prototype of an advanced nuclear power plant has produced better results. Programs to develop tactical nukes and to promote stability in radioactive isotopes are producing better safety records, which will be well-received by his troops.
General Tsing Shi Tao is stationed at Base Ox, Chengdu, and his Combat Number is 0000-000000-1.
==Arsenal==
=== Overview ===
Tsing Shi Tao is, arguably, the most well-balanced general in the game. He has a diverse and technically advanced arsenal, albeit one that is more expensive than those of his fellow Chinese generals. Several of his units incorporate nuclear-themed enhancements, and he has greater access to China's signature superweapon, allowing him flexibility when composing a strategy. His only real weakness is the higher cost of some units. Provided he keeps his supply system working, he can give a good account of himself in battle against any opponent.
===Units===
* Red Guards/Tank Hunters cost more ($300->$350)
* Black Lotus costs more ($1500->$1600).
* Helix costs more ($1500->$1750)
**Nuke Bomb replaces Napalm Bomb. 
*** Can no longer start firestorms and has lower range (10->3) but deals significantly more damage (75->30).
* Uranium shells and Nuclear tanks upgrades are purchased by default for Battlemasters and Overlords. 
** Both tanks' cannons irradiate their impact point.
** Isotope stability available at Propaganda Center, preventing destroyed Overlords and Battlemasters from exploding.
* Nuke Cannon no longer requires a promotion point to unlock.
* MiG costs more ($1200->$1400)
** Missile damage increased (75->100) and irradiate their impact point, but can no longer start firestorms. 
**Tactical Nuke MiG available at Nuclear Missile, dramatically increases missile damage (100->300).
===Buildings===
* Advanced Nuclear Reactor replaces Nuclear Reactor
** Costs more ($1000->$1200), but generates significantly more power (10->18).
* Nuclear Missile costs less ($5000->$4500).
===General's Powers===
* Carpet bomber drops tactical nukes
* Emergency Repair level 1 available earlier
==General's Challenge==
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*His name is probably a poor transliteration of Pinyin "Qing Shi Tou" (青石头, lit. "green rocks"). Uranium is usually depicted in fiction as green, rocky formations, referring to his specialization in Nuclear Weapons.
**It could also be a reference to Tsingtao (青岛) beer, a popular Chinese alcoholic beverage that is also widely exported around the world.
*In the Taiwanese version of Zero Hour, Tsing Shi Tao's name was translated as "陶信淅". Nevertheless, the General's name was just non-sense in Chinese, since it was neither Wade-Giles romanization nor Pinyin.
*Tao is the only General with only a few but very unique and very specific quotes with regards to the player's activity or status.
*Strangely, he is seen with an SMG in his victory portrait, even though it never saw service in China.
*General Tao differs with other Chinese generals for his blue military outfit. It appears to be a combination of Type 65 (design; also for Red Guards) and Type 55 Marshall uniform (color). He is likely of that rank, since his Combat Number is literally the first. If that was true, Tao would be of the same rank as Leang, above all other Chinese generals in the game.
*Despite his already expansive access to Nuclear Technology, Tao was meant to have more. Many of these were cut and later resurrected in mods.
** Hackers can deploy Nuclear Suitcase Bombs.
**Red Guards fired radioactive rockets.
** Tank Hunters have increased range and damage. When destroyed, they irradiate their surroundings.
**Weapons Grade Uranium Shells and Fusion Reactors would serve as his equivalents to Uranium Shells and Nuclear Tanks, further boosting performance for his Overlords and Battlemasters.
** A General's Power that launches a Tactical Nuclear Strike.
*Unlike most other Generals in Zero Hour, Tao has no limitations whatsoever compared to vanilla China, as he has access to all standard support powers and units.
*He has been spotted in the leaked storyboard videos of the Generals 2 campaign.
==Gallery ==
GenZH_Tao_Victory.png|Victorious
GenZH_Tao_Defeat.png|Defeated
ZH Tao German Version.jpg|Portrait (German version)
ZH Tao Defeat German Version.jpg|Defeated (German version)
ZH Uranium Shells Icons.png|Unused Weapons Grade Uranium Shells icon
ZH_Tactical_Nuke_Strike_Icons.png|Unused Tactical Nuke Strike icon
ZH_Nuke_Bomb_2_Icons.png
==See also==
*Shin Fai, Infantry General
*Ta Hun Kwai, Tank General
*Leang, Boss General
==References==
Category:Zero Hour characters
Category:Chinese characters
ru:Цинь Ши Тао