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Our Battlemaster tanks are vastly superior to anything the GLA can send against us. Like many of our units, they are most effective in large groups.
- Lin Zhong

The Battlemaster tank is China's main battle tank (MBT) in Generals and Zero Hour.

Overview[]

Relatively inexpensive and quick to build, the Battlemaster is designed to crush its opponents with great numbers; groups of 5 or more Battlemasters gain a Horde Bonus, improving their rate of fire. While it is not as advanced as American tanks, it is easily capable of crushing the relatively frail GLA armour in a head-on fight, and powerful upgrades are available from the Nuclear Missile Silo to make it even more formidable. However is defenseless against aerial units and remains ineffective against infantry.

Game unit[]

We will prevail!
- Battlemaster

The Battlemaster is a reasonably powerful unit that can pull its weight in battle - its main cannon does respectable damage, and its armor can withstand a decent amount of damage before giving in. They are also cheaper than the USA's better armored Crusader Tank, which makes them easier to deploy in larger numbers. General Kwai's Battlemasters are even cheaper to produce, costing as much as a Scorpion Tank with the added perk of starting as veteran units from the factory.

However, Battlemasters truly shine when fielded in groups or mixed in with Red Guards (or Mini-Gunners) or Tank Hunters; the Horde Bonus that these units gain provide them with a rate-of-fire increase, giving them an edge over opponents in battles. Mixing an overlord tank or two with the speaker tower provides nearby tanks the rate of fire bonus which stacks with Horde Bonus. More importantly, it also allows a moving Battlemaster tank battalion to stay repaired on the field. This combination is deadly on its own, but reaches an even greater destructive potency when upgraded with Autoloaders (Ta Hun Kwai only), upgrading their shots per volley from one to three. Coupled with the decreased reload time from a Horde Bonus, Battlemasters can unleash a torrent of tank shells upon their unsuspecting enemies.

The other advantage that the Battlemaster had over other MBTs was the number of upgrades available to them, and the diversity within their tank columns. Most Battlemasters could be upgraded with better engines and more potent ammunition, thus increasing their speed and damage respectively. Coupled with their Horde Bonus which also can receive an upgrade, they can practically go toe to toe with most if not all available armor in the game. China's nuclear specialist required these to be fitted onto his Battlemasters by default, and they additionally released a small nuclear explosion when destroyed - opening the possibility of a suicide rush in the most dire of situations. The Tank General could upgrade his Battlemasters with the aforementioned Autoloaders, but could also ensure all of his Battlemasters rolled out of the War Factory with elite status, conferring a boost to its stats and auto-healing. The Infantry General, though unable to assemble Battlemasters himself, could strengthen the boost any under his command received when under the effects of a Horde Bonus.

Counters[]

Although a relatively balanced main battle tank on paper, the Battlemaster alone is something of a mediocre unit, lacking the speed of the GLA's basic Scorpion tank and the armour of the USA's Crusader Tank. The Battlemaster, being only effective against vehicles, requires protection from other units to compensate for its weaknesses - Gatling tanks are most effective for this purpose as Battlemasters are helpless against aerial threats.

The Battlemaster's Horde Bonus conditions also confer a relatively large drawback. The Battlemaster is more fragile than its American counterpart, and their lack of AA weapons mean that air strikes can decimate a horde of Battlemasters very quickly. Swarms of anti-armor infantry can also make short work of even groups of Battlemasters at range. Although this weakness is less pronounced for General Tao's tanks, with its shells emitting a small nuclear radiation that is quite devastating against groups of infantry, it can still be an issue without proper micromanagement. Tanks also sometimes accidentally damage each other when firing at infantry that another is attempting to crush, and the larger group of tanks correspondingly increases the chances of this happening when eliminating the aforementioned anti-armor infantry (or any in general).

A mass of Battlemasters will also have a large footprint, making it impossible for them to have the entire platoon fire from stand-off distances, thus necessitating that Battlemasters close the distance, possibly into enemy traps. Ambushes at choke points also take their toll, since it cuts off effective deployment of the entire force. Finally, as Battlemasters require large numbers to be effective; a true Battlemaster attack is a bit of a gambit, absorbing large quantities of resources without providing versatility to defend against its counter-units. A much more effective option would be a combined assault using both Battlemasters, Gatling Tanks, Dragon Tanks and/or Troop Crawlers to cover armor, infantry, aircraft, and structures.

Zero Hour[]

  • One of General Ta Hun Kwai's Generals Powers allows him to drop Battlemasters anywhere on the map by air for free (up to 4 Battlemasters at the highest level). Kwai's Battlemaster also is automatically granted veteran status (elite if the corresponding General's Power is chosen) and is cheaper to produce and has the autoloader upgrade available (Kwai's unique upgrade), greatly increasing the tank's firepower.
  • General Shin Fai does not have access to Battlemasters. However, should he gain access to them by capturing a war factory of another Chinese General, any Battlemasters produced will enjoy Horde Bonuses from Nationalism and Patriotism.
  • Tsing Shi Tao's Battlemasters are affected by Uranium Shells and Nuclear Tanks by default, with their shells briefly irradiating their impact point. The tanks' own radioactive residue on destruction can be eliminated through Isotope stability.

Upgrades[]

Zero Hour Kwai Battlemaster Elite Training cameo Battlemaster Elite Training All Battlemasters will be built as elite. Purchasable at the General's promotion menu by General Ta Hun Kwai at any rank.
Zhin autoloaders Autoloader Increases the Battlemaster's firing speed (fires three shots before reloading). Purchasable at General Ta Hun Kwai's Propaganda Center for a cost of 2500$.
Upgrade isotopestability Isotope Stability Radiation released by the destruction of the Battlemaster stops harming friendly units. Purchasable at General Tsing Shi Tao's Propaganda Center for a cost of 2000$.
Nationalism icon Nationalism Increases the Battlemaster's horde bonus by 25%. Purchasable at any Propaganda Center for a cost of 2000$.
CNCG Uranium Shells Cameo Uranium Shells Increases the Battlemaster's damage by 25%. Purchasable at any Nuclear Missile Silo for a cost of 2500$.*
CNCG Nuclear Tanks Cameo Nuclear Tanks Increases the Battlemaster's speed by 50%. Purchasable at any Nuclear Missile Silo for a cost of 2500$.*
*Pre-installed on General Tsing Shi Tao's Battlemasters.

Changelog[]

Quotes[]

Cut quotes[]

Trivia[]

  • The Battlemaster has what appears to be a machine gun mounted on top of the turret, though it cannot be used.
  • The Battlemaster tank is largely representative of the real-life Type 59 main battle tank (a basic copy of the Soviet T-54/55 tank).
  • Much of the Chinese arsenal in Generals resembles a Cold War-era military force (with obvious exceptions, like the Overlord). In the Battlemaster's case, this is almost certainly because the older, Soviet-style 'pudding-basin' turret makes it easy to visually distinguish from American tanks.

See also[]

References[]

China People's Republic of China First GLA War Arsenal China
Sheppard Tanks CNCTW Scorpion Tank Cameo
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