Command & Conquer Wiki

Welcome to the Command & Conquer Wiki! Log in and join the community.

READ MORE

Command & Conquer Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The Minigunner (also known as Minigun Infantry[1]) is the basic GDI and Nod infantry unit in Tiberian Dawn.

Background[]

Equipped with the GAU-3 “Eliminator” 5.56mm chaingun, this troop is the key player in the GDI/Nod forces. En masse, this unit is very useful against slow-moving armored units like tanks. Just remember that large tanks can easily crush your infantry and flame-based weapons can quickly reduce entire squads to ash.
- Tiberian Dawn manual(src)

The minigunner is the backbone of infantry units of both the Brotherhood and the Initiative, equipped with modern battle-dress uniforms and body armor (usually a variation of the U.S. PASGT system). For ease of recognition, GDI soldiers are issued equipment with the distinctive Six-Color Desert Pattern, while Nod opts for a monochromatic version of the M81 U.S. Woodland camouflage pattern. Weapons issued to minigunners vary and include the GAU-3 Eliminator chainguns (identical in performance to regular 5.56 mm assault rifles), M16 rifles,[2] and the Cobretti AR-70 Raptor automatic rifle.[3]

At least in GDI's case, the magnitude of the conflict and the attrition suffered in constant clashes with Nod forced the Intiative to drastically reduce training duration: Basic training originally lasted three months before being reduced to just four weeks by the end of the First Tiberium War.[4] Likewise, the quality of equipment issued to soldiers varied as well.[5]

Game unit[]

Trained at Hand of Nod and barracks, minigunners are inexpensive and expendable. They are cheap recon units that can be expended exploring the map and locating the enemy or intercepting enemy rocket soldiers and light vehicles. In larger numbers, they are an effective meat shield against light vehicles and anti-tank defenses, such as turrets or Obelisks of Light; they can overwhelm it in numbers due to the Obelisk's low fire rate and no splash damage.

Splash damage is a weakness in general. Nod minigunners are particularly vulnerable to Grenadiers, guard towers, and MLRS, while GDI soldiers need to watch out for Nod's flamethrower infantry, flame tanks, and artillery.

Both should be wary of any heavy vehicles, as their relatively short range allows tanks to simply run over them. Their life expectancy can be extended by liberal use of scattering (X key).

Gallery[]

Cameos[]

DOS English Textless
TD DOS Minigunner icon Minigunner cameo cnc TD Minigunner EU cameo

Videos[]

Minigunner engagement in a desert
Minigunner engagement in a forest

See also[]

References[]

  1. Command & Conquer (1995) manual
  2. Tiberian Dawn official manual
  3. Command & Conquer: Renegade minigunner equipment.
  4. Command & Conquer: Renegade, IDS_M00GGDI_GCON0030A3GSEN (By the time I was done with basic training, I had a full three months. Today, these soldiers learn the hard way.), IDS_M00GGDI_GCON0029R3GORS (I remember a time when they had eight full weeks of training before any field work), IDS_M00GGDI_GCON0030A1GSMG (Now they get a couple days of underwear folding, and they ship 'em out to die.), IDS_M00GGDI_GCON0030A2GSRS (Yes, the four week training course is just not enough.)
  5. Stylistic differences between Tiberian Dawn and Renegade.


CNCR GDILogo First Tiberium War Arsenal CNCR NodLogo
Sole Survivor Cover Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor Arsenal Sole Survivor Cover
Advertisement