Walkthrough for
Blood of Zeon (Jion Side)
on the Sony Playstation,
Sega Saturn and I think
Sega Dreamcast by
Zhou Tai An (
[email protected])
******
Once again, this FAQ may not be used for non-profit.
I'm not done with the game yet (and my copy is faulty!) so expect updates.
Also, the computer AI differs greatly from game to game, so this is not
intended to be infallible - it's just a general guide.
******
Alright, so you've become fed-up with the Gundam series's insistence on
following the Federation and have decided to play the mighty Archduchy of
Jion instead. Or perhaps you are sick of their corrupt and ultimately fickle
ways. Maybe you just think the off-beige uniforms suck. Anyway, what matters
is that you're behind the helm of the Jions.
First off, you'll have to get an accurate assessment of the situation. The
Jions start with most of space, a heap of ace pilots but very little Money
and NO Resources. However, all their units are in place for an invasion of
the Earth. That's where we'll begin.
I'll state it clearly for you - you MUST take Odessa. I repeat, you must take
Odessa, and the faster the better. Without that key location, the Jion
invasion of Earth cannot proceed. Before you launch your units just yet, take
a look around the rest of the invasion points. America will be your next
target immediately after Odessa, and since you've got to attack both New
York and California, you've got to be ready there as well. Africa is after
that - not so important right now, we'll come back to there later. Both
Indonesia and Australia aren't terribly important objectives - the first only
allows you to support Odessa and eventually attack Peking (which you'll do
only much later) and for the latter, you can't even attack the Strategy
Point which it's close to. (Besides, a lack of marine units will slow you
down there.) Peking is off-limits due to your lack of a Special Plan for it,
so your course is simple - transfer surplus units from the less important
regions to your main attack positions of Odessa and America.
Alright, now it's time to get moving. Before you commence your attack, move
all the units currently scattered around the battlefield to the front lines;
in particular, shift Dozul, Shin Matsunaga and Char Aznable out from Side 4!
They're not doing you any good there, and you'll need their services soon.
Reinforce your Side 4 positions and make sure your airspace over Earth is
at least lightly protected. Now you're all set to go.
If you've followed my advice, Odessa and America should fall easily enough.
It's up to you whether you want to take other locations...it gives you more
of a power base but limits your units because you have to protect them.
Anyway, Odessa's fall should allow you to begin your attack of both
California and New York. Before we continue, let's take at look at how the
fighting is going.
The Jions's main weakness at the beginning of the campaign is it's total
lack of any supply ship. This, combined with the fact that most Earth terrain
is rocky, means you MUST produce ships to help your units move. Focus on
Dodai's for the most part - their attack can hit from a hex away and tanks
can't fire at them. Be sure to have at least some Dopps around to attack the
occasional Medea, though - their high HP can be very irritating early on
when your weapons are weaker.
However, since the Jions did develop them first, you have the advantage of
mobile suit technology WAY before the Federation. Tanks and planes are no
match for the might of the superior Zakus, as long as you remember to stack
them. Your ace pilots should also give you the edge is this arena. So
continue producing them. Churning out units at Odessa ensures control of the
surrounding area, but make sure you produce a Musai or two in space to
reinforce your thinned fleet. (You sent down most of it to Earth, remember?)
While all this is going on, don't forget to pump up your research and spy
bars. You need them full in order to get the low-down on the enemy activites,
and as for research, you need supply ships and marine units ASAP.
Now you're going to have to attack the rest of North America. Plunk all your
standby units and as many aces as you can spare into America and begin the
attack - hopefully, it shouldn't take you that many turns to conquer both
areas. You're going to have to be prepared for a big fight and the chance of
retaliation, so be careful and keep Odessa safe.
Once those two have fallen, you can attack Kilimanjaro. I don't recommend
doing that right off, though - first, consolidate your position in space and
Earth a bit more, making sure each territory has an adequate supply of units
to fend off enemy advances. The Federation usually won't attack if you have
enough (8 to 10) units in a given area, but just to be certain, check all
adjoining areas. If you have marine\desert\supply units, you might want to
consider expanding a bit, but I'd rather save that for later when I control
more Strategy Points. A final note - once you take Kilimanjaro, Char Aznable
goes on a mission for Dozul for a while, so you can't use him. Take this
opportunity to send him around a bit first.
Anyway, you'll eventually need to attack the base, so do it. Desert Zakus
(if you have them by now) and Zaku Cannons are quite useful. Once it has
fallen, you can then attack Peking. Again, make sure your positions are safe
(the enemy should have started attempting to re-take at least one or two by
now) and then go for it. Because it's slightly inacessible, I recommend you
send your units down from Peking airspace rather than take the land route.
Taking Peking opens up both Madras and Hawaii. Once again, check and
reinforce whatever forces you need. You should be receiving requests from
Kishiria and Dozul at this point - accede to them. (You still won't get Char
back, though.) At this point, it's okay to leave a few areas under attack as
long as you're sure they can hold their own.
Which one to pick? Hawaii is a better choice since it's just off the coast
of California - Madras is difficult to get to, since it's unlikely any of
your territories will be in it's region. Be sure to have plenty of supply
and marine units with you, then give the go-ahead. Submarines are very useful
here, and you'd be wise to bring along a couple of Gogs to offset the
inferiority of the Jion submarines. Madras also requires you to bring along
marine support, though not as much - supply planes are a necessity, though.
Right around this time (of before it, depending on how fast you play) Char
will report back on the situation concerning the White Base. If you choose to
let him continue his mission, you will eventually lose Garma Zabi - since I
was following the original plotline I choose that, but I don't how what
losses (if any) are incurred by not letting him go. Anyway, this is about the
time you might want to consider expanding your space territory a bit. You
still won't be able to take Luna 2 just yet, but Side 2 is a good middle
ground to hold.
******
Jion Events :
(I've decided to stick all the special Jion events here rather than address
them in the main narrative above...it's more orderly that way.)
******
Jion Units Technical Overview :
Here's where I discuss both the merits and disadvantages of the various Jion
units so you know which ones to pick\research...not all will be covered, but
hopefully enough.
---
Basic Units :
Dopps - Your basic plane. Aerial firepower is one arena in which the Jions
lag severely behind the Federation...while they can produce about 4-5
different variations of this (including the mighty Core Booster) the Jions
will have to rely solely on their Dopps for a good part of the game.
Fortunately, the unit itself isn't too bad - it can more or less take on any
flying unit, but MUST be used in overwhelming numbers; one or two squadrons
at the beginning of the game and lots more later.
Dodais - Again, another basic unit. The main advantage these have over their
Federation counterpart, the Delrogs, is their range - they can attack from
two spaces away. The lesser HP the Dodais have is a small price to pay for
that asset, IMHO. The main uses of this unit are to attack small land units
(tanks, for instance) support your Zakus (their mobility is superior) and
chase after fleeing targets so your battles don't drag. Like the Dopps, these
prove surprisingly useful even at the later stages of the game, as long as
you use them in swarms. A last note - Dodais and Zakus can actually combine
to form another flying units which is less powerful than it's Zaku base but
it's a pushover either...it's your choice whether you want the extra aerial
attack option.
Mazella Tank - Useless. It's far too weak to hold it's own on the
battlefield and you're going to need to save your resources for Zakus. It's
detachment option is useful but in the long run you can skip this one.
Gatol - The space equivalent of the Dopp. Because the Jions do have some good
capital ships you're not going to be quite as dependent on this as the Dopps,
but be sure to have some to bolster your space fleet. They're also ideal for
last-minute defenses and the like since they only take a turn to construct.
However, as the game progresses, you're going to have to phase them out in
favor of heavier units like space-going MAs.
Fat Uncles - Your basic supply ship. Get this fast since the Jions don't have
any other means of troop transport on Earth until you do. Besides that,
nothing really much to say. (It's got a funky name, though. ^_^)
Gaus - The next step up from the Fat Uncles, these are another essential
unit on the battlefield owing to the higher amount of HP and powerful Beam
Cannon they possess. You're going to need them, and soon - Fat Uncles just
won't stand up to a fierce beating. Develop them ASAP and make them standard
issue on your campaigns. They also function as quite decent air support,
especially if piloted by a good captain, and you can use their Bombs to hit
ground targets in a pinch.
U-Con - Your starting submarine. Not very useful at all - it's weapons
aren't accurate enough, and it doesn't have that much HP when compared to the
other carrier-type vehicles. However, it'll serve you well enough in your
first few sea battles, so you should build a few.
Mad Angler - A LOT better than the U-Con. It's got more range, greater
carrying space, more HP and hits more and harder. This is the unit to use if
you're planning naval battles and should be a staple of your main marine
forces.
---
Mobile Suits
Zaku-1 - This is your typical, generic, factory-made Zaku. Okay early in the
game but really not that useful. I don't recommend you construct anymore of
these than you already receive; you'd do better saving up your money for...
Zaku-2 - This is what would be considered an average Zaku. Early in the game,
the Federation has no units that can stand up to them, so capitalize on this
and attack like crazy. You'll probably be building some of these, but ASAP
save up to produce the later models which are FAR more useful. Still, for
early game firepower they are unrivalled. Since they're also the only Zaku
that can enter space for some time, they're a good addition to your fleets
around Earth.
Zaku Tank - Aside from the dirt-cheap cost there's no real reason to produce
these...if you need a defense in a hurry and have no money to spare they're
okay, though. Problem is, their weapons suck.
Zaku Cannon - These are NOT the Jions' answer to the Guncannon, but they're
actually quite useful; a two-hex ranged attack and ability to move on most
Earth terrain make them an effective frontline unit - until of course you get
the later models.
Desert Zaku - Like the name says, only useful in the desert. They function
adequately outside of their chosen terrain (think Zaku-2s) but they're really
only useful in and about the African regions. You're much better off saving
for...
Zaku-Js - Now THIS is the first real Zaku upgrade you've seen. With four
weapons and the ability to traverse most Earth terrain easily, this thing is
nothing to shake a stick at. I recommend you research this ASAP and then
mass-produce them to aid in your eventual conquest of Earth. Don't get too
happy, though - it's still a bit on the weak side (can't stand up to the
Federation Gundams if not in groups) and they can't enter space.
Zaku Scouter - This unit exists for one purpose only - to increase hit rates.
Hide it behind your main units when you go into battle and let it's Gun
Camera ability aid you from afar. Keep one or two with any main force; you'll
find them worth it.
Gog - Submarine killers, basically. They're not good at much else, but they
excel at what they can do; put a good pilot inside one and watch those
U-Types fall. You'll need a decent number of these for any invasion into the
sea areas on Earth.
Zugog - Much better than the Gog. This unit can fight on land as well, making
it ideal for maps with lots of island (it can take Control points easily)
and snowy regions. It's also not too shabby in the weapons and HP department.
Acguy - The cheaper version of the Zugog. Generally, the lower cost is worth
it. Besides that, treat it as a slightly weaker version of the above unit.
Gouf - The Jions' answer to the Gundam. While not as powerful and\or
versatile (let's face it; the Gundam is the Gundam for a REASON) the Gouf is
a force to be feared; good weapons and the same terrain coverage as the
Zaku-J. Use a mixture of them on Earth and you should be able to crush
anything the Feds come up with.
Gouf-H - Basically a flying Gouf - use as such. The extra mobility comes in
handy at times...
Gouf-B - A Gouf upgrade. More powerful and sturdier. You can actually go
toe-to-toe with Gundams once this is produced...not that I recommend it, but
that should be a good indication of this unit's power.
Upgraded Zaku - Ah, now you're talking. More HP, agility, endurance, the same
four weapons (but with upgrades), same terrain coverage AND it's
space-faring! This comes a bit late down the tech tree but I feel it's worth
the wait. With this and the Gouf, your mobile suit forces can finally
challenge the Gundam on it's own footing.
High-Response Zaku - Weak weapons and the inability to fight on Earth give
this unit a thumbs-down from me. Why waste money on this junk when you have
the all-purpose Upgraded Zaku?
Efreet - You should have conquered Earth by the time you get this but if you
haven't, well, you will soon. This baby can move well on ANY terrain (except
space) has loads of HP and packs very impressive armaments. They're a bit on
the costly side and take 3 turns to build, but they're worth it. Get this one
quick.
---
Mobile Armors :
---
Ships :
