How to use Attack Move without mods (requires micromanagement)

[Blade]

This is something I just recently discovered. I've played Red Alert off and on since the 90's until my First Decade Disc wore out but I've played a lot of games since then, one such being League of Legends. A core tactic of the game is to be constantly moving, meaning clicking the target you're attacking, and then clicking off in another direction before snapping back to click on the target again. I recently tried to implement this into Red alert and it actually simulates an attack move for the units selected if you do it right.

It is particularly effective with Heavy tanks and Mammoth tanks with their double turrets being able to deliver devastating bursts to instantly destroy any structure or unit in the game with a single click, while at the same time keeping them moving rather than sitting ducks while they're sitting still and taking turns firing. It also allows you to move through the enemy base while destroying defenses on the way to high value structures without your units in the back getting clustered behind your main force and not being able to contribute. If you mix artillery and V2 rockets in with them it gets even spicier. Artillery is the only Allied vehicle in the game that is strong against structures, but heavy tanks are which is why this is more especially more effective on them than medium or light tanks.

The soviets are actually the stronger faction by a wide margin, but the rate at which the allies can pump out light and medium tanks actually gives them an edge of the Soviet's raw power. So in ways this manual attack move can allow them to do things that the soviet's can't with it. I've had a light tank beat a mammoth tank 1 on 1 using this so there's so much to experiment with! :D Be sure to keep them assigned to a hotkey in case your rapid clicking deselects them. You can instantly re-select them by pressing the assigned hotkey.

The idea is to click the target structure you want to destroy, then click in the direction you want your units to move the instant they fire their weapon, then the target again as soon as their ready to fire, rinse and repeat until the target structure or unit is destroyed. They move smoothly along their path and simulate a manual attack move. It's as simple as that, but does require some practice for precision.

I imagine this is something competitive Red Alert players have been doing for decades and I'm just late to the party since I've never played it online with anyone but for any of those that want to use attack move in Red Alert and haven't picked up on this already I thought I'd share it. It's a bit tedious but extremely effective. I plan to make a video to show just how effective it is against even the modded AI.

[Cat]

Originally posted by Blade:

The idea is to click the target structure you want to destroy, then click in the direction you want your units to move the instant they fire their weapon, then the target again as soon as their ready to fire, rinse and repeat until the target structure or unit is destroyed. They move smoothly along their path and simulate a manual attack move. It's as simple as that, but does require some practice for precision.

I have no idea how to beat Personal War mission on hard without doing this on the pursuing Soviet tanks or the queued move while firing trick (or breaking the enemy script).

I find this mostly effective in Tiberian Dawn with GDI tanks especially, not so much in Red Alert since you can have tanks fire while on the move, although still effective if used on your ships/missile subs. I avoid the queued move thingy completely in singleplayer, and only do it multiplayer if my opponent started it.

[Nyerguds]

Can't you do that with Q-move anyway? First tell the units to attack something, then hold Q and click to make them move past it, and they'll keep attacking while moving past it. You can queue up multiple move orders to circle around the target.

[Blade]

Originally posted by Nyerguds:

Can't you do that with Q-move anyway? First tell the units to attack something, then hold Q and click to make them move past it, and they'll keep attacking while moving past it. You can queue up multiple move orders to circle around the target.

You're right, I just found that in the options menu. Now I feel stupid. lmao I'm about to load it up and see what it does. I didn't know Red Alert had anything like that, you learn something new everyday. Is that something they added in the remaster or was it always there?

[Nyerguds]

Was always there, but it only works in RA, not in TD. And it only works for queueing up Move orders, so you first need to give the Attack one or it won't work.

[Blade]

That is awesome. I just tried it and yeah, that's basically exactly what is. Just without the extra micromanagement. I thought that was more like a way-point system and I rarely use those since I usually prefer to micromanage. This is why I need to play online.

Edit: It's pretty much the same thing, but in cases like chasing units and destroying ore trucks it's amazing. You still have to click off and click back on though frequently if you want all your units engaging rather than just the tanks in your army closest to the target at the time you clicked it.

[Nyerguds]

It's extremely useful to avoid enemy fire while dealing damage, and the reason that in classic RA online play, light tanks are by far the best in tank vs tank battles.

See also:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fnpTLrY-WOg

[UnBlessed]

Well, if you think AI is too easy, can try only use Ranger against 1 Hard AI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yr56phJwSk