Staring down the barrel of defeat

"Shall we just try it again?"
"No mate, i'm still holding the line,"
"He's going after my command centre, i've only got a couple of units left,"
"Retreat back behind my defenses, start again, I'll hold 'em"

And with that immortal exchange the elaborate EMP defense turrets of the USA Aircraft General became the lynchpin of a two hour long struggle to turn the tide against two computer controlled opponents set to the hardest difficulty in a grand skirmish.

Reeling from losing the last of his mobile units and outranged by Scud launchers my ally The Machine retreated his remnants behind the outer line of Patriots and started anew. Quickly building supply gatherers and a barracks while the enemy waves crashed against the rocks of a defense akin to a two deep staggered Pawn line in chess.

"Warning, enemy Scud Storm detected"

Silence.

"O-oh. Mate we're in big trouble"
"I can't destroy it, we'll have to hope it hits somewhere soft"

The enemy AI was smart enough to pin the forward defenses with wave after wave of tanks and troop attacks while faster and more mobile Scorpion tanks probed the weakened right flank. Like the robots in the Matrix attacking Zion, they'd found our weak point and were directing their efforts at our soft underbelly.

The Machine's multitasking allowed him to create a modicum of defensive troops while I concentrated the defensive firepower to maximise it's effect. The recruiting of three commanche's stemmed the flow just as they threatened our weak point.

Frustrated in his construction efforts The Machine recruited a meat shield of AK-47 troops and posted them across the enemy line of advance. Breathing space bought he expanded eastwards and outwards.

"Warning enemy Scud Storm launched"

Silence.

"Unit lost"
"Unit lost"
"Unit lost"
"Where did he drop it?"
"He's taken out my war factory, we're in trouble, power's gone too"

All turrets were out of action, the radar went blank, only a paper thin line of light vehicles and a fortified garrison in a farm building stood between a catastrophe and respite.

A sickly lull in the fighting... waiting for the enemy to swarm out of the fog of war... I'm scrolling around my defenses frantically... The Machine starts to bring over the remains of his meat shield.

This could be it...

"Warning enemy Nuclear Missile Silo detected" our troubles are compounded.

My mind wanders for a second "Why do Americans pronounce it MISS-EL when it's clearly MISS-SILE?"

Then click, fuzz, hummmmm and the power is back online.

Just in time as the enemy chinese Battle Master tanks arrive. Once again the defenses are effective and the tide of the battle starts to turn as The Machine reaches full fighting strength once again. Then my Particle Cannon goes online.

Rolling back the enemy who almost wiped him out The Machine launches his attack on the Sam Missile defenses of the AI GLA.

I call in a quartet of Stealth Fighters to assist alongside A-10 general powers and a couple of medic vehicles.

"We've got him now" predicts the Machine confidently.

Now our defenses are immune to the Chinese assaults and two Particle Cannons coupled with Spectre Gunship attacks are destroying the Chinese power grid. With it's defenses silenced and no more Nuke strikes the end is nigh. Smelling blood the Machine switches to his focus to the Chinese base.

With his power down and multiple airstrikes from stealth fighters swooping in the Chinese base quickly crumbles and HARD ARMY IS DEFEATED.

The rest of the mopping up takes less than a couple of minutes as The Machine completes the comeback with a Coup-de-grace, silencing the GLA command centre with TWO simultaneously launched Scud Storms.

HARD ARMY IS DEFEATED.

"Congratulations commander, you are victorious"

"Nice one mate, it's well past midnight, I'm done, speak to your tomorrow"
"Ok, cheers mate"

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