General Fai is China's infantry general in Zero Hour. His army is built around Mini-Gunners, Assault Troop Transports and Fortified Bunkers, and all his infantry leaves the barracks as veterans. In return he has no Battlemaster or Overlord tanks. The numbers below come from the Zero Hour INI files, version 1.04.
Who is Fai
His full name is Shin Fai, nicknamed "Anvil". He is a Class AAA general of the People's Liberation Army, 57, and his bio card places him at Base Snake in Beijing.
His tactics on the card: advanced infantry divisions. He recruits well-trained soldiers and wins through numbers and training rather than armor.
How Fai's army differs from China
His features on the general card: the Assault Troop Transport, the Assault Helix, the Attack Outpost, Fortified Bunkers, Mini-Gunners, faster hacking for the Black Lotus and Hackers, the Mini-Gunner Paradrop, and all infantry starting as veterans.
Compared using the Zero Hour 1.04 files:
| Unit or building | Fai | Regular China | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini-Gunner | 350, 10 s, 120 health, 10 / 125, vs air 10 / 350 | Red Guard: 300, 120, 15 / 100 | hits aircraft, longer range |
| Assault Troop Transport | 2400, 25 s, 240 health | Troop Crawler: 1400, 15 s, 240 | pricier, comes with troops aboard |
| Fortified Bunker | 700, 8 s, reinforced armor | Bunker: 400, 5 s | tougher but more expensive |
| Attack Outpost | 1000, 300 health | Listening Outpost: 800, 240 | armed, +60 health |
| Barracks | 1200 health | 1000 | +200 |
| Dragon Tank | 900 | 800 | +100 |
| ECM Tank | 900 | 800 | +100 |
| Inferno Cannon | 1100 | 900 | +200 |
| Battlemaster and Overlord | none | 800 and 2000 | no main battle tanks |
In the files the Mini-Gunner, Hacker and Black Lotus use HazMat armor, the same as infantry in protective suits. The Tank Hunter gets its own armor type for the infantry general. Its price didn't change: 300 and 5 seconds.
Strengths
- Infantry starts as veterans and is cheap next to vehicles.
- The Mini-Gunner covers two roles: it mows down infantry and shoots aircraft at 350.
- Fortified Bunkers with troops inside hold ground better than regular Chinese defenses.
- Hackers and the Black Lotus work faster: the Lotus can capture a building before the enemy reacts.
Weaknesses
- No main battle tanks. Against armor he has Tank Hunters, Dragons and ECM Tanks, which is a hard fight against Paladins and Marauders.
- Infantry dies to fire, toxins and being run over. Against Thrax's toxins and the Dragons of other Chinese generals, Fai's army melts quickly.
- His vehicles cost 100–200 more each.
The other Chinese generals: Kwai with tanks and the Emperor, Tao with nuclear weapons. Faction tables are on the China units page.
Playing Fai on a phone
Fai has more units on screen than anyone else, and the group bar is a must:
- Put Mini-Gunners in group "1" and Tank Hunters in "2". A tap on an empty slot on the left saves the selection.
- A double tap on a Mini-Gunner selects every Mini-Gunner on screen. That is faster than drawing a box around a crowd.
- Keep Assault Troop Transports in group "3": a double tap on the slot moves the camera there, and you can start unloading right away.
On a phone it is easy to smear a crowd of infantry across the map. Send groups one after another and keep the Tank Hunters behind the Mini-Gunners. If you grabbed too much, a two-finger tap clears the selection. All gestures are on the controls page.
FAQ
Does General Fai have tanks?
He has no Battlemaster or Overlord. His armor is the Dragon Tank, the ECM Tank and the Inferno Cannon, all more expensive than in the regular Chinese army.
Is the Mini-Gunner better than the Red Guard?
Damage per shot is lower (10 against 15), but range is longer (125 against 100), and it fires at aircraft at 350. It costs 50 more.
Why is General Fai called "Anvil"?
That is his nickname in the game's bio card: General "Anvil" Shin Fai. It fits his style of holding ground with well-trained infantry.
Can I play General Fai on a phone?
Yes, all nine generals are available in ZeroFront. How to connect your own Zero Hour files is described on the Zero Hour for Android page.
The other generals and factions are in the Zero Hour wiki. The bot @generals_mobile_bot gives you the app and 24 hours of free access.