General Granger is the US Air Force general in Zero Hour. His army rests almost entirely on aircraft: planes cost less than in the regular US army, he gets the King Raptor and the Combat Chinook, and he has no Crusader or Paladin tanks at all. The breakdown below uses the Zero Hour INI files, version 1.04.
Who is Granger
In the game he is Malcolm "Ace" Granger, a four-star general of the US Air Force, 62, stationed at Fort Belmont near Houston, Texas. His bio card sums up his tactics in two words: air power. He likes to throw every aircraft he has at the enemy.
He takes defeat lightly. After a loss he jokes that it's time to find a job with an airline.
How Granger's army differs from the USA
On the general select screen the game lists his features: King Raptors, Combat Chinooks, laser point defense on vehicles, a stealth upgrade for the Comanche, cheaper aircraft, the Spectre Gunship at a lower rank, the Stealth Fighter from the start, and no tanks.
In numbers (Zero Hour 1.04 files):
| Unit or building | Granger | Regular USA | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Raptor | 1100, 240 health, missiles 125 / 350 | Raptor: 1400, 160, 100 / 320 | cheaper, tougher, longer range |
| Combat Chinook | 1200, 25 s, 350 health | Chinook: 1200, 10 s, 300 | infantry can fire from inside |
| Comanche | 1200 | 1500 | −300 |
| Stealth Fighter | 1250, 180 health | 1600, 120 | cheaper and tougher |
| Aurora Bomber | 2000, 120 health | 2500, 80 | −500, +40 health |
| Air Field | 800, 2500 health | 1000, 1500 | cheaper and sturdier |
| Humvee | 800 | 700 | +100 |
| Tomahawk | 1300 | 1200 | +100 |
| Sentry Drone | 850 | 800 | +50 |
| Crusader and Paladin | none | 900 and 1100 | no tanks |
The pattern is plain: everything that flies is 300–500 cheaper and tougher, while ground vehicles go up by 50–100. The King Raptor beats the regular Raptor on almost every stat: 300 cheaper, one and a half times the health and 25% more damage.
Strengths
- Aircraft are cheaper, so by mid-game Granger has more planes in the air than any other US general.
- An Air Field with 2500 health is hard to kill in a quick raid.
- The Combat Chinook drops infantry and shoots back with the troops inside.
- The Carpet Bomb general power helps crack defensive lines.
Weaknesses
- With no tanks, nothing holds the ground. Against a mass of Battlemasters or Overlords you have to hold with Humvees, Tomahawks and Comanches.
- Against opponents with heavy anti-air (China with Gattling Cannons, GLA with Stinger Sites) aircraft die faster than they pay for themselves.
- Planes fly back to rearm after each attack, and the army is exposed between waves.
For comparison, General Townes keeps laser tanks, and General Alexander bets on defense and superweapons. Faction-wide numbers are on the USA units page.
Playing Granger on a phone
Granger is about constant air strikes, and on a touch screen they are simpler than they look:
- Put Raptors in group "1", Comanches in "2", Auroras in "3". A tap on an empty slot in the left-hand bar saves the selection.
- To strike: tap the slot, pan the camera to the target with two fingers, tap the target. The planes return to the Air Field on their own.
- A double tap on the slot jumps the camera to that group, an easy way to check whether the planes have rearmed.
Keep a Humvee ground defense in group "4" near the base. To cancel a Carpet Bomb you've already aimed, a long press of about 0.6 seconds is enough. All gestures are on the controls page.
FAQ
Does General Granger have tanks?
No. The Crusader and Paladin never appear in his War Factory menu. His main ground vehicles are Humvees, Tomahawks, Avengers and Microwave Tanks.
Why is the King Raptor better than the regular Raptor?
In the 1.04 files it costs 1100 instead of 1400, has 240 health instead of 160, and its missile deals 125 damage at range 350 against 100 at 320.
Who is Granger weakest against?
Armies with dense anti-air. China's Gattling Tanks hit aircraft at 350, and a GLA Quad Cannon costs only 700.
Can I play General Granger on a phone?
Yes. ZeroFront runs the original Zero Hour, and all nine generals are available in skirmish. More on the Zero Hour for Android page.
All generals are collected in the Zero Hour wiki. To try Granger on your phone, open the bot @generals_mobile_bot: 24 hours free.