Zero Hour USA Units, Buildings and How to Play

Zero Hour USA units win on quality: they cost more than Chinese or GLA units, but they live longer and shoot farther. The faction's best asset is its air force, from the Comanche to the Aurora Bomber. Below are unit and building tables from the Zero Hour INI files, version 1.04, plus tips for playing the USA on a phone.

Play style

The game's own faction blurb says the USA relies on high-tech weapons and skill. In practice you field few units, each one is expensive, and every loss hurts. A good US army stays together, heals at the Ambulance and gets patched up by drones.

The faction's main cards:

• Air force: the Raptor against aircraft and vehicles, the Comanche against tanks, the Aurora for base strikes;
• Drones: the Scout, Battle and Hellfire Drones are bought as vehicle upgrades;
• Strategy Center: pick a battle plan that buffs the whole army;
• Particle Cannon: a beam you steer across the map yourself.

Economy and power

The USA gathers money with Chinook helicopters: 1200 each, 10 seconds to build, 300 health. A Chinook flies to supply docks on its own and carries crates back to the Supply Center. It is faster than the Chinese truck but fragile, and losing two Chinooks early sets you back badly.

The second income source is the Supply Drop Zone (2500, 45 seconds). A plane drops cargo there every so often, no supply docks needed.

US buildings need power. The Cold Fusion Reactor costs 800, builds in 10 seconds and has 800 health. That is less than the Chinese reactor (1500), so US reactors are an easy raid target. When power runs short, the radar and base defenses shut down.

Main USA units

Damage is per shot, range and speed are in game units. Source: Zero Hour 1.04 files.

The Paladin costs 200 more than the Crusader, yet both carry the same 60-damage gun. You pay for 20 extra health and a point-defense laser that shoots down missiles flying at the tank. The Aurora has the lowest health in the table, 80, but on its approach it is almost untouchable: defenses simply don't get a shot off in time.

Key buildings

The Patriot hits ground targets for 30 damage at range 225 and air targets for 25 at range 350. The Fire Base reaches farther and hits harder, 75 damage at 275, and infantry can garrison it.

Strengths and weaknesses

What the USA does well:

• the air force covers almost any job, from tank hunting to taking out a superweapon;
• units are durable, and the Ambulance and Repair Drones bring them back into the fight;
• the Pathfinder, with range 300, picks off infantry before it gets close.

Where the USA struggles:

• an expensive start: a reactor, barracks and two Chinooks eat the starting money faster than on other sides;
• reactors with 800 health go down quickly, leaving the base without defenses;
• the army is hard to replace: losing five Paladins costs 5500.

Three US generals push different sides of the faction: Granger bets on aircraft, Townes on lasers, and Alexander on defense and superweapons.

Matchups

Against China, keep your distance. The Tomahawk fires at 350 and the Pathfinder at 300, while the Overlord's cannon reaches only 175. An infantry horde is easiest to break with the Aurora or the Particle Cannon.

Against GLA, guard your vehicles from Hijackers and escort your Chinooks: a Quad Cannon costs 700 and shoots down a supply helicopter with ease.

Playing the USA on a phone

The US army is small, which suits a touch screen. Three or four groups on the left-hand bar are enough:

1. Box-select your tanks (press and drag) and tap an empty slot "1": the group is saved.
2. Put aircraft in "2". A tap on a filled slot selects the planes, and a double tap also moves the camera to them.
3. Keep infantry and the Ambulance in "3" so healing follows the tanks.

A simple way to send aircraft: select the group, pan the camera to the target with two fingers and tap it. Holding a UI button shows its tooltip without pressing it, handy for checking an upgrade price. All gestures are on the controls page.

Aiming the Particle Cannon on a phone is arguably easier than with a mouse: tap the target point and the beam does the rest. Just remember that a long press of about 0.6 seconds cancels a selected ability.

FAQ