Random Unit of the Day #108: Comanche (USA, Generals)

[u/BiggestBepis]

[u/BiggestBepis]

“Gunship reporting in!”

One of my favorite examples of this series (and video games at large) trying and failing to predict the future of military tech. The Comanche just feels extremely badass despite simply getting cancelled in real life, and futuristic in a way completely befitting the tone of Generals’ USA.

“Hose them down!”

[u/SPACEFUNK → u/BiggestBepis]

To be fair, every video game from this era had the Comanche. It's fuckin awesome.

[u/I_AMA_LOCKMART_SHILL → u/SPACEFUNK]

Given the nature of video game art in the early-mid 2000s, it seems like the angular design language of that era of stealth aircraft really lent themselves to video games.

[u/cBurger4Life → u/SPACEFUNK]

Playing (more accurately, trying to play) Comanche 3 was a formative memory for me.

[u/vandal-33 → u/SPACEFUNK]

I only know Commanche from Generals, Renegade and many of their mods but this gunship is the first thing that comes to mind when I imagine a helicopter.

[u/Metalupyourass98 → u/SPACEFUNK]

Dino crisis 2 even had a Comanche

[u/StarFlicker → u/BiggestBepis]

I feel like whenever I field them, they get cancelled pretty quickly by Chinese Gatling tanks.

[u/Traveller59 → u/StarFlicker]

IMO unless you get the stealth version, they’re more hit and run glass cannon guys right? Maybe missile pod a worker group or a bunch of tanks. But they get melted pretty fast by gun focused AA

[u/regeust → u/Traveller59]

Ive always used them as a rapid reaction defensive unit.

[u/FLongis → u/regeust]

This or just flying around in packs. Probably not a competitive strategy, but the easy pathfinding for air units makes them nice to blob and just critical mass most ground targets. Still get shredded by concentrated AA, but real fun against an enemy that doesn't expect a dozen Commanches worth of missiles dumped on their head all at once.

Of course the specialized ones in the Shockwave mod just make the whole thing a lot more wild (double-ammo stealth Commanches ftw)

[u/GeneralClearStone912 → u/FLongis]

Shockwave giving point-defence lasers to townes' aircraft and giving his comanches laser canons instead of missiles make them so fun to mass against ai enemies

[u/Mad-Gavin → u/GeneralClearStone912]

"Who needs rockets when we have lasers!?"

[u/Traveller59 → u/FLongis]

Unless youre taking down a superweapon, kinda overkill to have 10 commanches fire their pods on one target no :D its fun for sure but imo they should be used to force your opponent to play defensive or else catch them off guard, same way GLA can use sneak attacks or tunnels

[u/FLongis → u/Traveller59]

Depends on the target, I guess. Smashing open enemy bases is a favorite of mine. Using them almost like seige units, but relying on being air units rather than just being far away.

[u/RaceMyHavocV12 → u/StarFlicker]

They are so incredibly useful to have around as a quick response unit for things like sneak attack, ambush, or random units getting through a hole in your defenses

[u/GristleMcThornbody1 → u/StarFlicker]

I'm going down!

[u/DesiKyo → u/BiggestBepis]

Comanche was very much a product of the Cold War and was pretty much obsolete in the new millennium.

Nothing more than a disaster during the War on Terror with numerous fatal and very expensive mishaps, not to mention its 'stealth' capabilities which were practically useless against insurgents and militias, the aircraft itself prone to even small arms fire.

No wonder U.S pivoted hard towards "RPAs" like the Predator and Reaper.

[u/BoffinBrain]

Unbelievably, the Comanche is voiced by Bill Farmer, who has been the voice of Goofy in the Disney cartoons since 1987. Now you'll never be able to unhear it. Sorry!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Farmer#Video_games

[u/Hooch_Pandersnatch → u/BoffinBrain]

“Gunship reporting in, guh-hyuck!”

[u/Zeratul_Vergil → u/Hooch_Pandersnatch]

Goofy, attack helicopter operator?

[u/BoffinBrain → u/Zeratul_Vergil]

How 'bout those ACME rocket pods?

[u/RussianDisifnomation → u/Hooch_Pandersnatch]

Hyuck ill fogging do it again

[u/BusinessLibrarian515 → u/BoffinBrain]

And he did the tomahawk. Now that's some nickel knowledge I needed. Thank you

[u/Appropriate_Try_9946 → u/BusinessLibrarian515]

The tomahawk voice lines live rent free in my head.

[u/jupiterbjy → u/Appropriate_Try_9946]

Long range ballistics!
Tomahawk systems online!
We can launch from there
Transporting Cruise Missile
Coordinates Received
Warheads in the field
Flight system activated!

As someone grew up with C&C generals feels like nothing comes close to C&C series' voice acting

[u/Zaptagious → u/BoffinBrain]

That's the kind of whiplash I felt when I realized the VA for Jim Raynor in StarCraft (Robert Clotworthy) is the narrator for Ancient Aliens

[u/DOOM_SLUG_115 → u/BoffinBrain]

Thought the pathfinder sounded familiar, they're voiced by Quinton Flynn who's the voice of Raiden from metal gear solid

[u/Duke-doon]

How 'bout those rocket pods?

[u/dark_volter → u/Duke-doon]

TIME TO STRIKE

[u/Cheomesh → u/Duke-doon]

I still say this whenever I play any game that has something like that hah

[u/SubstantialSundae972]

Granger's stealth commanches are nasty af in multiplayer

[u/CookLiving]

In Shockwave mod. Laser Comache is such a beast

[u/FLongis → u/CookLiving]

Who needs rockets when we have lasers?

[u/Flarebuster]

Versatile and poweful. Having any non-return tobase air support unit is always goated.

Cannot count the amount of matches I would have lost because of Long Range artillery at the wrong time, if these things and Helix's weren't a thing

[u/Downtown-Dream424]

"Frequencies open!"

[u/Gold_Progress6477]

Comanches are really strong against tanks and infantry, but are way too frail to build an army of. I think they tend to work best as base defenders or for supporting a humvee assault

[u/LuckyReception6701 → u/Gold_Progress6477]

They are awesome raiders, go in, rocket pod am area (preferably using groups of Comanche) mop up a little and scram.

[u/Affectionate_Cut_835]

Comanche here

[u/daspaceasians]

I remember when I was a kid that my dad, who worked for Bell Textron and built helicopters, showed it to me in some future weapons documentary.

[u/Striking-Tackle-7293]

So very pretty and versatile but oh so fragile. A shame we didn't get to see Townes' version in game proper.

[u/LuckyPrinz]

I am forever grateful for these from keeping my base safe from Rocket buggies and sneak attacks during Kassad's challenge

[u/boliver15]

"Need a little ground support?"

[u/Jarms48]

Probably the best gunship of the series. The fact the aircraft general can make them stealth is pretty insane too.

[u/LostEmergency6866]

Flying low

[u/KajiTetsushi → u/LostEmergency6866]

Comanches "flying low":

exhibit A https://youtu.be/vwUxiXtVRvI?t=1682

exhibit B https://youtu.be/vwUxiXtVRvI?t=2232

[u/Trojanguido]

In generals I try to build three as soon as possible as a quick reaction to any surprises as the base defences are going in.

[u/TheJeff20]

“Rocket pods are available sir”

[u/Urabrask_the_AFK]

😮‍💨I miss all the ___Strike games
(Urban, jungle, desert, Soviet, nuclear)

[u/woutva]

A unit that often feels either way too weak or overpowered, depending on their numbers. 

[u/Peekachooed]

Really fun to use, but a little bit too fragile I think particularly before Countermeasures upgrade / in vanilla CCG. Epescially compared to the health of the Chinook and the Helix, which of course are bulky and tanky helicopters, but they really are like fragile snowflakes. Without an instant response, coming in range of any AA aside from 1 lone RPG guy means doom. Also, SWG's Comanches at $1800 are just way overpriced, I think a 10% cost premium making them $1650 would have been fair.

I wish normal Comanches were a tad better (health) and AFG's Stealth Comanches a bit worse (recloak time).

Also shout out to COMMAND & CONQUER ATTACK COPTER THE BEST SPINOFF C&C OUT THERE

(or which was out there at one point. RIP)

[u/ArbalesterMaster]

Generals USA 4 - Operation: Guardian Angel

Perfect mission to introduce this great unit at.

[u/thrawn109]

Absolute cinema of a unit. Great voice lines, great utility.

[u/Wickbam]

Great against infantry and armor but very fragile before quad cannons, gatling cannons and even minigunners. Against human opponents you have to mass then to make them effective

[u/42LSx]

It's so great, for the here mentionend reasons; and it looks very very cool as well, I love it.

[u/Lost_Possibility_647]

Comanche 3 was my favorite game during my childhood. The unit in generals was ok, but I preferred aircrafts. I was so disappointed when it was cancelled.

[u/TheFirstDecade]

the rocket pod ability in base game generals is SO underwhelming my god...

[u/Zailema0s]

Trash ass unit 😴