CNC Generals: The USA - Early Game

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    The USA's biggest advantage is intelligence. With their broad array of scouting and stealth detection the USA is rarely surprised by attacks. The USA also has very good units. Great tanks, great planes, great infantry. The only down side to all of this is that all of USA's stuff is pretty expensive compared to the other sides. Not only that but I believe the USA has the worst anti-air capabilities. I'm not talking about the patriot missiles. I mean a mobile anti-air unit. Humvee's with tow missiles work but you need to get the upgrade and they are not nearly as effective as Gattling tanks or quad cannons.

    The USA is relatively weak in the early game. Remember that the two most important things at the beginning of the game is to get your economy established and to get some units for defense (or to rush). Since everything is expensive for the USA you need to balance your base development carefully. I would always suggest getting the spy drone immediately when the game starts. Knowing what your enemy is doing is critical for the USA so they can prepare for enemy attacks and find holes in the enemies defense. Your build order should be very flexible depending on the map and what your enemy is doing but it should still achieve the two early game objectives. The basic build order I use is this:

1st dozer - cold fusion reactor
2nd dozer (from command center) - drive to expansion
1st dozer - supply center at base
2nd dozer - build barracks
2nd dozer -supply center at expansion
1st dozer - war factory

    This is the generic build order I use for every game but I change it according to the map and my opponent. You should never pause between construction until you have your war factory up. I build a second Chinook as soon as my first supply center is up but I wait on the second Chinook for the second center so I can get units.

    By building a barracks at my expansion point I can bring my infantry out closer to my enemy so I don't have to walk them as far and I can garrison any buildings at my expansion quickly. A patriot missile works but it costs more, requires more power, builds slower, and doesn't have the mobility of units. If your enemy gets a dozer at the expansion the same time you do and you make a barracks and he starts a defensive structure you can get a missile defender out and kill his dozer before he is done.

    I do not go to wild at the beginning with infantry. I usually make only 1-3 missile defenders or rangers depending on what my enemy is doing. This allows me to make a crusader or humvee as soon as my war factory is up. By getting a tank as soon as your war factory is up you will be able to stop an early Gattling tank rush and help to defend your expansion.

    That is really all you need to do in the early game. After you have your base established and the money flowing you can continue to expand, start making advanced structures, and do some serious attacking. All of this I will discuss in the next section.