Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Advance Wars: Dual Strike is a video game that consists of 4 releases
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A turn-based game, each round has the the player manage unit movement, territory acquisition, and attacks against the opponent. Battles may have different rules for victory: destroy all enemy units, capture the enemy headquarters, or other special objectives. Depending on the map, units may be pre-deployed, purchased by the player from factories, or both. The fighting forces cover all major forms of combat: land, sea, and air and all players share the same set of units (though not not necessarily the same capabilities with these units, see COs below). Purchasing units requires funds which are gained at the beginning of every turn. Capturing territories - cities, factories, airports, harbors, and communication towers - results in more funds.
Underlying Mechanics
A significant portion of Dual Strike's strategy derives from the rock-paper-scissors nature of unit interaction. Certain units are " super effective" against some while weak against others. Augmenting these concepts is the use of terrain. Terrain such as mountains and forests may hinder or enhance line of sight on certain maps, allowing the player to ambush the opponent, and may also provide defensive bonuses. The game employs a first strike system where units who are ordered to attack will deal damage in succession, first the attackers then the defenders. This encourages offensive play because in a fight between two units of identical strength, particularly in aerial combat, the first unit to attack will more or less secure a victory in the conflict.
If the player controls two COs at the current battlefield (a feature new to the series), he may choose to activate a "dual strike", emptying both CO's filled meters, activating their special abilities, and gaining two consecutive turns. This ability can only be employed to unleash both CO's super CO powers, nothing of a lesser strength. The attack is instantly devastating in almost any circumstance, even if the player who activates it is getting a substantial beating.
New to Advance Wars: Dual Strike are dual front battles. These missions require the player to manage two battles at once. Sometimes, victory is not required for one of the battlefields. However, victory at that battlefield incurs bonuses that will help at the other battlefield, usually allowing the second-screen victor to join the battle as a second CO for his partner on the main screen. A number of maps in the War Room (a single player Arcade mode of sorts) feature this kind of conflict for use outside the campaign. As a note of peculiarity, dual front battles cannot be created using the game's map editor.
Spoiler Alert: These are technically spoilers as these units are important tactical pivots in the storyline. However, they are all automatically available in multiplayer, so you might just ruin the surprise for yourself anyway.
This upper crust aircraft is the air force's handyman in all respects. The Stealth Fighter, as the implies, can go into a Stealth Mode that behaves identically to the Sub's Dive ability. While cloaked, the Stealth Fighter is invisible unless run into, can only be hit by Fighters, and burns up huge amounts of fuel each day. For an aircraft, it isn't very fast but its spectrum of attack--absolutely anything--means it doesn't have to be as fast as its comrades. The Omni Missile the Stealth Fighter fires will anything except submerged Subs for decent damage. This, sadly, is the Stealth Fighter's biggest problem; it never really does better than decent damage to its target. At least it always does decent damage, even to larger targets. It costs more than a Bomber but is less specialized so, if your coffers can shoulder it, the Stealth Fighter is always useful.
The first Advance Wars game for the Nintendo DS, Advance Wars: Dual Strike is a modern military, turn-based strategy game. It adds new units, the ability to use two Commanding Officers at once, and other features.
Gameplay
Gameplay in Advance Wars: Dual Strike builds on the established tradition set by previous Advance Wars installments.
Square-Tiled Turn-Based CombatThe Basics
A turn-based game, each round has the the player manage unit movement, territory acquisition, and attacks against the opponent. Battles may have different rules for victory: destroy all enemy units, capture the enemy headquarters, or other special objectives. Depending on the map, units may be pre-deployed, purchased by the player from factories, or both. The fighting forces cover all major forms of combat: land, sea, and air and all players share the same set of units (though not not necessarily the same capabilities with these units, see COs below). Purchasing units requires funds which are gained at the beginning of every turn. Capturing territories - cities, factories, airports, harbors, and communication towers - results in more funds. 
Square-Tiled Turn-Based Combat
Underlying Mechanics
A significant portion of Dual Strike's strategy derives from the rock-paper-scissors nature of unit interaction. Certain units are " super effective" against some while weak against others. Augmenting these concepts is the use of terrain. Terrain such as mountains and forests may hinder or enhance line of sight on certain maps, allowing the player to ambush the opponent, and may also provide defensive bonuses. The game employs a first strike system where units who are ordered to attack will deal damage in succession, first the attackers then the defenders. This encourages offensive play because in a fight between two units of identical strength, particularly in aerial combat, the first unit to attack will more or less secure a victory in the conflict.
Jake, one of the campaign's main protagonists
CO's
Dual Strike introduces new Commanding Officers, or "CO"s for short, as well as some familiar faces from previous games. COs are chosen before every battle, each with strengths and weaknesses. Their passive abilities range from damage bonuses with certain units to various reduced costs. During the campaign, COs are heads of the four factions fighting in Omega Land and their tactical eccentricities show through in their personalities, physique and speech (i.e. Max, the tank CO, is a muscular ape of a man that dislikes sneaky tactics).CO Powers
Each CO has a special meter that increases every time the player deals or receives damage. The meter may be emptied when partially full to activate a CO's special ability (their CO Power) or when completely full for an even more powerful ability (their Super CO Power). These abilities tend to be further augmentations of the benefits the CO already offers; Grit, for example, gives his artillery a longer range normally so his CO powers extend their range even farther. These abilities play a large role in the outcomes of most battles as their effects can be tide-changing despite lasting only one turn; as such, a major part of the strategy in Advance Wars is properly timing their usage.If the player controls two COs at the current battlefield (a feature new to the series), he may choose to activate a "dual strike", emptying both CO's filled meters, activating their special abilities, and gaining two consecutive turns. This ability can only be employed to unleash both CO's super CO powers, nothing of a lesser strength. The attack is instantly devastating in almost any circumstance, even if the player who activates it is getting a substantial beating.
Balance of Power
Earlier installments in the series had a sort of "net zero" philosophy for assigning benefits and deficits, where the positives and negatives were balanced out to a neutral advantage. This idea was removed from Dual Strike, mostly for the sake of reducing the headache of putting a value on nebulous strengths. Lash's ability gives her units a firepower bonus in addition to the defense bonus for terrain and is a excellent example of one of those cases. Instead, characters (with a few exceptions) have a net positive in strengths. Some COs even have strengths with no weaknesses, a situation generally rationalized by strengths that only offer benefits by circumstance (like Sonja, whose extended vision range is only good on Fog of War maps).
A battle rages in the clouds while the main conflict is at ground level.Dual Front Battles
New to Advance Wars: Dual Strike are dual front battles. These missions require the player to manage two battles at once. Sometimes, victory is not required for one of the battlefields. However, victory at that battlefield incurs bonuses that will help at the other battlefield, usually allowing the second-screen victor to join the battle as a second CO for his partner on the main screen. A number of maps in the War Room (a single player Arcade mode of sorts) feature this kind of conflict for use outside the campaign. As a note of peculiarity, dual front battles cannot be created using the game's map editor.
A battle rages in the clouds while the main conflict is at ground level.
Plot
The plot to Dual Strike's campaign will be familiar to players of previous Advance Wars games. The Black Hole Army has invaded Omega Land, and it's up to the allied nations of Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet, and Green Earth to push them back. The mysterious origin of Black Hole's new army is also explored.New Units
Dual Strike added a bevy of new units to the standard set, spanning all forms of attack. As with many series, the game is a victim of escalation, so most of the new units are very expensive and can potentially dominate the battlefield.Spoiler Alert: These are technically spoilers as these units are important tactical pivots in the storyline. However, they are all automatically available in multiplayer, so you might just ruin the surprise for yourself anyway.
Megatank
Just as Black Hole put the finishing on the domineering NeoTank, Green Earth did one better and released this monstrosity. The Megatank is essentially a wall with a cannon. Nothing can destroy one of these outright or even get close; a Neo Tank will do 30% damage. On the flip side, there is almost nothing that will not be instantly obliterated by a full strength Megatank in one shot. With this brutal capability comes a logistical nightmare, the Megatank being a pain in every other respect. It moves slowly, it doesn't have a lot fuel, and it only sports three salvoes for its main gun. As a result, players are almost forcibly encouraged to back this mammoth up with an APC at all times and APCs have never been so valuable a target. Stop the supply, stop the tank. Otherwise, this thing will keep rolling come what may.Piperunner
A primarily campaign-oriented addition, the Piperunner is like a Rocket on a rail without any of the problems commonly associated with Rockets. It has the minimum range of Artillery, the maximum of a Rocket, has a rather spectacular movement speed, lots of ammo, a large vision radius, and won't run out of fuel. It even has no conflict deficits because it hits both ground and air targets to similar effect. To summarize: unit's broken. However, you'll probably never get to use it anyhow because it can only traverse the indestructible pipes found almost exclusively in the campaign as well as bases. Unless a factory is adjacent to a pipe or there is a string of cities that needs defending, the opportunity to employ this ridiculous turret is scarce in multiplayer.Oozium
Another campaign-only tool, Oozium is an enormous blob of gelatinous goop that slowly ambles about the field of battle in pursuit of enemy troops to eat. It only moves one space a turn but Oozium can go over anything besides water and instantly kills any enemy it comes into contact with, no questions asked. It is also particularly robust, taking almost no damage from indirect fire units (the only units you would really like to engage it with in the first place). Though it cannot created during a fight, Oozium can be pre-deployed in user-created maps if this was for some reason desirable.Black Boat
The cheapest among the new units is also the most useful of the bunch. Think of the Black Boat as an upgraded, floating APC. It scoots around in the water, including shoals, refueling and even repairing allied troops. It can only resupply one unit per turn, but that unit can be in the air or the ground and the Black Boat also heals the unit by one HP. Filling the other half of the APC metaphor, the Black Boat can transport a single infantry over water, a much preferred option to wasting an entire Lander on the same job. Its versatility and cost-effectiveness make the Black Boat a very welcome addition to the naval arsenal.Carrier
The navy receives much-needed compensation on both ends of the economic spectrum and the Carrier fulfills it on the "really freaking expensive" end. Effectively replacing the cruiser in any well-funded fleet, the Carrier does the Cruiser's job the way it felt like it should have always been done: at range with a robust unit. Instead of going for the Antiaircraft approach of direct combat with aircraft, the Carrier has an amazing 8 square range that reliably holds off enemy aerial assaults. As a further upgrade to its cousin, the Carrier can also carry aircraft but it can hold anything, not just copters. The only real problem with the Carrier beyond its hefty price tag is its minimum range of 3, which leaves it vulnerable to well-positioned that can get inside the units otherwise outstanding range.
The Stealth FighterStealth Fighter
This upper crust aircraft is the air force's handyman in all respects. The Stealth Fighter, as the implies, can go into a Stealth Mode that behaves identically to the Sub's Dive ability. While cloaked, the Stealth Fighter is invisible unless run into, can only be hit by Fighters, and burns up huge amounts of fuel each day. For an aircraft, it isn't very fast but its spectrum of attack--absolutely anything--means it doesn't have to be as fast as its comrades. The Omni Missile the Stealth Fighter fires will anything except submerged Subs for decent damage. This, sadly, is the Stealth Fighter's biggest problem; it never really does better than decent damage to its target. At least it always does decent damage, even to larger targets. It costs more than a Bomber but is less specialized so, if your coffers can shoulder it, the Stealth Fighter is always useful.
The Stealth Fighter
Black Bomb
The biggest gamble the game has to offer. The Black Bomb's functionality is pretty simple: its a fast-moving missile that explodes to do a fantastic 5 HP of damage to all units within 3 squares of the blast (as with all units have do hard HP damage, any afflicted troops cannot drop below 1 HP). It can only be hit explicitly by antiaircraft weaponry, adding to the difficulty of stopping it along the way. The trouble is, it costs an obscene amount of funds so losing it will set you back considerably. It also isn't that hard to knock out if an enemy has the right equipment. Its abilities have no equal against the right massing of units and, as such, are quite welcome. Just don't waste them.
| Game Name | Advance Wars: Dual Strike |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres |
Add a new genre
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| Themes |
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| Original US Release |
Aug. 22, 2005
need a fuzzy date? |
| Original US Release |
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| Aliases |
Advance Wars DS Famicom Wars DS |
| OFLC |
OFLC: PG
|
| CERO |
CERO: All Ages
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| ESRB |
ESRB: E
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| PEGI |
PEGI: 7+
|
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