Hello. I quite enjoy this game, so I made a guide of what works and what doesn't after playing General difficulty extensively.

I might expand it with enemies and map advice if there is interest or if I find more time to dedicate to it. I welcome comments.

The same advice applies if playing on a lower difficulty, but you only really have to avoid major blunders in this case.

Please note that I am not the Pope, and I am only reporting my experience. All flamebait will be ignored.

Units and powers are ranked on the following scale:

• S: will carry a game.
  
• A: a major help in securing victory.
  
• B: a solid option.
  
• C: situational.
  
• D: barely usable.
  
• F: I can't imagine deploying this instead of selling it.

• Pipsqueak (S-): Everything the warpip wishes it could be. Beats early game infantry, costs nothing and scales extremely well with up-ranks. Makes any stage easier, but has to be paired with at least one other unit because of its long spawn timer. The only infantry mainline that remains viable when vehicles become plentiful.
  
• Warpips (C+): Honestly, I don't like warpips. Their damage is OK, but they die to a breeze and are terribly cost inefficient, so much so that they can easily cost you the run. By no means required past the midgame, as a vehicle opener is much stronger.
  
• Shield pips (C-): They won’t win a game or kill waves on their own, but are much more survivable than warpips. Coupon fodder past island 2.
  
• Tactician (B+): Why would you buy a pip that shoots about as well as a warpip and costs twice as much? Because it calls in free artillery strikes and makes every other unit better just by being around them. A viable support option up to the last few maps.
  
• Scorpion Pip (A-): Mobile, but more expensive and much frailer than its static counterpart. Use them to save on TOW turrets, since they are not good enough to substitute them in the endgame (i.e. from the last map of Island 3 onwards).
  
• Sniper (D): These guys steal a CP from you, kill a unit every three years and are completely useless against anything but infantry. They also cost almost as much as an LRV. They can only be really used on infantry-only maps as a gas mook counter.
  
• Heavy gunner (A): Great at breaking through where warpips would absolutely fail. Sadly take a long time to set up both due to the timer and the investment required, but they are worth every penny. Devastating when the enemy lacks vehicles, viable even in the endgame.

• KN38 Puma (A+): A generalist vehicle that can be used as an effective opener if you bring a way to earn the second CP, so much so that one or two of these can win certain maps by themselves. Make sure to rush rank 2 if you use them, since they cannot easily deal with vehicles without the TOW attack. Do not try to use them in place of Scorpion pips, let alone the turrets.
  
• LRV (S): Hits everything effectively enough, tanks hits and spawns free units. Can even carry the early game if you divert your CP to unlocking it ASAP. The best unit in any lineup, only really weak to heavy vehicle rushes.
  
• M7 Ramrod (A): tough as nails and can deal with any ground threat. Has a much more generous power curve than the Puma, but cannot help you if the enemy spawns choppers. Rarely viable as an opener since it requires 3 CP to unlock and does not deal well with infantry until rank 1.
  
• 88-86 Warbus (A): Like the LRV, any card that spawns free units is automatically god-tier. The spec ops pips are strong and the mines are great, but the warbus is held back by the fact that the vehicle part of the card doesn't attack nor stick around.
  
• AH32-2 Tomahawk (B): Will shred anything it finds, but it is too expensive to be a mainstay. I use the Tomahawk to help infantry builds close the map before reinforcements come in.

• Small turret (S if infantry-only, otherwise A): shreds any infantry and takes ages to kill, would be S+ if it could walk. Loses against vehicles, but buys you enormous amounts of breathing room to easily counter them with something else. Ludicrously strong at rank 2. Use them before the endgame, since by then every spot should be taken up by TOW turrets.
  
• TOW turret (S+): Doesn't do anything to enemy infantry, but the discounted TOW turret is the only unit capable of winning you the last 5 or so maps of the game, since Scorpion Pips are too frail to defend you from the General mode armor rush. Hoard them, else the endgame will likely be unwinnable.
  
• Sandbags (D-): They help you hold ground, since infantry without cover dies to anything, but they are more useful as coupons. Usable early if you have nothing else to buy.
  
• Wire entanglement (F): barely effective against infantry, won’t help unless you already hold some ground, useless against vehicles. It’d be bad even if it was free. Which it isn't.
  
• Land mines (B-): Great damage, but can drain your cash even quicker than the kamikaze drones. Also, unlike the drones, won’t help you advance or kill turrets.
  
• Base defense turret (C+): Will supplement your defense, but its offensive use is limited. Helps keep weak-early builds alive, and you don’t get a do-over at General difficulty. The Phalanx BDT is slightly better.
  
• Cash buildings (S): The 50% discount upgrade is required to make them usable, but they are part of the cards I consider essential for the endgame. Properly set up pumpjacks let you spawn vehicles at a rate that can overwhelm even the buffed up maps. Also, don't underestimate their potential as meat shields when you are fighting close to the base.

• Tear gas (B+): I am big on this. Almost-free I-win button against infantry, allows you to easily beat waves but is balanced by a very long recharge. Be careful about placing it correctly.
  
• Dogs (B): Less effective at destroying infantry than the tear gas, but it scales well with rank and is often money-positive considering the amount of dogs that come back on average.
  
• Smoke grenade (C): Helps your infantry survive. Not essential in any scenario, but can save you better options for tougher maps.
  
• Kamikaze drones (B+): Will drain your finances quickly if you use them carelessly. Great at destroying high value targets and static defences, never underestimate the power of damaging any point of the battlefield at will.
  
• RA52 rockets (B): Completely free and useful at any stage of the game. Held back by a long cooldown.
  
• RA64-F Super Rocket (C+): I’m not big on this power, as it costs a lot on the market and is a rare find from map drops. These rockets are at their best when you are rushed by heavy vehicles, but they can miss and leave you crying.
  
• IC7 Bulwark Surface Missile (A-): The best of the three rocket powers: kills anything on the ground, is aimable and the cooldown isn’t that bad. A couple of these make the last maps easier.
  
• Air Raid (B+): Like the IC7 missile, it will destroy anything it lands on. Attacks in a line.
  
• Oil Barrel powers (A): They are at their best when you are using a cash-heavy build, and they are not that rare to find. Cash buildings are better in the endgame, so don't be afraid to use them up by the third island.
  
• Stimpack (C-): Ehhh… it can make a warpip or heavy gunner push nigh-undefeatable, but it is by no means necessary. I usually just sell it.