2024 TIBERIAN SUN STRATEGY GUIDE
BUILD ORDER REQUIREMENTS AND PREREQUISITES
In Tiberian Sun, you will need to build new buildings to unlock new units and structures.
For example: GDI unlocks Light Infantry by building a Barracks. Nod unlocks Light Infantry by building a Hand of Nod. Build Order Theory must take into account build order prerequisites.
In longer games, it might make sense to build all of the buildings so that you can unlock all the units and structures, which gives you more options for tactics.
On large maps, it can make sense to build your first Tiberium Refinery before your Barracks or Hand of Nod so that you get faster money. On large maps the enemy infantry scouts will not reach your base before you can make one Tiberium Refinery and the the Barracks/Hand of Nod to make anti scout infantry. On smaller maps, you might need to build your Barrack/Hand of Nod to make faster anti scouts before you build your first Tiberium Refinery.
RADAR VS WAR FACTORY
One of the most important decisions in Build Order Theory is...
Should you build a Radar or War Factory first?
RADAR FIRST:
For both Nod and GDI, the Radar will unlock a Helipad and EMP Cannon.
As Nod, the Radar will unlock the Nod Sam, Helipad, and EMP Cannon.
As GDI, the Radar will unlock, the Helipad, the EMP Cannon, and Sam Upgrades (if you also have a component tower.).
If you Build a Radar before a War Factory, you can have a early EMP Cannon, but you won't be able to build Harvesters yet, so you might need a few more Tiberium Refinery after you build the Radar so that your economy doesn't suffer. You will need the money for the Harpy or Orca Fighters after you make your Helipad. If you build a Radar First, it might make sense to build a Helipad before the War Factory because the Helipad only costs $500, while the War Factory costs $2000 and takes longer to build.
The Radar and the Helipad can be built faster than a War Factory. Cost $1500 vs $2000 for the War Factory. So You can build a Harpy or Orca Fighter before you could build vehicles. The Harpy and Orca Fighter cost $1000. Tick Tanks and Titans cost $800. This means that the Harpy and Orca Fighter have a $300 speed advantage for your first one. The Attack Buggy and Wolverine are only $500, so these two units could be made in the same time as your first Harpy or Orca Fighter.
If you make a early Helipad as GDI, you will unlock the Orca Fighter, which is the fastest unit in the game. (Four Orca Fighters can destroy a Harvester)
If you make a early Helipad as Nod, you will unlock the Harpy, which is not as fast as GDI's Orca Fighter but still faster than any vehicle. The Harpy is great for killing early Light Infantry or Disc Thrower rush attacks.
If you build the RADAR and Helipad, your base might be weaker to early tank rushes, this depends on the size of the map. Smaller maps = Slower but stronger Titans have advantage. Larger Maps = Tick Tanks can get to the enemy faster even though they are not as strong as Titans.
WAR FACTORY FIRST:
GDI's War Factory will unlock the Service Depot. It also unlocks the Wolverine, Titan, and Amphibious APC.
Nod's War Factory will unlock an Advanced Power Plant (The Advanced Power Plant will unlock the Laser Fence Post)The Nod War Factory unlocks Attack Cycle, Attack Buggy, Tick Tank, and Mobile Repair Vehicle.
The Mobile Repair Vehicle costs $1000 and GDI's Service Depot costs $1200. This means that Nod can heal tanks sooner than GDI can heal tanks (by $200 build time).The Mobile Repair Vehicle can also be sent with a early vehicle rush. The GDI Service Depot can not. The Mobile Repair Vehicle does not take up build time for other buildings, unlike the Service Depot. This means that if GDI wants to make a early Service Depot to heal his Titans against a Tick Tank rush, he will be lagging behind in building a Radar and GDI Tech Center.
GDI UNIT TECHNOLOGY PREREQUISITES
LIGHT INFANTRY------------BARRACKS
DISC THROWER-------------BARRACKS
MEDIC--------------------------BARRACKS
ENGINEER---------------------BARRACKS
JUMP JET INFANTRY-------BARRACKS + RADAR
WOLVERINE------------------WAR FACTORY
TITAN---------------------------WAR FACTORY
AMPHIBIOUS APC----------WAR FACTORY
HOVER MRLS----------------WAR FACTORY + RADAR
DISRUPTER-------------------WAR FACTORY + GDI TECH CENTER
GHOST STALKER-----------BARRACKS + GDI TECH CENTER
MAMMOTH MK2------------WAR FACTORY + GDI TECH CENTER
GDI STRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY PREREQUISITES
GDI POWER PLANT-------------------CONSTRUCTION YARD
BARRACKS-----------------------------GDI POWER PLANT
TIBERIUM REFINERY----------------CONSTRUCTION YARD + GDI POWER PLANT
TIBERIUM SILO-----------------------TIBERIUM REFINERY
POWER TURBINE---------------------GDI POWER PLANT
COMPONENT TOWER----------------BARRACKS
VULCAN CANNON UPGRADE-----COMPONENT TOWER
RPG UPGRADE-------------------------COMPONENT TOWER
SAM UPGRADE------------------------COMPONENT TOWER + RADAR
RADAR-----------------------------------TIBERIUM REFINERY
CONCRETE WALL---------------------BARRACKS
GDI GATE--------------------------------BARRACKS
WAR FACTORY-------------------------TIBERIUM REFINERY + BARRACKS
PAVEMENT------------------------------BARRACKS
SERVICE DEPOT-----------------------WAR FACTORY
HELIPAD---------------------------------RADAR
GDI TECH CENTER-------------------WAR FACTORY + RADAR
EMP CANNON--------------------------RADAR
GDI UPGRADE CENTER-------------GDI TECH CENTER
ION CANNON UPLINK---------------GDI UPGRADE CENTER
SEEKER CONTROL--------------------GDI UPGRADE CENTER
FIRESTORM GENERATOR-----------GDI TECH CENTER
FIRESTORM WALL SECTION------FIRESTORM GENERATOR
NOD UNIT TECHNOLOGY PREREQUISITES
LIGHT INFANTRY------------------HAND OF NOD
ROCKET INFANTRY --------------HAND OF NOD
CYBORG------------------------------HAND OF NOD
ATTACK CYCLE--------------------WAR FACTORY
ATTACK BUGGY-------------------WAR FACTORY
TICK TANK--------------------------WAR FACTORY
MOBILE REPAIR VEHICLE------WAR FACTORY
ARTILLERY--------------------------WAR FACTORY + RADAR
SENSOR ARRAY--------------------WAR FACTORY + RADAR
SUBTERRANEAN APC------------WAR FACTORY + NOD TECH CENTER
DEVIL TONGUE--------------------WAR FACTORY + NOD TECH CENTER
STEALTH TANK--------------------WAR FACTORY + NOD TECH CENTER
CYBORG COMMANDO-----------HAND OF NOD + TEMPLE OF NOD
MUTANT HIJACKER--------------HAND OF NOD + TEMPLE OF NOD
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NOD STRUCTURE TECNOLOGY PREREQUISITES
NOD POWER PLANT----------------CONSTRUCTION YARD
HAND OF NOD-----------------------CONSTRUCTION YARD + NOD POWER PLANT
TIBERIUM REFINERY--------------CONSTRUCTION YARD + NOD POWER PLANT
TIBERIUM SILO----------------------TIBERIUM REFINERY
LASER----------------------------------HAND OF NOD
NOD WALL ---------------------------HAND OF NOD
PAVEMENT----------------------------HAND OF NOD
NOD GATE-----------------------------HAND OF NOD
RADAR---------------------------------TIBERIUM REFINERY
WAR FACTORY-----------------------HAND OF NOD + TIBERIUM REFINERY
HELIPAD-------------------------------RADAR
NOD SAM------------------------------RADAR
ADVANCED POWER PLANT------WAR FACTORY
EMP CANNON------------------------RADAR
NOD TECH CENTER----------------RADAR + WAR FACTORY
LASER FENCE POST----------------ADVANCED POWER PLANT
OBELISK OF LIGHT-----------------NOD TECH CENTER
STEALTH GENERATOR------------NOD TECH CENTER
TEMPLE OF NOD--------------------NOD TECH CENTER
MISSILE SILO------------------------NOD TECH CENTER
TIBERIUM WASTE FACILITY----MISSILE SILO