Infantry Types and Counters

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection infantry guide. Learn the roles of Riflemen, Engineers, and Grenadiers, plus their crucial counters.

Infantry forms the backbone of any army in Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, offering versatility and crucial roles. From basic Riflemen to specialized units like Engineers and Grenadiers, understanding their strengths and weaknesses is vital. Learn which units counter which, and how to deploy your infantry effectively to dominate the battlefield.

In the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, infantry units are the most basic, yet often the most versatile, components of your army. They are relatively cheap to produce and can fulfill several roles, from frontline combat to specialized tasks. However, they are also the most vulnerable to concentrated firepower and vehicles. Mastering infantry types and their counters is fundamental to achieving tactical superiority.

Let's break down the common infantry units for both GDI and Nod and explore their roles and counters:

GDI Infantry

• Rifleman: The standard GDI infantry unit. They are effective against other infantry and light vehicles. Their primary weakness is their vulnerability to explosives and heavy armor.
• Grenadier: Armed with grenades, these units excel at clearing out entrenched infantry and damaging light structures. They are less effective against armored vehicles.
• Engineer: Crucial for capturing enemy buildings and repairing damaged vehicles and structures. They are very weak in combat and should be protected at all costs.
• Zone Trooper: A more advanced GDI infantry unit equipped with a special weapon that deals significant damage to vehicles and structures. They are slower and more expensive than Riflemen.
• Commando: A powerful, single hero unit with high firepower and explosives. Excellent against vehicles and structures, but vulnerable if caught alone.

Nod Infantry

• Militant: The basic Nod infantry. Similar to GDI Riflemen, they are good against other infantry and light vehicles but susceptible to heavy damage.
• Crew Member: These are the infantry that emerge from destroyed vehicles. They are weak but can provide some defensive presence or capture buildings if left unattended.
• Flame Tank Crew: (While not a unit you build directly, they are the crew of the Flame Tank). They are highly effective against infantry and light structures.
• Black Hand: Elite Nod infantry armed with advanced weaponry, capable of dealing significant damage to both infantry and vehicles. They are more expensive than standard Militants.
• Saboteur: Nod's equivalent to the Engineer, capable of capturing buildings and sabotaging enemy structures (causing them to explode after a delay).
• Commando: Similar to GDI's Commando, a powerful hero unit with high damage output, effective against vehicles and structures.

Key Counters and Strategies

Understanding how to counter enemy infantry is as important as knowing your own units' strengths:

1. Vehicles vs. Infantry: Most vehicles, especially light vehicles like GDI's Buggy or Nod's Scorpion Tank, are excellent at clearing out infantry swarms due to their area-of-effect damage or rapid firing capabilities. However, be wary of anti-vehicle infantry like GDI's Zone Troopers or Nod's Black Hand, which can pose a significant threat to lighter vehicles.
2. Explosives vs. Infantry: Grenadiers, Engineers (when using their repair tool on a structure that is being attacked), and Commando units are highly effective against infantry. GDI's Grenadiers and Nod's Saboteurs can also damage light structures.
3. Anti-Infantry Structures: GDI's Guard Towers and Nod's Turrets are designed to quickly eliminate infantry. Positioning these defensively can create formidable kill zones.
4. Area of Effect (AoE) Damage: Units or structures that deal splash damage are the bane of tightly packed infantry. GDI's Grenadiers, Nod's Flame Tanks, and certain defensive structures excel here.
5. Protecting Your Own Infantry: Always support your infantry with anti-infantry vehicles or defensive structures. Use terrain to your advantage, and avoid sending infantry into heavily fortified positions or against superior armored units without support. Engineers and Saboteurs should always be escorted by combat units.

The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection rewards players who can effectively combine their infantry forces with their vehicle and air units. A balanced army, where each unit type supports and protects the others, is the most resilient and adaptable force on the battlefield.

Infantry Type	Faction	Primary Role	Effective Against	Weak Against
Rifleman	GDI	General Combat, Anti-Infantry	Infantry, Light Vehicles	Explosives, Heavy Armor
Grenadier	GDI	Anti-Infantry, Light Structure Damage	Infantry, Light Structures	Armored Vehicles
Engineer	GDI	Capture Buildings, Repair	N/A (Combat Weak)	All Combat Units
Militant	Nod	General Combat, Anti-Infantry	Infantry, Light Vehicles	Explosives, Heavy Armor
Saboteur	Nod	Capture Buildings, Sabotage	N/A (Combat Weak)	All Combat Units
Black Hand	Nod	Elite Combat, Anti-Vehicle	Infantry, Vehicles	Heavy Anti-Infantry, Explosives