Minuteman

Minuteman
A Minuteman with his missile launcher
Faction	Confederate Revolutionaries
Unit Type	Light Infantry
Designation	Anti-Infantry/Anti-Air
Production Building	Tent Barracks
Secondary Ability	Switch Missile Launcher/Rifle and Grenades Anti-Air Weapon/Anti-Infantry Weapon
Cost	$150
Production Time	0:05
Heroic Upgrade	Modern Assault Rifle and Missile Launcher
Dev. Status	Modelled

Country of Origin	United States
Trained at	Training camps, all around the States
Key Features	» ARM-12 "Rangemaster" rifle  » MX2 fragmentation grenades  » M143 "Red-Eye" SAM launcher  » Kwolek combat vest  » Various non-alcoholic beverages

"Fifty-Five seconds to spare!"

- Minuteman, on training

Tactical Analysis

• American Exceptionalism: The elite infantry of the Confederate Revolutionaries, Minutemen are supremely effective multi role troops far more effective than most of their contemporaries. Minutemen, thanks to their patriotism, armoured vests, and physical training, are braver, tougher and faster than normal infantry. They are also capable of concealing themselves from enemies as long as they stay still.

• Second Amendment: The Minuteman's rifle hits very hard and is supremely effective against infantry, while his missile launcher is good for anti-aircraft work. At close range, they also employ grenades to destructive effect. They take a second to change between weapons when ordered, though they will use the most effective weapon against the target while garrisoned.

• Freedom Isn't Cheap: However, Minutemen are still infantry, they are still incredibly vulnerable to anti infantry weapons, and at such a high cost to train and equip one, the loss of a Minuteman is much harder felt than normal infantry.

• Finders Keepers: Though Minutemen are well equipped, they never overlook a chance to acquire better gear. Experienced Minutemen have looted modern MX-15 assault rifles and modern M64 Javelin missile launchers, which improves their effectiveness at close range and against agile targets, respectively.

Operational History

The Confederate Revolutionaries are a diverse group, with members coming from all walks of life. Many Americans have joined up with the revolution for any number of reasons, be it to avenge the death of their president or simply to see some action. A good number of those who join the Confederates are eager to fight on the battlefield. The majority of volunteers end up joining the Militia, fighting a low intensity guerrilla war with the Allies in the streets. For those who don't, there is the Continental Army.

While the Militia is little more than scattered groups of rabble, the Continental Army is a professional, organised fighting force, a fact which may be attributed to their leadership. A good portion of the Continental Army is made up of Minutemen, the catch-all name for the rebel infantry that spend their time on the front lines. They're a fairly diverse group, mostly made up of grizzled war veterans, defected reservists, and sometimes just plain old gun nuts. The differences between a Minuteman and your average Militia member are considerable; Minutemen are better trained, more skilled, more determined, and more professional by comparison. While a Militia would be extraordinarily lucky to best a Peacekeeper in a straight fight, a fight between a Peacekeeper and a Minuteman is a different story altogether.

In addition, Minutemen also get the best equipment the Confederates have. While most who join the Confederates have to bring their own equipment with them, the Continental Army does its best to see that its soldiers are issued proper weaponry. While even so the soldiers of the Continental Army wield a diverse range of small arms, the most commonly issued equipment for a Minuteman consists of a ARM-12 Rangemaster semi-automatic rifle, a satchel of M1 fragmentation grenades, and an M143 "Red-Eye" surface to air missile launcher. While effective, these weapons aren't the most modern, so Minutemen have known to discard them in favour of better gear. In particular, MX-15 or a M64 Javelin launcher is a prized pickup on the battlefield, and some Minutemen who have seen quite a bit of combat get the chance of snatching one or both up.

Behind the Scenes

• The Minuteman is a combination between a Vietnam era US GI, a Confederate soldier of the Civil War, and the basic infantry of Red Alert 1.

• The Minuteman's oversized backpack is intended as a reference to the large backpacks of the Rifle Infantry from Red Alert 1.

Just the Stats

Minuteman
Stealth(while still), Skirmisher
Multipurpose Infantry
Cost	150
Build Time	0:05
Health	110
Speed	65
Armour Type	Infantry

ARM-12
Move and Fire, Off Hand, Reload (3/.5s)
Gun
Range	180
RPS	2
Damage	25
Suppression	10
DPS	50

M1 Fragmentation Grenades
Off-Hand, Dumb Fire, Degarrison
Burst
Range	100
RPS	1
Damage	35
Suppression	50
DPS	35

M143 "Red-Eye" SAM launcher
Move and Fire
Missile
Range	250
RPS	1/3
Damage	35
Suppression	N/A
DPS	11.3