Herzog
Zwei Strategy, part one
January
22, 2003
Welcome
to the first in a series of strategy sessions for Technosoft's Herzog
Zwei. While forgotten in its day, it is now widely regarded as a
masterpiece and the father of the "real-time strategy"
game. Let's begin by covering the basics.
The
Bases of HZ
Herzog
Zwei is a strategy war game in which two opposing armies attempt
to destroy their opponent's Home Base. There are also nine Minor
Bases located on each map; three bases controlled by each side (red
and blue), and three neutral bases up for grabs. Players build and
maintain military units, direct them into battle, and control a
Mech that can morph from a robot to a fighter jet.
 Home
Base -
Defending your main base is your highest priority. Make sure it
is well defended with enough units; any damage your Home Base takes
damage is permament. There are several advantages all the bases
share. Your Mech, and any units you carry, are repaired by hovering
over the center, new units can be built, and you can earn money
based on how many total bases you control (more on this later).
 Minor
Base -
The minor base does not take damage, and cannot be destroyed. Capturing
these bases is essential to control space on the maps and give you
leverage for your assaults. Having more bases also gives you more
places to build and repair units. These also have the same benefits
as the HB.
Your
Very Own Transformer
 The
masterstroke of Herzog Zwei is your Mech, which adds an element
of arcade action to the battles. The Mech has two forms, seen here
in its robot form. When in this form, you walk on the ground and
can fire on enemy units. Be careful not to shoot your own army!
 The
second form is a fighter jet, shown here. In this form, you can
fly anywhere on the map, pick up and carry units, and fire on your
opponent's Mech (if he is in jet mode). When moving, you expend
fuel; your jet is destroyed if the gas runs out.
Important!
Your Mech is not indestructible! When you are shot, the shield level
goes down (see below), and the Mech is destroyed when the shield
is drained. You will be sent back to your Home Base and given a
new one, with almost no fuel. This costs you 10-15 seconds, during
which you can only watch.
Joypad
Controls
So
how do you do control your Mech with the joypad?
- Button
A: Change your Mech between robot and jet, pick up/ drop army
units, and ok a selection on the unit screen.
Button B: Fire your gun, and ok a selection on the unit
screen.
Button C: Switch between the main gameplay screen and the
unit screen, where you build new units.
The
Heads-Up Display
At
the top of the screen, there are four bars that show the health
status of your Mech and your Home Base.
- B:
Home Base Energy. When this is gone, you lose.
- G:
Amount of ammunition.
- E:
Energy, or the fuel gauge.
- D:
Shield level. Takes damage as you get shot.
Time
is Money, Man!
If
there's any rule you should memorize, it's this: time is money.
Every second, you earn $40 for each base that is under your control,
including the Home Base. That's why it is so important to gain control
of the minor bases. More money means you can buy the more expensive
hardware, like Tanks, Boats, and the dreaded Gatling Gun.
Next
page -- we discuss the
first four maps. |
