Infantry (AWDR)

Statistics
 

Intelligent Defense Handbook
The infantry is the least expensive unit in Advance Wars Days of Ruin/ Dark Conflict (AW4). It is generally built during the first few days of a game in order to capture neutral properties and increase the player’s daily income. After the capture phase is over, other units are typically built over them.

Offensively, the infantry is capable against other soldiers. They are also capable of doing cost-effective damage to indirect land units except the artillery. Note that the infantry should not be considered a soft counter to mechs, as the Commanding Officers (CO's) who focus their strategy on mechs will take advantage of stat superiority.

Defensively, the infantry has little standing power, and is prone to being 1 Hit Knocked Out (1HKO’d). A 130 Attack (130A) recon or tank will deal 97% to a 100 Defense (100D) infantry, and a 130 Attack (130A) artillery or md tank will 1 Hit Knock Out (1HKO) a 110 Defense (110D) infantry. Antiair will 1 Hit Knock Out (1HKO) infantry if Attack/Defense (A/D) values are the same.

During the capture phase, bikes will be preferred over infantry if the infantry cannot immediately capture a property the next day. If it takes two days for an infantry to reach a city, spending the extra 1000 Gold Funds (F1000) for the bike is better because the bike captures one day earlier. The exceptions are if the bike can’t reach the city because of terrain, or if building a bike leaves you with insufficient funds for the next day’s build.

In previous Advance Wars (AW) games, the strategy of building infantry as the majority of your army was effective due to a number of factors:
 * 1) They cost 1000 Gold Funds (F1000)
 * 2) Defensive terrain bonuses were more beneficial
 * 3) Lost infantry contributed to the Commanding Officer Power (COP) meter
 * 4) They were a soft counter to mechs due to the price difference
 * 5) There were no such thing as early 1 Hit Knock Out (1HKO) threats like Commanding Officer Units (COUs).

The role of infantry in Advance Wars Days of Ruin/ Dark Conflict (AW4) is greatly reduced, and so it would be wise to not use them with reckless abandon like in the first three games.

CO Specific Strategy
Commanding Officers (COs) with infantry boosts are better suited to building mechs, then using the banked money to tech up. Offensive Commanding Officer Units (COUs) can wreak havoc on enemy infantry. A 150 Attack (150A) recon, tank or b-copter will 1 Hit Knock Out (1HKO) a 110 Defense (110D) infantry,while a 130 Attack (130A) md tank will 1 Hit Knock Out (1HKO) a 110 Defense (110D) infantry.

As Gage, using infantry to shield artillery is risky. It is important to set infantry on a tile with at least 1 terrain star, then have Gage cover the infantry with zone. The infantry will then have at least 120 Defense (120D), which will survive a recon/tank/b-copter hit up to 140 Attack (140A). At 150 Attack (150A), damage is 93%, so luck may prevail. Mechs and bikes are better options as shields, as their slightly increased bulk will prevent a 150 Attack (150A) recon/tank/b-copter from getting the 1 Hit Knock Out (1HKO).