House Ordos (intro for the Ordos campaign)
     [images from the Ordos homeworld] We come from a remote, icy planet. Nobody knows it's exact location, except the Guild. We have the most efficient society of all houses. Our leader isn't just one person, it's the Cartel. [images from Arrakis] The Cartel needs Dune and the spice it provides. We will annihilate anyone that stands in our way.
     [you see a huge chamber with walls made of computer monitors showing different things and a large table in the middle; 10 cyborgs sit at the table]Welcome commander! We are the Ordos mentats, the Edric council. Yes, we are cyborgs. Don't let your feelings affect your jugement. You are the commander of the Ordos army on Dune. The time has come to land your troops.

Ordos gameplay
      House Ordos is the best house for sneak attacks and covert operations. The Ordos have the ability to purchase up to 6 units or 3 buildings at the same time. The time it takes to get those units or buildings is fixed, it doesn't matter what you ordered or how many you ordered. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how many things you ordered and how expensive they were. The Ordos have stealth technology, cyborg tech, chemical weapons and deviation weapons. Their aircraft are jets and they have mercenary allies. They can get info on the enemy using their spies. The Ordos capture enemy buildings using any infantry (except the spies), like in Dune 2. They can order their infantry to enter enemy buildings, damaging them. If a building's last health is lost in this way, it's captured by the Ordos. It's health will then be equal to the health it lost because of all the Ordos infantry that entered. The higher the veterancy rank of infantry, the more damage they'll do by entering a structure. The two special buttons above the buildings and units lists are "upgrade" (like in Dune 2000) and "place order" (to order units through starports and infantry arrival centers or buildings through space markets). Choose the Ordos if you like surprise or sneak attacks, stealthy tactics and having computer-controlled allies.

Ordos build order

Buildings

Stealth infantry

cost: very cheap	firepower: very light
speed: medium	armor: very light

appearence: normal infantry look
history: The old Ordos temporary stealth device has been upgraded and it is now permanent and cheap enough to be used by ordinary infantry.
in-game: This is the basic infantry for house Ordos. They fire machineguns like the infantry from all Westwood games. They are stealthy (invisible to the enemy), but they de-stealth to fire. They also become visible when close to enemy infantry. They uncover enemy stealth units and buildings in a special way, so the enemy doesn't know.

Chemical infantry

cost: cheap	firepower: heavy
speed: medium	armor: very light

appearence: infantry with gas masks and two tubes with chemicals on the back
history: After the invention of chemical weapons by the Ordos, the first units to be equipped were the infantry.
in-game: The chemical infantry fire special glass spheres filled with a corrosive substance. They shatter upon impact releasing the substance. It remains on that spot for 3 seconds before evaporating, damaging any units that pass over it. When it hits a unit, the unit starts losing health and it continues to do so for a few seconds (more or less, depending on what unit it is). More hits accelerate the loss of health.

GML trooper

cost: medium-expensive	firepower: medium
speed: medium	armor: light

appearence: soldier with special VR helmet linked to a guided missile launcher
history: The GML troopers were first used when the GMLs became small enough for a man to carry.
in-game: They fire guided missiles, which look like the Tiberian Sun missiles and home in on their targets. They can fire at air units. Even if the target gets out of range, the guided missiles continue to follow it for 1 cell. They're useful against vehicles and buildings, but not infantry. GML stands for Guided Missile Launcher.

Spy

cost: medium	firepower: N/A
speed: fast	armor: medium

appearence: soldier dressed in black with a belt and backpack of the player's colour
history: The Ordos are famous for their spies. They're a very important part of Ordos strategy.
in-game: The spies are stealthy, just like the stealth infantry. They can be seen if they get too close to enemy infantry. A spy can infiltrate any enemy building. Once he's in, you get all sorts of information on the function of that building (like the power level if you infiltrate a power plant and so on). Then you can deploy the building and get the spy out (but you lose the info). This way you can spy on many buildings. He dies if the building that he's in is destroyed. He uncovers enemy stealth units and buildings in a special way, so the enemy doesn't know. He can't infiltrate invulnerable buildings.

Nerve gas trooper

cost: expensive	firepower: nerve gas
speed: fast	armor: medium

appearence: soldier with a green "bazooka" and snake suit
history: The Ordos' deviator gas has been re-engineered into a nerve gas that twists the minds of enemy soldiers, making them blindly loyal to house Ordos.
in-game: The nerve gas troopers fire missiles that look like guided ones, but don't home in on their targets. If they hit an enemy soldier, he gets deviated for 3 minutes. The "deadline" doesn't change, no matter what. If they hit a vehicle or building, they'll do half the damage a GML trooper would. But if a nerve gas trooper is squished by a vehicle, that vehicle will become deviated for 5 minutes.

Cyborg

cost: expensive	firepower: medium
speed: medium	armor: heavy

appearence: like the cyborg of Tiberian Sun
history: The cyborgs are completely forbidden in the empire. But the Ordos don't care. They take war prisoners and people with terminal diseases and combine them with mechanical parts. All their 10 mentats (the Edric council) are cyborgs.
in-game: The cyborgs are heavily armored infantry with a special machine gun that fires continuously, with no brake. Also, they can fire at 2 targets at the same time, but that means splitting their firepower (they've got 2 machineguns, one incorporated in each arm).
 
 

Raider

cost: cheap	firepower: light
speed: extremely fast	armor: very light

appearence: like the raider of Dune 2000
history: It's an all-time Ordos favourite, the raider. It's also the fastest land unit on Dune.
in-game: The raider from Dune 2000 makes a return. It's so fast it can get past some units before they can even turn to fire. It can outrun a sandworm.

Stealth raider

cost: medium-cheap	firepower: light
speed: very fast	armor: very light

appearence: like the stealth raider of Dune 2000, but with a strange "stealth sphere" on the back
history: The stealth raider was invented near the end of the first Dune war.
in-game: It has the same characteristics as the raider, but it's more expensive and less fast. However it can still outrun worms and, most importantly, it's permanently stealthy and it only becomes visible to the enemy when it fires and when close to enemy infantry.

Chemical raider

cost: medium	firepower: medium
speed: fast	armor: very light

appearence: like the raider, but with two green "bazookas" instead of machineguns
history: After the first two types of raiders were invented, it was easy to equip the raider with chemical weapons.
in-game: Just like the raider, but more expensive and slower (still able to outrun worms, though).
It fires special glass spheres filled with a corrosive substance. They shatter upon impact releasing the substance. It remains on that spot for 3 seconds before evaporating, damaging any units that pass over it. When it hits a unit, the unit starts losing health and it continues to do so for a few seconds (more or less, depending on what unit it is). More hits accelerate the loss of health.

Stealth APC

cost: medium-cheap	firepower: N/A
speed: fast	armor: medium-heavy

appearence: like the amphibious APC of Tiberian Sun, but stealthy
history: APCs have been re-discovered a short time before the second Dune war. Of course the Ordos model includes a stealth generator.
in-game: It's an APC which can carry 5 soldiers. It's permanently stealthy and it only becomes visible to the enemy when loading, unloading or close to enemy infantry.

Stealth tank

cost: medium	firepower: medium
speed: medium	armor: medium

appearence: like the Ordos combat tank of Dune 2000, but stealthy
history: The old Ordos combat tank now has a stealth generator mounted.
in-game: This is the basic tank for house Ordos. It only becomes visible to the enemy when fireing and when close to enemy infantry.

Cyborg tank

cost: medium-expensive	firepower: medium
speed: medium	armor: heavy

appearence: like the stealth tank but with a cyborg instead of a turret (without his feet, of course), and non-stealthy
history: Some heavily wounded soldiers lost too much of their body to be turned into normal cyborgs. They became cyborg tanks.
in-game: An advanced Ordos tank, it fires two cannons and has the same firepower in one shot as a stealth tank. However it has an extremely quick rate of fire. Also, it can fire at 2 targets at the same time, but that means splitting its firepower (it has 2 cannons, one incorporated in each arm).

Deviator

cost: expensive	firepower: nerve gas
speed: slow	armor: medium

appearence: like the deviator of Dune 2000
history: The deviator has been invented some time ago and it's a close-guarded secret.
in-game: The "good old" deviator makes a comeback. Its gas has been upgraded, and now a deviated unit stayes deviated for a fixed amount of time, regardless of any damage inflicted upon it (or anything else). The gas only affects vehicles. Upon buildings it does half the damage of a GMLS (but the deviator missiles aren't homing). It doesn't affect infantry at all. When you order a deviator to attack a soldier, it will try to squish it.

GMLS

cost: medium	firepower: heavy
speed: medium	armor: medium-light

appearence: like the hover MRLS of Tiberian Sun, but with normal tank tracks (not hovering)
history: The GMLS is the brand-new Ordos missile launcher.
in-game: It fires guided missiles, which look like the Tiberian Sun missiles and home in on their targets. It can fire at air units. Even if the target gets out of range, the guided missiles continue to follow it for 3 cells. It's useful against vehicles and buildings, but not infantry. GMLS stands for Guided Missile Launching System.

Chemical tank

cost: expensive	firepower: heavy
speed: medium	armor: medium-heavy

appearence: like the stealth tank but with two big green "bazookas" instead of the cannon (and non-stealthy)
history: The first platform to be equiped with the new chemical weapons was the tank.
in-game: It fires special glass spheres filled with a corrosive substance. They shatter upon impact releasing the substance. It remains on that spot for 3 seconds before evaporating, damaging any units that pass over it. When it hits a unit, the unit starts losing health and it continues to do so for a few seconds (more or less, depending on what unit it is). More hits accelerate the loss of health.

Spice poisoner

cost: medium-expensive	firepower: heavy
speed: slow	armor: medium

appearence: like the Dune 2 siege tank
history: The Ordos scientists have studied the properties of spice and elaborated a way to poison it, which also affects sand and rock to some extent.
in-game: The spice poisoner fires a "spray" with a medium range. It can't fire upon enemies, it fires on spice by default (its cursor changes to attack when over spice). But you can always force-fire on sand or rock. The poison spray can interact with spice to form corrosive spice. It looks green, but only to the player who owns the spice poisoner that fired (to the enemy it looks just like normal spice). Also, the corrosive spice doesn't affect that player's units. The enemy units, however, get damaged when they're over the corrosive spice. Enemy harvesters get damaged by both the corrosive spice they're on and the one they carry. The spice poisoner can fire on sand and rock as well, creating a green acid puddle (invisible to the enemy) with the same effect as the corrosive spice (except it can't be harvested). But the acid puddles last for only 15 seconds on sand and 30 seconds on rock. The spice poisoner has a very slow rate of fire.

Mobile stealth generator (MStG)

cost: expensive	firepower: N/A
speed: slow	armor: medium

appearence: like the MSG of Tiberian Sun
history: Stealth has always been an Ordos technology. Their latest achivement is the MStG.
in-game: It's just like the MSG of Tiberian Sun. When it's not deployed, it's mobile and it really doesn't do anything. When it's deployed, it becomes stealthy and it makes every friendly unit or building in it's range stealthy. Units and buildings that are stealthy by their nature and also in the range of an MStG have their stealth "upgraded" (enemy infantry must get right next to them to de-stealth them and they become visible for less time when fireing).

Stealth harvester

cost: expensive	firepower: N/A
speed: medium	armor: very heavy

appearence: like the harvester of Tiberian Sun
history: The Ordos have equipped all their harvesters with personal stealth generators.
in-game: Just an ordinary harvester, but stealthy. It only becomes visible to the enemy when unloading at a refinery and when it's close to enemy infantry.

Mobile space market (MSM)

cost: very expensive	firepower: N/A
speed: very slow	armor: very heavy

appearence: like the MCV of Dune 2
history: Once the Ordos invented space markets, these mobile versions were the next step.
in-game: It's pretty self-explanatory. Deploy an MSM to get a space market. Of course you can only deploy it on rock.
 

Cargo jet

cost: medium	firepower: N/A
flight speed: very fast	armor: medium-light

appearence: a jet plane with a big cargo container
history: It's the fastest means of transport on Dune. And who else would invent a fast transport than the Ordos?
in-game: The cargo jet is a transport plane. It needs a flat surface at least 2 cells long (sand, spice, rock, it doesn't matter) to land. It can transport a single vehicle or 5 soldiers. To load or unload soldiers it lands on the surface (it does the same to unload a vehicle). But to load a vehicle it lands "on top" of it and picks it up (for quick escapes). You can order it to guard a unit, in which case it will fly in circles around it and pick it up every time it can take it to its destination faster then the unit cound get there by itself. Especially useful for harvesters, because it also picks them up every time they're attacked or when a worm gets dangerously close. If you order a cargo jet to force-move on a cell, it will fly around it in circles. If you use the normal move command, it will land there.

Fighter jet

cost: medium	firepower: medium
flight speed: very fast	armor: medium-light

appearence: like the MIG from Red Alert
history: The fastest aircraft on Dune, these can be piloted only by the best of the best.
in-game: The fighter jet is the basic Ordos aircraft. It fires GMLS-like missiles. It can fire 10 times, then it needs to go back to an airfield starport to recharge. If the target hasn't been destroyed, it will go to recharge and then attack it again. It needs a flat surface at least 2 cells long (sand, spice, rock, it doesn't matter) to land. If you order a fighter jet to force-move on a cell, it will fly around it in circles. If you use the normal move command, it will land there. If you order it to force-move on an enemy unit or building, it will kamikaze into it at full speed, severely damaging it.

Stealth jet

cost: medium-expensive	firepower: medium
flight speed: fast	armor: medium-light

appearence: like the fighter jet, but with a "stealth sphere" behind the cockpit
history: Adding stealth ability to the fighter jet makes it a bit more expensive and slower.
in-game: It's just like the fighter jet, but it also has permanent stealth ability. It's only visible when it fires. It has the same commands and abilities.

Chemical jet

cost: expensive	firepower: heavy
flight speed: medium	armor: medium

appearence: like the fighter jet, but with two green "bazookas" instead of missile launchers and a bio-hazard sign on it
history: It took a long time until chemical weapons could be fitted on strike craft, but it was eventually done.
in-game: It's the most powerful Ordos aircraft, but also the slowest. Slow by strike craft standards, that is. It fires special glass spheres filled with a corrosive substance. They shatter upon impact releasing the substance. It remains on that spot for 3 seconds before evaporating, damaging any units that pass over it. When it hits a unit, the unit starts losing health and it continues to do so for a few seconds (more or less, depending on what unit it is). More hits accelerate the loss of health. The spheres are smaller than usual ones, but they're fired in salvos.
 

Jet airstrike

recharge time: short	damage done: medium
arrival speed: fast	armor: medium

appearence: 3 planes (a fighter jet, a stealth jet and a chemical jet)
history: Jet airstrikes were first developed by building jets with huge storage capacities.
in-game: Once the airstrike is ready, you can target it at a cell. 3 planes (a fighter jet, a stealth jet and a chemical jet) will come from outside the map and will attack everything within a 6-cell radius of that cell. They have unlimited ammo and they'll continue to attack the area until everything in it is destroyed or they're shot down. Once the area is cleared they'll fly out of the map. You can control them in any other way than ordering them where to attack.
Note: All the specials are built for free, but they take some time (the recharge time).

Saboteur

recharge time: medium	damage done: severe
speed: fast	armor: light

appearence: like the saboteur of Dune 2000, but with a gold helmet and belt
history: The saboteurs were used by Ordos forces even before they developed an army.
in-game: It acts just like the saboteur of Dune 2000. It can destroy any building by entering it, but it's also destroyed in the blast. It can also enter walls, blowing up all the walls linked to the one it entered. The saboteur also has a temporary stealth device that works for 30 seconds, more than before (to make it more useful). It recharges in another 30 seconds. The saboteur can be deployed to make it stealthy, even when the device isn't fully charged. While it's stealthy it can be made visible by enemy infantry if it's near it.
Note: All the specials are built for free, but they take some time (the recharge time).

Mercenary reinforcements

recharge time: short	damage done: medium
arrival speed: fast	armor: unit-specific

appearence: each unit has its own appearence
history: The mercenaries employed by House Ordos can be dropped by the Guild right at the desired location.
in-game: When this option is ready, you can use it by selecting a cell to "attack". An all-terrain frigate will arrive at that place and drop 8 random mercenary vehicles and 8 random mercenary soldiers. The frigate can't be shot at, so it will arrive at the place no matter what.
Note: All the specials are built for free, but they take some time (the recharge time).

Mercenary assault

recharge time: medium	damage done: medium
speed: unit-specific	armor: unit-specific

appearence: each unit has its own appearence
history: It's easier to send the mercenaries directly by ground, without the use of frigates. This way more units can be used.
in-game: When this option is ready, you can use it by selecting a cell to "attack". From outside the map will arrive 14 random mercenary units and 18 random mercenary soldiers. They'll go straight to the cell you selected. On the way they won't stop, no matter what.
Note: All the specials are built for free, but they take some time (the recharge time).

Mercenary support

recharge time: long	damage done: huge
arrival speed: fast	armor: unit-specific

appearence: each unit has its own appearence
history: The ultimate weapon House Ordos has been developed after long negociations with their mercenary allies.
in-game: When this option is ready, you can use it by selecting a cell to "attack". An all-terrain frigate will arrive. First it will drop 8 random mercenary units and 5 random mercenary soldiers, then a mercenary Mobile Builder Depot. The mercenaries will deploy the MBD and start building a base. This way you'll have an allied army with a fully-functioning base.
Note: All the specials are built for free, but they take some time (the recharge time).
 

Space market

cost: N/A	armor: very heavy
power needed: none	space: 4x4 cells

appearence: a round wheel-shaped building with a very futuristic look and a landing pad on top
history: As the secret Ordos-Guild alliance became tighter, the Space Market became the standard Ordos construction facility.
in-game: The Space Market is the basic Ordos building. It's the one that builds all the others. It can be constructed by deploying an MSM. Its construction interface is just like the starport interface from Dune 2000. On the building list you can select between 1 and 4 buildings before clicking "place order" (of course you can select more buildings of the same kind). You'll see them being "built" on the buildings list (just like in other Westwood games). A construction frigate will arrive from outside the map perfectly timed so it lands on the Space Market when all the buildings are ready. Then you can place the buildings by left-clicking on their icons (with "ready" signs) and then placing them on the terrain. The construction frigate will go to the location you selected and build the building (it will be built instantly with an animation). Then it will go back to the Space Market. But you can place all the buildings quickly one after the other, so the frigate will just go and build them without going back to the Space Market (a frigate going back to the market or landed on the market is just on "waiting mode"). When all the buildings have been built, the construction frigate will fly out of the map. You can only build buildings within a certain range of an already-existing one.

Concrete slab

cost: extremely cheap	armor: N/A
power needed: none	space: 3x3 or 4x4 cells

appearence: just like the concrete slab of Dune 2000
history: The desert of Arrakis is a very harsh environment to work in and the building foundations are particulary vulnerable. That's why the concrete slabs were invented.
in-game: The concrete slabs come in two versions: 3x3 cells and 4x4 cells. They're not built like the other buildings. They're built directly by the space market, not by a construction frigate. They're built instantly: you click on the icon and it's ready, also the money are taken in one lump, not gradually like for the other buildings. You place them and they just "appear". They have the same function as in Dune 2000: without a concrete foundation, the buildings will start losing health until they reach 1/2 health. This concrete is indestructible, but it also has no owner: anyone can build on anybody's concrete. And you can't build on concrete unless it's close enough to your buildings. But the concrete itself can be built anywhere on rock. The only Ordos structures that don't need concrete are the Space Market and the Stealth Walls.

Stealth wall

cost: cheap	armor: very heavy
power needed: none	space: 1 cell

appearence: just like the GDI wall of Tiberian Sun
history: The Ordos walls of the old wars have been modified so they have a built-in stealth device.
in-game: The stealth walls act just like the old walls of other Westwood games. They're built by the Space Market directly, just like the concrete slabs. They're built in lines of 5 (just like the walls of Firestorm). If you don't use all 5 of them, you money will be refunded. They are much more resistant than old walls. Nothing can shoot over them (they hit the walls instead). Only shooting at air units works. These walls are also very resistant. They're permanently stealthy and they only become visible when infantry is close to them and when they take hits.

Stealth gate

cost: cheap	armor: heavy
power needed: none	space: 3 cells in a line

appearence: a very futuristic-looking "long wall" made of shining metal
history: Gates weren't used in the previous Dune wars because they couldn't be fitted to work on Arrakis. But now that problem is solved and the Ordos also incorporated a stealth generator in their gates.
in-game: The stealth gate acts just like a group of 3 stealth walls, except for two differences: it has a bit less armor and it opens to let friendly vehicles pass. It opens by lowering itself into "the ground", so units can pass over it. It's permanently stealthy and only becomes visible when infantry is close and when it takes hits.

Solar panel

cost: cheap	armor: medium-light
power produced: medium	space: 4 cells

appearence: like a big, shining solar panel
history: Due to the lack of clouds on the sky of Arrakis, sunlight is very intense. The Ordos have built this device that uses the sunlight to produce energy.
in-game: The Solar panel is the main Ordos power-producing structure. Due to game balance, it also works at night.

Power satellite uplink

cost: medium-expensive	armor: heavy
power produced: very high	space: 2 cells

appearence: a complex of satellite antennas
history: Solar panels are much more efficient in space. The Ordos have built huge space sattelites that produce power with their solar panels. But they need an uplink to receive that power.
in-game: The Power satellite uplink produces much more power than a Solar panel, and it takes up only half the space. It is more expensive, but you get more power for the same money. However, an Uplink can only be built within a 2-cell radius of an existing Solar panel.

Stealth refinery

cost: medium-exp	armor: heavy
power needed: low	space: 6 cells

appearence: a lot like the Allied refinery from RA2
history: Refineries have always been used of Dune, but the Ordos equipped theirs with a small stealth generator.
in-game: It acts just like a normal refinery, in other words Harvesters can come and unload at it. But it is also stealthy, and only becomes visible to the enemy when their infantry is close to it and when it's under fire.

Stealth storage silo

cost: very cheap	armor: light
power needed: very low	space: 1 cell

appearence: like the Ordos silo from Dune 2000
history: The silos are an old tired-and-true concept. The Ordos, of course, put stealth generators on their silos.
in-game: The Stealth storage silo is used to store spice, your "money". It's just like in all the Westwood RTS games (except RA2). But this silo is stealthy, and only becomes visible to the enemy when their infantry is close to it and when it's under fire.

Stealth comm center

cost: medium	armor: medium
power needed: high	space: 4 cells

appearence: like a very techy-looking radar tower
history: The Ordos use radar as a vital part of their operations. Equipping it with a stealth generator was the next logical step.
in-game: The Stealth comm center activates the radar map for the Ordos, and it's an important pre-requisite for lots of stuff. It's stealthy, so it only becomes visible to the enemy when their infantry is close to it and when it's under fire.

Infantry arrival center

cost: cheap	armor: medium-light
power needed: low	space: 4 cells

appearence: a barracks with a starport-like landing pad on top
history: House Ordos hires it's troops, in order to get only trained proffesionals. This building is the place where they arrive.
in-game: This is the "barracks" for the Ordos. Its interface is just like the starport interface from Dune 2000. On the unit list you can select between 1 and 12 infantry units before clicking "place order" (of course you can select more infantry of the same kind). You'll see them being "built" on the unit list (just like in other Westwood games). Then a Starport frigate arrives after a set time and delivers the infantry to this structure.

Light starport

cost: medium-cheap	armor: medium
power needed: medium	space: 6 cells

appearence: like the starport from Dune 2000, but with less "arrival space"
history: When the Ordos decided to only buy (or hire) units, because it was more cost-effective, they created the first Light Starports to purchase light vehicles.
in-game: It is the structure that the Ordos use to buy light vehicles. Its interface is just like the starport interface from Dune 2000. On the unit list you can select between 1 and 6 light vehicles before clicking "place order" (of course you can select more vehicles of the same kind). You'll see them being "built" on the unit list (just like in other Westwood games). Then a Starport frigate arrives after a set time and delivers the vehicles to this structure.