Countries

Learn about the different countries in Advance Wars, their unique COs, and how they influence gameplay. A beginner's guide to factions and strategic choices.

Advance Wars is a turn-based strategy game where players select a country, each with unique Commanding Officers (COs) and special abilities. Understanding these countries and their COs is crucial for strategic gameplay. This guide provides an overview of the fundamental game mechanics, focusing on the different factions and their influence.

The game is played on maps composed of terrain and property tiles. Properties offer benefits and can be captured to gain advantages or even achieve victory. Certain properties, like Headquarters and Labs, are critical as their capture can lead to immediate defeat.

Each country has a roster of COs, chosen at the start of a game. COs provide passive bonuses and powerful active abilities that can significantly alter the flow of battle. For new players, Andy from Orange Star is often recommended due to his straightforward abilities, making him a good choice for learning the core mechanics.

• Orange Star: Features COs like Andy, Hachi, Jake, Max, Nell, Rachel, and Sami.
• Blue Moon: Includes Colin, Grit, Olaf, and Sasha.
• Green Earth: Boasts Drake, Eagle, Javier, and Jess.
• Yellow Comet: Offers Grimm, Kanbei, Sensei, and Sonja.
• Black Hole: A unique faction with COs such as Adder, Flak, Hawke, Jugger, Kindle, Koal, Lash, Sturm, and Von Bolt.

Gameplay mechanics also involve terrain types, unit movement, combat, and economic management. Temporary effects like weather and CO powers typically last for one day. The turn order is sequential, with players issuing commands and passing the turn until all have acted, after which the day advances.