While completing campaigns on Heroic I encountered some difficulties during the 1st GRM map — Homeland.

There are already a few guides on the internet as well as on Steam, and all of them might be useful for your specific case. I’d like to add my perspective on this mission as well.

I also borrowed some recommendations from other guides, so don’t be surprised if you see something you’ve already seen elsewhere.

Manual to successfully complete the mission “Homeland” on Heroic

1. Start a new mission with “Hardcore” turned on. (This will allow you to kill enemy manpower much faster — they die from 1–2 bullets to the head.) Use this to your advantage from a distance. However, be advised that it works both ways, so stay agile.

2. At the very beginning, during the “Hostage Rescue” phase — be extremely cautious. Don’t lose a single unit. Step-by-step eliminate all enemy soldiers from a distance (including the MG shooter in the Humvee). Collect better weapons from the bodies; don’t forget to check the trucks.

3. “Save” and “Load” will be your best friends during this mission — don’t allow your units to die. Overwrite your save file (or create a new one) after each successful kill or mini-wave cleared. This will ensure you always reload with the most recent progress.

4. After the “Hostage Rescue” phase comes “Fighting with Scouts”. These are relatively small groups of enemies along with Humvees equipped with MGs and grenade launchers. ALWAYS SHOOT THE GUNNER FIRST. Especially the grenade launcher operator — he can destroy your forces within seconds. Remember that there are usually 3–4 units inside a single Humvee: when one gunner dies, another takes his place until the whole crew is eliminated. Pay attention to that.

5. Use your 2 starting Humvees — the one with an MG and the one with the .50 cal. Keep the weaker MG Humvee on the west side and bring the .50 cal to the main road. This one will play a key role until GRM forces arrive.

6. During the “Scout’s Attack” phase try to capture 1–2 Humvees with a grenade launcher. (If that’s not possible — Humvees with MGs will work fine as well.)

This is the moment where my gameplay might differ from what you’ve seen in other guides.

7. I didn’t rely on ground infantry once I captured a couple of Humvees. Your main fighting force will be the light vehicles and the tank. I kept infantry on the barricades just for support, but all the heavy lifting was done by Humvees and the tank.

8. Shoot enemies from a distance — this is the ultimate rule for this mission. Don’t let enemy Humvees with grenade launchers come close. Shoot gunners as soon as possible. Use the .50 cal to destroy enemy units while they are still approaching. The same applies to vehicles.

9. Keep your tank on the hill (the one near the south-east road). When the “Scout’s Attack” phase ends, enemies will stop spawning from the west, and you can focus your manpower from north-east to south. Shoot wheels, disable tanks by hitting their tracks. The main point here — don’t let your tank die, and ideally, don’t even let it get damaged. Reload your last save if needed (and save frequently to avoid losing progress). You can repair the tank, but it’s risky — the only engineers I found were members of the tank and BTR crews; insurgents don’t repair (except maybe the original 8 insurgents). Also, don’t rely on receiving a new tank — you’ll be left without proper protection for too long while the new one arrives, not to mention the delay before the AI gives you control. Remember: Reload or repair.

10. I built a defensive line along the eastern border of the village, consisting of 3 Humvees and 1 tank (infantry positioned behind the barricade walls as support). Humvees were eliminating enemy manpower while I directly controlled the tank. Use direct control — it’s mandatory.

Good news — enemies eventually stop spawning. During the last 5 minutes of the timer I encountered only 2 Humvees and 1 BTR. This confirms that the enemy has a limited number of vehicles and manpower (still large, but limited). And that’s it.

Actively participate in the fight by controlling the tank — make sure you kill enemies before they reach you. Destroy vehicles from a distance (you can also hear the engines approaching from different sides — that’s your cue). Keep your tank alive at all costs.