Kindle

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Summary

Kindle is a CO whose advantages lie in one of the most important tile types on a map- properties.

Her units gain one of the largest attack boosts in the game (+40%, only Javier with enough towers and Sensei B-Copters can compare) whenever they're on a property; in addition, her CO Powers allow her to easily take over (or defend) properties, and gain funds or positional advantage from the controlled properties, or even outside-of-property offensive bonuses with High Society.

She gets no bonuses outside of properties, however, and may not be suited for some maps (especially small maps, or ones without some cities on the frontlines). Skilled players may also easily predict her actions, especially the activation of Urban Blight, and will negate most of her advantage with proper play; a Kindle player may have to press her advantage harder against such people.

Abilities

Day to Day: Unit attack power is increased by 40% while on Urban terrain (HQs, Bases, (Air-)Ports, Cities and Comm towers only)

CO Power: Urban Blight -- -3HP to all enemy units on urban terrain; Urban bonus increased to +80%

Super CO Power: High Society -- Urban bonus increased to +130%, and attack power boosted by +3% for every city owned

Strategy

The queen of large-scale urban warfare maps. Important note: when considering which urban tiles count towards her day-to-day and powers, the rule of thumb seems to be that any urban tile which gives funds counts (HQ, base, city, seaport, airport) while any urban tile which does not give funds does not count (missile silo). The exception seems to be comm towers, which do not grant funds but do grant urban tile bonuses to Kindle.

Kindle comes with a standard-length 3/3 bar. Her day-to-day makes her units 140/130 on urban tiles (including planes over cities/seaports), as opposed to the 100/130 of most COs, so holding down urban properties is a higher priority for her than with most commanding officers. (This bonus applies regardless of property ownership - she still gets the bonus on neutral or even enemy cities.) This makes her a very capable defender as her units tend to deal surprisingly high amounts of damage on counterattack from cities and it greatly increases the efficiency of indirect units parked on spaces which automatically resupply them. While a very useful day-to-day, it's nothing game-breaking.

She has two powers which have completely different effects that make her a fearsome CO indeed. For three stars, Urban Blight deals 3 HP worth of damage to any enemy unit on an urban tile and her city-based attack rises to 180%. 180% is already as much of a damage bonus conferred by the SCO powers of other officers (Max Blast, Overdrive, Haymaker) and Kindle gets it for a measly three stars. Urban Blight helps pry capturing infantry off your cities (important against Sami/Sensei) and break defensive units camped on enemy properties (important against Sturm/Javier). Furthermore, the damage inflicted eats into the funds of your opponent on the next turn, capable of delaying even Colin or Hachi for a short while, and is absolutely a momentum-stopper to Kanbei. This is the power that a Kindle player uses if the opponent is focusing on properties.

If the opponent is not focusing on properties, Kindle has High Society. For six stars, Kindle's urban-based attack rises to a horrific 230% on urban tiles and a further 3% for each urban property that she controls. The 3% per property increase to firepower applies to all units, not just those on urban tiles. This power has a multiplicative effect on large maps where she can build meter more easily for a correspondingly more powerful attack when it is used. With just ten properties to her name, even a unit not stationed on an urban tile has an attack equal to Kanbei's or Grimm's, while with twenty to twenty-five properties the unit can dish out damage comparable to most other CO's super powers without any of the drawbacks, and close to or even exceeding 300% from urban tiles. On this turn, then, Kindle can decimate any opponent and leave very little for her enemy to counter with on the succeeding move. High Society is a critical tool for brute-forcing powerful defensive units off a headquarter or production facility; on a large map, for six stars, it is utterly devastating.

Advantages:

• Powerful day-to-day which gives her a significant advantage in the all-important economic game.
• Units placed on owned cities are good at defending against units with not too much firepower. First Kindle has an increased counterattack, then repairs and after that an unit can attack again. So if there are many cities on the frontline, Kindle has huge advantages
• Units placed on any city will reverse first strikes from units of the same type. e.g. Sami infantry will lose to a Kindle infantry on a neutral city (please don't try at home). Place units on enemy cities for extra sadism.
• Very strong on large maps with many properties.
• CO power drains funding.
• SCO power confers the biggest damage boost (+130%) in the whole game.
• No real disadvantages in tagging.

Disadvantages:

• Not suited to small maps where her powers and day-to-day have considerably less impact.
• Naval units gain no benefit outside of High Society or ports.

How to Counter

Kindle is only strong when on properties, so stay out of those.

But if you completely ignore your cities, you're gonna be hose(d)

You wanna fight her, do it away from an Urban tile

Two spaces should be enough to wipe away her smile

"But what about her tank that's sitting on a city?"

Just deploy an artillery and that tank'll deserve pity

Or maybe some much better tanks are in order

I've heard Max's tanks cut her fun so much shorter

"Urban Blight is trashing my units beyond repair!"

Learn to predict it then, and then you must prepare

If Kindle is a CO you think you can't outplay

Pick a generalist CO and then make her pay