Max (Japanese: マックス Max) is an Orange Star CO. He is one of the few COs to be playble in all 3 of the original Campaigns. He is a brave and loyal friend and an earnest warrior who hates deception and trickery.
Max is the Direct Combat specialist of Orange Star. Along with commanders Andy and Sami, he is one of the first Commanding Officers playable in the Campaigns offered in Advance Wars. He debuts in the fourth mission of the original Advance Wars.
In Advance Wars:Dual Strike, Max comes in at Mission 3, to help Jake with the Black Hole CO, Lash. After defeating her, he joins Jake and Rachel on their mission to restore Omega Land. Throughout the game, Max is usually the one to brief Jake on the other CO's of the game.
CO abilities
In Advance Wars, his non-infantry Direct Combat units is 150% in firepower and 100% in defenses, making him one of the best COs in Advance Wars. In Advance Wars 2 and Dual Strike, he's slightly weakened as his non-infantry Direct Combat units have 120% firepower. In Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2, his indirect units suffer from -1 range and 90% firepower.
CO power
Max Force - Firepower of all non-infantry Direct Combat is increased to 140%. All units gain a 10% defence bonus. Non-infantry Direct Combat unit Movement increases by 1 space. This movement bonus was removed in Dual Strike for unknown reasons. Perhaps he's getting slow in his old age.
Super CO power
Max Blast - Firepower of all non-infantry Direct Combat is increased to 160%. All units gain a 10% defence bonus. Non-infantry Direct Combat unit Movement increases by 2 spaces. This movement bonus was removed in Dual Strike for unknown reasons. Perhaps he's getting slow in his old age.
Dual Strike
In Dual Strike, Max no longer suffers a firepower penalty to his indirect units, although they are still at -1 range. His CO and Super CO powers no longer grant Movement bonuses.
Tag Breaks
Max has Tag Breaks with the following COs:
- Andy, 110%, "Power Wrench" (1 star)
- Grit, 110%, "Big Country" (2 stars)
- Nell, 105%
- Sami, 105%
- Von Bolt, 90%
Tactics
Max was unquestionably the strongest CO in Advance Wars 1. A 50% firepower bonus every turn is insane. Even in Advance Wars 2, he remained one of the stronger CO's due to his movement boost on top of his still-good offense boosts. In Dual Strike, the removal of his movement bonuses made him an average CO, all things considered.
His reduced range with indirects put him at a disadvantage in range wars because they make indirect units practically not worth using. His Artillery range is awful. As Max, it's best to just focus on directs. It's worth noting that Max has some of the best Tanks in the game and is one of the best choices in aircraft-based battles too.
Further to his advantage is the fact that indirect units (particularly in Dual Strike) are often not very good. The Black Bomb and Infantry spamming dissuade players from using them. In additions, indirects are slow because they can't move and attack during the same turn. Indirect units, beyond the Artillery, are also pricy, so they're not used much anyway. If you apply enough pressure on the opponent with your strong direct units, the opponent may not even have the luxury of being able to build them.
When it comes to competitive play, there's reason to ban him in the Advance Wars 1 meta. He's a recommendable CO in Advance Wars 2. In Dual Strike, he is still good overall due to having strong Tanks and strong B-Copters (pricier air units aren't typically used on standard maps). However, many will opt to use Jess over Max because her Tanks are about as strong as his, and they get the movement boost that Max once had.
Quotes
Dual Strike
Changing CO During Battle
"I'll crush you like a paper cup!"
Power
"I'll crush you like a paper cup!"
"Take this!"
"Bring it on!"
"How'd you like a knuckle sandwich?!"
"Check out these canons!"
"This is how the big boys play!"
"Sit down!"
Campaign, Pre-Battle
Final Battle
"Dang! That thing's a lot bigger than me!"
(with Grit)
Grit: "Evenin' Max. You know, we go back a dog's year... and we ain't gonna end it in a place like this! Don't you be doing anything crazy now, you hear?! Aw, shucks... I'm wastin' my breath."
Max: "Ha ha! You know me too well, my man! Listen, Grit. Stopping and thinking just isn't in my nature. I only push ahead! I'll trust you to watch my back!"
Victory
"I'm on a roll!"
"You want to fight me? I'll pound you!"
(with Andy)
Max: I'll crush all enemies!
Andy: And I'll fix all allies!
Andy: "Let's do it, Max!"
Max: "Yeah! We'll break their lines like toothpicks!"
Andy: "If it's a tag battle..."
Max: "We're the best!"
(with Grit)
Grit: "With your direct attack and my indirect attack.......
Max: "Odd couples make a good team.
Tactics
When you're deploying, it's strongly suggested not to spend money on indirect combat units like rockets or artillery (which should never be used with Max). Spend them on direct-combat units as they benefit from Max's abilities the most. He's best in open fields and if you're stuck in a chokepoint, stock up on strong direct-combat units and use your Super CO power to destroy as many enemy units as you can in the chokepoint when you activate your CO power. Try
Advance Wars Dual Strike Max's Theme
This is Max's theme song
to avoid being in chokepoints as Max gets a disadvantage when fighting in one due to his disadvantage with indirect units.
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| Orange Star | |
| COs: | Andy | Hachi | Jake | Max | Nell | Rachel | Sami |
| Former COs: | Grit | Olaf |