Understanding how to create and make use of nodes and tunnels is important in Hell Let Loose Vietnam. The NVA tunnels help your team to move swiftly across the battlefield, whereas the nodes will help you access some valuable resources. In this guide, we’ll explain how to build tunnels, where to place them, how tunnel networks work, and how to set up nodes in safe locations so they can keep generating resources for as long as possible.
How To Build Tunnels
NVA Tunnels are nothing but a fast travel option. It is not that you will be entering the tunnel and walking through it. You will come close to it, activate it, then open the map and go to another tunnel or garrison.
The tunnel structure itself is quite large. It resembles a heap of soil and stones that have been reinforced with wooden structures and have an entrance within that heap. You don’t have to face towards the entrance in order to activate the tunnel. Each tunnel comes with a lantern and a radio sound of Morse code near the entrance. All infantry officers can build tunnels. These include:
- Commander
- Squad Leaders
- Recon Spotters
However, once a tunnel is built, it must first be linked with either another tunnel or a garrison in order for it to become operational. Connection can be done directly from the map by the officers, who only have to select a tunnel and link it to another tunnel or garrison.
Connections cannot be changed by the Squad Leader and Recon Spotter. It is only the Commander who is capable of deleting existing connections and creating new ones. In order for the tunnels or garrison to be linked, they must be no more than 500 meters apart from each other.
Where Can You Build Tunnels
Tunnels can be built in friendly and unlocked enemy territories. Tunnels cannot be constructed in locked enemy territories. The maximum number of tunnels that the NVA team can construct is 15 on the game map. Interestingly enough, only a single officer can create all 15 tunnels.
However, there is a maximum number of tunnels and garrisons that can be connected in a single network. The maximum number of tunnels and/or garrisons that can be created in a single network is five. Also, there is a minimum distance between two tunnels. They have to be at least 100 metres apart.
Tunnel Cooldown and Travel Time
Once a tunnel is laid out, each player needs to wait for about 2.5 minutes before laying down another one. Since tunnels can be laid by several officers one after another, there is no need for the entire squad to wait the same amount of time.
Similar to garrisons, tunnels can be locked once enemies are close enough to the point where they can interfere with the teleport process. One important thing to note is that once a tunnel collapses while the players are making their way to it, they will get killed. Another similarity between garrisons and tunnels is that the enemy troops can manually destroy tunnels.
How to Build Nodes
Node construction is one of the most valuable things you could do for your team. Good nodes will help ensure that your resources will flow through the entire game; hence, it is important to build nodes properly. First of all, select the Engineer role. You will have to use both your wrench and hammer to construct nodes. Additionally, you will require 150 supplies, since it is sufficient to build one set of nodes.
Where to Build Nodes
The simplest way to get your supplies is by taking a Supply Truck from your HQ. In case there is no Supply Truck available, you should request the help of your Commander and other officers via text or voice chat to provide you with a truck.
When you get the truck, drive it to the frontline. Remember that the supply trucks cannot drop supplies in the first two rows of the map. Drive to the borderline between the second and third rows and drop a supply crate there. Each crate will provide you with 150 supplies, which is exactly enough for all three nodes.
Walk through the borderline into the second row and deploy blueprints of your Manpower, Munitions, and Fuel nodes within 50 meters of the supply crate. Now you can build all three nodes. You can then build all three nodes using the supplies from that crate.
Why Build Nodes in Selected Areas
The reason why you need to build them on the second row is that it ensures the safety of your nodes even if your team is pushed back. The nodes which will be built on the third or fourth rows will get automatically destroyed once the enemy team captures those sectors. The reason for building nodes on the second row is that they will be able to remain active even after your team retreats to its last position of defence.
Once you have placed the nodes, you need to place the supply crate at close range, and then another Engineer will build his nodes there. After this, you need to go back to HQ with the Supply Truck and rearm yourself or ask your Commander for further orders for the truck.
