LOL @ Exo Pushes
SpaceJew
Join Date: 2012-09-03 Member: 157584Members
Join Date: 2012-09-03 Member: 157584Members
So I've been going whole hog on alien command recently since I can actually get into the chair these days. I just had to say something about Exo's for those players who are new to the game.
They are the worst upgrade you can buy against aliens that are even semi-awake.
<i>"But how is this possible?!?"</i> you ask in disbelief. <i>"It has GUNS!"</i> Yes, yes it does have those. They are awesome guns, in fact. Know what the exo isn't though? <i> Maneuverable!</i>
This strategy has won me many matches, admittedly against newer players, but hey there are lots of those around right now yeah?
It's a late game strategy that only really works if the marines seem satisfied with two tech points and you have the resource advantage. I find as alien commander often times the marines get 'locked' into an assault posture, especially with exo's, and start neglecting other area's of the map. As an alien commander, you can be everywhere through infestation. (As Monk would say, it's a blessing and a curse...) Anywho, on to my cool story.
As the alien team, if you hold the resource advantage, you should stock-pile Onos and gorge eggs. Preferably 4 Onos and two gorges, as that number seems to work pretty well. Now, the marines are undoubtedly building those big, heavy, dangerous skulk eating exo's. Why? Because they're <i>skulk eating machines</i> vs. new players. (Which there are a lot of, remember?) Now, wait for them to build those Exo's and spend all those resources equipping half their team or more with them. They'll do it, because <i>they're exo's!</i> Now, what do marines do with exo's? They assault hives with them!
Here's where it gets complicated. Wait and see which hive they commit their exo's to. Where ever they attack, ignore it. It's probably toast anyway. Get your team into those Onos and gorge egg's, and immediately rush their main base. Priorities are Observatory, Power, Command Chair in that order. Even if their commander reacts in time and beacons, his Exo's just lost all their repair support, and the ability to build a command chair in his newly minted hive. (Exo's can't build OR be phased back to base, remember!) Now, after you smash the Observatory, Power, and CC (probably along with their commander since it's their main base...) make an immediate beeline to their second hive and repeat the above process.
Marines can be smart and avoid this strategy by splitting their forces, and this completely relies on a blitzkrieg model. As aliens, you might as well be Hitler since without speed surprise attacks it's easy to get shredded to hamburger and end up in the 'marines turtle' game which is no fun for anyone except the commanders and grenade troops.
Just thought I would share, since it's been working so well for me the last few days. (Of course, I know this is pub stomping but it works with even a newb team as long as they can follow basic instructions.)
They are the worst upgrade you can buy against aliens that are even semi-awake.
<i>"But how is this possible?!?"</i> you ask in disbelief. <i>"It has GUNS!"</i> Yes, yes it does have those. They are awesome guns, in fact. Know what the exo isn't though? <i> Maneuverable!</i>
This strategy has won me many matches, admittedly against newer players, but hey there are lots of those around right now yeah?
It's a late game strategy that only really works if the marines seem satisfied with two tech points and you have the resource advantage. I find as alien commander often times the marines get 'locked' into an assault posture, especially with exo's, and start neglecting other area's of the map. As an alien commander, you can be everywhere through infestation. (As Monk would say, it's a blessing and a curse...) Anywho, on to my cool story.
As the alien team, if you hold the resource advantage, you should stock-pile Onos and gorge eggs. Preferably 4 Onos and two gorges, as that number seems to work pretty well. Now, the marines are undoubtedly building those big, heavy, dangerous skulk eating exo's. Why? Because they're <i>skulk eating machines</i> vs. new players. (Which there are a lot of, remember?) Now, wait for them to build those Exo's and spend all those resources equipping half their team or more with them. They'll do it, because <i>they're exo's!</i> Now, what do marines do with exo's? They assault hives with them!
Here's where it gets complicated. Wait and see which hive they commit their exo's to. Where ever they attack, ignore it. It's probably toast anyway. Get your team into those Onos and gorge egg's, and immediately rush their main base. Priorities are Observatory, Power, Command Chair in that order. Even if their commander reacts in time and beacons, his Exo's just lost all their repair support, and the ability to build a command chair in his newly minted hive. (Exo's can't build OR be phased back to base, remember!) Now, after you smash the Observatory, Power, and CC (probably along with their commander since it's their main base...) make an immediate beeline to their second hive and repeat the above process.
Marines can be smart and avoid this strategy by splitting their forces, and this completely relies on a blitzkrieg model. As aliens, you might as well be Hitler since without speed surprise attacks it's easy to get shredded to hamburger and end up in the 'marines turtle' game which is no fun for anyone except the commanders and grenade troops.
Just thought I would share, since it's been working so well for me the last few days. (Of course, I know this is pub stomping but it works with even a newb team as long as they can follow basic instructions.)
Comments
I've been on a game as aliens and we were down to two hives and two RTs. my noob aliens couldn't break out or act as a team, but their noob exos were getting torn up by one or two of our good skulks.
awful. took forever and eventually I just jumped out of comm chair and launched an assault
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/5eGHK.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />
It's a risky stratagem I know, and it sacrifices a hive for a potential alien win. The only times this has failed in the above scenario are when the marines have two or three exo's hanging out in their main base or split their assault. The exo is simply too slow and too limited to easily counter an Onos rush with specific targets in mind.
EDIT: @Cobra
I have appropriated your image for my own uses!
EDIT: @Zek
That's true, but the second the commander beacons his Exo's are without any welder support unless he has a few easily bile bombed MAC's following them around. It's a given that the hive will fall (although sometimes it doesn't as some Exo's will try to head to base at a snails pace.) It's a simple matter of celerity equipped Onos being an unstoppable ninja wave of destruction. There are no base defenses that will stop this rush outside of a beacon or two or three MORE exo's in base, hence removing the Observatory first. Their commander is probably busy med and ammo spamming his assault force, and won't notice the rush until it's too late. If he has MAC's it's even more likely that he's too busy micromanaging to notice a sudden Onos charge in his arse.
Have you seen +2/+2 single exo rush?
Done right it will happen right about the time that marines have 52-57 res usually and before enemy team can get fades
I've seen it stopped once, but not before 2 hives went down
<i>And we pretty well rolled over the third a few minutes later</i>
It's a risky stratagem I know, and it sacrifices a hive for a potential alien win. The only times this has failed in the above scenario are when the marines have two or three exo's hanging out in their main base or split their assault. The exo is simply too slow and too limited to easily counter an Onos rush with specific targets in mind.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
People using Exos wrong doesn't make them bad. They are just very high risk/reward.
Just something to keep in your bag of tricks, at the end of the day.
(The first post did contain Hyperbole, of course, but Jetpack troops are superior in my mind. End game dynamics around Onos vs. Exo's mean that aliens are immeasurably more mobile of an attack force therefore able to apply very strong semi-immediate pressure to specific, vital marine infrastructure whereas Exo's bring over welming force to bear very slowly. They will not kill two hives in the amount of time it takes an Onos force to kill two marine bases, nor can they retreat in time to significantly defend either remaining command chair. It's not a guaranteed victory, but it's a decent shot at victory while avoiding the typical end game marine turtle.)
It's a risky stratagem I know, and it sacrifices a hive for a potential alien win. The only times this has failed in the above scenario are when the marines have two or three exo's hanging out in their main base or split their assault. The exo is simply too slow and too limited to easily counter an Onos rush with specific targets in mind.
EDIT: @Cobra
I have appropriated your image for my own uses!
EDIT: @Zek
That's true, but the second the commander beacons his Exo's are without any welder support unless he has a few easily bile bombed MAC's following them around. It's a given that the hive will fall (although sometimes it doesn't as some Exo's will try to head to base at a snails pace.) It's a simple matter of celerity equipped Onos being an unstoppable ninja wave of destruction. There are no base defenses that will stop this rush outside of a beacon or two or three MORE exo's in base, hence removing the Observatory first. Their commander is probably busy med and ammo spamming his assault force, and won't notice the rush until it's too late. If he has MAC's it's even more likely that he's too busy micromanaging to notice a sudden Onos charge in his arse.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You really can't build a strategy around having the res to drop 4 Onos eggs at once. A more realistic assault can definitely be stopped by a handful of marines in the base without having to abandon the exos on the field. A single Exo on defense will thwart anything but a fullly coordinated assault by the whole alien team.
You can't drop four Onos egg's at once no matter what (Barring individual players with the resources to transform), res cap is 200 so you can only drop two at a time. By 'stockpile' I meant build them when you can once you realize the marines aren't making much headway but your team isn't denting their CC locations either. This obviously rely's on your team not being dip****'s and stealing egg's. As commander, with five resource towers, it doesn't take long to build the egg's you'll need. As I said in the OP, this strategy is only if you have the resource advantage and two or three hives vs. marines who have two command chairs. It relies on speed, stealth, and precision. All three are things that can be obtained through giving verbal orders as alien commander and having your team actually listen. It's the NS2 version of a zerg rush, only you specifically attack certain structures that would otherwise limit the effectiveness of your rush. (E.G. Observatory for beacon, Power for Infantry Portals, Command Chair FTW.)
And the exo's cannot build commandchairs to replace the one's you are destroying. :D
Even just leaving a gorge and onos at base can hold off a few exo's for a long time, most players don't want to die in their exosuit so play very conservatively.