Marine structure to focus on as an alien?
Loke
Join Date: 2003-02-25 Member: 13988Members
Join Date: 2003-02-25 Member: 13988Members
As an alien what marine structure should you focus on destroying when assaulting a marine base? Depending on the circumstances of course some bases might be easier to take down say, for an example, that they've only got a Phase Gate so your first instinct is to focus on destroying that, not the Power Node, right? But what if they've got a large base with numerous structures such as a Armory, Arms Lab, Prototype Lab a Observatory as well as a Command Center and a Phase Gate. If you're a large group doing a coordinated attack on the base the general strategy is to just go for the Power Node which will effectively shut down the entire base. However, say that you're a single Onos or a duo of Skulks attacking this base what structure SHOULD you focus on? As in, what would benefit the team the most?
Thanks for any tips.
Thanks for any tips.
Comments
-armory. In NS1 I'm told this was a good target but now they are dirt cheap and not much of a time investment.
-robotics factory. It will take a few years of chomping to eat away that thing, hit something more sensitive.
-extractor. Unless starting early game or something, there are better targets.
Generally however, the best thing to focus on I think is the phase. There are plenty of situations where better targets are needed, but if in doubt phase. Or power. Or IPs :P
Just think about what will get the most; response*, time** or damage***, that depending on the situation.
*Trying to force a beacon-Power is good, then just move to damage focus)
**Trying to take a base-PG, Obs IP's (in that order)
***Trying to stunt their progress- Obs or IP's, Proto, anything expensive.
Sorry if I missed anything (and I will have).
Here's a simple answer:
If between extractor and powernode, kill the extractor.
In a base, If before the first 5 minutes, kill the IP (if it's a big rush), If its just one or two of you, kill the Obs (disrupts phase tech).
After the 5 minute mark:
If the base has a phase but no Obs, kill the Phase and hope they can't beacon with some other obs.
If there's an obs and its a big push, kill the Obs. Then the Phase gate. Biting people as they come in is very helpful. If there's some IPs as well as a phase, kill power. There's too many places for people to enter for you to cover all of them well enough. After power, get the chair.
If there's one or two of you and you're trying to force a beacon/stop a push:
If you know there's only one arms lab in the map, nothing stops a push like having no upgrades.
Killing a phase gate is the surest way of getting a beacon forced.
If you're pushing to win, kill power. A gorge run with bile should always target power (IMO). It's the simplest concentrated way of disabling an entire base, bile takes it down magnificently. But since gorgeous, there's not really any way that a lone gorge will take out an entire base.
4 skulks and up can chew down power remarkably quickly, unless the comm is on the ball, they'll probably miss the beacon.
Outside of marine bases/forward positions:
There is not much to find outside of marine bases or forward positions with phase gates so its pretty simple --> Kill the extractor (which one or more skulks, depending on server size, should always focus on)
I always ignore power unless:
1. Power is up at a tech point
2. or in a strong position (System Waypoint or The Dome in ns_veil for example, hub in ns_tram)
Forward bases:
Depends on the structure placement, for example again ns_veil - at location "The Neck" if the phase gate is not in the hallway with the power node - the power node can be a good target.
But generally for every forward base, go for the phase gate always first - anything else is not important because for example an observatory can only beacon to a command station. When phase gate is down, kill weak and expensive stuff first, commander might attempt to sell them so damage them for less refund. For example observatory dies very fast and costs 15 TRes, and ARC factory if there should be one costs 25 TRes. So: Phase Gate->Obs->ARC Factory->Armory - I can't think of any other building in a forward base.
Should You find sentries there is no other choice then getting down the sentries first - because they should be positioned so the phase gate/power cannot be attacked freely. Preferably a gorge should bile bomb the sentries. Try to position yourself that no sentry attacks if possible if you are not a gorge. If you are Onos, just get the battery. You could also just ignore the sentries and go for phase gate - but the damage can be significant over the time. You shouldn't attack alone as Onos either way, so preferable if You have a gorge - gorge can drop some bile bombs on the sentries - they die very fast - and then concentrate on the phase gate with you.
For marine bases (at tech points), the posters above me already shared very good tips and this is a bit more complex as it really depends if its early, mid or late game and the purpose you want to achieve.
Everything I wrote can be debated, but I think I'm not that wrong with my opinion.
Edit: Sorry I went totally off topic - question was around marine base and I go on and write about everything outside of a marine base...
Mid Game: You should be busy denying their expansion at this point.
End Game: Obs for surgical strike, then hit the power.
All Game: RTs, RTs, RTs. Proto Lab and Arms Lab are also valuable targets, keep an eye out for slacking defense on those structures and take them out if you can.
Base with an Obs + Phase Gate = PG or Power.
Base with no Obs = PG or Power.
Base with only an Extractor = Go for the power, then the Extractor. It delays them building a PG. Extractor first when outside a base.
If the comm is bad at beaconing you can just go for the Power at all times. And as Squishpoke says, at all times you should be eating the Extractors in between their bases. The first 2 extractors either side of their starting base are the best to constantly kill.