Rootin' For The Mc
lolfighter
Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Let's Change the Order</div> In 1.x, we had something we used to call DMS. That was the build order for chambers, <u>D</u>efence, <u>M</u>ovement, <u>S</u>ensory. That was the established build order, and if you strayed from it, you were likely to get flamed, kicked by admins and guarantee the aliens a loss. Whether this was because the 1.x Sensory Chamber sucked or because players couldn't use it right is not the point of debate for now.
In 2.0, any chamber first was supposed to be viable, and indeed I believe it is. I've had precious little chance to find out however, as the established build order now is SDM, with an occasional DSM. Lets see Movement first! I hear this is the preferred chamber for clan players, and I'd like to try it! I've seen games where no chamber goes down before the second hive is almost finished, so evidently you can do without chambers. I guarantee you that Movement upgrades don't make you fight worse! Let's try a little Movement chamber first next time, ok? I could of course go ahead and just do it myself, but I don't want to do it without people knowing how to use it.
So how about us posting what Movement is useful for?
Here is my assessment of Movement's impact on one-hive Skulks, Gorges and Lerks:
Skulk:
<ul><li>Adrenaline: ... isn't terribly important for one-hive Skulks, as they only have bite and parasite. Of course, if you're gonna parasite a LOT, it could come in handy, but I think the other upgrades are more useful.
<li>Celerity: The fast little critter just got faster. If a normal Skulk is hard to hit, what's a celerity Skulk then? Hyper! Good when you need to get around fast. Nice for dodging.
<li>Silence: "OMG I'm being bitten??" How often do you experience running after a marine who's showing you his tasty back, only for him to hear you, turn around and blast you to bits? No more, thanks to this little upgrade! Run around without making a sound! Hear a marine coming closer? Hide in a corner and kill him after he runs past you! He won't know what hit him.</ul>
Lerk:
<ul><li>Adrenaline: Don't you just hate it when you're out of stamina just as you need that extra spore cloud, need to flap to safety, or need to fly AND spike at the same time? Fear not, this is the upgrade for you! Learn to love it!
<li>Celerity: "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's..."
"What? What is it?"
"Dunno, it was gone before I could find out."
Flap faster than anything before! Forget jetplanes, the Celerity Lerk is faster. You'll never catch this bird, rines, so stop trying.
<li>Silence: *ominious voice* Like a bat out of hell comes the Silent Lerk! Silent flapper of the night. You never know when he's there. He could hover right above your head, and you'd never know! OOOooooOOoo!
Or put it this way: "WHERE THE §$&%@%$ ARE THOSE "§§$%$&*# SPIKES COMING FROM!!!?!!"</ul>
Gorge:
<ul><li>Adrenaline: Those buildings sure take a lot of time to heal, don't they? And gee, here's comes a Skulk that wants healing too! Where's a Gorge gonna take all the stamina from these days? Adrenaline comes to the rescue! Never being fatigued again is just a slimy chrysalis away!
<li>Celerity: "Nooo, the rines are gonna get me!! Why can't I run faster??" You can't? You CAN! With celerity! 'nuff said.
<li>Silence: "Shush, silent!"
*splat splat splat*
"There's a Gorge over there! Get it!"
Don't you just hate this? Avoid it with silence!</ul>
So now that you know how to use it, build Movement Chambers first! Or at least second. Remember that it's great for the mid- and endgame too. EVERY class has one or several Movement upgrades that it benefits a lot from, so build Movement Chambers first. If that's REALLY too far-fetched, try it second then. But down relegate the cool cool Motion Chamber to a third-hive role every time. It's worth far more than that.
In 2.0, any chamber first was supposed to be viable, and indeed I believe it is. I've had precious little chance to find out however, as the established build order now is SDM, with an occasional DSM. Lets see Movement first! I hear this is the preferred chamber for clan players, and I'd like to try it! I've seen games where no chamber goes down before the second hive is almost finished, so evidently you can do without chambers. I guarantee you that Movement upgrades don't make you fight worse! Let's try a little Movement chamber first next time, ok? I could of course go ahead and just do it myself, but I don't want to do it without people knowing how to use it.
So how about us posting what Movement is useful for?
Here is my assessment of Movement's impact on one-hive Skulks, Gorges and Lerks:
Skulk:
<ul><li>Adrenaline: ... isn't terribly important for one-hive Skulks, as they only have bite and parasite. Of course, if you're gonna parasite a LOT, it could come in handy, but I think the other upgrades are more useful.
<li>Celerity: The fast little critter just got faster. If a normal Skulk is hard to hit, what's a celerity Skulk then? Hyper! Good when you need to get around fast. Nice for dodging.
<li>Silence: "OMG I'm being bitten??" How often do you experience running after a marine who's showing you his tasty back, only for him to hear you, turn around and blast you to bits? No more, thanks to this little upgrade! Run around without making a sound! Hear a marine coming closer? Hide in a corner and kill him after he runs past you! He won't know what hit him.</ul>
Lerk:
<ul><li>Adrenaline: Don't you just hate it when you're out of stamina just as you need that extra spore cloud, need to flap to safety, or need to fly AND spike at the same time? Fear not, this is the upgrade for you! Learn to love it!
<li>Celerity: "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's..."
"What? What is it?"
"Dunno, it was gone before I could find out."
Flap faster than anything before! Forget jetplanes, the Celerity Lerk is faster. You'll never catch this bird, rines, so stop trying.
<li>Silence: *ominious voice* Like a bat out of hell comes the Silent Lerk! Silent flapper of the night. You never know when he's there. He could hover right above your head, and you'd never know! OOOooooOOoo!
Or put it this way: "WHERE THE §$&%@%$ ARE THOSE "§§$%$&*# SPIKES COMING FROM!!!?!!"</ul>
Gorge:
<ul><li>Adrenaline: Those buildings sure take a lot of time to heal, don't they? And gee, here's comes a Skulk that wants healing too! Where's a Gorge gonna take all the stamina from these days? Adrenaline comes to the rescue! Never being fatigued again is just a slimy chrysalis away!
<li>Celerity: "Nooo, the rines are gonna get me!! Why can't I run faster??" You can't? You CAN! With celerity! 'nuff said.
<li>Silence: "Shush, silent!"
*splat splat splat*
"There's a Gorge over there! Get it!"
Don't you just hate this? Avoid it with silence!</ul>
So now that you know how to use it, build Movement Chambers first! Or at least second. Remember that it's great for the mid- and endgame too. EVERY class has one or several Movement upgrades that it benefits a lot from, so build Movement Chambers first. If that's REALLY too far-fetched, try it second then. But down relegate the cool cool Motion Chamber to a third-hive role every time. It's worth far more than that.
Comments
mmm typo
Movement has become my favorate chamber, simply because each and every one of the upgrades is so damn good. It doesn't matter what class you are, movement is one of the most useful upgrades. Frankly, I've thought of going gorge just to slap down some movements first, but I never do because it tends to **** the team off.
Ive played multiple games where i dropped a SC down and put up the hive right under the marine's nose.
MC is only good for early skulk rushes but that is about it. Its mid-game and end-game benefits arent very good. If Marines do 2 hive locked down your basically **** if MC is your hive chamber. A movement alien isnt going to help much against HA/HMGers even if you are Onos.
Cloaked or carapaced <!--emo&::onos::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif'><!--endemo--> = <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::marine::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif'><!--endemo-->
"What? What is it?"
"Dunno, it was gone before I could find out."
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
OMG that is teh funneh! This whole post in general is comical genius....
Other than that I see MDS loads (again in UK).
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Reason being it will never ever get you out of a tight fix.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Celerity gets you out of a LOT of horrific situations. Plus, m + d is sick on second hive, since you get meta-whoring with adrenal, and leap-whoring with adrenal.
And I think that silence is perfect. LA/HMG always walk into an ambush with it. Just watch out for pesky people that lag behind the pack.
Gotta agree that sensory first is a bit dull, even though it WORKS. These days I'm more inclined to D/M, mostly M because hot damn if Adrenaline isn't a flayra-given right for lerks.
However the strategist in me has to keep Sensory second, because at endgame its everything but useless.
...And kudos to the hilarious hilarity from the first post.
We were doing great. Celerity skulks, adren lerks. etc. Its so much more efficient. I like scent and cloakin area, but, its not really that combat oriented. Then this foolish gorge threw up sensory!.
So it was a very interesting M-S-D
Went fine if you ask me. If you realy look at it, all defense does these days is redeem onos.
A bunch whined "i cant go onos now!"
Real hurt is no healing, but we had a couple gorges on heal duty, so we did fine.
Lerk had my scent and adren for gas spamming. we had uber good time.
Yes, we won. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Ive played multiple games where i dropped a SC down and put up the hive right under the marine's nose.
MC is only good for early skulk rushes but that is about it. Its mid-game and end-game benefits arent very good. If Marines do 2 hive locked down your basically **** if MC is your hive chamber. A movement alien isnt going to help much against HA/HMGers even if you are Onos.
Cloaked or carapaced <!--emo&::onos::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif'><!--endemo--> = <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::marine::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
MDS shines in the mid game when there is ALOT of marine building, especially TF/phasegates/res, when you come up to two marines and youre completely silenced, you will own them.
Movement first is clearly the best, there is a reason why clans are using them as the first choice chamber.
Im pretty darn sure within a few weeks sensory is going to go way out of fashion as first chamber.
Ive played multiple games where i dropped a SC down and put up the hive right under the marine's nose.
MC is only good for early skulk rushes but that is about it. Its mid-game and end-game benefits arent very good. If Marines do 2 hive locked down your basically **** if MC is your hive chamber. A movement alien isnt going to help much against HA/HMGers even if you are Onos.
Cloaked or carapaced <!--emo&::onos::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif'><!--endemo--> = <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::marine::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
MDS shines in the mid game when there is ALOT of marine building, especially TF/phasegates/res, when you come up to two marines and youre completely silenced, you will own them.
Movement first is clearly the best, there is a reason why clans are using them as the first choice chamber.
Im pretty darn sure within a few weeks sensory is going to go way out of fashion as first chamber. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
i dunno man... every freaking time my team goes MDS we get freaking pwned...
The problem i see is that people arent creative w/ SC placements. Hell i place SCs on the other side of the wall because the cloak radius goes through the wall. Or they drop OCs near the SCs and now i only drop 2 OCs when i want to "bunker" up a hive.
MC is all fine and dandy when you Skulk rush but i seriously find it lacking mid and end game. Sure the lerks can shoot more, sure the skulks can run around silently, sure the aliens can run fast. But i would rather have SoF over ALL of the MC abilities. SoF = Legal Wallhack.
Lerks can save their energy by using SoF to aim their shots, Skulks can walk around cloaked and know where the **** is turning the corner. And good players will still hit and kill you even w/ celerity.
And MC wont give you the ability to take back a well guarded hive. Never has never will. I can drop a SC near the marine guarded hive. Drop the hive and D chambers which immediately cloak then bilebomb the **** out of the TF...
MC is only useful for increasing the fighting ability of the aliens but SoF also increase your fighting ability as well. And personally i feel SoF is more useful and saves aliens from getting ambushed which is not very likely but i would like to know if there is 5 marines around the corner then not at all.
other than that it's usually movement chambers so we get lerks gassing the marines - area denial is great <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
then defense chambers for celerity regen onii and it's game over
(or at least that's how it's <b>supposed</b> to go <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->)
Clan matches however...
S/M/D = Weakest
Everything inbetween would be considered... something inbetween!
Here's the options:
MDS - Allows for uber-skulks/lerks/gorges immediatly and D comes online to save the Onos.
MSD - Makes the early and mid-game a lot of fun (cloaking AND silence) but if Marines make it to end game you are screwed.
DMS - Safety-bet. Makes the Marine 2-hive lockdown less powerful. Probably the second best choice against competent Marines.
DSM - Kind of a stupid way to go, getting a 2-hive lockdown insurance then dropping S?
SMD - Fun, powerful early and almost decent mid-game. Once again, if you let Marines hit end game you are screwed.
SDM - Decent choice. Going for containment then safing up with D for the big investments.
Ranking:
1. MDS
2. DMS
3. SDM
4. DSM
5. MSD
6. SMD
As you can see, the 3 top rankings all have different first chambers so all chambers *are* viable as first chambers, but depend heavily on the second chamber. Also, the two worst choices both have D last.
Sens first is decent for early skulks and lerks , weak for early fades , and useless for onos. The SDM order brings tedious games , mostly because of slow evolutions (makes onos take redem as regen or cara is too risky without celerity)
No more giving away your possition when you drop a OC, no more, heal spray drawing attention to you, no more I lost the Gorge, but I can hear him runing this way.. come one!
I have been on alot of Pubs and when a MC goes down first ppl freak out!
"Good Job now we are gonna lose, you F&^%ing %$#HOLE!"
How wrong you can be, sensory isn't that great, sure you can't be seen, but its only good when alot of them are all over the place and the current lack of team work of ppl going gorge, that doesn't happen.
DCs as the second or first chamber are very helpful! No more losing the OCs you just saved up for for 10 mins. Body armor <3
I like all Pubers loved to droped SDM, not anymore, I would rather drop DMS now. Some times I like to mix it up with MSD or MDS but ppl still can't seem to figure out how to use MC as the first chamber yet!
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->cloaking! cloaking! cloaking!<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(quote taken from some logic-deprived fool about a week ago)
Yet, despite all those who have moved away from a stubborn preferrence for the SC first, this is usually what we end up with anyway. Why? Who knows? Usually, if there's actually any (WOW!) <i>discussion</i> about what chamber should come first, some idiot will Gorge and drop a SC as soon as possible just to make sure he gets what he wants, just so he can have
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->cloaking! cloaking! cloaking!<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My reasons for the MC first are simple: Celerity for combat Skulks, Silence for assassin Skulks, Adrenaline for (most) Lerks and Fades, not to mention two very powerful field abilities: energy regeneration, and OC rate-of-fire boosting.
If one drops the MC first, what should come next depends on the situation; if you need enhanced overall combat prowess, then DCs are the go, but if (as you shouldn't, in the midgame) you need extra stealth, then obviously SCs should follow.
However, as has been stated, there is no <i>best chamber order</i>; what's most appropriate depends on the situation at hand, and there will always be viable strats that require a certain build order.
Edit: Finished off (I had to go before I could complete the last sentence <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> )
Clan matches however... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
From what I've seen everyone DOESNT know movement is the best for pubs. Also, from what I've seen clans DO know movements are the best first chamber unless their tactics include some type of redemption pressure or regen lerk rush.
I've found things to be the exact opposite of SilverSurfie. Whenever SC gets placed first, aliens have a stronger early game, but lack the combat effectiveness of M/D combos and consequently drag the game out. SC is easily countered and unless properly spammed around the map, pretty worthless. By midgame, the "frontlines" have been fairly well defined. If you already know where the marines are, SoF becomes of significantly less value. It's my belief that the only reason SoF is so valuble is because pubs are full of stupid Skulks who don't use parasite.
MC allows you to have a stronger midgame by significantly increasing alien mobility and combat effectiveness. The "OMG! Its teh cloek!" attitude seems to be pretty strong across many servers. When people see how much shorter M/D/S games tend to be, you can usually win a convert or two.
I personalyl am getting tired of these Sensory vs Movement posts...
-Cio
why?
because you can get thru the map fast with celerity, run around like crazy as gorge and healspray the marines and run away again, and when your second hive is up its a FAST way to travel to the other hive if its attacked...
when you go fade/lerk/onos mc is needed, you cant live without it. and dc is needed too as second hive goes up...
sure sc hides you and you can sneak around but a fairly good com just gather the players outside a hive, scans it and marines enter, volá sc made useless...
and i really hate public when i force up mc at the start to prevent someone to build sc, getting flamed for it and then when second hive goes up someone builds sc and ppl go onos/fade and just mass die without redemtion/cara, and i get flamed for mc at start...
MC is good for single unit upgrades and in the hands of a good alien will devestate the marines. But if faced against competent marines MC will not work as well. MC will neither be the chamber that will help you get back a hive if it has been taken over. I always think at beginning of a game that the Marines are good and not take the risk of assuming that ive been paired w/ a bad marine team. SC just makes it easier for the alien when you face a good marine team. And if they get you in a 2 hive lockdown w/ MC as your 1st chamber your pretty ****. Where as w/ SC there is a possiblity that i can salvage the game and give the aliens a chance of a comeback. Thats why i drop SC first.
And i go out of my way to drop SCs in majority of the map. And like i said before, some gorges are just plain stupid and dont know how to place SCs properly. Example: they put it behind the OCs, im like WTH.
I never drop OCs anymore unless its to defend hives or double res. Lowering the chance of my SC and DCs being found. A cloaked skulk is better then 3 cloaked OCs combined.
Also, how do you guarantee the construction of all three hives with the use of the SC? Again, the comm should know the benefits of scanning, and should he do that, well they'll know you're building the hive, won't they? If not for the Observatory (an easy to obtain and easy to use counter to all of the SC's most useful advantages), perhaps this could work... as it is, it only <i>does</i> work because many comms haven't figured out how to use an Observatory.
As for the MC... how does that fail to assist in the destruction of a hive lockdown? What Celerity does for an Onos is big enough an advantage. Then there's Adrenaline for the Gorges (to increase their Bilebomb/Healing Spray output by... alot), and, for what it's worth (which can be quite a bit), increased Umbra output from the Lerks as well. Obviously this is assuming two hives... though you were as well.
If they have both hives, how is the SC more useful than the MC? Firstly, it does ****-all if they're attacking, whereas with the MC you can even (WOW!) benefit from its upgrades, and utilise its energy regen and OC stimulation. When taking a hive... well, as stated, they <i>should</i> have Observatories, knocking out the cloaking benefits within a reasonable radius. Whereas... you can benefit from a MC's upgrades... and its energy regen.
(I am aware that I am being rather repetitive. However, this is a precaution to ensure that the point is well and truly made.)
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If your using the SC effectively and for what it is meant to do, Rines will not have enough res to drop a Ob at every forward base. Much less be able to take important locations such as hives and double res. And Obs fall to what? 4-5 bilebombs? Drop SC, take out Ob, put up hive, take out TF. You have no idea how effective this is on taking back hives that have been locked down. And being cloaked and having SoF helps alot more then any movement evolution does in disrupting Marine expansion by ambushing at chokepoints, etc.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Also, how do you guarantee the construction of all three hives with the use of the SC? Again, the comm should know the benefits of scanning, and should he do that, well they'll know you're building the hive, won't they? If not for the Observatory (an easy to obtain and easy to use counter to all of the SC's most useful advantages), perhaps this could work... as it is, it only does work because many comms haven't figured out how to use an Observatory.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well Obs w/ MT neglate MC's evolutions therefore countering almost all of MC's advantage, so whats your point? MT does not detect cloak. I repeat MT does NOT detect cloak. And most of the time Marines do not have the res to tech AND expand at the same time. So its one or the other. If rines want to counter SC quickly they will give up the ability to expand quickly as well which is one of the goals of going SC. If i can cause Marines to expand slowly they are screwed.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->As for the MC... how does that fail to assist in the destruction of a hive lockdown? What Celerity does for an Onos is big enough an advantage. Then there's Adrenaline for the Gorges (to increase their Bilebomb/Healing Spray output by... alot), and, for what it's worth (which can be quite a bit), increased Umbra output from the Lerks as well. Obviously this is assuming two hives... though you were as well.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was talking about taking a lockdowned hive by myself as a gorge. No Onos support or anything. MC or its evolutions isnt gonna help this gorge take out a turret farm any faster and i have to worry about Marines seeing me and blasting me. w/ SC i can try and look for blind spots in defense w/o getting shot at, take out rambos w/o getting shot at, build a hive that is being "protected" by the enemy turret farm, etc etc.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->If they have both hives, how is the SC more useful than the MC? Firstly, it does ****-all if they're attacking, whereas with the MC you can even (WOW!) benefit from its upgrades, and utilise its energy regen and OC stimulation. When taking a hive... well, as stated, they should have Observatories, knocking out the cloaking benefits within a reasonable radius. Whereas... you can benefit from a MC's upgrades... and its energy regen.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
When your in a 2 hive lockdown, aliens are pretty screwed anyways. But what good are the MC upgrades if you cant effectively use them? Silence: Wow thats really gonna help you sneak up on those HA/HMG rines. Celerity: Wow, i can run faster and try and kill that HA/HMG rine. Adrenaline: Wow, i can shoot those HA/HMG rines faster. Adrenline the only useful evolution that i see. And MT negates all of your MC evolutions. so whats your point?
SC: I can cloak right outside hive room instead of inside the hive room. Giving me a chance of killing some of them armored ****. SoF: Oh i see that HA train. Better call in reinforcements to hid and ambush them w/ me.
Placement, gentlemen, is the key for many things, including OC and DC, and SC at the third hive negates any use it would have given you. By then, the marines are being pushed back, their expansion is over, and the opportunity to ambush with SC/OC combos is gone.
I see people say MC benefits bigger creatures. This is true. However only hoarders have big creatures at game start. Yes, hoarders, because if you're so good that you've enough to go Fade in 3 minutes, then you should be going to a hive and capping it or building defence.
When hive 2 is up, the TEAM will be on their bigger creatures, and thats when MC gets the really big use.
Thats IMHO mind you, and to be honest I'm getting very tired of people claiming they're good, dropping MCs, then the team gets toasted and he turns round and blames the team for not being able to use the upgrade HE forced on them.
Each upgrade is conditional and usefulness depends very much on the team and how they use it. There is no such thing as an order where "SDM" is worse that "MDS".