Typical Strats
beige
Join Date: 2003-10-04 Member: 21428Members
Join Date: 2003-10-04 Member: 21428Members
<div class="IPBDescription">The stuff you usually see</div> What are typical strategies you use in public and competitive matches? I know that stuff always changes in the heat of battle, but what sort of overarching goals does the commander usually set, what ways does he go to achieve them?
Stuff like rushing to lock down hives, I've seen. What are the other tools of the trade?
Stuff like rushing to lock down hives, I've seen. What are the other tools of the trade?
Comments
I'm also seeing more and more commanders being more loose with turret factories. Sending two or three marines to one side of their active hive and setting up a TF with 4 or so turrets will do wonders to alien morale. All the inexperienced players will be distressed over the turrets on that side of the hive, and possibly keep throwing themselves at it to kill it, while the experienced players try to get them to leave it alone. All the while you cap nodes, upgrade, etc etc. Dont put it close enough where they can hit it, and heal easily, or else it will be a waste. IF they take it out, it will be time wasted on it(theirs), and you may be able to get at least half the res back from turret kills. If they DONT take it out, you have a siege point already halfway complete for when you are ready to do it. It's a win win situation if done properly. Try experimenting with it, placing a TF+4 turrets at random choke points. It does wonders.
Also I might point out doing this late in the game will be wasteful. Do it early, or don't do it at all.
Basically, kill more than they do and don't die, while dominating the map and the res nodes in the process. Simple stuff works the best.
Rines rush right out of base, make for a key map location, lame it a little, and expand out from there taking down any res they see. Second squad is locking down a hive, then both units work towards each other.
On most maps this is gg with a marine win. Once you've nailed a key chokepoint AND a hive, you can rush straight for the second hive and then piledrive into the third. As long as the hives are kept locked or at the least knocked down regularly, marines will inevitably win.
Very hard to counter, as on a LOT of servers it seems aliens are getting more and more clueless as to how to teamwork effectively.
It's also a good idea to drop a cc and 2 ips close by so lost marines are replaced. It really is an all-or-nothing strat.
The problem I have with that (relocating) is if you have good rines you wasted about a minute of time. With bad ones probably 2.
Nancy--relocate to Mess hall. Best point on the map, relatively easy to defend....plus MS on Nancy is claustrophobic. If you can control the area above the ladder with sieges, you've got decent access to all hives w/ little opposition.
Caged--relocate to Generator or Double...either lock down Gen hive by default or have an easy go at Vent and Sewer...
Lost--Alpha Continuium (sp) or Equilibrium hives. MS too damn far away from action.
Usually the placings go along these lines:
1st: In MS obviously
2nd: Try to secure a central location, like double nodes which are almost always centrally located (except tanith, in which case you want to try and secure cargo room, the best staging area in that entire map for marines) Or at the very least anywhere that can be held, but at the same time drastically reduce travel time to a minimum of 2 hives.
3rd: Usually first empty hive taken.
4th: Typically placed outside first hive targeted for destruction, either their starting or newly placed on. The 4th is where you hope to turn the game from a game of teetertotter to a downhill slope of doom for the enemy.
5: Typically not necessary, but if last hive is resiliant this can shorten travel time to and fro.
Aside from that, basic node and upgrade strategies work great. I'm a personal big fan of motion first, especially if you plan on setting up a phase network fast(Which can be good or bad, you basically take money risk on putting your PG's up around crucial resource areas that let you spread out and take anywhere from 4-6 nodes from the ensuing network, patrolling around them as needed, but its also risky and only recommended for highly organized games/teams)
Usually the placings go along these lines:
1st: In MS obviously
2nd: Try to secure a central location, like double nodes which are almost always centrally located (except tanith, in which case you want to try and secure cargo room, the best staging area in that entire map for marines) Or at the very least anywhere that can be held, but at the same time drastically reduce travel time to a minimum of 2 hives.
3rd: Usually first empty hive taken.
4th: Typically placed outside first hive targeted for destruction, either their starting or newly placed on. The 4th is where you hope to turn the game from a game of teetertotter to a downhill slope of doom for the enemy.
5: Typically not necessary, but if last hive is resiliant this can shorten travel time to and fro.
Aside from that, basic node and upgrade strategies work great. I'm a personal big fan of motion first, especially if you plan on setting up a phase network fast(Which can be good or bad, you basically take money risk on putting your PG's up around crucial resource areas that let you spread out and take anywhere from 4-6 nodes from the ensuing network, patrolling around them as needed, but its also risky and only recommended for highly organized games/teams) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
This strategy sickens me.
I am appalled by people who insist on 4 or more PGs.
The problem with an extensive PG network is that it disperses your marines, rather than rally them together.
When the marines spawn in from the IP, they look at the PG and think, "ooh...shiny" and phase through. What happens if you wanted them to phase to your hive siege spot but they just phase through to another place and rambo off?
Two phase gates are the optimal amount. One in MS, and one at the place you want to destroy. Extensive PG networks is another way of playing defensively, as you focus on protecting your own assets rather than attacking their's.
Especially if you accompany it with "ok phase through to X".
PG intensive strats are confusing for your average Kharaa as it gives you more spots to attack, and you've no idea which one the rines will be in. As evidenced in a BM clan match (iirc) the entire alien team could be rushing the pg on one side of the hive, while the marines are at a SECOND pg on the OTHER side of the hive, rushing in and shottying the hive to hamburger.
If you DO opt for a multi-gate strat, make sure you can afford it... constant beacons can be costly if you're rushed while you've no beacon juice, and second don't fall into the trap of laming up every place you put a PG - remember that PGs are largely disposable and excellent ways of distracting aliens, who are trained to snafu PGs on sight.
Unfortunatly, in clan games or 6v6 pubs, it wont work due to the small number of rines, just scatterd out all over the shop.
With a PG you have some choice about where the rines will end up.
Personally I find 4 is still pretty acceptable, it's basically 3 clicks and you're there.
a marines 'sneaks' into the hive (careful not to damage any structures or the hive) and sets a a pg ONLY. Then if the marines are spread out all over the map the comm will distress ASAP and everyone phases in and everyone shoots the hive. And even with lvl 1 lmg the hive will go down surprisingly fast.
Everyone then phases back out and the phase gate is recycled.
a marines 'sneaks' into the hive (careful not to damage any structures or the hive) and sets a a pg ONLY. Then if the marines are spread out all over the map the comm will distress ASAP and everyone phases in and everyone shoots the hive. And even with lvl 1 lmg the hive will go down surprisingly fast.
Everyone then phases back out and the phase gate is recycled. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
.... Rushing the hive?
I ALWAYS get armor 1 first. It is ThE most important upgrade in the game. Follow that up with weapons.. but you see, alot of people neglect the importance of armor 2. Armor 2 forces the aliens to get 4 bites off to kill you (Although after the 3 bites you have 5 hp). If you are bit once you get a med pack and you can take another 3 bites before you fall. It's way more affective then most people think. Skulks don't expect to have to bite you 4 times to kill you.
BTW, Unfortunately fades/onos still kill you in 3 hits. Onos kills anything in 3 hits no matter what... excluding heavies <!--emo&::marine::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif' /><!--endemo-->
-Aes-
On servers where the aliens actually teamwork, A1 is still pretty handy as it'll level the playing field against cara or regen.
a marines 'sneaks' into the hive (careful not to damage any structures or the hive) and sets a a pg ONLY. Then if the marines are spread out all over the map the comm will distress ASAP and everyone phases in and everyone shoots the hive. And even with lvl 1 lmg the hive will go down surprisingly fast.
Everyone then phases back out and the phase gate is recycled. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's sad how often on pubs I can't even convince my marines to do THIS. Forget more complicated strats, even with a mike half my team never listens to "PHASE TO THE HIVE DAMN IT".....it's pathetic really.
Mind you armory humpers are very unlikely to last past their first clip or so...but they will never run out of ammo! They need to let the comm "turn off the armory" or ration ammo...two humps and leave please...if not I take away armory privilages all together.
When they make me real mad, I like to recycle advanced armories just to get my point across..
(usually at that point we've already lost to where an adv armory wouldnt make a difference)
-Aes-
Or maybe put it behind a dorr I can have welded shut.
in competetive matches just listen to your commander and communicate with your teammates. make sure you can aim//know your maps & where you can expect aliens to come out.
for pubs, just have all the expereienced players rambo like mad.