Gorge/lerk/skulk Assault

ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
<div class="IPBDescription">Webbed to death</div> How are marines going to counter a base attack when gorges lerks stand in umbra clouds and skulks just run around like mad?

Is it me, or is there no good counter to a surprise "web attack"?

Seems it is a bit cheesy to use offensively, since alll spawning marines are rendered incapable of fighting for many SECONDS! Right at spawn.

We lost ourselves to it many times, those webs are darn good value for money. What is a good counter? Dont tell me welder, its not really an option when u spawn and you are webbed instantaneously.

So, comms, tell me how you deal with web umbra rushes.

Comments

  • FlatlineUTDFlatlineUTD Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7695Members
    I've only seen this once or twice in a game, and by that time, the marines really didn't have a chance of winning, or even mounting a decent comeback.

    Anyway, if there is a counter, secondary bases are probably your best bet. Recycle the IPs in your base, and your men will respawn - away from the webs - in your backup base.
  • InexorableInexorable Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
    An ounce of prevention.....

    Take advantage of the fact none of those units can detonate mines from range.
  • FlatlineUTDFlatlineUTD Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7695Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Inexorable+Jan 26 2003, 03:02 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Inexorable @ Jan 26 2003, 03:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->An ounce of prevention.....

    Take advantage of the fact none of those units can detonate mines from range.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Oh, I totally misread the topic title - I assumed it was talking about a Gorge/Lerk/FADE assault.

    If skulks are being used, then mines are your best friend. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

    But if the Gorges have webs, that means they have 2 Hives, correct? In that case, why the hell would the alien team assault with Skulks when they can get Fades? By the time the aliens get a second Hive, the marines should be pretty well teched up.
  • PaqPaq Join Date: 2002-12-15 Member: 10876Members
    Or commander can use that option from observatory which will respawn all dead marines at marine start <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I haven't ever tried this, but i think it works like i just said.....right? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • InsanityInsanity Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8660Members
    If the aliens have web and umbra, they must be at hive 2, so how is that a rush?
    They can't be far off from getting fades.
  • FlatlineUTDFlatlineUTD Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7695Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Paq+Jan 26 2003, 04:06 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Paq @ Jan 26 2003, 04:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Or commander can use that option from observatory which will respawn all dead marines at marine start <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I haven't ever tried this, but i think it works like i just said.....right? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Yeah, distress beacon can be a real lifesaver. Two problems though:

    - It takes 3 seconds to activate, and everyone can hear it, so if the aliens take out the Obs during that time, you lose it.
    - It respawns marines where they start. On maps like ns_nancy, this is a different room than the one that the CC is in. If you've abandoned your starting base to set up in a Hive, your marines will start in the starting base, not your new one.
  • InexorableInexorable Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
    With 1.04 you still have a grace period though Flatline. Fades costing 10 RP more means you're probably going to see this kind of thing quite a bit more.
  • ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    edited January 2003
    Precisely- they did have 2 hives but no fades apparently. Perhaps 1, but not a lot that mattered in the outcome. We had managed to secure 1 hive and had just destroyed their other. I think the fadse were blown to bits up there and they didnt have time or res to get new ones ready. Lerks spiking and umbraing while gorges spew web really took us with our pants down. Perhaps turrets is the answer, they can fire no matter what is around.

    The assault was quite efficient since it pretty much won them the game, in spite of us jsut having bagged ourselves a hive. I've seen them done before tho, but that was patch 1.03. Offensive webbing is an awesome attack when used in a good support group. With fades the mix just get worse for the marines. They can roam with their claws striking down webbed marines, or spam acid from umbra clouds.

    Then turrets arent much of a help. I find it cheezy having been on the receiving end - but thats just the taste of bitter defeat. It cannot compare to the utter cheezedom of jp welding a hive <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> This attack form was actually a brilliant example of good alien "combined arms tactics" on the battlefield. I'll sure give it a shot next time I am kharaa <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

    Looking forward to see how this tactic will develop itself and it's counters. The game was really FUN apart from the webbing assault. Lots of battles aroudn the map, several "iffy" situations where one side managed to pull a good one on the other. Only in the last 10 minutes was the outcome clear. And THAT I loved.

    So far. 3 games on 1.04, loved 2 of them, 3rd one was stupid due to super bad marine teamwork.
  • InexorableInexorable Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
    But the turrets can't get through the umbra, and if a Skulk is smart he'll dodge back and forth with another
    Skulk making the Turret change targets constantly.
  • MutantMFMMutantMFM Join Date: 2002-07-27 Member: 1005Members
    Heh never heard of a web tactic like that but if its that bad then its the end for the marines anyways.
  • ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    edited January 2003
    That bad? Well, why is it that a superior tactic that wins the game definitely must rely on the marines screwing up? The screw up, naturally, is not anticipating the attack and counter it. I'd rather want some ideas on HOW to counter the actual tactic used than blanket statements about how deserving it is for the marines to lose. Doesn't add a thing. We know we lost because the aliens had an ace up their sleeve. We don't need anyone else to point that out for us. What we do need is suggestions on HOW to counter such an attack.

    What I forgot to tell above was that the gorges webbed the IP's as well as the area above the Phase gate. SO any marines spawning or phasing in are instantly rendered into a nicely wrapped sandwich. Once the marine has removed the web, the gorge spits a new one.

    Now kill the gorge - yes that will work, but that means you must have to kill him through umbra. And if there is two of them, one webs you while you try and kill the other.


    Like when a chess player pulls a smart gambit. If you know the gambit you migth be able to defeat his attempt. If not you will most likely lose. So the quest is: what counters this? Except eliminating 2nd hive but thats a strategic goal rather than any help when the actual assault is going on.

    It is possibl at any moment hive 2 is up. And since having hive 2 is sort of what is intended, we might as well prepare for this tactic to be used many times unless we majorly screwed up. Since if it has a nice good counter we wont need to worry one bit <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> There has to be, I just don't know it, and thats why I ask.

    I could always suggest that turrets can shoot webs automatically. That would prevent the tactic's use at such efficiency in a well fortified base - but that's not an actual counter <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • BlueGhostBlueGhost Join Date: 2002-11-30 Member: 10337Members
    The counter is GL, it blows lerks up in umbra like its not there, it clears web and it generally scares the **** out of any fades who start getting cocky with acid spam..

    Its rubbish at close range tho so you do need buddies.

    HA/GL
    LA/Welder (to clean webs)
    + LOTS of LA/LMG's to acctually kill the stuff.

    BlueGhost
  • PegePege Join Date: 2002-11-27 Member: 10088Members
    I'm glad they decreased acid rocket splash, because now the fades might actually dare to use their claws. I was really **** at one point when I was a gorge and had a fade with me. We met a lone HA/HMGer, the fade got scared and retreated but I webbed the HA guy and kept blocking his way. Of course, the fade just COULDN'T use it's claws to kill the HA quick, but instead went very close to him and began to spam acid... Gee, must have taken a minute until the HA finally went down... Oh, I screamed about 3 times in caps for him to use claws to kill, but noooooooooo.

    P.S. I got killed in a few seconds after the incident, because a HMGer showed up and the fade got scared again! <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • NicatorNicator Join Date: 2002-12-15 Member: 10829Members
    edited January 2003
    Well, the best counter is not letting them get there in the first place - the same as with the very nasty JP/HMG rush. I agree, it's a very nasty attack, as we pulled it off in a game earlier. I gorged, went in with a lerk and two skulks (I couldn't OC spam, they had a siege up). We did enough damage before we died that the game was basically over. Protolab/arms lab down, at least one of the ips, obs (right at the end before the last skulk died). The way the comm countered it was to DB and tell all his marines not to move. They didn't get webbed, and our skulks (by now not covered in umbra) went down quick. The lerk then got hit and I went down after a heroic heal spray kill =). That rush set us up for the next one, which had fades in the attack group. It was a bit more deadly <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->.

    1.04 rules.

    EDIT: It requires a hell of a lot of coordination to perform the gorge/lerk/skulk rush properly, particularly if they have sieges. If they do it that well, they probably deserve the win <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->.
  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    grenade spam will cut any webs, and shoudl outrange a gorge, so my answer is defence! with a marine hiding with a gl !!!
  • ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Then he must not die <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->


    Also what I have since learned is a different build lay out.

    Don't put ip's directly next to each other. Put them far apart, and preferably one hidden well. It will be a minor inconvenience to your troops when they spawn but it can be dealt with.

    On Bast there are plenty of nice spots to hide IP's - but gorge/lerk/fade rushes are not easy to pull off on this one anyway.

    It's much trickier on Eclipse. Big open space with no dark areas. Usually comms put the ip's in the small lowered "dance floor" at the console. And that makes it extra crispy easy for a gorge to web the lot. So put ip's in different spots. And build more it seems. Like 4 or 5. Then they aren't sure which one will spawn a marine. On Nothing you can put an ip on the walkways. On hera there is above by the cc and behind crates.
  • GeronimoGeronimo Join Date: 2002-12-18 Member: 11056Members
    I play as the immortal supergorge sometimes....

    You go around capping nodes, getting your res up, then when you have the second hive and 3 MCs, get adren...

    Make sure to have carpace and 50ish res saved...

    Now attack

    Spray web on the floor...noone can attack you

    Build an OC

    Keep spraying

    Build another OC

    Keep spraying

    Build DC if you need

    Keep spraying

    Make sure your OCs are done building

    Now web the enemy a final time and attack with healingspray

    ...
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