Strategy For Ns_nothing
Stoneburg
Join Date: 2002-11-11 Member: 8174Members
Join Date: 2002-11-11 Member: 8174Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Map control and res-denial</div> This is a pretty conservative strategy that is possible in 2.0, partially due to the effectiveness of turrets. The goal is to control the map via lockdowns of two chokepoint and obtain a 5/2 advantage in RT's, allowing you to out-tech the Aliens. You also use the Map to your advantage, holding easily defendable areas that will give you advance warning of any incoming. This strategy will only work if the Aliens DON'T start in Cargo, which should be 2/3 of the time.
<b>Starting out</b>
You want pretty much the whole team to immediatly rush off to Generator Room. Leave 1 or 2 Marines in Base to build 2 IP's and an Armory. Once you secure Generator you drop a TF there (on the Viaduct side of the hole), an RT and 2 or 3 Turrets. Keep the majority of the team in Generator and have one guy run around to cap Cargo and Ventilation chamber, leave Miasma open for now. Have the guy who capped Cargo return to base and let him know he is now responsible for the cargo area. Give him a pack of mines and send him back, he will need a friend to boost him into the vent in Cargo, where he will place the mines.
Now you have Generator somewhat secure and Cargo vent is sealed off. Leave some guards in Gen and make sure they keep the elevator UP at all times. As long as the elevator is UP you will get advance warning on all attacks. Now send a big group over to the Quad Lift area (at least half the team, 1 guy is busy in Cargo and 2 can hold Gen). Put up a new TF between the Quad Elevator and the Foreboding Elevator. Don't spare expense on the turrets. You want at least 6-8 Turrets in this area, covering the corridor leading from Quad to Miasma and the one leading from Foreboding to MS. Once again, get a guy to go in the vent (leading from Foreboding to MS) and place mines. Cap Miasma
<b>The Mid Game</b>
Now the Aliens should have 5 nodes and possibly a second hive going up. Time to do something about that. Upgrade the TF in Generator. You have 5 nodes now and resources should be coming in rather quickly. If your Marines follow orders the K:D ratio will be excellent as well, meaning more resources for you. This is when you start teching up. Observatory and Amrslab should be dropped, and Armory upgraded. You want to make sure you tech a lot faster then the Aliens though, so place 4 sieges in Generator room. 2 to hit Ominus Kismet and 2 to hit Viaduct West. You should keep half your team in Gen and the other half in Quad/Foreboding. Get Phasegates up to these areas and keep putting mines in the two vents.
Once you start sieging Ominus and Viaduct West, it's a good opportunity to have your team at Quad move into Foreboding and attack that RT. Aliens will most likely be running to the ones being attacked by Gen, leaving your team time enough to take down the Foreboding RT. Don't be tempted to cap it, just destroy it and back off.
<b>Late Game</b>
I don't like taking chances if I don't have to, so I will tech up to lvl3/3 and HA/JP before moving out. Holding the two chokepoints is really easy as long as you keep the elevators UP. You will get plenty of warning and will be able to be there with a lot of people, and with plenty of turrets to back you up. This should ensure an outstanding K:D ratio and very little RFK for the alien who are feeding off 2 nodes. So you have all the time in the world to tech up. I like to go for an elegant finish, here's my suggestion:
Siege out Red Room if you have to. Have Two JP-ers stay in Gen Room and outfit the rest of the team with HA. All the HA's Phase to Quad and start moving towards powersilo (cap the node in Foreboding) and making lots of noise. As soon as they are spotted (which should be pretty soon) the JP-ers go for Red Room. Get the HA's an Armory outside Power Silo and tell them to start taking it out while you build up to siege Viaduct from Red Room. With a bit of luck and timing both hives should go down within one minute of eachother.
<b>Possible problems</b>
Generator Room - The main problem here is a skulk getting up on the balcony and going gorge before you have GL's. He can then proceed to bilebomb everything in there while being extremely hard to kill. This is best stopped by having your guards there build a human tower to get up there and build a turret (or 2), during one of the calm moments (remember, the elevator going down will always give you warning).
Behind the lines - You aren't building any defenses elsewhere, so it is important that the ones you have in Gen and Quad are effective. A skulk *will* be able to get through Quad to Miasma by leaping so you either fix this by building a TF around the corner or by having a guard there all the time (I went for the TF, which upset the skulks;)).
Sloppy - Don't get sloppy. Don't let them clear out one of the vents, this will alow them to sneak up the hive. Always keep the vents mined and the chokepoints guarded.
Fades - Fades are the only Aliens that can get past your defense, but don't worry. Once he is behind the lines you will have people hunt him down, and here's the best part, he can't run away since he will be so low on health that the turrets will kill him if he tries to get back to teh alien side. At least this is my experience. Just make sure there's a couple of shotguns on the team.
Peer pressure - Don't let Marines pressure you into wasting your res. This means turning down the Marine that just got into siege position for a hive or capping any other nodes then the 5 on the upper floor. You'll take down the hives when you're ready.
<b>Upgrade order</b>
Armor 1
Phasegates
MT
Weapons 1-3
That's the order I prefer when using this strat.
<b>Extra Points</b>
You can do these things or not, if the above is done correctly you don't need to but if you have the time and inspiration.
Commando Raids - Send raids into the hives to take out the upgrade chambers. If they are down, the RT. I managed to take out the MC's in PowerSilo and the RT in Viaduct (JP/Shotty got it into the Red and two LMG's rushed in to finish it from above).
Redundant TF's - Having a TF with a Turret guarding the Cargo hive gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of safety. It is possible to place turrets in the Vent, but don't. A lerk can kill them while being out if range of the turret. Having a TF right by the ladder in Miasma is also nice, and will surely annoy the hell out of any skulk that just managed to leap past your farm in Quad.
Armories - It's nice for Marines to have armories. Drop them at all the farms, and also, drop one below the Cargo vent, this will alow the Marine there to go up into the vent without a boost and will allow you to give him mines there.
Electrify Everything - It's nice to have stuff electrified. Since it's usually not cost effective, take this time when you're in control of the game and swimming in res to electrify everything, it will make you feel better.
<b>Marines</b>
This is not a boring tactic for Marines. Aliens will constantly be probing your defenses so your guards will most likely be kept busy. They will also experience how easy it is to combat aliens when you are supported by turrets and teammates, and have plenty of warning of the incoming attack (Elevator UP and MT). There's also the mine placement and the hunting down of renegade skulks (or a bold/crazy fade). If things are slow, organise a raid into enemy territory.
<b>Map</b>
The red areas are of course the choke points (or Turret Farms if you like), the star shaped symbols are RT's that are to be sieged, the arrow is where your Marines will be moving out (first to kill the RT, then to attack PS when it is time to end it) and the verboten signs are the vents you need to seal off with mines.
<img src='http://www.cofrfps.com/pics/nothing.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
This strategy is tried and tested on the CoFR server. It will require teamwork from the Marines to be successful, but what strategy doesn't in 2,0. If you fail to take Generator room on the first push, make one more attempt and then switch strategy if it didn't work.
<b>Starting out</b>
You want pretty much the whole team to immediatly rush off to Generator Room. Leave 1 or 2 Marines in Base to build 2 IP's and an Armory. Once you secure Generator you drop a TF there (on the Viaduct side of the hole), an RT and 2 or 3 Turrets. Keep the majority of the team in Generator and have one guy run around to cap Cargo and Ventilation chamber, leave Miasma open for now. Have the guy who capped Cargo return to base and let him know he is now responsible for the cargo area. Give him a pack of mines and send him back, he will need a friend to boost him into the vent in Cargo, where he will place the mines.
Now you have Generator somewhat secure and Cargo vent is sealed off. Leave some guards in Gen and make sure they keep the elevator UP at all times. As long as the elevator is UP you will get advance warning on all attacks. Now send a big group over to the Quad Lift area (at least half the team, 1 guy is busy in Cargo and 2 can hold Gen). Put up a new TF between the Quad Elevator and the Foreboding Elevator. Don't spare expense on the turrets. You want at least 6-8 Turrets in this area, covering the corridor leading from Quad to Miasma and the one leading from Foreboding to MS. Once again, get a guy to go in the vent (leading from Foreboding to MS) and place mines. Cap Miasma
<b>The Mid Game</b>
Now the Aliens should have 5 nodes and possibly a second hive going up. Time to do something about that. Upgrade the TF in Generator. You have 5 nodes now and resources should be coming in rather quickly. If your Marines follow orders the K:D ratio will be excellent as well, meaning more resources for you. This is when you start teching up. Observatory and Amrslab should be dropped, and Armory upgraded. You want to make sure you tech a lot faster then the Aliens though, so place 4 sieges in Generator room. 2 to hit Ominus Kismet and 2 to hit Viaduct West. You should keep half your team in Gen and the other half in Quad/Foreboding. Get Phasegates up to these areas and keep putting mines in the two vents.
Once you start sieging Ominus and Viaduct West, it's a good opportunity to have your team at Quad move into Foreboding and attack that RT. Aliens will most likely be running to the ones being attacked by Gen, leaving your team time enough to take down the Foreboding RT. Don't be tempted to cap it, just destroy it and back off.
<b>Late Game</b>
I don't like taking chances if I don't have to, so I will tech up to lvl3/3 and HA/JP before moving out. Holding the two chokepoints is really easy as long as you keep the elevators UP. You will get plenty of warning and will be able to be there with a lot of people, and with plenty of turrets to back you up. This should ensure an outstanding K:D ratio and very little RFK for the alien who are feeding off 2 nodes. So you have all the time in the world to tech up. I like to go for an elegant finish, here's my suggestion:
Siege out Red Room if you have to. Have Two JP-ers stay in Gen Room and outfit the rest of the team with HA. All the HA's Phase to Quad and start moving towards powersilo (cap the node in Foreboding) and making lots of noise. As soon as they are spotted (which should be pretty soon) the JP-ers go for Red Room. Get the HA's an Armory outside Power Silo and tell them to start taking it out while you build up to siege Viaduct from Red Room. With a bit of luck and timing both hives should go down within one minute of eachother.
<b>Possible problems</b>
Generator Room - The main problem here is a skulk getting up on the balcony and going gorge before you have GL's. He can then proceed to bilebomb everything in there while being extremely hard to kill. This is best stopped by having your guards there build a human tower to get up there and build a turret (or 2), during one of the calm moments (remember, the elevator going down will always give you warning).
Behind the lines - You aren't building any defenses elsewhere, so it is important that the ones you have in Gen and Quad are effective. A skulk *will* be able to get through Quad to Miasma by leaping so you either fix this by building a TF around the corner or by having a guard there all the time (I went for the TF, which upset the skulks;)).
Sloppy - Don't get sloppy. Don't let them clear out one of the vents, this will alow them to sneak up the hive. Always keep the vents mined and the chokepoints guarded.
Fades - Fades are the only Aliens that can get past your defense, but don't worry. Once he is behind the lines you will have people hunt him down, and here's the best part, he can't run away since he will be so low on health that the turrets will kill him if he tries to get back to teh alien side. At least this is my experience. Just make sure there's a couple of shotguns on the team.
Peer pressure - Don't let Marines pressure you into wasting your res. This means turning down the Marine that just got into siege position for a hive or capping any other nodes then the 5 on the upper floor. You'll take down the hives when you're ready.
<b>Upgrade order</b>
Armor 1
Phasegates
MT
Weapons 1-3
That's the order I prefer when using this strat.
<b>Extra Points</b>
You can do these things or not, if the above is done correctly you don't need to but if you have the time and inspiration.
Commando Raids - Send raids into the hives to take out the upgrade chambers. If they are down, the RT. I managed to take out the MC's in PowerSilo and the RT in Viaduct (JP/Shotty got it into the Red and two LMG's rushed in to finish it from above).
Redundant TF's - Having a TF with a Turret guarding the Cargo hive gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of safety. It is possible to place turrets in the Vent, but don't. A lerk can kill them while being out if range of the turret. Having a TF right by the ladder in Miasma is also nice, and will surely annoy the hell out of any skulk that just managed to leap past your farm in Quad.
Armories - It's nice for Marines to have armories. Drop them at all the farms, and also, drop one below the Cargo vent, this will alow the Marine there to go up into the vent without a boost and will allow you to give him mines there.
Electrify Everything - It's nice to have stuff electrified. Since it's usually not cost effective, take this time when you're in control of the game and swimming in res to electrify everything, it will make you feel better.
<b>Marines</b>
This is not a boring tactic for Marines. Aliens will constantly be probing your defenses so your guards will most likely be kept busy. They will also experience how easy it is to combat aliens when you are supported by turrets and teammates, and have plenty of warning of the incoming attack (Elevator UP and MT). There's also the mine placement and the hunting down of renegade skulks (or a bold/crazy fade). If things are slow, organise a raid into enemy territory.
<b>Map</b>
The red areas are of course the choke points (or Turret Farms if you like), the star shaped symbols are RT's that are to be sieged, the arrow is where your Marines will be moving out (first to kill the RT, then to attack PS when it is time to end it) and the verboten signs are the vents you need to seal off with mines.
<img src='http://www.cofrfps.com/pics/nothing.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
This strategy is tried and tested on the CoFR server. It will require teamwork from the Marines to be successful, but what strategy doesn't in 2,0. If you fail to take Generator room on the first push, make one more attempt and then switch strategy if it didn't work.
Comments
The best way for the aliens to counter this is to rush cargo at the start of the round. Cargo is immensely important to the aliens. I will always encourage my alien team to rush Cargo if we don't start there. Push back the first marine assault, get a couple of gorges to put up some defenses and guard it well. If the aliens lose Cargo and Generator, they will have a real hard time winning Nothing.
FYI, a marine should be able to jump on top of the TF and then on the pipes in Generator. At that location they can either shot an alien trying to gestate on the balcony, or you can setup some turrets (on the pipes) to do it for you. I think the pipe turrets will hit them, and they will have a nice high vantage point over all of generator.
I've never seen any real reason to relocate to generator. You can hold it quite well with a phase gate and turretns and your main base is in marine start to protect that resource node.
I learned the hard way about bile bombing gorges from the vent in Cargo. I reloacted all my structures AWAY from the vent.
If you can get the Quad TF up quick you have the whole upper floor to yourself, so it is important, it actually makes the whole strategy. You don't have to worry about Vents since gorges can't get in there to bilebomb (they have to gestate IN the vent) and if they do, just replace them.
Why? Because at the start of the map, generator and cargo will be the hot spots. You won't have phase tech until after both are secured. I like to have my marines spawning right next to the action so they dont have time to hump the armory <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
And he's right... don't do it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
(also the aliens lacked some teamwork, and they shoulda taken marine start and held it after the marines were forced to relocate)
Nice strat... it's a **** to fight back as aliens once they're set up at gen and quad lift.
i'll be trying this soon, methinks, thanks for taking the time to share yer nifty strats <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
btw: in 1.04 used and was quite successful with the eclipse strat you posted. even with somewhat newbie rines against some vet aliens.
Many a time I've broken marine cargo relocates by laming up generator and giving fades and lerks a place to regen safely. Marines can't see webs on the floor outside, you can recess OC's far enough into it, and pile 8 d'cs around the RT. A few more OC's on the fence around the pit for those crazy marines who jump over the lame and an MT to ensure that people can get back to the hives quickly if they need to and you have a crazy impenetratable outpost.
now with 2.0 you can cloak the whole lot and the other side with one sens on the balcony and you can put up a few more MTs to get those alians back thier energy faster.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is no longer a problem in 2.01, as bile bomb only works on structures at the same level - you have to be able to see thier health rings for it to do any damage
(apparently)
Effectively countered by setting up behind Cargo and Gen instead. Cap all the nodes ustairs, then get a TF there and siege Gen room. This usually results in a hefty loss of investments fo rthe Aliens (3 D's, some OC's and an RT as well as some gorges/skulks/lerks).
Edit: Armory near the pipes is really for a relocate to Generator, BUTTTT, if you don't relocate to gen, you probably should have an Armory there anyway for resupply away from the main base, either cargo or S77 vestibule. I tried to see if a lone turret would work for jumping up there, but to no avail. BUT, if you don't want to have an armory there, you can always build on the pipes anyway, and either jump build them, (not sure if you can) or build one turret below say, 3 on the pipes. That way they can definately build all 3 off that one turret.