Tactics and Strategy

[SGXander 1]

Hey All,

Since this is general discussion around the game i thought I'd post a bit more of a discussion as my first and many other posts seem to be about the horrific AI or other bugs (ok got it in now i won't mention it again).

This may be a bit of a flop thread but who knows it may also end up as a sticky ;)

Here's how;

post a normal reply with a quote to comment on someone's strategy/tactic and/or offer advice or improvements

post a comment all in bold outlining your strategy/tactic and when it can/should be used

hopefully we get a nice list of ways to kick the AI to bits so that you don't get bored spending units and ordinance when there is an easier way.

I'll start one in a reply:

---------- Post added at 14:32 ---------- Previous post was at 14:26 ----------

Death by a thousand cuts:

This is a simple but effective way of beating the shield-covered CC islands

simply;

Set up your 4 walrus' however you see fit with some cannon fodder and at least one hack module

Set up a manta with the following loadout:

Slot 1: Gatling

Slot 2: Rockets

Slot 3: Shield

Slot 4: Armor MKII

How to:

Use the manta manually to dive-bomb the shield relays and once all are destroyed do the same to take out any AA around the CC so you can keep an eye on your walrus as they approach it.

Afterburners make getaways really easy so just full throttle towards your target 3 rockets will do the trick but 4 for good measure and then pull up and after-burn away.

The shields teamed up with MKII armor makes the manta invincible for long enough to do this until you run out of rockets then just return to carrier reload and do it again until the CC is unprotected.

Pros:

keeps you in the action and on your feet

gives a great sense of satisfaction when successful

Cons:

only uses 1 manta and relies on the (piss-poor) AI of the Walrus' to be a success

Enjoy!

Edited October 1, 2012 by SGXander

[kraxous 1]

Good idea Xander!

My 'Invasion Plan':

Step 1). Kit Manta 2 & 3 with the same gear (Armour Mk. II, Gattiling Guns, Missles and Ammo Boxes) and send them to scout out the area around the island. If they come under fire I can send more support or pull them out.

Step 2). Bring Manta 2 & 3 back for repairs and re-arming. Kit Manta 4 & 5 with the same gear as each other (Armour Mk. I, Gattiling Guns, Rockets and Ammo Boxes), send them to annihilate any flying units and turrets/scramblers.

Step 3). Pull Manta 4 & 5 for re-arming. Prepare Walruses 6, 7, 8 & 9 for frontline assault. Once Manta' are prepared and ready, send them to assault any remaining turrets/Walruses/Mantas.

Step 4). Have Walruses check for objectives i.e. Firewalls/scramblers, etc.

Step 5). Rendevous all units at one point and split them off to find the Command Centre if it hasn't been located yet. Once found, all units will prepare for 'Search & Destory' mission.

Step 6). Once all units are destroyed, pull all units back except for the Walrus with the deploying kit.

Step 7). Turn Carrier around for retreat and await the last Walrus. Once aboard, move onto next location.

Simple, easy and solid.

---------- Post added at 14:36 ---------- Previous post was at 14:32 ----------

Death by a thousand cuts:

This is a simple but effective way of beating the shield-covered CC islands

simply;

Set up your 4 walrus' however you see fit with some cannon fodder and at least one hack module

Set up a manta with the following loadout:

Slot 1: Gatling

Slot 2: Rockets

Slot 3: Shield

Slot 4: Armor MKII

How to:

Use the manta manually to dive-bomb the shield relays and once all are destroyed do the same to take out any AA around the CC so you can keep an eye on your walrus as they approach it.

Afterburners make getaways really easy so just full throttle towards your target 3 rockets will do the trick but 4 for good measure and then pull up and after-burn away.

The shields teamed up with MKII armor makes the manta invincible for long enough to do this until you run out of rockets then just return to carrier reload and do it again until the CC is unprotected.

Enjoy!

I think it's a little too complex for an assault/strategic plan. In order for something to work, you need to be fast and agile so the enemy has no clue what is happening and doesn't know what to do. However, I can picture how this would pan out and the casualties would be very minimal. You would maybe lose one Manta but that would be about it. I think the Walruses don't get a chance either and using them to your advantage would be a good point, not a bad. Maybe playing the Walruses a little more may just get that little extra firepower which makes the mission much easier for both you and the friendly AI. Good plan though! May try it :3.

- Joe.

[Gazzareth 1]

I have found that with the enemy carrier attacking your islands you tend to need to be a bit quicker than that would allow. So my original method of annihilating everything on the island, then hacking the command centre has evolved to locating it - then clearing a path direct to it using gunships (Manta - Gatling/Missile/Ammo/Amour II) then airlifting a hacker Walrus direct there. If there are shields/scramblers then I would take them out using the Gunships - not come up against firewalls just yet in the retail version - but that would probably be a Hammerhead/Destruction of Command Centre mission..........

G

[kraxous 1]

I have found that with the enemy carrier attacking your islands you tend to need to be a bit quicker than that would allow. So my original method of annihilating everything on the island, then hacking the command centre has evolved to locating it - then clearing a path direct to it using gunships (Manta - Gatling/Missile/Ammo/Amour II) then airlifting a hacker Walrus direct there. If there are shields/scramblers then I would take them out using the Gunships - not come up against firewalls just yet in the retail version - but that would probably be a Hammerhead/Destruction of Command Centre mission..........

G

Yeah, that's exactly what I do to be honest. I unequip everything on Manta 5 and put only a claw on it.

[SGXander 1]

I have found that with the enemy carrier attacking your islands you tend to need to be a bit quicker than that would allow. So my original method of annihilating everything on the island, then hacking the command centre has evolved to locating it - then clearing a path direct to it using gunships (Manta - Gatling/Missile/Ammo/Amour II) then airlifting a hacker Walrus direct there. If there are shields/scramblers then I would take them out using the Gunships - not come up against firewalls just yet in the retail version - but that would probably be a Hammerhead/Destruction of Command Centre mission..........

G

for that I generally use:

NINJA run:

Works best at night

take advantage of undefended CC / firewall locations by equiping a manta with:

slot 1: gatling

slot 2: rockets

slot 3: hook

slot 4: Armor MKII

fit a walrus up with no armor and a hacking module then undock and pick it up using the manta. beat up any air and use rockets to soften up ground targets before dropping off the walrus for a ninja hack against the firewall unit or CC or both

all the enemies converging will get there in time to bow at your feet as their new master.

use afterburners on anything up to moderate defense and they wont even react.

---------- Post added at 14:58 ---------- Previous post was at 14:55 ----------

Good idea Xander!

My 'Invasion Plan':

Step 1). Kit Manta 2 & 3 with the same gear (Armour Mk. II, Gattiling Guns, Missles and Ammo Boxes) and send them to scout out the area around the island. If they come under fire I can send more support or pull them out.

Step 2). Bring Manta 2 & 3 back for repairs and re-arming. Kit Manta 4 & 5 with the same gear as each other (Armour Mk. I, Gattiling Guns, Rockets and Ammo Boxes), send them to annihilate any flying units and turrets/scramblers.

Step 3). Pull Manta 4 & 5 for re-arming. Prepare Walruses 6, 7, 8 & 9 for frontline assault. Once Manta' are prepared and ready, send them to assault any remaining turrets/Walruses/Mantas.

Step 4). Have Walruses check for objectives i.e. Firewalls/scramblers, etc.

Step 5). Rendevous all units at one point and split them off to find the Command Centre if it hasn't been located yet. Once found, all units will prepare for 'Search & Destory' mission.

Step 6). Once all units are destroyed, pull all units back except for the Walrus with the deploying kit.

Step 7). Turn Carrier around for retreat and await the last Walrus. Once aboard, move onto next location.

Simple, easy and solid.

---------- Post added at 14:36 ---------- Previous post was at 14:32 ----------

I think it's a little too complex for an assault/strategic plan. In order for something to work, you need to be fast and agile so the enemy has no clue what is happening and doesn't know what to do. However, I can picture how this would pan out and the casualties would be very minimal. You would maybe lose one Manta but that would be about it. I think the Walruses don't get a chance either and using them to your advantage would be a good point, not a bad. Maybe playing the Walruses a little more may just get that little extra firepower which makes the mission much easier for both you and the friendly AI. Good plan though! May try it :3.

- Joe.

with you on that but larger islands generally cant be attacked ninja-style fast and so require a slow methodical approach. the only fast bit is the afterburners!

hence the title: slowly and painfully take out the beast one limb at a time...

[kraxous 1]

for that I generally use:

NINJA run:

Works best at night

take advantage of undefended CC / firewall locations by equiping a manta with:

slot 1: gatling

slot 2: rockets

slot 3: hook

slot 4: Armor MKII

fit a walrus up with no armor and a hacking module then undock and pick it up using the manta. beat up any air and use rockets to soften up ground targets before dropping off the walrus for a ninja hack against the firewall unit or CC or both

all the enemies converging will get there in time to bow at your feet as their new master.

use afterburners on anything up to moderate defense and they wont even react.

---------- Post added at 14:58 ---------- Previous post was at 14:55 ----------

with you on that but larger islands generally cant be attacked ninja-style fast and so require a slow methodical approach. the only fast bit is the afterburners!

hence the title: slowly and painfully take out the beast one limb at a time...

Clever ;)

[Draxis 1]

This is not so much of a strategy as it is a series of tactic:

Fire Support Carrier

1. Equip carrier with shells in the main gun

2. Position a manta high above the battlefield

3. Remember the elevation on the main gun and fire

4. Switch to manta to track fall of shot and adjust accordingly

"Walking Barrages"

1. Set up carrier and manta observer

2. Imagine your target area as being in a rectangle on a grid, aim for the lower left corner and find the elevation required to hit it.

3. Fire salvos at the elevation on different angles from the bow of your ship until you have carpeted that area with fire

4. Raise the elevation on the gun by one degree and repeat step three

5. Repeat 3&4 until the area is a smoking ruin

Obviously, it works much better during daylight hours. Very simple and a great way to soften up those "Deadly" islands or take out scramblers/shield boosters/radars. The main gun has tons of ammo and firepower, so you can easily use this to soften up an enemy position. I recommend using it to attack positions that are simply too heavily defended to attack head on, or if you need to eliminate a single target quickly without exposing your units to danger. Once you get used to this, you can very quickly disable an enemy's key structures, I like to attack in this order:

1. Radars

2. Scramblers/Shield boosters

3. Manta garages

4. Missile Turrets

5. Heavy anti air

6. Walrus garages

For me, the key is to soften up the area quickly so I can send in heavy mantas to wipe out resistance and drop a hacker walrus (great mental image right there...) to take care of fire walls and command centers. I do recommend being careful at first in order to avoid accidentally destroying command centers or firewalls. On the other hand, if you want to remove an enemy's command center in a hurry, this is a good way to do it. Also, it works a treat for destroying enemy piers.

Also, another thing I found that works well:

Artillery Rush

This tactic works really well on scrambler islands, I have no idea about firewall islands though so save before trying it there. The nice thing is that destroying a command center also shuts down the scramblers, so you can just build a new command center and move to the next island.

1. Use above tactics to get the enemy command center in your sights

2. Destroy it using artillery

3. Send in a heavy manta (preferably one you are piloting) to clear any resistance

4. Air drop a walrus with a construction module and build your new base

5. Leave

Edited October 1, 2012 by Draxis

[firemane 0]

Ah, that's some very clever solutions that I'll have to try. For the fire support carrier, if you position the manta directly over the gun of your carrier and go the first person view you can get a good bearing to the target by aiming at it with the manta's reticle and reading the compass heading. Switch back to the gun, match the heading and find your range. Fire for effect.

Tactical Airpower

Loadout: Rockets, Lasers, Armor MKII, (shield or ammobox)

1. Upon arrival to the island send out the recon drone (better) or a pair of mantas on quick recon runs over the battlefield.

2. Resupply and repair.

3. Undock your mantas and give them a waypoint over the sea. Pause them before they reach the waypoint.

4. Select each manta and shift-click attack orders over key targets in a sector. Give each one a different order of targets but make sure that key targets such as AA guns are targeted by more than one of them. The last waypoint should be close to the carrier.

5. Select all the mantas using the "`" key (or ctrl-number) and hit E.

By using that method you can efficiently clear the defenses and vehicle facilities on a sector or open a corridor to an objective. Exposure is minimal and the enemy has no time to bunch up on one unit. The last waypoint allows the carrier guns to clear away any pesky enemy air from your tail.

You can clear the skies by loading missiles and sending a strike after the enemy mantas. This is best done with the data from the recon drone.

[Thygrrr 1]

Loadout (ideal conditions)

Carrier: Shell Cannon, 2x Flak R/L, 2x Quad R/L

Mantas 2,3,4: Gatling, Rockets, Ammo Box, Armor MK1

Manta 5: Machine Gun/Laser, Hook

Walrus 6,7: Laser/Gatling/Shell/HEAT, Ammo Box, Armor MK2

Walrus 8: Quad Gun/ Flak, Scanner, Armor MK2 (Quad Gun is preferred because it can also take out turrets and buildings at range)

Walrus 9: Laser/Gatling, Capsule, Armor MK1 if combat is expected

Tactics

Carrier circles the island and tries to take out targets of opportunity, especially aircraft.

Mantas can only be trusted to assist Walruses if the enemy has low AA. Before that, spare mantas are just there to reduce downtime - for example, while Manta 2 returns to carrier to repair/rearm, Manta 3 already takes over and continues the assault.

(Easy Terrain) - Mantas fly precision airstrikes (usually player controlled), taking out Walrus Garages and Manta Hangars as well as defense installations and radar, as well as the mission objectives if any (scramblers, shield boosters)

(Easy Terrain) - Walruses 6,7,8 begin their trek along the island's key points as early as possible. Walrus 9 is either flown to the enemy CC by a manta to do its capsule magic, or drives there (if all threats are positively eliminated).

(Difficult Terrain) - Mantas simply destroy or liberate the CC and all defenses around it only, and transport in Walrus 9. If CC is destroyed, the walrus can be dropped on an inaccessible cliff near the CC, which is usually safer because the rebuild capsules have a longer range than the hack capsule.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Thygrrr

[Dajunka 10]

A little tip for those who have not come across it yet.

Don't always take your Walrus by the obvious route, a lot of the time there is a way up cliffs faces that your manually driven walrus can negotiate, thus bringing you in the back door.

[Thygrrr 1]

*coughcough* VATTLAND *cough*

[Dajunka 10]

*coughcough* VATTLAND *cough* BITCH *cough* VATTLAND *coughcough* BITCH

[mikeap 0]

Close Air Support

Manually control a Walrus, and set 2-3 Manta's to follow.

Unlike Walruses, Manta's have relatively little issues with pathfinding, and will normally engage targets on their own. It has been working relatively smooth for me, and normally the Manta's will feast on any targets.

Manta Configurations that have been working well for me..

Ground Support Manta

Plasma

Missiles

Ammo Box

Armor Mk.II

Air to Air Manta

Gatling Gun (good rate of fire, powerful, can lock on to enemies)

Missiles

Sheilds

Armor Mk.I - not as heavy as Mk.II, can maneuver better

Edited October 6, 2012 by MikeAP