strategy to conquer seabases

[mark13]

Aredhran - never underestimate +25% infantry vs. base....

Marine speeders, however, are great. They do need to be backed up by a couple of 1-AAA-1s, but a full-on seige can totally devastate even a well-garrisoned base.

edit: HTML
[This message has been edited by mark13 (edited December 06, 2000).]

[Aredhran]

Yes, +25% is nice. However, if you mean "Marines" in the standard way (ie. like it's designed by the game, that is with armor), then they are so expensive that I can probably build 2 rovers for the price of one marine, so it doesn't matter much if I lose one or two as they are easily replaced.

Now if the marines are non-armored that's another story.

Aredhran

[Skanderbeg]

quote: Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe on 12-06-2000 09:21 AM Skand, It looks like your approach works. For the most part though I normally rely on the tried and true use of Marines Aka jar heads. Og

Hy Ogie!

Yes, that seems to be a good solution for the most cases. I have used marines until now only for attacking coastal bases from a transporter, I see, there are more
ways I could use them.

But in my certain game, my method was the choice, because it was the fastest and cheapest for me.
I was playing Cha Dawn, and because of the slow industry, I had not so much troops. All necessary units except the missile were just in place (the cruiser was one of Santiagos own bribed by a probe skimship (evil grin), so I had only to build one unit (the missile)
instead of transporter + x marines.
With a small bunch of units (3 missiles, 3 needlejets, 1 IOD captured by the way and 1 cruiser), 1 conquered
3 bases in four turns, and I think, this is quite effective.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Skand,

Kudos, My friend! You bring up a very good point use of forces that you have readily available.

And this is probably more often than not why I didn't necessarily use or explain use of amphib speeder marines. Most times I end up garisonning bases with 1-1-1 trance or 1-1-1 police units. I'll simply strip them and upgrade them enroute from bases I have IF I choose to do an early conquering of the seas.

Most times though, my intention is to capture AI land bases first and in doing so eliminate their industrial capability i.e. the mineral rich bases. That being said sea bases normally are mop up.

The difference is when a trans-continental invasionis required. Inthose case I will either conquer a sea base in order to stage an invasion or simply create my own.

However, back to my original point. Flexibility and usage of existing assets wisely. You illustrated a good approach in doing so.

My only real point here is if given the time (and time is a cost here as well) the cost in mins and energy to prepare the assets you used vs. the marine approach ends up being more costly I think (however if it allowed you a quicker conqest than building those other units getting them into place and doing the invasion it probably was worth it).

Assets you used
3 missiles
3 needlejets
1 IOD
1 missile Cruiser

Total 8 units
Mineral Value - ??? Don't know off the top of my head

Assets for Marines Approach
1 transport
4 marines (either speeder or infantry)
1 needlejet (preferably tactical)

Total 6 units - Min value expected to be less than above but agin I can't remember this stuff

Long story short tho' best laid plans are out the window as soon as they put into action. When you need to accomplish an objective you use what you can where you can.

Good luck and Good hunting!

Og

PS. Red H,

Nahh! Your exactly right infantry based Marines in the context of a fully armored infantry unit is simply wasting perfectly good energy in the upgrade. No all my 1-1-1's get the upgrade to best weapon - 1- 1 best reactor amphibious configuration. Never armor.

But your point and D-dads are right on the money speeder chassis is probably the right way to go even w/o the +25% bonus. What can I say, I'm lazy and strip the units from existing bases. Leaving those bases to replace the 1-1-1 next turn.


[This message has been edited by Ogie Oglethorpe (edited December 07, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Ogie Oglethorpe (edited December 07, 2000).]

[Skanderbeg]

Hi Ogie!

I have used some sort of the marine tactik in my current game, with good succes:

Loaded two marine-X-rovers on a transport and visited Marr's seabases (evil grin).

This bunch could blast a size-seven-seabase into nothing in one turn.

Destroid one base totally and conquered two, now nice
bases for my X-Choppers.

Greetings Skanderbeg

[Rainstorm]

Skanderbeg, you can't build nerve gas missiles, but you can build nerve gas choppers, then send them on suicide missions to deep enemy bases...move to max, take the damage, move to max, range of 24 I think.

In my current SP game, the AI is using a lot of missiles against me, more effectively than I've ever seen before. Marr is basically doing the typical human denial strategy, hitting my exposed bases with waves of missiles and taking out all the defenders, forcing me to re-adjust my position, move more defenders in, etc. He'll probably keep doing it until I finish nerve gassing him into oblivion.

[Kirnwaffen]

As my favorite faction is the Pirates, I generally take the all naval approach on sea bases, while occasionally using jets. As far as missiles go, I find them to be almost completely ineffective in late-midgame because of available armor and abilities (i.e. I saw one of my AAA 8-res cruisers take 3 missile hits out of a base, and many non AAA units taking up to 2 in a base w/aerospace complex). In that particular game (Librarian), Domai had managed to accumulate 80+ missiles. No problem though when you consider the number it took to destroy just one of my units.

[LeMark]

The lack of nerve gas missiles can be remedied.
All you have to do is go into AlphaX.txt, and add the following line to the section marked #UNITS.

Nerve Gas Missile, Missile, Conventional, Scout, -1, 0, 0, Orbital, -1, 00000100000000000000000000

Also, increase the number just below the header by one.

[mark13]

As the AI never uses it, though, I find it is very often the single most unbalancing aspect of SP play, and so never use it. I had a go once and gassed the Caretakers, who I was level on the chart with, to extinction in a matter of a handful of turns - it makes the game far too easy, IMO.

On the subject of missiles, however, I think they are most effective when the armor level is no more than 6, as any 1-6AAA-1 unit protected by a Space Complex can fend off any missile coming its way. As such, they are an effective weapon for a time - after that, they become useless, as conventional (if you'll excuse the pun ) weaponry is often more powerful, and a *lot* cheaper for multiple uses.

[grimreap]

Why do people keep talking about noodles?

[Drago Sinio]

If you are playing a "Green" faction, with the Dream Twister SP and a strong "Planet" rating, Locusts of Chiron are great for taking seabases. Especially on large maps where the distances are great. Demon Boils usually have no trouble, even against AAA defenders. The planet rating gives I think a 30% boost on attack, and the Dream Twister a 50% bonus. If you have a ship handy to weaken the defenders with artillery fire, so much the better. And the locusts in combo with marines in a transport are a good option too. The Locusts can act as air cover for the transport. Most Interceptors wont hardly even put a dent in them. And using air power and marines together, stops the AI from building all AAA units for defense. There is a secret project thats provides additional PSI defense, too. I forget the name.

[Gothar]

quote: Originally posted by Drago Sinio on 12-10-2000 10:51 PM There is a secret project thats provides additional PSI defense, too. I forget the name.

It's the neural amplifier

[stuntman19]

I've seen the AI use Nerve Gas, but only on the factions more aggressive option. In one of these games Morgan was using it against Zak. When Zak finally knocked him down to 2-3 bases Morgan went suicidal. He proceeded to obliterate his remaining bases until he eliminated himself from the game. It was interesting to watch atleast.