Spartans, how to play with them well

[Slh666]

Hi, I usually play the Spartans and I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on playing them what facilities to build and stuff. And also is it possible to play them in a builder game? All info would be helpful thank you

[CEO Aaron]

Spartans are one of the more challenging factions to play, imo. They do have a great deal of flexibility and their military can be quite potent, but the industry penalty and lack of wealth SE choice makes growth comparatively slow. The key to succeeding is to commit to a strategy which works around those problems.

I prefer to play the Spartans with a Police-centric ICS strategy. Get ahold of Doctrine: Loyalty and switch to police state. With +3 police you spread far beyond the bureaucracy limit without worrying about drone problems, and the extra support will allow an impressive early crawler fleet. These two advantages should allow you to get enough bases to increase your tech and production power to the point where you can compete with the more builder-centric factions.

Sooner or later, you're going to encounter a rival faction. When this happens, don't delay, start immediately planning their demise. The industry penalty means you can't afford to be reactive, you have to control the tempo of any conflict, so make sure you have the initiative. Make judicious use of artillery when taking bases, the damage they inflict on enemy garrisons will help preserve your very difficult to replace troops.

Facility-wise, you want to keep it lean. Rec-tanks, Creches, Commons and Command Centers will be the order of the day. Try and get the Command Nexxus, it will save you money and time and go a long way to ensuring the superiority of your ground troops. Put of building labs until your bases are collecting at _least_ 4 labs base. If you have less and are at a loss for what to build, crawlers, colony pods and garrisons are never a bad way to go.

Tech-wise, stay focused on weapon technology. Air power is your first big tech goal, learn to rely on probe teams and/or tech trade to reach parity in non-military technology. Infiltrate your rivals and watch what they research carefully, and you'll be able to make them complete your research for you.

[Mart]

One of my objectives when playing Spartans is to have high morale military and do not loose troops often. I plan assaults very carefully. With high production costs replacement of lost units is very costly. Still Industrial Automation is very important.
And of course, Spartans are made for war...

[Slh666]

Thank you very much that helped allot sorry for sounding like an idiot but ive only been playing the game for about 3 months what is an ICS?

[#endgame]

Infinite City (Spam/Sleaze/...)

Just packing in cities really close together.

I don't play Sparta much, so can someone more knowledgable than I chip in here on Spartan base placement? I usually play Morgan yellow blinders.

[Slh666]

how many spaces is enough? and how many crawlers do you usually build per base? I'm doing two formers per base now is that ok or should I do more? I'm sorry for all the questions lol

[Mart]

Crawlers as many as possible, then also they should have good spots to work on.
With formers is another issue, but it is as anywhere else. Early you need a lot of formers, later you kinda have them too many. 2 formers per base is quite good. You might consider land troop transports. They are both good for military infantry, when they save them a move point - important when attacking a base. They can also move around formers so formers use their move points for forming and not traveling. Make infantry based transports - they still have 1 move point. Transport ability takes 1 move point, so rover chassis only costs more giving nothing in return. As Spartans I have often my troop transports on infantry chassis elite - so they get 1 move bonus - having 2 total

[binTravkin]

ICS:

Read these threads for more info:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118408&pagenumber=1

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118844&pagenumber=1

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=119732&pagenumber=1

And look at his picture:
(This is ultimate ICS 1x1)

[Senethro]

I've thought that since SMAX the spartans were just a little bit weak. I've wondered if they could be rebalanced upwards by giving them robust industry and moving Value:Power to an earlier tech, thus allowing them to make use of a SE setting that normally comes last at industry -2 rather than -3.

Anyone think this would make a significant difference?

[Kirov]

I think so, as Power really sucks, and for Spartans even more than for other players (as Spartans lose a bigger percentage of their industry in this way). Spartans should be at least half immune to Power penalties.

[Chaos Theory]

Spartans lose a smaller percentage of production capabilities by running Power than most other factions. This is because they already pay 1.1 times normal (-1 industry) and with Power they pay 1.3 times normal. 1.1/1.3 = .846, so they lose .154 of their production.

A faction with +1 industry, like the Hive, or most factions running Planned, pay .9 times normal without Power, or 1.1 times normal with it. .9/1.1 = .818, so they lose .182 of their production.

Nevertheless, Power is an awful SE choice, even when at war, because it aggravates the effects of attrition. I'll take Very Green units and +2 industry any day over Commando units and -3 industry. Only Elite units can possibly tip the balance, since they get extra moves.

[#endgame]

Will that picture of the Yellow Blinder ever go away?
I for one sure hope not!
:B: for Morganic ICS! :B:

[binTravkin]

Will that picture of the Yellow Blinder ever go away?

Yellow Blinder rules!

[Kirov]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory
Spartans lose a smaller percentage of production capabilities by running Power than most other factions. This is because they already pay 1.1 times normal (-1 industry) and with Power they pay 1.3 times normal. 1.1/1.3 = .846, so they lose .154 of their production.

A faction with +1 industry, like the Hive, or most factions running Planned, pay .9 times normal without Power, or 1.1 times normal with it. .9/1.1 = .818, so they lose .182 of their production.

Nevertheless, Power is an awful SE choice, even when at war, because it aggravates the effects of attrition. I'll take Very Green units and +2 industry any day over Commando units and -3 industry. Only Elite units can possibly tip the balance, since they get extra moves.

You're of course right... My mistake.

[livid imp]

I find the the momentum factions work better on tech stag games too. Otherwise i find myself always delaying building troops because that next military tech is always just a few rounds away.