Defeating the Guardian in MoO1

[tonic]

I wonder how others go about demolishing the mighty Guardian to get to Orion. The FAQ is a bit lacking in detail on the small fighter recommended except to give the number required as a fucntion of weapon type and attack level. I've found the 50% defeat level tabled to be a bit optimistic without the added extras of manoeuvrability etc.

[DaveV]

I usually wait until fairly late in the game to go after Orion. My weapon of choice is gauss autocannons, paired either with teleporters or high energy focus, so I get first shot. The strategy guide has a table of weapon efficiency (space consumed vs. expected damage dealt out) and the gauss autocannon is the best in most circumstances (and a very good all-around weapon, useful against large or small ships).

[Urban Ranger]

Last game I sent in a fleet of 1800 small ships, each with subspace teleporter and a particle beam.

*zap* 8000 points of damage *no more Guardian*

[vmxa1]

You don't say what level you are on as the guardian is stronger as you go up levels. In any event I never go after Orion till I have finished all tech as I want the extra tech from it. At that point you will not have ay trouble killing it. I normally play on hard, small universe and only build large ships (except for the missile defenders (small)) and put in auto blaster/ gauss cannons or pulse phasers, which ever I have along with the high focus energy. The guardian rarely kills anyone at that point.

[Urban Ranger]

Hard.

I usually don't build large ships until I get at least Automatic Repair Unit

[vmxa1]

I build very few ships until I am ready to grab planets and hold them. I often make one or two large very early with nothing but lasers or gatling to hold the one planet that may be contested till it gets missle bases, then I scrap those old large laser guys. Now I only build missile ships one or two for each planet. Now I just hold on to what I have until late (HIGH Enery Focus), now I go get em. Remember this is small on hard level. Not many planets to get, you have to take them from some one after you get 4-6.

[tonic]

It seems there's consensus that this is a late game process. It's also interesting to note that most go for the higher tech weapons and larger ships.

In contrast the FAQ/strategy guide recommends small ships because they are thought to be the most economical and efficient for the task. In my particular game (playing as Klackons on Average, Medium universe with 4 races) I was already in a winning position and subdued all the other 3 races. I thought I'd have a crack at the Guardian and consulted the FAQ. With 2143 small fighters (somewhat greater than the stated 50% success number) each just armed with 1 mass driver at attack level 5, the Guardian simply toasted the fleet . The result was the same for 5 consecutive reloads.

To get an idea of what extras on the 2143 fighters would subdue the Guardian, I used Andrew Griffin's nifty ship editor (shiped.exe). From a few trials I found that increasing the maneuvrability (Fusion engine maxed, together with the inertia stabilizer) did the trick.

[Urban Ranger]

Mass drivers don't do enough damage. IIRC the Guardian has regeneration (Advanced Damage Control?). That's why I went with particle beam and subspace teleporters.

Particle beams do an average of 15 points each, and the 'porter gives ships first strike capability.

[vmxa1]

Battle Scanner, High Energy Focus and the latest engine and movement item plus the Inertial Stablizer is enough to get the first move, but it does not matter to me as by the time I go there I have only one planet to conquer. I leave it while I finish the tech tree. MY fleet of large ships with pulse phasors or what ever mulitple fire weapons as I can fit is plenty. It does not take many ships. In MOO2 I use only 6 large ships with plasma cannons (earlier in the game as AI will come after it in Moo2).

[Yolky]

Once I have hundreds of med ships and about 10 or X-large ships and a few hundred or thousand small ships I go after the Guardian.

Works for me and its around at the end of mid turn to begining of late turn of the game around tech 60 or so.

Davor

[vmxa1]

I would think that making so many ships will slow down the race through the tech tree. I make one or two med ships types with 1 five pack of merc missile or stingers to drive off attackers while the bases kill them. I put one on any planets that comes under attack. I then make one colony type and the rest are large types as I get new armour/weapons or room or engines. I make 10-15 of any one type, so I have 30-50 ships at any one time. Any more than that is wasting resources, that can be put to research. This is on a small universe at hard level. If the universe is larger you will likely need more ships until you get Star gates. I send a fleet of 3-4 types of larges to grab a planet from some Civ and sit on it until it has it shields and bases (12-20 missiles is enough). Then it is on to another planet. From time to time I send a fleet back to a planet to defend so I can destroy all the attackers and they do not escape. Once no new planets are available I replace the colony (sometime you will need one for planet that was depopulated or Orion). I use to make Huge ships late in the game, but it is not required so i went to large as they can be made in one turn, so making a new class to replace an existing one can be done very quickly. After a few battles with each Civ, they have no fleets to worry about. they build new ones, but they can not get a large enough one to sweat. I never (rarely) make peace so they will attack when they get a few ships. If I see they have a fleet sitting some place I will go after it. Blast the fleet and retreat so missle bases are not a big problem. Love those High Energy Focus.

[mouse5050]

hello, i usualy wait till late in the game when i get maulers, load em' on a huge best avalible computers, ecm., ect. w/ a h. energy focus, lightning sheild, and an oricle interface then send 3 mayby 4 of my big gunners, NO MORE GUARDIAN!!!!

[bbess1]

I rarely have the need to beat the guardian to win the game. Recently I had a game where no heavy bombs were available, it was mid late in the game and nobody had them and I had all the other requirements for a wipeout, HEF, teleporters, Gauss Cannons -just needed to destroy missle bases. I took Orion to get the Death Ray, which athough not efficient, does get through lots of shielding and did the job. Used to enjoy hearing the sounds of the weapons, but with win 98 and a dell laptop, I get no sound, even in dos.

[AIL]

Almost all my games since I restarted playing Moo 1 again ended without the guardian beeing killed. I always won or lost before beeing even close as mighty enough to kill him.

[vmxa1]

I am a nut and usually will wait to kill the gaurdian until I have all tech researched and stolen. The only purpose is to get more tech. Then I end the game. This is sick, I know. Normally I have left one planet to keep the game going until the tech is done.