Marine Proxy

|strofix|

It was a strat used by someone quite a while ago, can't remember who. Essentially an ordinary proxy tactic with 3 or more infantry portals at base, and a phase gate placed within 5 or so seconds of the alien's starting hive. I remember the thread detailing it not being all that popular, and it fell out of fashion quite quickly, but do people still do it?

I've been trying it lately, and in theory it seems like the ultimate way to take full advantage of the marine's great spawning system, and the alien's terrible one. It even seems like it could be the response to the alien's constant rush + expand strategy. Granted, it takes a little more investment and time to get up, but it is quite overwhelming when it gets momentum.

Shino

It only really works on bad maps because of the way tech points work.

The one that comes to mind is a Marine start vs Containment on ns2_refinery. Relocate to pipeworks, drop a CC + 2 IPs closest to heat sink as you possibly can, and then drop your forward armory inside of heatsink. Research mines. and then kill the alien hive as fast as you can with mines to hold your position and constant reinforcements.

However, it doesn't really work on other maps. On summit, relocating so early even as cross spawns doesn't really give that many benefits (and is probably detrimental in terms of map control). On tram, you can already spawn server/warehouse and it's not that big of a deal (You can't zerg it as much as you wish you could). Docking- because the way it's shaped, getting to the tech point closest to them is a suicide run, and even then it's not that big of a benefit.

That said, on refinery, it's really great, and was the only way for marines to win when lava falls was retarded.

Therius

Can work, it's just risky. If you divert all or most of your offense in trying to get a phase gate near the alien hive, and lose those encounters, you're way worse off for the rest of the round. But it's been done, and sometimes it has worked very well.

Now back in NS1 when you could drop a CC and IPs anywhere on the map, we had this thing called an IP rush, which was practically what you just said but with cutting the middleman (the PG) out. Just relocate next to the alien hive, build a lot of IPs and an epic battle ensures. Those were the days.

GORGEous

The hard part is getting the phase gate so close to the hive. That really shouldn't be happening.