Battle Plans

RenegadeOTV

<div class="IPBDescription">what's yours?</div> Ok, I've never commanded before but I am soon and I need a plan. I think it could help out other commanders if you guys post up what you guys do, like what buidings you put up, when you start upgrading, ect.

Here's my idea. If I left somthing out, it's probably becuase I don't know so feel free to correct me. My plan is basically grab two hives, and make a mini base outside the third, then bam. If the aliens get a second hive then I mini base it too.
starting buildings: IP + Armory + Obs
order two maines to defend base
one marine to scout hives (I could just scanner sweep though right?)
rest rush to nearest hive

Hive 1.
Phase gates at hive and main then Turret fac w/ 3-4 turrets + Armory
order 1 marine to guard
rest rush to next empty hive

Hive 2. Same as one.

Hive 3
basically make a mini base as close as I can to it

Other stuff:
take RT's along the way
scanner sweep the hives so we know which ones are emtpy
only give health to ones that are doing somthing important or have items
give out items to the active guys when they respawn not the ones going rambo
add a IP and CC at the most defendable hive
add turret fac and 3-4 turrets at main and order the two base defenders to patrol the hives through the phase gates

Hows that? Now my questions.
When during all this do I build the Upgrade buildings and do the upgrades? Advanced armory, proto lab, arms lab, weapon and armor upgrades, motion tracking, HA, HMG, Jetpacks, ect.
How many Reasorce towers will I need? Anything else I should know?

ElvenThief

This works quite well. Pulled it off many times with my friend Bill J McDaniel. We did this so much on so many public servers, it was no joke. Then the bomb fell.
Everytime you pull this off, it's not a win because of skill (although some good marines might make it so). It's a win because of organization. The aliens are simply not organized enough to rush you in groups.
1 man camping in any position, hive or base, will not hold it to a skulk rush. You'll find 1 marine going down, and a turret factory dropping in 3 seconds. If you order your marines into the hive/base through phase, that 1 second of phasing through will disorient even the best player enough for a few skulks to down him. You will see an entire minibase raped in 30 seconds and you can't do anything about it.
Now, if you spend your resources on upgrades at the arms lab, you'll find your marines living a little longer and able to hold out against a good rush.

Your build order looks nice, and I can admit to doing it often. But you're gonna find that the time it takes you to get the resources for the TF's, the turrets, the phases, AND the upgrades, you'll be playing a while. If you put up another resource node, you will find yourself wanting to turret it up because every unguarded one will be dropped by skulks due to the fact that they're probably wandering around looking for any weak points.

Like I've said, I've done this before, but you'll find aliens getting a little better as they get more practice and that you're gonna have to come up with new strategies. Besides, the phase rus is so common now that aliens will specifically defend against it. Instead of rushing a base, they'll rush a hive to drop the imminent phase gate.

Plus, in 1.04, you will have to wait a little longer just to get the resources for a phase gate rush. Just my thoughts. You might pull this off in public servers, but not in any clan matches. Hope I was helpful/objective enough for you.

MadJackMcJack

If you've found that the 2nd hive has been fortified by the aliens, don't assault it straight away. The aliens will probably decimate any attempt to place a mini-base in a rabid attempt to get fades. Instead, pull your men back, and advance on the main hive. Often in the early part of the game, only a couple of skulks will be guarding, if that. The gorges will be too busy capping res and securing the second hive. Now, set up a seige outpost here, WITHOUT attracting attention. Ideally, the first the aliens should know of your plans is "The Hive is under attack." followed by cries of "SEIGE!" But taking down the seige outpost will hurt them. Badly. Kill the hive, secure, and the aliens are back to one hive (maybe with some fades, watch out). Outfit HA/HMG squads, and order them to hunt down the fades, while the others cap more res. Upgrade the entire team to whatever they want (a few work better with jetpacks and shotguns rather than HA/HMG), and take the last hive. Assuming the aliens haven't dropped already.

Geronimo

This seems like a regular Marine strat, it will work nicely in public, but if youre playing wiht more experienced players...you will get troubble

First of all, if you stop at res point on the way, you will most likely be slowed down, both because you need to build fortifications and that your soldiers will get killed at random...

Then, if you secure one hive instead of rushing straight to the next without building anything else than a phase, that second hive will be built and fades will be all over the place

SPeed is important, the alines need hives to upgrade, you dont...so secure hives first and upgrade later...dont fight the aliens anywhere except in their hives...