Ns Hera Strategy
Jett-OMEGA
Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7534Members
Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7534Members
<div class="IPBDescription">My idea and yours are welcome</div> We all know the typical strategy is to get a phase built asap and phase over to a hive and secure it or to just run from spawn and go directly to a hive and build a new cc and all the goodies there. The only problem with that on ns_hera is that all the hives are not optimal for expansion like other maps are. All the hives have a bad base filled with water and unlevel ground leaving you with just walkways to build apon. I have tried a couple of strategies and so far both have worked as long as you have a team that can half way aim and are willing to work together.
The initial start:
a spawn maybe two depending on amount of players.
Armory
T-Fac and 3 turrets.
After initial start.
rush recource nodes gather all the ones farthest away from thier first round rush. This usually only takes one person.
(forgive me if I cant remember room names. I will try my best to describe the area)
Securing two hives one T-Fac. (I know this has been discussed before but I still dont see it used) There is the one room to the right of the double recources with multiple catwalks. In the bend of the very top catwalk place a T-Fac and 2 turrets to guard it than immediatly upgrade for seige. Have 2 guys spread out and guard main entry points from a skulk rush. As soon as this area is up and runing and upgraded place a seige and a turret as close to the two hives (ventilation, comp core delta) but from then on out if you can hold his area than the game is just a matter of time cause two hives are now secure. start working on holding that area by placing turrets on all three levels creating "the guantlet" when they try running in. I have done this sucessfully and when you get all turrets up than the marine upgrades come after you move your base into that room.
Also another idea that takes less time to complete is the hallway just to the room I was talking about that you have to open the door and go down towards vent. hive is a good place for T-Fac 2 turrets and a siege. This place is easier to hold and a bit more discriet.
Has anyone else tried other stratagies other than the typical phase rush a hive one?
The initial start:
a spawn maybe two depending on amount of players.
Armory
T-Fac and 3 turrets.
After initial start.
rush recource nodes gather all the ones farthest away from thier first round rush. This usually only takes one person.
(forgive me if I cant remember room names. I will try my best to describe the area)
Securing two hives one T-Fac. (I know this has been discussed before but I still dont see it used) There is the one room to the right of the double recources with multiple catwalks. In the bend of the very top catwalk place a T-Fac and 2 turrets to guard it than immediatly upgrade for seige. Have 2 guys spread out and guard main entry points from a skulk rush. As soon as this area is up and runing and upgraded place a seige and a turret as close to the two hives (ventilation, comp core delta) but from then on out if you can hold his area than the game is just a matter of time cause two hives are now secure. start working on holding that area by placing turrets on all three levels creating "the guantlet" when they try running in. I have done this sucessfully and when you get all turrets up than the marine upgrades come after you move your base into that room.
Also another idea that takes less time to complete is the hallway just to the room I was talking about that you have to open the door and go down towards vent. hive is a good place for T-Fac 2 turrets and a siege. This place is easier to hold and a bit more discriet.
Has anyone else tried other stratagies other than the typical phase rush a hive one?
Comments
1 Inf Portal
1 Armory
1 TFac
3 Turrets
Move out and take Reception and HoloRoom.
Move into Processing and build a turret factory at the south entrance of Data Core Hive. Upgrade to seige asap and get a phase in there too.
Place turrets to cover processing, hive entrance and vents. Place 2 seige turrets and voila, 2 hives (Data Core and Ventilation) that cant be taken by the Kharaa without a hell of a lot of effort.
If one of those 2 Hives is their starting Hive, then it's game over fairly quickly. If not, or if they manage to get Archiving Hive, seige/phase-rush it at your leisure.
To be honest, this tactic relies on having fairly good marines, or fairly poor aliens. Or luck.
Do you agree with me that building in the hive is more of a task than trying to siege two?
<img src='http://www.mercior.com/images/screens/stratplan.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
Note: This shot it taken from a piece of software I'm working on, you can find more info <a href='http://www.mercior.com/sp_about.shtml' target='_blank'>here</a>.
And don't bother with turrets in your main base - they're way too expensive. Spend the resources on motion tracking. Use a shotgunner and mines to defend your base instead.
BlueGhost
Do you have the new ranges in Stratplan? They've been reduced since 1.03
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Actually they shortened the range to stop 2 hives covered by one siege, as you can place a SC some distance from the TF you will still be able to take both hives from that location, at the moment though, slightly cleverer placement (and a litle bit of luck too) can see both hives covered by 1 turret. This gives you extra resources to put more protection in place to keep the SC, especially usefull if the aliens currently only occupy one of the hives as you take control of both without all the extra work. Archiving hive is always hard work though.
I would recommend that a Commander move his CC (or build a spare) once you have secured both the hives, all too often I've seen marines loose this map because of 1 clever skulk getting into the CC lockup and chomping away while the marines flaff about on the other side of the map.
btw, will stratplan include an alien side as well? With OT and DC ranges and movement chamber destinations? Aliens need a plan too. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Plus, you'd have to get spotters into each Hive - which is easier said than done.
This tactic is too well known and skilled aliens will twart it easily, I'd like to use startplan to check ranges but I think this senario might be a good alternate:-
1. Take Ventilation from Maintenence with TF, 3 turrets, SC. Take res in maint and ventilation
2. While this is being built 1 marines opens general Cargo Storage with a welder and the marines set up their TF, 3 turrets, armoury and SC in there. Thus clearing holo-room. and take the res here too.
3. Take the double res in holoroom and seal all the vents, then set up TF and plenty of turrets, set the TF north and a SC in the north corridors should (I hope) take DataCore delta.
4. you've got plenty of res, so upgrade your marines and get some more turrets, ha/hmg/phase gates and motion tracking going - you'll need them because a good alien team may have managed to obtain the second hive before you took it down and they may have a few fades running around. Take reception, and any spare res in your control area. You now control the majority of the map and have restricted access through the vents as much as possible. A second CC at this point might be prudent. Post troop(s) in each hive to report any attacks and defend as best they can.
5. When ready move on archiving, take control of data core alpha and move into the hive with HMG's.
Obviously if the aliens start with ventilation this strategy needs a complete rewrite. Well, wadya think? Never tried this one myself but sooner or later aliens will wise up the the 'Procesing' scam!
One default res intake.
One from the starting res tower 2.
Head to holo-room fortify with phase and normal turrets 4.
Get turrets at base.
Sneak a marine with a wealder into general cargo storge, weald the door and build on the res point 5.
Take a group of marines with a wealder to maintinance or Data Core Alpha (which ever hive the aliens hold/are going to build in (scan for the fatty) build a TF/phase/seige and res tower 6.
Double back from holoroom take reception with a res tower ignore defending it 7 (chances are they'll be busy trying to save their hive.
At some point during this you will have so much res you can symltaniously go for HA Heavy Weaps AND upgrades all at once.
Get a group of marines head to maint or datacore (Which ever you don't hold) set up a siege in this location grab the res point 8.
If you want you can send some ignorant ramboy marine into vent (assuming its the first siege) to take the 9th res intake inside vent but its not really worth it as they'll definatly find it and kill it.
Remeber this stratagy isn't theoretically as good as going for processing.
Remember this stratagys power comes from the fact that at any time you can send the disco inferno squad into processing and if the aliens are even halfway competent at communication.. They will ALL scramble for it.
BlueGhost
Edit> When moving to holo-room for added style points go through the vent with everybody except the base defence squad (2 people for me) 2nd base defender gives a boost up while the 1st base defender holds base.
<img src='http://www.mercior.com/images/screens/stratplan.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
Note: This shot it taken from a piece of software I'm working on, you can find more info <a href='http://www.mercior.com/sp_about.shtml' target='_blank'>here</a>.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
can anyone CONFIRM that you can no longer get both hives from that location?
However, you may well have to build more turrets to hold the location fully (Ie protect the siege). BUT, as its only 1 location you can afford to keep marines in it anyway so you only need turrets covering the TF.
Plus as I said further up you will have to see the hives to hit them, scan will be too expensive so you will have to hold processing AND send a squad of marines into ventelation hive to build up AND repeatedly check ventelation hive so the siege can kill it.
BlueGhost
p.s. Mercior, [BAD] use hwg bottom spiral btw <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'd just like to point out that this is YOUR opinion mate, NOT the be all and end all as you seem to imply.
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If the marines move quickly and split into three groups then you should be still fighting skulks when you take holoroom, fades may appear before you get the second SC up but they can be dealt with. The secret would be taking maintenence and cargo almost simultaniously and then moving right on to Holo room - on further thought at this stage it is very unlikely you'll need to do the SC in cargo until after you've capped holo room, unless the aliens capped holo while you were getting ventilation and cargo. This is what I would expect them to do.
The problem I find with rushing for holo room straight off is that it's wall to wall vents and if the marines arrive there when the aliens are trying to take it they get slaughtered.
I haven't tried my tactic yet though, and it does cut it close on the timing (in other words, yes - it might be too slow.). If anyone wants to give it a run through and see if it works or not in practice please let me know!
Edit> The reason I suggest putting turrets in base befor opening the big door in base is that it would make covering the enterances an absolute swine.
ATM I cannot and will not use motion tracking cos its ALWAYS bugged.
BlueGhost
p.s. Mercior, [BAD] use hwg bottom spiral btw <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You could always get that huge siege area first. It has a resource nozzle right next to it, so it makes for a good starting point. drop a phase gate and you are golden. Once that area is secure, you can have some marines drop back to take the double nozzles.
Everybody always thinks you gotta gradually <i>build out</i> from the marine start but its often more advantageous to do a hop and a skip to get the jump on the aliens.
2 if
1 armory
1 obs
1 phase at base
keep 2 guys at base in the beginnign
get one squad and move out.... get the first hive and make a pahse... and 2 guys stay there... then the other group spreads out to another hive
if backup is needed.... i only leave one guy in the first hive ot make the TF and turrets.. (because ppl are slow and never get their in time)
i NEVER put turrets in the base until i get to hives... jus in case they want a kamiakze rush base strat -.- but distress beacon normally takes care of that..
i normally put a phase in hera reception because the elevator and the little tunnel area is really risky for ambush.. ESPECAILLY the elevator... so i ge ta phase up there so mariens can also move faster to that area and move out quicker....
i wish marines knew how to move to delta VIA maintienence but everyone always goes via hera reception... passing thru holo room.. which is so dangerous and risky (i mean when aliens have archiving) because there is a constant stream of skulks hearidg that way... while going via matinence would mean less encounters and slower backup...
unless they are in delta hive for their first... marines dun always hafta go hera reception
You could always get that huge siege area first. It has a resource nozzle right next to it, so it makes for a good starting point. drop a phase gate and you are golden. Once that area is secure, you can have some marines drop back to take the double nozzles.
Everybody always thinks you gotta gradually build out from the marine start but its often more advantageous to do a hop and a skip to get the jump on the aliens.
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we are looking for alternatives to grabbing the double siege spot:P
Hold processing if you want to hold hives, but I'm leaning more and more towards out teching, its more fool proof. And if the **** hits the fan you can always peg it over to processing.
BlueGhost
Holo isnt worth it and when you secured two other res sports, simply siege holo from antoher room..its almost imossible to hold as marines and even harder as kharaa...
Processing is nice, but has one flaw...its to vurnerable...I found myself sending marines with HMGs and GLs to processing even with the control of two hives and with 8 turrets there already...since all skulks keep rushing it
I would like sieging vent hive from maintenance and phase marines to the other one(cant remeber the name)