How To Make Your Ha Squad Virtually Unbeatable....
MaTT
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3033Members
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3033Members
<div class="IPBDescription">aleinz trembel with ph34r... etc! :P</div> Here are the rules...
1) the most important rule is for your marine team to STAY TOGETHER! I cannot emphasise enough how important this is. Against a smart alien team a HA guy that moves slightly away from the squad will more than likely be picked off like a lone fish straying from the shoal!
2) Your HA guys carrying HMG's MUST NOT ENGAGE ALIEN STRUCTURES! This is a job for your other HA guys carrying Grenade launchers! Doing this means that whilst your grenade launcher guys take down walls of lame your HMG guys can stand guard against alien attack! Also have your HMG guys attack aliens alternately. This means that when someone is reloading another person will be firing, effectively giving your team a constant blanket of fire! Your squad is effectively useless for several seconds if half of them are too busy reloading!
3) Your Grenade launcher guys are alien structure killers. As mentioned above HMG carriers must stand guard whilst that alien structure/obstacle is removed. This strategy must even be used whilst taking down a hive as the aliens will more than likely go in and attack regardless of whether they will die or not just so they can try and save the hive! When your squad encounters any aliens its safe to throw a few grenades their way whilst your HMG guys take care of them but don’t fire too many! The majority of them will miss and you are ultimately wasting resources as your commander rains ammo down from above!
3) Stop and weld OFTEN! The most effective method is to have your grenade launcher guys weld everyone on the team whilst the HMG guys stand guard against alien attack! That way you are not vulnerable to attack from aliens whilst every single person on the team pulls out their welders. Also try to weld after EVERY alien encounter and your squad should never get below 80% armor/health!
4) Equip your squad with HMG's and grenade launchers in a 3 to 1 ratio, 3 HMG's to one grenade launcher! This means in a squad of eight you should have 6 guys with HMG's and 2 guys with a grenade launcher! If your squad of marines is quite a skilled bunch then cut that ratio down to 2 to 1 but never has more than 2 grenade launcher guys in your squad. Grenades do enough damage at 200 hp a time in 1.04 and too many grenade launchers in your squad means too few HMG's guys to fend off alien attack! Also don’t forget to give your squad those all important welders!
5) Have your commander rain down health and ammo when needed! Usually the best time for your commander to do this is during your frequent weld stops as it can save someone breaking away from your squad to retrieve that healthpack that was not picked up at an old position!
6) New addition: - Depending on the situation it helps if you appoint 1 squad member as a squad leader. Make sure this player is the most active on the voice comms and also knows what they are doing, or if no one is using voice comms make sure your second in command is the best player on your team. I’ve found that having someone in the squad as leader usually helps keep in check any wayward players more effectively than the commander. I don’t know why as to me being a grunt on the ground the commander is my god... A possible resource of endless ammo and health if you bow and pray at their shrine enough and also a second pair of eyes and ears! But it seems many other players just think of the commander as someone who sits in a tin box all game... <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
7) <b><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'>STAY TOGETHER!!</span></b>
Some new additions above!
1) the most important rule is for your marine team to STAY TOGETHER! I cannot emphasise enough how important this is. Against a smart alien team a HA guy that moves slightly away from the squad will more than likely be picked off like a lone fish straying from the shoal!
2) Your HA guys carrying HMG's MUST NOT ENGAGE ALIEN STRUCTURES! This is a job for your other HA guys carrying Grenade launchers! Doing this means that whilst your grenade launcher guys take down walls of lame your HMG guys can stand guard against alien attack! Also have your HMG guys attack aliens alternately. This means that when someone is reloading another person will be firing, effectively giving your team a constant blanket of fire! Your squad is effectively useless for several seconds if half of them are too busy reloading!
3) Your Grenade launcher guys are alien structure killers. As mentioned above HMG carriers must stand guard whilst that alien structure/obstacle is removed. This strategy must even be used whilst taking down a hive as the aliens will more than likely go in and attack regardless of whether they will die or not just so they can try and save the hive! When your squad encounters any aliens its safe to throw a few grenades their way whilst your HMG guys take care of them but don’t fire too many! The majority of them will miss and you are ultimately wasting resources as your commander rains ammo down from above!
3) Stop and weld OFTEN! The most effective method is to have your grenade launcher guys weld everyone on the team whilst the HMG guys stand guard against alien attack! That way you are not vulnerable to attack from aliens whilst every single person on the team pulls out their welders. Also try to weld after EVERY alien encounter and your squad should never get below 80% armor/health!
4) Equip your squad with HMG's and grenade launchers in a 3 to 1 ratio, 3 HMG's to one grenade launcher! This means in a squad of eight you should have 6 guys with HMG's and 2 guys with a grenade launcher! If your squad of marines is quite a skilled bunch then cut that ratio down to 2 to 1 but never has more than 2 grenade launcher guys in your squad. Grenades do enough damage at 200 hp a time in 1.04 and too many grenade launchers in your squad means too few HMG's guys to fend off alien attack! Also don’t forget to give your squad those all important welders!
5) Have your commander rain down health and ammo when needed! Usually the best time for your commander to do this is during your frequent weld stops as it can save someone breaking away from your squad to retrieve that healthpack that was not picked up at an old position!
6) New addition: - Depending on the situation it helps if you appoint 1 squad member as a squad leader. Make sure this player is the most active on the voice comms and also knows what they are doing, or if no one is using voice comms make sure your second in command is the best player on your team. I’ve found that having someone in the squad as leader usually helps keep in check any wayward players more effectively than the commander. I don’t know why as to me being a grunt on the ground the commander is my god... A possible resource of endless ammo and health if you bow and pray at their shrine enough and also a second pair of eyes and ears! But it seems many other players just think of the commander as someone who sits in a tin box all game... <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
7) <b><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'>STAY TOGETHER!!</span></b>
Some new additions above!
Comments
I also hate it when HMGers run out in front of chambers and unload the clips. Just relax and wait for the sentries or grenade launchers. You'll need that ammo later!
That is a pretty good ratio.
As I said, this is all obvious but people feel that it's too slow moving and end up dying. Bah.
As for the ratio, I usually command on 16 player servers so I go for one grenadier per two HMGers. The main role of the grenedier is to deal with the lerks and their nasty umbra, (should the aliens have 2 hives) umbra + 2 fades can cut your HA marines to pieces in seconds unless there is a grenadier to spam nades all over the place. I got loads of fade and lerk kills the other day doing this <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
If I ever got a group of 8 HA/HMG/GL marines to stick together and weld and follow orders I think that would be the happiest day of my life.
Sending out a GL/JP marine to a totally separate place and taking down some chambers or towers while the entire alien team is busy with your main force.
I commanded a game in which I sent a HMG/JP marine out, and he took down a hive and three towers all by himself without any opposition - I just dropped ammo for him occasionally, then went back to my main squad.
1. Shoot the hive.
Often, you have three or four heavies make it into a hive location. Skulks are spawning, fades are using movement chambers to get in and are enjoying healing from the hive and D chambers (hive = 4 D chambers, with regard to heal rate). Basically, one big mess, that's going to get the group of heavies killed pretty quickly. Most heavies will unload their HMGs on fades, that are dodging madly while healing 50 hp per second. They might kill one if they focus fire on it or it dodges badly. Then, they reload. More fades come in, a crafty gorge might get an opening to web, basically, you can kiss your heavies goodbye.
What most heavies don't seem to realise, is that if they each shoot half a clip into the hive, it will die. Two seconds of fire kills the hive. No more 20 hp/s healing. No more fades using movement to get in. No more webs. No more skulks spawning in your midst.
2. For commanders on a budget: Equip two with HA/hmg/welder, one with HA/GL/welder, and three lights with welders. Much cheaper, and the heavies can keep covering while they get welded by the lights. The lights should stay back, maybe even around a corner, if there are a lot of fades acid-rocketing. Don't forget to drop medpacks on wounded lights.
Lights with full armor upgrades stand up surprisingly well to acid-rockets, as long as they keep getting medpacks.
Too bad most players can't even understand the basics. Grr.
The lone gunnner working with a squad is a very potent combo. The alien team will often become confused and will not be able to deal with both threats at the same time. Also, while HA can be useful in squad combat, never underestimate the power of a jetpack, um, pack. A puch of heavily armed marines soaring around your hive can get <i>really</i> annoying, especcially when you don't hit them at all.
1. Shoot the hive.
Often, you have three or four heavies make it into a hive location. Skulks are spawning, fades are using movement chambers to get in and are enjoying healing from the hive and D chambers (hive = 4 D chambers, with regard to heal rate). Basically, one big mess, that's going to get the group of heavies killed pretty quickly. Most heavies will unload their HMGs on fades, that are dodging madly while healing 50 hp per second. They might kill one if they focus fire on it or it dodges badly. Then, they reload. More fades come in, a crafty gorge might get an opening to web, basically, you can kiss your heavies goodbye.
What most heavies don't seem to realise, is that if they each shoot half a clip into the hive, it will die. Two seconds of fire kills the hive. No more 20 hp/s healing. No more fades using movement to get in. No more webs. No more skulks spawning in your midst. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Good point on the first one. It seems im lucky enough to be able to play with a very highly skilled bunch of players on the three blueyonder servers I visit! Most fades simply drop before them when I play so maybe it depends on the situation as to wether you leave it to your grenadiers to kill the hive or not. With the 1.04 patch grenades do 200 HP damage and from what ive seen with just 2 grenadiers besieging a hive it usually falls in around 20 seconds or so! It also helps that the hive death animation looping bug has been fixed so that the marines know when the hive is dead and know when to stop firing at it.
What i usually do when entering a hive is to kill any movement chambers in the hive, kill any defence near enough to the hive to kill it and then continue with the attack on the hive! This makes sure any aliens have to take the long route when going to the hive to counter and makes sure the hive cannot heal itself quick enough when it gets attacked! Also this ensures that the hive will only flash red on the aliens HUD near to the end of the assault.
only one small argument.... i used to go with a 2:1 but i see ur reasoning and 3:1 seems better.....
but thats SOLELY for a 4 person group
i think by the time u have EIGHT players that can have heavy armor and weapons... u 5 HMGs and 3 Gls is better....
1 extra GL means a potential 800 more dmg!
the GL is crazy good... can kill a fade in two hits if im not wrong
and YES .... giving JP seems even wrose then HA everyone goes flying in their own direction.. even sometimes i do that <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> hahahahah
i like HA more as long as i have trusty teamates.....
QUESTION: i thot the carrier of the GL wasnt supposed to get hurt from the grenades!?
But yeah, Top advice, and as for entering Hive rooms, have 3HMG guys stay covering, and the rest destroy any Defence and Movement chambers, then the hives (Movement wont stop anyone coming into the hive, just going out, BUT it will (hopefully) Take away upgrade levels from the Fades (Usually the gorges only build a max of 3 movement chambers, and sometimes you can hit the hive that has 2 of the three and really ruin their day, at least untill a gorge can drop 2 more, but usually hes off trying to defense up elsewhere, the res is too slow from everyone trying to become fades, and the hive you are about to kill is their movement hive (or better yet, their Defense Hive)
A handy hint. When assembling for the final push on the hive (be it last hive or not) And your boys are down on ammo, a quick drop of an armoury and have 4 build it up fast can save you a bunch of res from ammo spam, and leave a good fallback position incase your boys get too much damage. Just outside the hive room is a good place, so that your boys can fill up on ammo before the push,a nd hopefully wont need anything but ammo drops.
Red coat style oh yeah. It would be funny to see an marine team organized like that. Skulk "Oh crap they're marching in unison! *wets his pants*"
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->5) Have your commander rain down health and ammo when needed! Usually the best time for your commander to do this is during your frequent weld stops as it can save someone breaking away from your squad<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is so true. While some commanders will literally liter the area with medpacks, but never ammo! HMGs only have 2 good clips and 1 partial clip. I got a chance to command such a squad and I just literally covered the area with medpacks and ammo. The only thing that can stop a team of HAs is an Onos stampede (not likely).
Red coat style oh yeah. It would be funny to see an marine team organized like that. Skulk "Oh crap they're marching in unison! *wets his pants*"
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->5) Have your commander rain down health and ammo when needed! Usually the best time for your commander to do this is during your frequent weld stops as it can save someone breaking away from your squad<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is so true. While some commanders will literally liter the area with medpacks, but never ammo! HMGs only have 2 good clips and 1 partial clip. I got a chance to command such a squad and I just literally covered the area with medpacks and ammo. The only thing that can stop a team of HAs is an Onos stampede (not likely). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
onos stampeded <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> i saw that cuz my comm sucked...
and i also have been an ONOS in a stampede.. buecase the marine comm sucked <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> hahahah
You may as well forget about killing the movement chambers and just kill the def chambers.
Then leave the server! <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> Im lucky in that the skill levels on the servers i play on is very high compared to my other local severs.
PS: Everyone who wrote a post here should unite and have a game as marines and we will sure see our dreams come true.