Marine Tactic #8: Arms Lab
OldManRipper-nC
Join Date: 2003-02-23 Member: 13871Members
Join Date: 2003-02-23 Member: 13871Members
<div class="IPBDescription">The Best Defense is a Good Offense</div> At the beginning of the round create:
1.) Infantry Portal
2.) Armory
3.) Arms Lab
Then, research armor upgrade and lay down 2 packs of mines on the ground around your structures (don't forget to mine your resource node as well). This tactic will increase your TSA grunts survivability rate by 33% and earn you a lot of kills against skulks. If you can grab even a few resources it will give you enough to get another defense and some weapons upgrades which basically nullifies the skulk carapace advantage. The beefed up ground fighters will also be able to attack enemy positions easily and any turrets you do build will be very effective. Also, you don't have to worry about losing costly structures right off the bat or concern yourself with defending turret factories. This allows for a lot of flexibility at the beginning which is critical in determining where the enemy is strong, weak, and their focus points.
Overall, I cannot top this tactic. It will probably become my staple with small deviations. If you are completely dominating you can also swing into a HMG rush easily or tech some and go JP. Once more, it is this setups flexibility that is the defining part.
-OldManRipper
1.) Infantry Portal
2.) Armory
3.) Arms Lab
Then, research armor upgrade and lay down 2 packs of mines on the ground around your structures (don't forget to mine your resource node as well). This tactic will increase your TSA grunts survivability rate by 33% and earn you a lot of kills against skulks. If you can grab even a few resources it will give you enough to get another defense and some weapons upgrades which basically nullifies the skulk carapace advantage. The beefed up ground fighters will also be able to attack enemy positions easily and any turrets you do build will be very effective. Also, you don't have to worry about losing costly structures right off the bat or concern yourself with defending turret factories. This allows for a lot of flexibility at the beginning which is critical in determining where the enemy is strong, weak, and their focus points.
Overall, I cannot top this tactic. It will probably become my staple with small deviations. If you are completely dominating you can also swing into a HMG rush easily or tech some and go JP. Once more, it is this setups flexibility that is the defining part.
-OldManRipper
Comments
I like it, but I've never seen it taken to that extreme. Sure, the Arms Lab USED to be first up, but now you can't shake a stick without hitting some commander that would play blindfolded before he gave up his "new" 1 ip, 1 armory, 1 scanner tactic. That at least gives a general survial upgrade through MT, and if you have any skill at all 1 ip is usually enough at first, plus that frees up resoucres for later upgrades.
I've seen a weakness in it though. If you don't Marine Rush(A tactic I saw work for the first time tonight), the mid game becomes nearly painful to watch, as marines having given up weapon and armor keep dying to 2 skulk bites and do less...and less...and less damage to aliens. I agree with the post, and I'd use that as a com myself.
But who knows, any number of tactics may work wonders in 1.1 and all this conversation is for nothing.
But who knows, any number of tactics may work wonders in 1.1 and all this conversation is for nothing. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
In 1.03, you would be perfectly correct. In 1.04, it's all about tech rushing. I drop arms lab pretty early int he game. Maybe one or one and a half minutes into the game. The game is only going to last about 5-10 minutes if you're successful anyway.
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i like that , anyway arms lab at the start isnt the best idea , its good near the start but not 3rd building , best thing is to lock down 2 extra r towers and u should be able to get lods of Rp's rather quickly then get arms lab.
yes it does let the guys survive one more skulks bite but i think getting the r towers are more inportant
edit:
As for MT , i belive that a marien with MT is 50-60% better than without and just using sound to find guys , i would get MT before i got HA/JP/heavy weapons and any upgrades. 70 is a lot but u also get the obs tower that u will end un needing anyway.
Both are very useful, and when I play marines I don't care which comes first. Either one is better than "Let's just buy JPs and rush the hive again." --> BORING
I'll try yours though, because the more I play the marine side, the more convinced I am that teching right from the start (be it MT, Armor, or Weapon Upgrades) is the way to go.
S
But I didn't know the arms lab also upgraded armor on structures. That's invaluable. I'm going to try it the next time I'm commander. Makes sense though because I was chomping on this TF last night that WOULD NOT DIE!
but if MT is used as "defense" because u know where they are coming from, u'll most likely survive and take less hits...
so wouldn't it be better to upgrade weapons to nullify carapace? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
e.g. for eclipse, id go for an arms lab pretty quick as its a small map.
nothing id go for mt earlier than usual, because its a large map, and you can avoid alien confrontation if you know where theyre holding. (to an extent).
in reality, on most public servers, it makes little difference as long as you get them all eventually... in my opinion, which i like commanding on publics - aliens tend to be less tactically apt as well as marines.
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Very good point. It's nice to see acknowledgement that a "one size fits all" strategy is not the way to go. NS has lots of room for modifying tactics based on map, team size, player ability, and the creativity of the comm / gorge.
Amen <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Well even if you do rush aliens having lvl 1 guns before they get carapice basically just craps on aliens ability to gorge or mobilize all over tha map.
but if MT is used as "defense" because u know where they are coming from, u'll most likely survive and take less hits...
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That's called headphones.