Ha Trains
Jummeh
Join Date: 2003-04-07 Member: 15276Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Any counters?</div> In a game last night, we had quite a newbie comm, who let our res acumilate to about 350, yet still he never gave any equipment out to neone or tried to siege the 3 hives the aliens had. He was either afk or just a ****, but for one moment he jumped out, i took the chance and jumped, spammed the base which had a fair few of the team with HA/HMG/welders.
So there were about 7 HA/hmg/gl that "trotted" out of base. whatever we came up against died very quickly, a new comm supplied us with ammo and hte odd health, but the aliens were absolutely obliterated even from 3 hives. We just visited one hive after another and demolished it.
I was thinking that HA trains is one of the only strats that works first time everytime. (at least in my experiance) And there is almost no counter strategy. I was thinking, is this being looked into for 1.1 since JPs are being nerfed, this strat can be used over and over again and aliens have almost no hope in defending against this attack.
If anyone can think of a way to stop these slow moving walls of death, i really would like to know. :S (and they did try para and web but that didnt work either)
So there were about 7 HA/hmg/gl that "trotted" out of base. whatever we came up against died very quickly, a new comm supplied us with ammo and hte odd health, but the aliens were absolutely obliterated even from 3 hives. We just visited one hive after another and demolished it.
I was thinking that HA trains is one of the only strats that works first time everytime. (at least in my experiance) And there is almost no counter strategy. I was thinking, is this being looked into for 1.1 since JPs are being nerfed, this strat can be used over and over again and aliens have almost no hope in defending against this attack.
If anyone can think of a way to stop these slow moving walls of death, i really would like to know. :S (and they did try para and web but that didnt work either)
Comments
'Onos.... lots of Onos.'
Marines don't have a counter to 7 Oni
Kharaa don't have counter to 7 HA/HMG/Welder marines
Don't let them have that much res <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The fades distract all of the HA HMGs, while this is happening, the gorges web the living **** out of all the HAs.
This will work well, and if u can get 2-3 fades surviving, then they can kill the HAs quickly that are webbed.
It is hard to pull off, but it will work if u get it right. Also if u have the res for 3+ oni, that is the better distraction, due to large size and hitting pwoer, but fades are still good due to being able to out-manuver the marines.
Remember that HA-guys are REALLY slow.
[Edit] Actually, you dont need any fades... heh
'Onos.... lots of Onos.' <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
'nuff said. I dare say four or five onos rushing a welder train (all together folks, not one at a time) would rip it apart. The mere thought...
They must've not even touched your res nodes or something, because by the time you get 350 res, they should have three hives, or at least two and one building. It's the Aliens' fault if they let the Marines tech all the way up to HA and advanced armory without once trying to choke their res flow or knock out their tech buildings to set them back.
So, in short, the counter is to play smart and not let them have control of all the res nodes, or to knock out their tech buildings.
According to the original post, they did have three hives.
Find a chokepoint (with chamber support) and wait for the marines to come. After they expend most of their ammo on the choke (or if they are already welder wielders) rush them with the onos and spam umbra. At the VERY least, that should break them up and kill some of them. The chamber support and regen should negate any welder effect and the hmg fire should be weakened with umbra. The fact that you waited at a choke in ambush (3 hives: cloaking?) means that there is no charge period where the aliens (lerks especially) are vulnerable.
Find a chokepoint (with chamber support) and wait for the marines to come. After they expend most of their ammo on the choke (or if they are already welder wielders) rush them with the onos and spam umbra. At the VERY least, that should break them up and kill some of them. The chamber support and regen should negate any welder effect and the hmg fire should be weakened with umbra. The fact that you waited at a choke in ambush (3 hives: cloaking?) means that there is no charge period where the aliens (lerks especially) are vulnerable. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
hrm... id recommend cara, it gives the onos such a boost... he can take 3X the fire. If he had regen he would be dead bfore he even got in the cloud. 20x7 at a rate of about 10 a second = dead onos.
The lerks can spore HA marines easily from cover, and gorges can web...even if they're trying to weld everything. If not web, then distract them with babblers and chambers. Failing that, healspray the onos so they don't go down! If you can't beat a HA train on 3 hives, they're either being very, very careful or you're being really, really stupid.
A better 3 hive strat is to send a HA train at one hive and a couple good JP/HMG marines at another while you're distracted with the HA. If you split the alien response and use two different modes of entry, you escalate your chances astronomically. If the JPs manage to take down a hive, those onos suddenly become very precious, making them vulnerable.
I dont really think you can stop a train of HA's that large if they are smart enough to weld the webs.
While the Kharra aren't supposed to be teamwork dependant, its since become very apparent that the alien team that dosn't work together will fall. HA trains are very potent, but remember if they are all busy welding each other, <b>they have no ranged capablity</b>. Lerks and Fades both have potent ranged attacks. Mix a force of a few fades and a few lerks with a gorge to heal, and you have a counter to the Train. Sure it may take awhile, but you will push them back.
I've seen a force of <b>9</b> heavies obliterated by an organized alien team, at 2 hives only. For some reason the sight of Heavy Armor seems to make the aliens soil themselves, and throw their hands (claws?) up in defeat. Much the same result seems to happen to the TSA when fades show up <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
HA trains are insanely powered for a reason, they cost an arm, a leg, and even a few toes. If the marines can acquire the proper resources, technology, and have enough teamwork then they deserve to demolish anything that stands in their way. If the aliens cannot disrupt the flow of resources, make a few hits on their base to try to take out a proto/etc then they deserve to be utterly destroyed.
I think the main power of the HA train is 1 Force rines to stay as a group (ergo work as a team) 2 it comes in a rush and aliens will respond to the threat as soon as someone either scream inc many HA but they normally arrive 1 by 1.
Yeah and i guess i do agree that the main counter to HA train is the massive res needed. although it is cheaper than the same number of oni. but cheers all <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> i suppose i got off light for such a topic <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
'Onos.... lots of Onos.' <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
haha *laughing my umbra off*
first be a skulk... then figure out were their heading then find a spot were the heavys are going to build or repair or anything.. just find a spot were you know thell stand still for at least 3 seconds. Then climb up on the ceiling above were you think thell stop. Then stay very very still so you dont show up on mt. Then wait till they come under you. Next switch to leap and line your self up so that if you were to leap stright down you would land right on their head. Last Leap down on their head and look striaght down at their head and press leap agian every .6 seconds. after 2 successfull leaps you will have killed your first fully upgrade HA HMG marine as a skulk.
adreniline and carapace is the best at doign this. If you do the above step correctly you WILL kill an HA HMG marine!! it takes marines 1.8 seconds to relise that they have a skulk on their head and that their taking damage, by then its to late and thier dead. You will only get one HA the first time, but make shure you stay out of thier mt and keep doing it.
remeber leap doesnt start dooing damage till .5 seconds after the leap(after the leap animation) So thats why you space them out.
Then there st of the aliens ca n rush in.
You hve to be organized though.