Quickly Securing Two Hives
MrPink
Join Date: 2002-05-28 Member: 678Members
Join Date: 2002-05-28 Member: 678Members
Alright, everyone knows that securing at least one hive is vital to a win, and securing two is almost a sure win. So here is how you can do it and hold onto them successfully. Note: I tried this in a public server 10v10 3 times and it worked each time, but it might not work as well in a smaller game.
To get started, quickly build 1 or 2 spawn portals depending on how many people are in the game, a turret factory, and 3 turrets (no armory). Drop your men a few ammo packs because of the lack of ammo. Tell your men to wait for the skulk rush. If it doesnt come, send them to the middle hive (it should be in between the other two hives, for example computer core on ns_eclipse). Tell them to ignore any resource points on the way. Once you get to the hive, drop all the things you would put in your main base, because this will become your primary base. It makes more sense to make the middle hive your main base because they don't know it's your main base, they need to destroy it to get that hive, and it's closer to the other important places in the map. Send one man back to the original base to build another phase gate there. Recycle those spawn portals as well. The rest of your team should be on there way to the unoccupied hive. Fill it up with turrets, but you don't need as many because the aliens will most likely be attacking the middle hive. Also drop a phase gate. You now control two hives, the more important one being your main base, and they are left with skulks and lerks to try to take out your main base, which isn't going to happen. You control the game, so take all resource points on the map except the one in their original hive. At this time, you should be teching up as well. When you finally send in your heavy armored HMG toting marines, taking the last hive won't even be a challenge against resource starved level 1 aliens.
To get started, quickly build 1 or 2 spawn portals depending on how many people are in the game, a turret factory, and 3 turrets (no armory). Drop your men a few ammo packs because of the lack of ammo. Tell your men to wait for the skulk rush. If it doesnt come, send them to the middle hive (it should be in between the other two hives, for example computer core on ns_eclipse). Tell them to ignore any resource points on the way. Once you get to the hive, drop all the things you would put in your main base, because this will become your primary base. It makes more sense to make the middle hive your main base because they don't know it's your main base, they need to destroy it to get that hive, and it's closer to the other important places in the map. Send one man back to the original base to build another phase gate there. Recycle those spawn portals as well. The rest of your team should be on there way to the unoccupied hive. Fill it up with turrets, but you don't need as many because the aliens will most likely be attacking the middle hive. Also drop a phase gate. You now control two hives, the more important one being your main base, and they are left with skulks and lerks to try to take out your main base, which isn't going to happen. You control the game, so take all resource points on the map except the one in their original hive. At this time, you should be teching up as well. When you finally send in your heavy armored HMG toting marines, taking the last hive won't even be a challenge against resource starved level 1 aliens.
Comments
Last night, I almost won a game as commander by taking a Hive after building light defenses at the main base. Where I screwed up was building up another couple of resource nodes instead of going for another hive. I will try the 2-hive strategy, complete with recycling the spawn points and setting up a hive as the main base.
Great post.
One note though...I don't drop any turrets in the spawn until i am usually 10 minutes into the game, in a few cases never. turtleing outright uses up resources I can use for ammo, medpacks and nodes...which are critical. more nodes out there means none are open so it's harder on the aliens and more RP's for me faster...ah Evil
On other maps usually the larger ones I will just build up a mini base ( TF, 4x Sieges, a few turrets and an phase gate) withing siege range of 2 of the hives preferably the empty/partialy secured ones and that should be game over. From then on the marines will get stronger while the aliens will continue to be frustrated by the fire bases near their other two hives.
One note though...I don't drop any turrets in the spawn until i am usually 10 minutes into the game, in a few cases never. turtleing outright uses up resources I can use for ammo, medpacks and nodes...which are critical. more nodes out there means none are open so it's harder on the aliens and more RP's for me faster...ah Evil<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Securing 3-4 res nodes? Yea, if the marines have 3-4 secured rez nodes in the first 10 minutes, they will tech up fast enough to win the game ... but how do you secure them in 10 minutes without leaving bunches of marines and/or turrets on them?
Or are you playing on large servers? I find that 10v10 games are won by the marines more often than not, due to the higher income, more groups (3x3 is about perfect) and fewer active aliens (2-3 gorges leaves 7-8 skulks to deal with 9 marines).
OTOH, small servers (5v5) is very hard for marines. Less income (half the 10v10 one), only one group, and probably only one gorge meaning you get 4 skulks vs 4 marines out on the field.
Right now, it seems to be balanced at about 7v7, 8v8 server size.