Ministry of Silly Strats
Nordic
Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
Hello, this is the Ministry of Silly Strats. Please share your silly strats and I, the Minister of Silly, will determine if it is a silly enough start. Please share so we can all laugh and attempt them at our own mercy. A silly strat must be pretty ridiculous but still possible. More often that not they are difficult if not detrimental to use.
Some of my favorites I have read from below include:
Gorge Hydra Rush - The process of at least one gorge going into marine base, preferably starting base, and placing and defending all his/their hydras. I have done this alone once, and often with a buddy. To be really effective you need at least 3 gorges but the more the better. 9 can take out marines and structures quick. Once you are set up you need to hop around keeping it so the marines can't focus one gorge down. Heal your buddies so they can heal you too. Spit when you have an opportunity to help kill marines and structures. Bonus points if you can build some clog defenses too. Extra bonus points if you can get a gorge tunnel with support structures such as crag/shift/whip.
Turret Rush - Build a robo factory in base. Send everyone to the hive (ideally the long way, to avoid most of the skulks). Set up turrets in a spot with LoS to the hive. Protect the turrets until they take the hive down. Bonus points if you get an armory and mines up too.
Early Whip Rush - Requires gorges, and shift hive is extremely helpful. Have a gorge build whips. Get tunnel to marine base. Echo whips. Another way includes cysting into marine base quickly with gorge support. Works great in tandem with Gorge Hydra Rush.
Whack a Gorge - Have as many players go gorge as possible. Get at least two gorge tunnels into marine base. Build more tunnels within marine base. Go in and out of tunnels as unpredictable as possible spitting at marines and structures. Turns into whack a skulk. Works great in tandem with Gorge Hydra Rush.
No Cyst Xeno Rush - Best executed on veil. Every single alien goes gorge, drops a tunnel in nano, and two reaming tech point RTs, all the gorges clog up rooms (including alien start), grow harvesters really fast, put hydras, power building hives etc. Khamm spends no res on cysts or drifters, only has to manage res correctly (i.e. build whips, start skulk upgrades, bio upgrades, drop hives). According to my calculations, xeno is possible in between 5-6, tho we tried a few times (pub) and never had flawless execution, xeno was at about 7 minutes. When xeno is done, invest in gorge upgrade + shift hive to teleport eggs. You don't want any upgrades, as your skulks don't explode when they evolve... Get shifts around the map, so skulks can leap a lot to gain speed, instead of wasting time to get cele. And spam eggs.
Exo/Jetpack Rush - Can be completed in ~5 minutes. Get a as many rt's as you can and defend them as best as possible. Once your protolab choice is done, rush alien hive. Selling AA when rushing exos is a nice way to get extra money for upgrades and macs.
Catpack Rush - Get your two natural rt's while catpacks are researching. Be as conservative with your res as possible. Once catpacks are research rush alien hive. Provide cat packs, medpacks, and ammo as needed. Infinite bonus points to those who axe hive to death. 5 marines with catpacks will axe a hive down in seconds.
Whack a Rine Turtle - Place as many phasegates in base as possible in base in random locations, so aliens can't tell where you will be coming from next. Upgrades, and infantry portals amount will determine success.
Flaming Tower Turtle - Get as many welder marines and flamethrower marines in command station as possible. Welders keep the command chair's hp up while flamethrower's keep aliens from attacking. Drop medpacks and ammo on chair as needed to keep marines alive. Spores can penetrate chair. Extremely difficult. Please record if you attempt this. Please.
Air France - Everyone goes lerk at 25 pres and rushes marine start. Bonus points if everyone spams the taunt key (KAA KAAAA!). Massive bonus points if you manage to have umbra or spore up in time.
The Centipede - Have marine get their axes out. Have every marine walk in a single file line directly to the hive. Bonus points if they walk in a S pattern.
The Dragon - Rush Flamethrowers. Have every marine walk in a single file line directly to the hive. Bonus points if they walk in a S pattern.
Welders OP - Every marine gets a welder. Have every marine drop guns, to have slightly more agility. Focus on dodging skulks and everying group weld a skulk. The welders range and DPS will kill a skulk quickly especially with a team mate. Walk to hive. Kill hive. Only works early game, lerks and higher are immune to this. Gorges are pesky with their spits, just dodge.
Drifter Spam - Send copious amounts of drifters along side a base rush. The drifters will distract marines visually, reduce their fps, and be meat shields for higher life forms. Move them around so they can't be focused down.
The Slow Rush - Have a gorge build cysts and support structures and slowly move your defenses towards marine base. Eventually into marine base. A gorge and at least two skulks are needed. Decimate everything in your path.
Grenade Launcher Rush - Get two groups of marines standing on opposite ends of hive. Spam grenades at each other till hive is dead.
Hand Grenade Rush - Spam grenades into hive until dead. Need armory.
Mine Rush - Every marine buys mines. Walk to hive. Place mines everywhere. Laugh as skulks try to get to you. As they suicide themselves to remove mines, shoot down hive.
Trapped - Get gorge tunnels in marine naturals early game. Defend and block them inside.
Sentry DOOM - Must find location where 3 sets of sentries can be placed in close proximity or it doesn't count as silly. Only known location at the moment is on Tram (north tunnels, platform, and warehouse) Picture here. If you know more locations like this please inform, remember must be three sets of sentries or more.
Trojan Arcs - Build 2-3 ARCs in Base (for example lets say Terminal) have everyone but one or two team members protect the ARC train as it marches towards departures. While the slow train is getting attacked by the aliens the two remaining marines ninja phase a gate into back hallway. As soon as the phase goes up, Beacon and everyone runs in and kills Locker Room. Bonus points for axeing hive.
Homeless - Run around in huge pack (all 9 marines) and build stuff in miliseconds, if anything goes wrong, you just drop CC at whatever point is closer to marines (then probably IP, so you die and spawn there), and they proceed to new location, destroying every alien res they might encounter and building our on it's place. In theory, you can have whole map of extractors in very very short time, and you never have to worry about base rush, since your base is where you are.
Some of my favorites I have read from below include:
Gorge Hydra Rush - The process of at least one gorge going into marine base, preferably starting base, and placing and defending all his/their hydras. I have done this alone once, and often with a buddy. To be really effective you need at least 3 gorges but the more the better. 9 can take out marines and structures quick. Once you are set up you need to hop around keeping it so the marines can't focus one gorge down. Heal your buddies so they can heal you too. Spit when you have an opportunity to help kill marines and structures. Bonus points if you can build some clog defenses too. Extra bonus points if you can get a gorge tunnel with support structures such as crag/shift/whip.
Turret Rush - Build a robo factory in base. Send everyone to the hive (ideally the long way, to avoid most of the skulks). Set up turrets in a spot with LoS to the hive. Protect the turrets until they take the hive down. Bonus points if you get an armory and mines up too.
Early Whip Rush - Requires gorges, and shift hive is extremely helpful. Have a gorge build whips. Get tunnel to marine base. Echo whips. Another way includes cysting into marine base quickly with gorge support. Works great in tandem with Gorge Hydra Rush.
Whack a Gorge - Have as many players go gorge as possible. Get at least two gorge tunnels into marine base. Build more tunnels within marine base. Go in and out of tunnels as unpredictable as possible spitting at marines and structures. Turns into whack a skulk. Works great in tandem with Gorge Hydra Rush.
No Cyst Xeno Rush - Best executed on veil. Every single alien goes gorge, drops a tunnel in nano, and two reaming tech point RTs, all the gorges clog up rooms (including alien start), grow harvesters really fast, put hydras, power building hives etc. Khamm spends no res on cysts or drifters, only has to manage res correctly (i.e. build whips, start skulk upgrades, bio upgrades, drop hives). According to my calculations, xeno is possible in between 5-6, tho we tried a few times (pub) and never had flawless execution, xeno was at about 7 minutes. When xeno is done, invest in gorge upgrade + shift hive to teleport eggs. You don't want any upgrades, as your skulks don't explode when they evolve... Get shifts around the map, so skulks can leap a lot to gain speed, instead of wasting time to get cele. And spam eggs.
Exo/Jetpack Rush - Can be completed in ~5 minutes. Get a as many rt's as you can and defend them as best as possible. Once your protolab choice is done, rush alien hive. Selling AA when rushing exos is a nice way to get extra money for upgrades and macs.
Catpack Rush - Get your two natural rt's while catpacks are researching. Be as conservative with your res as possible. Once catpacks are research rush alien hive. Provide cat packs, medpacks, and ammo as needed. Infinite bonus points to those who axe hive to death. 5 marines with catpacks will axe a hive down in seconds.
Whack a Rine Turtle - Place as many phasegates in base as possible in base in random locations, so aliens can't tell where you will be coming from next. Upgrades, and infantry portals amount will determine success.
Flaming Tower Turtle - Get as many welder marines and flamethrower marines in command station as possible. Welders keep the command chair's hp up while flamethrower's keep aliens from attacking. Drop medpacks and ammo on chair as needed to keep marines alive. Spores can penetrate chair. Extremely difficult. Please record if you attempt this. Please.
Air France - Everyone goes lerk at 25 pres and rushes marine start. Bonus points if everyone spams the taunt key (KAA KAAAA!). Massive bonus points if you manage to have umbra or spore up in time.
The Centipede - Have marine get their axes out. Have every marine walk in a single file line directly to the hive. Bonus points if they walk in a S pattern.
The Dragon - Rush Flamethrowers. Have every marine walk in a single file line directly to the hive. Bonus points if they walk in a S pattern.
Welders OP - Every marine gets a welder. Have every marine drop guns, to have slightly more agility. Focus on dodging skulks and everying group weld a skulk. The welders range and DPS will kill a skulk quickly especially with a team mate. Walk to hive. Kill hive. Only works early game, lerks and higher are immune to this. Gorges are pesky with their spits, just dodge.
Drifter Spam - Send copious amounts of drifters along side a base rush. The drifters will distract marines visually, reduce their fps, and be meat shields for higher life forms. Move them around so they can't be focused down.
The Slow Rush - Have a gorge build cysts and support structures and slowly move your defenses towards marine base. Eventually into marine base. A gorge and at least two skulks are needed. Decimate everything in your path.
Grenade Launcher Rush - Get two groups of marines standing on opposite ends of hive. Spam grenades at each other till hive is dead.
Hand Grenade Rush - Spam grenades into hive until dead. Need armory.
Mine Rush - Every marine buys mines. Walk to hive. Place mines everywhere. Laugh as skulks try to get to you. As they suicide themselves to remove mines, shoot down hive.
Trapped - Get gorge tunnels in marine naturals early game. Defend and block them inside.
Sentry DOOM - Must find location where 3 sets of sentries can be placed in close proximity or it doesn't count as silly. Only known location at the moment is on Tram (north tunnels, platform, and warehouse) Picture here. If you know more locations like this please inform, remember must be three sets of sentries or more.
Trojan Arcs - Build 2-3 ARCs in Base (for example lets say Terminal) have everyone but one or two team members protect the ARC train as it marches towards departures. While the slow train is getting attacked by the aliens the two remaining marines ninja phase a gate into back hallway. As soon as the phase goes up, Beacon and everyone runs in and kills Locker Room. Bonus points for axeing hive.
Homeless - Run around in huge pack (all 9 marines) and build stuff in miliseconds, if anything goes wrong, you just drop CC at whatever point is closer to marines (then probably IP, so you die and spawn there), and they proceed to new location, destroying every alien res they might encounter and building our on it's place. In theory, you can have whole map of extractors in very very short time, and you never have to worry about base rush, since your base is where you are.
Comments
1. Build a robo factory in base
2. Send everyone to the hive (ideally the long way, to avoid most of the skulks)
3. Set up turrets in a spot with LoS to the hive
4. Protect the turrets until they take the hive down
If you have the res, two labs lets you max out your marines insanely fast (not sure of actual times). It even better if you hide one well, as a backup.
Exo rush is hilarious. GL dealing with a team full of exos when you barely got 2nd hive up and just saving for bile. Yeah sure you can get bile early too, but why, for the uber small chance of an exo rush?`:f
2. No cyst xeno rush: Best executed on veil. Every single alien goes gorge, drops a tunnel in nano, and two reaming tech point RTs, all the gorges clog up rooms (including alien start), grow harvesters really fast, put hydras, power building hives etc. Khamm spends no res on cysts or drifters, only has to manage res correctly (i.e. build whips, start skulk upgrades, bio upgrades, drop hives). According to my calculations, xeno is possible in between 5-6, tho we tried a few times (pub) and never had flawless execution, xeno was at about 7 minutes. When xeno is done, invest in gorge upgrade + shift hive to teleport eggs. You don't want any upgrades, as your skulks don't explode when they evolve... Get shifts around the map, so skulks can leap a lot to gain speed, instead of wasting time to get cele. And spam eggs.
3. Early arcs - nothing better than arcing a hive vs no bile no shade aliens.
4. Rushing exos is always fun, just make sure you hide proto well, so aliens won't get bile and tons of whips in base when they see 4 minute proto. Also, selling AA when rushing exos is a nice way to get extra money for upgrades / macs.
BTW, anyone tried catpack rush? With increased axing speed, hive should go down in seconds + decreased time to get to hive. Probs too expensive for early game?
Cat pack axe rush. I will try that.
Not as satisfying as axes though!
Fast Drop hive (gorge power builds)
Drifter
RT @ natural between 1st and 2nd hive
RT @ 2nd hive
Biomass upgrade on Hive 1
Biomass upgrade on Hive 2
Drop whip
Research leap
Providing nothing dies, you can begin leap research at 3:40 and have it completed by 4:20-30.
Defending your base by building over a dozen PGs, and shooting aliens as you phase from one gate to another.
(All placed at random in the room, and with multiple teamates doing this ofc)
P.S. This is a holdover from my favorite turtle-tactic in NS1, except then there were telefrags
I already enjoy trying to fit as many welders as possible at the start of the wrong into the CC. Then recycle ips. Only with a consenting team though.
We weren't a real team (played together for two days only), made up whole tactics right before the match, had some miscommunication (so one dude took wrong way to hive and died in crevice), but as you can see, it still was almost successful.
Shade start is a very good strat IF your can use it correctly.
I think we all know that gate rush next to enemy hive
Lastly would be jetpacks/gl rush
Telefrag em all and let the hive mind sort em out!
You wont get an endorsement from the Ministry unless your strat is silly enough.
Since I am the only one proclaiming strats are not silly enough, am I the minister of silly?
Flamethrower rushes are lols. Frankly, it's quite a viable strat to rush SGs and AA - get a bunch of grenadiers, one flamer to take the hive and a couple of SGs to make sure the former guys dont die on the way in, and you can take a hive down very fast, very early.
Exo rushes almost always fail. Out of all the 'rush X' marine strats, exos are the worst by miles. Such a shame, exos used to be cool but now they are crap.
If you're sneaky, you can edge a shade closer and closer to a marine base as you also cyst into it one cyst at a time, concealing your cysts from the marines, until you're close enough for the cysts to build quickly and you echo some whips in
We tried a stomp only game a while back but there were a couple of people cheating by using gore or not going onos. Think we had stomp up by about the 7 or 8 minute mark...