A Ns_hera Strategy I've Been Tossing Around
Chopper_Dave1
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2353Members
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2353Members
<div class="IPBDescription">...but never really used cause of n00bs</div> OK, so, Hera kinda sucks for marines right now. Inexplicably, everyone who actually knows their way around the map, or has some skill, finds their way over to the aliens. Probably because of autoteam- all the newbies seem to flock to marines especially on that map. So even if I wanted to devise a good strategy, I can't really use it, because n00bs have this terrible problem where they can't follow orders, or can follow orders but can't shoot for crap.
So, this stategy is assuming that people can follow an order and actually shoot a quick, dog-like creature that wants to eat them. Maybe you guys can try it on Nano-Gridlock or something <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->.
1) Ditch the marine base...for now. This is a minor relocation, and by a minor relocation, I mean we're going to a new area, but without having to build an extra CC. Tell your marines to head through the maintenence corridor, shoot any aliens they come across, then use the door/tunnel to get into General Cargo Storage.
2) Drop an infantry portal in General Cargo Storage. Because the starting CC is so close to the wall, you should be able to get one near the door, or one on top of the crate stack. Whichever suits your fancy. Don't forget to grab the resource node, and the one in maintenence if the aliens seem to be staying out of the area.
3) Drop an armory on the upper level, top of the elevator. Signal your marines to that nifty ladder (amazing how many people dont realize it exists) and get them to build it. With the armory up here, you'll at least have the armory-humpers in a positon where they can be useful, as they have the higher ground. If an alien runs in, it'll either be through the door on the upper level or on the lower level, and the humpers shoudl be able to kill all of them before they do any damage. In the same way, building the armory on the lower level is BAAAD. This allows aliens to jump on your humpers from above. Baaaaad.
4) Drop a welder to a reliable soldier. Tell him to weld the two points in the room, which will both a) allow you back into your original base so that you can guard the CC and resource node and b) close off a vent to keep the skulk inflow to lesser entrances. Once this is done, signal the welder to the crate vent tunnel thingie, and get another player to guard him. The tunnel will lead to Holoroom, where another weldpoint awaits. Get him to weld this, and you'll limit the alien entrances into your new main base to a grand total of two, both which involve slooooooowly opening doors (much better than the original base location!). Meanwhile, have your marines pour out of your base and harass either processing or Holoroom - whichever the aliens seem to want more. This'll keep them from attacking you in other locations and allow you to expand in relative peace.
5) Drop a turret factory in the upper left-hand corner of General Cargo Storage. If you place this correctly, the range will cover General Cargo, Holoroom, and parts of Processing. This is good. Dont build any turrets in base to cover the turret factory; just mine it for now. Build a few turrets in both Processing and Holoroom, on the upper levels where aliens will have a harder time reaching them.
6) This step depends on the starting hive. If the aliens' starting hive is Ventilation or Data Core, then you're going to want to take Data Core Alpha and get it nice and phased. Once again, this is a strategic turret factory area: if you put it in the right place (upper level, near vent to Holoroom), your turrets can cover the Data Core Alpha resource, the Holoroom resources, and the Hera reception resources, AND be in range to siege Archiving Hive in case it goes up. If, however, the aliens start in Archiving, you're going to need to use your superior position in General Cargo Storage to push your way into processing and try to get a siege there that will cover both the other hives. Leave the resources on the the left side of the map alone for now in this case.
7) At this point, you should have anywhere from 7-9 resources under your range of influence (you might not necessarily cap them due to harassment, but aliens wont be able to either, and you're the one who'll eventually be able to get turrets there), a strategic hold on 1-2 hive(s) and a good position to assault the others, and a battlefield heavily welded in your favor. You should be able to easily buy some upgrades, get your marine team suited up, and obliterate the alien threat before or around the time they get the second hive.
Thoughts?
So, this stategy is assuming that people can follow an order and actually shoot a quick, dog-like creature that wants to eat them. Maybe you guys can try it on Nano-Gridlock or something <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->.
1) Ditch the marine base...for now. This is a minor relocation, and by a minor relocation, I mean we're going to a new area, but without having to build an extra CC. Tell your marines to head through the maintenence corridor, shoot any aliens they come across, then use the door/tunnel to get into General Cargo Storage.
2) Drop an infantry portal in General Cargo Storage. Because the starting CC is so close to the wall, you should be able to get one near the door, or one on top of the crate stack. Whichever suits your fancy. Don't forget to grab the resource node, and the one in maintenence if the aliens seem to be staying out of the area.
3) Drop an armory on the upper level, top of the elevator. Signal your marines to that nifty ladder (amazing how many people dont realize it exists) and get them to build it. With the armory up here, you'll at least have the armory-humpers in a positon where they can be useful, as they have the higher ground. If an alien runs in, it'll either be through the door on the upper level or on the lower level, and the humpers shoudl be able to kill all of them before they do any damage. In the same way, building the armory on the lower level is BAAAD. This allows aliens to jump on your humpers from above. Baaaaad.
4) Drop a welder to a reliable soldier. Tell him to weld the two points in the room, which will both a) allow you back into your original base so that you can guard the CC and resource node and b) close off a vent to keep the skulk inflow to lesser entrances. Once this is done, signal the welder to the crate vent tunnel thingie, and get another player to guard him. The tunnel will lead to Holoroom, where another weldpoint awaits. Get him to weld this, and you'll limit the alien entrances into your new main base to a grand total of two, both which involve slooooooowly opening doors (much better than the original base location!). Meanwhile, have your marines pour out of your base and harass either processing or Holoroom - whichever the aliens seem to want more. This'll keep them from attacking you in other locations and allow you to expand in relative peace.
5) Drop a turret factory in the upper left-hand corner of General Cargo Storage. If you place this correctly, the range will cover General Cargo, Holoroom, and parts of Processing. This is good. Dont build any turrets in base to cover the turret factory; just mine it for now. Build a few turrets in both Processing and Holoroom, on the upper levels where aliens will have a harder time reaching them.
6) This step depends on the starting hive. If the aliens' starting hive is Ventilation or Data Core, then you're going to want to take Data Core Alpha and get it nice and phased. Once again, this is a strategic turret factory area: if you put it in the right place (upper level, near vent to Holoroom), your turrets can cover the Data Core Alpha resource, the Holoroom resources, and the Hera reception resources, AND be in range to siege Archiving Hive in case it goes up. If, however, the aliens start in Archiving, you're going to need to use your superior position in General Cargo Storage to push your way into processing and try to get a siege there that will cover both the other hives. Leave the resources on the the left side of the map alone for now in this case.
7) At this point, you should have anywhere from 7-9 resources under your range of influence (you might not necessarily cap them due to harassment, but aliens wont be able to either, and you're the one who'll eventually be able to get turrets there), a strategic hold on 1-2 hive(s) and a good position to assault the others, and a battlefield heavily welded in your favor. You should be able to easily buy some upgrades, get your marine team suited up, and obliterate the alien threat before or around the time they get the second hive.
Thoughts?
Comments
This is much safer than a hera processing rush and relocation; i've seen that work man times, but when marines fail, it's a quick gg.
At least with this strat, marines can tech up in peace and not be harrassed, in addition to having tons of res nodes.
Very good; I've never seen this done before. I hope this soon becomes a standard relocation strat such as relocating to cargo hive.
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Thx for the idea. gw
How do you propose to get around that (just wondering, it sounds good otherwise)?
As for turret placement, it's all a matter of opinion. I figure that once the door's open into main base (pretty quick event, only take around 30 seconds or so to relocate, get a welder, and open the door), mines can be used to guard the original CC. Up until that point, though, leaving 1 or 2 guards to guard the CC until the door is open isnt a bad idea I guess. I usually have one guy patrol the marine start and maintenence resources as well, just to keep any alien rambos out. If you place the TF in the bottom left, you can cover marine start, holo, and general cargo, but you can't build into processing (which helps a LOT in pushes against the Data Core hive). I suppose the best course of action is to either build two TF's, or just get a spare CC in General Cargo.
((BTW Zhang, I almost always play on the COFR fr31ns server...they're the ones who almost always have a good game in every other map, but inexplicably the marines always get n00bs up the wazoo on Hera. Think it's because they reg's don't know the map so well and are scared to be marines <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->))
Never took the time to properly learn hera because:
1. It is laggy as hell
2. I don't like it (has a little to do with #1 and a lot to do with the actual map design)
The strat sounds interesting, I'll try to help you if I'm on the marine team next time on hera, even though Chopper Dave as COM = Automatic lose.
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Having said that, it is indeed an interesting strategy, and one I'd like to see tried out on Hera.
The point is though its good to overall see strategies that at least utilize prudent methods instead of ones that pour resources into making a team of idiots with heavy weaponrey. (I'am of course referring to those who lack the want or knowledge to use the weapons as we all figure they should).
Also, being within seige range of a res doesn't mean that you control it. It just means the aliens have to choose res locations more carefully, or just keep rushing your base to take out the observatory. If they can sometimes sneak a hive past a siege turret, they certainly can do it for res nozzles.
Though, I do still stand by my original strategy, just because I feel General Cargo is a much more defendable location than the marine start. Marine start is just a deathtrap - four possible entrances, each from different sides...even a good marine team has trouble defending against that many possibilities. Add the fact that maintenence corridior, as already stated, is a deathtrap for marines, and the Hera reception hall tunnel becomes a HUGE deathtrap at the elevator (believe someone around here calls it the "Coffin"), and the vent isnt even usuable by marines until later in the game...yep, I think it'd be a really, really good idea to get out of the marine start.
But I will say this - definitely not a strategy recommended for uncoordinated teams. I've led 4 newbie teams to slaughter with this strategy at this point (though I do think it was a bit inevitable). I did have two games where I executed it beautifully with some good players, so do not give up hope! =)
I take it you won these 2 games ?
I just drop the welder through the door as well.
plus the fact that the range gives the marines one heck of a advantage with cargo door open, hera and processing were QUITE easy to get to, and as soon as i had nodes in the both of them, the aliens f4ed <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
i would however say that my marines with lvl2 weps and lvl1 armor were really giving the aliens a spanking....
was it the marines or the strat? who knows <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Aliens won't expect you to be in holo quite that fast, and it allows your marines to take up defensive positions for a phase/TF/armory/pony factory.
EDIT :: It's a good way to relocate there, I guess, but relocations to holoroom are never pretty.
Ive always been a big fan of opening the cargo bay door, it solves so many problems that marines have on Hera.
Umm I think the whole point of the post was to give a Different strategy. We all know about Proc Strat, and that was not what we were talking about.
To the Strat Author, great strat, though I cant see it working that well if the aliens start in Vent, since you cant really go via maitanace, since thats where the rushing skulks will come from, and going the other way, is a long long way...
but for the other 2 hives, good strat!
yikes, must make counterstrategy!