Hera Strategies
curlydave
Join Date: 2003-10-21 Member: 21855Members
Join Date: 2003-10-21 Member: 21855Members
<div class="IPBDescription">What do you do?</div> It seems that hera is a very alien-biased map. How do you play it as a marine commander?
Do you reloacate? Even when reloaced to hera reception, which is quite common, it seems like a deathtrap for the marines. Where do you reloacate to?
If not, where do you build your stuff? Do you use turrets where you wouldn't on other maps? How about the base rt?
What are some overall strats on hera?
Do you reloacate? Even when reloaced to hera reception, which is quite common, it seems like a deathtrap for the marines. Where do you reloacate to?
If not, where do you build your stuff? Do you use turrets where you wouldn't on other maps? How about the base rt?
What are some overall strats on hera?
Comments
1) It's raised off the ground. That means stomp won't work, as you are standing above where stomp will stun you.
2) You can siege double res.
3) You can also get to archiving hive very easily.
4) There is a relatively large open area in front of E&R - which is great for shredding oni with HMGs.
5) you can grenade all entrances from behind the railings - making it quite hard to get in.
6) It's a easy to get to from marine start - meaning you can get there fast at the start of the match.
The problem with E&R is that the entrance coming from marine start has good cover for lerks and fades to spore/acid rocket from. For best results, keep the path between MS and E&R. I reccomend putting mines along the path to discourage aliens. Plant them in groups of 5 for the best effect.
Ventilation hive is also good:
1) The entrances at top can be guarded by three guys: (2 HMGs & 1 GL) Plus they can attack enemies that try to come in from below.
2) The raised section of Vent is like #1 about E&R.
3) Any oni trying to attack you have to run across a large open area and then climb ladders - meaning they can be shot from relative saftey.
4) The entraces can be filled with an electrified TF and turrets - making a stealthy entry virtually impossible.
5) It's a hive. Nuff said.
I've tried cargo bay relocates a few times and they seem effective, you have to get a welder out to close the vent and open the door to marine start. This blocks off the most awkward route for your marines to cover and gives you easier access to another RT (marine start) and generally easier access to the archiving side of the map via marine start.
Only thing is most people just head straight to hera entrance because that's what is thought to be the best relocate. Which means half your marines often end up going in the opposite direction to that which you want them to.
Please stay in base for the 10 seconds it takes your comm to give you the first order. It causes much less aggrovation <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
A quick aggressive rine team can expand to reception or processing, and from there annihilate aliens. Hera has an obscene amount of places to siege from if absolutely necessary. All three hives are insanely easy to get into and have multiple entrances - very hard to defend. Aliens big advantage is putting the squeeze on marines.
Many players fall into the trap of capping some res, holding back aliens, and teching up. This WILL fail. Never let the aliens get complacent - always keep the pressure on, always keep pushing the hives. If you've some sieges NEAR a hive but not IN one then aliens will have a tougher time recapturing hives.
The take home message is to always keep moving, keep being aggressive, and you'll get a more interesting game, and if you're good enough, a win.
1. Hera Entrance
Easiest relocation. Aliens usually can't stop you from going here since it is so close to MS. This area is very defendable, possibly the easiest area on teh map to defend, and it has Holoroom with its 2 nodes close by. It os also close to archiving and MS, meaning that you can have up to 5 nodes somewhat close, but it is still a bit out of the way.
2. Holo Room
Harder to get to then H.E. It is also harder to defend, with its multiple entrances. It has 2 nodes and is more central then H.E. You're close to processing, which is a power-area, archiving and H.E., meaning you have 6 nodes nearby.
3. Cargo
This is a very good reloc but hard to get to, not to say impossible if aliens are expecting it. If they start in Vent hive you shouldn't even try it. If you manage to reloc here you have a great position. It's right in the middle of the map, close access to <b>all</b> nodes except Archiving, you can siege Holo from here and it is very defendable once you close the vents. The main problem is getting here in teh first place.
4. Processing
This area allows you to siege two hives, which sounds good, but because of this, Aliens tend to do anything to stop Marines from taking it. It's also hard to defend and only has easy access to two nodes, though Holo and Cargo are reasonably close. Aliens have been conditioned since 1.0 to not let Marines take this though, so I wouldn't go for it as a reloc spot.
Hera Entrance is the easiest to do, Cargo is the most powerful but hardest, Holo is a bit of a gamble and Processing is.. well it is Proccessing.
admin_map ns_eclipse
It only works with admin though.
- <a href='http://www.spidola3.lv/dissimulo/ns_hera-plan1.gif' target='_blank'>Map 1</a>
- <a href='http://www.spidola3.lv/dissimulo/ns_hera-plan2.gif' target='_blank'>Map 2</a>
- <a href='http://error.times.lv/ns_hera-plan3.jpg' target='_blank'>Map 3</a>
- <a href='http://error.times.lv/ns_hera-plan4.jpg' target='_blank'>Map 4</a>
- <a href='http://error.times.lv/ns_hera-plan5.jpg' target='_blank'>Map 5</a>
- <a href='http://www.spidola3.lv/dissimulo/ns_hera-plan-full.gif' target='_blank'>Full map</a>
No it doesn't. Look at the red line: it's meant to be a path for marines.
2. Take holo
3. Counter first chamber
4. Take processing
5. Either win by siege or Seal of at holo/datacore
6. Play next map, or marsh into archiving with a welder and shotguns
7. gg
In fact if you rush either of the nearest hives right off the bat, you can move from them right into processing and on a round trip of all three hives. Great if you can get a solid rush moving and the aliens have no real coordination or OCs.
However, assuming competent opponents, processing does get dicey, but at the very least will hold the enemy's attention - something you *could* turn to your advantage.
Pretty much the only real difference of opinion between stoney and myself on the matter of Hera, I think.
Not only is it a good central location, you can siege both DCD and the Vent hive from it, and it offers easy access to Holoroom.
Problem with relocating or going to hera- it gives aliens time to secure both sides of the map- and taking holo as well as maintenence becomes a deathtrap...
I find it best (with the exception of the aliens starting in vent) to send a lot of guys through hera and double- to cap res nodes and distract aliens, while 2-3 good players go around and weld open the cargo door. From there, you can easily waltz into processing and win the game.
Blue Danube anyone?
Anyway, I don't think of Proccessing as the "key" to Hera, I think of it as the quickest way to finish once you are winning. Going for proccessing early usually loses the game in my experience. If you can relocate to proccessing, you're up against really poor aliens or you got very lucky. No matter which route you take it is a very long walk and goes through alien territory.
Of the standard maps I think Hera comes in third place as most Alien biased. Beaten by lost and bast.
Of course, that was a monumentally cocky alien team who got pwned "like we do in the old country"
Tech rushing just doesn't work, and you will learn this painfully if you try it on very small maps.
Seems like you should at least get phase tech first.
It's up to you as COM to decide when to go for the kill. Going for it too early can result in you wasting all your res and them getting upgrades to beat you with. Too late and you'll be facing a bunch of cows/fades/lerks and WoL's instead of lower lifeforms.
The best idea is usually to go for it just after you've beaten aliens somewhere. Say they just rushed your base and got killed, go for Processing while your Marines morale is high and aliens are disorganised and respawning.
I say push because I just keep seeing too much suicidal turtling on pubs. If you know when to move and when to consolidate, like stoney said, you'll be ok most of the time.