Feeling daring and want to play with the Flood on? Here are some of the basics:
- What the Flood can do:
The Flood are Sins pirates on steroids. Not only can they raid planets, they will capture the planet and continue to spread after that, beyond their raids. They are very unpredictable and fast so always expect the Flood, even if you do not have the most bounty on your head.
- Infection
The Flood can take over your: frigates, cruisers, capitals, and buildings via their Flood Spores. These are strikecraft the come out of any Flood ship and infect other ships to join the Flood. They cannot however infect starbases. Building starbases and giving them the Auxiliary Government upgrade to prevent losing the planet to the infection is a great way to hault their advance.
- Numbers advantage:
Having more ships is more important than having better ships. Having more ships for the Flood spores to target means less pressure on your anti-strikecraft weapons to fend them off. Fighting your own ships turned infected sucks, so don't give the Flood the opportunity to take your better hard to kill ships. Keep your capitals and cruisers out of the fight.
- UNSC and Covenant:
The UNSC is better equip to fight the Flood because you can build more ships than the Covenant can, and every ship has some form of anti-strikecraft weapons on it. If you choose to play as the Covenant, don't face the Flood naked, bring plenty of the Covenant's anti-strikecraft ship with you.
- Planet Defenses
Static defenses such as SMACs and Hangers are easy pickings for the Flood. Nothings worse than your own SMAC turning around and firing on you. Don't build defenses where you know the Flood will come knocking.
Edit: Hangers, turns out are useful in large numbers. All those Sabres are good at keeping the spores at bay. Would recommend if placed close as possible to the planet. This is doubly true for hanger upgrades on starbases.
- Team Work
Working with a team mate is almost essential to completely wiping out the Flood. Facing the Flood and an enemy faction is the best way to lose.
If you have more insight please feel free to share it here.