53 replies to this topic

[jon1997]

im new to the mod and have been struggling against the A.I.( yeah i know NOOB LOL)

but i just want people to detail there strategies below such as digging in or going out fast.

if you have a strategy put it down below

thanks.

[Defender0]

SMAC wall everything, get sabre hangars, make charons and paris frigates, expand a little to get an economy started (economy research, anchor stations with trade upgrades, culture), then spend the next half hour researching while building up a fleet

[Unikraken]

SMAC walls do not work on planets with the new gravity well sizes. I can come and crush anyone who disagrees after we apply the new patch we're working on.

[m468]

SMAC walls don't work IF someone knows they are there. However if someone doesn't they make for a nice surprise. ;-)

[Unikraken]

Nearly anything can work when it's a surprise. lol.

[That1Niftyguy]

For larger gravity wells, i recommend SMAC clusters of 2 to 3. they can be spread out enough to cover the front and still gang up on ships. Works quite handily for smaller gravity wells too.

[Dianno5741]

start off with two military at your homeworld. Pop out a Phoenix colony capital ship since the first one is free. Use that and a handful 5 or so, charons or paris frigates to take dwarf planets, asteroids to expand. Next get two civil research stations to begin building your trade network and economy. As you upgrade your fleet size and upkeep, i upgrade my resource extraction stuff in order to negate the fleet upkeep if possible. a good force for me is about 35-40 frigates (charons and paris) 10 halcyons, 6 marathons, 15-20 destroyers, 2 valiants, 1 orion. you want to turn one world into a shipyard planet with like 2-4 frigate factories so when you get into huge fleet battles and lose ships you can replace them

[I Am Sancho]

are we talking tactics vs a AI or a Player? I myself am a very aggressive UNSC Player, which might have everything to do with the fact that I'm a Covenant Player at heart. (Can't wait to start working on them!!!)

[Rovert10]

Early Game at least since this the most important phase.

• Phoenix Class Colony Capital as a starting capital with 10 Frigates as support to rush off to the nearest large planet (ice or volc at least) that's next to yah.
• Astroids that may be near only require 4 frigates and colony ship at most. Rush off and capture quickly. Colony ship only and turret rush doesn't work.
• Start 2 Civilian Labortories in most cases unless you doing a close quarters map.
• Focus on expansion and building an economy.
• Neutral Extractors are always a priority.
• Look for good chokepoints if you really want to defend.

I wouldn't follow the advice and expanding slowly and just waiting it out. The idea of turtling against a fast moving enemy means you get overwelmed quickly when they have a far superior economy to you due to their fast expansion in the beginning compared to your slow one.

Considering when I was playing a game with today, while I never meant him on the field of battle (he had to leave). I had double his economic output by the time he left. Yeah it's a bit of a brag but still I was able to rush off Supercarriers and Orions before anyone else.

The strategy I pointed out is practically the same as the standard "competitve multiplayer" start on ICO. It works with this mod just that you have to wait a little while longer since frigates are one shotted pretty much and credits from planets are slightly lower it looks like.

[DEMONTHESE2211]

I personally start two civic stations and research trade ports ASAP. Cap is the phoenix refit and then expand, economy, and expand. Find two or three good chokepoints, rush them and then fortify. Keep defensive fleets in areas with 3 or more phase lanes so you can get to a lot of places quickly in one jump. Finally DO NOT FORGET research, the health and MAC upgrades are very important and let your fleets claim victory against much larger(relatively) enemy forces. Like people have said SMAC walls are expensive and easily countered (with the possible exception of asteroids with the smaller gravity well stat). For static defenses I generally hug the planet with 2-3 repair stations and sabre hangers, with the rest SMACS.

Also as personal preference the first thing I build after extractors is almost always a trade port. This really helps your economy credit wise. But as they are expensive I don't do this as a hard rule.

[CanadaMan7]

For larger gravity wells, i recommend SMAC clusters of 2 to 3. they can be spread out enough to cover the front and still gang up on ships. Works quite handily for smaller gravity wells too.

The way I organize mine is pretty similar each time. I do two or three rings around a planet with various distances separating the SMACs. Covers the planet and ensures there's no real weak points.

[Defender0]

SMAC walls do not work on planets with the new gravity well sizes. I can come and crush anyone who disagrees after we apply the new patch we're working on.

when i say SMAC wall, i mean 5 or 6 SMAC stations as close to the planet as possible, making a "wall" around the planet. I never place SMACs beyond that point

[Unikraken]

Personally, armor upgrades are more important than health. Armor cuts each attack down a notch, while health just adds more static HP.

[Unikraken]

when i say SMAC wall, i mean 5 or 6 SMAC stations as close to the planet as possible, making a "wall" around the planet. I never place SMACs beyond that point

Good man. I henceforth call this the SMAC curtain.

[Kommrad II]

When I set up my SMACs (along with anything else) I put them close to the planet as possible, with the SMACs In large and more spaced out rings with each SMAC covered by atleast one other. Worked pretty sexily until the flood.


Oh the humanity!

[Defender0]

Good man. I henceforth call this the SMAC curtain.

combined with sabre hangars, this defense can handle any kind of small fleet, most medium fleets, and disorganized battlegroups. it does however fall to organized and coordinated battlegroups unless there is a backup fleet of your own to support

[Faced]

I put mines all around my planet and SMACs and a fleet on the inside but set my fleet to hold position so the enemy has to enter the minefield if they want it and also have to bypass the SMACs, i also put a hanger or 2 if possible. And after a little while if one of my inner worlds has enough space, i build a Novalith and bombard worlds,

[Unikraken]

I put mines all around my planet and SMACs and a fleet on the inside but set my fleet to hold position so the enemy has to enter the minefield if they want it and also have to bypass the SMACs, i also put a hanger or 2 if possible. And after a little while if one of my inner worlds has enough space, i build a Novalith and bombard worlds,

You won't after the patch. No superweapons after patch.

[Faced]

You won't after the patch. No superweapons after patch.

Oh well, still a good tactic to use when you're on the defensive