I feel like I may be neglecting capitals in my fleet composition, partially because I'm not sure about what capital ships to get. I have tended to build a mass LRM composition to take advantage of the upgrades I get along the way to Novaliths, but have been trying out other more kodiak-heavy compositions of recent. If I could get some %'s on fleet composition other people find successful vs AI (I'm open to hearing about carrier based strategies as well, if anyone has found them efficient), along with good markers of how many capital ships people build for each Fleet Capacity tier I think it would go a far way for me evolving my strategy. Also, any input on which capital ships to get would help too, I've written below my feelings about each.
BTW: I tend to play this game on LAN with one or more friends vs AI on SOASE: Trinity, but I am looking at picking up Rebellion soon. Feedback tailored for either expansion would be appreciated
Akkan - I like starting with this one. Great for expansion, stun-locking escaping capitals, and the aura helps out-range starbases, which can be the biggest roadblocks in my advance.
Marza - I pick up 2-3 of these for cap ships 2-4 usually. Their speedy razing and potential to reach Lvl6 and unlock the incredible missile storm make them my favorite combat capital.
Dunov - Shield restore is good, but I really enjoy the Dunov for knocking out shields on big targets. I rarely see them reaching level 6, however.
Kol Battleship - The Kol appears controversial on this forum, as either a great-stated capital ship a good TEC player should have 3 of, or a shit-tier one useful only lategame for the flak. I can't make up my mind about it myself, maybe because its hard to notice those base stats at work in a big battle.
Sova - Excellent for rushing, not much else.
vs AI any cap will do once you understand how to defeat the AI.
On the other hand the top three vs AI would be
1. Akkan. To defeat the AI you need funds. To get funds you need planets. Akkans can get you planets faster then any other cap.
2. Marza. Missile Barrage. AI fleets tend to mass. MB eats mass fleets for breakfast. Go for two for complete annihilation.
3. Sova. It is a bit slower of a starter but when maxed you have 8 strike craft with no antimatter cost. Mix with Improved Strike Craft which makes strike craft hit harder and last longer and the Rapid Production level 6 which allows you to replace a wiped out compliment of strike craft in seconds and you have quite a lot of firepower. Max out (16 Sovas) and you have 128 very nasty strike craft that if they do get destroyed you can whip up a new batch with little impact (vs 64 light carriers) to you (800 supply for Sovas > 1344 supply for light carriers). Or if you need to quickly change up the strike craft mixture, it doesn't take as long and costs little antimatter.
Against AI? Whatever you want.. The AI is so inefficient you can easily defeat it with basically any kind of spam, light frigates, corvettes, carriers, lrms, kodiaks, whatever. All you need to know what ships does he have, if he has 100 lrms you don't want to build many light frigates, and so on.
Spam means build as many of 1 or 2 types as you can, composition (x% + y%) depends on the opponent's composition.
An example: build as many carriers as you can while being able to contain frigate threats, so, 40 carriers and 100 smaller ships (light, long, flak), some hoshikos and 2 capital ships (depending on their level, if both high-level, then build 3rd or even 4th). I consider this a good fleet against AI.
Capital ship part. You don't really want to build too much of these, as frigates of the same supply cost are better than a low-level capital ship. So to understand better, 5 heavy cruisers will easily defeat a level1 capital ship. So you don't want to get more than 2-3 capital ships till mid game, and build them when your first one gets to level6. In Rebellion, you may only want to have 1 capital ship, and your next one should be the titan. Strength of capital ships are in their abilities, and you don't want 10 level1 capital ships that take an eternity to level up because they share XP.
Side note, as I wrote previously, against AI almost everything works, so you can easily defeat it with capital ship spam, though any player who has some basic understanding of the game will crush you if you play like that against him.
TEC, start with Akkan, good colony capital, vital for establishing a strong economy earlier, much better than using protevs and has an interrupt ability. This, and Marza start are the favourites in skilled games.
Marza is almost as useful as the Akkan, incredible frontal firepower and a massive level6 ability (by far the best lvl6 ability in the game). Harder to get a nice eco going faster but once you get to lvl6 no AI will stop you. Highly adviced not to build any other capital ship if you start with it, as that one would only slow your marza's XP gain down and you really want Missile Barrage.
Sova only for second (or later) cap, good free missile battery and good embargo, but not a game changing ship, you may want more of it late game.
KOL only useful late game when you face severe strike craft forces. Many inexperienced players choose this as it looks cool, but drains its antimatter quickly and has no spectacular firepower, so not the best ship. Those who say this is the best cap are either noobs or trolls.
Dunov. I don't really like to have this ship as it's just a meh, not very interesting nor useful choice, but late game you may want to build at least one, draining the antimatter of enemy ships can be advantageous. Against people in Rebellion the situation is different, the only choice for TEC to drain antimatter of an enemy titan, so very useful against it, but in Trinity theres no capital ship that needs to be drained that much.
(Corsev, well, best tank in the game due to a bug, but I don't really like it, only build it when I want to have one of each class, for starter it is very bad imo).
Start with: Akkan or Marza
Only build as second or later: Sova
3rd or later, and useful to have (more) in the late game but not in the early game: KOL, Dunov, Sova
You may want to experiment though, perhaps a Sova start fits your style best, or something else.
Of course you may build more Marza or Akkan, but their usefulness is limited, AI does not really destroy capital ships often if you watch what you are doing so you will have you missile barrage till the end, same for your starter Akkan. If you want to build one of these build Marza, as that beast has extreme frontal firepower even without abilities, I lost many good capital ships against a fleet that had more of it in it, and I rarely lose capital ships against AI I can tell..
The more capital ships you build, the more useless they become. This is because they leech off each other's experience, making them more vulnerable to counters like flak spam.
First a new name and now a new pic. You've outdone yourself Sinkillr, good thing you're one of the few people with over 200 karma. That and no one else spouts flak spam like you do.
TEC caps are so useless, I don't even know why one would even build them...
Well that's not entirely true, there is one reason to build the first one, and that's cause it is free...you can then scuttle it for free resources...
Beyond that though, there's no point...all they do is delay you getting your giant flak titan...
I have to apologise Seluceia, I did intend to read your post and give a proper response about TEC strategy.. but I ended up putting your post into google translate and pressed the button to read it out... in Japanese. I was just curious and now I can't get the thought out of my head that you're secretly a Japanese school girl.....
I suggest people start doing this to Sinkillr's posts. It will be awesome.
Here's what google had to say:
"BOX TREE BOX BOX HOUSE BOX TREE TREE BOAT BOX BOX"
This guy...
Stop arguing with yourself! Be nice to your alt personas man!
Hi, Pandawaffle ...TEC Fleet Composition...
Let's talk business,
I tested the Kol for weeks but it is no good, I send out 2/3 kol + 2/3 Akkan alone just searching a main battle group and let them attack together (like A titan + starbase + other stuff)
Every time a kol dies first, then the next kol, 2 or 3 Akkan survive !
6 kols ? all dead, 6 akkan ? They win ( 3,4 survivers or better)
Maybe "flagship" targetting ? or something ? so next test : I modded them be be equal: Same hull, shield,...
Leaving thei standard weapons only setting the strengths about equal ?
SAME RESULT, KOL dying AKKAN living? So : the only difference being their abilities the KOL flaw must be there.
I liked my KOL's but will NEVER USE KOL AGAIN, only AKKAN !
AKKAN's BEST :COLONIZING !
I send my first one immediately out alone, killing some small targets which levels it up ! And colonizing ! Continuing...
I keep on building only AKKAN leaving room for my first TITAN ANKYLON, the best beast in town !
Gain : 1) No money and time spend on "little ones"
2) New colinies = new money, new research, bigger footprint early game
3) Akkan levels up quickly, getting stronger and stronger (At least level 5 before attacking Titan, Starbase ...)
4) Home defense : only colony buildings (1 Starbase at each "choking point", later 2 (money!) )
My main battle group : 5 AKKAN (level 5 to 10), later TITAN + 2 or 3 AKKAN (They work really good together, the
AKKAN stops them so the TITAN can easily kill all of them AND protecting his "wingmen" with his forcefield)
(I always send all AKKAN close to the titan "under his umbrella")
Now, all those lovers of the small ships, beware !
AKKAN can colonise, bomb planets, do RECCE alone, gets more and more internal fighters (x5) who seem always to survive, ...
I TRIED THE FRIGATES, ... ! (Full research)
When I build 1 hundred of whatever I have no points left for AKKAN/TITAN !
(My TITAN sitting in his shed saying "no points for me?" broke my heart !)
I attack ! When one gets busted to much I retreat this one or all next to my Starbase who repairs them while shooting!
I use my AKKAN to rush to the choking points (crossroads) and start up a "defensive trap":
2 Starbases , like 10 Flak towers, 2/3 Fighter hangars, 5 AKKAN in front , a rapid intervention force in the back to help when needed, a TITAN (when I get one soon enough : ASAP!)
I send out a small group attacking but staying on the border, killing some, getting some punishment and retreat to my "hospital" starbase "Come pussy, pussy, come!) No one shows up ! No problem, next "guerilla" group
This hit and run tactic costs the adversary a lot of money (killing or destroying something, no matter what)and wears him down to the point when I can attack with everything in one big blow : Game over !
Strategy is off all times, even a real war is a strategy game for the generals
You only attack when you can win !
AI cheats like hell ! NEVER I can build the first TITAN ! NEVER I can build or research quicker
And AI can command 1000 in a second while we destroy our mouse trying to get everything and everyone in place!
Well, one page is enough, so, maybe someone gets a new idea with this, good night, leko
Man, you gotta get me whatever shit it is you be smoking...
make some 4-5 scouts. they don't really count after entire map is discovered against the ai.The first ship you should build is an akkan. Go colonize. Next ship you should build is a colony frigate. go colonize faster. the next 3-4 ships you should build are more colony frigates. Go colonize even more faster. (maybe throw in some corvettes to colonize even more faster).
Find a chokepoint. Build that starbase. build 3 repair platforms.
Make flak titan. park it next to starbase. get titan to level 10. build only percheron carrier with one fighter one bomber.
PRESS WIN BUTTON! enough for AI
Two accounts created this month - Check
Two accounts talking about the Ankylon/Flak Titan - Check
One already a suspected hydra - Check
I wonder if... ahh, nevermind
Reply to : DarthMelkor ... 4-5 scouts
obvious, i make 2-3 , they survive like 5-10 min (first biggy they jump to bye bye) but reveal at least a part of the map, helping strategy
... first ship you should build is an akkan. Go colonize...
My point, but I continue making like for asap to colonize alone and upgrade, when opposition too heavy i send backup or retreat it and start forming bigger battle groups (each colony it protects until local defense active and so on)
.... chokepoint. Build that starbase. build 3 repair platforms ....
Agreed , but as TECL does repair I build only 1 rep station
... Make flak titan. park it next to starbase ...
Agreed, TEC Titan is the best flak once upgraded, but I do not leave it home, with company (AKKAN) he can win some small fights and retreat (starbase) when he gets punched too much and when he upgrades he can protect his wingmen easily. I usually give him 3 Akkan and they reach level 10 (in time)
... percheron carrier with one fighter one bomber...
I do not use it because they get killed easy and each Akkan has double fighters and survives
That is the main advantage of strategy games, there are always several solutions you can use to respond to difficulties,
When you whin the battle, later the war, they are all valid !
TEC must colonize very fast in the beginning , easy with Akkan (advantage, he upgrades meanwhile)
You have to occupy choke points quickly and protect the resources inside your territory, without resources you loose !
After that I continue expanding with one or 2 (later) battlegroups, keeping a rapid intervention force in the back to intervene where needed
... for AI ...
Small maps are to easy against AI, you need at least 2 or more to make things interesting. Never play multi star against AI, they loose because they do not really starjump (same flaw as in other games AI not being able to cross oceans effectivily) and I think AI will never be able (I wrote scenarios for several strategy games and had to "lure" them with "events" guiding them across , but Sose does not support a scenario language for the time being, a pity)
If you design a map for AI you should (if possible, not tested it yet) connect two stars with one line of planets to "convince" them to cross over
Sorry, out of topic here, so, see you
A Sinkiller comment.
He's baaaaaaaaaaaaack.
As if we didn't figure he would come back.
Back?
I'm sure he never left...
He never left, he was just hiding in the shadows, gathering his strength for the moment of his re-emergence.
hmm, I've found bombers to be very useful against AI. Can only be attacked by some cap abilities (very easy to counter this as the enemy kol/halcyon/kortul use the ability when even as low as 2 squadrons are in range),fighters and corvettes. Fighters are shredded by flak and so are corvettes. With an Ankylon in the well and supported by flak, you can destroy the fighters easily. AI does not use priority targetting and ends up chasing the units with best attack bonus. For flak, that is lf which can easily be taken down. I doubt you will be saying the same thing once you accumulate some 50-60 bomber squadrons.
BTW, who is sinkiller and why do my karma reasons say i'm his alter ego or something like that?
From what I can tell, the forum seems to be 50% sinkillr + alts saying "flak is op pls nerf" and general trolling, and the other 50% is the rest of the forum saying "oh look it's sinkillr sinkillr stop trolling"
Nope, its 99% Seleuceia alta who scream that 50% of the accounts are sinkillr's, a man who has not been seen for an entire year. Classic hypocrite.
To be honest I quite like my battleship class with any race to start with. I send a titan around with a few light frigates and blow the crap out of anything moving in other systems, then send colony frigates to expand behind the main fleet.Though that only really works against the AI. Probably wouldn't work on human players.
Haven't had much multiplayer experience though so couldn't say for sure.
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