TACTICS: ns_nothing

blu.knight · 05-26-2007, 06:40 PM

The situation:

Cargo is the Alien's starting hive.

The theory:

With cargo hive, the aliens have a prime location to completely cripple the marines' ability for expansion, and also due to the aliens' ability to move faster, can take over the bottom half of the map (northern part, lower elevation).

The proposal:

As marines, I would like to try either a relocation to somewhere on the lower side of the map.

This would give the marines the ability to control both hives, and give them stronger control of all 5 nodes on the bottom.

I think the best place, albeit the riskiest, would be at Viaduct Access West. If one person was covering the vent, the others could get an armory up quickly, and get some mines in the vent. This would also give two long hallways to shoot down, in case of fades, an rt, and that way you are practically already at the siege spot for viaduct.

If the base was created around the corner from gen (in the hallway with the vent to cargo), it would prevent lerks from using the red room vent to gas.

I believe this map is split into two zones, the higher elevation and the lower. This is due to observing many many many games on this map.

Using jetpack would be interesting in this situation as well...
You wouldn't really be given any benefit from the red room since your base is already at the siege spot, but Viaduct and Power Silo are the two hives that are most easily overcome by jetpack rushes... also with your marines spawning in via west, you could easily do a quick strike on cargo through that vent... and if you have been using mines appropriately, the aliens by that time should have realized that vent means death, and so would not be coming that way. If they didn't know you have jetpack yet, they would be caught completely unaware not realizing you could access their hive from there.

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So what are others thoughts on this?

This strategy requires the commander to very quickly determine their hive, and would probably work best with a plan to relocate to gen... If the hive is cargo, that relocate could then be diverted from miasma down the elevator to ominous so as to avoid the inevitable ambush in gen.

Stupid · 05-26-2007, 08:28 PM

Aliens can hold 4 nodes with this strat pretty easily - 2x cargo, miasma, MS. Gen is probably neutral (no one holds it). The marines are left with 3 easy nodes to hold - Via west, Via hive, Ominous. Silo and foreboding are tougher, but doable. Lerks could really put a hurt on marines spawning in via.

I can't think of a better relocation. Reloc to Gen is about as good - with a PG in Via hive or in Ominous.

blu.knight · 05-26-2007, 09:06 PM

I think with a pg in marine start and in silo the marines could dominate... The silo and foreboding rts are harder for the marines to hold, but the aliens need to cross the map to get to them too.. and if there is enough pressure towards gen and their nodes, they won't have time to do so

ChopStick · 05-27-2007, 04:46 PM

Depends if the aliens (after a successful relocate) put enough effort towards getting silo hive up. You would have a very tough time getting over there.

Tal · 05-28-2007, 01:17 AM

it would be pretty hard to get the relocation to work, the aliens have countless ambush spots along the way

blu.knight · 05-28-2007, 06:44 AM

Does anyone else have any other ideas incorporating this idea that aliens can dominate the upper half due to their location? (ideas to give the marines a greater advantage)

The thing is, relocating to generator works rather well when they have silo or vent hive, but if the hive is cargo gen is merely a hop and a skip away. Even when you do get gen, it's still can be difficult to get into the lower half because the aliens can still get their very quickly from cargo and the elevators heavily delay the marines.

I have seen marine games won mainly just by holding the upper half of the map, and have also seen alien games won just by holding the lower half. Games that turn out divided like that end up being rather even. With cargo hive though, the upper half is much more contested, and the lower half is much harder to reach due to all the alien pressure and due to distance and elevators.

Stupid · 05-28-2007, 09:00 AM

Send marines to Ominous through Pipe Room - reloc. there. Try and lock down Silo as fast as possible. Leaves the aliens with 2x cargo, gen (probably), Marine start nodes. Via west, Ominous, 2x silo are probably marine nodes. Via hive probably marine.