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Author Topic:   Using missles in a Builder game

Dark Phoenix posted 04-07-99 02:13 PM ET
I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck using missles. When I first started playing I pretty much wrote them off as a waste of resources but now I'm not so sure. What caught my attention was when Santiago used missles to eradicate the defenders in 3 of my costal cities and captured them before I could move up support. I took them back but it scared the crap out of me how easily she pulled it off considering how badly I had her out tech-ed.
Just so you get an idea of my playing style, I usually play as the Gaians and my games usually run like this:
1. Scout the immediate area and find all the factions I can (or at least get the damn com frequencies).
2. Beg, borrow, or steal all the starting techs.
3. Eradicate everyone on my starting continent.
4. Build cities across the continent, and turn it into a massive fortress.
5. Build an air force and use it to kill anything stupid enough to come within 10 squares of my coast.
6. Use a combination of a navy, probe teams, and political double-dealing to keep the other factions alive but at each others throats till I'm so far up the tech tree they'll never stop me.
7. Commence "Operation: Mongol Horde"
I guess what I really wanna know is would it be worth it to use missles to beat down factions that are getting to powerful, or would I be better of using the resources for something more permanent?
Thanks for your time.....
Frank Moore posted 04-07-99 02:50 PM ET
I really only build missiles if there is a target, typically a city with a lot of units behind a perimeter defense and tachyon field. They do have their uses, but that is the only time I really use them. Interestingly enough, very rarely do I get hit by missiles, I wonder if this is because I don't use them or what?
Spartan Frank posted 04-07-99 03:57 PM ET
Missiles can be very useful at times, particularly when you are up against someone that is technically advanced and well defended.
For example, I was fighting PKs at deep into the game (I had all tech at this point and Lal was at ~ 80%). Had made the mistake of ignoring unit morale for a while and fell behind, allowing PKs and Gaians to become first and second largest factions. Eventually got my act together with lots of bioenhancement centers, aerospace complexes, etc. and blitzed Deirdre's ass. Having built up a massive force of Empath Singularity hover tanks, I took out a huge Gaian faction in a few rounds.
Which brings us to the missiles. Lal was located on a large, relatively isolated continent. He had gotten a few SPs that I wanted and they were in cities in the middle of his territory. Nearly all of his cities had perimeter defenses and all of his troops were elite (f'in cyborg factory!!). So, I loaded a bunch of missiles on a transport, blasted the crap out of one of his main SP bases and orbitally inserted several drop shard troops and drop singularity hovertanks into the empty city. This gave me a foothold in the middle of his territory that he could not shake and allowed me to pretty quickly eradicate the rest of his cities.
Yes, I could have taken the bastard without the missiles. I had amassed a hugely unnecessary force, but the missiles really help on the blitzing front. It allows you to take many cities in a single turn (before they can react). Copters are good for this too.
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Author	Topic: Using missles in a Builder game
Dark Phoenix	posted 04-07-99 02:13 PM ET I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck using missles. When I first started playing I pretty much wrote them off as a waste of resources but now I'm not so sure. What caught my attention was when Santiago used missles to eradicate the defenders in 3 of my costal cities and captured them before I could move up support. I took them back but it scared the crap out of me how easily she pulled it off considering how badly I had her out tech-ed. Just so you get an idea of my playing style, I usually play as the Gaians and my games usually run like this: 1. Scout the immediate area and find all the factions I can (or at least get the damn com frequencies). 2. Beg, borrow, or steal all the starting techs. 3. Eradicate everyone on my starting continent. 4. Build cities across the continent, and turn it into a massive fortress. 5. Build an air force and use it to kill anything stupid enough to come within 10 squares of my coast. 6. Use a combination of a navy, probe teams, and political double-dealing to keep the other factions alive but at each others throats till I'm so far up the tech tree they'll never stop me. 7. Commence "Operation: Mongol Horde" I guess what I really wanna know is would it be worth it to use missles to beat down factions that are getting to powerful, or would I be better of using the resources for something more permanent? Thanks for your time.....
Frank Moore	posted 04-07-99 02:50 PM ET I really only build missiles if there is a target, typically a city with a lot of units behind a perimeter defense and tachyon field. They do have their uses, but that is the only time I really use them. Interestingly enough, very rarely do I get hit by missiles, I wonder if this is because I don't use them or what?
Spartan Frank	posted 04-07-99 03:57 PM ET Missiles can be very useful at times, particularly when you are up against someone that is technically advanced and well defended. For example, I was fighting PKs at deep into the game (I had all tech at this point and Lal was at ~ 80%). Had made the mistake of ignoring unit morale for a while and fell behind, allowing PKs and Gaians to become first and second largest factions. Eventually got my act together with lots of bioenhancement centers, aerospace complexes, etc. and blitzed Deirdre's ass. Having built up a massive force of Empath Singularity hover tanks, I took out a huge Gaian faction in a few rounds. Which brings us to the missiles. Lal was located on a large, relatively isolated continent. He had gotten a few SPs that I wanted and they were in cities in the middle of his territory. Nearly all of his cities had perimeter defenses and all of his troops were elite (f'in cyborg factory!!). So, I loaded a bunch of missiles on a transport, blasted the crap out of one of his main SP bases and orbitally inserted several drop shard troops and drop singularity hovertanks into the empty city. This gave me a foothold in the middle of his territory that he could not shake and allowed me to pretty quickly eradicate the rest of his cities. Yes, I could have taken the bastard without the missiles. I had amassed a hugely unnecessary force, but the missiles really help on the blitzing front. It allows you to take many cities in a single turn (before they can react). Copters are good for this too.