Advanced Strategies [INLINE] This page provides tactical tips of a more advanced or specialized nature. * The "Testudo" Formation. Footsoldiers in the Roman Army were trained to protect themselves from missile fire by interlocking their shields forming a protective dome under which they could advance in relative safety (testudo is Latin for tortoise). You can perform a similar feat with your Hercs by lining them up shoulder-to-shoulder and putting all their shield reinforcement forward. As the line advances, the enemy will be forced to take their shots at the strongest shield facing or do an "end run" around the line to hit the rear of the formation. Small fragile Hercs, like your scouts, can hide behind this "wall", running out during your turn to attack or reconnoiter. This strategy is very effective against the computer AI. The drawbacks of the formation are: slow speed (the line can only move as fast as the slowest member), poor maneuverability, and a definite susceptibility to flanking attacks which any human opponent will take advantage of. Humans can also target their mortars to explode in the hex behind the line, thus attacking your weakest shield. Still, even when facing a human opponent, this formation is the safest bet for advancing on a distant enemy force. [A note when using this strategy against the computer: the AI uses an algorithim which compares possible target's shield-to-damage ratios when deciding to fire. Using a number of identical Hercs will enhance this tactic's effectiveness] [INLINE] [The "Testudo" in action. Notice the Sensei crouched behind the line, safe from enemy fire. The cannon-armed Giant is given a central position to exploit any shields downed by the Demons.] * The "Bait-and-Switch." In the latter stages of the campaign you will have at your disposal Hercs which can be equipped with phenomenal amounts of shielding and armor. It is possible for a pair of Hercs so equipped to protect the rest of your force from almost all incoming fire. The computer AI will almost invariably fire at the target giving the best to-hit percentage, usually the closest. By positioning a Herc one to three hexes ahead of the rest of your troops you can almost guarantee that the computer will direct the bulk of its attacks at the "bait." Since you have outfitted this Herc with the best protection available, it should easily withstand the damage inflicted. At the start of your next turn you can "switch" this Herc with another similarly equipped to allow the first to recharge its shields. Meanwhile, as the computer wastes shot after shot on shields it can never hope to penetrate, the rest of your forces can advance unmolested. Note that this tactic is in many ways the flip side of the Testudo, since it attempts to focus enemy fire on a single Herc while the other tries to spread it out evenly across your forces. * "Wolf-pack" attacks. A simple but useful strategy. If you organize cheap, fast Hercs into groups then they can bring down much more powerful Hercs with little trouble by using a hit-and-fade style of attack. Each member of the "pack" runs up to the target, fires once or twice, then moves away only to be replaced by another Herc doing the same. In this way the target is worn down piece by piece. Though each individual in the "pack" is easy to destroy, the "pack" as a whole is very hard to eliminate totally. * Kill the Scouts. The computer is very bad about letting its fast scout units approach you ahead of the main force. Take advantage of this by killing them early in the mission, robbing the enemy of targeting information on your troops. If a human opponent gets sloppy, by all means, take advantage of it. Many commanders will save money and weight by equipping their attack Hercs with low-grade sensors, relying instead on their scouts' expensive sensors to spot you. Eliminating the scouts in such a force will significantly hamper its effectiveness. * Old 'Derms never die... Always check the roster that comes up during the debriefing. If any of your 'Derms are about to die of old age remove them from active duty (don't assign them to a Herc). Unassigned 'Derms DO NOT AGE and can be held as a reserve of seasoned pilots ready to brought out of the freezer for critical missions (i.e. C.C. Assaults). Since they will only last one more mission anyway, you can throw them into battle in cheap Hercs and use them as cannon fodder to protect your more expensive units, or send them on deep penetration missions with self-detonators strapped to their machines. * Bounty Bonus. You are awarded 1000 credits for each Cybrid you destroy in a mission, regardless of chassis type. If you leave a construction node unmolested while destroying the rest of the Cybrids on base assault missions the node will produce three Verminus' each turn until 256 have been released. These Verminus' cannot move on the turn on which they are made and are safe and easy targets. Not only will you earn a handsome bonus, your 'Derms will gain valuble experience.[Maragoudakis Giorgos] _________________________________________________________________ Main Menu This page was last updated on October 5, 1996