opening strats for highracry

[xXxFMGUYxXx]

the tital explains it whats a standard BO that i could grasp as a noob.

[Spectreofwar]

Build walker, move walker to enemy base, stomp on base, claim victory (in a nutshell).

-Build your Reaper Drone (and a spare Glyph Carver or two, depending on your preferences)
-Build a Habitat Walker (1)
-Build more Reaper Drones
-Once walker drops, send it to the enemy base while making troops on the way.
---> Research Assault 1 for Anti-Air, and for plasma grenades for Grunts and plasma bombs for Lost Ones
---> Research Mutagen 1 for irradiated shots for troops (provides damage over time) and makes your walker leak radioactive junk if your first assault fails.
---> kick the crap out of everything with Grunts, and bomb buildings (or heroes) with Lost Ones.

This seems to be the most common Hierarchy rush tactic I've faced (and use, truth be told).
Other successful ones I've seen are:

-Build Assembly Walker (2)
-Build scores of Defilers
---> irradiate enemy territory as you come across it and blast stuff.

And:

-Build Assembly Walker (3)
-Build tons of Phase Tanks
---> phase past defenses, destroy sensitive structures and kill opposing builders until walker arrives to stomp on the rest.

That last one worked particularly well against me at least one time.

These are generally quick-victory strategies, and sometimes don't lend themselves to be the most involved. Build up some defenses and experiment, see what your enemy throws at you and react, and you might find it a bit more enjoyable, depending on your playstyle :)

-J

[xXxFMGUYxXx]

thanks for the help but how many reaper drones shuold i start with in general.

[Spectreofwar]

Generally try to mix it between 2 for certain, and as many as you can afford in between troop summons and walker/tech upgrades as you can after that. Steer your first or second reapers toward any instant-grabs you see, such as cows, telephone poles, and any civilians you manage to frighten out of their homes -- it makes the beginning of the game go that much more smoothly if you can afford everything right off the bat.

Good luck!

-J

[SargentTaters]

sounds pretty good! ill be trying some of these right away! *sticks disk in Xbox*

anyways would youmind expanding on the last two builds? such as which research would go best with each or whatnot.

also what about more than two player games? what sort of medium-boomer strat would you recommend?

[Spectreofwar]

Expanding on Assembly walkers:

Try to research Assault 3 and Quantum 3 -- this gives you plenty of power in your mobile fortress (including Molecular Armour to preotect yourself from getting bombed). Also getting a Science walker out and using the Visual Enhancer/Optimizer things to see the whole map makes for fantastic enemy clean-up.

For a variation get the Science walker, see the whole map, and then use nothing but plasma guns on the legs and range enhancers on the body of a walker, and you can take out Masari fortifications (and power plants) long before you're in range of danger.

For MP be sure to coordinate with your ally (if you have one) but either way you'll be saving some money for defenses. KEEP YOUR REAPERS ALIVE.

I'm no multiplayer master but what I see work most often is when allies work in tandem to eliminate one enemy at a time while using minimal resources to keep THEIR allies off-balance.

Kinda tricky, sometimes.

-J

[SargentTaters]

my friend saw me play once, i had a walker in an enemy base, noticed that i stomped a building and suggested that i just use the walker to stomp the entire base. i disagreed with him saying that it wasn't a valid strategy because the walkers are way too slow for that, but he said i should try anyways, so i stopped what i was doing and gave the imperative move order. it took an extra couple of minutes but it worked. though i did take heavy losses. i still think its a bad strategy, any thoughts?

[Spectreofwar]

That's what us Hierarchy players DO! ;)

Of course you walk on bases. Why?

- Because it's fun;
- Because it's still efficient if your walker is shooting up units or other things not directly in its path;
- Because it's also a symbolism of the Hierarchy itself - crushing your enemies underfoot, total dominance;
- Because it's fun;
- Because it can be done, and so in this case should be done;
- Because your walker, expensive as it is, can take the heat for going toe-to-toe with the base and it keeps the enemy busy working on that while you build another walker right outside their base to stomp on it a second time;
AND LASTLY

- Because it's fun!

If you feel your walker is too slow (and they are slow, but not so slow that sending one to stomp on a base isn't scary for the other player), you can research Assault Suite 4 which gives your walkers a 60% speed bonus. 60%! it also enables the Assembly walker beam cannon hardpoints which is fabulous for taking out base installations (although it does have a 30 second - or was it one minute? - cooldown).

Despite the boon to having Assault 4, many people still opt for Quantum 3 instead for the armour. For these people the walkers are a decent speed to work with anyway, and instead get to be substantially tougher to take out as they stomp on the base. If your walker cannot be destroyed, what's the harm in stepping on defenses? :)

Note: Any base can be stepped on, and if timed right walkers can stomp on vehicles (such as amplifiers, peacebringers, and inverters). What you CANNOT stomp on is the opposing player's primary facility (where they make their builders). That you simply shoot out or bomb or whatever (when the rest of their base is gone, what are they going to do to you at that point anyway?).

You want to try a fun domination approach? Research Assault 4 (and Mutagen 1, doesn't matter what your last one is). Get two Habitat walkers and pump out tons of grunts and lost ones; Science walker and see the whole map; Range enhancers on the walkers; send the walkers after an enemy with the foot soldiers only immediately in front of them.

You generally don't get this to happen when you're playing against a human opponent, but DAMN is the computer screwed. If you manage to do this against a human player then what fun it can be! ... just not usually for them :(

-J

[SargentTaters]

yes but if your walker is moving to step on the enemy base, it will stop to shoot stuff. but if you give it an imperitive order, it wont shoot. i would rather it shoot stuff =\

[xXxFMGUYxXx]

i have done this before. simply click behind the base. the walker should be still shooting and stepping on any thing it miss. as a rule of thumb never leave your walker standing still in the enemy base. keep it moving to do as much damage as possible. :wink:

[SargentTaters]

i have done this before. simply click behind the base. the walker should be still shooting and stepping on any thing it miss. as a rule of thumb never leave your walker standing still in the enemy base. keep it moving to do as much damage as possible. :wink:
not for me. they always stop to attack stuff