Let's BLITZ

[chemical_art]

I don't know if this is worth a  new thread. I think so because it is so different.


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My previous game (http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,8104.0.html) hit a roadblock with the zombie guardians: I simply couldn't find a clean solution. Various strategies left me no where 3 hours in, so I ditched the game. I concluded I wanted reclaimator free units that favor blitzing.

Hello Nenzul Younglings! More specifically weasels. They are very durable, very cheap, and wonderful at stirring up any potential border aggression.

Game strategy: BLITZ! Always have nenzul caps attacking the enemy. Slam them against AI planets to wear down the AI and encourage counter attacks. Perform on a tactical level (planet-wise) what the AI attempts on a galaxy wise level and wear down the AI faster then they can reinforce. Don't be suicidal and pull out as necessary, but always be on the offensive unless regrouping. Use neinzul as first wave of an attack, the first in defense, the first and only ship to clear out potential border aggresion.

Fighters will act as mobile defense guardians. Turrets are only used enough meant to prevent AI aggression unless on key worlds. I shall act swiftly for as long as I can while avoiding using bombers, frigates, and starships to absoluetly save on energy and resources.

Only take planets that must be taken: AI research, civ spires, economic / logistical hubs. Tech IV planets are to not be alerted for as long as possible. Intentionally leave tech II planets unneutralized to encourage wasted reinforcement.

Photos will be added to describe progress. But I need to dig them up.



This is the first photo I took. But it would be easier to explain it with some Priority signs to designate plans. Let me add them.

[chemical_art]

So here we have an updated map:



Designations of priority indicate planet status.
For my own planets:
P-2 ; trash, only turrets are to ward of planet aggression. Fleets handle wave defense.
P-9; homeworld of Ickkisav. Multiple layers of defenses here in addition to factories.

Enemy planets:
P0 - All tech IV planets, and their neighbors, are to be avoided for as long as possible to not stir up reinforcements and potential problems.
P3 - Planet is not neutered but periodically swept of enemy units of potential border aggression using nenzul. This encourages reinforcements at relatively easy to deal with places.
P5- Swept and neutred, these places act as conduits as necessary. 
P8 Ribmelboat- Location of Civilian Spire and Armored Golem. Current short-term objective.
P8 - Boataolau - Location of Factory IV AND Dyson sphere AND B-shield generator. Should be liberated when possible.

Currently hitting hard with MK I,II caps of nenzul when sweeping and hitting Ribmelboat. MK I,II,III fighters playing moble defense. Saving up to use that golem.

[chemical_art]

Current progress:





Changes in objectives:
Armored Golem constructed, Dyson Sphere liberated. A mk II forcefield and fort hold fast the planet still, they shall be dealt with using custom created bomber I cap.

New objectives:
Survive incoming spirecraft wave (~93%) with both civ spire and homeworld entact.
I lack knowledge to hold more civilian spires, I need to perform other objectives before taking more
Obtain another adv research station
Raid to get more scout lanes open.
Find MK IV factory not on dyson sphere
Use Armored Golem frequently; do not lose momentum!

New friendly planet designations
P1-Trash
P8-Civilian Spire
P9-Homeworld

Enemy planet new designations:
P0: avoid
P1: avoid
P2: Avoid, sweep if necessary
P3: Sweep, but not neuteur, frequently
P5: Sweep frequently
P6: Data center to hit
P7: Research AI to take
P8: Civilian Spires to take

[Red Spot]

Very interesting playingstyle, very different than my own. That again does make it interesting to read this report
Keep up the good work nuking the AI

[chemical_art]

Notes: Have now survived a counterattack wave, spirecraft wave, golem wave, and 2 regular waves. Time to resume offense.

But I am not sure where to go. I have done several mid-term objectives, but until I get a MK IV factory I cannot really shift to end-game strategies because I lack scouting reports.

However, there IS a signal at Harme which is conveniently neutered between two friendly planets. With a fighter, weasel, armored golem fleet I feel as  ready as I can be for whatever shall come up. (I have never got this far for light of the spire).

[chemical_art]

Oh shiitake mushrooms! For spoilers sake I won't go to details, but this is vicious fighting from the signal event. My factories are pumping nenzul to defense while my fighters do hit and run tactics. Dyson gatlings came swarming in for emergency defense, but even they were pushed back. My Armored Golem is acting as a battleship and is annhilating everything while taking a beating. After getting it into friendly territory the attacks lulled a little bit, but a simulationous wave attack left Voldadm (my first captured planet) a rebuilding mess. But it is certain it will make it to the homeworld (hopefully).

I am disappointed I could not group move my shield generators to the Most Valuable Object for extra  repairable defense between lulls.

[Burnstreet]

Nice tactic, quite different from what I do, too.

Just a remark, you can use the MK IV factory on the dyson planet, if you just take it for a second and then destroy the command station.
Ideally you should protect the MK IV with a force field and some forces against the few enemy gatlings that will spawn, speed build a MK1 econ station and destroy it as soon as it is finished and you've got the factory.
You need supply there from a neighboring planet, though.

[Panopticon]

I actually just used a the same strategy for capping structures on a Dyson planet last night. I grabbed two Mk V Fabricators. It works quite well.

After you remove the hostile Dyson Gatlings that spawn, you can move in a Mobile Contstructor to fortify and reinforce the planet with whatever you need to defend it.

one more edit; Also don't forget the new Stargates. Drop one where ever you need the ships from the Fabricator/Factory/Whatever.

[chemical_art]

Took another planet for an AI research station (Z bombers! Much more useful then the first station which had gravity rippers or something fairly useless)

The same planet also is the source of the next subspace signal. I must make more preparations before investigating it, however. Namely clearing out certain warp gates.

First CPA should be coming before too long. I have temporarily stopped reinforcement squashing operations on the tech II planets so their numbers can build up to be available for it.

I plan on taking the three isolated planets beneath the newest one for some desperately needed easy-to-defend planets to provide some more economy. They are all fairly fertile.

I shall follow the advice of others and take that factory IV as needed. I say "as needed" because until I have the economy and power to support them getting the factory now would just cause headaches since I don't really need the ships this second (although I may get it before investigating the space signal further.) The factory should be secured fairly soon though so that I can access tech IV scouts.

OBJECTIVES:
1. Take the three planets underneath the newest one.
2. Defend against CPA
3. Secure factory IV
4. Investigate supspace signal
...
5. Investigate galaxy, start making long term plans.


 

[chemical_art]

Middle of CPA here. Still 800+ ships roaming about, with 300 heading right toward my civ spire, and another 200 heading to the homeworld. My own 200 fighters camped with the spire preventing a quick attack. My younglings were tied up defending the homeworld, so I had to wait for my golem to move from an opposite front to arrive on the spire world planet. Meanwhile, the 300 ship fleet suffered continuous losses from the dyson sphere units being spawned there. Eventually, the fighters and golem jumped into the distracted enemy fleet and wiped both battle groups were victorious while suffering heavy but manageable losses.



After only 15 minutes my fighter fleet recovered and threat had been narrowed to 86. So the fighters and nenzul enagaged in heavy planet suppression opperations. In addition, they did "prep work" by annhilating most units in and around two spire planets.

In addition, the new planets from the easily defended chockpoints are supplying the economy. I can now have one engineer constant repair the golem with still having some leftover resources. In addition, power supplies are up. I used the knowledge acquired to get MK II and III shield generators as well as forts. They will be added to the "Big 5" planets consisting of:

Homeworld
Factory IV (to be aquired)
Civ Spire (Ribmelboat)
Civ Spire (to be aquired)
Civ Spire (to be aquired)
Chockpoint planet Doorfu (also defending a civ spire within the economy planets)

[chemical_art]

Prep work complete, new spire planets (p8) can be aquired once armored golem sweeps in to "clean up" rogue shield posts. I also built and defended first MK III research of the gameon an enemy planets (very challenging, took whole fleet to suppress reinforcements.) In addition, I somewhat repaired golem and built a fort on my homeworld.



Settling into the new spire worlds. From here, I need to fortify the two worlds with:

MK II and III forcefield + Fort

this will take a little time but I have plenty of resources stockpiled. Once mostly complete the MK IV factory world be taken which will be defended by a similar defense, but the military station that would guard it will rather be quickly scrapped. From there I build my MK IV forces and scout.

OBJECTIVES:
1.Secure new spire homeworlds
2. Secure factory IV
3. Scout to determine end game strategy
3a. Continue investigating subspace signal
...
4. Locate and destroy shields
5. Secure new knowledge
6. Secure footholds to get to AI homeworlds
7. Defeat AI

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! - Continue planet sweeping, it is needed much more often and is now even more important with forts entering the equation.'




Once the scouting is done, a lot of planning will be needed to see how exactly I shall crack the AI. Time is no longer so very desperate since I now actually lose AIP over time IF I hold all spire towers (which will not last forever).

[chemical_art]

A long time has passed! Simply because no more offensives have been done. From 5:30 from 6:30 was securing the main planets. 6:30 to 7:15 it was simply building up forts, sweeping planets, and securing the MK IV factory. All very time consuming. All boring reporting, if OK game play.

At around 7:15 CPA warning came up. Basis was for setting up basic strategy of defensive positions covering 5 planets. 7:30 wave came in. Defenses are keeping enemy out, but they need to be cleared out, quickly, before a spire wave marches in to overwhelm defenses. Picture of balance point...

OBJECTIVES:
Clear out the garrison of 602 firepower AT.ANY.COST. short of nuke. my best guess is to fire a missile (not sure weather to use EMP or Lightning, maybe both!). These are followed by the absolute might of my current military. This will clear around 400 of enemy threat. CPA's are rare events and this time block is at a very crucial time. If I can beat down this group quickly, I can absorb an incoming spire craft wave, then quickly resume an offense. I have been bogged down for two hours already, time to shift the momentum.

After crushing this wave, I'll regroup and start aggressive following the Spire storyline (I have no idea what's coming next! I grow weary of gathering shards, but I hope I'll be getting close to doing something new storywise.) After I survive this wave I can plan my next few moves. I am so very close to transitioning from "Mid game" to "Late game" in that I can plan for the rest of the game. The next CPA will be between 11:00 and 13:00, I need to get stronger even if AIP goes up a bit.

[Panopticon]

I'm enjoying the risky style you've got going with this LP.

Looking forward to seeing how your massive assault goes.

[chemical_art]

Thanks for the continued responses. They seriously make all this worth it.





I said I would "break out" and I quickly did. Using lightning warheads I punched through a 500 ship group on Genginnow.  Anoher MK I warhead punched through Swouo which was also building up. I am now aggressively following the subspace signals with my whole fleet being involved. Still no real long term plans other then following the story, quickly.



Still following the story. Sweeps are occasionally done. Rarran and Harme are like bleeding sores; dyson gatlings and Nenzul sweeps into the two planets always seem to find enemies to slam into. Tech V units from exo-galactic forces love to hide in these planets.



Story wise, next planet has been found. Banglik, location of a data farm, is otherwise useless to my long term plans. I neutured the nearby tech IV planet (heavy ground casualties, but all quickly replaced while enemy resistence did not.) I am unsure how exactly I intend to drag a crystal from Banglik to Ickisav. I could either Take over the planet and take a 15 AIP hit, or hit 3 nearby worlds' AI gates and take 15 AIPl Or I do both and get hit with 30 AIP but also obtain a hub for knowledge raids.

[chemical_art]

Preparations for taking the crystal. Fronts are quiet.



Crystal taking in full swing, although you can't tell really.



Here I outlasted the opposition and took the crystal. I really wish I knew what happened to my pics as I tried to take the crystal. I was stumped on how to defend the crystal; I simply couldn't destroy the ships fast enough.

Warheads solved this problem. I would rotate them in groups of 2 or 3 with cloaking starships allowing them to always hit their targets. A well placed Lightning warhead can cripple one wave, and a EMP warhead can buy precious time. I must of burned about 20 AIP just from warheads, in addition to badly wounding my golem and annihilating my fleets. This story line is quite expensive.


This pic also shows an incoming CPA. I was expecting it to come no sooner then 11:00, so to see another one so early caught me by surprise.