Core Raid Engine Guard Posts (2x)?!

[corfe83]

I thought I was finally in a good spot to beat my first campaign (have a good base, Mk. IV factory, 4x ARS, lots of knowledge, AI progress not too high, etc.). Then I saw the 2nd AI homeworld - it has 2 Core Raid Engine guard post things (whatever they're called).

So as soon as I enter the system adjacent to the AI homeworld, I get 2x 1:00 countdowns, and when the timer reaches zero, a TON of Mk. V ships spawn. What the heck can I do? I only have unlocked Mk. 3 of bomber, frigate, fighter - all my other ship types are Mk. 2. This seems really, really difficult to finish.

Any suggestions?

[Orelius]

Core Raid Engines are a nasty piece of work.  When you encounter one, you're either going to have to find a way to take them down while they are spawning waves, or turning the game into a base race between you and the raid waves.  I suggest that you use spirecraft penetrators to snipe off the raid engine waves as soon as your defences are capable of fighting the core ships.  If you can't get the penetrators there safely (because of tachyon nonsense and all), then you're going to have to expend lots of effort to either get your forces to destroy the raid engine, or destroy all the tachyon producers so the penetrators can do the job.

Of course, there's only so much I can say without more information.  What AI difficulties/types are you playing against?  Are there any settings we should be aware of?

[Commiesalami]

I've had 2x core raid engines + a CPA guard post in a single system before so it could always be worse.

First deploy your ships using transports, the raid engines wont trigger until the transports are unloaded.  So you can run a raider force into the AI homeworld via transport while leaving the bulk of your forces to handle the counter-attack.  Have the raider force unload off near the system edge that is closest to the guard post.  Transports only unload 10 troops per second (20/sec if you have MKIIs), so unloading in point blank range isn't a good idea.  As for getting your fleet to the 2nd guard post you have to make the call, if there is another post or 2 in the way you may have to fly a roundabout path to get there, or it may be best to re-load up all your ships onto the transports and ferry them around that way.

Bring along MkIII engineers as well, and put them on FRD.  MkIIIs dont need supply and will help to repair your fleet between the guard posts or during the fight.

There is no way (at least that I know of) of taking down a Raid Engine without it launching at least one wave (killing the Engine wont stop the wave) so your going to have to take your lumps, use lightning warheads or Martyrs if you got them to thin the herd.

[Wanderer]

Get ready to bottle up and take the hit, unfortunately.  My usual method is to cloak some transports with Raid Starships in, let the engines fire off and go past, then run in and pop both ASAP.  With a transport fleet your primary transports will make it past.  You might also transport the cloakers in for sanity.

[corfe83]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I don't have spirecraft or golems enabled. I'm playing 7/7 both vanilla AI. AI progress is around 260 (Mk 2). Generally most fancy expansion features are disabled (no dyson sphere, etc.). Simple ship types enabled, only.

I also forgot to mention that there are 2 gravity guardians on the neighboring world that I have to destroy on the way in. Of course, sending in even a small number of ships to destroy the gravity guardians fires up 2 raid engine waves :-P Or if I hide them in transports, they can't make it far due to the gravity guardians.

I think everyone agrees I need to bottle up and take the hit, so I'll prepare to do that.

Any ideas on how to get around the gravity guardians? Are there any ship types that are immune to gravity? Also, will missiles be helpful here? I don't mind a little AI progress. If I don't surpass this obstacle, I'm going to lose the game anyway.

[chemical_art]

To counter the gravity ones I'd do a ship blob with missile frigates. If I remember right they outrange them, so can eventually bring them down. Raider starships are immune I think.