Er... *Cough Cough.. Help?

[hilariouslijah]

Hey all, I'm new to AI war, and I recently started a campaign with one of the AI types as "Shield Ninny". I am already regretting my decision, as a planet that I really want (It has an Advanced Research Station, a Distribution Node, and a Showdown Device) is equipped with a fortress . I have launched 3 massive waves, consisting of most of my fleet (including the Campion and a lot of starships), but I just can't kill the damn thing. . I am hoping someone can enlighten me about strategies against fortresses.
P.S: It's a MK III fortress, so yeah.

[Lancefighter]

bombers are basically immune to fortresses. One thing I maybe could recommend is the use of warheads - you have three choices, with varying results and AIP:

EMP warhead - Kinda nice, makes everything quiet so you can do random things. Planet-wide effect, 30s or so per

Lightning warhead - blows up small ships first, good at clearing tons of junk, not so great against fortresses

Armored warhead - super great at blowing up fortress, marginally less useful against masses of units (lower range is mostly the thing).

Either of these will really help if you absolute *must* have it. Otherwise, consider waves of suicide bombers to blow up the fortress - A fortress basically cannot destroy bombers. (or any polycrystal hull). itll be timely and kinda expensive, but eventually the fort will die.

Final option is just to ignore it. A fort's range is actually kinda small , so you can blow up what you need and take the command station and then put up your own, getting the ars and other things.

[Arc-3N-4B]

Alternatively, you could spend some knowledge to unlock one of the higher mark turrets. They have radar dampening, and a max range greater than that, so if you build, say, mk2 missile turrets they should take the fort out with no trouble whatsoever.

[Bognor]

If you're using Missile Turrets, Mark I should do just fine 

Or Sniper Turrets for that matter.

[Shrugging Khan]

Or destroy the command station on that world and those on all the adjacent ones - it might deprive the Fortress and the shields of supply.

[hilariouslijah]

Thanks! I'll try the warhead strategy. The problem is, the command station has invincibility and the generation is right next to the damn fortress. Thanks again.

[vigilo confido]

Fortresses are not that hard. Just send bomber starships as they take only 1% damage from fortresses.

[motai]

final option not yet presented is to hack it sabotage hack will do the job if i remember right

[MaxAstro]

Sabotage hack would be my reccomendation.  They really save my bacon from time to time.  If you think a Mk3 fort is bad alone, try one under a forcefield next to a bomber-vaporizing laser guard post...

[Draco18s]

Sabotage hack would be my reccomendation.  They really save my bacon from time to time.  If you think a Mk3 fort is bad alone, try one under a forcefield next to a bomber-vaporizing laser guard post...

That's easy.  Blow up the guard post first.  Non-bomber units CAN get into range of it before they all die.  Bombers, OTOH will never even tickle the shield.

Try a laser guard post under a force field adjacent to a fort.  You're fucked if you don't use bombers and your bombers are fucked.

[Kahuna]

In that case you will have to beachhead the planet. Use Mark >= II Needler Turrets to destroy the Force Field, then Sniper Turrets to destroy the Laser Guard Post and then Bombers for the Fort.

If I remember correctly HBCs also have radar dampening so they can be used to destroy the fort too. I think I destroyed a Super Fortress with a Mark IV HBC once.