First time using Golems

[MrValley]

I started a game with 7/7 AI difficulty, and decided to turn on Broken Golems Medium.  I found an armored golem, and the only was i know how ot describe it is that its a Borg cube.  It just churns up anything I throw it at without giving a shit.  I even threw it at an AI homeworld, just to see what would happen (it got almost insta-killed by implosion guard posts, good thing I saved!)

My question is are all the golems this ridiculous?  I found a guide that explained a bit about each of the golems, but it seems out of date.  It mentions an attrition rate, which doesn't seem to be int he game anymore, and also mentions that the AI can use golems against you, which I haven't seen yet.  Just looking at the stats of them in-game, it seems like the regenerator golem is also really good (planning to take that one next).

The guide I found is this one: http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php?topic=9700.0

[Zebeast46]

I have not actually turned any golems on because of the supposed attrition rate so I dont know

[Dominus Arbitrationis]

I haven't played with Golems very much, but my small experience with them makes me extraordinarily scared if the AI can get them. They all have strengths, but I do think that the armored ones are the most powerful. The others did seem to eat a bunch of the AI ships, but the exogalactic attacks wiped them out pretty quick.

[MrValley]

I'm now in the end-game, and I havent seen a single golem belonging to the AI or any sort of attrition rate on the golems.  It felt like there were more implosion guard posts than usual, so maybe that's what keeps you from just steamrolling straight through to the homeworlds.

Armored golems arent quite as OP as i first thought they were.  Early/mid game they can crush just about anything the AI has but once you start getting close to the core worlds you run the risk of getting them killed, and not just from implosion weapons, but from the AI's sheer numbers.  Haven't has a chance to test the artillery golem yet.

[Aklyon]

Golems generally only show up as exowave material. And only big exowaves at that, like later Fallen Spire level ones or waves from a slightly miffed Vicious Exotic. Though you'll probably see Spirecraft Shield Bearers and/or Dire Guardians show up before golems do, in my experience.

Theres also a Golemite AI type, which uses a different set of golems with lower (I think) stats but the same types, sans botnet golem. Not sure why you'd want to play on Golems Medium though, its giving the AI extra AIP and costing you more energy, last I checked compared to Easy or Hard.

[Mal]

Golems for the AI also appear from Astro Train construction projects, just to add that to your watch list.

I have also seen them with Shark Plot B enabled at 8, when I lost a command center, the AI followed up with a regenerator golem and some special forces.

Special forces might get them too? As stated above, I have seen them roaming with the Shark Plot B follow-up attack.

[MrValley]

If they normally only come with exowaves/trains then that explains why I haven't seen any yet.  Thanks for the info, I guess I should be extra careful with taking the Ai homeworlds.  I might make a short guide on the golems after experimenting with them a little more since there doesnt seem to be one that is up to date.

[Bognor]

Welcome to the forums, MrVally!

Golem attrition was removed as it just created extra micro, encouraging players to simply power-down a golem to avoid attrition whenever it wasn't in use. 

Golems have been buffed significantly since the 2012 guide, especially the Regen Golem, which now has vampyrism and reduced running costs (I think).  Orbital Mass Drivers have also been massively buffed, which makes using golems against core worlds and homeworlds far more risky, unless you take out the OMDs first.

The Golemite AI type does indeed get Botnet Golems, but they only have 10% of their regular hitpoints, whereas I think the others have 50%.




[MINOR SPOILER]



Hive Golems are awesome, but if you're ever planning to attack a homeworld with one... Maybe save the game first ;-)