Taking down SuperFortresses

[Ozymandiaz]

Ok, in my latest game I came up against a Fortress Baron and another defencive AI (both random )

So I managed to capture a few of the closer planets to secure some basic resources etc, but to expand further I either need to send my fleet through two systems cramped with perma mines (any good way of handeling these?) or go through a Mk III system with a SuperFortress.

The situation is: I got a mix of Mk I, II and III units totalling a fleet of 1200 ships (early game), as well as the Riot Starship, and the planet I want with the fortess had about 400 units when I attacked it first time. First time I got the fortress down to 50% health before my entire fleet died. However, the AI has been reinforcing it and it now has 1000 Mk III units and teh SuperFortress. Deciding I would try again to attack I quite quickly discoverd that my fleet was lost and oly managing to get teh fortress to 98% .

Any good tactics I can use?

As my special unit for this game I got FF Bearers, no access to ADR of ADF yet (thats why I wanna go passt the fortress).

[Goekhan]

Cannon fodders

I used to sent 2-3 force fields, and superfortress kept being busy with it while I took it down.

[Ozymandiaz]

Force fileds is a good idea, tho my fear is that the AIs Mk III bombers will rip through em like butter .

I was thinking of maybe making a few lightning warheads to kill of some enemy fodder, sounds plasusible, or wise?

[misterC]

You could take the path through the systems with permamines with transports, you can clear the mines with cleanup drones.
And for the superfortress, I mostly attack them with my whole fleet at once, ignoring other stuff.

And yes, you can use lightning warheads, but you should make sure there aren't troops in the way of you target, or they might make them explode too soon.
Also you could post a save and let the people here try stuff, or ignore the system(s) till you can handle them.


Lastly, if reinforcements are realy bugging you, try taking out the command posts (not command station or that too if you're sure) on the planet (with a bunch of fighters or something).

Hope something helps

THAT IS ALL

[Goekhan]

Force fileds is a good idea, tho my fear is that the AIs Mk III bombers will rip through em like butter .

I was thinking of maybe making a few lightning warheads to kill of some enemy fodder, sounds plasusible, or wise?

Well, fighters on bombers, rest on superfortress should work, but how many bombers there are? That's the question

Aside from that, if you're going to get that planet, I suggest raiding their command station. Teleporting units, raid starships should do well. If you can take their command station out, they'll be coming for you, so on the other side, you can chew their "wave", then after repairs, go for the superfortress & take the planet. When/If superfortress is alone, I suggest leaving anything else than bombers, tanks and starships, entering with force fields, then bringing the fleet. Casualty will be very low - maybe none if there are MRSs.

[Goekhan]

Also, as an addition, if you have already brought the force fields, and if you can take their command station (look above if you haven't read my previous message - too lazy to edit ), you can position your force fields in a triangular or rectangular shape to trap them on wormhole, then use your lightning warheads to put a quick end to their "crying". Well, in case you already have produced some lightning warheads that is

[Ozymandiaz]

Some good suggestions in here, I have used teh transports before in another game to get some colony ships across wast distances unharmed, but for avoiding the mines they might be just as good .

I am gonna try to ninja the command station tho, seems like a nice thing to do .

I do actually have 900 Zenith Shredders as well (been multiplying at my defence location, got them from a zenith reserve, but bascially acts like a bonus unit due to the awesome replication).

[Voodoomancer]

If you have any cloakers (raptors, space planes, etherjets, autocannon minipods...), use guerilla tactics to thin the enemy's numbers, i.e. eliminate one command post at a time, then the super'tress

[Ozymandiaz]

No cloakers unfortunatly, but I did manage to suicide enough Mk I units to take down the station.

Funny thing however is that I did destroy the guard posts on my first attack against the planet, but the AI still reinforced up to 1000 units, guess I used too long for my second attack.

Aslo, I got lucky, a dev. golem came to the system and killed 150 AI units nefore I attacked again . Tho the SFort managed to get the Golem to 80% before it left .

[Goekhan]

No cloakers unfortunatly, but I did manage to suicide enough Mk I units to take down the station.

Funny thing however is that I did destroy the guard posts on my first attack against the planet, but the AI still reinforced up to 1000 units, guess I used too long for my second attack.

Aslo, I got lucky, a dev. golem came to the system and killed 150 AI units nefore I attacked again . Tho the SFort managed to get the Golem to 80% before it left .

As far as I know, reinforcement numbers doesn't depend on Guard Posts. They serve to increase upper limit of the planet. Lets say AI gets 200 ships to reinforce, it reinforces where it's needed. Still don't know how it works, instead of number of ships, it can be number of planets - which is more sensible; though if you take all of the guard posts out, you can witness that they're starting to form a BIG FAT circle around command station, so it should be number of ships I assume). So not every planet gets reinforcements, they reinforce mostly border planets and planets under threat (in other words, where your fleet is & around).

If I'm going to take a planet, I mostly do a ninja raid, then chew them on my side. Rest is cleaning up, mostly resulting in MUCH less losses. But scouting is the key. When you destroy command station, border planets will be on alert - so if you don't scout ahead, you might be doing something that you shouldn't have done. In my case- I freed dyson (it was going to destroy me if I acted later) but that planet was bordering a Mark IV core border planet - when I realized it, it was too late. Core border planets were having 5k core ships.