Smugglers?

[Emperor_of_Dune]

On the back of my Dune 2000 box, it says you can ally with smugglers in a certain mission. Is this true? The smugglers are the brown units.

[quoudam72]

It takes place in the later missions of the game depending which House you represent.

[Emperor_of_Dune]

Which house is it? I dont mean mercanaries which are yellow. I mean the brown guys. Please can you tell me the exact mission?

[quoudam72]

Mission 7-9 somewhere towards the end of the game. In mission 8 (?) using the Harkonnen send 4 engineers along with an assault force (use the assault force to destroy what ever infantry and vehicles are at the base, leave the buildings, not the gun turret though) to take over the Merc base (2 wind traps, 1 heavy factory , 1 starport and 1 gun turret) and they will fight on your side. Be aware the Ordos and Atriedes will start to attack the Merc Base once it changes sides.

I have only done this with the Harkonnen, usually the Mercs are allied with the Ordos. If you play as the Atreides you might be able to do the same thing.

[Acriku]

It is a good tactic to take those buildings because

1) It is a good diversionary tool towards the end of the game

2) It is a good thing to do if you are low on money

3) More defence and offence

But be sure to not do it at the wrong time because if the enemy comes and destroys the Merc's, that is a good plan wasted.

[quoudam72]

Well said Acriku, also to keep your take over from being a failure try this tactic.

Do not attack the Merc base until you have secured your base from all attacks from the other Houses, meaning you can coordinate your attack against the Mercs without worring about your base falling to an attack from either Ordos or Atreides (or both) while you take over the Mercs base. This will only work while playing against the AI.

[Baron_carl]

On mission 7 8 and 9 wiv Ordos they will fight wiv u but on m8 wiv house Harkonnen u only hav to take the Heavy factory to become allies wiv them.  :)

[Mentat_Li]

smugglies(smugglers)are super easy to anihilate!(squish!) ;D

[Reactor]

I never ally with the mercenaries,when I'm with Harkonnen. At that mission,they give you so much headache, they've deserved to die (not to mention the valuable points you'll gain by destroying their base).

I also do this when the mercenaries flee at the last 3 mission with the Ordos. Death to traitors!

[AMIgaBot]

there is  solution.  ally with mercenary, try to help them,  and use mercenaries as  resistance  place.    put some turrets in their base, and  always send  some tanks with their forces. and build your own army, when you have eoungh, wait for mercenaries and strike with them.  i discowered that u get 2x more points if  mercs  destroy some buldings. allow mercenaries to destroy harkonnen,  first take out  refinery and turrets and leave it on mercenary . to make mercenary lock on target  house harkonnen, deviate  his quad or trike with deviator,  send him to hark base, and let him attack a wind trap.  when trike do his job an infantry come out, and begin to attack trike,  then trike  returns to mercenaries and now mercenaries trike is attacked.  now merc will concentrate all forces on hark,  you take emperor and most of atreides.  mercs will do most of your job

[X_Cutter]

Smugglers are neutral units, neither they are not Mercenarys. In a mission with the Harkonnens you must protect your outpost, there is a small brown base somewhere and it says ''neutral unit'' means they will not hit you until you hit them. Send few engineers to take the buildings and they will be your allies. NOTE: In a mission with Atreides, Smugglers are allies with mercenaries, as you can capture the smuggler starport.

I have made a small description bout allies and shit.

Atreides + Freemens

Harkonnens + Smugglers

Smugglers + Mercenarys

Mercenarys + Ordos