Protecting Harvesters

[zorn7]

I've been playing online for quite a while now, and when Is start building a base, I start by building a factory, and imeediatly set it to building 10 Mongooses, while I build 3 Refinarys, and begin upgrading them. Now most of the time this works, but lost of times it is completely screwed up, because I see a huge force of Tron Tanks or Missle Tanks whipe out all of my harvesters and Carryalls before I even realize it. That's the problem with the Atreides, they don't have any units that are any good that can be built fast. And now, I don't even have any money to build new units, my current units are too slow to get to the Spice feild quick enough to help. ADVICE WELCOME!

[ordos45]

*presses the little red button*

[zorn7]

::screams and runs away, as a squeaky fart noise is made, and nthing seems to happen for about 10 minutes, and he turns around to look:: Erm...::bu then, they both Spontaneously combust, and an and a SPLAT is flashed across everybodies eyes like in the old batman shows:: ((HARVESTEERS!))

[dukeaj]

Well, if you don't want to experiment around with new strategies, here is my suggestion. Atreides Sand Bikes build quickly and are fairly cheap and very fast. Build about 5-10 of those first, then go into waypoint mode and put them on a patrol circle around the spice melange. They should be on guard and distract the enemy long enough for reinforments to arrive.

[peseverance]

Presses Another Red Button

a bunch of aliens from Half-Life rush out

Picks up the MP5 and fires a bunch of grenades from the 203mm Grenade Launcher attached to the gun. ;D

anyway you might want to get some infantry on the job if its just Las Tanks and M.Tanks if its inkvines and shit its time to roll out the Ornits, Minos and the Sonic Tanks

[Acriku]

Infantry are a great asset to your attack/defense force, when used properly. But also infantry suck against certain foes (i.e. Sonic tank or Fedaykin).

[peseverance]

Actually Infantry rule against Fedaykin adn Sonic tanks.... Mass 4 AA troopers against a sonic tank... and send a fremen against the Fedaykin :)

much fun there..... The only really good Anti-Infantry units are Mortars, Fremen, Snipers, Kobras, Minos and inkvines ;D

[Acriku]

I guess but normal infantry(not fremen) suck against Fedaykin.

[exatreide]

unless there elite atreides infanty

[ordos45]

Yeah elite Atreides infantry do rock...especially the snipers

[peseverance]

All you got to do is place 'cells' of two snipers about and you can get a fedaykin when he fires :)

or you place scouts around your snipers

[Guest Ordos_Yogurt]

how about a few minos?

[nemafakei]

Brilliant, but be careful about killing your own infantry with spash damage (usually when the enemy's enstealthed).

[daniel]

why would u want to do that????

kinda pointless

i usully kill my own men if im about to win (mah enemy has one windtrap left) and i show him how to REALLI FIGHT  8)

[Naub_dib]

i usually protect my harvesters with fedaykin cus i always ally fremen!!!

or otherwise 20 kindjal

[daniel]

u know the fredykin are kinda useless on homeworld battles eh??  8)

[Naub_dib]

cuz they cant ride wormz there eh wel le me tell ya something and you must listen verry closely:

FEDAYKIN RULE!!!!!

[nemafakei]

Fedaykin are brilliant even without the wormride.

[quoudam72]

Spoken like a true veteran of the game who knows the worth of the fedaykin.

[nemafakei]

Not that you need to play emperor to know that.

[quoudam72]

Yes you do need to play Emperor in order to know that, but in your case you know how people always say a unit(s) is worthless and sometimes they just do not know how to use the unit(s) to their better advantage.

[Naub_dib]

ok i agree with the guys above

but:

dont ya think sardukars also rule??

[daniel]

in the book they are always slaughtered by the fremen  :P :P :P :P

[Devastator_Mech]

Don't build 3 refinery at the start of the game, then you'll have no money to build units to defend your base and harvester.

Always do what you could to build up your tech-tree, so you could build stronger units.

Always build a barracks first, then refinery and upgrade the refinery, then outpost, then warfactory, etc etc.

While building up your tech-tree, start to build standard infantry as early as you could to protect your base and harvester. Always do whatever you could do to build the strongest unit possible and do an early rush to rather wipe out their base if possible or aim for all their harvester you could find.

This stratergy always work, believe me everyone ;D

[Chaos_Storm]

One nice thing about Emperor is its tech tree structure. After a windtrap, you have 5 new building options, 3 of which are sensible - Barracks, Refinery, Factory. Only build a Refinery first if you are starting with VERY low funds and even then it's not a strict rule.

Usually, I go for a Barracks to train 4-7 scouts to get rid of as much shroud as possible. Then I would build a few Snipers to eliminate any enemy scouts that are simply running exposed. Whilst I'm building my next building and training those scouts and snipers (likely to be a Factory) I upgrade my Barracks so that I can train Kindjal. With some of these out fast, I deploy them in key areas. The Factory should be done by then - a few Mongoose to back up Kindjal and provide AA helps. I build 2 refineries whilst the Mongoose are out. After this initial defence, I build a secondary MCV and some Engineers to place near key structures. After the MCV, Minotauruses start walking out of my Factory and if I have the money, more infantry (Light Infantry exist to support the Sniper and help Kindjal against Ordos vehicles). Then its time to decide what to do next. 3rd (maybe 4th) Refinery? Sub-house structures? Multiple Barracks/Factories? Hangar(s) and Starport (maybe Palace as well)? And what about unit combinations?

There are alternatives. The Mongoose is too slow to rush at Harvesters. Instead, a fast build to Air Drones is the Atreides answer to a Laser/Assault tank rush for Harvesters. If you have the money then building an Advanced Carryall can allow Air Drones to hit ground units as well (see my thread 'Perpetual air strikes'). Maybe you might decide to quickly build about 6 Sand Bikes first thing and send them on a recon rush - dash into enemy base, take down some infantry but mainly get rid of shroud inside their base. Remember to send scouts before sending the Sand Bikes. Once you get rid of the shroud, you need to remember to look at their base often to see what they intend to do. If they are going to rush for your Harvesters, now you know it's coming and you can prepare.