Harkonnen Defences - not sustainable?

[nemafakei]

Has anyone else got annoyed that when defending a base with units, the Harkonnens need to replace more often?

This is because Ordos units regenerate, and the Atreides have repair vehicles.

This strikes me as grossly unfair, especially when considering that missile tanks and Inkvine are both short-lived, flame tanks are far from brilliant at armour, and Assault tanks are a bit limited in range and capabilities. Furthermore, the inkvine catapult is useless against moving units, so a Hakonnen player has a tough time using them for defence. Allright, the turrets are pretty good, but Minos or Kobras can take them out by range anyway. And I agree that 1^ veteran HK units can regenerate too, but in the initial fortificaton, when the Harkonnens are already slow off the mark, do they really need to be hampered by the neccesity of concentrating only on defence?

[subarupunk]

I agree, they are supposed to be brutes but here in the game they're fricken sissies.

[ordos45]

Yeah they are sissies.  Its what makes the game strategic with them.  They have few advatages, strong veichles, slow on everything, have lousy infantry.  Winning with them is always going to take strategy.

[bob_fox]

The Harkonnen don't seem quite as good as the Ordos or Atreides. Some of their units can pack quite a punch, but they never even reach the enemy. The Devastor can be devasting (;D), but two Kobras (for instance) can take it out before it even reaches them.

The trick with the Harkonnen is to surprise the enemy. Being surprised by an army of Devastators can be quite devastating (I know, the "devastating" joke's getting old now), but how do you pull that off? You can use Advanced Carryalls, but that will cost a pretty penny, I can tell you!

[subarupunk]

What's this, you'r worried about cost efficiency.  shame, shame.  

well there is the possibility that surrounding the enemy would be advantageous.  stick a devastator in each of the four forces you build up and stick in some other of the rifraft and you have a chance of winning.

[nemafakei]

If devestators are a problem, (as in you don't like them around your base) airlift them out, and deal with them later. There's not much you can do about it when you're in a big firefight and trying to break through defences.

[quoudam72]

I agree commanding the Harks is not an easy task. Their units need more speed and better armor. As Ordos45 said playing as the Harks requires a strong strategy. House Harkonnen units also lack range. IMO House Harkonnen could be used better if some of their units were used as defensive forces instead of assualt forces.

[subarupunk]

I mostly use devas for defense until later in the level.

they need some speed.  a heavily armored vehicle that hauls balls.

[bob_fox]

I do admit that the enemy would be able to easily pick up your Devastators and carry them away, but he probably wouldn't have enough (if any) Adv. Carryalls on hand. If he did, all you'd need is a couple of Troopers (or Missile Tanks).

[nemafakei]

I'd have said the other way rouund; troopers or missilers may well be occupied or destroyed in battle, while Adv. Carryalls can be prepared in advance if you think you're going to use this or other Carrryall tactics.

[alphabeta4000]

okay this is annoying. Harkonnen are fine everything has a strength and weakness. Missile tanks one shot kill mino 3 kill kobra but missile tanks take too long to reload. I'll have to fix that

[thomas]

Minos and kobras, putting the strat in strategy

[alphabeta4000]

what the?

[nemafakei]

No, that's another thread.

The Harkonnen are indeed fine, but their defences are not as sustainable. The units just don't work well for defence, for me at least.

[alphabeta4000]

yeah I kinda agree. I mean you can't repair them and veterancy takes too long gonna fix that

[RequiemXi]

Well, really, the Hark's lack of defensive abilities reflects their brute force approach to battle.  Generally, attack forces get spread out in transit, and make meaty (fleshy if you will  ;D ) targets for the Hark's hardhitting, fast moving vehicles.  9 times out of 10 you will know an attack is comming, don't wait for it it hit your front door! Send some flame tanks to take out infantry, missle tanks to splash the heavier shit.

"The best Defence is a good Offence" !

Tactics like this will most certainly attenuate frontal assaults' effectiveness, and frustrate your opponent into making mistakes, or leave him open while he plans a new strategy.

The Harks are indeed about brute force which means you gotta take it to em!  ;D

[nemafakei]

That could very well work.

[RequiemXi]

I just recently started playing as the Harkonen and found very quickly that they are NOT a defensive house, so after getting bowled over by Minos a few times, I started sending out missle tanks to dust 'em before they got anywhere near my base.  I've seen some people question the power of those lil missle tanks... I dunno what they're doing, but for me, one solid shot seems to pretty well trash a Mino, and they can generally scoot outa the way pretty quick.  

You gotta do some micromanagement with the Harks, but once you get it down it works pretty well.  Some have said they're slow, but they sure as hell outrun any of the Atredies' walking tanks.

[Duncan]

the best defense with the hark is the atack 8)

[nemafakei]

So why the gunturrets? They're good, yes, but they don't fit in with the attack-to-defend necessity.

[evilbaronatreides]

gun turrets are probaly the most well balanced turret in the game... but as mention before it gets slaughtered by long range.

[RequiemXi]

Most of the turret types in the game are pretty easy to take out, but you still build them anyhow :D  ... they serve a purpose, the Hark's gun turrets are pretty darn powerful.

[Duncan]

turrets serve to delay the enemy invasion in your base to give time enough to you to stop the invansion

[nemafakei]

I suppose so.

[Duncan]

u to give you time to retreat u change base place ::)