Favourite Tactics ...

[Rodriguez]

Hi all,

 

in slum missions, i usually blow myself a "tunnel" into the massive part of the building on level 0. The aliens somehow tend to come in nice and in line into this "cave", carved by devestator cannons - and there my guys are waiting. Sometimes, there are also a few nice grenades waiting for our alien not-so-friends in the tunnel ...

 

 

I still suck in UFO combat on the Megaprimus Display, tho. For some reason none of the tips works for me (swarms of smaller crafts, a few Valkyrs with this or that or that equippment, ...). Well, but when i down a ufo, i usually have my best people around to get it. All to do then is actually a "sitting duck" tactic, where i just place my guys along the slide-crater of the UFO, looking at the door. All lying on the floor, and some nice grenades waiting, agressive fire - once they open the door, about 25 different shots from all the people make swiss cheese of what openend the door - and mostly of everything that was behind it, too. I actually lost like only one or two men ever with this tactics. Of course you cant help to go into the UFO and look for the last two cowards-of-a-alien-warrior

 

Today iam going to start a Superhuman game. Let's see ....

 

yo,

Rod

[BurnThemALL]

Welcome at XCOM! :crazy:

 

Check the Superhuman hints topic for your superhuman game and keep us informed, good luck!

[miceless]

I still suck in UFO combat on the Megaprimus Display, tho. For some reason none of the tips works for me (swarms of smaller crafts, a few Valkyrs with this or that or that equippment, ...).

Hoverbikes with Lineage Plasmas are killing machines. They are so damn good its untrue. Cheap too.

 

All to do then is actually a "sitting duck" tactic, where i just place my guys along the slide-crater of the UFO, looking at the door. All lying on the floor, and some nice grenades waiting, agressive fire - once they open the door, about 25 different shots from all the people make swiss cheese of what openend the door - and mostly of everything that was behind it, too.

I do the same, it works really well. I really should take a screenshot of it. Twelve men who let rip with toxiguns on auto.

 

I actually lost like only one or two men ever with this tactics.

Its the poppers that normally do it for me. They under your men and let rip. Messes up the terrain where your men are parked.

 

Of course you cant help to go into the UFO and look for the last two cowards-of-a-alien-warrior

Its always a spitter who panicked. Stupid things.

 

Today iam going to start a Superhuman game. Let's see ....

Let us know how it goes and as BurnThemAll says, check out the "Hints for Superhuman Level" thread which can be found here.

[Rodriguez]

Whoops, i read the forum for quite a while under another name from work, i forgot this is my first post

 

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll go and burn some more aliens now

 

- (Stun)Rod

[miceless]

Keep us posted on how you do. Its good to share experiences and ideas.

[Rodriguez]

Week one over, Score: 2790 points.

Cash: ~50.000 $

 

I didn't loose a single guy yet, total ammount of Agents is 21.

My Aeronautic warfare forces are kinda if-you-see-Keigh (but who is Keigh?)ed up:

1 Valkyr with Bolter 7000's

1 Hawk with same Weapons config and a Bolter 5000 (it is i think).

 

I have for now focused research and fighting the enemy on the ground, as they send too much UFO's and its impossible to get a decent ammount of money as fast as in easy mode.

 

I already have my "Skull" Guys (Sirus-raider-sqad) in the Valkyr, and raid all available Sirius temples over and over again. They are the only real income source.

 

The primary biolab is already building, one more week until it's done. So far i have experienced 2 Anthropodes with Disruptors, tho they were no Problem for a couple of M4000's and some other heavy weaponry.

 

It was very, very close with ammo in the last week - the last fight of 1st week i had 2 guys who actually had ammo, the rest was PSI (4 hybrids or something so far), or just running around to distract enemies - that works kinda well if you run with a fast, but empty guy, all around the enemies. The turn around and around and around until they're shot (I play realtime only). I was kinda glad when the damn week was over and i could buy all the stocks of ammo they had on the market Time to get the 1st disruptor i just got into the labs - i need weapons which don't need ammo

 

Hm, well, i go and play some more Update on situation of the planet later

 

- (Stun)Rod

 

Edit: Who IS Keigh?!

Edited August 9, 2003 by Rodriguez

[miceless]

Keep it up. Sounds like your doing ok.

[Rodriguez]

Something funny in between:

I just raided a Sirius Temple AGAIN, and a few seconds after the tactical part started, i got the "All enemy units left the battlefield" screen - i didnt even see one enemy

 

I guess Sirius Alien-lovin'-buddies hate my Sirius Raid Valkyre

[j'ordos]

Just make sure you shoot down every UFO type at least once (well, every type is not needed, but some are vital to your future research. Check the startegy guide at the site here.

[Rodriguez]

Thanks, i didn't think about that. Tho, so far Megapol and some others shoot the ufo's down, i help a bit once they're busy with their units, and pick em' up But iam quite sure that this won't work with the bigger UFOs. Well, a few more raids and i'll have another HAWK.

[j'ordos]

You're better of with several Hoverbikes/-cars than you are with one Hawk, especially in the beginning. So I'd say: forget another Hawk, buy some bikes or cars (hovering ones, that is. Dump all road vehicles and never buy one again).

[miceless]

Hoverbikes are so the way to go. They are much harder to hit than the cars and far cheaper. With a Lineage Plasma on them they can kick those aliens back to their alien dimension.

 

And I have had really short missions too. I can only assume that there were only a couple of bad guys there, and that they ran off at the site of you. You must have been very scary.

 

EDIT: Woohoo, my 1000th post! :happybanana:

Edited August 9, 2003 by miceless

[Rodriguez]

What ammount of Hoverbikes are we talking here?

I tried it with 10, Plasma cannons, bought all elirium Stock just to make sure they all have enough ammo, and then i let them sit in a building close to a dimension gate, which had many vehicle "outlets", so they could all start simultaniously.

 

Still, couldn't bring down a single UFO

[miceless]

Hmmm, i have always been using about 10. Should work.

 

Do they just miss or are they doing no damage?

[Rodriguez]

They do make damage, and dont miss lots, but the UFOs apperently are uberstrong armored on this difficulty level - i cant even bring a Transport down with 10 Bikes and a Hawk with Retribution Rockets, tho it's been quite a while flying over town. They also didnt ran out of ammo, they were still firing.

 

Well, i'll try again

 

Edit:

Just in the minute i wrote this, some UFO's came, and this time, the 10 bikes + 1 Hawk took down 1 Transport and one other UFO - i think the Type 3, without problems. The Hawk got a few percents of damage, but nothing serious, all the bikes didnt get hit once.

 

Maybe i was statistically unlucky at the last attack

 

Edit 2:

Cleaning out the Type 3 Ufo took about 40 seconds. No men lost. 2 Heavy wounded. Lets get the Transport right after reequipping

 

Edit 3:

Alright, this is ****** up. Every time i land and my 12 guys from the Hawk enter the Transport UFO, i get a friggin exception fault, and the game exits. Well, there i go to hunt some bugs, before i can hunt more aliens....

 

Edit 4:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! Okay, i will now go outside, take a nice refreshing swim in the pool, while this box reboots - and if it doesnt work then, i'll drop the whole ******* ***** *** outta the next **** ***** windows that i can ******* find.

 

Edit 5:

Spooky - i just changed crew, went again for the transport, and this time all worked w/o probs. Stats: 5 heavy wounded, 3 lightly wounded, no people lost. A full reserve crew in the base, and of course the raiding crew. New experiences on this difficulty level:

 

1. The aliens already used the cloaking device.... Ouch.

 

2. Way more aliens on a ship than on easier levels?? I thought they're only stronger, not more of them?

 

3. Poppers are a real danger on this diff.lev., since they dont die that fast and therfor mostly go KABOOOOM when they're only 2 meters away from my guys. They dont die from it, but get wounded and are kinda half dead, then. I might consider to use a few Marsec Suits as Anti-Popper measure.

 

4. More UFOs show up, and infiltrate more organisations way faster; And spread way faster, too. This is not a problem yet.

Edited August 9, 2003 by Rodriguez

[miceless]

I havent played superhuman game yet, so i cant be much help there. Im still learning how to paly myself.

 

Except mine seems to have encountered a freeze bug so i am not playing right now.

[Rodriguez]

Alright - now i have a real problem! (for the first time of this Superhuman game).

 

After cleaning out 6 "infected" buildings (still from the last UFO attack), all except for one of my guys are wounded. Some will take ages to recover (two guys actually got out there with 1(!) Health left), and most others are about 50% wounded.

 

And now? Now Marsec turned to "unfriendly", and obviously their 3 buildings are infested with aliens. Those are the last i didnt clean yet, but with one guy....?

 

Aarrrrgh! Also, i cant afford to buy Marsec back to Neutral or Friendly

[miceless]

Ahhh, the trials and tribulations of Superhuman Apoc.

 

Keep at it.

[BurnThemALL]

If you allow me to add some hints, maybe you find them useful.

 

Never use Bolter in Valkyries, always use Lineage Plasma Cannons. They've got much more punch! :laser:

 

Never use the Retribution rocket because it gets fired at large distance and never hits the UFO, at least when I tried it. I tested 4 times, it flattened SanctuaryClinic Hospital, Nutrivend Hydrofarm, Technocrat and Megapol weapons factory. :crying:

Better use the Janitor rockets, they have much ammo and good damage.

 

Always put your ships at aggressive mode, so they shoot faster and let them fly low in attempt to avoid damage to buildings in the city because you fire from low up to the UFO's instead of down where you always kill buildings.

 

Now when your soldiers all are wounded, check the infiltration levels of the organisations and try to wait as long as possible to get some more healed, then attack them and clean the buildings.

 

Popper: Set fire barricades with IN Auto Cannon. Example: One soldier runs to the UFO's door, opens it and steps aside, then your IN Auto Cannon guy sets all up on flames :flame: :psychosanta: If you hear popping sounds, an alien is approaching. If it sounds like "pop pop yikes ouch.. BOOOM" it was a popper who exploded while walking through the fire. :crazy:

 

Use the hoverbike tactics that j'ordos and Miceless suggested at the start, later I would go for Hawks to give those alien scum heck.

 

Have fun, BURN EM! :flame: :psychosanta:

[Rodriguez]

Status update:

 

Money: ~5000 $

 

Agents: 25, 14 wounded atm.

 

City: All buildings cleaned 2 hours after last UFOs showed up.

 

Aeronautic Warfare: 1 Valkyr, 1 Hawk, 10 Bikes

 

Research: Distruptor almost done.

 

UFOs shot down lately: Type 1,2,3,4. Other types didn't show yet.

 

Hardest Enemy encountered so far: Anthropod with cloaking device and disruptor.

 

Organisation diplomatics: Managed to clean out Marsec with a couple of wounded agents, none were killed, almost all are critically wounded now and most likely cant be used for combat in the next 2 days. Marsec still is "unfriendly", some upcoming raids will make that to neutral soon, hopefully.

 

Production: Only can produce biotransport things, so, i build those and sell them for 250$ more cash per unit as they cost. Just to keep the engineers busy.

 

Ammo: Problems should be over once the Disruptor research is done, but still enough so far. End of this week almost all weapons will be switched to disruptor hopefully, so this ammo crap has an end.

 

Well, let's see what happens in the next days. I bet those bast**** show up with battleships already - or enthropy launchers :crying:

[j'ordos]

Burnthemall's tactic for stopping poppers using IC is indeed a very good one, but be careful, those multiworms, or it's hyperworms often make it through that wall and my IC'ers shot at those near my own men... I had to evacuate everyone near the ufo because of that :whatwhat: . So keep them under control :wink:

[Mark0]

an other small hitn Rod

 

Allways watch over yoru organisatiosn if they are infected. the infectio ncoudl climb so fast that u dotn feal they have changed mood until it tells you.

and if they ebcome 100% infiltrated your doomed because they will infiltrate other buildings. so its liek ants invading a house you cant really stop them( unless you use Raid! ) but this isnt featured in apoc.

 

my 1st superhuman game got scrwed cause of that now im watchign my orgs and they are fine

[miceless]

Raid is featured in Apoc. What do you think Sirius is there for?

 

I have no problems with infiltration as i take very good care of them. However, i am only on a middle difficulty level.

[Rodriguez]

Update:

 

Money: ~75.000 $

 

Agents: 26, 22 wounded atm.

 

City: Just shot down all UFOs that were sent (1 Transport, 2 Scouts). going to clean Buildings now.

 

Aeronautic Warfare: 1 Valkyr, 1 Hawk, 10 Bikes

 

Research: Distruptor done, now focusing on UFO tech until Devestator/Cloaking Device/Teleporter shows up

 

UFOs shot down lately: Type 3,4.

 

Hardest Enemy encountered so far: Anthropod with cloaking device and disruptor.

 

Organisation diplomatics: Thanks to about 8 Sirius raids, i bought all organizations back to neutral (Marsec and Solmine).

 

Production: Disruptors

 

Ammo: Thanks to Disruptors, this problem won't show up until Toxiguns again.

 

 

Well people, sad news:

The first x-com agent bit the dust. May he fight aliens for all eternity in heaven and be happy with that.

[miceless]

You seem to be doing quite well id say. Are you sure you picked superhuman? It was at the bottom right?

[Rodriguez]

Dude, iam playing all X-COM games over and over and over again, since the day they came out. (I can remember reading about X-COM 1 in a game magazine, and since that day iam in love with the game - i ever was before i played it )

 

So, yeah, iam VERY sure i picked superhuman, since i know almost the whole GUI of the game out of my head already

 

I noticed that its way harder than an easy game, tho, but so far i dont really have problems. In an easy game it never happened that a organization turned unfriendly on me (since i only raid Sirius). on SH level, however, Aliens appearently are way better with getting orgs pissed at me - but as said, i cleaned all buildings of them and paid a total of 100.000 so far to keep all on at least neutral

[BurnThemALL]

Yeah looks like you are doing really well Rodriguez!

 

For me the hardest moment in my superhuman game was when the aliens started shooting with Entropy Rockets at me and I didn't have personal shields.

 

I had to buy many new clothes and armor then. :o

My suggestion is: As soon as you find an alien using personal shield, get the shield and research it in your best quantum lab. Good luck! :happybanana:

[Rodriguez]

I already have another small problem - this time, Transstelar turned to unfriendly. Together with Synthemesh and Superdynamics. So, iam raiding temples over and over again to be able to afford the ~ 150.000 i need to buy them all back to neutral... *sigh*

 

Aliens, for some weird reason, only sent 1 Probe and 3 scouts last time, all got shot down. "Infection" level of Superdynamics, slowly dropping after i cleaned all buildings out *again*, is 24%

 

Edit:

Got Transstelar back to Neutral after a Raid. More Raids left for the others who dont like me (heck, i didnt do shuckeroonies to them, and yet....)

 

Aliens are now carrying Devestator Cannons! Ouch for my guys. Only 1 Agent left who is not wounded, iam sending all Agents, wounded or not, to combat. So far i had 4 dead agents in the whole game.

Edited August 10, 2003 by Rodriguez

[BurnThemALL]

I got Transstelar back to Neutral after a Raid. More Raids left for the others who dont like me (heck, i didnt do shuckeroonies to them, and yet....)

Well, even if you shoot a piece of road, bridge or a blue transportation tube, it is considered a direct attack to Transtellar.

 

Wow, the fight is heating up now I guess! :psychosanta: Stand your ground!

[miceless]

Yeah, its the battle with UFOs that make Transtellar mad with you. THey dont like their stuff being shot at even if it is by accident. I had some trouble with this too (see my "Transtellar" thread).

 

Does every org have other orgs it likes and dislikes? I noticed that while some orgs start to really hate me others become my allies. Is this as a result of me attacking (by accident) other orgs or are they just pleased for no reason?

[j'ordos]

check this thread.

[miceless]

Thanks, thats useful.

[Rodriguez]

Update:

 

 

Money: ~112.000 $

 

Agents: 28, 28 wounded

 

City: No UFO's lately. SPent time with raiding Sirius to get Orgs back to neutral.

 

Aeronautic Warfare: 1 Valkyr, 1 Hawk, 14 Bikes

 

Research: Devestator Cannon - i bet Sceletoids show up soon

 

UFOs shot down lately: None.

 

Hardest Enemy encountered so far: Anthropods with Devestator Cannons

 

Organisation diplomatics: All neutral

 

Production: Disruptors

 

Ammo: Thanks to Disruptors, this problem won't show up until Toxiguns again.

 

Long time Strategy:

I'll buy now a 2nd base, equipped with 2x San-station (to heal soldiers faster), 4x living room, 4x production thingy, a few soldiers and a vehicle repair station. There i'll produce and produce and sell and sell, so i dont have to do annoying raids all day. I ripped Sirius so much that i barely get anything anymore when i raid them - sucks. All i need now is a little break so a few of my agents can heal up to at least 50% of their health ... i fear the day the aliens show up with cloaking/Enthropy....

[miceless]

Agents: 28, 28 wounded

Oh dear. Not good.

 

I ripped Sirius so much that i barely get anything anymore when i raid them - sucks.

Try Psyke. After they attacked me i find they make a refreshing change from Sirius fanatics.

 

All i need now is a little break so a few of my agents can heal up to at least 50% of their health ... i fear the day the aliens show up with cloaking/Enthropy....

Be afraid. Be very afraid. No sign of shields yet i suppose?

[BurnThemALL]

If you really run out of enemies and Sirius and Psyke can't deliver enough money for your needs, try attacking Osiron, that way Diablo will love you and happily sell you IN grenades! :flame: :crazy:

 

If you encounter Entropy Rockets, check this:

http://www.xcomufo.com/forums//index.php?s...=entropy+rocket

 

Good luck!

[miceless]

Yep, thats my topic. -_-

 

Is it Diablo that makes the incendiary grenades? Didnt realise that.

[Rodriguez]

Uhhh. Now they sent the first Attack Ships (class 5 i think?), together with 3 Class 4 Ships. Oh, GREAT. With my 14 bikes i cant even get CRAP down, since they're already shielded, and stuff. Well, i actually downed one, but lost all my ships except the Valkyr (luckily the one who had all the troops on it ..)

[miceless]

You lost all 14 bikes? Ouch, that hurts. Expensive battle.

[Mark0]

when they have shields forget it. you can only destroy shields then your hits wont make effect( that is with hvr bikes or other planes without alien tech)

[miceless]

I have managed to take them on with shields, but i suppose I am not on superhuman.

[j'ordos]

No, I did it too (well, up to level 5 UFO's that is), and on superhuman. Even with their shields they're no match for me

Just arm them all with Lineage plasma cannon or janitor missile array, concentrate them on one UFO at a time and watch them drop down

[BurnThemALL]

...and send flowers to their funeral... :alienmad: :birthday: :psychosanta:

[j'ordos]

There's no funeral, I cremate them

[miceless]

Then that is their funeral.

 

Do bodies actually get destroyed by fire? I have had whole battles with fire and still had corpses at the end. Do some of them survive just purely from luck?

[JWH]

ask BTA. he knows everything about.(BTA where are you)

[miceless]

Yes, where is BTA when you need him? Hes the incendiary expert.

[BurnThemALL]

:flame: who summoned me? :psychosanta: :crazy:

 

Well, if a corpse got burned (which can happen when I play) you still get the corpse, maybe it's "well done" but you still get it. Guess this is a kind of heat conservation...

But the whole equipment goes up in a very nice explosion, so no goodies for you but lots of fun.

 

I tried to cremate a megaspawn once, I used IN ammo (yes, I know) and many vortex mines but I still got the megaspawn home. Somewhat strange.

 

Have fun,

BurnThemALL :flame: :psychosanta:

[miceless]

Talking of megaspawns, how do you capture one alive?

[BurnThemALL]

You should kill all other enemies first, then all Megaspawns but one, so you can fully "concentrate" on the one remaining and won't have to bother to search for fleeing alien while the stunned Megaspanw will awake and will sure cause you damage.

 

Save your game...

Shoot him some times, my prefered thing is to set him on fire :flame: :psychosanta: so he will lose hitpoints... (you have to make sure that he doesn't lie in fire when you got him unconscious)

Take your stun grapplers, 6 men work fine here - and go on aggressive mode and "run mode", storm to him and set the stun grapplers on auto shot. After some seconds he should be fast asleep. :happybanana: You have to get very close to him, so he can't hit you with his shuckeroonies rocket.

 

Go and get the veterinarian and the big cargo box. Good luck!

Edited August 16, 2003 by BurnThemALL

[miceless]

Go and get the veterinarian and the big cargo box.

ROTFLOL

 

Ill give that strat a go. Ever got one with stun grenades?