AA Strategy Question

Corbeau · Post by **Corbeau** » 13 Mar 2006, 18:13

Okay, I'm new here. Sorry if this is the wrong place to put something like this, but the mods section seems to be for creating mods rather than strategy discussion.

I've played Core for my entire TA career, and have continued doing so in Spring. My main question is one that I've had since I started playing TA:

Is there any real reason to build AKs? All they seem to ever do is die and clutter the path for my other units. Peewees eat them for lunch, and I can't think of any unit that is countered by AKs.

Kixxe · Post by **Kixxe** » 13 Mar 2006, 18:25

Use em as you use peewees, except their a lithhe less effictive. Raid mexxes, mass enormus amounts of em and mix in thuds and rockos (and maybe 1-2 jethros and kill the thuds rockos to kill the llts and then those AK's is gonnna EAT his base. Whole.

Every played starcraft? Think of em as Zerglings!

.funkymp · Post by **.funkymp** » 13 Mar 2006, 19:03

aks rule - large groups of them (40 upwards) can be devastating even late game if you micro them well, good for swarming the enemy then sending in your heavier units behind them - they make really good distractions

Chocapic · Post by **Chocapic** » 13 Mar 2006, 20:00

carefull while holding them in very tight groups as they can create a chain reaction explosion on one's death

Caydr · Post by **Caydr** » 13 Mar 2006, 21:14

AKs are one of my favourite units, making them worth having was a big priority when I started AA. The way they were left in OTA was horrendous...

They're best used by making a big line of them (holding down right mouse, dragging a long line) and then rushing at an enemy position. This helps avoid the chain-reaction if that should happen and lets you deliver maximum firepower in the shortest period of time.

Just don't use them to attack LLTs.

Corbeau · Post by **Corbeau** » 14 Mar 2006, 00:11

So, basically, they're good for two major things:

1) Exploiting a breach in the enemy line
2) Attacking a position that lacks point-defense (light, fast-firing weapons)

I experienced an AK rush from the other side reciently. It didn't work; my 2-3 Diplomats and L1 defensive line slaughtered 'em.

Admo · Post by **Admo** » 14 Mar 2006, 03:12

Corbeau wrote:So, basically, they're good for two major things:

1) Exploiting a breach in the enemy line
2) Attacking a position that lacks point-defense (light, fast-firing weapons)

I experienced an AK rush from the other side reciently. It didn't work; my 2-3 Diplomats and L1 defensive line slaughtered 'em.

well yeah, it's the very bottom of tier 1, can't use them forever. i find peewee's an ak's should be immediately abandoned (stop buiding them) as soon as your opponent has secured themselves. it's just not cost effective to throw ak's at light laser towers unless it's very one sided in numbers.

though they do server the cheap, fast unit role very well.

Sheekel · Post by **Sheekel** » 14 Mar 2006, 05:14

Perhaps we could do with a "Strategy and Tactics" section of the forums?

hint...hint....

Dragon45 · Post by **Dragon45** » 14 Mar 2006, 05:33

I can 95% of the time end a game in the first three minutes by AK rushing. Remember that in Spring, units cannot shoot through each other. Here's my personal favorite build order:

Wind
Wind
Mex
Wind
Mex
KBot Lab
AK, AK, AK
Con bot, Con Bot
AK x 10
...

The three Aks are your raiders... charge the enemy's position from three different sides and get as close to his lab as you can, destroying metal extractors and winds on the way... then dance "dance" around the lab, always keeping it between your AK(s) and his commander...

if even 1 AK can "dance" around the lab, it will end the game becuase the time lsot will be huge for the assaulted player.

And don'tforget, that units that are not yet completed in factories can still receive orders and will execute them on coconsturction- so while your Aks are en route, queue up the winds/mexxes for your conbots...

by the time he rebuilds his kbot lab, you've got another nice big batch of 10 Aks ready to crush him X-D

If you play XTA, you can use a similar strategy with Zippers/Freakers; the key as awlays is useing the raider's manuverability to keep his lab betwen your raider and the commander... if he tries to reclaim you through the lab, jsut walk away and use the range to keep pummeling the lab...

It very effective strategy... only way they can counter is to build 1-2 LLTs in corners of base, and even then you can still usually sneak in from behind...

give it a shot! :)

Das Bruce · Post by **Das Bruce** » 14 Mar 2006, 05:40

This can be countered as any OTA:AA player will tell you by an llt in the middle of your base straight after you build your factory.

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 14 Mar 2006, 07:01

in AA, the early game... LLT's are your BEST FRIEND...

a single LLT in AA will devastate your enemy's attack, even though the heavier level 1 units... .. and coming in at only 80 metal... lol, its a BARGAIN...

you can build 2 LLT's to every 3 AK....

place about 3 LLT's scattered around your factory, and push the opponent's small "raiding" squad into them with your commander, or your own AK's and guess what?

THEY DIE!,

know what else? you get about 300 extra metal from the corpses... lol, thats enough to build half the advanced factory (then throw out necros and use your opponents army on him FOR FREE!), or about 2/3's of a gaat gun it'll shut down those pesky heavy level 1 units... ... not to mention you had no casualties, and your defense still stands...

seems to me that raiding is pretty useless in AA...

Das Bruce · Post by **Das Bruce** » 14 Mar 2006, 07:10

LathanStanley wrote:know what else? you get about 300 extra metal from the corpses... lol, thats enough to build half the advanced factory

WTF.

Corbeau · Post by **Corbeau** » 14 Mar 2006, 07:11

I can't say that rushing is good against anyone smart enough to put op LLTs. But raiding is still quite useful for containment. You can slow the other guy down by harassing any construction bots he sends out, and wacking any unprotected extractors that he doesn't build turrets near.

And yeah, a S&T section of the forums would be good.

SwiftSpear · Post by **SwiftSpear** » 14 Mar 2006, 07:11

AKs do more damage per second then a rocky or thud at half the price, however they also have half the health. The trick with AKs is to figure out a way to allow them to do thier damage without getting killed before they are in the fray, since they have less range. The best way to use them is to sit them in the back lines when you have a thud and rocky force and then rush them in in the heat of battle one your enemies stationary defence is crippled and they don't have time to react to them with thier own forces.

AKs are also pretty close to the best raider kbot in the game since with thier lazer accuracy they hit mex/wind/solars with way more accuracy then peewees do.

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 14 Mar 2006, 11:32

AK's work WONDERS behind and side by side a few cans...

Min3mat · Post by **Min3mat** » 14 Mar 2006, 12:46

lathan wtf? dont confuse the poor noob! 300 metal PER CORPSE O,o i dont think so. tech 2 factory costing 600 METAL? O,o please... Aks are great at raiding until a solid line defense happens, punch through with slow thds then take down the mexes with the fast AKs. Great at fighting assault units cost for cost if they are in small groups (and the AKs are spread and constantly moving)

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 14 Mar 2006, 13:25

Min3mat wrote:lathan wtf? dont confuse the poor noob! 300 metal PER CORPSE O,o i dont think so. tech 2 factory costing 600 METAL? O,o please... Aks are great at raiding until a solid line defense happens, punch through with slow thds then take down the mexes with the fast AKs. Great at fighting assault units cost for cost if they are in small groups (and the AKs are spread and constantly moving)

min3mat I was speaking of ALL the rubble as 300 metal...

say 4 units die at ~75 apiece...

and a factory is around 650metal.. and thats half of one... plus the +3.whatever metal off 1 or 2 extractors...

edit: and for the 4th time today... I prooved how effective 1 or 2 llts are, EASILY bringing down 4 peewees on one side, and a slew of junk AND a commander (with a gaat gun aid after awhile) on the other... during a 2 vs 1....

in AA Min3mat... you can't just "raid" with 3 guys and do "damage"... you gotta PLAN your attack, use multiple fronts, attack with land and air, sea too if applicable... and retreat and repair.. and do so intelligently... its more strategic... and many people look past that, and just try to attack first...

I may have exaggerated my numbers slightly, but my point still stands...

attacking first is not the answer... blindly raiding early on, is not the answer... SCOUTING, then running a HEAVY strategic assault on defined targets... thats the answer..

SwiftSpear · Post by **SwiftSpear** » 14 Mar 2006, 14:10

If you successfully raid you do damage. A successful raid is a simply one that gets behind your opponents front lines. The easiest way to do that it to just send units along the boarders of the map and the farest flanks you can. Smart players will have stratigicly placed LLts in thier base but you can only cover so much ground with llts before it becomes non cost effective.

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 14 Mar 2006, 14:44

SwiftSpear wrote:If you successfully raid you do damage. A successful raid is a simply one that gets behind your opponents front lines. The easiest way to do that it to just send units along the boarders of the map and the farest flanks you can. Smart players will have stratigicly placed LLts in thier base but you can only cover so much ground with llts before it becomes non cost effective.

I understand that aspect... I mean, every base has its holes...

but I'll still stand by that, in AA, OVERALL (say a 10 game matchup), a smart player with LLT's and defensive units will beat a smart player with raiding AK's or flashes, or whatever... more often than not... and by a fair margin...

don't get me wrong... defense is not "fool-proof"... the "raiding tactic" works VERY VERY well however, if you do get that one "successful" raid... but against a seasoned opponent... that successful raid is few and far between...

SwiftSpear · Post by **SwiftSpear** » 14 Mar 2006, 14:57

Well, raiding really doesn't cost much... Aks and flashes are both quite cheap. It's really not that much of a risk reward situation because you don't really risk anything to do it. The 5-6 raiding units that died to LLTs aren't going to set you back in the long run if you are matching your opponents macro management. However, if they manage to take down 3-4 mexes and a few solars your opponent is WAY behind. It's the kind of thing, you might as well try it because it really isn't hurting you to do so anyways.

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AA Strategy Question

AA Strategy Question