Basic combat tips.

[Drago Sinio]

This thread is for basic tactic tips re: SMAC/X combat; the sort of little thing that may be obvious, but just might not occur to you until you see it written down in a thread.

When you attack a base with multiple needlejets, each jet should attack from a different square, in such a way as to prevent the enemies reinforcements from reaching the base.


Okay, thats mine. Whats yours?

[wgabrie]

I have a question. If I play the believers with there 25% attack bonus, and +25% for infantry against base, what morale level would my (1-1-1) Scout Patrol need to be at to have a chance to beat a green moral (1-2-1) Synthmetel guard in a base w/o a Sensor?

Combat tip? Play the Believers and use their 25% attack bonus with the unit bonuses, such as infantry for bases and rovers for open ground, and get double the normal combat bonuses.

[Yxklyx]

I prefer to put all my bombers in one square so I can protect them with one fighter stacked with them - if there are enemy fighters in the vicinity.

[mrdynamic]

Keep Your Costs Low ..... Infiltrate the faction you want to attack to find out how many units are in the base you want. If there are 5 units in the base attack with at least 7 using Infantry, Best Weapon, No armor, any special abilities that may help(SAM, EmpathSong). For defense, 2-4 rovers, best armor cheapest weapon, high morale, trance, as the designated defenders. 1 or 2 rover artilleries if tech allows for them to soften up the city or to guard against enemy artillery. Always attack from rocks or fungus. Attack with 2 different stacks to prevent collateral damage. Also, Take your time to repair damage units before continuing the march.

[Flubber]

My tips are pretty basic

Pre air power
1. A best weapon rover(s) in a base with a one tile road radiating out in all 4 directions is great " defense"-- all non-elite rovers wishing to attack must at some point stop 1-2 squares from the base

2. If invaded create killing fields (low -defense squares not roaded so enemy units end their turn there.

3. For defensive units outside bases, sometimes use crawlers. An armoured crawler is not THAT expensive, requires no support and actually brings in a positive influx of resources-- I usually build them vanilla and then place them on rocky squares around the edges of my empire as sentries. Upgrade them when an enemy shows up. Many of these "sentries" never see action but when they do, they can delay, or more importantly provide notice of, an attack

4. Blockade your coastline with even weak units ( Vels Doctrine defense. If they don't have amph or air abilities, anything that can occupy a square will do

Air power and MMI then totally change most of this given how dominant air power can be

[Yxklyx]

If you're being harassed by offshore bombardment (from Pirates for example) build infantry artillery units with best weapon and no armor. These will fend off those annoying Pirates.

[RedFred]

The Spartans, - NO! not those Spartans, I mean the ancient Greeks - when asked why their city had no walls replied something to the effect that 'the chests of our warriors are our walls'. So the great concept of defending by attacking was born.

SMAC correctly reflects the reality that throughout history weapons are stronger and defenses always play catch up. So by all means have your great 1-X-1 unit standing tall in your base as a last resort fallback, but also have an X-1-2 rover that can counterattack first.

MrD's keeping your costs low idea is another key. Don't spend hours agonizing over the exact composition of an attack force to deal with all possible defenses. There isn't one. Try to hit hard first with cheap weapons. In the early game this usually means the rover rush or the worm rush.

[OBLIGATORY PLUG] I am not a natural momentum player. I have found much sage advice in Vel's strat guide, and many great tips on warfare. Buy it.