Battlezone 1

Questions? Post them here.

Strat Training

1. IMPERIAL GUIDE FOR STARTUP IN NEW TERRITORY

FIRST, 2-3 SCAVS AND A CONST.
SECOND, BUILD SILO IN A NEARBY SCRAP FIELD, THEN MAKE 1 MORE SCAV PLUS ARMORY.

3. 2 MORE SCAVS WHILE GETTING DOUBLE SPS AND MORTAR.

4. A FACTORY, WHILE MAKING MORE SCAVS. USE CONST. TO MAKE BASIC GT REC DEFENSE.

5. 4 TANKS(OR NSDF LIGHT TANKS) FOLLOWING REC. WITH 2-3 GTS DEFENDING REC. GET 2-3 APCS AND 2 TANKS FOLLOWING YOU. HAVE CONSTRUCTOR FOLLOWING YOU .AND START SEARCHING FOR ENEMY BASES.

5.5. SEARCH FOR THE ENEMY BASE.

6. ONCE FOUND, START IMMEADIATELY BUILDING AN OUTPOST. I RECOMMEND STARTING WITH A SILO AND SUPPLY. THEN POWER SUPPLIES AND GTS.

7. BY THAT TIME THE ENEMY MIGHT START ATTACKING. KEEP SENDING IN REINFORCEMENTS FROM YOUR BASE(TANKS, BOMBERS, APCS, HOWITZERS, ETC.) KEEP HOLDING ON AND MAKE SURE THAT AFTER THE BATTLE IS OVER THAT YOU MAINTAIN THE LARGER AMOUNT OF THE SCRAP FIELD.

8. IF YOUR ENEMY IS A BASE-SITTER, HOWITZERS WILL DRIVE HIM OUT. JUST KEEP THE HOWIES DEFENDED.

9. SURROUND HIS BASE, PREVENT HIM FROM GATHERING ANY SCRAP. HOLD YOUR OUTPOST LINES.

10. CAREFULLY GAIN GROUND ON YOUR OPPONENT. KEEP YOUR GUARD UP AT ALL TIMES FOR SUPRISES.

11. THE COU DE GRADE, TAKE DOWN HIS LIFES, OR RECYCLER/FACTORY/ARMORY/AND CONSTRUCTOR.

12. THE VICTOR WILL HAVE THE MOST SCRAP, AND FINISH THE ENEMY.

TRAINING EXERCISES FOR STRAT:

BZ 1 CAMPAIGN: DIFFICULTY LEVEL: HARD.

TRO CAMPAIGN: DIFFICULY LEVEL: MEDIUM

IF YOU PASS THESE COURSES. YOU'LL BE READY FOR THE LINE OF COMBAT FOR THE IMPERIAL ARMY, SOLDIER. I BID YOU WELL ON YOUR TRAINING.

FROM SUPREME GENERAL: HYPERFIGHTER

TOPIC: WAYS TO DEFEND YOUR MEN IN CASE OF A RUSH.

THERE ARE SOME WAYS TO DEFEND AGAINST SUCH AN ATTACK.

WHEN YOU DEPLOY YOUR RECYCLER, BUILD 2 SCOUTS, AND 1 SCAV. TELL THE SCOUTS TO FOLLOW YOU, AND STAY WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE RECYCLER, IT CAN HELP GIVE YOU A SIMPLE ADVANTAGE OVER A RUSH.

BASE DEFENSE STRATEGY.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO DEFEND YOUR BASE. ALSO IF YOUR NOT AROUND.

1. 4 TANKS AND ONE GT AROUND REC(THE MOST OPEN PART). WITH MINES AROUND THE AREA TO HALT APC ATTACK.

2. SEVERAL GTS AROUND REC, UPGRADED TO DUAL BLAST(IF CCA, NSDF GOOD STOCK). 4-5 TURRETS UPGRADED WITH DUAL SP STABBER AROUND REC AS WELL. ADDITIONAL REINFORCEMENT CAN BE MADE. USE MINES AROUND THE BASE AS WELL. (WARNING: VERY SCRAP CONSUMPTIVE)

A majority of Bz stratters normally play as NSDF, and some of those few who mainly play CCA have difficulty playing as that race. This guide's goal will be able to help new CCA stratters learn how to reveal the aw-inspiring power of the CCA.

1: Scrap Collection: As we all know, CCA scavengers are slower than NSDF, as such, CCA players will need to put more silos in than NSDF.

2: Golem Walkers: they have raw power, the most powerful unit in game. USE THEM! They work at their very best in defensive positions in the base, where they can reload. They can make the ultimate defense against attacking forces, since not many units can stop them.

3: CCA Supply: Absolutely massive. Best to use in flat land where the supply can be at its most effective. Since its mass is bigger than the NSDF supply, it provides a "larger range of effect".

4: CCA Recyclers: No true open part, Rec divers will have a tough time getting through this recycler.

5: CCA Factories: Open part makes it more difficult to hit than NSDF factory.

6: Czars: More ammo and hull: Use it to your advantage: Bring Czars to the battlefield on "Follow" command, they bring the ultimate tank power to the battlefield(especially when upgraded)

7: Stolis: They have the AI of a bomber, and can be a good first defense for recycler. They can be called to defend recycler without you needing to be there to tell them to follow it to initiate "Agressive Response"

Note: Do not use Stolis unless you have Bz 1998 or later Installer to avoid HP bug.

8: CCA Guntowers: 2 cannon hardpoints, add double Blasts to them, there a walker with unlimited ammo.

9: Defense: When properly defended, the CCA can have the ultimate defense against attacking forces. Several dual blast GTs, turrets with dual blasts(or dual SPs)

10:APCs, while a little less armor, is somewhat faster, their soldier's chainguns(while slower than minigun) can pack more punch than a minigun. They be commanded to attack slightly farther off, and could make the trip to deploy troops.

11: Armory:It is equipped with Blast Cannon, it brings one the most(if not THE most) powerful advantage the CCA have. Upgrading GTs, your tank, and other units will help give you the edge in battle(be warned of huge ammo consumption.

12: Grendels: They are slightly slower than thunderbolts, however they are more agile, best heavy assualt unit for flanking.

13: Minelayers: Over 70 games fighting Jens has shown that CCA minelayers are harder to hit than NSDF. A Commander in a minelayer would have overall protection avoiding enemy fire.

13.4: Other strat tactics remain the same.

14: The CCA, overall, are known for the strength of their firepower. They have an extreme defense if used properly, and have some of the strongest units in the game for command.

HOW TO STOP A REC DIVER

Like some of you know, there are some players on Bz who will try lame tactics to attempt to win. One such tactic is Rec diving. Rec diving is when an opponent jumps into your recycler shooting, your rec defense attempts to shoot the opponent but ends up shooting their own recycler. There are ways to stop these rec divers(i.e. Jens/Sir Stratking, Westpac, Rusty Guns, etc...)

1. Undeploy your recycler and move it., the rec diver will be propped out and become cannon fodder(most recommended choice).
2. Build 2 turrets(upgraded with dual SP-Stabbers) or 1-2 GTs in front of the Recycler's most open part, that it is harder for rec jumper to hide in recy and not be damaged. It's even better if you undeploy recy and make recy jumper completely vulnerable.

Tips for Offensive Combat

There is a lot to be said about offensive attacking/building in Bz strat, but there are some strategies on how to do it effectively.The Universal rule of thumb for Bz combat is keeping your tanks,scouts, and light tanks following something(your ship, recy, fac, etc...). Only then do they fight aggressively against enemy attackers. When engaging the enemy, you must always make sure you have units with you and that in they confront the enemy before you. I've played strat games in which after the commander ship is blown, the AI is thrown into complete awry. YOU MUST AVOID THIS CATASTROPHE AT ALL COSTS!!!! Keep your ship alive too, and in control. The goal of the battle is to get the majority of the scrap in the area, so you must always ensure that after each confrontation, your able to gather the majority of the scrap there.

Before even engaging in the battle you must correctly calculate your opponent's strength. Radar, and knowledge of the map can help you with this. Always decide: How much scrap does he have, what units could he be building, what surprises could he have in store for me, etc. You also must decide the battlefield, lead his army to your base to gather the aftermath scrap, or duke it out on his turf? Remember the famous quote: "Battles are won before they are fought".

Outposts
This is the part of strategy that players find most difficult. Either it's "where to put it?", "what to put in it?", "what units should be there?", many new stratters find that the most challenging aspect of stratting. Outposts are crucial in a strat game, many times the mere investment of an outpost can decide a game. Also, outposts will give your army maneuverability and you'll be able to quickly station troops in areas that are pretty far away from your recycler and factory.

Outpost Placement
Before you can even think about what to put in an outpost, you must figure out where your going to place it. In some games I've seen new stratters invest entire loads of scrap into massive outposts, and they are useless because they were put in the wrong place. Your placement of outpost(s) depends mainly on the layout of the map and your choice of strategy and if you want multiple outposts.For example, on BioMetal Run, I choose to choke my opponent, and trap his/her where I want to. An initial outpost would be in the center of the map, and then as the game advances, I would then trap my opponent in their base spawn(provided they haven't moved already). Generally, a good strategy is to put your outpost at a chokepoint, where the enemy must use to produce harm. This effectively cripples your opponent, and gives you a well-needed advantage in beating them. Your outpost placement also needs to be at a spot where you'll need it, and where you'll be needing to use it a lot. Otherwise, it is a waste of scrap, and scrap is the backbone to any stratter's war machine.

Outpost Composition
Placement of an outpost is important, and what's in the outpost is just as important. Some things are a must, such as supply, barracks, and silo. Other units and buildings are needed according to the situation. For example, when your opponent is agressive and trying to undermine your outpost, guntowers, supply, and hangar with you and your units will be needed. If your opponent is a base-sitter and waiting for you to come to them, then supply, silo, and about 6 howies to rain hell on him. Then he'll either be annihilated, or be drawn out to try and save themselves. A standard outpost will have silo, supply, hangar, barracks, a few guntowers, you and your units, and scavengers. Scavengers and silos must always be in an outpost because of the high activity around them. They'll be scrap from all the fighting nearby, and having scavengers to gather the scrap, and silos to drop off the scrap will better provide you with the supplies to finish off your opponent.
Production units are also good for putting in outposts. Outposts should provide adequate protection for your recycler and factory, and also them being there means you have faster access to reinforcements when needed.

How to fight a Blaster

Throughout Bz, there are people who use the power of the blast cannon throughout daily stratting life. Those who have fought people who tend to normally use blasts know that fighting them one on one is suicidal. Blast tank will win 10 out of 10 fights(unless their aim sucks).
To fight a blaster, you must know the physics of a blast tank. The Blast Cannon is available only to CCA armories, so you have to figure out how many blasts a tank can shoot out. A blast-upgraded Czar will have 20 single blast shots with full ammo, 10 shots with dual blast. Keep this in mind and count how many shots the blaster shoots out. Knowing this will let you know when the opponent is out of ammo and when you can slaughter them.
Another such tactic is to attack the blaster with numbers. With only 10 shots, they aren't going to have the ammo to finish off all your units, and will be forced to retreat. Howitzers can also ruffle up the blaster, and will give you the better chance of beating them.