Galactic Conquest woes

[Tiel]

Hi, new member, first post, and I know I'm probably going to get immediately slammed for this, but I've been playing the 'From the Ground Up' scenario on Captain difficulty as the Imperial Remnant, and I'm finding it extremely difficult to capture planets from the New Republic. In space I do fairly well with my task force of Vindicators, but I get absolutely massacred on the ground even when applying ridiculously overwhelming force.

So far, I've encountered two obstacles.

The first was the NR AI just putting up an anti-vehicle turret on the first cap point on...Farfinn, I think it was. This is the only route to their base, and it absolutely slaughtered anything I threw at it. Eventually I sent at least 3 Platoons of Stormies and that managed to take it down, but it was rather bothersome that my entire assault was ground to a standstill by a single turret.

The second, of which I've yet to overcome, is my attack on Borealis. My first attempt ended in utter failure, with the T2Bs flanking me and killing all my d00ds. I shrugged, called myself a dummkopf, and attacked again, this time making sure to station a unit of AT-PTs on where I assumed they'd entered from. While they were happily playing shooting house with endless squads of Bothans trying to use the same path, I moved my stormies up with a team of specialists, along with another squad of AT-PTs for firing support against the pesky T2Bs. As we surged forward, we encountered our first T2B, which upon seeing the majesty of our Imperial might promptly fled, but not before taking out all of my specialists whom idiotically move IN FRONT of the group ( ). Anyway, we kept moving, only to stumble upon a bloody NEST of the freaking T2s, who charged, killing a few storms, but once their health dropped they fled like the bloody scum they are, only to come back with shields raised to wipe out some more of my strike force. A T4B entered the fray and it was over. I cut my losses and retreated, trying to fathom where I'd gone so wrong.

Eventually after launching a space attack on Noquivzor to regain my nerve, I came to the conclusion that my failure was due to a shortage of PLEX troops. So, I attacked Borealis yet again, following the exact same stratagem save for having 1 Specialist team, 2 PLEX platoons, 2 AT-PT squads, whose roles remained the same, and 2 companies of storm troopers. I went forward yet again, and the T2Bs responded in force, mercilessly cutting down my troops and barely losing any units. In the middle of the fray the Troll4B trundled up and began shooting missiles at my soldiers, destroying both my infantry and mechanized with equal ease. When I returned fire with my squads of PLEXs, I realized the thing was a freaking damagesink. It took at least 4 volleys just to bring it to 3/4ths health, at which point it rolled away and the T2Bs renewed their assault with full shields, and then came back to take out the rest of my stormies and PTs. My task force, reduced to two PLEX squads of low health, met their ends at the hands of the Bothans. This time I didn't cut my losses and instead sent my rearguard of AT-PTs up to take out the Troll4B, who absolutely murdered all but one of them (who ended up being within an inch of dying) before finally being destroyed. A T2B, however, hovered up at lightning fast speeds and killed my AT-PT. Thus ends my assault on Borealis.

Now, I think I've nailed it down to two problems I feel the need to whine about:

• T2Bs are too strong: In vanilla EAW they are equipped with anti-infantry lasers, same as the lower end Imperial mechs now. However, in GUTR they carry one of the T4B's heavy laser cannons. Combine this with their incredible speed and annoying AI that compels them to execute hit-and-run attacks, they are more than a match for any lower-end Imperial unit.
• T4Bs have too much armor: I realize this is the NR's primary assault unit, but when I was attacking the ease in which it dispatched my units without taking much in the way of damage was absurd. It shares the T2B AI, meaning you have to chase it down and open yourself up to attacks from the rear (cough, T2Bs, cough) to have even a chance of taking it down. I've yet to deploy bigger Imperial mechs on the field, so if armor is its main counter to them at least make it less effective against infantry so PLEXs have a reasonable chance of taking it down.

However, there's also the possibility I'm just playing this completely wrong. If that's the case, can someone suggest an alternative stratagem to taking Borealis? I really need those 1900 creds. 

PS: Are Novatroopers worth it? Every time I use them in place of Storms they get killed rather quickly, what's their advantage over baseline Imp infantry?

[Corey]

• T2Bs are too strong: In vanilla EAW they are equipped with anti-infantry lasers, same as the lower end Imperial mechs now. However, in GUTR they carry one of the T4B's heavy laser cannons. Combine this with their incredible speed and annoying AI that compels them to execute hit-and-run attacks, they are more than a match for any lower-end Imperial unit.
• T4Bs have too much armor: I realize this is the NR's primary assault unit, but when I was attacking the ease in which it dispatched my units without taking much in the way of damage was absurd. It shares the T2B AI, meaning you have to chase it down and open yourself up to attacks from the rear (cough, T2Bs, cough) to have even a chance of taking it down. I've yet to deploy bigger Imperial mechs on the field, so if armor is its main counter to them at least make it less effective against infantry so PLEXs have a reasonable chance of taking it down.

Irrelevant, but t's just TR. Or ICW if you want to distinguish Imperial Civil War from Ascendancy. The GU bit in the url is from when we shared this domain with a CnC mod called Galactic Uprising.

Anywho, the T2-B does not have a secondary weapon, it's still just the anti-infantry. If anything, compared to other vehicles the T2-B is actually far weaker in the mod than in the base game, and so are turrets. The thing that seems to be causing you problems is that you're relying far too much on infantry and AT-PTs. Infantry are much weaker in the mod, but in large groups they end to be better at taking out anti-vehicle vehicles because those have a lower rate of fire and higher damage output doesn't really help against them, What it does mean is that while T2-Bs aren't great against those larger threats, they are still excellent against infantry. They're also good against AT-PTs because AT-Pts themselves are primarily anti-infantry but are also much weaker than T2-Bs.

The same is true of the T4-B situations. Plex soldiers can easily take them out, but they need to have something to stop them from immediately getting blown up themselves. Infantry aren't the spammable damage sinks they were in the base game.

PS: Are Novatroopers worth it? Every time I use them in place of Storms they get killed rather quickly, what's their advantage over baseline Imp infantry?

They're better in every single characteristic; firing rate, health, movement speed, etc.

[Tiel]

Thank you for the informative reply. Could you suggest anything as far as an ideal unit composition when going up against the T2s & T4s?

[yutpaeksi]

• T2Bs are too strong: In vanilla EAW they are equipped with anti-infantry lasers, same as the lower end Imperial mechs now. However, in GUTR they carry one of the T4B's heavy laser cannons. Combine this with their incredible speed and annoying AI that compels them to execute hit-and-run attacks, they are more than a match for any lower-end Imperial unit.
• T4Bs have too much armor: I realize this is the NR's primary assault unit, but when I was attacking the ease in which it dispatched my units without taking much in the way of damage was absurd. It shares the T2B AI, meaning you have to chase it down and open yourself up to attacks from the rear (cough, T2Bs, cough) to have even a chance of taking it down. I've yet to deploy bigger Imperial mechs on the field, so if armor is its main counter to them at least make it less effective against infantry so PLEXs have a reasonable chance of taking it down.

However, there's also the possibility I'm just playing this completely wrong. If that's the case, can someone suggest an alternative stratagem to taking Borealis? I really need those 1900 creds. 

PS: Are Novatroopers worth it? Every time I use them in place of Storms they get killed rather quickly, what's their advantage over baseline Imp infantry?

Novatroopers are tougher than regular stormtroopers and have the take cover ability, which prolongs their life considerably against lasers. The TR team has done a great job of making infantry and vehicles serve very different roles in land battles. Infantry are basically great fodder and great to use against single large power units, like AT-ATs or turbolaser towers. Don't fret over losing several battalions of infantry in each land battle, they're cheap and fast to replace.

As to your trouble against T2-Bs, first off they do NOT have an anti-vehicle cannon. They carry two blaster cannons and are really not great against opposing vehicles except in large groups. One of the best ways to deal with them is the 2-M Sabre tanks, especially with their power to weapons ability. They can cut through entire swaths of T2-Bs. Another possibility if you can't field 2-Ms, is to use AT-STs with their concentrate fire ability. When they do that, their damage output is through the roof and any T2B whose path crosses that line of fire will get vaped.

The T4-B has a decent amount of armor but it's really not that powerful compared to AT-ATs, and in your case, plex troopers can devastate them at fairly low cost. FTGU is a fun GC but yeah initially it's tough to win some land battles because the AI gets a credit income boost over you, so they can fill their worlds with troops and vehicle factories.

One thing that might really help you is that you said you're fielding vindicators primarily? Do you have any fleet units with TIE bombers or any capital ships? Bombing runs and orbital bombardment can help a lot with fixed defenses like turbolaser towers and those turrents.

Good luck!

EDIT: Just saw Corey's post, thumbs up to that too. [/list]

EDIT: Oops I meant the 2-M Saber Repulsor Tanks, not 2-H Hovertank.

[Corey]

In FTGU it's a bit more difficult since your choices are (necessarily) more limited by the scenarios design, and you're forced to pick off some lower priority targets before getting the "good" units becomes economically feasible. Once you can get them, TIE Crawlers tend to do really well against T2-Bs. Even AT-STs aren't bad if you slightly outnumber T2-Bs (the shields make the difference here). The important thing to remember is the garrisons aren't unlimited. So, if you can find somewhere you know the NR will scout and can set up something of a nest with an E-Web set up, 2 AT-STs and maybe a plex/normal squad and a specialist to heal the AT-ST between waves you can probably hold off every wave of garrisoned T2-B as well as a good chunk of anything else.

I'm far better at this game than certain videos would suggest....

[yutpaeksi]

In FTGU it's a bit more difficult since your choices are (necessarily) more limited by the scenarios design, and you're forced to pick off some lower priority targets before getting the "good" units becomes economically feasible. Once you can get them, TIE Crawlers tend to do really well against T2-Bs. Even AT-STs aren't bad if you slightly outnumber T2-Bs (the shields make the difference here). The important thing to remember is the garrisons aren't unlimited. So, if you can find somewhere you know the NR will scout and can set up something of a nest with an E-Web set up, 2 AT-STs and maybe a plex/normal squad and a specialist to heal the AT-ST between waves you can probably hold off every wave of garrisoned T2-B as well as a good chunk of anything else.

I'm far better at this game than certain videos would suggest....

Actually right now TIE crawlers don't use their turbolaser against vehicles (bug's been reported). They only use their blaster cannons.

No one is questioning your prowess at this game...ok fine so maybe I did a couple of times, but you know...come on! We all saw the video!

[Corey]

Actually right now TIE crawlers don't use their turbolaser against vehicles (bug's been reported). They only use their blaster cannons.

Right... Hard to keep track of what's 2.0 and 2.1 when it comes to bug fixes.

No one is questioning your prowess at this game...ok fine so maybe I did a couple of times, but you know...come on! We all saw the video!

You didn't see the previous and following 8 attempts it went fine. We'd been trying to record for like 4 hours and I got lazy. That's why Kalo sounds angry at the start of the actual video. You also didn't see the video Enceladus, Kalo and I recorded while I was *slightly* drunk.  I'm sure the podcast outtakes will be similarly failtastic...

[Kalo]

Right... Hard to keep track of what's 2.0 and 2.1 when it comes to bug fixes.
 

You didn't see the previous and following 8 attempts it went fine. We'd been trying to record for like 4 hours and I got lazy. That's why Kalo sounds angry at the start of the actual video. You also didn't see the video Enceladus, Kalo and I recorded while I was *slightly* drunk.  I'm sure the podcast outtakes will be similarly failtastic...

"slightly."

[Eclipse]

You know that everyone will start asking about it... Wich video is?

[Tiel]

So a couple 'unidentified' ISDs jumped in behind my Vindicators, wiped them out, then proceeded to utterly fail at attacking the NR Golans 

Thanks for all the help guys.

[Enceladus]

Say to hello to Raid fleets.

Best of luck with your GC play through.

[Corey]

Yeah, hanging out near the starting point isn't a great idea. It'll tell you before they jump in that they're coming though.

[Singularity]

Just use a Carrack or a Lancer to warp in first during every space battle, if it says a raid fleet is coming, just send it to the other side of the map and wait for both sides to wipe each other out. Though the raid fleet AI isn't that smart so don't rely on them all the time.

About FTGU, my biggest problem while playing as the Imps was that I couldn't even afford a second fleet, as none of the planets in the area are that rich, and the location means I'm attacked from all angles by the NR. At least the Rebels and the Hand are tucked away in a corner of the galaxy where they can build up their forces easily.

One thing about the rebels, the surrounding planets have things like Endurances guarding them, so its pretty hard to build up a big enough fleet to take them out just from one planet.

[Seran Hawke]

I think even with all the improvements to the game that ground battles are still slightly broken, that said, I may just hate ground battles.

[Crisiss]

As Imps, it's just best to bide your time and save up for the good stuff. Carisa is a horrible starting point because of the extremely low credit income but there's nothing that an really be done to change that. Possibly Corulag as a starting point since the NR gets Bothawui, so there's some decent income and frigate shipyards. (forgive me if Carida is frigate-producing, haven't played in a while) Personally I just use Victory I frigates for the concs vs. fighters and turbolasers vs everything else. Probably the most cost effective unit out there.

[Lord Xizer]

About FTGU, my biggest problem while playing as the Imps was that I couldn't even afford a second fleet, as none of the planets in the area are that rich, and the location means I'm attacked from all angles by the NR. At least the Rebels and the Hand are tucked away in a corner of the galaxy where they can build up their forces easily.

Learn to love Victory Class Star Destroyers and VSDIIs

[Crisiss]

Learn to love Victory Class Star Destroyers and VSDIIs

They're expensive, but also everything you'll ever need. Lots of firepower, armor, shielding, and plenty of fighter screening. One or two can tackle a fleet on their own.

[Lord Xizer]

The VSDIIs(Especially the Crimson ones) are also very fast for their size. I'd say they're the Panther Tanks compared to the ISDIIs Tiger in terms of battle prowess. Given the choice I prefer fleets of VSDIIs for maneuverability and speed in case I need to outflank or retreat a ship out of the immediate battle to heal.

[pincuishin]

Just use a Carrack or a Lancer to warp in first during every space battle, if it says a raid fleet is coming, just send it to the other side of the map and wait for both sides to wipe each other out. Though the raid fleet AI isn't that smart so don't rely on them all the time.

About FTGU, my biggest problem while playing as the Imps was that I couldn't even afford a second fleet, as none of the planets in the area are that rich, and the location means I'm attacked from all angles by the NR. At least the Rebels and the Hand are tucked away in a corner of the galaxy where they can build up their forces easily.

One thing about the rebels, the surrounding planets have things like Endurances guarding them, so its pretty hard to build up a big enough fleet to take them out just from one planet.

                   Hahah forget that man I've got viscounts on mine somehow I survived it I forget how long time ago basicly just make sure your ground forces are superb to your space only at guarding your planets lol god I lost space so many times but never my ground. It gave me enough time to build up my space force with which I now have several praetors and isds I tried over and over at which strike force to start with I came to the conclusion of carriek/modular and or lancer with escort carrier mostly carriek though.

[Crisiss]

The VSDIIs(Especially the Crimson ones) are also very fast for their size. I'd say they're the Panther Tanks compared to the ISDIIs Tiger in terms of battle prowess. Given the choice I prefer fleets of VSDIIs for maneuverability and speed in case I need to outflank or retreat a ship out of the immediate battle to heal.

It's more of a economy thing for me. If I can afford a couple VSD IIs and only one ISD I'm going to go with the VSDs. VSD IIs are good for hit and run attacks (although the IR isn't really tailored for that) and ISDs are slow as hell. ISD IIs are slightly better in terms of, well just about everything. I don't believe you can get Crimson Command VSDs in FTGU, no?

                   Hahah forget that man I've got viscounts on mine somehow I survived it I forget how long time ago basicly just make sure your ground forces are superb to your space only at guarding your planets lol god I lost space so many times but never my ground. It gave me enough time to build up my space force with which I now have several praetors and isds I tried over and over at which strike force to start with I came to the conclusion of carriek/modular and or lancer with escort carrier mostly carriek though.

I'm not sure what you mean by carriek, but again, VSDs are probably the best move, despite their price. But you do bring up a very good point, your ground forces are VERY important. The AI tends to just ravage your space forces at first and not invade the ground much. But when they do, they will wreck you. E-Webs and shock troopers (or PLEX, don't quite remember their name) are very useful for both the tanks and air speeders they decide to send at you. We're really only talking about the beginning at this point though.

I'd like Corulag to be the new IR starting point, seeing as it provides a better economy, retains the frigate shipyard aspect, and it gets them closer to a capital shipyard. EotH and NR are merely 3 planets away from their shipyard, while the IR is about 6. It's a little bit harder for the IR to get moving until they have their heavy hitters. Just my personal opinion. It also retains the 'IR controls the core' lore they've always had. Would be a nice change, although it does open you up to more attacks. I'd still prefer being closer to Byss although I'll be hit a bit harder.