MARS MILITARY ACADEMY

[Martian base commander]

Welcome soldier,to Mar's only military academy.Here you will hopefully learn all there is to know,like how to configure your squad to suit specific environments and situations,what weapons and equipment to bring to the battle,advanced battle formations and tactics,how to optimise your weapons and equipment,and the strengths and weaknesses of the countless enemies out there.

 

Only serious students need apply here.

 

We look forward to meeting you!

 

I cannot stress enough the importance of short to medium range artillery support,in this case grenade launcher support (GL)

 

As you can see in the following shot,our squad had established a good base of operations,using the large trucks to the left and right as natural obstacles against flank attacks in that area,and the rock in front also provided another obstacle to the front.You can see clearly the GL shells bombarding the area in front,supporting the front line troops.The idea is to generally lob about 3 shells into an area where you expect the enemy walking into over the next 4 or 5 secs.You are trying to time your strikes so that they land precisely where the enemy is at that moment.It is best to place your GL which acts like a mortar just behind your front line,so that it is in range and is protected by the front line troops.You do NOT want this unit damaged or destroyed!A trooper stationed nearby can also supply him with defence grenades if he runs out,a medic is ideal for this.A spotter is also highly recommended,as he will be giving your GL valuable LOS to the enemy.

 

Defending an area this way gives you TOTAL protection from being overrun and attacked by superior numbers,it is also perfectly suited for bombarding enemy positions that are in cover due to its high arc of trajectory.This tactic has proved to be very successful against all known enemies so far.

 

In order to play missions in this way you must be producing lots of grenades and prioritising them,maintaining a supply of about 50 seems adequate.A workshop fully staffed with experienced workers will have no problem meeting this demand.

 

https://img114.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s...22191103qa9.jpg

[Accounting Troll]

I've grown very fond of the grenade launcher in later battles against the Beastmen. Explosives can send Matriarchs sprawling pretty quickly, which can give your squad something of a breathing space.

 

The other Beastmen are far more resistant to being knocked down, but they are far more vunerabvle to Gatling guns.

[Crazy Gringo]

I guess it is how you play the game.

I primarily use lasers and psionics to end any matriach's life. Sure a well timed grenade/explosive will send them flying due to their lightless (5% weight increase on the UFO amounts to about 50 kg).

[infael]

Personally, I miss the Super Strikers from AM and AS. Very versatile and effective weapons!!

[Csimbi]

Sure a well timed grenade/explosive will send them flying due to their lightless (5% weight increase on the UFO amounts to about 50 kg).

I do not mean to hijack this thread, but I would like to add something here.

I made on of them fly by sniper fire.

First, I was laughing my head off when I saw them flying.

Then, I realized what I have seen: great psychics. I was truly impressed.

I tried to repeat the flyby caused by sniper rifle fire, however I could not reproduce it.

Gotta opt for rockets the next time I play this game ;-)

One more thing: once I hit a Beast and it fell off a cliff - but it appears that He did not get damaged by the fall. Isn't this a bug?

[Crazy Gringo]

Critical hits from non-sniper weaponry tends to send them flying. Not always but pretty dang often.

That was the same situation in UFO: Aftershock where I coined the term Air Wargot though I wasn't the first one to get an Air Wargot.

In UFO: Afterllight I have managed to get a couple of Air Beastman with critical hit fire from a non-sniper weapon.

[Csimbi]

Critical hits from non-sniper weaponry tends to send them flying. Not always but pretty dang often.

That was the same situation in UFO: Aftershock where I coined the term Air Wargot though I wasn't the first one to get an Air Wargot.

In UFO: Afterllight I have managed to get a couple of Air Beastman with critical hit fire from a non-sniper weapon.

I just bought a new computer. The old one was probably so slow that I did not even realize that they were flying, LOL

[DragonFireSG]

Anyone notice the model for the human GL implies it is a drum loader? We need a proper magazine for it with projectle based grenades! And oh. Burst fire.

 

DF

[infael]

I once knocked a Matriach off a clifftop right into Gatling fire from a soldier at the bottom

 

The Matriarch was falling down then the Gatling pushed her up a bit and killed her outright

 

Thought it was funny

 

Looked really good tho

[Azra]

Try sending a matriarch flying with a melee soldier armed with a katana or lightsaber almost like major league baseball

[Siegfried]

Another tactic is to load it up your grenade launchers with concussion grenades (or watever the incapicitation ones are) and just fire at them till their all asleep or lying down, then walk up and finish them of woth shotguns... or dynamite if your feeling mean.

 

Haven't done anything good with pysics yet, except sniper one of a cliff but it seems everyone can do that

[mockingbird]

Greetings y'all.

Got myself a copy of Afterlight fairly recently, and I must say that despite (very infrequent) CTDs, memory leak issues and loooong loading times I am having a great time with it.

 

So, a few combat tips from me, straight from the war zone.

I have not yet beaten the game, but since the strategies worked for me so far, some of them seem to be universal.

So far I am playing on medium difficulty.

 

Soldiers & Training

 

(o)Combat experience in AL seems to be calculated mostly on the basis of damage inflicted.

If you want to balance your characters (i.e. level up rookies) have the more experienced team

members down an enemy for them (using stun grenades or bringing them to 'red health bar') then

run up to the incapacitated target (for higher ToHit%) and finish it off.

(it should go without saying, but make sure your improvised training ground is free of hostiles (-: )

 

Also, note that just being on a mission gives XP. This can be a fairly large amount in the later game.

 

(o)Make sure your soldier/scientists have medical training. You'd want at least one with you on a mission.

Reticulans with psionic medikits are a bit more effective, since they can heal at range.

This will all come in handy when you face psionic attacks and martians who seem to love stun weapons.

(and tend to throw EMP gvrenades like mad)

They also help when reviving stunned targets marked for capture.

 

(o)Don't hurry with spending promotion points. You may find an nice promotion in the future.

It can also be worthwile to keep one or two characters with a 'clear card', around level 8,

so that in the future you can train them any way you want.

 

(o)Thoughts on Training (not all of them)

(Lemmie know if I mess up the names, I am using a non-english version)

 

Athletics - lets you run in the light suits. This effectively doubles your movement rate.

Without it your units move pitifuly slow, get it for everyone, even sniper whom you want to get to

firing positions ASAP. Second level is actually a lesser priority (except for the Heavy Suit guys).

The guys in heavy suits can benefit from it as well, as it seems to increase movement speed.

It is also very useful when dodging grenades - when you see one flying towards you, get out!

 

Suit Wearing - First level lets you crouch, lay prone and sneak in a space-suit.

While I've yet to appreciate the use of sneaking, the added cover and a small ToHit% you'll receive

are well worth the 1 point investment.

Characters who tend to run around much can probably skip it.

Level II is required to wear the heaviest suits, so this is a must for Heavy Suit troops, obviously.

 

Balance - Allows to evade knockdown and grenade splash damage more easily.

I didn't use this much, and only regretted it a few times. Getting knocked down in the middle of a firefight

can really ruin your day, but this can be countered through appropriate tactics (moving around a lot, keeping

your men in a loose formation).

 

Heavy Weapons - This is a specialist skill, obviously useful for your Heavy Weapon troops,

but not much use for anyone else. Second level reduces firing time, so get it right after the first.

Not that you dont get good heavy weapons until mid-game, (but when you do get them, they'll make your day)

so do not make this a high-priority skill.

This skill also adds carrying capacity.

 

Ranged Weapons - A good skill for anyone to have, reduces firing and reload times, adds accuracy.

Get I & II for everyone.

 

Melee Weapons - Didn't used this one much. Decent melee weapons come late in the game, and they

all suffer from the obvious drawback - you have to get close. They are effective vs. the martians, so

do not neglect it (although one melee specialist should be enough.)

 

Sniper Training - Two levels, 7 points total. That's a steep price if you wanna play with

sniper rifles, but all the sniper fans like me will pay it without a shadow of doubt.

NOTE: To use sniper rifles effectively you only need the first level (and it is useful to

non-snipers as well, as it seems it raises ToHit% for firing aimed shots).

The second level allows for selective fire, and in my experience the difference in effectiveness

in not that dramatic. Get it eventually, though, but don't prioritise.

 

Sneak If you want to go stealthy, go get it, but if you're

having doubts should you take it, better leve these points open.

 

Leadership Useful. Especially on slow moving troops (who are also the most vulnerable to PSI attacks,

incidentally that's what the second level is for.) Personally, I don't use it that much,

but I am not a great fan of slow moving troops.

 

Toughness Nice HP increase on level I. No reason not to get if for everyone, even snipers who may

find themselves flanked or grenaded at some point.

Level II you probably wont need. If you get grounded... better don't - move around or use heavy armour,

but if you are, just wait for the medic. I tend to get this promotion later.

 

Anatomy Great many skills here, you get one for each race. It raises damage and chances to score

a critical hit vs. the specified race. In theory, they are a nice way of creating specialized squads.

 

In practice, however, I find most of them a waste of points. They can be a tremendous help, but once

you work out the tactics and get hold of the better weapons, their usefulness diminishes.

OTOH, critical hits are useful, they inflict massive damage, and often knock the target down

messing up their attack. I would suggest getting them on higher difficulties

(But then again, if you are playing a higher diffculty, you should make up your own

tactics, and hence do not need this piece of advice (-:

and when you are really having problems with a particular race.

 

Reticulan Anatomy - this is perhaps a bit of an overkill, these guys are frail, regular

shots knock them around, and explosives send them flying. What you need here is

protection vs. their PSI attacks not increased damage.

 

Beastmen Anatomy - these guys are tough, and their grenades hit hard, so you may want to give

this training to someone if you are really having a hard time, but I find them easily outgunned at

longer ranges, use loose formations and pick out the grenadiers and hard-hitting bosses first and

you'll get yourself some breathing air.

 

Martian Anatomy - the green men were a surprise for me the first time they showed up - nearly

impervious to bullets, hard hitting and regrow themselves really fast. Howevewer, once the inital

shock of the encounter was over, they died easily.

The main problem with these dudes is that they are near invisible, incredibly fast and throw

grenades like mad. When you see them grenades fly, move out of the way and absolutely never

allow them to occupy an elevated position - you will get grenaded to death.

 

Human Anatomy - this is an exclusively reticulan training, I've yet to get to the point in game when

I'll face humans (and when I do, I guess a heavy round between the eyes will work just as good as always)

but since this training adds a healing bonus, and I make my Retuculan dudes part time medics anyway,

I give it a go.

 

Cover - I don't like this skill, it is cheap, I'll have to give it that, but I prefer to spend my points elsewhere and see nothing to change my point of view on it. Level II is even worse. You wanna avoid friendly fire?

Think when you position your troops, don't spend training point on it, thank you.

 

Ambidexterity - A specialist skill - get all levels or none at all. The reduction in reload and inventory manipulation time is nice, but you don't need it that much. OTOH, wielding two weapons gives you access to good

firepower early on, so be sure to give it a go, either with pistols or blades.

 

Plasma and EMP training Cheap training which allows wielding Plasma and EMP respectively, both human and alien designs. Like all specialist weapon skills, do get it if you plan using it.

 

PSI Weapons Training - Exclusively reticulan skill, unfortunately. I don't use PSI that much, as reticulans are slow to move and slow to attack and thus don't mix up well with the rest of my fighting force, however I train them up in this skill anyways, as they don't seem to have a choce as broad as humans.

 

(o)Soldier 'roles'

 

I love that the new UFO lets you customize the training for your soldier. This way,

you get a wide range of possible builds to toy around with. So far, I found a number to my liking:

 

Grunt This is not really a permanent role, but an in-between stage. I use them in the beginning,

and later on they become the base for different buids.

Athletics I

Suit Wearing I

Ranged Weapons II

Toughness I

 

Usage: Arm these guys with rifles or reticulan lasers and in the beginning you have a formidable fighting force.

Group them together and drop enemies firing squad style. (Long line)

If you are in the open, use lasers for their longer range, or run for cover. That is what athletics is for.

If the enemy is close, use aimed bursts to chop them down fast.

Not uch finesse here, but that's about the most you can get in the beginning.

 

Commando The first role really effective at dealing damage. Saved me a lot of fuss

with the early Beastmen encounters.

 

Athletics II

Ranged Weapons II

Toughness I (possibly II)

Ambidextrous II

 

Usage: These guys use dual wielding pistols (with silecers attached, just for the looks)

to dish out damage up close (running to get close). The combo of Ambidexterity II and Ranged II

means they fire two shots each 0.4 seconds, almost as fast as a gatling.

With high skil, snap shots and gyro-stabilised pistols you can get it down to 0.2!

Theoretically one try and do the same with any other one handed weapon, but I like the pistol best as it can be modded.

Beastmen pistols don't make the cut for me, despite having longer range and more ammo options,

they are too slow on aimed.

Reticulan laser pistols are an option vs robots and martians, as laser do a bit more damage vs. these guys.

 

I like to call this combo a poor man's gatling, as it is equally brutal and ammo consuming.

One time I dropped a squad of 6 basic beastmen without them really noticing (none managed to fire!)

The best thing is, the dual pistol combo is possible right from the start.

Dropping 6 beastmen grunts is nothing impressive later on when Matriarchs appear, but in the beginning

it is an immense help.

 

This tactics also fares well agains the Reticulans, run up to them and identify the ones with PSI

weapons and drop them ASAP. PSI weapons take above 3 secs to fire, that is an eternity

compared to rapid 0.4 dual wield shots (-:

 

Most of the time they can make do without backup, and they work best in pairs.

Watch out for grenades and critical hits. Getting kocked down will cost you precius seconds to get up,

so It may be worth it to use a training to counter that. However, your superior speed should

let you get away, but remember about critical hits!

 

Their usefulness diminishes once the heaviest robots and martians appear - bullets just do not

do enough damage.

For this reason, I tend to use a shotgun or a grenade launcher as backup weapons.

Add stun grenades to the mix, and the capture missions will be a breeze.

 

NOTES:

Since they are the fastest guy in my team, I tend to give them medikits and various toolkits.

(which also implies that I prefer Soldier/Scientists and Soldier/Techs in this role)

In the beginning, these guys tend to dish out the most damage and gain the most levels,

so you'll have plenty of training points to spare to customize them more.

You do not need suit wearing - you are not going to wear heavy suits nor you are not going to

lay down flat in the grass. You run up close, fire away and disappear.

 

Sniper Self explanatory. Get to an elevated point and it is picking time.

Athletics I

Suit Wearing I

Ranged Weapons II

Toughness I

Sniper Training II

 

Usage: In the beginning I was dissapointed with snipers. It takes a few technological advances

to really take pleasure in deploying them, as well as careful planning and training choices.

Later on, they make up for it and totally dominate long range fighting.

 

On the whole, most maps have vast flat surfaces and elevation points, which beg for

sniper deployment. A crater hill, a cliff, stairs, all these are perfect sniping spots.

The trick is identifying them and getting there, the athletics training takes care of

that. I learned the hard way, that slow snipers are not the way to go, so learn Athletics ASAP.

 

You learn every tiniest bit of accuracy and cover you can muster, so Suit Wearing I is a must -

kneel or lay down flat, depending on whether you are planning to move to a new position anytime soon.

 

On the other hand, I am a bit skeptical about Sniper II training. It allows for choosing

body parts to target in precise fire mode, but the increase in effectiveness is not that dramatic.

Headshots guarantee a critical, that is true, but I've yet to disarm anyone with a shot to the arms,

or drop them with a shot to the legs. Better just to off them with a headshot.

And that is the problem - you want pinpoint accuracy, but in the beginning targeted shots knock

off a lot of accuracy, so you are better off sticking to regular shots to the torso

(like with Sniper Training I precise shot) until you research better equipment.

 

SO: Don't be desperate to get Sniper Training II. Get it eventually, but don't rush. IMO

 

Snipers work best in pairs, especially in the beginning - have two target the same foe, aiming at the

head, to guarantee a kill. Once your ToHit% get into the nineties, you can abandon this practice.

 

I also recommend getting a mod which allows targetting unseen enemies. This makes it possible to use

spotters for your snipers and in general makes for a better sniping expeirence (-:

 

Heavy Support These guys are slow and ponderous compared with your other guys.

 

Heavy Weapons II

Suit Wearing II

Ranged Weapons II

Toughness I

Balance I

 

Usage: To be frank, I wouldn't use these guys much, since I prefer fast moving troops.

However, I have a soft spot for the heaviest armor suits in AL, perhaps something

reminiscent from Aliens, Warhammer 40K Terminators and all that stuff, so I take them

along just for fun.

 

Their sluggish movement is compensated to a large extend with the resilence of suits.

Once they get to a position, they are guaranteed to hold it. Their slow movement can be alleviated

by developing their speed and Athletics II, but they will still lag behind.

I arm them with rapid fire gatlings and heavy weapons and generallyt use them whenever the situation

demands massive firepower.

Possibly a unit with light armor would do the same job and get to the spot faster, but that just

wouldn't be fun. Also, the heaviest weapons take a long time to fire, so the protection offered by

heavy armor does count.

 

Other Tips:

 

In the beginning use Reticulan Lasers - they have nice range and accuracy. Just the things you need

for your inexperienced troops.

 

For close range encounters use dual wielded pistols - eats up ammo like a gatling, but drops

enemies like flies.

 

Forget about Ancient Earth weapons and science lasers.

 

Grenade Launchers are godsend. They have tremendous range, great accuracy and require no LOS to the

enemy. Use stun grenades to quickly incapacitate heavy armored targets and regular grenades to send

them flying and disrupt their attacks. Only drawback - grenades fly so sloooow...

 

Warp Cannons kick arse. No ammo requirements but only 6 shots per UFO flight, though. I use them

whenever serious firepower is needed (like heavy mechs and martians - one shot kills are common,

but don't rely on it too much and have other guys shoot it as well). I often put two on the same person

and give him or her a shotgun as a backup weapon for the longer flights.

 

Reticulans make perfect scouts - they see through walls (and PSI weapons fire through obstacles,

incidentally) and can detect invisible martian in a good radius as well!

 

Use long range ammo in the beginning for extra accuracy at long ranges.

Hard Hitting ammo works wonders on dual pistols.

Once you get get a satisfying ToHit%, do what thou wilt. I tend to stick to Hard Hitters then.

 

 

Beastmen Tip #1: If you have night vision, attack them at night. They seem to be more confused then.

Beastmen Tip #2: Once you neutralize the granade launchers, they are easy to gun down at a distance.

Beastmen Tip #3: In the beginning Alchemists, Regualars can be easily brought down by

running up to them fast and unloading dual pistols.

Beastmen Tip #4: Once you get to it, i find it really satisfying to secure a choke point with two guys

with heavy armor, miniguns and force fields. Beastburgers!

 

Reticulan Tip #1: Slow and steady isn't going to work here. Rush them, scour every corner for hidden

guys with PSI weapons and bring them down. Ignore laser wielding ones at first.

Reticulan Tip #2: Spread your troops, in case anyone gets mind controlled they won't shoot each other up.

You don't need that much firepower, as the guys are really frail.

Reticulan Tip #3: If you get mind controlled, scour the area, one funny guy is probably hiding behind a rock.

Likewise, if you see indications of failed Reticulan attacks on your HUD it means they are around.

PSI weapons do not have spectacular ranges, but can shoot through obstacles.

 

 

Martian Tip #1: They are highly resistant to bullets and regenerate real fast.

If you bring one down and think you've killed one, make sure HE gets the picture.

It is a tedius task, bringing them down with bullets, they do a pitiful 14 damage at best.

If you do not have high power lasers or warp cannons, you have to stick

to good ole bullets and shotgun shells.

 

Martian Tip #2: In you face multiple martians, spread around, they chukk grenades really fast.

Also, move around, don't let them come to you with their blades. If you bring one down,

don't waste time killing him for good, just shoot him once or twice every now and then so

that he stays down, and focus on bringing down the others. (This also works on heavy mechs

frequently accompanying them)

 

Martian Tip #3: They can become near invisible, even to IR and NV, so bring reticulan scouts along, or use

goggles (although Rets are a lot better in this respect).

[Space Voyager]

Wow, huge in-depth posts!

 

I agree with most of what has been said, especially with the statement that there are numerous ways to go through the game (weapons-wise). I like to find a narrow spot between my troops and Beastmen, mine it and prepare grenade launchers. When they start coming through, I don't target their troops, I just lay waste with grenades.

 

Who comes through will find him/herself in front of usually both plasmas. I don't think they like this sight.

[mockingbird]

Agreed, there is definately more than one way to skin a Beastman C-:

 

Currently, I am having fun with two guys, two gatlings and tight passages.

 

I am also officially in love with NV goggles: Equip the entire squad with these things, give them

silenced weapons and do a night mission. Immediately swith to NV and enjoy the special ops feel.

[Martian base commander]

This is my general setup,against BM that is.

 

1 x squad leader (accelerated rifle).He will be the focus of the squad,boosting squad attributes ect,and providing accurate fire against high priority targets.

1 x scout/sniper.He has a scoped sniper rifle for aqquiring serious threats,like alchemists,and shamen,as they can cause serious problems if left unattended.

1 x heavy weapons specialist (Harald in my case).He will form the main base of fire against the enemy,which all the other members form around.He is currently armed with the Gatling and Warp Cannon.His MAIN role is eliminating Chiefs and Captains,and the enemy front line in general.

1 x Rocketeer/anti armour spec.He provides large area effect support for the squad,as he bags loads of hostiles in one go.I generally get my Medic to fetch extra rockets/ammo,deploy these next to my rocket man,and he has a constant supply of munitions as and when needed.

2 Marines/troopers.Armed with accelerated rifle,shotgun,and katana,these guys protect the left and right flanks of the squad,and provide overwatch for the squad when advancing to a new position.They also carry 2 attack grenades for extra tactical options.

1 medic/3rd trooper.Self explanatory,he provides medical assistance,also resupplies the squad via the UFO,and he also acts as an extra front line trooper if ever the front line becomes overrun.

 

The squad wears the new heavy battle armour,and the medic uses the transport suit,for extra ammo/supplies.

 

It should be noted that these tactics WILL change as the game develops and new equipment become available,but so far my tactics are proving quite sound and very devastating!.

 

3 Good rules for survival.

Position + maneuvre + intelligent target selection.The latter is very important,being able to rotate fire through the enemy sensibly as the battle changes,and as new threats appear.The left flank marine attempts to compress the enemy right and the reverse is true for my right flank marine.If this is achieved the rocketeer pulverises the enemy centre with rockets,effectively creating a lethal killing zone!.The sniper will hold the enemy support units at bay in the meantime.

Position.Always try and attain the high ground if possible,for a good field of view,and cliffs ect make great defensive points.

Maneuvre.I use the leapfrogging process used by modern day assault squads.If you need to reach a new area,select a fire team and a suppressing team.The suppressing team overwatches the fire team and covers them as they advance to a new area.Do not cover TOO much ground,and eventually you have a solid effective and SAFE method of advancing your squad,in case you come under fire.The sniper is absolutely VITAL for supporting the fire team.

I almost forgot,the scout can also lay a devastating ring of mines at tactical approaches,and around the squad,just in case things get too hairy,and superior enemy numbers swarm at you!

 

*Over and out*

[mockingbird]

Good looking tactics there, BlueBlood. If I may comment:

 

"1 x squad leader (accelerated rifle).He will be the focus of the squad,boosting squad attributes ect,and providing accurate fire against high priority targets."

 

Hmm, perhaps you could consider giving him a sniper rifle as well, then? From my experience Sniper Training I will suffice for some time?

 

"2 Marines/troopers.Armed with accelerated rifle,shotgun,and katana,these guys protect the left and right flanks of the squad,and provide overwatch for the squad when advancing to a new position.They also carry 2 attack grenades for extra tactical options."

 

Hmm, I'd be a bit skeptical about the katanas. With sniper support and two heavy weapons you theoretically have enough firepower to hold the advancing enemy. If you don't, however, your best bet would be to switch to full auto and keep firing, not waste seconds for digging up stuff from your backpack.

You can utilize the space taken by the katana for grenade launchers this way, for even more long range fire suppport.

 

You tend to emphasize mobility in your tactics, yet you pack your men in heavy armor. I realize you want maximum protection and are compensating through the use of leapfrogging, but perhaps lighter suits on the supporting team could give you a bit more flexibility this way?

Does your sniper/scout utilize heavy suits, too? This is something I wouldn't recommend - he needs to run around to snipe, scout and set these mines.

[Azrael Strife]

That much tactics against Beastmen?

 

After I researched Heavy Battle Armor, I just need to get two or three men armed with Laser Rifles and all but Chiefs fall in seconds. For Chiefs I use my heavy hitters armed with Warp Cannons to smash them to bits

 

The Expedition and the Martians are awfully more difficult to slaughter, I'm afraid...

[mockingbird]

"That much tactics against Beastmen?"

 

I think it's more to do with blasting them to kingdom come marine style, but this is only a guess (-:

Hey, he could'ave just brough in four guys with miniguns, in heavy armour and with shield add-ons and turn them all into Beastburgers... but where's the finesse in this?

(Although I admit it is fun to do every once in a while (-:

 

"The Expedition and the Martians are awfully more difficult to slaughter, I'm afraid..."

 

I think the races are actually balanced in terms of difficulty (more or less) all it takes is a change of tactics.

Personally, I have no problems mopping up the entire Ret base with just two guys in light armor, dual wielding pistols, at daylight.

[Martian base commander]

Thanks for the reply mockingbird,and you are more than welcome to make comments about my post/s.

I must say that my tactics and ideas OBVIOUSLY take much influence from modern day tactics but not all of them.

A sniper rifle MAY be useful for my leader yes,something to consider,seeing that he rarely ventures far from just behind the front line...most times that is.

The main reason I give the troopers katanas is generally to conserve ammo,especially if on a double mission,where 2 or even more provinces are under attack simultaneaously.Say I bag a good handful of BM and they are lying around all f##ked on the floor and not getting up,I send some men over to chop the annoying things to pieces.I am very conservative you see.

I like mobility yes,but I also like damn good protection too.One good hit from a BM rifle on my men in medium armour and they are finished.The heavy battle armours offer excellent protection and also allow for crouched stances,allowing men behind them to get a clear shot in tight areas.

Sadly most times my scout/sniper DOES wear the cumbersome armours fighting the BM,its the protection thing again.I place him just behind the front line where he provides excellent covering fire for the squad,even more so now he has a new scope for the gun,and major sniper training.He is now delivering in excess of 300 damage to most enemies in one shot!.

I place proximity mines quite close to the squad,not all over the map as you may have thought,so speed is not TOO vital for him.The medic will drop all the gear from the UFO so the squad can resupply at will when needed,including those mines.

The leapfroging is VERY effective and allows the somewhat slowER men to advance in cover to their new position.

I want to add that now my squad are all fitted with night vision systems I will be deploying at night more regular (SAS style),to give them even more of an advantage.This may even give me a chance to wear some lighter armour,allowing for rapid and staggered movement.

In a nutshell,I would have to say explosives are the way to go in this game,without them I dont think you will survive very well.My rocketeer can seriously slow down the enemy front,giving me time to regroup and counter attack.I have no fire yet...but I will...I will.THEN,we will see some action,vietnam style.BRING ON THE NAPALM!!

 

See yer!

[Azrael Strife]

"That much tactics against Beastmen?"

 

I think it's more to do with blasting them to kingdom come marine style, but this is only a guess (-:

Hey, he could'ave just brough in four guys with miniguns, in heavy armour and with shield add-ons and turn them all into Beastburgers... but where's the finesse in this?

(Although I admit it is fun to do every once in a while (-:

 

"The Expedition and the Martians are awfully more difficult to slaughter, I'm afraid..."

 

I think the races are actually balanced in terms of difficulty (more or less) all it takes is a change of tactics.

Personally, I have no problems mopping up the entire Ret base with just two guys in light armor, dual wielding pistols, at daylight.

Oh, quite balanced and much more interesting than in AS! The Martians are awfully harder for me atm because I'm lacking decent armor and weapons (I'm equipped with Laser Rifles and Heavy Battle Armors, I cannot yet produce Laser Cannons because I just cannot get enough Chemicals to build a Chemical Plant and don't have enough Crystals to produce Laser Cannons...) but they're proving a nice challenge, as I need to be *very* careful dealing with them...

The Reticulans are easy as cake, I found the Expedition to be far more psi-deadly than the rebels...

[mockingbird]

"Oh, quite balanced and much more interesting than in AS"

 

True. I love the way AL forces me to try out many different squads and weapons.

The only thing I am missing, though, is the modability of the weapons and the less pastel atmorphere...

(And the really horrific research stuff from AM... but let's not get sentimental here, khem, khem)

 

I remember my first fight with martians was a shock, so far it was all nice and fluffy, but suddenly these pitiful pieces of green snot were dropping my soldiers one after one.

 

As to the armor - I believe their weapons deal mostly EM damage, so don't get too desperate about these heavy suits. Lighter armor AFAIR gives more protection against EM, and as a side effect, you can run away from grenades and plasma bolts as they tend to travel quite slowly, as well as run from the dudes with lightsabers.

 

You should have gotten the Warp Cannon by now, try it, it is a lifesaver. Drops the bugger in one/two shots.

 

Meleeing them should also work wonders (on paper, didn't ry it), since their armor offers pitiful protection vs. that (even worse than vs. fire)

 

Speaking of which, anyone here had any luck with melee weapons?

Last time I tried it in mid game, lured by the promising damage outputs of the improved buzzsaw, but realized quickly that I lack melee specialists, and for better results at least 3 melee guys per squad are required.

Upon starting a new game on Hard, however, I've found out the hard way that getting close to ANY foe is suicide (even with the noble intention of conserving ammo in mind).

[Kret]

Yup, melee does work, but if the martian are carrying their own melee or plasma weapons it's a bit too risky to charge in closequarters. Best bet is to use throwing knives in their "throwing mode" for those dangerous encounters.

[MoonDragn]

Against Martians the easiest thing to do is to equip all your soldiers with Laser Cannons/rifles. They are weak to lasers and go down quite fast in 2-3 hits.

 

I don't take damage when fighting them because its easy to take out the martians at long range and avoid those plasma bolts.

[Charon]

Hi, guys. I couldn't simply sit and watch so had to register

I simply must share my team layout with you!

 

There are 7 squaddies:

1 sniper - most of the time headshots and seldom attacks in the legs to drop tough enemy down. Long range bullets here. Choose a good position in the beginning. Sniper II + Athletics I are a must.

2 guys with Warp Cannons - work like charm against Chiefs, Commanders and heavy Mechs, a bit slow but Heavy II helps plus Athletics I of course.

1 dual pistopls + Med kit - universal support, ambush and hit and run tactics. Hard bullets here.

Dual wielder + Shooter II + Athletics I

1 guy with katana - this is my absolute favourite! He is at least 2 levels ahead of everyone else. Has far more kills then the rest of the team combined!

Skirmisher II + Atheltics II are a must here.

1 with beastman rifle at the moment - overall support, but nothing special...

Leader II + Sniper I + Athletics I

Ret with psi weapons - I do not like him much either, too slow and psi range is not that great... Don'tknow why I still keep him in the team. Got used to his uselessness most probably

 

All are in the light armor, will switch to medium soon - the research is progressing slowly.

All have Athletics I, Suit Wearing I, Beastman anatomy II (better criticals are sweet). Everyone carries a dynamite and katana in backpack, jsut in case

 

I have yet to researched grenade louncher - don't know where it is hiding. But I do not miss it much. And I do not use explosives, neither grenades nor mines but I will try one day, just for the sake of getting new experience.

 

Tactics agaist beastman:

Position sniper on some elevation, Warps in front of the supposed attack front, rifle nearby. Pistols ambush a bit ahead behind the cover.

Melee guy rushes and kills several alchemists on the go (1hit 1 kill normally), then retrets to the rest of the guys luring beastman into the hell

Warps work well against chiefs and commanders. Sniper picks support units. Katana finishes off lying enemies. If used carefully - can be usefull agaist matriarch, but it's a bit dangerous - watch out so that melee guy is not a target of the matriarch you're rushing to.

 

Rets:

They drop like flies, it's not even funny. Rush to them with shotguns and pistols. Spray shotguns lay waste to compact groups of rets. Run close and they're dead - simple as that. Grenades will also work like charm - just not my style.

 

Martians:

I never had any prioblems with them - they're so soft, katana's cut through tem like butter. Really - melee is a must here. Run close and strike, it's usually 1hit-1kill. My Harold with Skirmisher II + Athletics II kills 3 of them in a row before the rest start rising their plasma guns. Not a single one had a chance to raise his lightsaber, so I have yet to feel it's power on me and I seriously doubt that I will

Smaller bots are picked off by sniper, rifle or pistols, or katana if there're no martians left.

Mechs and spiders bots are cannon fodder for warps - if I get lucky and score a critical they die after one shot. If not, 2 shots and they fall read and are finished off by melee guys.

 

Just for fun I had 5 guys with katanas atack EM spider bot - it's so slow that it managed to shoot only once My melee team disassembled it rather fast But beware plasma mechs - their shots are too much to take - use hit and run tactics if you run out of Warps.

 

Hope this helps someone

[Space Voyager]

It sure does! I'm getting around to playing again so... Thanks!