Colony rushing vs hard AI (1on1)

from Sins Forums

I play as the Vasari and am starting to play vs. the hard AI 1on1 in preparation for trying a few online games.  I feel like colony rushing may be a good way to play the Vasari, but I'm looking for tips.

I'm thinking that the first cap has got to be the colonizer because how are you going to defend your colonizer frigate all the way across the star system?  Right?  The problem though is that the colonizer capship is not as strong so then don't you run into problems vs. the opponent's stronger capship???

The real strength here is the Vasari's abilities to get kanraks early.  So, I'm thinking take my asteroid, get a basic econ going, get kanraks and start pumping them til first fleet limit.  Then take the fight to the opponent, who should only have light frigates at that point.  Maybe one way to get around having a weaker capship is to use it with kanraks to take out all the frigates first and then take out the capship after??? 

I'm also thinking that once my ships are all the way across the star system it is going to be hard to reinforce in a timely manner, so I'm leaning toward upgrading health/damage ups (the first level ones) to try and strengthen my rush force?

My goal vs. the AI is to try and contain them until I can get a strong enough force w/siege cap/frigates using the colony/asteroid I rushed as a forward base to put the hammer down.

What do you think?

strategy
2,924 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
IMO, you want the Kortul Devastator if you're going to rush the enemy. You don't need to colonize the enemy worlds to defeat the opposing AI, you just need to crush his economy by killing his fleet and ravaging his homeworld.

As you say, build your basic economy, get Assailants and build to the first fleet limit. Cruise to where you've scouted the enemy capital, and keep a good amount of money banked up to buy bounty on your opponent.

Once you're in the enemy's home system, don't bother to engage his defenses, odds are he will have built up turrets, and you don't want to deal with them til his fleet shows up. Obviously, if you can pop his frigate factory without taking fire from his turrets, do so, but don't count on that. Put the Devastator to work wrecking his planet, and keep your skirmishers and assailants in reserve.

Eventually he'll show up with his fleet, just work to keep the engagement away from his turrets, it should be easy since you've got a range advantage anyway.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
The Vesari Cap Colonizer can hold its own early in the game particularly if you take the time to get a level or so of the nice damage over time ability. Don't bother with Gravity warhead early on. I just get one level of the colonize ability then get the damge over time. The DoT can kill early ships with one application and can take huge chunks out of other cap ships in a limited engagement. It is no battleship but it will work jut fine if your intention is colony rushing...

Also human players use very different tactics from the AI... it may sound strange but try some on line games first and watch the replays to get an idea what your up against before you start practicing for something. You need an idea of what your practicing for =). If you want to know what water feels like there is no substitute for getting you feet wet.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Yeah, I've played other multiplayer rts games so I have a sense of that. But I know from those games that if I can't beat the AI on hard, which is really easy compared to humans, I'm in for a buttkicking online. :)