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General Targeting Tips, or What To Take Out

Vs Hierarchy:

Reaper Turrets - Due to their cost, importance to the Hierarchy economy and the fact that they are rarely found with bodyguards.

Scan Drones - Cleanses viruses/mind control & reveals the fog of war. Neither of which you want your Hierarchy opponent to be able to do. Losing this also makes the Hierarchy player lose the map-wide reveal they receive from a Science Walker 3-slotted with Visual Optimizer.

Science Walker crown sockets - Since 2 out of 3 of the Science Walker's ugliest tricks (Visual Optimizers and Radiation Cascade, the Science Walker’s Mind Magnets work independently) revolve around this Walker having all 3 of its sockets intact this easily makes the list. Keep in mind that once the socket (which houses a hard point) is destroyed, it can no longer be repaired which prevents any future hard point from being constructed on that socket.

Vs Novus:

Flow Generator - The beating heart of the Novus, victory can often be determined by whether or not the Novus can keep the power on for their base. Novus players almost always build more than one of these.

Flow Towers - Seemingly insignificant, destroying even one of these cuts off any number of vital Novus Flow travel/power lines. Any Novus units in flow when the line drops are destroyed.

Science Center - Doubles the number of patches the Novus can have active and unlocks the upgrades that allow the production of advanced Novus units.

Vs Masari:

Knowledge Vault - Sends the Masari back to the proverbial "stone age". Tech tends to be extremely important to the Masari faction due to the weakness of many of its starting units. (Good Masari players tend to build and upgrade more than one of these).

Matter Engines - You'll want to get rid of these anyway considering most Masari players use them as deterrents and area denial objects.

Architects - If Flow is the beating heart of the Novus, Architects are the key element to the Masari's war machine. Without these guys, the Masari's defenses are easily cut down to a third of what they could be since they are responsible for repairs, production/upgrade speed, and they also boost the firing rate of the Masari turrets.

Zessus - Don't let his looks fool you, his ability to perform ambushes and strikes against distant targets is second to none due to his awesome Teleport ability. There's nothing uglier than seeing Zessus port in with 4-6 Dark mode Sky Lords and Charos in tow right next to one of your most vital base structures.

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An Overview of the Hierarchy


Download Hierarchy Reference Card [PDF]

General:

Hide defenseless units/structures in out of the way places. The Hierarchy is the only faction that really doesn't need to stay at the location they start at.

Always try to fill your Walker sockets with hard points, even if it is just Armor. The giant Walkers sockets are very fragile unless covered in hard points and you can always replace the hard points you have built at a later time.

Units:

Orlok:

There is no limit to the range of Orlok's artillery shots from his Siege mode ability, he only needs the fog of war revealed over the targeted area. Use a Monolith to spot for him or the map-wide reveal of a Science Walker outfitted with 3 Visual Optimizers and he can fire at targets across the map. Beware, his accuracy decreases the further he is from his target.

You can refill the ammo for Orlok's Siege mode ability by selecting him and right-clicking on any resource object. Orlok will proceed to use his Crusher Arm to slowly drain its resources and crush the object to fill his ammo bar. Homes, cars, wreckage and even enemy vehicles can be targets for the Crusher Arm.

When put into Endure mode, Orlok becomes a moving wall. Damage from attacks is decreased while he is in this mode and he can trample most vehicles and units.

Kamal:

Kamal is a great harassment hero. Use him scout out the enemy's base and have him Abduct any large cluster of infantry or builder units to cripple your enemy early. If he gets in trouble, simply put up a Force Wall and run.

Defensively, Kamal can keep enemy units and heroes from hitting your units with his force wall. Keep in mind that all Hierarchy units can move and fire through the wall as if it wasn't there, but enemies can't fire through it and must go around it.

Nufai:

Although Nufai has the lowest health of all the Hierarchy heroes, he is often the hardest one to deal with. His default attack versus vehicles Consumption allows him to Phase Shift while still dealing damage to the vehicle. Couple this with his Paranoia ability by casting Paranoia in a group of enemy vehicles and using Consumption on one of them. This allows Nufai to watch the carnage ensue around him in total safety.

Grunts:

Grunts are mostly an anti-infantry unit, but when upgraded with Grenades from the Assault branch they do good damage vs. vehicles and structures as well.

Lost Ones:

Lost Ones are the commando unit of the Hierarchy. Unlocking their Phase Shift ability (Quantum branch) and their Plasma Bomb ability (Assault branch) allows them to walk straight into an enemy base and blow up any structure of your choosing (depending on the number of Lost Ones you've built and the toughness of the structure, of course).

Brutes:

Brutes are the heavy melee unit of the Hierarchy faction. Their ability to Leap allows them to strike at targets otherwise inaccessible to normal ground units. Teching into the Assault branch eventually unlocks their ability to do AoE damage with this leap when they land making them great siege units as well.

Defilers:

Place Defilers next to civilian structures while in Bleed mode. The radiation will do constant damage to the structure and force civilians outside where they will instantly be turned into Mutant Slaves, ready to do your bidding. Do this in a suburb or near a large business complex and you can get a fairly sizable zombie army going in no time. If you start this process close to the enemy base, you'll not only have a good tactical front to lay siege upon them but you'll also deny the enemy their closest resources by melting every nearby resource structure with radiation.

Phase Tanks:

Phase Shift is extremely handy for getting past front line base defenses but careful where you park these units when they phase back though, if they phase into solid matter they will be instantly destroyed.

Saucers:

Saucers are the only Hierarchy unit that can heal damaged vehicles and Walkers.

Structures:

Habitat Walkers:

Habitat Walkers are the infantry-producing structure for the Hierarchy.

Assembly Walkers:

Assembly Walkers are the vehicle-producing structure for the Hierarchy.

Science Walker:

The Science Walker is the specialized, end-game Walker the Hierarchy can create. Depending on what research branch you tech into you can outfit this Walker with either Visual Optimizers (Assault branch, provides the Hierarchy with a map-wide reveal if you 3-slot its crown and have a Scan Drone in play), the Radiation Cascade superweapon (Mutagen branch, allows the Science Walker to fire a tidal wave of toxic radiation in a large, straight path out from it, melting anything in its path), and the Mind/Machine Magnet hard points (Quantum branch, allows the Hierarchy to mind control either biological and mechanical units respectively).

Reaper turrets:

At the start of a match, send your Reaper turrets to collect all the "instant" resources (like cows, signs, etc) on the map. This will give you a nice early game economy boost to start off with and is far faster than just setting your Reaper turrets to drain a single, large resource object.

Scan Drone:

The Scan Drone's Scan Pulse ability can not only reveal a section of the map but it can also clear harmful effects from your units (such as viruses and mind control). Building more than one of these is generally a good idea especially when facing off against a Novus opponent that techs heavily into Computing (viruses). And just because the Scan Drone doesn't have any weapons doesn't mean it's helpless, keep in mind that the Scan Drone can crush infantry.

[driph]

The Way of Novus


Download Novus Reference Card [PDF]

Novus General:

It's a good idea to always have at least one Novus patch active during a Skirmish match since they cost nothing and most of them can remain on for the entire duration of a Skirmish match unless switched out with another patch. Optimized Collection unlock from the Nanotech branch would be a prime example of a good patch to leave on.

Not all Novus units can use the Flow Network to travel at first, only Constructors and other infantry can. An upgrade in the Flow branch unlocks the ability for all Novus units to use Flow for travel.

DOUBLE CLICKING is what makes units (aside from the Constructors) use the flow network. Single-clicking a move order will not make units flow.

Scout early and often. Novus has some of the best scouting units/tools in the game (for instance, Vertigo is insane at scouting), make sure to fully utilize these tools by scouting constantly. Games are often won by the player who had the best intel.

Novus units can Flow using enemy Flow Networks.

Keep in mind, most Novus units are extremely weak alone but what sets them apart from the other factions is that when used in large groups their power tends to grow exponentially. Antimatter shots stack and do more damage for each other antimatter shot sticking on a target, a group of a dozen or so Dervish Jets nearly have the power of a small superweapon when using their Death Blossom� ability in unison and Amplifiers can bring a base crumbling down in seconds when a large number of them are using their Harmonic Pulse ability.

Units:

The Founder:

The range at which the Founder can connect to the Novus Flow Network with his Flow Tap ability is huge. Rush him to an opponent's base in Performance mode and turn on this ability to flow your troops directly to the enemy's doorstep!

Constructors:

Novus buildings will build faster if you assign more than one Constructor on a structure. Three Constructors will give you maximum build speed.

Ohm Robots:

The Ohm Robots suicide attack Swarm can be absolutely devastating when used in large numbers. If you build enough Ohm Robots, you can even take out a fully armored Hierarchy Walker by swarming it.

Hackers:

Hackers have the insignificant attribute, meaning enemy units will not autonomously attack the Hacker. They will only attack the Hacker through a direct order by the enemy player. If your opponent isn't paying attention, you can send a Hacker straight into the enemy's base unnoticed.

The Hacker's Purge Systems ability not only removes harmful effects from your troops but also beneficial effects from enemy units, like Phase Shift.

Be mindful of the angle of your attack when you use the Hacker's Lockdown ability on an enemy vehicle since the vehicle can still fire while locked down.

Blade Troopers:

Blade Troopers can make two duplicates of themselves and also have an unlockable perma-stealth passive ability (Flow branch). This makes them exceptional at assassinating enemy heroes entrenched within an enemy base since you can sneak in with about 4 of these guys, duplicate them and have a dozen Blade Troopers tearing the hero to shreds!

Blade Troopers have the ability to throw Blackout Bombs on the ground which forcibly re-shrouds the fog of war to the opponent. This prevents them from being able to select, order or otherwise control their units under the effects of the bomb and also prevents the opponent from using targeted abilities that require the fog to be revealed over the Blackout area (such as Orlok's Siege mode ability and even superweapons!).

Variants:

Variants are the Novus faction's primary anti-infantry vehicle. Park Variants near the entrances to an opposing player's base to keep an eye on troop movement. Make sure their Weapon mode is turned off!

Antimatter Tanks:

Novus Antimatter shots do great damage vs. Masari Dark Armor.

Amplifiers:

Amplifiers can not only damage units with their default attack, but they can also use it to shut off special abilities, which is handy when the enemy has brought heroes to the fight.

Switching to Harmonic Pulse mode activates a powerful sonic area attack that can repel units and devastate buildings.

Corruptors:

Viruses are one of the most powerful tools the Novus have at their disposal. They not only reveal infected units but they also slow their firing rate and movement speed down. An upgrade in the Novus Research branch Computing allow the virus to automatically spread to other nearby units and structures over time. Couple this with the Viral Reboot patch (also unlockable from the Computing branch) which shuts down all infected units/structures for a limited time while active and it's possible to shut a player's entire base down if the viral infection spread itself far enough.

Field Inverters:

The Field Inverter is the strongest hitting weapon for the Novus faction. It carries a rail gun that deals heavy damage to multiple units.

The Field Inverter can go into shield mode which can be upgraded to repel enemy shots and cloak friendly units and buildings that are directly under the shield. In dire situations, this unit can be used as a minor air defense.

The Field Inverter's shield can even shield units and structures under it from a Hierarchy Mass Drop. With enough Field Inverters, you can protect an entire base!

Dervish Jets:

The Dervish jet is a lightly armored but heavy hitting air unit that does really well when grouped with other units. Its quick speed makes it great for hit and run attacks.

Structures:

Command Core:

The Novus are the only faction that starts a Skirmish match with a functioning minimap since their minimap is tied to their Command Core structure. Only by losing this structure will they lose minimap functionality.

These are one of the few player-built structures that Walkers can't simply walk over. They have to actually move around them. Use this to your advantage by making a wall impassible to Walkers, forcing them to take a long way around.

Flow Generator:

Always try to build multiple Flow Generators to ensure that the power doesn't go down in your base if the enemy manages to take one of them out.

Flow Towers:

Flow Towers not only have a permanent stealth effect but they also have a large visual range. This makes them great surveillance tools. Note that if a Flow Tower is unpowered, it will be visible to enemy players.

Recycling Center:

Novus Collectors automatically use Flow to travel between resources and the Recycling Station they are spawned from. Since Collectors are instantly shot into the Recycling Center through the Flow line, building a Recycling Center connecting directly to a Flow Conduit speeds up your resource gathering considerably.

You can actually direct where you want your Collectors to gather resources from by selecting your Recycling Center and right-clicking on any spot on the map. This sets a rally point from the structure which orders your Collectors to collect any resources near that spot. Set the rally point in the center of an opponent's base to gather some free intel.

Since the Science Walker's Machine Magnets have a limit to how many machines they can control, set a waypoint from your Recycling Center toward the Science Walker. Since the Collectors count as machines to the magnet, this will jam up the Walker's magnets allowing you to safely bring your combat units in to take out the Walker.

Science Center:

The Novus Science Center unlocks Redirection turrets, Hackers, Dervish Jets and the powerful Black Hole superweapon.

Redirection Turret:

The Novus Redirection turrets takes projectiles fired at them and fires them back at the attacker. Only non-projectile weapons (such as melee, beam weapons or Saucer Foos) should be used to safely take out these turrets.

[driph]

Secrets of the Masari


Download Masari Reference Card [PDF]

Masari General:

Masari in Light mode receive the benefits of a farther sight range, fire-type damage and air units. Masari in Dark mode receive the benefits of a dark armor shield enveloping every one of their units (and structures via an unlock in the Dark Matter branch), faster movement speed and a slowing effect from their dark matter shots.

Units:

Charos:

When threatened by an overwhelming number of enemy units, switch to Dark mode and have Charos activate his Dark Vortex ability. Charos' Dark Vortex will suck up any enemy unit in his path, buying you time to either retreat or regroup.

The Frenzy ability gives Charos a short damage boost coupled with an armor boost, this gives him the ability to take down multiple units without breaking a sweat.

Blaze of Glory gives Charos an AoE burning effect that will engulf multiple units in flames.

Altea:

Altea's Passive Aura can heal friendly units and cleanse viruses. Her Peace ability can prevent units/turrets from attacking, dissolves incoming projectiles and can even prevent a Novus Black Hole from going off.

Zessus:

Zessus can Teleport himself and any units in a close proximity to him anywhere the fog is revealed on the map. Use Seers or air units to spot for him and there's no spot on the map he can't hit. Zessus can even teleport with a Novus Black Hole as it's going off. Teleport the Black Hole into the Novus own base and to use their own superweapon against them.

Architects:

Masari buildings will build faster if you assign an additional Architect on a structure. Two Architects will give you maximum build speed.

Masari Architects can not only heal your structures and vehicles by right-clicking on them, they can also heal your infantry and hero units as well.

Selecting an Architect and right-clicking on a unit or structure has a variety of beneficial benefits. This allows Architects to heal damaged units or structures, increase the speed of production, decrease the time for upgrades to complete, increase the firing rate of turrets and increases the rate that Matter Engines collect resources. The maximum number of Architects for this is two.

Seers:

There is an upgrade in the in the Balance branch that allows a Seer to cloak units and structures in a large radius around her. If there is another Seer close by, they will also cloak each other. Use this ability to sneak past base defenses, watch your opponent unnoticed, hide an entire expansion and even cloak whole Walkers when allied with Hierarchy players during Team games.

Seers receive the insignificant attribute via an unlock in the Balance branch, meaning enemy units will not autonomously attack the Seer. They will only attack the Seer through a direct order by the enemy player. If your opponent isn't paying attention, you can send a Seer straight into the enemy's base unnoticed.

Sentries:

Sentries take on the attributes of whatever infantry unit is loaded into it. For example, when an Architect is loaded into it, units around the Sentry are healed. When a Seer is loaded into the Sentry, the Sentry receives an increased sight range and the ability to detect stealth units. When a Disciple is loaded into a Sentry they become its rear gunner and receive the benefit of an increased firing rate.

Inquisitors:

Use the Inquisitor’s Destabilize (unlocked via the Balance branch) to prevent enemy heroes from using their most dangerous abilities. For example, if you see an opponent attempt to use Charos Dark Vortex against your troops, putting him in Stasis will shut it off. Since Destabilize also clears negative effects from the affected unit, you can also use it on your own troops to cleanse viruses, etc…

Sky Lords:

In Light mode this unit is primarily a bomber unit but in Dark mode it becomes a powerful ground vehicle.

The Screech ability knocks back and stuns incoming air units for a few seconds.

Conquerors:

The Conqueror is a medium armored tank that has the ability to inflict heavy damage to units and structures. When in groups they can use the researched Energy Vortex ability to inflict heavy damage to all units in the area.

Conquerors are some of the toughest vehicles Masari have. Their Energy Vortex ability (unlocked via the Light branch) gives them a decent AoE damage aura. In Dark mode, they not only receive DMA armor but also a speed increase. Couple these by switching to Dark mode, charging their shields to full, running them through a player's front-line defenses to get to a hard to reach target at the back of a base and switching back to Light mode to wreak shop with their Energy Vortex ability.

Peacebringers:

The Peacebringer is the ultimate tank for the Masari faction. Equipped with three guns, a tractor beam, and a disintegration beam the Peacebringer has the ability to take down all foes that are in their path.

Structures:

Citadel:

These are one of the few player-built structures that Walkers can’t simply walk over. They have to actually move around them. Use this to your advantage by making a wall impassible to Walkers, forcing them to take a long way around.

Matter Engines:

Never build Matter Engines near your other base structures and be careful not to build multiple Matter Engines next to each other. The resulting explosion could cause a chain reaction that will detonate all other nearby Matter Engines.

Matter Engines are best built at choke points to your base forcing enemy units to pass by them.

Build Matter Engines near bridges and self-destruct them when enemy units attempt to cross.

Selling a Matter Engine before it loses all its health will prevent it from exploding. Be careful since it takes a few seconds for your structures to sell.

Guardian/Sky Guardian:

Select an Architect and right-click on these turrets to order the Architect to assist this structure. Doing so will increase its firing rate. Two Architects on a single turret will give the turret its maximum firing rate.

Knowledge Vault:

Build and upgrade extra Knowledge Vaults near end game to ensure your opponent doesn’t take out your ability to build top tier units in a single strike.