You’ve just started and you are confronted by your commander and two engineers. What to do? Should you make two factories and go for a large land boom? Two minutes later you run out of resources and your opponent rolls over you. Oh damn, you forgot your mass extractors and power generators.
Now the question is how many to build? Most players start with 4 mass extractors (The commander builds 2 while the engineers build one each) and this is then followed by 2 power generators. This gives you a reasonably stable economy which can support 2/3 factories. As the need arises you should remember to expand to other mass extraction points and make more power generators as it becomes necessary.
ScoutingEarly on in the game it is important to know what your opponent is doing. Often enough you will hear that someone was sniped by gunships or they lost map control because they did not realize their opponent was using air.
If you scout, the chances of this happening are lowered quite a bit. Scouting is pretty simple. If you have air, sacrifice one fighter to get a look at what your opponent is building.
If you do not have air, chose a number of sacrificial units (4 or so) and send them on a roundabout route to your opponent’s base. They likely hood of them surviving is pretty low, but by seeing what takes them out and what buildings your opponent has will allow you to know what tactic he is using. This will allow you to counter appropriately.
Another idea here is to build forward radar. This will allow a number of things mainly – you will see what and where your opponent is moving. Also, air and land units have different shapes on the mini-map (or strategical zoom) and give you warning as to whether or not he is going land or air.
For more on scouting, see here.RaidingAn important part of this game is keeping your opponent on the back foot. A good raid will hit the opponent where he does not expect it and take out important buildings (IE – Mass extractors; Research stations and factories). This will force your opponent to go onto the defensive which will then let you control the pace of the game and also give you a large advantage.
When raiding make sure that you do not lose too much of your force as if you do, this could leave you open to a pretty decisive counter attack by your enemy. Always think what your opponent could do to you.
Raiding can also allow you to scout your enemy as they will react with their land units or if they have air and if they do not you should be able to view their base and take out expansion points as you raiders move on.
Units OverviewCybran
Land UnitsLoyalist – Fast assault bot that is well suited to raiding and normally has a high rate of fire. Can be research to get shields and jump packs.
Brackman – Mobile artillery unit that has a large area of effect and is devastating in large masses against large clumps of units. Can be research to get shields and jump packs.
Cobra - A mobile missile launcher that is well suited to destroying buildings and point defense turrets. Needs to be researched to be unlocked. Can be research to get shields and jump packs.
AVD – A multipurpose shield/anti-air/tactical missile defense this is one of the most useful units that Cybran can get. Needs to be researched to be unlocked. Can be research to get jump packs.
Air UnitsGemini Fighter bomber – A versatile air unit capable of attacking both land and air targets. Can be upgraded to have shields.
Renegade Gunship – A powerful ground attack air unit that is very useful against ACU’s and other land units. Needs to be researched. Can be upgraded to receive shields and becomes the most powerful with upgrades.
