Battle Report

Battle Report: Raging Tides of Battle by Vorlon

Map : Doomed Allegiance (Starcraft add-on `Insurrection' map)

Game : 3 FFA (fastest speed)

Position : Bottom right

My friends (Hotshot and Khan) and I had the most fun ever playing a 3 hour long
and tough FFA game.

Hotshot and I choose Terran with Khan as Zerg. I found both of them early and
bunkered them at their respective bases. Hotshot was at the bottom-middle
position across me over a bridge. Khan was on a plateau with only one ramp up
and down. A key point to note is that the various land masses were connected by
bridges (great for choke points).

As Terran, I always concentrate on the Zerg player so I massed my forces and
defences at the ramp. I had bunkers, siege tanks, missile turrets, Goliaths and
cloaked Wraiths. This effectively repelled a few frontal attacks, including one
with Guardians.

Unknown to me, Khan had already expanded eastward and he send Hyras from his
second base to assist in breaking the siege. The hydras were lying in ambush
but my Wraiths spotted them, cloaked and toasted their spiny tail-asses. This
lead me to find the backdoor by which they came (a nearby bridge) next to a
mineral and gas patch. So, I blocked the access point with a bunker and siege
tank.

By chance, one of Khan's zergling came across my main base. He subsequently
sent in 3 waves  of zerglings (probably used Overlords to drop them away from
the siege area) to attack my defenceless main base. The zerglings were mowed
down by my quick reaction force of Wraiths and I air-lifted the attacked
buildings. The last wave of Hydras just overwhelmed my Wraiths; destroying my
buildings faster than what my Wraiths could kill. They also broke my choke
point to Hotshot's base. This cleared the path for Hotshot's northward campaign.

Anyway, I managed to evacuate my Command Centre, a factory and a barrack to the
discovered resource site. I was in desperate straits as I had only about 50
minerals left, a handful of SCVs and all my supply depots were wiped out.
Fortunately, Hotshot choose to engage Khan through drop-ship Ghost nuking. 3
nukes later, Khan's main base was a splattering of Zerg entrails.

Slowly I clawed my way up and rebuilt. I fortified my base with a Great Wall of
supply depots and bunker with siege tanks. Barely managed to get a transport
with one SCV to expand to a top-right plateau position when Hotshot (forever
opportunistic) hits me with a nuke. Spotted it on one of my Goliaths and used
my Science Vessel to detect and kill his Ghost. Too late - the nuke still
landed but with much reduced losses.

The deathstrike was a huge army of siege tanks, Goliaths, Marines and Wraiths.
Hotshot's troops decimated my base - sending my key buildings fleeing
northwards. They were within striking distance of my Command Centre but were
held off by 3 siege tanks. My tanks heroically fended off a much bigger
opposing force. It became an stoic test of siege tank warfare.

At my new sanctuary, I had to re-built almost from scratch again. This time I
was really pissed off. I knew I was very vulnerable so I went for a quick built
order for massive Marines to pour out of my 3 raxs. I also sought to get Siege
Tanks and Goliaths fast through 2 factories. I was greatly aided by the
minerals and gas I was still collecting at my nearly-pulverised base.

Through scouting I had already found two of Khan's expansions. The bases were
right below my safe haven. If he found me before I was ready, that would be the
end of me. Luckily, Khan was probably preoccupied with Hotshot. Both thought I
was no longer a threat - almost a fatal mistake for them.

With my army of 6 siege tanks, 12 Goliaths, 12 Marines and 12 Firebats, I hit
Khan's two bases in quick succession. His pitiful defences crumpled and fell
like dominoes. Smelling blood, I advanced southwards with reinforcements (from
my non-stop unit production) and crushed another of Khan's base across a
bridge. Secured my territory with bunkers and missile turrets before I built 2
Command Centres to mine the seized resources.

Still the remnants of Khan haunted me. Ever fearful of a Guardian rush, I
search frantically for his surviving base. I found it right below the edge of
my plateau base. Assembled a fresh attack force just out of detection range.
Like an arrow, I struck fast with deadly effect.

Khan was distraught (licking his wounds) and Hotshot alarmed at the sudden
change in the tide of battle. I knew Hotshot (rolling it in with 3 bases) would
be gunning for me soon, so I had earlier bunkered the only bridge to my
territory. But, as I was preoccupied with Khan, he demolished my obstructing
base across the bridge, nuked the choke point and moved in with lots of tanks
and Marines.

Hotshot tried to end my cash-flow by attacking my 2 new expansions.
Fortunately, my initial anti-Khan strike force was stationed there,
out-numbered him and forced a hasty retreat with significant losses on my part
too. Quickly bunkered my end of the bridge.

After levelling most of Khan's last base and with Hotshot's attack on my
expansions, I sought to block off any further intrusions by forming a siege
tank line near the nuked bridge. Too late, Hotshot had already assembled an
equally formidable force of siege tanks in my inner perimeters. Our tanks were
locked in a tense face-off; both standing firm.

Khan took the breather to re-establish himself at the last remaining free
resource site (the one right below my plateau base).  I despatched another
attack force to terminate him with extreme prejudice. When the dust settled,
Zerg body parts littered the death-scorched zone. Seeking a final solution to
the Khan pestilence, I build on the smothering ashes of his former base to
prevent another resurrection.

Concurrently, Hotshot had stealthily flown in Wraiths to hit my unprotected
siege tanks. Lost 2 tanks before my Starfleet (1 Science Vessel and some
Wraiths) turbo-charged to the rescue. Hotshot then utilised his most favourite
and feared tactic - the nuke - on my siege tanks. Good-bye to my precious
darlings. Hotshot's siege tanks also formed an uncrossable wedge between my
bases. I was severed.

Now, Khan unleashed his secret armada upon my unsuspecting main base. The sky
and ground were swarmed by the sheer mass of his bloodlust driven nightmarish
monsters. His 36 Hydras, 24 Mutas and 12 Guardians utterly ripped apart my base
despite a valiant struggle by my sizeable defence force of Marines and Goliaths.

Khan had consumed all his remaining resources to produce this killer-force. He
was able to bounce on me as he had built at the right-most unexplored corner of
my demolished base.

For the third time, I had lost my main base with all my supply depots and
buildings.  Faced with the prospect of another major re-construction and duel,
I surrendered. (Afternote : Should have continued as I had tonnes of resources.)

This left Hotshot and Khan to slough it out in the arena. Hotshot won as he had
the resources and more troops.

Lessons learnt :

1. Bring it on. Pour out troops like there is no tomorrow. A big fat bank
account means that you are not producing enough troops or attacking your
opponent.

2. Divide and conquer. Keep your opponents from joining forces against you.
Keep one at bay while you focus on destroying the other.

3. Chase to the ends of the earth. Be relentless in pursuit of a fleeing
wounded prey. Never underestimate such an opponent as he could rejuvenate and
strike back with great ferocity. Total eradication is the best insurance.

4. Watch your back. Maintain constant vigilance over your bases and look out
for vulnerable backdoors. Ensure that the enemy is not massing forces against
you at some staging area. If yes, strike first before they are up to
full-strength or just nuke them.

5. Never leave home without it. Have Science Vessels (SVs) follow your attack
force. SVs are the Terrans only counter against cloaked / burrowed enemy units.