Battle Report

Battle Report: Victory When Foes Ally by Vorlon

Map : Europe (256 X 256)

Game : 4 FFA (fastest speed)

Position : Middle slightly-right position

It started as a 4-player FFA with Hotshot and I as Terran and Khan and
Destroyer as Zerg.

The outline of the map was roughly based on the actual contours of the European
continent.

The continent was fairly well-divided in-between by an almost continuous row of
hills, and had many strategic choke points via ramps and bridges.

Using my 5th SCV as an early scout, I quickly located two potential expansion
sites and Destroyer at the middle far-right position. His base was just below a
ramp so I bunkered on top and seized the plateau resources.

Knowing his game style was for a massive built-up of Guardians, Mutas and
Hydras before striking, I wrap-speeded to research Ghost and nukes. Succeed but
ironically my bunkers blocked my Ghost from reaching him. His huge forces broke
through the choke point.

Sensing impeding danger, I commenced a partial withdrawal of SCVs, troops and
buildings to an expansion on the middle far-left position (looked like Spain).

Destroyer lingered at the plateau so I sneaked a Ghost up and nuked a few
Mutas. Not enough to save my main base from being over-run. My first Command
Centre survived and flew northwards on a merry scouting mission across the
English Channel and Atlantic ocean.

Spotted Khan expanding uninhibited on the British Isles so I colonised
Greenland instead.

Meanwhile, Destroyer got entangled with Hotshot as he ventured too near two of
the latter's bases. Heard a couple of nuclear launches and a zillion Zerg
death-screams.

I retaliated by wiping Destroyer's plateau expansion with 3 full-squads of
stimmed Marines. The vengeance extracted was swift and bloody.

Destroyer's tail-ass was badly char-burnt. All flamed up, he accused Hotshot
and I of allying against him. Wrong, it's called eliminating the weaker /
careless player.

Anyway, he forged an alliance with Khan so Hotshot and I were forced to team
up. It was like Nato versus Warsaw.

 We were determined to annihilate Destroyer before exterminating Khan. Hotshot
focused on airpower with Wraiths and I on land-supremacy through Marine-hordes.

We searched frantically but to no avail. Khan's raging Zerg swarms overwhelmed
in quick succession three of Hotshot's bases and the much fought-over plateau
expansion.

Seeking new resources to counter Khan's tremendous lead in forces, I floated a
Command Centre across the Straits of Gibraltar to incorporate Northern Africa
as Vorlon territory.

Preoccupied with Hotshot, Khan failed to completely locate my bases (except the
one at Spain).

With 3 raxs in maximum training gear, I poured out Marines to pulverise one of
Khan's poorly defended bases (in Eastern Europe). Shortly afterwards, Hotshot
found Destroyer's die-hard last base at the Northern Baltics. Rallied our
forces for the final assault. With Khan's siege tanks and my trigger-happy
Marines, we crushed Destroyer into crimson dust.

Near drunk with war-lust, I received a rude awakening when Khan's armada of 18
Guardians (backed by a rear-guard of Mutas) descended on my Spanish base.
Rather than directly engage my 2 dozen defending Goliaths, Khan cleverly chose
hit-and-run tactics using the ocean edge to his advantage.

With higher hit points, greater attack power and range, Khan's Guardians
selectively decimated my scrambling Goliaths. Fortunately, I had 6 Science
Vessels (SVs) who went irradiate crazy. Khan counter-responded with Mutas and
Scourge who obliterated my SVs.

Hotshot thunder-bolted to my aid with 5 Wraiths who took out the Mutas before
being blasted by Kamikaze Scourge. He also summoned all his remaining forces to
rampage through Hotshot's main base (just besides Destroyer's ruins).

Khan was left with only 3 Guardians who were powerless to attack my air-lifted
buildings.

I spotted one of Khan's bases right next door (at France's position) to my
half- disembowelled Spanish domain.  Descended upon it with some Marines and
Goliaths.

Khan was even more mauled than me as he had totally exhausted his Vespene gas.
Reduced to mere Zerglings, his base was slaughtered wholesale.

Khan surrendered. Victory ! The sweet taste of a hard-fought first conquest was
exhilarating.

Lessons learnt :

1. Don't be a jerk. Never piss off your opponents by wrongly accusing them of
allying. Feuding foes turn bosom buddies when confronted by a common enemy.
Ill-tempered players are destined to suffer storms of united wrath.

2. Know your strengths. Hotshot and I exploited our specialist skills to
mutually reinforce reach other's offensive and defensive manoeuvres. For
example, he nuked and I swarmed. This also conserved our resources.

3. Stay off the edge. Build inwards away from vulnerable coastlines. This draws
the Guardians nearer so that Terrans can reach them with Goliaths.

4. Hit and run with SVs. Have at least 4 SVs orbiting above missile turrets,
bunkers or Marines. When Guardians come, use a SV to irradiate 3 targets in a
row. Swiftly retreat to safety as Scourge may be in-coming. Repeat with each SV
in sequence. This allows time for the SVs to recharge their energy.

5. Go MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). Hotkey and keep a Ghost or two
undercover near your base (for example under a tree). When it looks like your
base is about to fall, nuke the bastard. Let it burn, let it all burn.

6. Drag it out. Zerg are doomed in the late game when they deplete Vespene gas.
Move in for the kill with Marine on-slaughts.