Killing special units strategy?

[vegaprom]

What tactics do everyone use in killing each special unit? Bombshell, scrambler, mobi and bramble? I just want to know some strategies and do you always try to kill them before other units?

[laYahooz]

With a scrambler, you can pile up a vertical line of stuff with your scrambler behind it. It's kind of hard to explain so here's a replay of me doing it: outwitters://viewgame?id=ag5vdXR3aXR0ZXJzZ2FtZXIRCxIIR2FtZVJvb20YpJygAgw
I saw this strategy used by blckace and other STs good with feedback.
It's turn 14 when I make the deadly bombshell takeout set up.

So that's one way to do it with the scrambler. There are a lot of ways to do it with the mobi so I will let others share those strategies.

[garcia1000]

For Mobi, just try to overwhelm them with units and fight close to your spawn points. You don't even need to take out the whale guy if he has no army

[TheGreatAnt]

I think a biggest key is recognizing when someone is going to be pulling one out. Watching replays when they are not moving many units to know they are building up, or keeping map vision with runners to see where they place them. Though, if you are always dashing for the specials, you will not be left with much defense which will leave the counter attack fatal. So a crucial aspect is a good build up strategy depending on the units they are using so that you can be prepared.
Mobi: Quick attack, so layer your units for good defense.
Scrambler: Getting too close to spawn is bad, and layer is also good for defense. In many uses, scramblers cannot get good defenses, so when used, look for weak spots to attack through and take it out.
BombShell: You really have to plan your attack because it can take two soldiers or a soldier and runner to take one out, which are in line of fire before a hit can be made. So you must move a mass of units and be ready for collateral damage. Or, see if you can arrange your units to distract and move around.
Bramble: Carefully watch replays to see the base roots and take those out. Also, keep units on the wit spaces and spawn (if possible) so that a stock pile of wits will not control your spawn or wit space.

[vegaprom]

(12-27-2012 11:28 AM)TheGreatAnt Wrote:  I think a biggest key is recognizing when someone is going to be pulling one out. Watching replays when they are not moving many units to know they are building up, or keeping map vision with runners to see where they place them. Though, if you are always dashing for the specials, you will not be left with much defense which will leave the counter attack fatal. So a crucial aspect is a good build up strategy depending on the units they are using so that you can be prepared.
Mobi: Quick attack, so layer your units for good defense.
Scrambler: Getting too close to spawn is bad, and layer is also good for defense. In many uses, scramblers cannot get good defenses, so when used, look for weak spots to attack through and take it out.
BombShell: You really have to plan your attack because it can take two soldiers or a soldier and runner to take one out, which are in line of fire before a hit can be made. So you must move a mass of units and be ready for collateral damage. Or, see if you can arrange your units to distract and move around.
Bramble: Carefully watch replays to see the base roots and take those out. Also, keep units on the wit spaces and spawn (if possible) so that a stock pile of wits will not control your spawn or wit space.

It's true for the last game I lost, facing Adorables.
I tried to kill the mobi, it succeeded but that left the soldiers get into the bottom channel in Foundry!!! At that time I'm afraid my opponents would take a sniper near my base so I killed. Are there any better choice at about turn 13?

(outwitters://viewgame?id=ag5vdXR3aXR0ZXJzZ2FtZXIRCxIIR2FtZVJvb20YobKhAgw)

[Necrocat219]

Yeah, with the Mobi and Bramble I don't recommend killing them off unless you get the chance to do a favourable trade using them; in the short term it's a very large wit investment for a unit with no damage, although it's usefulness increases greatly with army size. Same with Bramble although it's more of preventing it from controlling a particular part of the map, either force it away or fight around it.

With the other two, with the Bombshell the usual courses of action are to either threaten to have two soldiers in attacking range of it which will force your opponent to engage you or use your special to outmaneuverer them Make sure you don't let them advance their bombshell too far and keep the pressure back otherwise there will come a point of no return.

With scramblers usually your opponent will have it secluded or out in action controlling you. Just make sure that you can tell if the game will result in a scrambler being spawned, have appropriate vision on every unit spawned and predict where the scrambler is most likely to be. The best counters are Soldiers and runners. In scarce situations or on narrow maps using boosted runners as blockades can prove effective against the scrambler.

[game_taker]

You can use your own special.

A bramble is useless against a bombshell.
Mobi vs bombshell: Have 2 soliders kill a soldier guarding a bombshell, then teleport a sniper in range of the bombshell, and have it + a runner kill it.
Scrambler vs Bombshell: scramble solider adjacent to bombshell, attack bombshell with scrambled soldier, and replace it with a different soldier and finish bombshell.
Mobi vs Scrambler and Scrambler vs Mobi is more situational.

[wonderpug]

One lesson I've been learning from my own mistakes is to avoid getting overly obsessed with taking out a special when you spot one. If you can't take it out efficiently, wit-wise, wait until you can. Lately I've been sacrificing too much to take specials out ASAP and leaving myself even weaker than if I'd just tried to slowly push back.

[vegaprom]

(12-27-2012 04:46 PM)wonderpug Wrote:  One lesson I've been learning from my own mistakes is to avoid getting overly obsessed with taking out a special when you spot one. If you can't take it out efficiently, wit-wise, wait until you can. Lately I've been sacrificing too much to take specials out ASAP and leaving myself even weaker than if I'd just tried to slowly push back.

That's true with me, I usually wait until I have some wits and some other units to protect it. But that takes several turns and some games my opponent started attacking while I've just spawned a bombshell and it should take another turn to move it to a favorable position. If I move there then next turn it's supposed to be killed. That's the problem, especially on Sharkfood Island where I have to move the bombshell twice to get to the middle (a bit under the base). For example, this one. If he started the attack one turn later, i'd get the bombshell ready...

outwitters://viewgame?id=ag5vdXR3aXR0ZXJzZ2FtZXIRCxIIR2FtZVJvb20YyImdAgw

[brayton]

Yes, a very good notion to note. Just cause they're specials doesn't mean they urgently need to die
If you waste your wits and units, break your formation and lose your position just to take out there special when it is not an urgent game changing threat it will likely be a bad trade off for you