Special Unit Strategies and Replays

[Emuchu]

(07-22-2012 08:37 AM)Syvan Wrote:  A mobi is probably best defended by pushing wherever the mobi is not. The mobi can deliver units to the battle, but if you fight away from it, you completely negate it.

I'll have to disagree with that. I use Mobi mainly for delivering units to my enemy's base, so having the area around Mobi clear out is exactly what I want. I personally think a Mobi is something that needs to be addressed right away.

Anyway, I have a few good replays demonstrating Mobi-vomiting invasions:

These are in Long Nine:

vs Matt3Adams (Scallywags, 7 turns)

vs. gambit410 (Scallywags, 12 turns)

vs drawwall (Scallywags, 14 turns)

vs. sickboy_76au (Scallywags, 18 turns)

Here are a couple in the Foundry:

vs CrownJewellz (Feedback, 11 turns)

vs girabbit (Adorables, 14 turns)

And lastly, one on Peekaboo:

vs. pawelp65 (Scallywags, 28 turns)

Each one uses Mobi to push Snipers and Heavies through the opponent's lines to strike at their base. Mobi has an almost comical ability to exploit holes in his opponent's defenses; he's not an asset to be ignored.

I don't often have matches in Glitch and Sharkfood Island that are long enough to warrant the presence of Mobi, and for whatever reason, I don't have any replays saved for Sweetie Plains, which is strange because that's my favorite map.

Obviously, I have a lot of room to improve my Mobinvasions: I tend to jump the gun and push more recklessly than I should, but you get the point. As for other uses for Mobi, it's kind of iffy. On siege-type maps, such as Peekaboo, where both sides build up a wall of units and someone has to provoke a fight, you can march forward a Soldier or Runner to strike at key points and use Mobi to recall them, but unless you're striking at a valuable unit, or attacking a vitally important chokepoint, the numbers aren't in your favor.

For example: if you can take out a Runner, that's 3Wits to move, attack, and retreat, compared to the 2Wits it'll cost your opponent to re-spawn and move a Runner back into position. Even if it's been buffed, that'd be a 3Wit runner and you barely break even. It's better if you can take out a Medic or Sniper: it's 2Wits and 3Wits, respectively, alongside all the costs of buffing and moving them back into position, and taking out a Scrambler in this way is hilariously rage-inducing.

But if you're thinking about going guerilla on a Soldier/Heavy... fuggetaboutit! That's 6Wits to send and recall two Soldiers to take out a single enemy Soldier, which'll cost 3-5Wits to spawn, buff, and reposition, and I can't even come up with a way to take out a buffed Heavy that doesn't involve leaving a Sniper exposed, or worse, Mobi himself, so if you're planning that, you're better off provoking a war or starting an invasion, anyway.

Mobi-recalling is good for calling back a lone scout or exposed Sniper or Healer when things turn sour, but I can't see the technique being very useful for siege wars. Playing Mobi means avoiding drawn-out battles and sieges, and looking for cost-efficient ways to exploit weaknesses and outmaneuver your opponent... that's what I think, anyway.