Command and Conquer 3

good mentoring gents!

Firstly hi, thanks for taking your time to help me out...

Secondly, I think you've drawn the short straw, I've mostly played offline skirmishes to get the hang of the controls but appart from two online games that I got anihilated in (second faired better than the first though..) I'm a complete newbie to online play. I know very little of build orders and no other stratergies other than build as many units as my eco will allow and shoot the enemy (somewhat randomly). So the best bet would be to start at the beginning....

Look forward to hearing from you, and thanks again

Hello mate, actually I think you have drawn the short straw getting me!

This game was the first I ever been online with too, in fact previous experience of RTS was limited to RA2 and Yuri's Revenge! So don't worry you will soon be holding your own!

First thing is to have a read of this article.

Second: Do you know the maps, their layouts, points of interest such as tiberium spikes, emp control centres, where the green tiberium fields are, or where the blue tiberium patches are?

Do you know that green tiberium is worth less than blue tiberium for example?

The most common issue when going online is getting the economy right. If you dont have as much cash as your opponent you cant produce as many units, so you end up losing. For an average size green tiberium field you want to be having 2 refinery's and 5 harvesters.

Do you know the units of all three factions (GDI, Nod, Scrin)?

If you have any questions by the way, just ask, no matter how silly you think they may be, ok?

BTW its best to pm me on this or on the msn address I will pm you in a minute. Trouble is I'm not on that very often, so we'll have to arrange a time for you and me to chat in real time!

Cheers Dave.

Yeah I got the basics sorted I think... I'm still learning the maps but I know most of the tib patches. Tib spikes are another story... Recently played a game on badlands and was oblivious to the fact there's a spike yards from my base. Only when I watched the replay back I realised it was there. But that will come with experience I s'pose.

Effective counters are something I'm falling short on, and the fact I'm out produced everytime. But as you say once I get the eco sorted I can build what I like.

Shall have to get on for game. I'm a desk jockey, so Mon-Fri 9-5 I'm working but usually any time after 8-9 I'm doing something on the PC

Are you based in the UK or Europe (i.e GMT)? Also mate what faction choice are you playing as?

spikes are fairly important on some maps since they help to boost your eco, but your right maps like everything else comes with experience. The main maps to concentrate on learning are the ranked ones, which are (I think!): Tournament Tower (TT); Tournament Arena (TA); Badstow Badlands (BB); Tournament Coastline (TC); Tournament Rift (TR or just Rift); Pipeline Problems (PP); Tournament Dustbowl (TD or just Dustbowl), Small Town USA (STUSA). There may be more and if there is I will add them later!

BTW if you can post a replay for me to take a look at. Also we will have to try get online together and we'll play a game (just dont beat me lol!). I'm usaully about on here most evenings during the week apart from Friday's, so just pm when ever you can get online!

Hi, yeah Lancs mate, let me know when you're free for that game!

Here's my last game online... There's not really much to see and I'm sure you'll find loads that could be improved on, if not everything

Cheers!

PS GDI is my faction of choice at the mo but I'm looking to play NOD as well when I start improving

This post has been edited by Strev_123: Nov 3 2008, 22:54 PM

Hi mate,

Ok taking a look at your replay, and appologies if I sound quite harsh and critical ok?

Right you need to work on getting your eco sorted. As this was the reason why you lost that game. you expanded well to the southern green tiberium field (nice to see you selling your surveyor as well ) but your building placement wants to be so that you are edging closer to to that middle green tiberium field. This is where most of the fighting will take place, as whoever gains control of this field usually goes onto win the game! So the only two structures as GDI that doesnt give ground control are power plants (hence forth known as PP) and barracks (RAX) so use the structures to base crawl to that central field.

The other three major points about the eco.
1) Try to aim for at least 5 harvesters and 2 refinery's on both that starting field and that the southern field. Don't be afraid to either sell refinery's and/or build harvesters till you get to the magic numbers of 5/2 or 7/3 ratio of harvesters to refinery's.
2) Grab your tibeirum spikes. Get at least the one nearest you, and aim to get the two are the very bottom of the map. They give massive amounts of extra income to you.
3) Don't forget about the blue tiberium field in the very centre of the map. It starts off dry but develops quickly. Remember blue tib is worth more than green!

The other major thing is your build order (BO). Dont bother with a crane not on this map. Go for PP then Rax, then refinery, then WF (War Factory), then more refinery's, another W.F. then tech (command post & tech centre) then either air (Firehawks or orca's depending on what your opponent is doing) or space command link.

Find a replay tagged expert in the replay section, of ideally a GDI V GDI match on this map (Tournament Rift). Watch the replay copy and copy their build order (write it down if neccessary). This should give you a decent build order for this map. I will take a look in a minute to see if I can find one for you to watch!

Get your BO right and your eco should follow. These two things are the most important thing in the game to start off with. Macro and micro. Macro is your BO, eco, etc and micro is managing your units to the greatest ability of each unit.

BTW nice work with the APC/Engineer attack. A couple of pointers. Set the APC to the Hold fire stance, so as not to alert your opponent you are coming! Also make sure if you haven't already change your "exit APC" hotkey to a single keystroke. For example the default hotkey is control + P, I have changed mine to just "P"! Also try to capture their MVC. If you do this, you can then build a RAX and pump out engineers to capture other buildings with them. Also by capturing their MVC they cant build any base defences! But capturing anything which gives ground control is good as you can then build a RAX. The worst case scenerio from doing this is that they thwart your new engineers from capturing more units. You can then just sell up eveything you have captured or built and you get the cash boost. The other thing to note is that when selling an MVC you get one squad of riflemen and one engineer. If you do have to sell up, try using that engineer to capture a nearby building. Remember to target a ground control building, such a WF or crane (if they have one!) or something, worst case scenerio you get another PP! Win win situation.

Also nice work with the reverse moving your tanks (Hotkey: D), that is good micro as tanks have directional armour (meaning the armour at the front is stronger than the armour at the rear and sides!). Another useful micro tip (and I only learnt this one a week or two ago myself! ) is to set rifglemen to Aggressive stance at all times. They shoot further thus gaining a small advantage over an opponent who hasnt done this!. Use the riflemen's dig ability (only costs $100) when using riflemen to scout! Nice cheap defence structure that can withstand a bit of abuse!

OK to recap your homework:

1) Watch the replay.
2) Learn the BO.
3) Play another game on the same map (go into the custom games section not the automatch part!) and set up a game yourself with this map!
4) Buy me a beer!
5) Try using the APC/Engineer ASAP. If its successful try building a RAX there!

ok mate this is a good replay to watch

http://www.gamereplays.org/CommandandConqu...ls&id=27855

Hey Disco, just won my first game, lol. OK so my opponent wasn't that good but hey, a win's a win

Took on what you said and it was all over in 7 or so mins, like I said the other player as pretty dire so i guess this is an exercise in tactics/BO more than anything... anyway let me know hat you think

Hi mate,

well played!

nice one, just a couple of things:

1) That second war factory (WF) should have been placed as near to that central green tiberium field as possible. You need to base crawling towards it. i.e. placing one structure after the other in a line towards that green field!.

2) Make sure that you set scouting riflemen squads to asggressive stance as they will shoot from further! Honestly its better to do this. Or you could set the whole structure (the RAx to ensure all units built from it are automatically set to aggressive. You do this by selecting the structure, and then ALT+ A to set the building to aqggressive stance.

3) It was a nice idea to hunt that harvester at your opponents green field, but the trouble was each pitbull costs you $700, so that was $1400 you lost when the pitbulls was destroyed. That is the same cost as what it costs your opponent to build one harvester to replace the one you lost. Admittedly it will hurt him while he waits to replace it. Instead of trying to completely destroy it, you should have carried on upwards did a bit of damage to his harvesters at the main field. and then come back and repaired the pitbulls. You can then send them again to the bottom fields and try to destroy the harvester there again. Try also to micro them out of range of the defence structures he placed there, but still get the harvester if that makes sense!

4) Use a couple of those APC's you built to go on an engineer/apc attack. aim for his MCV, then a WF or tech structure (e.g. the Tech centre or command post), then either a refinery or an airfield, finally if none of these are available a RAX or even a PP will suffice!

5) It was good going for the tib spikes at the bottom, but I feel you went for them too early. Send a scout, and garrison the building there at the same time as you build the first engineer. Then once you have the WF up and running place the engineers in the APC and capture those southern tib spikes. Going as early as you did meant you ran into slight eco issues as you expanded to the south and built structures! You spread your cash to lightly! Cahs flow is important, so try and do each strategic development in a nice orderly manner. I.e. expand straightaway to the south and scout, capture the nearest spike only initially. Or captures the spikes to the south but not expand straight away. one or the other but not both initially as it screws your cash flow! Personally I would scout to the southern spikes, capture the nearest spike and scout your opponent and expand to the southern tib field first. Wait until you have the WF up and running and then capture the southern spikes!

Bit of homework for you: I want you to start learning the hotkeys for things, such as D = reverse move, E=your MCV production tab, R= The defence structure tab, etc. change your hotkey for evac APC to just P for now instead of control + P (you can change it again later on once your knowledge of hotkeys is greater). Doing this will help you when you do an APC/Engineer attack!
Also get on and play another map! Just make sure its a ranked map!

Maybe we can play each other tonight? pm me when you are online ok?

Once again nicely played!

Hi mate,

As promised this is a replay of me on Tournament Tower against the computer. It may be easier to print this text out so that you can read it while you watch it, though have a read of it before you watch the replay and then use the printed copy as a reminder. I dont have a microphone (due to my career choice I cant afford to purchase one either!) hence why I wrote this text to go with it!

So I got rid of the computer first so you may wish to fast forward the replay until you see me pack my MVC and then unpack it. This is denoted in the replay by a large red 1 being scrawled over the screen. lol.

Before this however, if you dont know the layout with the map, I also give a guided tour of the map, showing the tiberium fields (all green on this map!), the two tiberium spikes, where the oppostion are and the tower which you want to try to gain control of. You are able to garrison it with infantry!

OK.

Chapter 1:

Notice I build a power plant first, and then immediately sell it. Use the riflemen squad to take control of the tower in the centre. Remember to switch them to aggressive stance as all rifle men squads or infantry that result from sold structures are set by default to gaurd stance.

I then proceed to build another pp followed by a RAX. Pump out an engineer and 2/3 riflemen squads setting the default rally point over by the bottom tiberium spike. Also I set the whole RAX to produce units which are by default set on aggressive stance.

Next comes a refinery. Notice I place the refinery as close to the tiberium field as I can as any extra delay (even a second) can harm your chances! Don't forget the to capture your tiberium spike and scout the opposition and their tib spike!

Ch. 2:

Now comes a war factory (WF) which is placed as near as possible to the bottom of the ramp. Going for a WF allows for flexibility. If your opposition comes and tries attacking you can produce units to fend it off! In the meantime I manufactor a couple of harvester from the WF to help my eco come along.

Then comes the placement of the command post at the top of the ramp. Really you can place refinery but I found unless you have extremely careful placement of the WF at the bottom of the ramp, you can't place a refinery at the top. But with a command post you nearly always can. Trouble is going for the command post dents your eco a bit, but after you have placed a refinery at the top, and if you need the cash, sell the command post. But dont sell it unless you really need to.

So place a refinery at the top and then another refinery. Notice the number of harvester to the number of refinery's. Aim for 5 harvester to 2 refinery's! After a palcement of a couple of refinery's build a 2nd WF. Notice how I set the default rally point for both the 1st WF and the RAX so that units built from these will come automatically to the top of the ramp.

But be careful: Attacks on your base will come from A1; A2 and A3. These are the areas which are going to be vunerable. V GDI A1 and A2 (most likely A1) APC/Engineer attack. V Nod, either a stealthed flame tank, or attack bikes targetting your harvesters on the original tiberium field. Or even be aware of stealth tanks! V Scrin it will either by a lone buzzer followed by the placement of a lightning spike near to your harvester, or it will be a number of seekers! However if you have scouted your opponent properly you should be able tosee what they are planning before it has reached you. So you want to try and keep sending the cheapest units to your opponent base by using these same routes yourself! Either send a riflemen squad or a pitbull. If these fail, or you dont have time, use the scan feature from GDI support powers! Aim it for around the bottom of the ramp area. You should be able to spot their WF and if it your playing v GDI spot a RAx nearby too!

Ch. 3

Dont forget to tech up, and notice I base crawl towards the other field on the ramp area. This is so that any defence structures you can build to help out your attack force. a sonic emitter will help mdeflect attention away from your forces!

Anyway this should get your eco sorted out for this map, notice how many refinery's I have and harvester on each field!

Dont forget to keep scouting! Plus try and harass your opponents harvesters as well to dent their eco too! Engineer/APC attack, or some pitbulls can do serious damage to harvesters. V Scrin pitbull are amust for their stealth detection - this means you can spot their harvesters! V Scrin: APC's and rocketment make short work of thei harvesters. V GDI pred and rocketmen are the way forward! Till you have teched up!

Hope you find it useful, and apologies for the messiness of my scrawlings!

Let me know how you get on, Dave.

The replay will be following soon, next post prob. lol!

This is the replay for the above. Download and maybe watch it a couple of times once with the commentary and once without but through the eyes of me! Notice when you do this the structures I'm building, the units I'm building etc! The upgrades I'm getting!

Let me know whether you find this useful or not, if you do I'll do another on another map. But if you dont find it useful, dont worry I wont be offended let me know as we got to do whatever you find useful!

Played a couple of automatches tonight, first on TTower(!!) - followed your build order and everything was running well until my con yard was cap'd again! (stupid mistakes seem to be my downfall at the mo)

Then 2nd match was on Rift, was going through my build order scouting as necessary and then, mid-game just as I'm massing my mammoths and jugs, base crawled and got my 3 refs on the middle field I was set upon by a mass (literally too many to count) of laser'd up venoms, stealthed I might add. If I had scouted with pitbulls instead of riflemen I would have seen them... But again, playing against NOD I should have thought about the stealth aspect and adjusted accordingly, it's quite frustrating because looking back at the stats I matched him for eco, structures not so much as he had a serious ammount of base defences so what force I could get to his base were shot to bits in seconds.

I've added what you said in your pm here, as you'll be amazed by whom are also reading this forum! I did it myself when the KW mentoring program was taking place as there are many things people can learn, especially with some of the mentors who tookl place in KW!

Thus what I'm about to say wont make sense unless you read what you said!

Engineer cap, they most likely came from A1. Now you dont say when this happened whether it early doors, mid game or late on. But your right, that is one of the reasons for scouting. Spotting what your opponent is planning. When you scout you want to be looking at three main things: Eco, Tech and Units.

Eco to see where they are eco wise. This is not so important if your eco is the best is can be, assuming they haven't harassed you at all and damaged your own eco.

Tech. where is in relation to you, are you further ahead, are they further ahead. Have they gone to tier 4 (signal transmitter, tiberium chemical plant, space command link). What upgrades have they? e.g. do scrin's tripods have forcefield generators (thats like a bubble around the tripod), or do they have avatars which when dealing with your scouting unit, shoot lasers? Do their preds/mamouths have the extra bit on the nozzle of their guns indicating that they have upgraded to railgun accelerator? Where are you in comparison? Do yuo have upgrades? Do they have airfield/air tower/scrin aircraft (I forget the name, but if you dont know what it looks like, take a look in your C&C3 booklet that came with the game!)

Units. How many do they have? What type of units do they have? Do they have mainly air/ infantry/ ground units? Is there a 2/3 flame tanks about? This indicated they may be looking to sneak them in and attack your MCV! Are there attack bikes/ seekers being produced. This inidcates early harasment of your harvesters. Are there relatively few units? Perhaps you should go for an early push! Remember GDI have the advantage below tier 3, preditor tanks are the best pound for pound unit in the game, so use this advantage is you can!! If they are top heavy with infantry, you want to make sure your units contain anti- infantry (I will double post with GDI counters to all other units below! I'm sure you know already what they are but just in case!

This is why it is important to scout throughout the game. You have the advantage too if you can stop your opponent from seeing what you are upto. That is why anti-scouting is just as important as scouting! AS GDI we have a major advantage over the other factions in terms of scouting. We have the ability to do a scan from the support powers once you have a command post. It costs $300 (i think!) and is worth three times this value! It will also highlight any stealthed units too, useful against Nod! also worth noting but seldom used is the ability of orca's to drop sensor pods which de-stealth the area they are in. They can be attached to building or units or just the ground! This can be useful to know!

Knowing all of this can give you a heads up on what is approaching, and then you can make preparations. Also why laying a few riflemen around the map in their foxhole (remembering to place them on aggressive stance!) can give you a heads up. A good player will do a sneak attack with their units set to hold fire to eliminate you being alerted to their presence. If they are bad, you'll get a warning coming through your speakers, press spacebar and this will take you to the place on the map where it is occurring!

With regards to the second part if your opponent is building masses of base defences it means you have more units than him or should do as long as you havent wasted your money! If an opponent has a lots of base defences and wont come out to play, make them using juggernauts, as they outrange all base defences. Just make sure you support them. Also dont forget you can use the sniper/juggernauts paring to fire your juggernauts from anywhere on the map. Just set your sniper to the hold fire stance and then sneak them into your opponents base using the map to its best advantage! The snipers act as spotters for your juggernauts! The best armies are those which are mixed! Those that spam just 2 or three units will always lose against an opponent who uses a good mix. What is a good mix of units? Well of course if they have spammed a lot of venoms you need to spam a lots of antiair as well. If they have spammed a lot of infantry, you need to spam anti-infantry. If this is all equal it then comes down to who has the best micro!

But well played, I'm pushing you quite hard and its lot to take in, but your doing really well!

Keep playing as experience of stuff is good. Also I prob. wont be able to do another til next week (I have got deliveries to make!!! )

Homework:

1) Keep playing
2) Download a replay that is played another map, just make sure it is a ranked map and one we have done the eco for already!

Tournament tower
Tournament coastline
Tournament rift
Tournament arena
Tournament dustbowl
Pipeline Problems - you should have this from the game we played the other day!
some more as well check out one of my earlier posts!

3) Keep learning those hotkeys!

Just played another few games online most were rubbish... tried creating a few games but all I seemed to get were high ranked players looking for an easy win so I won't post them

Went for an automatch and this was the result... Still loads to improve on but I seem to be getting it, stats show I lost a hell of a lot of units on that final push compared to him but they appeared to be due to the mammoths and jugs he had placed to the south that I should have dealt with sooner as they just sat there and picked me off. Anyway, just kept pumping out preds and the sod just d/c'd in the end but it's recorded as a win for me (Actually not showing as a win even though the game said I did... shows I have one d/c, hardly fair Quick bit of research shows this guy is a serial d/c'er) I seem to have got the eco right... I seemed to collect it faster than I can spend it in that game towards the mid-point. Still seem to forget to scout in mid/late game tho as I could have sent my army in through the south as it was much less defended

PS why do I always get rift!

This post has been edited by Strev_123: Nov 15 2008, 13:47 PM

Hey mate,

Haven't watched your replay yet, but I will do soon! I'd like to think that you had control of that central green rtiberium zone and if you had then your eco would be much greater than his! Juggernauts beat mamouths, as long as you have a meatshield (read the guide in the strategy tab for info on this!) Orca's beat juggernauts. Did he have upgraded mamouths (the railgun upgrade) V GDI, you want to have this upgrade. Then the next thing to do is try to take out either his eco even more or his tech tree! So in this example if you had better eco, you want to goto Tier 4 (the space command link), and want to get some firehawks (4 is plenty) and micro them around this large map to get to his tech centre. 4 firehawks should destroy a tech centre.

We will work on this the next time we play, so you V Nod and you V Scrin, and me as a happy camper GDI fan!! Ok and I will give you some counters to each type of unit, and the relevent mixes!!

Carry on again, keep working on the eco sicde for the other maps, ( i.e. download a replay marked expert of a GDI mirror - search the replay system for one) and watch through the eyes of boths players to see how they set up their eco for the other ranked maps!). Then this week we can work on your micro, and using the different units and support powers to overcome diffeent type of players. There are some that will rush you, there are others who are quite happy to camp (these are the easiest to beat!). But you'll get there, you have improved so much since you we first started! So nice one! But your homework for tonight is:

1) watch some replays as stated above.
2) Keep working on those hotkeys - try and add a couple each time you play and learn them over a period of time!
3) Try to get some games on other maps other than T. Rift & T. Tower!!

Gl and GG!!

Did what you said Dave, watched back a replay of a season final with Relativit(sp??) and someone who's name escapes me, GDI mirror on Arena. Played a game (see below) and tried to copy the BO as close a possible and it was a pretty comfortable win. Micro needs work but we'll get to that soon.

I feel I'm beginning to think about whats going on rather than churn out armour and get over run by infantry. Scouted and noticed he was massing inf so I trained a load of snipers and APC's to support my tanks/jugs.

Notice the sniper/jug attack? lol

I still keep sending my FH's on stupid *bomb-nothing-and-get-shot* runs as I keep pressing Q to select my units and move then towards the enemy and they seem to fly to where I've just clicked, drop bombs on empty land and fly back to base. I'm going to have to use fire-teams instead and get out of that habit of pressing Q.

Anyway let me know what you think when you've watched these two (this and one on Rift above)

PS Can you post that replay of us on Pipeline Probs, I can't find it on my system

Thanks!

This post has been edited by Strev_123: Nov 16 2008, 01:09 AM

ok mate still havent seen either replays yet I'm afraid, so sorry about, it'll be early next week before I do that!

selecting all units Q is ok, but your right sometimes you dont need all your units to attack. for example, you wont need all of your units to destroy a couple of scout units, or few bikes that come at your harvesters. Control groups are the way forward. So want you want to try to achieve, is to group your units into numbers using control + <a number between 1 and 9> to set them into each group. Then when you want to select a group just press the correspinding number! What you want to do tohugh is use the same numbers for each type if unit (or unit combination) for each game. So for example rocketmen are always control group 2 every game you play. This way it becomes second nature for you to select your rocketmen every game! Work out a system for you.

Also goto the Kane Wrath strategy guides and read the "guide to the contextual tab and mouse". This will help you realise that if you do select all your units, you can leave your firehawks at home by right clicking on the firehawks picture!

As for FH destroying useless targets you want them to be doing somehting at all time as soon as you have them. For example whilst waiting for 4 FH (so that you can destroy a tech centre) as soon as one is built switch it to anti-air missiles and have it circle your own tech centre. Just dont forget to switch it back to bomb missiles when you want to target a structure. NB: FH are pretty useless against ground units, use orca's to attack ground units instead!

also good job on the scouting and then antyi-infantry! A commando also works well against infantry! Also make sure you remember to set snipers to aggressive stance to get the most out of them. If you want to work them with juggernauts you need to set them to hold fire stance! Once a juggernaut(s) has destroyed a structure, press hotkey S to stop their bombaredment of the structure. As your snipers are unsteealthed during the bombaredment!

More homework then lol:

1) Watch another replay tagged expert (GDI mirror) for another ranked map, what do we have left? Tournament dustbowl, leave Tournament coastline as I can give you info on that one!
2) Keep working on your hotkeys, especially control groups
3) Read that guide to the contextual map and the mouse in KW strategies - dont worry it works the same for TW! lol
4) Play another game on another map!

monday evening if your up for it, we can work on harassment and how you do it, and how you fend it off! OK using the different factions!

Have fun, keep posting any more replays you have! Doesnt matter how good the oppostion is, even if its apollo/khufu/anyone else v you!!

Nice one on your win. You must be shooting up the ranking now then!

Yea play me lol

Hi mate, hope you had a good weekend!

first replay on Tournament Rift V Lephill

Ok mate going to be quite critical here, but you have definitely improved a lot since we first started out on this road!

1) Macro:

A) Place structures as soon as they are built no hanging around! Your first refinery was built and then waited somehting like 5/seconds before placing it! It is crucial that you're faster at the start with building structures, espcially your very first refinery! Also whilst on this subject, sell that second refinery which you placed at this initial field too! That will free up some cash at the start to continue your eco expansion!

B) Tech up a lot sooner! You had so much cash floating ovewr $20K by the end! Tech up a lot quicker using these tech structures to base crawl towards that middle tibeirum patch!

C) Speaking of which, base crawl to that a lot quicker! One refinery at the bottom expansion is fine initially with 2 harvester running off it. Once you have one refinery there, place anymore refinery's at your base crawl to that middle tiberium field. when you start shooting up the rankings, this field is where you will be battling. Whoever wins this battle for control over the middle tibeirum field will prob. end up the winner, so stake a claim a lot quicker.

D) I know we are going through a recession atm but you dont need to hoarde your cash, spend it or lose it!! $20K + is far too much. You hear silo needed its reminder to spend that cash!! The fact you have so much cash means you have your cash flow wrong. Getting your economy correct is extremely important but so is expanding it at the right times. Eco V Tech, know when to do one, and when to do the other so that you dont have cash flow issues but neither do you have tech issues! If that makes sense!!

E) Scouting. You did well, got your initial riflemen to scout his base out, saw what he was upto. Then you sent that pitbull down there too. But then you stopped! Keep scouting. You want to have an eye into your opponents base at all times. Not just at the start. when you did your final assualt on his base (in fact your only assault on his base), I didnt and so you didnt, know what units he had until you were engaged in battle!! This is not what to do, you need to know as much information about what units are where, what structures are where, what tech levels he is at, and what is going on, on the map at all times! Use the scan radar, it only costs $300 and keep repeating the use of it if you can afford it!!

F) Post teching. Upgrade Power plants its cheaper than producing new ones, plus upgrading them doesnt hold up your production queue from the MCV!! This is about power management. Units being produced from your WF's, RAX's, and airfield as well as structures from your MCV build more slowly and take more time to build when you dont have enough power. Power down buildings, to give power to more important structures (MCV if still building stuff, then WF , then either your airfield or RAx in that order of importance!)

G) Building stuff. Your first burst of units from the RAX should go Engineer/ then Riflemen squads for scouting purposes. As your riflemen run quicker than your engineer (in fact your engineer is one of the slowest units about) so riflemen will easily catch up your engineer!!

Secondly from your first WF go: Scouting units first (i.e. your pitbull) then harvesters x 3 (if that is how many you want to build), then preds. Going for seven preds first then harvester will ruin your initial cash flow!!

Thirdly. Little tip. Pressing shift and then clicking on the units will build them in sets of five rather than sets of one without!

2) Micro

A) Your unit death/kill ratio was 0.61 compared to your opponents 1.65!! This shows your units are not working as efficiently as they could be! k for example: Alot of infantry were killed by those three sets of snipers he had placed behind the zone troopers! Sending one or two of your pitbulls you had up there would have desealthed them and then you can use force fire (hotkey: Control + right click) on that area. Also your riflemen dont do hardly any damage against tanks, use them against infantry. aim to get rid of snipers/sone troopers as fast as posible. But not by using your all of units. Tanks V tanks/jugg's, infantry v infantry. Pitbulls to de-stealth units, or as anti-air. Same goes for your firehawks. Use against structures not units unless really desperate. Although tanks are quite capable of running over all infantry except for heavy infantry. Heavy infantry = Tier 3 infantry = zone troopers!! Use force move to force your tanks to run over infantry!

B) split your attacking forces into two or three groups. you had preds to have launched a simultaneous attack at the south as well as the north! Read the guide to tank micro in the straegies sections as tanks have directional armour. This means they have less armour at the rear and top then att he front. So micro a group of your tanks to flank the enemy's tanks, forcing them to choose which to face and fight! I'll try and show you this later if we can get on!

C) Make sure your initial riflemen scouting units are set to aggressive stance. I saw that you changed it much later on, but those inital riflemen they were set to guard stance. Set them to aggressive stance as this will help a lot when your opponent also scouts!

I know this all sounds like a lot of critism and might make you get disheartened, dont be cause I'm pushing you really hard, and remember all of this advice has come from playing 1400+ games over one year of playing the game online. So you learning a years worth of experience in a few short weeks and your doing really well !!

Re: Your replay utmost on Tournament Arena

Good stuff! That is defintely worth a few of these!

Loved that sniper/juggernaut stuff - that was great. Just a pointer once a building has been destroyed you can use the S hotkey to stop them from firing as whilst your juggernaquts are firing your snipers are revealed. DK if you did do that or not, just pointing it incase you didnt know this!

A couple of other things, too:

Firstly your placement of your explorer would be better placed if was closer to the blue tiberium field. As you can base crawl to that area where you placed fairly easily if needs be and by the end of the match you would be there anyway.

Secondly spacebar will take you to the place on the map where the last event took place.

Also upgrade those power plants, much cheaper plus free's up your MCV production queue!

Run over infantry with those tanks if needs be use force move to location behind the infantry and your tanks will roll over the top of them (apart from heavy infantry). Or micro your apc's or snipers or riflemen to target enemy infantry. That stuff I said earlier about groupings will work wonders here. The same can be said about the firehawks you lost. Dont forget to scout either!! not just at the start. Also on TA you want to be scouting constantly that corrider between the two ends.

In this game you should have continued base crawling all the way over the other middle green tiberium field as he hadn't really expanded there. Nor to his blue tiberium field. As soon as you see that his blue field has no expansion and when your eco and cash flow can handle it, epxand over there to bounce your eco right up to the strasophere!!

The only other compaint from me is the lack of harassment. V nod their harvesters are stealthed, so you need to be taking along a pitbull or two and try to destroy his harvester. Damage his eco!!

Good stuff though I liked your snipers being set to aggressive stance, your engineer and then riflemen productiuon queue'ing that was good! Your eco looked to be very nearly perfect for this map, just a slight change to placement of your expansion vehicle would have made 11/10 rather than just 10/10 for eco, base crawling, etc. Nice work!!

right on this map we need to just work on your micro skills, and your harassment!! One other thing make sure you place those structures ASAP, no delay! One fo yuor refinery's placings was a few seconds delay! Just a minor thing though so good stuff!!