There are four of them (three at the rivers and one in the middle of the map). They are basically deadly for all vehicles. They either drown in the water or die in the enemy's fire when searching path.
Bot
Veh
Robots are better than vehicles in all directions. The only meaningful use is for light artillery, flaks and heavy rocket vehicles of tech_lvl 2.
FFA tactics
Just watch fords and then just invest into the Air Force. A few dozen rocket robots can deal with any surprise ground attack, air force watch landings. The game usually ends when player_1 blitzbomb player_2 and player_3 totaly smash player_1 meanwhile with long-range plasma cannons (LRPCs). If player_1 have enough bombers and they are at least somewhat intelligently controlled, the player_1 usually wins.
How to outsmart player_1 (the one with the bombers)?
Becouse I'm mostly the player_3 (the one with big guns), I preventively rid of my opponents air superiority. On this map it is particularly easy, since the airspaces are small and very close each other, side by side. Just take 1-2 fighters and fly over the edge of enemy territory. Patrolling enemy air forces will follow you in that moment. There is nothing easier than to retreat back into your base and kill half of enemy airforce in fire of your anti-aircraft defense.
Important strategic places. Each of them can be hold up for long time against 1.5 times bigger army.
Marginal mountains
Allow unexpected attacks, and support breakthroughs on the wings. Partly impassable due to huge height difference - but this height can be used by units sitting on the hill.
Bot
Veh
Although it may seem that strategic foothold on the hills is all you need - and against the advancing front they work well. But sudden fast attacks of vehicles can pass through disturbed defense with surprisingly small losses. Light artillery works with the usuall strength here.
1v1, 2v2 tactic
Use Hammers_ARM/Thuds_CORE for capturing hills each after another (10-15 bots is the optimum, the more interferes each other). Still have your few quick inexpensive robots prepared to reflect the attacks on the wings. The Air Force also works for the same purpose, but cost a lot of time/resource to maintain it.
They are suitable for the location of static defense, especially anti-aircraft guns. ARM figters can take ambush through them with beetle army.
Bot
Veh
This map is soon clogged (especially with a larger number of players - 2v2 and 3v3), but until that both types of units are equivalent. Vehicles can take advantage of the speed, three ridges are good for entrenched robots, but the marginal mountains are completely forbidden for all units from the the ground level without air support.
Fight as long as possible...
Fight as long as possible and get as much territory. Once the process is already too expensive, start teching. Try dropping into the neck. Twenty Hammers_ARM/Thuds_CORE sitting on the cliff above the enemy base does not mean any heavy harm to the military sitting between you and the enemy base, but you have a chance to harm enemy economy (for example, you can kill moho engeneer) or at least sidetrack attention for a few seconds from your maneuver on the main battlefield.
Sometimes Coastline b2 NOTA map v2, too, special bigger versiom for NOTA.
5-15
22
- peperating
- porc-index
1v1
2v2
3v3
6p+
Tourney
FFA
KOTH
Bugs
-
+
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+
-
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Big sea on the south
The sea is the key to progress. Unlike dry and very dry version of this map without proper fleet you move slowly. But ... its support in the bays is limited.
Bot
Veh
Neither part of the army is somehow an advantage. Mobile coastal guns from the basic factory vehicles are able to keep enemy ships away a bit.
Hover
Ship
Ships have relatively enough space to maneuver. Mostly. Only when you push them into bays, with small cost you can catch a big bitch. Supporting from the water during the attack on the ground is also capable tactic.
Naval attack on the southern base
1) Win Sea 2) together with the hovercrafts and ships attack the enemy base from the south. Most of the enemy are poorly prepared and their economy die in the first attack. Also it happends, that enemy loose one of their command towers.
An ancient map, which has been many times remaked. What is written here applies fully to the followers - the Green Comet, Comet Red, etc.
0-1
-
- peperating
- porc-index
1v1
2v2
3v3
6p+
Tourney
FFA
KOTH
Bugs
++
++
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Flat lunar surface
Everything quick is deadly here.
Giant craters
... are good for hidding your command tower. There is nothing more embarrassing than to die by weapon of twenty escaped tanks.
Bot
Veh
Until the game become blocked by the large armies, you have a chance to rush enemy with clever attacks on his neck, usually mines. If the game does not end until 15th minute, bots are also necessary.
Fast units destroying mines
With vehicles destroying enemy mines you can achieve economic advantage relatively quickly. Only needed thing is to spend more time with micro fighting and less time with construction.
Someone is killing me with fast cars!
If you are CORE, its possible to build an airport as a second factory. Vasp (antiground aircraft) can help you to catch most problematic vehicles. For ARM you can do the same with the Toad, but it's not as effective in a defense as CORE one.
Map, which test your ability to maneuver robots according to the height of the terrain and the ability to combine the right types of units.
Bot
Veh
Bots play a bigger role. Rarely it happends any rapid penetration with vehicles. They perform in more traditional supportive roles (flak, artillery).
Quick penetrations with robots hidden from radar view
The hills of this map can sometimes hide an attacking unit of fierce PeeWees_ARM/a.k.s_CORE or zippers_ARM/sprinterus_CORE, especially on the edges of the map. Only few people build radars on the edge of the map to cover such places.
At the bottom of a dry sea lie a lot of shipwrecks from the old wars of annihilation. It's a great source of metal to kick your start (1000-2000 of metal I think).
High cliffs
Reefs protect against long-range guns and form a natural protection for centre of base.
Bot
Veh
Fast attacks on both wings or on center field are effective. With the wings is one problem. Local platform is elevated a bit so vehicles have problems to drive there - so if you plan to attack that way, it is better to produce units on that ridge.
Strong wings, but ...
The attack on the wings is mostly in terms of price/performance ratio cheaper then fight in the middle, but its not good to concentrate there more than half of your power. Bigger usage of resources looses its effect and enemy can attack at the same time in the center. And it happends quite often.
Most played map of Spring, has a lot of modifications, but NOTA players are not playing it much. Couse NOTA nobility despises of BA retards ;).
1-13
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- peperating
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1v1
2v2
3v3
6p+
Tourney
FFA
KOTH
Bugs
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North hills
Source of surprise attacks and advantageous elevated position for defensive cannons.
South plain
Huge, fast and ferocious battlefield. Most of the games are resolved here.
Weak wind
It is good to remember that all planets of the type DeltaSiege have shity wind. Wind powerplants are not worth it.
Bot
Veh
Some are strong in the north, the other in the south. Have nothing to envy each other.
Tactics differes as players
Ability to win this map almost any way it produced an idol from it. If you try mod Balanced Anihilation, at any time of day you can join in at least two sets 8v8 on this map. Those lunatics are playing it over and over and over...
Version originally designed for KOTH or FFA has many other uses.
5-16
10
- peperating
- porc-index
1v1
2v2
3v3
6p+
Tourney
FFA
KOTH
Bugs
+
++
o
--
+
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+++
+++
Good metal spots in the middle of the map
The central plateau metal spots are high above average - drain over 3.7 of metal, while the beaches are swarmed by loosers (~ 1.0 of metal). The cliffs have standard bearings.
Bot
Veh
Vehicles would seem better, but the rate of climbing the central plateau makes their main paramater - speed - irrelevant.
Hover
Ship
The use of water "tools" a lot depends on the starting position of the players. If you start in the sea, the game can be decided by just one insidious submarine. Otherwise well-terrestrial warrior is endangered only by ships from class BC (battle cruisers) and their construction time couse its alomost impossible build them undiscovered. Hovercraft can surprise you as well, cost much less and can be used in combat against units tech_level 1 on the ground.
Take center metal spots
By capturing most of the metal on the platform you can achieve the sufficient economic advantage. Still watch enemy, if he build hovercrafts. In this case, he can pretty easy destroy your base from the sea, and not much can be done against. Such attacks are usually fatal.
KOTH
Whether you play KOTH FFA or KOTH in teams, it is important to occupy the "hill" and all available metal spots (even for a short time, it is worth it) and sometimes ventilate background of the enemy with some quick ground attack on the beach. It can handle small 10-15 PeeWee_ARM/a.k._CORE squad just fine.
You can fire almost everywhere from there. If it is mastered, you will usually destroy one of the command towers in the middle of enemy beach. Then it's usually easy win.
Bot
Veh
Vehicles are unable to get to the enemy without huge losses in that hilly land, where rule the bots. In the late stages of the game vehicles can be combined with airforce and then they find their lost mobility.
Hover
Ship
Although the boats are doing the most of the job, but do even better in combination with the hovercrafts ... and hovercrafts also clean up any hidden installations somewhere behind the hill.
Conquer the sea
The easiest way to win is through the sea. If the battle is not clearly decided there, then game usually ends in deadly air raids. On the land there can be made a breakthrough too, but rarely. Even a novice on a hill can resist for few minutes. And before you will overwhelm him, someone he usually comes to help him and you pull units back with heavy loses and broken nose (tested with my own nose).
Many players put their all efforts to place on top of a hill some kind of RBCC (Really Big Cool Cannon). Guardian_ARM/Punisher_CORE on the tops of the plataues are favorite plans for other players, too - it has effect. Northern mountains look very tough, almost impregnable. SO many games end with unexpected rapid penetrations of tech_lvl_two robots in northern gorges. Unexpected because there is needed many radars for the perfect cover of all the dells... and radars easily die, mkay?
Southern plain
Great room for tactical maneuvers of different kinds of armies. In later stages it becomes irritated by installations on the central peak. Some newcomers are trying (after capturing part of the plain in the middle) to build a base there (bad custom of DSD BA players, where it is usuall). Their base will soon die in the first counterattack.
The hills on the plain
Each team has part of the base built on the plain covered with a large hill, where people likes to place their guns and short+middle-range weapons (from laser towers to plasma cannons). Who puts little army there and relies on two Punishers_CORE/Guardians_ARM on the hill, which crushes waiting enemy at the gates, the rapid attack in northern and southern manhole together quickly learn each person how these guns slowly rotate. Against the crowd of fast bitches they do not much work.
Bot
Veh
Balanced map, where the car loses a job with loss of space.
Push on the plain and don't loose units
Take the battle on the plain, attack, if you can, as long as possible. Always keep one plant on northern hill (for defending against enemy (non)expected attacks).
Ships and submarines can be produced without fear of hostiles because such safe havens as the local bays you won't easily find anywhere. The island can also hold a few long range coastal guns and enemy ships has no chance.
Bot
Veh
The land fight remains only in the mountains and there are robots applied usually. But only for a moment. Later there occur such slaughter, that the North remains essentially blocked.
Hover
Ship
Since boats can be quite easily kept far away form bay with coastal guns, small hovers can be used in quantities for boning enemy base. But it's a lot harder than I wrote it here on the web :).
Highly mobile army
Advanced airdrops of heavy equipment, small robots for taking attention of enemy, lurking of defensive cannons. Only by this way you can go through the northern route.
Combo hovercrafts + warcruisers
The classic naval conquest, just there will be much harder. Hovercraft deceive coastal defense, light ships cover heavy ships, that destroy the most important objects. In the bay, however, can conceal everything - a herd of small submarines, hovercraft counterattack, aircrafts or set-off heavy guns. So scout before attack.
Use the speed of vehicles and aircrafts (CORE_vasp / ARM_toad) for hunting the enemy.
Bot
Veh
The speed and the front armor of vehicles can be use for breakthroughs on battle-line.
Early antiground Air-Force
If you build an airport as second factory (in big teamplay as first!), its not silly at all (especially for CORE). The vast area of the map will be interfered by your fast and accurately titrated attacks that will kill enemy's annoying scouts or builders. But a little skill is needed for such tactic.
Light to interference and can be a source of supporting attacks on the plain or the place where gathers defense artillery. The surprise attack on the local weak defense may succeed, but it wants to speed.
Plain
Tanks can occasionally break up the bases. Each side has a different field advantage, which can be used against fast attacking dudes. Fight on the plan itself is nice, but you should be still prepared for side attacks from the surrounding hills (if carried by the enemies).
Southern hills
The most interesting and often decisive battles are conducted in the southern hills, particularly on the central peak. Who will win this part of the fight (and if not an hour after start of the game), usually wins whole game.
Bot
Veh
Both types of armies are basically balanced.
The attack on the central peak
Attack the central peak. Combine diffrent types of units, into fight ussually more players are engaged, so keep fast robots, also standard crowd of ARM_hammers/CORE_thuds, ARM_snipers/CORE_morties, ARM_spy_bots, light artillery, anti-aircraft defense of short-range (long, if you plan to build ARM_guardian/CORE_punisher) and several construction robots (repairs, collecting materials from wrecks, LLT/AA building).
Tear down enemy factories by suprise tank attack
Sometimes happends, especially to players on the west side of the map, that they build their bot- and vehicle-factories on the plain. Then they are easily destroyable by attack of twenty vehicles (do it yourself or ask an ally on the north) and get an advantage in the struggle for Southern Hills.
Observe the north
Whenever it happens that the northern hill lightly defended (an enemy supported battle on the plain while ago or he siply don't guard this part), send there fast robots for combat reconnaissance. If this part is well fortified, sometimes try to lure a couple of robots to fight under the hill. Some players let bot fight.. and die under the hill (or even attack you:) and you will weaken his army with small losses.
Robots rule the mountains and only plains have a bit of space for vehicles. This stat also depends on whether you're playing the usual East vs. West struggle or less frequent North vs. South one.
Occupy the nearest hill above the base
High points are the most important places on the map, so concentrate on them. Hammers_ARM/Thuds_CORE robots are the best for the job. Defend themselves against up to twice the odds. Conversely, if you are trying to conquer the hill, attack from multiple directions or ask for support of the Air Force. On the hill groups of robots collected on small space are easy targets for antiground airstrikes.
The basic version of the popular NOTA map. It is a clone of map from Supreme Commander (commercial follower of TA), and I think that I would not brag, if I say: This map is the only achievement that SC provided the world of strategy games.
2-20
20
- peperating
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1v1
2v2
3v3
6p+
Tourney
FFA
KOTH
Bugs
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o
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Natural bridge
Long and relatively narrow battlefield - its overcoming is a condition to harm enemy by the ground attack. You can affect the ongoing battle from the two neighboring seas (within a certain distance from the enemy base).
Sea with Bay
= "The easier one," for the conquest. The natural protection of the surrounding cliffs ensure that even if the enemy butcher push you into the defensive, you wont lost the harbor.
The sea with long beach
= "The harder one". It is recommended to try to conquer it as well, but often it is not possible. Mobile antiship defense utilized to repel enemy (water)attacks can be useful in the fight on the "bridge". From this side also come hovercraft and air-dropping raids, particularly along the edge of the map.
Bot
Veh
Little space for ground troops is soon clogged. Light artillery and mobile flaks/SAMs can be although certainly used, but the main fighting force is born usually of robots. Tank attacks here should not to be underestimated, especially if the enemy have opportunity to emerge near your base. If the enemy chooses tank bypass by the beach, you may not have enough firepower to round up all the tanks.
Hover
Ship
Intelligently controlled boats do more harm than hovercrafts. Hovers perform good only in huge quantities (sometimes in small also, if both sides neglected naval combat).
Huge number of tactics
This map will probably get a special article about tactics.
NOTA Supreme Battlefield (32x32) differ in size except by the fact that water has no metal, which strongly reduces the incentive to build ships and fight for the sea. For 4v4 match it is the ideal map.
Naval combat disappears, but no need to be sorry. For ground troops it is paradise.
Bot
Veh
Each unit of land here find its place and bots are in the later stages of the game better only because of blocked map.
Fast attacks on the wings
Here you can take full advantage of the possibility of tanks ability to quickly attack enemy from side. There's enough space.
Combining of Air-force
Planes are important and indispensable on every map, but here you try more combinations. Whether you scout, prosecute, hunt, or just bombing and transports.
United sea and lack of land connections with the enemy base priorities completely change the species composition of armies.
Bot
Veh
Both types of ground forces are more suitable as an additional support unit. If you are fans of mobile airborne war with this principle you can only succeed with a small number of players (1v1, 2v2 max). Robots are also occasionally useful as a quick and inexpensive meatshield against hostile hover spam. Vehicles are good for mobile coastals or flaks.
Hover
Ship
Boats rule. Hovercrafts are used only to intimidate, as service guys, spare warriors with submarines or pursuers of abandoned enemy cruisers.
Teamwork
Cooperation in teams such as the construction of the first port or the sharing of excess metal are the main parameters determining the success of the first naval battles - at least from the economic aspect. Skill in dealing with the boat is the second thing. But lost of the ship hurts more. There are few ships, they are expensive and the loss of each of them u will feel very much in fight.
Kill the enemy by horde of ground troops? OR Fight both sea and land? ...that is the question.
Bot
Veh
South coast soon becomes blocked, but the annoying presence of ships usually causes that you will appreciate the speed and armor of tanks. Bots are still needed couse they are inexpensive, but they are a bit easy targets for the ships, especially in larger quantities.
Hover
Ship
Among the cliffs is not enough space (chance for hovers), but boats rule at the end.
Playing against newbies
New players (and not only they) are having a big problem to choose the right combination of various components of army for the current military situation. You can succeed with a surprisingly powerful assault on the land, or very early build of some really heavy warship (usually BattleCruiser).
Here you can see how I was beaten by Godde's ships. Although I defended a hovercraft attack surprisingly, managed to build battlcruiser and even after I cleaned part of his base, eventually Godde beaten me on the water with his enormous material superiority. The only pity is that my Battlecruiser (not set in the factory on "hold position" mode) suicidly left the shore. Such actions brings GAME OVER faster that it was. I destroyed hostile Battlecruiser with the submarine, but then small boats killed my command tower in few seconds.
These huge mountains can be reached just by robots. It's true.
The occupation of peaks
Who is higher, that uses his firepower with greater effeciency. If it is not absolutely necessary, do not let your units stuck in a hole somewhere. Simply stand on the hill and let your enemies die in the rain of accumulated plasma.
I saw flooded version of this map on springfiles. Try it to someone.
Tangerine (16x16)
5-25
25
- peperating
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1v1
2v2
3v3
6p+
Tourney
FFA
KOTH
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Sea with the Bay
= "The easier" to keep control. But also more dangerous if you lose it, because enemy can get into your back, into the base.
The sea with straight beach
= "The harder" to conquer. Probably you will be unable to control it, but it is not necessarily needed. If enemy relies on is information, you can suprise him by this way.
Double Bridge
The two ground passes to the enemy base will be soon blocked and greater role get Navy and Air Force. Nevertheless, you can break through that way, its just needed a little deception skill. For example make fake attacks on both bridges, but on the one send only paper units (something cheap), what floods the radar, while on the second bridge attack with all heavy or light weapons you have. Its easy to develop other (different) tricks here, too.
Bot
Veh
Little space gives more chances to robots.
Hover
Ship
From the beginning of the boats are expensive fun, especially with a smaller number of players (1v1, 2v2), because the bridges are not blocked and detaching of large quantities of raw materials to the Navy may have negative effect. Hovercraft are safer investments because they provide linear price/firepower strength and they are able to flexibly support quite bruised defense or attack. With increasing time ships rule again, of course.
Hidden army
Hiding ground forces from enemy radar eyes can be very easy from the beginning of the game. Three factories spewing peewees_ARM/aks_CORE for five minutes hiding the products behind the hill can easily and suprisely kill the enemy that equally develops all kinds of armies (as well as Navy, Air Force).
Not suitable for larger vessels than ARM rocket ship. Bigger ships stuck to the bottom. In addition, the hills can be very easy defended against large ships - they not have much space for avoidance.
A part of W/E side with a large plateau
Quickly transfer the units in a favorable position high above the landscape. But at the starting position is not so much metal.
A part of W/E side with plain at the sea and with the hill
There are located piles of metal, but the enemy has a more favorable position on the hills.
Bot
Veh
The narrow passes and roads can be barricaded with several robots (with small costs). Fast vehicles can be used only on great plains.
Hover
Ship
Rocket ships and hovercrafts are the only usable water weapons.
Movements of armies
In this map you can easily freeze at well defended areas. Do not try to conquer fortified hill with the huge losses. If risk is big, rather send aid to the Allies (airtrasport your waiting units) or the invest into an Air Force.
"The dangerous" mountain range, especially around the crater, because armies from plains like to extend their battles here.
Southern mountains
"The safer" mountains. Terrain here emulates the struggle on the wall and the game occasionally hangs here. After a long time without a fight somebody try some new technology ... and wow, it "un-hangs" again. Also, here are good positions for blasting plain.
Plain
Here ride a dangerous tank brigades. There are two broad ways into each base that are used by these highly mobile assailants.
Bot
Veh
Cooperation of distant battlefields
Here you can see the output of co-operated fight very much. Just realize if my situation is stable, I can occasionally send to allies 20-30 peewee_ARM/ak_CORE squad. It has not just a battle dimension - for weaker enemy character it has psychological impact ("omg, two players are attacking me!!! ill move on previous wall!").
5-15
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