Attacking Main Bases

[Caladian]

Is it just me, or is attacking main Sietches of the opponent are only done after you get final level of hegemony? I had just tried it with a dozen units (with 2x of the ranged guys to reduce armor) and they were handily dealt with only the base itself.

[Boiledteabag]

Nope, you can stack the operation to increase damage to the base OR if you get lucky and the landstraad proposal that disables the bases counter-attack and increases damage comes up while you have high influence, you can storm the base quickly especially with fremen.

That's how I got my first domination victory, I voted for my opponent to get the proposal so the base didn't fire at me and then used the operation to further stack onto the proposal damage boost.

Wormed in and slapped the base till it dropped.

[UmbralAngel]

The landstraad proposal is called "Architectural Survey" I believe.

[Falaris]

There IS a reason why, in the movies, sabotage was a vital part of the Harkonnen attack on House Atreides. And in-game, that's simulated by the Defense Sabotage power. That and supply drop, and you will barely even take damage while the base goes down reasonably fast. You don't even need the landsraad thing.

But, of course, those operations take a bit to set up.
The Great Houses also have atomics, which are fun. :)

[sadoeconomist]

Only 2 demo units is really not enough, bases have IIRC 20 armor, and each shot from a demo unit has a 30% chance to reduce that by 1, so they would need to fire at the base for ages to take its armor down. And it'll be shooting rockets at your army that whole time.

I'd recommend using the Defense Sabotage operation and at least 4 demo units plus Supply Drop on repeat if you haven't hit them with Architectural Surveys and even with that unless you're careful about retreating troops when they're low on HP you'll still lose some, especially if they have any remaining troops show up.

Fremen can retreat troops to a hiereg in the next region to heal, everybody else should probably take the closest village and heal there, and you can build an airbase there to fly your troops in.

Also, I haven't been able to attack a base that's had the upgraded walls building yet, but I bet that's a real nightmare.

[Kid Gloves]

I had a hilariously fun time as the Fremen with the sandstorm-immunity tech taking out the Harkonnen main base under cover of a sandstorm. Sandstorms shut everything down.

If the enemy base has upgraded defences, bear in mind that there's a bug with the health bar display. The base gets double health (40k), but the health bar still only shows the last 20k. So for the first half of the fight, the health bar won't move due to the health being higher than the max of the bar.

That said, the chances of them having an upgraded main base before anyone reaches 5k hegemony is ... slim.

[Godefroy de Outremere]

it is there to prevent from doing super early rushes kinda. your best bet as fremen to nock out a base is mid game to early late. I mean on Ai on lower difficulties it is really easy to pull off but on entreched Atreides or Harkonnen in the late game on strongest difficulty or in pvp will be very tricky to pull off.

[Stormfrenzy88]

Eh bases are not hard to take down at all even without sabotage. Just takes a bit of time. They do pitiful damage that you can just heal with supply drops or you can just send units healing on a rotation if you control the neighboring territory. Even just 2 demolition units will make short work of the bases armor.

[Rathollorn]

Bug on Carthag, it won't take any damage even with the base sabotage mission on it.

[Falaris]

Originally posted by Rathollorn:

Bug on Carthag, it won't take any damage even with the base sabotage mission on it.

Keep Kid Gloves' answer in mind.

If the enemy base has upgraded defences, bear in mind that there's a bug with the health bar display. The base gets double health (40k), but the health bar still only shows the last 20k. So for the first half of the fight, the health bar won't move due to the health being higher than the max of the bar.

[Ator-77]

Yup, operations are almost a must: defense sabotage to lower base defenses and damage, supply drop to replenish attackers. If you get a lucky Architectural Survey through Landsraad making it helpless, then ops are not needed.

Fremens can bring a Kulon Caravan and set up a camp near the target base for replenishment. IMO Fremens are the best faction for elimination victory as their sandworms and kulons mean that they have a very long arm.

[Ator-77]

As of units 4 Fedaykin + 4 Skirmishers (+ 1 Kulon camp near the base) was sufficient for me when supported by defense sabotage and supply drop ops. Did not lose anyone,

[Psylence]

I like the night time...the soft purple of a world without light pollution...or like out on the open seas on a ship....eerie and beautiful...now please tell me...how does this game incorporate "stealth"...?

[Falaris]

Originally posted by Psylence:

.now please tell me...how does this game incorporate "stealth"...?

Stealth/camouflage hides the movements of your units. The fremen and the smugglers are the only factions with a high degree of stealth, although the great houses have some minor stealth options helped by advisors.

The advantage of being able to attack without warnig is considerable, especially combined with operations. Fremen have other advantages as well. Attacking an airport from surprise with sufficient units will kill it before the opponent has time to send troops by air to relieve the place. It can make what would have been a long, drawn-out battle a quick slaughter and pillage, then disappearing back into the desert to strike somewhere else again.

Actually conquering the place will take longer, letting your opponent relieve the defenders conventionally more easily. It's still an advantage with stealth, but it's a bit less then.

Naturally stealthy units have some degree of flavor advantage tactically though - like how Fremen infiltrators get +80 attack power on their first attack. (Which is basically 5x damage). I would suggest that the real advantage is the strategic one, though.

[Psylence]

What are those transparent units from the Fremen? Are they stealth units?

[Xether]

Freemen infiltrators are nasty, they are stealthed, they have insane first hit damage, they are cheap and they have barely any manpower, gold, water maintenance. In groups of 4 running around the outskirts of no mans land with a caravan deployed nearby will piss your enemies right off. Perfect distraction while your main army moves in somewhere else.