Should Space Marines ignore vehicles, and AM ignore infantry?

[100% Wolf Urine]

So with the way production and tech upgrades work, the game kind of encourages specializing. It's more efficient to have 2 vehicle factories and all vehicle tech upgrades than it is to have 1 barracks, 1 vehicle factorry, and split upgrades for both.

With that, I'm finding it harder and harder to bother with vehicles as space marines, or as AM to bother with infantry (beyond the early game).

Predators, Hydras, Vindicators, and dreadnaughts all seem lackluster, ESPECIALLY when compared to devastators and terminators.

For AM, infantry are necessary early on, but once you tech up I see no real reason to stick with infantry. Specializing in vehicles also has the bonus of letting you mostly ignore food and concentrate on specializing in ore production.

What does everyone think? Are there instances where you'd want to split your focus?

[luckz]

AM: I think it depends on the map and opponents. With infantry I had issues against mid game Necrons, and needed some vehicles. Otherwise Heavy Weapons Squads are pretty spammable and (once put into place, ideally in forests facing open fields) make short work of most early/mid AI armies that walk into their range.
Necron Lords were completely unkillable for my infantry-only approach.

[Slitherine_Iain]

AM heavy weapons are extremely powerful. Remember not to move before firing. Guardsmen in cover are bullet soaks. Space Marine vehicles also have their uses so I would always keep a balanced force.

[Jean-Luc]

HW teams and Bullgryns are really good imo. HWs have 3 range and great dmg if they don't move and Bulls are great in forests, ruins and cities, they're your only melee unit (the commissar doesn't count :P).

[wikkyd]

I find that space marines have a balanced roster. All of their stuff is fairly useful.

[Hal8000]

Originally posted by MrBody:

Predators, Hydras, Vindicators, and dreadnaughts all seem lackluster, ESPECIALLY when compared to devastators and terminators.

You're not using them correctly.
Predators get a bonus when two of them are together, allowing them to take down large targets. A single Devastator squad might do more damage then even a single Predator, but he can't move and fire and he's squishy.

Dreadnaughts completely destroy things in close combat, are decent support at ranged, and are available fairly early on for a cheap upkeep cost.
Terminators are late game tech and are useful, but it's not worth avoiding other unit types while you wait to unlock them.

The SM artillery units also work in pairs, and since it's crewed by a techmarine it can heal other vehicle units. Two setup arty can completely annihilate even the toughest Necron infantry units.

Vindicators also work in pairs, and get a bonus to erasing infantry.

[Sunday_Driver]

Originally posted by Halcyon:

Originally posted by MrBody:

Predators, Hydras, Vindicators, and dreadnaughts all seem lackluster, ESPECIALLY when compared to devastators and terminators.

You're not using them correctly.
Predators get a bonus when two of them are together, allowing them to take down large targets. A single Devastator squad might do more damage then even a single Predator, but he can't move and fire and he's squishy.

Dreadnaughts completely destroy things in close combat, are decent support at ranged, and are available fairly early on for a cheap upkeep cost.
Terminators are late game tech and are useful, but it's not worth avoiding other unit types while you wait to unlock them.

The SM artillery units also work in pairs, and since it's crewed by a techmarine it can heal other vehicle units. Two setup arty can completely annihilate even the toughest Necron infantry units.

Vindicators also work in pairs, and get a bonus to erasing infantry.

How close those units need to be to to each other get a bonus for working in pairs?
I lost my Predator and then Vindicator quickly so i decided not to use them again but i might try them again in pairs.

[Tau22]

Even a single measly guardsmen squad can survive surporising amounts of punishment when dug in a good spot and using medkits. Their grenade upgrades also help in a pinch in any situation. For one measly food upkeep, you get great bang for your buck. Heavy weapon squads also hit like a truck.

I find the AM works best as combined arms. Have your expendable, inexpensive infantry tie enemy forces up, while your Basilisks and tank battalions batter them into slag.

[Hal8000]

Originally posted by Orzel:

Originally posted by Halcyon:

You're not using them correctly.
Predators get a bonus when two of them are together, allowing them to take down large targets. A single Devastator squad might do more damage then even a single Predator, but he can't move and fire and he's squishy.

Dreadnaughts completely destroy things in close combat, are decent support at ranged, and are available fairly early on for a cheap upkeep cost.
Terminators are late game tech and are useful, but it's not worth avoiding other unit types while you wait to unlock them.

The SM artillery units also work in pairs, and since it's crewed by a techmarine it can heal other vehicle units. Two setup arty can completely annihilate even the toughest Necron infantry units.

Vindicators also work in pairs, and get a bonus to erasing infantry.

How close those units need to be to to each other get a bonus for working in pairs?
I lost my Predator and then Vindicator quickly so i decided not to use them again but i might try them again in pairs.

Tooltip says adjacent.

[Naughty Mouse]

Space Marines:
Concentrate on getting two Captains first. Give them the +1 and +2 Armor items as soon as you can. Then make some devistators. Your Captains will be the indestructible self healing assault and buffer units, and your devistator will eat up any enemy vehicle. Now concentrate on building your city,. If you dont have enough population, keep using the grab tile, you will need them all eventually. Work your way up the tech tree till you get Terminators and Drop Pods.
Now you can pretty much dictate where you want to engage, Vehicles are only there for fluff and can be added once you have reached terminator level.

Imperial Guard:
Again, stay close to your city so it can support you against the wild live. Get your Tank Commanders first. Also get your Engineer. Now just concentrate on ore production. Sure you have to boost people, power, and such to maintain it, but key part is ore. Just put out 3 or 4 enginer, and have them put down fortress around your outer limit of the city, You pretty much buildijg a defensive wall. Any fortress that is in trouble should be supported by your hero tanks.
Start throwing some tanks in the mix, and once your economy is strong go baneblade and flyers.
Imperial Guard is best on defense, but once you have Baneblade and Flyers you can push anywhere.

[luckz]

Originally posted by MrBody:

once you tech up I see no real reason to stick with infantry.

Originally posted by Tau22:

I find the AM works best as combined arms. Have your expendable, inexpensive infantry tie enemy forces up, while your Basilisks and tank battalions batter them into slag.

For the quest though, going tanks-only is probably best. That much I will concede after two hours on the last stage of it. (How are planes against Kastellan Robots?)

[Nitroglycerine]

Originally posted by Naughty Mouse:

Space Marines:
Concentrate on getting two Captains first. Give them the +1 and +2 Armor items as soon as you can. Then make some devistators. Your Captains will be the indestructible self healing assault and buffer units, and your devistator will eat up any enemy vehicle. Now concentrate on building your city,. If you dont have enough population, keep using the grab tile, you will need them all eventually. Work your way up the tech tree till you get Terminators and Drop Pods.
Now you can pretty much dictate where you want to engage, Vehicles are only there for fluff and can be added once you have reached terminator level.

Imperial Guard:
Again, stay close to your city so it can support you against the wild live. Get your Tank Commanders first. Also get your Engineer. Now just concentrate on ore production. Sure you have to boost people, power, and such to maintain it, but key part is ore. Just put out 3 or 4 enginer, and have them put down fortress around your outer limit of the city, You pretty much buildijg a defensive wall. Any fortress that is in trouble should be supported by your hero tanks.
Start throwing some tanks in the mix, and once your economy is strong go baneblade and flyers.
Imperial Guard is best on defense, but once you have Baneblade and Flyers you can push anywhere.

This. It's pretty much how those 2 factions are best played on medim sized maps.

[blauerbrummer]

As Imperial on a Map with lot of food i have swarmed the enemy with a Soldier Legion. The Grenade and Medikit Upgrade are a must have. I think it depends on the map.

P.S.: Sorry if my english is weird. It is not my first language.

[Walrus Clan (Wally)]

Originally posted by luckz:

Originally posted by MrBody:

once you tech up I see no real reason to stick with infantry.

Originally posted by Tau22:

I find the AM works best as combined arms. Have your expendable, inexpensive infantry tie enemy forces up, while your Basilisks and tank battalions batter them into slag.

For the quest though, going tanks-only is probably best. That much I will concede after two hours on the last stage of it. (How are planes against Kastellan Robots?)

The AM planes are really useful. The Thunderbolt ends up being great for fighting cities late game. Basalisk tank ends up being poor at it. THe lemun rus is good but takes a lot longer to slog through eveything.

[luckz]

Originally posted by King Midas:

Originally posted by luckz:

For the quest though, going tanks-only is probably best. That much I will concede after two hours on the last stage of it. (How are planes against Kastellan Robots?)

The AM planes are really useful. The Thunderbolt ends up being great for fighting cities late game. Basalisk tank ends up being poor at it. THe lemun rus is good but takes a lot longer to slog through eveything.

Well Basilisk arty is bad at it, but the arty troopers with a range of 3 can usually do it depending on forest, hills, city defenses etc.

[(N☆G) Jackal ★JJ★]

I feel the exact same.
Took the time to get some upgrades for infantry as SM then started going towards factory units only to see my teammate wiping the entire board with just infantry. Ended up trying it out myself and once you get terminators theres almost zero point to have dreds or preds. Infantry will get the job done with the same if not better outcomes at cheaper cost even. Not to mention you can just get about 4 or 5 barracks and next thing you know you are getting terminators every turn or every 2 turns. Then you have the drop pods you can use to literally rain down any where on the map you have vision.