What is the best calldown to destroy buildings and bases

[Marcus]

Hi, I been using HE artillery bombardment and while it spends half a minute blowing up an area, the factories and bug holes are still standing and as a result spawn more reinforcements. The HE artillery I find quite inaccurate and dangerous to yourself and teammates.

Carpet bombing is great at wiping out the enemy patrols, but doesn't damage buildings. Nearly every base I have destroyed, I had to do it manually with a grenade and sometimes, (especially with bugs) when you throw a grenade, a bug spawns blocking the grenade throw. One time a bug just spawn in front of a grenade throw and the grenade bounced back on my feet. *BOOM*

This is quite risky especially on higher difficulties. I am level 15 at the moment. Any suggestions on how improve blowing up bases, without having to do a direct up and close assault and throwing grenades at them? Can any of the weapon load-outs destroy buildings? Cheers all

[gachi is manly]

Originally posted by crumpy108:

I'm still not even sure why people suggest it in the first place. It's not that the other call downs are better, the 380 and 120 simply don't do anything useful yet that I've seen.

I use the 380 strictly for very large bot bases and to destroy command bunkers on the one mission type. It's actually pretty reliable at taking out command bunker bases.

[Sanglaine]

Originally posted by psionyx:

so you would say that the orbital laser is best used as an all around base killer when it's automatons, but not bugs?

I'm fairly new and have noticed that the default orbital strike often doesn't take out even the smaller buildings. Even when the marker is literally ON the building. But every time someone brings down the laser, it seems to kill every base nearly instantly. So yeah, tips on a good "this will kill the base" strategem would be great. I see people use hellbombs a lot, but i'm looking for something I can call down from outside an enemy base, without having to run in and press buttons on it.

The orbital precision strike 'should' destroy them, but it's not as reliable as you'd think. I don't recommend it for... really anything. Even if you are highly practiced you will come to not like it.

Laser is going to be the best and most reliable for automaton. You only get 3 uses per mission and it has a long cooldown though. I personally use it on nearly every single mission and use it specifically for larger bases.

Laser won't actually directly go for holes because they don't count as 'targets' for the laser. But if there are no targets in the area and a bug starts to spawn 'inside' the hole, the laser will usually move over and destroy the hole. You can also throw the laser so it drags over a hole and destroys it, but it's not reliable. I don't recommend laser for bugs.

The most reliable bug hole closer is yourself unfortunately. A jetpack and grenade launcher and some practice will let you handle them the easiest in my experience. Autocannon is also good, but requires more practice and you won't have jetpack. (If you're playing with a group then autocannon is pretty good and you can just run around the edges of the holes and fire across to close though)

You can also just grab a supply backpack and run around HE grenade tossing. (Don't try to close holes with impact unless you're desperate)


I believe airstrikes will close bug holes too, but you have to aim them and I have no experience with airstrikes so I can't say much more. A friend of mine uses them and he seems to be good at it so maybe they would be what you'd be after.

380+120 are unreliable even if you use both, but honestly, I still do it. Mostly because it tends to clear out enemy presence and allows you to run in and clean up the holes.

[Sanglaine]

Originally posted by gachi is manly:

Originally posted by crumpy108:

I'm still not even sure why people suggest it in the first place. It's not that the other call downs are better, the 380 and 120 simply don't do anything useful yet that I've seen.

I use the 380 strictly for very large bot bases and to destroy command bunkers on the one mission type. It's actually pretty reliable at taking out command bunker bases.

This is how I work on those missions too. I'd say 380 has 95% chance of taking out command center so long as it's close enough. 380 is hated for it's teamkill potential, but it makes killing command centers easy. It also softens up large base positions. Just have someone run out ahead and throw one in if you're in a group.

[gachi is manly]

Originally posted by Sanglaine:

I believe airstrikes will close bug holes too, but you have to aim them and I have no experience with airstrikes so I can't say much more. A friend of mine uses them and he seems to be good at it so maybe they would be what you'd be after.

500kg and regular eagle airstike closes holes. Most of the other ones don't.

Originally posted by Sanglaine:

This is how I work on those missions too. I'd say 380 has 95% chance of taking out command center so long as it's close enough. 380 is hated for it's teamkill potential, but it makes killing command centers easy. It also softens up large base positions. Just have someone run out ahead and throw one in if you're in a group.

Yea I have great success with it vs command bunkers. It's a nice strategem to pair with servo-arm for increased throwing distance.

[Zero]

Originally posted by Marcus:

Hi, I been using HE artillery bombardment and while it spends half a minute blowing up an area, the factories and bug holes are still standing and as a result spawn more reinforcements. The HE artillery I find quite inaccurate and dangerous to yourself and teammates.

Carpet bombing is great at wiping out the enemy patrols, but doesn't damage buildings. Nearly every base I have destroyed, I had to do it manually with a grenade and sometimes, (especially with bugs) when you throw a grenade, a bug spawns blocking the grenade throw. One time a bug just spawn in front of a grenade throw and the grenade bounced back on my feet. *BOOM*

This is quite risky especially on higher difficulties. I am level 15 at the moment. Any suggestions on how improve blowing up bases, without having to do a direct up and close assault and throwing grenades at them? Can any of the weapon load-outs destroy buildings? Cheers all

i enjoy just tossing a 110/380 into bases, tell people to keep about 75m away from the beacon and they won't be a real threat.

[IICEE]

For objective 500kg work best, since it work with everything that can blow up with stratagem ( laser sometime miss/ignore detector tower )

But for Command bunker/Outpost laser top everything else can thrown it from far away and laser will finish the job for you.

[shadain597]

Originally posted by crumpy108:

Originally posted by GuyFawx:

Ive been killed by too many 380s to hate you all for suggesting it to newer players please dont use it until you know when to throw it otherwise you will just wipe out your team.

I'm still not even sure why people suggest it in the first place. It's not that the other call downs are better, the 380 and 120 simply don't do anything useful yet that I've seen.

I've had this problem with the walking barrage too. Visually, it seems nice and filled with destructive power, but in the end it hardly ever destroys anything of value, even if it "walks" directly over your target.

[Sleepy_Walker]

For bug holes, grenade launcher has been pretty amazing for me. I think autocannon can probably also get a good enough angle to work. The idea is to obliterate the guard bugs and move around the outside of the nest. This gives you an angle at the bug holes and if nobody gets close enough they will not spawn more enemies. Then the only thing you have to worry about is any patrols or ongoing bug breaches.

HE barrage can be good against medium and heavy nests, but it is a mixed bag as you have found out (it gets some but you have to wait or go do something else).

For bots I really like quite a few options.

- Eagle 110: high success rate, low effort, can take out cannon towers, multiple uses (I think you need higher level)
- Eagle Airstrike: General purpose, really shines with fabricators next to each other, overkill
- HE Barrages: I prefer the 380. Toss it into a medium or heavy base and just go do something else for a bit. Come back to mop up or be pleasantly surprised. Watch out for cannon towers. Not blocked by the large AA nest radius.
- Laser: Fantastic at clearing bases, but can spend ALOT of energy killing a hulk, tank, or a cannon tower, especially at heavy bases. For best results kill most of these targets before using or just hope it does enough damage that you can mop up without issue. Not blocked by large AA nest radius.

-SPEAR: The king of fabricator destruction. So long as the fabricator is unobscured by terrain/stuff, it can delete a fabricator or a cannon tower from 300 meters away. It also has general use against hulks, tanks, scout striders, and gunships. Does not target AA guns or mortars (sad face).
-autocannon/Quasar/Eruptor/EAT/ect: These kill fabricators if you are facing the vents. Autocannon bounces in, the others need to be targeted so the explosion reaches the inside. Better than grenades, but not reliable since fabricators can face away or be obstructed.

*edit: I used to like walking barrage for both factions, but not only does it lack precision but the first volley can be over 50m opposite the direction you threw the targeting ball (aka: the direction most people run). This gives its first volley immense team kill potential. In comparison the 380 barrage has more strikes, a generous call-in time, and I actually feel safe at around 60 meters.