Any tips for Shakarn Invasions Campaign Mission 2 please?

[Welsh Dragon]

Hi everyone.

So I've had this game a few months now, mainly playing the campaigns, but I still feel like a new player. I've managed to complete the original campaigns, Revelations and the first mission of the Invasions/Shakarn campaign, but now I'm well and truly stuck on the second mission of the Shakarn Campaign.

The issue I'm having is it seems like everybody is more established, has a better economy and/or better units, where as I can't even afford the upkeep on the units I start with and don't have the time to get established myself. I also can't afford the upkeep for fortifying my colonies or expanding my military, so I usually seem to start losing the colonies either from the first Voidbringer army that spawns or from the wars with other factions that Chancellor Kor invariably drags me in to.

I went Voidtech in the previous mission, and have my commander and my other starting hero at level 8 when Mission 2 begins, so lots of skill points to play with. I'm trying to rush to get 4 settlements up and running in 20 turns, but I still seem to be short of food, energy, research and/or production no matter what I do. I've tried searching on here and reading various advice on the Shakarn, but after a half a dozen attempts I'm still stumped.

Long story short, any advice greatly appreciated. Thank you.

One other thing, I'm also a bit confused how best to use the Shakarn Propagation towers, Broadcasts and Propagators. I get that the towers and Propagators have a basic effect, and then the Broadcasts give them an additional effect. Just a bit unclear on how best to use that, as the costs (energy penalty in the colony, upkeep increase on the Propagator unit,) seem quite high.

Again, any help greatly appreciated. Thank you.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[iacs]

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/chancellor-kor-ai-in-parlamon-alpha-invasions-2.1408062/#post-26759314

Or short version - this mission is not strategy, it's RPG. AI has so many cities, that long term they will crash you. So do not allow "long term", take your lizard-lion heroes and attack, attack, attack.

[leon feargus]

Yeah the key is to use your o.p. heroes to your advantage. You know that you will be at war soon, so you gotta make sure you're gonna be able to throw all you got at the nearest opponent as soon as war is triggered. Be at their borders the moment war starts. You are the invading force!

Propogators are excellent support units, you're gonna want exactly one per stack. Infiltrators are generally perceived as the weakest unit in the game, better not use those.

[Ares106]

I'm curious how many turns you went in to that campaign, (I just finished it 2 days ago even wrote a rant about in this forum), because without spoiling too much, allegiances will shift and make that scenario a lot easier than it might appear to be. I would recommend just playing defensively until that time and don't give up unless they wipe you out.

[Welsh Dragon]

Początkowo opublikowane przez iacs:

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/chancellor-kor-ai-in-parlamon-alpha-invasions-2.1408062/#post-26759314

Or short version - this mission is not strategy, it's RPG. AI has so many cities, that long term they will crash you. So do not allow "long term", take your lizard-lion heroes and attack, attack, attack.

Thank you for the link and short version. Definitely sounds like I need to be more proactive in how I approach this mission (treat it as an invasion, not a colonisation.)

Początkowo opublikowane przez leon feargus:

Yeah the key is to use your o.p. heroes to your advantage. You know that you will be at war soon, so you gotta make sure you're gonna be able to throw all you got at the nearest opponent as soon as war is triggered. Be at their borders the moment war starts. You are the invading force!

Propogators are excellent support units, you're gonna want exactly one per stack. Infiltrators are generally perceived as the weakest unit in the game, better not use those.

Yes, every time war kicks off I've had my armies off exploring marauder sites, so as you said placement is key.

Also thanks for the advice on the Propagators, I've clearly been under estimating them (and perhaps overestimating the Infiltrators... though they are quite fun and useful for filling early gaps like not enough healers.)

Początkowo opublikowane przez Ares106:

I'm curious how many turns you went in to that campaign, (I just finished it 2 days ago even wrote a rant about in this forum), because without spoiling too much, allegiances will shift and make that scenario a lot easier than it might appear to be. I would recommend just playing defensively until that time and don't give up unless they wipe you out.

Well I've made half a dozen attempts, some longer than others. Some it's been clear pretty early the writing was on the wall, others I persisted but early bad choices hurt my chances. But with the advice I'm getting I feel a bit better prepared for another go, so we shall see. Thank you.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.