AoE Strategies

[Durandal]

It doesn't look like this has been posted, so I hope I'm not being a pest but...

What are good strategies to use against Armageddon? I've tried all the conventional tactics, and none of them work(obviously)

So maybe for those of us who aren't used to thinking outside of the box, could maybe say Iskatu himself maybe give some suggestions, even some help on how to just survive would be helpful.

I also think other people should maybe post their strategies as well, the ones that work obviously, instead of ending up with you massacred, because some units like the Great Destroyer are so hard to take down, granted that's how it should be, hard, but I meant by 'hard' as in 'damn near impossible'

Again because conventional tactics don't work as well.

Anything?

[IskatuMesk]

This is assuming you're playing on BGR (the supplied map).


In the Beastiary I talked a little bit about countering specific units and such, so I'll give you some of the tips I worked with in my playtime to not only survive but actually defeat Armageddon.

- Make extensive use of EMP and Irradiate. Red Drakes, Whelps, Banes and Oblivions are all suspectible to irradiate. When in big stacks you can eliminate entire groups of air units with only a few irradiates. EMP Juggernauts and the let the AI deal with them.

Onslaught Juggernauts on their own are not very threatening unless you are burning your DPS into them. Focus your AA efforts on flanking Salvations, then Purgatories, and then Juggernauts. Salvation's artillery damage units they pass over.

Purgatory Hellfire torpedoes can be dodged and this almost totally eliminates their damage except for the close-ranged pulse cannon.

- Upgrade armor ASAP. All of the incremental damage attacks, like Zeus' storm and Oblivions, become dramatically less dangerous when you have armor upgrades. However, some units like the Devil's Shadow Storm and the Fallen Hero's glaves will bypass armor entirely.

- Armageddon unit ranges are based on Engagement Zones and this determines the effectiveness of some units. Moderate engagement zones are within the range of tanks, and most units have Moderate engagement zones. Make use of tanks and reavers where ever possible.

Most Legendaries besides the Fallen Hero and the Prince of Pain can be zerged with zealots/dark templar and kept at bay. This is the only effective way to fight Mal`Ash. Just hope he doesn't proc Eclipse.

- Engage Gazes of Vanity at melee range to prevent them from using their devastating ranged attack.

- Use Yamato to deal with Adjucators. Do not try to fight them close up unless it's with a lot of battlecruisers adequetly spaced out to minimize AoE.

- Fast Carriers are effective all the way into the end of tier 4 and some ways past to snipe units.

- Take advantage of choke points. BGR has a lot of points you can hold the line at. Therefore, only Armageddon units with Long or Artillery engagement zones can attack you.

- Get early turrets to deal with Gargoyles.

- Kill Gatekeepers of Chaos as soon as they appear. They are the highest DPS Armageddon unit behind The Great Destroyer himself, who is not easy to kill under any circumstances and will generally kill you when he appears as he is the "game ender" unit.

- Use Stasis to shut down stacked groups of units.

HKS and I were able to defeat Armageddon with computers by pumping Goliaths and Battlecruisers almost exclusively.

[Durandal]

Okay, here's the second thing

The AI gains resources at a rate exponentially faster then yours, and sometimes, this can be VERY bad, as...when the AI is on your team, and they are terran, they will rush the Armageddon with Marines

Ok great, except...if they lose, which they often do, the Armageddon comes after YOU instead of the AI who was the aggressor, and because you can't hope to match the rate of resource gain that early on, you're generally screwed

Any ways to avoid this happening, or is it just tough luck?

[IskatuMesk]

Armageddon chooses its targets randomly.

Get cannons and/or bunkers. It's usually not that hard to stop early Armageddon pushes. Vultures do Normal damage now, so vultures/mines/tanks are usually easy to rush to in most circumstances.

[Black Dream]

Another helpful thing is having 6 protoss allies instead of any terran allies.  The protoss can hold off Armageddon for much longer, and they can sometimes even kill Armageddon without your help.

I have won twice.  The first time was when Armageddon was in the center, and got owned by 6 protoss without me doing anything (so its not really a victory for me.)
The other time I got carriers and other air units while the protoss had a never-ending wall of dragoons in front of their base.  I was actually able to kill Armageddon just as it was getting the air units (Salvations, Purgatories, etc.).

[Durandal]

Armageddon chooses its targets randomly.

Get cannons and/or bunkers. It's usually not that hard to stop early Armageddon pushes. Vultures do Normal damage now, so vultures/mines/tanks are usually easy to rush to in most circumstances.

Okay let me rephrase

REALLY early, like as in, I've barely gotten my first barracks and that's when my terran allies piss off Armageddon haha

Good advice though

Guess if it happens it's just tough luck

[IskatuMesk]

I don't recall Terran attacking that fast in the final version. Before first barracks? Is that like, a barracks at 40 supply? I don't recall anything ever happening that early. :\

[Durandal]

It's what happened to me

[IskatuMesk]

Does that happen consistently?