Fighting Skirantra rushes with a....Dunov?

from Sins Forums

I was playing a FFA game on ICO, and apparently this map was real small (Centrifuge I think?)...since one player was vasari and the other advent, I figured it was likely I'd get rushed by a Halcyon :annoyed: or a Skirantra >:( ...I was wrong, I got rushed by two Skirantras on my third planet, and all I had was a Sova (first time I've ever played MP as TEC and first time ever...EVER...I built a Sova first) and some LRMs...as you can imagine, 2 Skirantras + about 6 assailants = Doom for Sova...so I had the thing flee the gravity well (left with like 500 HP) and decided, for the hell of it, to build a Dunov (personal favorite of mine)...came back in with a Dunov, and two shots of magnetize wiped out about every single one of those damn bombers...when that Dunov hit lvl 2, I hit the Skirantras with an EMP and then high-tailed it out of there...sent in all my LRMs, and wiped out the flagship...came back later and took out the 2nd Skirantra, but of of course the guy had rebuilt the first one, so now it was 2 Skirantras with 4 repair bays...this time, however, I had a sova and 2 dunovs, and magnetize dropped all those pesky bombers while EMP made sure repair aura was never used more than once...took back the planet and destroyed 2 of 3 enemy Skirantras...

Granted, this was a pretty small map (a HW, one Ice/Volcanic, and about 2-3 asteroids per player), but nevertheless, I was very impressed by the dunov's ability to stand up to a Skirantra...I wish I had built a Dunov first instead of a Sova, wouldn't have ever even lost that planet and wouldn't have needed a 3rd capital ship...

The only other thing I've found even remotely useful against a skirantra is a radiance (detonate anti-matter)...jam weapons, flak burst, and telekinetic push just down seem to be able to keep those bombers at bay...just wondering what you all do on close range maps to counter a 2 Skirantra rush....

strategy
4,741 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

yes there are counters to Skirantra's scramble bombers ability, it is still a bit OP but none the less it can be beaten

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

try a 2 dunov start...use emp to keep the skirantras anti matter down to where they cant use scramble bombers, and sheild restore to keep them alive. At level 3 your dunovs will each have 2 fighter squads also.

Believe it or not this actualy works in online games, however it requires a bit of skill. The dunov is TECs 2nd best planet bombing capt also.

Another strat against 2 skirantras is a kol and a sova. Use flak burst from the kol and heavy fighters from the sova.

Unfortuntly against a pro vasari player the ONLY strat the will always work against multiple skirantra is MASS Javilis LRM, however the skirantra can actualy outrun the LRM

Bottom line is the skirantra is extremely over powered and desperatly needs a nerf. One level 3 skirantra (using scramble bombers) equals 18 bomber squads. Nothing in this game can properly counter that

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Derek06, reply 2
Bottom line is the skirantra is extremely over powered and desperatly needs a nerf. One level 3 skirantra (using scramble bombers) equals 18 bomber squads. Nothing in this game can properly counter that
End of Derek06's quote

Well, nothing of similar fleet supply.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Dunov's magnetize works well if you can plant it on the enemy Skirantra, but a good player will start kiting and wait for it wear off.  If he scrambles at the right time and micros, the ability won't stop his bombers entirely.  It should reduce the bomber count, but seeing as the Dunov is otherwise a very weak first-cap choice you're just losing out in other ways.

 

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Note that the dunov does the second most damage in planet bombing for TEC,,,2 of them with sheild restore make quick work of enemy planets and keep each other healthy (get the sheild upgrades)

also they work well alongside hoshikas in planting a SB in enemy territory,,,again using sheild restore

magnetize is the weaker ability,,,use emp pulse instead, it drains AM and sheilds from the target. and it is AOE so its great used on a group of carriers

i have beaten skilled vas players rushing 2 skirantras with 2 dunovs using shield restore and emp pulse....and 2 lvl 3 dunovs carry 4 fighter squads

it just requires a bit of skill ;)

if i can find that replay il post it

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

I personally DON'T use Dunovs. They are OK in everything, but nothind else. 3 of 10 points in everything when under lvl 6- they are good only at giant maps and if you build the second flagship quickly - or Mr. Brick is quite burning at almost any neutral))). MArza + SOva are much better combo than dunov with anything else anyways.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Well, nothing of similar fleet supply.
End of quote

That is good as i use it often, HAHA.

PS. WAITING FOR 18 ADVENT CARRIES TO STOP LVL 5 KIRANTRA. IT IS SOMETHING ONE PLAYER DID TO STOP A SINGLE CAPITAL SHIP IN HIS SOLAR SYSTEM WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE WAS IN OTHER PLACE.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Just a comment on InfiniteVoid's suggestion, I don't think Kol & Sova is reliably going to stop 2 Skirantra's.  Kol Flak burst costs too much antimatter and if the Skirantra player is skilled he will kite you and pick apart other things in the system while avoiding the Kol.  It could work against the AI or a poor player...but then again, most things will.....

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

I suppose you could get flak burst to work well if you had several Kols...then you'd be able to destroy SC almost instantly...but if you have that many high level Kols, chances are the game's in the bag and it doesn't matter what you do...

The biggest problem I've found fighting Skirantras is that detonate antimatter, EMP, magnetize, reverie...they all require micromanagement, which doesn't work very well on MP games when the gamespeed is fast/faster and even the slightest lag makes tactical micro a pain...scramble bombers, however, requires no effort and no skill, it simply is...

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

scramble bombers, however, requires no effort and no skill, it simply is...
End of quote

very true, why EVERYBODY does it

i however do not and WILL NOT build or use a skirantra. I ask others to join my cause, play as vasari and DONT build 3 skirantras for once

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Against a skilled player Dunov abilities don't work.

And when I play vasari I usually have scramble bombers on manual cast since it drain AM and it doesn't allow you to use repair cloud.

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

My best counter to double Skirantra was a single cap, egg in this case, and rush to light carriers. 

Also what helps is jumping away after they cast a few squads. If they pursue you, they leave them behind and lose AM. Of course it sucks if you are defending because you lose that planet.

Still it is true that they are very OP in the current form.

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top

If i wanna kill those caps i build 1 carrier (fighters on) and rush with lrms. I ussually wait till I got 20 of them (keep them hidden) and let him bomb my worlds and then jump him. 1 of them will definitely die.