This game can be very hard against the expert AI. So I analized the first level and found an easy way to win every time against the hardest (Expert) AI.

So if you're a beginner like me, and have trouble, read on.

This guide aims to let you win every time against the expert AI.

It only uses one level (because I only tested one level, more may follow).

There are Replay-Videos I made, and you can watch ingame with the replay function. Just skip to the Video Section of this guide to find all of them.


With this guide you can unlock the following Achievements:


Challenger
Defeat the Expert AI on any map.

Treachery
Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Loyalty Handicap.

Vulnerability
Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Vitality Handicap.

Comity
Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Hostility Handicap.

Sympathy
Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Brutality Handicap.

NEW!
Sterility
Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Fertility Handicap.

NEW!
Sessility
Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Motility Handicap.


Win 25 matches against expert AI or in public multiplayer.
Adept
Win 50 matches against expert AI or in public multiplayer.
Expert
Win 100 matches against expert AI or in public multiplayer.
Master
Win 250 matches against expert AI or in public multiplayer.
Legend
Win 500 matches against expert AI or in public multiplayer.

Holding your ground

This game is all about ground control.

Build as many drones as you can and block intersections with them.
You want to restrict the enemies movement to a minimum.

if you win a territory, put drones on it. Put drones on buildings you take over, but also put them into intersections. This is very important in every round.


What units to use

This is simple: Drones and snipers.

Snipers are good because they are the only unit to kill at a distance. So any other unit, (except the sniper) is useless in distance fighting.

Only a sniper can kill a sniper over distance. That makes the sniper superior.

Here's wherethe drones come in: On every field with a sniper, put 2-3 drones. Because if any damage comes in, the drones always get killed first. If there are no more drones, the sniper gets killed.


These tips are what i found out in general gameplay and are meant to help you out in any level.

Everyone who ever played a hitman game knows the recipe:

- Analize your enemies movement
- Is it always the same?
- That makes him predictable
- Take advantage of that.

Anything you see here is well within the rules, and can be found in any level, just observing the enemies movement.

It would be nice if the AI doesn't get changed to sabotage this guide. This guide is similar to a chess game. It shows an opening and a middle move that is well within the rules. And like in chess, there are repeating patterns. So it would be nice not to change the rules just because you don't like the move. :)

After all, this is a good thing to help out beginners. A skilled player won't ever need such a guide anyways.

Here 's how to beat the hardest (expert) AI every time.

The next four sections take you through the steps one by one.

Where to do it

Go to Skirmish Mode and choose the first Map called "Mortar". It is the first Map of them all.

CHANGE THE AI DIFFICULTY TO "EXPERT" HERE

So here's the step by step guide how to do it:


The Setup

Here is what you start with:


Pressing the Shift key, chain the following movements behind each other:


When you have done this, you should end up like this:

The setup is done.

From this point on, you'lll have to wait and not move your sentinel.

The trick is, that you control one assembler ant two power sources, while the AI just controls one each. Because the level is designed in this way, if you follow my steps, you will always end up with this advantage. I tested it 10 times.

Now while you are in this situation you just wait. The AI will not move away for some reason, and this is how you break it. I guess it wants to go up and you want to go down. Both sit it out. Kind of that "who blinks first"-game. :) You MUST wait for several minutes, because if you move too early, the AI will move too, and do unpredictable things. So while you build all the drones you need for the next step, just don't move your sentinel.

You now build drones at a faster rate than the AI (this is your advantage), and you deploy them exactly as follows:



Look at the picture below. The AI will always take this path marked in blue, and will get stuck on your upper drones (the blue circle)
While it goes up there, it will use up all its drones, trying to remove yours.

THE PWNING MOVE

When you are set up like this, chain the following movements together, to pwn the AI completely:


Now while you do this, the AI will fight its way to the blue circle in the upper image.
It will use up all its drones and get stuck in the upper-right corner of your screen.


While the AI is still stuck, and for some reason will stay there for another few moments, you collect most of what's left of the buildings of the map.

Look at the picture below.
Notice all the Drones cutting off the blue section. I put drones on ALL THREE intersections where the AI could invade my realm. Blocking these three intersections is crucial!
It should look somewhat like this in the end:


Notice the first drones at the intersections.

From here on out, the AI is basically screwed.


If you play it semi-smart, you won at this point. Just move your sentinel around a bit and block some more intersections to restrict the AI's movement and you win. Every time.

Since many handicaps involve the AI having an advantage in units, you can unlock those quite easily using my strategy.
This is because you can easily compensate the AI's advantage because you build units faster.

Choose your Handicap in Skirmish Mode and start the match

Do the "Setup Move" first every time you want to unlock an achievement!
Then skip to this section and look up the solution you need.


Treachery Achievement

(Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Loyalty Handicap)

This is the handicap where the oponent starts out with 3 drones.

Just do the exact same steps I told you, but increase the amount of drones according to the picture.

Since you control two power sources, you can quite easily compensate the opponents first three starting drones.

When you're set up like this, do the pwning move:






Vulnerability Achievement

(Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Vitality Handicap)

Same thing, the AI has two guards at the beginning. This amount of drones should do the job:


Then do the pwning move.





Comity Achievement

(Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Hostility Handicap.)

This is when the AI starts out with a sniper.

Follow my guide above, but also make four drones (and place them to the right of the assembler) to kill the sniper.


When you built all the drones, kill the sniper first, and while your drones are on the way there, make your pwning move with the sentilel.





Brutality Achievement

(Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Brutality Handicap.)

Here, the enemy starts with destroyers. Same tactic like the Sniper-Achievement. Just build an extra 5 drones as a killsquad for the destroyer:


Then the pwning move.



Sterility Achievement

(Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Fertility Handicap.)

This is the handicap where the enemy builds units faster. But NOT as fast as you, if you do the Setup Move. :) So all you have to do is wait even longer, build more drones, before you do the Pwning Move. You still have the advantage, but it's smaller. So all you do is wait.


Sessility Achievement

(Defeat the Expert AI on any map with the Mortility Handicap.)

Here, the enemy moves faster. A very hard-to-beat handicap. The solution is the same as in the Setup-Pwning-Move Strategy. You block the AI by containing it while holding more ground.
This one is complicated to describe, but I made a Video of it, for you to reproduce. Basically, you lock the AI in, once it takes the assembler on top of the map.
Go to the Video Section of this guide to find out how you can watch my replays. If you already know how it works, the Code is Code 145

To view the videos, go to the main menu inside the game.

Click "Replays" and then click "Online Replays"

In the Field "Search by" you see "Random". Click it until you can enter a Code.




Here are the codes

The basic strategy, all the way through (The Setup, the Pwning Move and the finish):

Code 131

Drones Disadvantage (Treachery Achievement)

Code 130

Guard Disadvantage (Vulnerability Achievement)

Code 128

Sniper Disadvantage (Comity Achievement)

Code 133

Destroyer Disadvantage (Brutality Achievement)

Code 127

Notice in all of the videos how I contain the AI in the lower and left half of the screen. All the intersections get blocked. The AI is very predictable in this level. In all those videos the AI never gets to the upper right corner, because we always know what it is going to do next and contain it


################ NEW ################

Enemy Units move faster (Sessitity Achievement)

Code 145

Same trick, different location. Contain the AI while holding more ground. The easiest way to beat it.

Enemy Units reprodice faster (Sterility Achievement)

Code 146

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