![[starbase ogg]](scdropping.gif)
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| SC dropping strategy |
Let me paraphrase Tom Holub, captain of Golden Bears, about
sc-dropping. I discussed this with him during the development of a
strategy for K&K. His argument was that with sc-dropping you CAN beat
decent space-control teams. What is much harder to beat are
disciplined teams. Why? The purpose of dropping with mutual
carriers is to tempt space-controllers out of position and open space
for others. I guess you know the picture of 2 CA rushing back to chase
a SC. Translated to the Sunday games this means EC lost team discipline
in the second half of the game, the everything falls apart syndrom.
As long as plocking (phaser locking) is almost unknown in Europe sc-dropping will be a very strong weapon against any team. Obvious but not really done by most Euros: a plock is the only way to kill a cloaked taker before he (she?) drops. -little helper.
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| Strength of scouts |
The strength of a scout dropper is its speed. Even out of fuel, a SC
can still go warp 8.5 - CA's just aren't going to catch them. The SC
is excellent at faking for one planet and dropping on another - its
great acceleration and maxwarp allow it to leave the defenders behind.
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| How to deal with them |
How does one deal with SC droppers in a close game? Kill control is
not really the best option in my opinion: It can take a lot of effort
to kill the SC, and the pilot only needs 1 kill to be back in buisness.
The weakness of the SC is that it can only drop 2 armies at a time.
Also it is pretty weak at fighting and has little hull (making it not
great at defended planets on the front), and flying all the way deep
to drop, then fly back to pick up takes time. I recommend having guys
stay at the front, try and keep at least one player near each front
planet (this also works well for bombing the enemy front, and escorting
your takers). If the SC flies all the way back to drop, reinforce the
planet. It takes the SC a lot longer to fly there it took your taker
(despite the speed difference). Reinforcing to 3 is great (SC can not
neut it, and the next army popped can not be bombed). Concentrate on
escorting your carriers (since they carry more). Put an effort towards
bombing - the SC dropper needs an army advantage to be effective, and
is weak at fighting (so at a planet were it must contest a bomber, it
has a harder time picking up and not dying. Also another kill won't
help it unless it leaves the SC). Don't get caught up trying to kill
the SC unless you feel you are a very superior pilot, and can catch it
and kill it (likely in a SC of your own). Trying to kill the SC is
playing towards its strength. Challanging the SC to fight for pops, or
move more armies than an escorted ship carrying 5 armies is playing
towards the weakness.
Erik |