Assimilators! I hate Them!

posted on September 13th, 2009, 10:42 pm

Ok guys. I think spamming assimilators is an unfair tactic. Its just as bad as ram if not worse. There is no skill in assimilating your enemy's fleet, mining, and bases. Its terrible! I have yet to find a strategy around it (unless being Borg). I just came out of a game 3vs2 against Dominion and Borg (assimilate). My allies were Mort (feds), and Smee (Borg). I was rommulan and went for my new Griffin/Laheavel strat. And a bug rammed my constructor. Then sent another. I decloak and he ramms my griffin. Mort builds Sabers and Intrepids  but Borg ends up assimilating his fleet and minners. Anyway I get 3 Griffins, and meet up with my ally (who has a sphere).Dominion has built a Dreadnought , and kills my minning 1 (couldnt expand cause of the constructor being rammed  ). Then Borg sends in 3 Assimilators and assimilates Morts fleets and destroyes my ally's sphere! This game was completely unfair and we had absolutely no chance. Just wondering if you guys have any input or stories and hopefully the devs will re-evaluate assimilators in the next patch.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 11:03 pm

As near as I can tell, you are facing three issues. One is ramming obviously (and another might be the Matrix Teleport bug, if you know that it was used).

The second is using strategies that I do not think will work well in the situation. Sabers and Intrepids are a bad beginning against an Assimilate opponent unless they have some backup. Both have relatively low crew, and have weak shields--Intrepids should be used more for support I find. An early warp in and Canaveral can stop an Assimilator rush much more efficiently than such a quick tech up to Intrepids (unless being Risner: then you must build Intrepids, Warp in, and Canaveral in close succession). Sabers should not ever be used against Assimilators, as they are just easy assimilated bait.

For Romulans, I would not recommend using the Griffin strategy against Bugs really as you will be very quickly outnumbered and unable to take out many units quickly because you lack the pulse based weaponry and multi targeting disrupter. Against Romulans and even Feds I can understand it being used effectively, but against factions that use large numbers of units it seems that it should end in disaster.

Third is obviously the inherent unbalancing aspect of team matches--and nothing can really be done about that other than know how to take advantage of certain aspects. That being said, I have encountered Dreadnoughts that early before, and I know that the strategy is pretty easily defeated if you concentrate on harassment--which you need your Rhienns for

Lastly, I'm a bit surprised that you lost against such a combo, as a Borg ally should have quickly been able to turn the tide of battle with even just one Sphere--provided that it appeared early enough. Too bad you don't have a replay, but it sounds as if some poor play was at least partly to blame.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 11:30 pm

Yes I was actually building griffins to try and stop assimilators. These people allways play as Dominion and Borg and they always beat us cause of these tactics. And we try and counter them but I think the canaverals and warpins would fall victum to the dreadnaghts.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 11:39 pm

we are aware, that not every race combo in team matches yields easy-to-use benefits (like the often refered Dreadnought) and we have some ideas on todo that will fix that, probably in one of the next patches, but not directly in the next one

Assimilators themselves are currently under evaluation, but don't show a large imbalance yet. The Collective Connections cost reduction for Assimilation was reduced a bit.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 11:44 pm

Well, then specialize. One of you go for an exclusively anti Assimilator strategy and the other for an anti Dominion strategy. Either way, with Romulans against an outlook like that, some Rhienns really would come in handy. Support Refits will do better against a Dreadnought than a Griffin. I probably will write something in the guide about this, but I need some more testing  :sweatdrop: .

Keep in mind that a Dreadnought costs over 1000 dilithium and lots of supplies (130 plus). If you can't gather any of that, you can't build the vessel . Ambushing mining thus does wonders, especially if they are concentrating on building a Dread, they aren't building Bugs. Canaverals if used carefully need not even be in battle most of the time. Just send 'em in, fly them out. It's an expensive habit, but it means you don't have to produce too many of them (3 at max usually). By the time your opponent has one Dreadnought, you should have begun producing Excelsior II's I believe, which will start killing Assimilators much quicker than just your warp ins.

I agree with Optec that Assimilators although powerful, do not need to be nerfed. I have never had a huge problem countering them with any faction--you just have to be fairly careful what units you use against them.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 11:52 pm

Exactly how could you spam anything other than Detectors with the Borg?

I mean, such slow build time you could build 3 Adaptors in the same time it takes for 2 Assimilators. But I really lack the view of this. My AI mod went down because it wouldn't let me mod all AIP's and still run the game. Though I have noticed that the AI are ridiculously fond of their medium chassis vesseels (the first fleet I encounter often has 3 Assimilators and 2 spheres.).

But we must make sure that we RESPECT the Borg's motto: "We are the Borg. Lower your sheilds and surrender your ships. We will add you biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your defensive capabilities are no match for us. Your culture will adapt to service ours. Resistance is Futile." 

posted on September 14th, 2009, 12:00 am

As the Assimilate Avatar you only need two units Gamer: Assimilators and Pyramids. 5-7 Assimilators at first, then Pyramids. Oh, and if you are lucky... go for a Cube . You cannot build 3 Adaptors in the time it takes to build 2 Assimilators because an Assimilator will cost 15 CC and an Adaptor 20 CC. 

Borg AI are fond of medium chassis as those constitute cruisers. This is the same for all the factions so far as I've noticed (each builds predominantly cruiser type vessels at that stage).

posted on September 14th, 2009, 12:09 am

Rheinn torp refit is excellent against borg vessels.  Another thing to note is that if your ally can protect you for a little bit, you can aim for pure warbirds, which have a crew count too high for the assimilators to really handle.

On the fed side of things, warp in a Descent.  The crew supply on that thing, plus it's torps will make Assimilators cry.  Forces them to either commit too many assims to eating it, or they have to retool and go for firepower instead of crew-drain.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 12:17 am

As the Assimilate Avatar you only need two units Gamer: Assimilators and Pyramids. 5-7 Assimilators at first, then Pyramids. Oh, and if you are lucky... go for a Cube . You cannot build 3 Adaptors in the time it takes to build 2 Assimilators because an Assimilator will cost 15 CC and an Adaptor 20 CC. 

I thought an Assimilator cost 30 and a Sphere 50 Collective Connections... You sure it's 15?

posted on September 14th, 2009, 12:29 am

Positive. That's why I said Assimilate Avatar  . For Optimize you are correct, an Assimilator costs 30 Collective Connections