Early Romulan counter to Federation or Klingon turrets.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 2:17 pm

Forgive me if this has been discussed at length in another thread, but I wanted to get some "fresh" thoughts on this topic...

I've been experimenting trying to find a good early-game Romulan counter to constructed turrets (especially at expansions), but cannot seem to find a strategy which consistently works.  Obviously, the -best- strategy is to kill the constructor before the platform can be completed....but that's not what I'm looking for. 

To set the scenario a bit:  What I have been noticing lately is that when a opponent rushes a constructor to their natural expansion and builds a turret first, that expansion (depending on placement) is pretty-much untouchable until I can field Cehlaer or Norexan warbirds mid-game.  I can usually pick-off a constructor or a couple miners before having to withdraw, but it just delays the final result...as the next pass there is usually a defending fleet and/or a second platform constructed where I can no longer target the expansion without coming under fire.

I've tried several combination's of ships, with 6-10 Rheinns seeming to be the most effective specifically against platforms.  The problem is by the time I have built that many Rheinns, I would have been further ahead to mix my fleet because I'm more busy trying to defend my own expansions from B’rels and Monsoons, than harassing my opponent.  Likewise, teching that existing fleet to Torpedo Rheinns only delays being able to field more powerful mid-game ships. 

Just curious if this is just a struggle for me, or if others are experiencing this.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 3:23 pm

I never found a suitable strat gainst early turrets either. Just attack at a different location or try to use Generix...with 1-2 support refits you can deal with a single platform or HWP.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 3:27 pm

Yeah. This can be a problem. BUT, Rhienns do counter Federation and Klingon turrets.

Fed turrets have Ablative Armour, which is countered by long range.
Klingon turrets have Ablative Armour and Fast Tracking Computers. Both passives are countered by long range.

And the Rhienn is long range.

So if you get Rhienns and tech to Torp Rhienns, their turrets should go boom fairly quickly.

*Dont use Leavhals vs these turrets. The passives counter short range, and the Leavhal is short range. Med range is OK, but anything Long range is best.* 

[Nebula_Class_Ftw]

posted on July 6th, 2010, 3:28 pm

Last edited by Nebula_Class_Ftw on July 6th, 2010, 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Federation Mayson phaser turrets are beastly. I recommend using either Rhienns or Generix Frigates to murder the freighters and ignore the turret. Also if the turret is at an expansion just kill the undefended base mining. Early Federation cannot easily build and upgrade two platforms without delaying warp-ins, killing the mining will almost certainly crush the economy.
As for defending your own expansion, that requires having cloaked scouts follow fleets around to find out whether the fleets are going to attack you. Against cloaking factions having some talon refits on patrol at map chokepoints and near expansions and your base may serve the same purpose as cloaked scouts against non-cloaking factions.

Another possible strategy is to go straight to warbirds and slaughter those puny turrets (Cehlaer, available with just the Warbird yard and the one research station needed for warbird yard, is long-range, and as Nuke mentioned, that means it can more easily kill Fed/Klingon turrets.) Unfortunately this will be expensive and leave your mining hard to defend, so I don't recommend this for 1v1s.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 3:46 pm

if they build a phaser turret at their exp, stay cloaked and go eat their main. if they build turrets at all four of their moons then you should go after their fleet as you will have massive numbers advantage. then you will easily be able to get more expansions than them and use a couple serkas while still having a fleet to defend the serkas with.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 4:34 pm

In my opinion the best and cheapest way is using Generix supporters. You can shut down the weapons and destroy them with some other Generix(or Rhienns). So, build Tal Shiar acadamy right away, build some ships and as soon as possible Generix support, which is one of the cheapest romulan ships available, as you often have too much tritanium anyway.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 4:40 pm

Yeah. This can be a problem. BUT, Rhienns do counter Federation and Klingon turrets.

Fed turrets have Ablative Armour, which is countered by long range.

  Rhienns counter neither , silly .


  Rhienns may be long, but Ablative Armor does not take EXTRA damage from long.  Furthermore, stations take 40% less from pulses.  Overall the Rhienns deal 40% less to the Fed turret and 17% less to the HWP (because Fast Tracking Computers takes 23% more from long).


  Frankly there is no real good way to stop a Federation Phaser Turret EARLY game, but Rhienns can at all attack mining ships at the expansion from outside the range of the turret.  I'd say do that until you can field a single Serkas .  If you start going for a few Generix, you can slip one or two Serkas in there with them.

  Believe me, you'll only NEED 1 or two Serkas to destroy a Phaser Plat .  Set it on low movement and you'll never see a shot come out of the damn thing .  People forget about the Serkas .

posted on July 6th, 2010, 4:47 pm

Oh I dont care

Torp Rhienns ftw.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 4:51 pm

Just remember that those Fed turrets with ablative armor will do 10% less to longs  . Rest of the reasoning is spot on

posted on July 6th, 2010, 4:53 pm

Just remember that those Fed turrets with ablative armor will do 10% less to longs  . Rest of the reasoning is spot on

indeed, but 10% less of
KERBLAM is still
KERBLAM which still pwns.

my point is that the phaser turret is always awesome

posted on July 6th, 2010, 5:01 pm

Against the AI  (merciless) I've had fairly good  luck with a mixed fleet of Serkas, Generex' s (support refit)  and  few Rhienns(torpedo refit).I have also in the past  as soon as possible  build a ship yard to camp out on the  resourse moon  or choke point . I tend to set the  yard back a bit from the moon or choke point.  I set the Nav Rally point  in the  desired  spot  and cycle the ships to repair as soon as it is clear or the target is destroyed. once    you have the extra RP.  A  further  mix of Dedrix's and Cehelers  round out the fleet when the resourses/ yard is available.

posted on July 6th, 2010, 9:25 pm

Federation Mayson phaser turrets are beastly. I recommend using either Rhienns or Generix Frigates to murder the freighters and ignore the turret. Also if the turret is at an expansion just kill the undefended base mining. Early Federation cannot easily build and upgrade two platforms without delaying warp-ins, killing the mining will almost certainly crush the economy.

That's kind of what i was thinking, but I have not competively played as the Federation enough in multiplayer to know that for sure.

Frankly there is no real good way to stop a Federation Phaser Turret EARLY game, but Rhienns can at all attack mining ships at the expansion from outside the range of the turret.  I'd say do that until you can field a single Serkas .  If you start going for a few Generix, you can slip one or two Serkas in there with them.

  Believe me, you'll only NEED 1 or two Serkas to destroy a Phaser Plat .  Set it on low movement and you'll never see a shot come out of the damn thing .  People forget about the Serkas .

I'll definitely try that Boggz.  That tidbit with Nebs info above gave me a few ideas to toy with.  Thanks for the replies everyone. 

posted on July 6th, 2010, 10:48 pm

in general the best way for any race to beat the super duper phaser turret is to actually avoid it. it has no engines and cant chase u while u eat his stuff somewhere else. and if he builds loads of them then he will have no money for ships

posted on July 7th, 2010, 11:32 pm

I never found a suitable strat gainst early turrets either. Just attack at a different location or try to use Generix...with 1-2 support refits you can deal with a single platform or HWP.

Yeah just spam generexes like theres no tomorrow...

posted on July 8th, 2010, 12:31 am

Yeah just spam generexes like theres no tomorrow...

  LOL! 

Drrrrr suggests Gen spam.  Has the sky fallen?? 


  Yes ... Gen spam will beat just about anything at the moment, however, if you DON'T want to resort to such nonsense, there are other ways to deal with phaser turrets:


- Use long range ships to destroy miners from different angles.

-  Torp Rhienns for the Turrets themselves (with backup to tank the damage preferably)

-  Serkas

-  ANYTHING plus a Support refit or two (plasma bolt)

-  Warbirds!!!!!!

-  Cehlaer's Disruptor Bombardment + anything else really




You don't HAVE to be a turkey and go for the Gen spam...