Starting Tips

Building and Map Tips

• Hold the spacebar for an overview of the entire map.
• Teams share victory points.
• You can increase or disable the victory points needed to win in the match setup screen.
• Look for flanking options. A region must be contiguous with the player’s Nexus for it to receive resources. Make a note how the regions connect to each other and see if you can cut them off.
• Build Amplifiers on Generators to boost the production of all resources in that region.
• Only regions connected to your Nexus by controlled (or allied) regions give you their resource income.
• Too much metal? Build more Factories/Assemblies to pump out more Frigates.
• Build Cruiser Factories (PHC). Cruisers are awesome and the backbone of nearly every victorious army.
• Don't neglect Logistics upgrades (through investing Quanta). A large army is a victorious army.
• Too much metal? Build Smarties (PHC) or Annihilator Cannons (Substrate).
• Build Cruiser Factories (PHC). Cruisers are awesome and the backbone of nearly every victorious army.
• Build Dread Launches (PHC) or Advanced Assemblies (Substrate). Dreadnoughts are crucial to victory.
• Build Sky Factories (PHC). A surprise bomber assault has ruined many a day.
• Invest in Metal and Radioactives Storage upgrades to increase the limits of what you can hold.
• Any resource income you can't store is lost - build more Factories/Assemblies!
• The Empire tree in the upper-left part of the screen gives an overview of all your forces.
• Hover your mouse over any weapon (next to a unit/building portrait) to get more info.
• Elevation determines sightlines. Move onto hills and plateaus (or bring some air units) to get vision on them.
• Indirect-fire weapons will shoot over mountains and valleys if you have sight or radar on enemies in range.li>
• Destroying an enemy Nexus leaves a Turinium Generator in its place.
• Substrate build cruisers and aircraft from the basic Assembly structure.
• Set Factory/Assembly rally points by right-clicking a location with the building(s) selected.
• Engineers can capture Generators.
• Neutral creeps spawn shortly after the match starts, but you have a small window to grab a region or two unopposed.
• Keep building Engineers/Constructors as your economy grows.
• You can issue orders by clicking on the minimap.

Defensive Tips

• Build Sensor Towers. Many units can strike beyond visual sight if they have radar contacts to hit.
• Build up your defenses. Smarties are cheap defensive buildings that fire rockets that can defend an area from air and ground attacks. Sentinels are much more expensive, but will annihilate most units in a single hit. Falcon AAs are good to prevent swarms of bombers from devastating your bases. Drone bays are helpful against large incursions of frigates.
• Keep an eye on your victory points. These can creep up on you really easily and cost you a win if you’re not careful!
• Smarties are cheap. These all purpose defenses don’t cost much and make up for their low damage with exceptional survivability.
• Sentinel cannons are expensive but incredibly powerful emplaced defenses.
• Drone Bays host devastating drone swarms that are vulnerable to anti-air weaponry.
• Repair Bays spawn powerful repair drones that can be shut down by anti-air weapons.
• Falcon AA turrets deal heavy area damage to any enemy air units in range.
• Artemis missiles will engage radar contacts even if you can't see them.
• Drone swarms are extremely effective but vulnerable to many anti-air weapons.
• Substrate shields regenerate automatically.
• The Substrate lacks the ability to repair hull damage to buildings or units.
• Mountains and basins are impassable.

Combat Tips

• Dreadnoughts gain experience in combat. Don't throw away a high-level death machine.
• Bring lots of firepower to take down an enemy Hercules...or at least some anti-drone firepower.
• Don't charge a Prometheus with a dreadnought of your own. That way lies madness.
• Beware the Cronus' range and skirmishing abilities. Engage it at close range for best results.
• The short-range Zeus is by far the toughest PHC cruiser to take down.
• The Apollo is a terrifying anti-air monstrosity...and helpless against ground targets.
• The Nemesis is amazingly powerful against single targets but weak on defense. Frigate swarms are not its friend.
• The Artemis is unbeatable at long range. Enemy bombers are trouble though.
• The Artemis has a specialized anti-building missile in addition to its primary barrage.
• Brutes are far tougher than Archers, but their damage output is limited. Great for early creep-sweeping and soaking damage.
• Archers' primary advantage is range. Swarming Archers are a danger to anything ground-bound.
• Hermes are weak in combat, but incredibly swift and equipped with useful radar.
• Hades bombers are devastating against buildings and grouped units.
• Fury air superiority fighters are nimble sky sweepers.
• Pan air scouts provide unparalleled info with their long sight ranges and radar capabilities.
• Medic frigates are unarmed but provide crucial mobile repairs to PHC forces.
• You can burn a level-up opportunity to instantly repair a Dreadnought and its army.