Salazar's Tips for Defend the Base & Capture the Smartie (Updated 2019)

Post your tips and strategies for other Giants users, whether it's for making maps, creating skins, or just for general gameplay.

Moderator: Staff

Post Reply
User avatar
Salazar
Reg the Smooth Operator
Posts: 498
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2003 2:26 am
Location: Abingdon, MD

Salazar's Tips for Defend the Base & Capture the Smartie (Updated 2019)

Post by Salazar »

The Components of the Mecc Base:

Walls (Pros)
  • Offer protection for your base from the ground up. This requires enemies to fly over the walls/hills that surround your base.
  • Three out of the Four sections are made up of three sub-sections and are thus harder to completely destroy.
Walls (Cons)
  • One of the Four sections (the front) is made up of one solid wall. Easier to take down.
  • Due to the slow rate which the front gate opens, it's hard to move through it quickly.
  • Destroyed walls offer access into your base via straight up invasion as well as sniping from a distance. This also allows enemies to enter with Pop-Up Bombs or while utilizing Bushes.
Shield Generator (Pros)
  • Offers a layer of protection where an enemy must shoot through the shield put up on all Base buildings (not including Turrets) before the health of the actual building can be reduced.
  • Should the Shield Generator be destroyed, it can be easily rebuilt due to the proximity of the Repair Gun. If one remains INSIDE the Generator while repairing it, they are shielded from enemies who hope to stop you from building it back up. Note that leaving the inside of the Generator means not being able to get back in, as it is still a solid object.
Shield Generator (Cons)
  • Without the Generator, all Base buildings can be destroyed much faster.
  • Should an enemy mimic the second point in the Pros list, they can effectively hide in your Shield Generator and spy on you and attack at any time. This would involve them healing YOUR generator, but at the same time, they are completely hidden away in one of your own Base buildings. A few mines should remedy this.
  • Typically, if the entire Base is destroyed, players tend to prioritize building up the Shop and Partyhouse first to build basic defenses so they are not constantly raided and killed. The longer the Shield isn't repaired, the longer your Base buildings are left easier to destroy.
  • Must be fully repaired before the layer of protection can be utilized.
Command Center (Pros)
  • The Command Center is such a broad Base building that enemies cannot easily navigate the inside of your base because moving quickly means they are more likely to just run into it. Whether they are trying to destroy your base or escape it.
  • The entrance to the Command Center is so narrow that it is hard for enemies to enter and exit to steal your Flag.
  • Buildings Partyhouse Items in the entrance makes it even harder for enemies to get inside.
Command Center (Cons)
  • Because it is such a big structure, enemies can effectively hide behind it. Place Turrets accordingly so there are no blind spots.
  • Building TOO many Partyhouse items in the entrance to prevent enemies from getting in only makes them easier to destroy should they bomb the one, small space with a Mortar.
  • Takes the longest to repair.
  • The roof of the Command Center is an ideal place to hide if your Turrets are not airborne. Players can see enemies walking around on the ceiling due to spawn points, but a Base should be capable of defending itself.
Shop 2 (Pros)
  • Two stores means faster access.
  • Fully stocked.
  • If the Shop 2 is partially destroyed, you can still access it.
  • To quicken the repair, use the Jetpack to replenish your Repair Gun energy faster before switching and using the Repair Gun again. This also allows for a quick escape should the enemy attack you whilst you are repairing the Shop 2. Try to survive with your weapons, the Shop 2 can be repaired at any time, but if you die, your weapons are gone until it's repaired.
Shop 2 (Cons)
  • The inside is, like the Shield Generator, a place for enemies to hide in. However, the difference is an enemy can easily walk inside of it. This allows for enemies to plant Bombs.
  • If you are Base Building, Shop 1 has very limited choice in weapons. Prioritize the Shield Generator and Shop 2.
  • If the Shop 2 is too far destroyed, you must repair it before being able to use it again.
Partyhouse (Pros)
  • Allows Partyhouse Items to be built
  • Unlike the Pub, Smarties cannot be stolen from it while it is fully built.
  • If you are killed while carrying a Worker Smartie before the Partyhouse Item is built, the Item will return to the Partyhouse.
  • The Mineshaft, Turrets, SAM Turrets, and Shops can be easily seen on your Map if you need to find them for whatever reason.
  • Smarties can be dropped off onto the Smartie Pad regardless of your altitude.
  • Worker Smarties cannot be dropped off accidentally.
  • Destroyed Partyhouse Items return to the Partyhouse to be rebuilt immediately.
  • Partyhouse Items built by the opposing team will have that Team's Color over the Item should you hover over it. This is important because all Partyhouse Items, regardless of Mecc Teams, look alike.
Partyhouse (Cons)
  • If the Partyhouse is partially destroyed, enemies have a window of opportunity to steal away Smarties.
  • The less Smarties, the less work you and your teammates can put in to build Partyhouse Items.
  • Only one player in the Partyhouse at a time.
  • Dying while carrying a Worker Smartie returns the Partyhouse Item, but not the Smartie.
  • The Map only has a vague icon for your Towers and Gyropad.
  • The enemy can see where your Partyhouse Items are built (excluding Turrets and SAM Turrets) with an even more vague icon on their maps.
  • Smarties dropped onto the Pad take a while to return to the Partyhouse.
  • Anytime you build a Partyhouse Item, you are pushed back a bit. Be wary of cliffs.
  • Building Partyhouse Items lets out a noise that enemies can hear should you be building in or near them.

Partyhouse Items

Turrets (Pros)
  • Immediately point to any and all enemies.
  • Will never run out of ammo.
  • Can aim in any direction.
  • Can be controlled via the Turret Control Panel in the Command Center. This is good for spying, and for destroying enemy Partyhouse Items because all the Partyhouse Items look alike. It will take finesse to successfully plant a Turret in an enemy Base and to control it without the enemy straight up destroying it.
  • Can be built on any solid surface/object. This includes objects that can be destroyed, leading to a floating Turret.
  • The surface/object does not have to be perfectly flat or horizontal. Turrets can be built on the sides of mountains, for example.
Turrets (Cons)
  • Fairly easy to dodge.
  • Limited range.
  • Time delay inbetween seeing an enemy and shooting at them.
  • Doesn't have an extra layer of protection like other Partyhouse Items, regardless of the Shield Generator being complete or not.
  • Placement can be disadvantageous if the Enemy can snipe it away.
SAM Turrets (Pros)
  • Can shoot down flying enemies.
  • Like the regular Turrets, there is unlimited ammo, will target all enemies, can aim in any direction, can be controlled, and can be built on any solid surface/object, including non-flat and non-horizontal planes.
  • Hard to outrun/outfly.
SAM Turrets (Cons)
  • Due to the wide angles in which the homing missiles launch, they are fairly easy to dodge if they hit an object before reaching you. This is harder to do in mid-air, however.
  • While they are hard to outrun/outfly, it is possible.
  • Limited range, with a time delay between targeting an enemy and shooting them down, and no layer of protection. Also easy to destroy depending on placement.
  • Because they only target flying enemies, it is possible to literally walk up to them and destroy them with a peashooter. Place Turrets accordingly to account for this flaw.
  • They have a very considerable delay between each homing missile shot.
Shops (Pros)
  • Have all items the Shop 2 does (excluding the Pop-Up Bomb)
  • While the ammo you receive with weapon is limited, if you drop them, reload inside the Shop, and then pick them up, you will be able to reach full capacity.
  • Can be placed on any solid surface, including non-horizontal ones like the sides of hills, but cannot be placed on top of objects. Put simply, they can only be put on dirt, snow, sand, gravel, and rock.
  • Very convenient and relatively small. Their brown/orange coloring allows for fairly easy camouflage, too, depending on the map.
  • Place in relatively inconvenient areas so enemies will not easily find them.
  • Combine with the Floating Tower to make this easier. NOTE: Because the Shop cannot be built on top of the Tower, the Tower must be against a hill. "Walk" up the hill and place the Shop on it as opposed to the Tower itself. It may take a bit of practice, but this strategy can be employed on virtually any part of the entire Map.
  • Very easy to go in, replenish on ammo (partly) and a Health Syringe, and get out.
Shops (Cons)
  • No Pop-Up Bomb, and limited quantities on tools like Grenades and Flares.
  • If an enemy finds your Shop, they can surround it with Mines to prevent you from entering it. If you are too hasty, the Mines will straight up kill you.
  • If you are the type of player to shoot the ground with a Rocket to fly farther/faster, this can become a problem as you risk harming your own Shop upon exiting. Leave the Shop, get a safe distance away, and then blast off.
  • Going straight to the Shop while an Enemy is chasing you is obviously a bad idea.
  • Because the Shop can be placed almost anywhere, an Enemy can place one near your Base, and proceed to throw bombs into your Base, restock, launch more bombs, restock, drop more bombs, and so on and so forth.
Mineshafts (Pros)
  • Can teleport to any spot on the Map from any other spot, provided you are placing it on a solid surface. Like the Shop, it can only be placed on ground or on the side of the hill.
  • As previously stated, you can get inside of certain Buildings by destroying them and then using the Repair Gun from the inside to repair it completely. If done correctly, smoothly, and without being noticed, you can place a Mineshaft inside of an Enemy's Shield Generator. No other Base Building is big enough to completely conceal a Mineshaft.
  • Can be combined with the Floating Tower for some very eclectic spots. Remember, it must be against a hill.
Mineshafts (Cons)
  • They make a VERY loud sound when one enters these Shafts. Easy for the enemy to hear.
  • Because they can be placed anywhere, Enemies can gain easy access to your Base. However, overusing a Mineshaft will lead Enemies to know where you are consistently coming from. On top of that, if the Enemy does a regular perimeter check, they can eventually find it. Hide your Shaft well.
  • You cannot carry a Smartie Flag into the Mineshaft.
  • An enemy who has found your Mineshaft but hasn't destroyed it has probably placed mines in front of it. Once you enter, you will die.
  • While this isn't used as often, Enemies can use the Mineshaft to make a quick get-away from a battle.
  • Most of the time, the Enemy doesn't even have to find your Mineshaft if they can just raid your Base and destroy it there. Destroying one Mineshaft automatically destroys the other.
  • Should you go the bold route and build a Mineshaft inside of the Enemies Shield Generator, know that there is a very specific positioning for it so that it is not seen from the front and its massive leaves aren't coming out of the Shield Generator. This is perpendicular to the center "corridor" of the Shield Generator, and about two steps forward. Trial and error.
Gyropad (Pros)
  • The Gyrocopter has machine gun bullets and mortars for weapons; sitting the Copter on top of the Pad will allow you to refill up on ammo so you don't have to get an entirely new Copter.
  • One strategy for hiding the Gryocopter is to position yourself inside of the Command Center. Fly up slightly, and then build it. If done correctly, the roof of the Command Center will hide the Gryopad, but if you walk on top of it, you can still make a Copter appear.
  • For maps with VERY steep hills, place the Gyropad down near the water so Players can fly to them if they fall and can fly back up.
  • If you place a Gyropad behind an Enemy base, you can fly over the Base normally, dropping bombs, grenades, and mines, and land on the pad on the other side. Take the Copter, and attack the Base again from behind.
  • There's no limit to how far you can fly (as in, you never run out of fuel).
  • Mines can be dropped from the Copter.
  • The Copter allows for Two Meccs to ride on the sides.
Gyropad (Cons)
  • The sound of a Gyrocopter is even louder than a Mineshaft sound.
  • Because most players put their Gyropad in the Command Center, it's an obvious point of attack. Even if it's not there, the Command Center tends to get attacked most anyway.
  • Two Copters touching will explode.
  • You cannot generate a second Copter if there is one on the pad already.
  • Only three Copters at a time.
  • Copters that are abandoned typically explode if they hit the ground from a high enough altitude. They do not however explode upon landing in the water. If, for whatever reason, your Copters are abandoned at Sea, you must destroy them yourself to generate more.
  • Copters are generally extremely fragile. Touching anything will damage it.
  • The Jetpack will make the Copter fly faster, while other Backpack Items are neutral, and the Pop-Up Bomb makes it very hard to fly effectively.
  • Exiting a Copter utilizes an Ejecting mechanism that tosses your character into the air. It might only last a second or two where you're just free-falling, but it is VERY critical if you are in the middle of an attack.
  • Crashing the Copter, or getting shot in it, will affect the Meccs on the wings.
  • Friendly fire is always enabled on your Team's Copters, with or without anyone in them.
Floating Towers (Pros)
  • Can be placed virtually anywhere as they are Floating.
  • Can be used as vantage points for attacking a Base, or Sniping.
  • Good for placing Turrets and SAM Turrets on top of and then destroying, resulting in floating Turrets and SAM Turrets.
  • Due to the altitude of the Floating Tower, as well as its large circumference, it can be used as a type of shield in front of the Command Center for additional protection.
  • Towers (and by extension, all Partyhouse Items) can be built beside each other, and will overlap easily. This creates more shelter.
Floating Towers (Cons)
  • Launching a Mortar at a Tower will kill everyone standing on it.
  • Because of its tall mid-section, the Tower can actually provide shelter for your Enemy. They can use this shelter to hide and snipe out your Turrets, depending on the location of your Floating Towers. This is also pertinent to your Shield Generator and Shop 2 as they both have these midsections that allow for players to hide inside of.
  • Because Towers can overlap if placed beside one another, you can potentially prevent Enemies from getting "inside" of them, as the Towers wide bases will cover up the "holes" in their center. This is a disadvantage however because the midsection itself can still be used as cover for Enemies to hide behind. Utilize these Tower(s) wisely.
  • If, for whatever reason, you decide to use a Copter to build a Tower at the highest altitude in the Map in the sky, you will never be able to reach said Tower due to the altitude limit that Players cannot get through.
Shop 2 Item

Mini Turrets (Pros)
  • They are small, and very annnoying.
  • If you drop a grenade, and then wait a split second, and place the Mini Turret, it will be placed in mid-air. Same can be applied to placing these on a Tower and destroying the Tower.
  • The Shop 2 will have Five of these Mini Turrets available for you.
  • Can be controlled via the Turret Command Center. Ideal for spying because they are so small.
  • Shoot at the speed of a Machine Gun.
Mini Turrets (Cons)
  • They are small, and very annoying, but not lethal. Ideally, all Five Mini Turrets should be placed next to one another so that they can effectively kill any Enemy they target.
  • Very easy to destroy.
  • Limited range.

Mines (Pros)
  • Will explode and potentially kill an Enemy that gets too close.
  • Will follow an Enemy if they happen to get close but manage to also run away from it.
  • Good for defending areas of the Base where an Enemy is expected to land, such as the inside of the Command Center, potential hiding spots like behind the Shop 2, Command Center, Shield Generator, or Walls. Or in front of an enemy Mineshaft.
  • The explosion is fairly audible, so if one Mine goes off but doesn't kill an Enemy and you hear it, you can finish them off.
  • Can be dropped from any altitude, and from a Copter without getting out.
  • Mines can serve as shields against Proximity Missiles. If a missile is shot at you, and you release a Mine, the Mine will take the hit instead of you (collateral damage varies).
  • Due to the availability of Mines in Shops and the ease in which Shops can be placed almost anywhere on the map, Mines can easily be placed anywhere after they are destroyed. The Shop will always restock Mines that were destroyed.
  • Mines can be placed on top of the the water. Not the best idea, though. Meccs tend to stay out of the water.

Mines (Cons)
  • Because there are Players who use Mines in combat, using up all 20 is a bad idea.
  • Mines placed too close together will all explode together. That is to say, throwing down 20 in one spot will be good for killing one enemy, and that's it.
  • Because they are not completely hidden, Enemies can shoot and destroy them prior to stepping on them. This is even more of a problem if there are a lot placed next to one another.
  • Enemies can "bait" Mines by getting close to them with Copters and then flying away, causing them to follow and eventually explode on their own.
  • Mines will not follow an Enemy forever, they will eventually run out of fuel and explode.
  • Mines placed too close to Partyhouse Items can potentially destroy them if they go off.
  • Mines will "go through" any solid object. That is to say, you cannot place a Mine on top of a Tower, or Shield Generator. They will fall through them until they hit the ground. This allows Enemies to place Mines underneath favorable spots in your own Base, such as the Shop 2.
  • Mines will destroy Enemy Shops (the Partyhouse Item) and Mineshafts if placed too close. Ideally, place the Mines a little bit away from them. The Enemy will hopefully arrive to the Mineshaft and/or Shop and be attacked by the Mines.
  • Like water, Mines will flow to the lowest available point. Mines placed on top of a steep hill, for example, will slide down them. However, less steep hills can still have Mines laid upon them without rushing to the bottom.
  • Because Mines tend to slope downward, Enemy Mineshafts and Shops placed on vertical slopes won't be able to be surrounded by Mines. Just destroy them, instead.
  • Mines that have not detonated will not detonate on their own. That is to say, a Mine that hasn't exploded will always sit where it is, meaning you'll always be short Mines in the Shops.

Capturing the Smartie
  • As you are invading the base, drop Mines in the entrance to the Command Center. This will not only prevent Enemies from coming in to get you, it also allows you to blast off by having something to shoot at as you make your escape.
  • Invade the Base riding on the wing of a Copter. While you can't drive it yourself, a Teammate can fly for you.
  • There is a glitch that allows you to fly with a Flag Smartie if you happen to pick up the Flag and enter the Copter at the SAME TIME. However, this is a pain to do while in the Enemy Base being shot at. Better to just fly out if you have no ride.
  • If you are going to destroy a Base, aim for the SAM Turrets first, and then the Shield Generator, and then the Shop 2. Regular Turrets can almost never hit flying targets.
  • Acquiring the Flag makes you a moving target on the Enemy's Map; they will always know where the Flag is moving to. So, head straight home. Or don't. Be unpredictable.
  • Throwing mortars into the Command Center is a good idea as there are almost always traps hidden inside. Throw in some mines too, as their explosions will also help to destroy interior threats like Turrets built inside the Command Center.
  • Depending on the placement of Turrets and SAM Turrets, you can snipe them accordingly.
  • Typically, you can also Snipe the Enemy's Front Wall from your own Base. Building a Shop nearby is useful for this. Once the Wall is down, get in a bit closer and snipe down the Partyhouse and Command Center (if possible).
  • Fly into the Enemy Base with a Copter and Two Teammates riding on your wings. Drop Mines into the base (Max 15) prior to jumping off and attacking.
  • While gutsy, and risky, you can raid the Enemy Base, and quickly build a Mineshaft right in the middle. Go into it to save yourself, and have ALL of your Teammates go through them for a Trojan Horse-style attack. You'll lose lives, and a Mineshaft, but it will be glorious.
  • If you are carrying a Pop-Up Bomb, while you are placing it, if a Turret sees you, drop Grenades to propel you into the air. This will allow you to stay airborne and the Turret will constantly miss you while you are placing the Bomb in mid-air.
  • Find key areas in the Enemy base where no Turrets will see you while you place your Pop-Up Bomb. This is especially relevant if the Enemy happens to place Floating Towers in their own base.
  • The faster you move, the less likely any Turret or SAM Turret will shoot at you.
  • Typically after you blitz a Base once, you should do it again immediately after to prevent the Enemy from building back up.
Post Reply