Total Annihilation, the fast and furious real-time strategy game from Cavedog, has earned a lot of praise from editors and gamers alike. OGR.COM has put together a list of general strategies (with a few expert strategies thrown in there) to get most multiplayer gamers started in their online or network dominance. We are asking that OGR.COM readers, who may or may not consider themselves Total Annihilation experts, contribute to this strategy guide. We'll be expanding the sections to include individual units and structure strategies, so send in tips and tricks on anything in the game. OGR.COM would like this strategy guide to build over time, with input from OGR readers and Total Annihilation players. If you have some multiplayer tips and strategies, please send an email to OGR.COM with an innovative and unique strategy and look for it to be included in updated versions of this guide. Each entry you send will be fully credited to you.
Internet and LAN Network strategies will differ sometimes. In Network games, opponents and teammates are right there in the room, able to easily communicate, criticize, berate, and annoy. Our strategies are affected by this. For example, one popular Internet tactic is, at least on small maps and in these early days of the game, for a player to build several Kbot labs and quickly generate a large army of small units, which can overrun a fledgling opponent. Anyone who has tried such a tactic during a LAN game finds themselves cursed, and becomes the focus of everyone else's ire for several games following. The same is true of the nuclear missile; the first player to fire one usually finds a missile from every opposing base returning the favor onto him alone. Despite these differences though, most of these strategies will work in both Internet and Network play.
Construction Bots
Not only does each kind of construction unit build different structures, they build them at different speeds. Among land units, the construction bot which comes closest to matching the Commander's building rate is the advanced construction vehicle. Construction aircraft are the slowest at building, but are of course the most mobile.
* Especially on small maps, it is wise to be the first to build advanced construction bots. They expand your options and they build more quickly than their first-level counterparts. However, advanced construction bots cannot build certain crucial structures, like missile towers, so don't build them exclusively! (Doug Page)
One construction bot can begin a project, and move on while others finish the job. For example, you can start building a Moho Mine with an advanced construction kbot, have any other construction bot begin to help, then ask the advanced kbot to begin making a Fusion Reactor. A unit which cannot construct a building by itself can keep a project going by itself.
You can put your construction bots into teams by instructing one bot to build and the others to guard it. Issue multiple orders to the main bot-for example, have it lay out a row of laser turrets - by using the Shift key; the others will tag along and help.
* Asking a construction bot to "Guard" a structure which is creating units speeds the construction up. The construction bot will remain by the building and assist in its future constructions. If you ask the bot to guard the unit being built, rather than the structure, it will accompany that unit to its destination once the unit is built. (Mike Baechle)
On large maps, where an immediate base defense isn't as important as a solid economy, build an advanced construction kbot as soon as possible and order it to reclaim a Metal Extractor (choose a richly-producing metal deposit) and replace it with a Moho Mine. Ask other construction vehicles to assist, and have the advanced kbot move on to other metal deposits. Metal is more scarce than energy in the opening minutes; energy is abundantly available using cheap, numerous Solar Collectors.
If space is at a premium - for example, on maps with islands - order a construction bot to reclaim your Solar Collectors once a Fusion Reactor is built. A crowded base is dangerous, as buildings which explode trigger the destruction of nearby buildings. The chain reaction ruins far more than the Solar Collectors are worth.
* On maps where mobility is an issue, build an airport and use construction aircraft for your first round of building. Have one or two build Metal Extractors on outlying deposits; even if the Extractors are later destroyed, you will likely have used every bit of metal they generated. (Christopher Lynch)
More than one construction bot can reclaim metal from wreckage, speeding the process. This is especially useful when reclaiming the metal from huge capital ships and buildings; one bot working alone takes a very long time, and the metal doesn't become available until the reclaiming is done.
Sending construction ships out with your fleets is a wise idea (that is, IF your fleets are successful!), as they can immediately begin to reclaim metal and repair your ships. The wreckage from a single battleship equals the metal that a Moho Mine takes many minutes to generate. Ask a construction ship to guard another ship, and it will automatically repair it when needed. This is true for any construction bot.
* Construction bots put on "Patrol" do just what you hope they would: they repair any damaged units and structures near their routes, and scarf up wreckage, rocks, plants, and any other source of metal and energy--provided that there is room in storage for these resources! A bot won't stop to claim wreckage if there is no room to store it. (Gary Weis)
Economy
Building energy storage is mainly useful after you've constructed large artillery and guard towers which require energy to operate. The Big Bertha, for example, uses 2000 units of energy every time it fires (so if you have a Bertha which only aims and never shoots, check your energy supply!). Cloaking a Commander is wise, and uses 1000 units of energy if he is moving - another reason for an energy storage unit.
Metal storage is needed less frequently, and should only be built if you notice that your stored metal is equal to your potential. This rarely happens, however; usually a metal storage unit clutters your base, endangering other buildings if it blows up.
A single Fusion Reactor produces enough energy to support any modest economy, yet it's a smart move to build a second one somewhere, in case one of the two is destroyed. Nothing hurts a comeback more than having an energy supply of +1050 suddenly become +100.
The more Moho Mines and Fusion Reactors cranking, the more duplicate construction buildings you can support. Having two or three shipyards, for example, gives you a speed advantage over your opponents who have just one.
Figure out what units will help you most on the map you are playing, and build several of the buildings that make those units. Keep the buildings spaced far enough apart that the explosion from one won't destroy the others.
* Fusion Reactors and anti-nuclear missile launchers tend to explode massively when they are destroyed. Keep your other buildings a bit away from them! If you are playing a map with small islands, building a Fusion Reactor on the island is a huge risk. (John Drake, Chris McMahon)
You can build a bunch of Solar Collectors and Metal Makers to create metal, but on all but the smallest maps I believe it is more efficient to build a Moho Mine or two, then a Fusion Reactor, instead. Metal Makers are even less efficient than construction kbots (which generate metal just by being alive); they occupy your attention and clutter your base, giving you that many more buildings to try and defend.
Issuing Orders
Total Annihilation's interface is the best I've ever seen in any game. Using common sense commands, you can issue complex orders which reduce your need to babysit your units.
Among the most useful orders are those given directly to construction buildings.
If undirected, newly constructed units simply sit outside the buildings which create them. If you'd like your units to gather somewhere else, however, click the building and choose "Orders". Click "Move" and then click the place (on the map or right on the landscape) where you'd like its units to go once they are built. Similarly, units can be told to "Patrol" as soon as they appear.
* One reason to issue orders to your construction buildings is to prevent crowding, which makes your units vulnerable to artillery explosions and prevents the buildings from producing at all! (Gary Weis)
Scouting units often operate better when told to hold fire, since they will refrain from taking potshots at outlying enemies. They will often penetrate the defenses farther if they don't set off your opponent's warning klaxon.
Similarly, if you build a large artillery piece near your opponent's base, have it hold fire until it is properly defended.
These last two ideas work well together when you are trying to direct artillery fire into an opponent's base. Build your big gun within range of the base and have it hold fire until you've built scout planes. Have the scout planes move automatically toward the enemy base; they'll be shot down, but the artillery will memorize the units which the scout plane reveals.
It is possible to order a unit (usually a plane) to head somewhere, then begin a patrol at that point. Choose the unit and click the spot on the map where you want its patrol to start. Now click "Patrol", hold down the Shift key, and click the map where you want its patrol to end. Or, for a looping patrol, keep holding Shift while clicking on the map at the waypoints. There's no need to close the loop; the unit will automatically move to the origin after it patrols to the end.
* When you send a group of units to attack your enemy, "guarding" sounds like a good idea. For example, it makes sense for a bomber to be guarded by a couple of fighters. However, if the bomber is sent to attack a target, the fighters will fly behind it, allowing the bomber to be struck by the first defenses. Once the bomber is hit, the fighters will attack what hit it; but it would be best if the fighters would occupy the target's defenses before the bomber makes its run. To accomplish this, order a fighter to attack the target first, then send the bomber (guarded by the other fighters) to attack. A simultaneous ground attack, if possible, also diverts the attention of the target. (Matt Hoglund)
Similarly, "guarding" a transport ship full of valuable ground units puts the transport in front of the group, where it will be the primary target of the defenses. Instead, have the transport ship "guard" a powerful missile ship--send it out in the lead. Ask most of the fleet to guard the lead ship, and assign one or two ships and planes to guard the transport. The transport will come along behind the lead ship, protected. Be aware that if the lead ship is destroyed, you will have to manually command the transport.
* Units which move and fire quickly should be kept in motion as they attack powerful but slow-moving enemies. Quick units can circle the slow opponent, presenting a difficult target while at the same time maintaining accuracy.
(Joseph Method)
Defense
* Early in the game, it is better to use bots for defense rather than laser towers, which use energy, and put a delay in your efforts to construct buildings and units. Bots not only provide multiple sources of defensive fire, but also wreckage that slows down enemies, and can be salvaged for the next battle.
(Keith Engwall)
Build your most important structures behind hills, if you can. Enemy artillery will hit the hills or overshoot your buildings, and enemy bombers will have to pass overhead and turn around before striking effectively.
* Elevation plays an important role in defense. Plasma batteries, defended by missile and laser towers, provide protection against ground units that are still well out of their range as they attack. (Eric Hester)
* Be aware that buildings are damaged by fire, and don't build weak structures (like radar towers) inside heavy woods. (Gary Weis)
* Solar Collectors may take the place of Dragon's Teeth as a blockade. They are inexpensive, build quickly, and can be effective both in slowing down enemy advances and in protecting important structures from direct fire. A Solar Collector even does something useful while it sits there! (Cerberus)
* If you have a gun which you'd like to have become a Veteran the easy (though costly) way, build several weak structures, like radar towers, and have your gun destroy five of them. Instant Veteran! Veteran units cause more damage and shoot more accurately. (Eric Eckstein)
A group of enemy planes will penetrate a single row of missile towers; it's better to build at least two layers of air defense, or a staggered array of towers. Sprinkle laser towers among the missile towers for instant hits on aircraft.
* If you are attacked by air, and part of your base is destroyed, be sure to set a construction bot to patrol through the wreckage. It will reclaim the metal, giving you an edge over the player who attacked you. (Chris McMahon)
* Anti-air Kbots are apt to run around if left on "roam" or "maneuver"; set them to "hold position" on high elevations, where they will benefit from the elevation and shoot more accurately. (Jeff Graber)
As your outer air defense, patrol with fighters just beyond the reach of your missile towers. They will spot enemy bombers for your towers, and thin them out before they reach your base. Flying planes can react more quickly to enemy aircraft than planes sitting on the ground. Include some bombers in the outlying patrol - they can really mess up large groups of ground units!
* Radar jammers make it necessary for your opponents to scout your base before shelling accurately with their artillery. Spread jammers out, then select one and hit CTRL-Z. This keyboard shortcut selects all like units and displays their ranges on the map; make sure your jammers are blacking out your whole base.
(Ravage)
* Choosing a radar unit and hitting CTRL-Z will show you your radar coverage on the map. The same holds true for any unit which operates within a certain range, like big artillery and carriers. (Scott Grattan)
Batches of Dragons Teeth built in uneven patterns allow your ground units to move out, but break up enemy attacks into manageable chunks. Test fire your defensive weapons as far as they can, at bare ground, and build the Teeth just inside their range; that way, your defense can shoot any construction bots that your enemies send to "reclaim" the Teeth.
* The best defensive gun to build behind the Teeth (at the beginning of the game) is the Light Laser Turret, which is inexpensive and accurate. Set construction bots on patrol just behind them. If your opponent rushes your base with dozens of small ground units, the Teeth will disperse them into small groups which the LLT's can mow down. As the LLT's pile up kills, they become "veterans" and gain in accuracy. The construction bots will keep these valuable, ever-stronger defenses alive. In addition, LLT's sprinkled around the landscape harass your enemy's movements and distract him while you build up. (Brian Hitney)
If you have construction bots sitting around, order them to guard your most important buildings. They will automatically heal any damage the building incurs, which gives you one less thing to worry about after a big fight.
* Wreckage from battles near your base can be good and bad. It provides cover not only for your defenses, but also for attacking mobile artillery, which can shoot over it. To clean it up, patrol near it with construction bots, and make sure you have spare room to store the metal. For a quick clean, the Commander's D-Gun blasts wreckage away. (Gary Weis)
* Total Annihilation lets you determine whether or not units are hampered by obstructions such as hills, mesas, and islands. Most players allow "Line of sight" to be "True", meaning that such obstructions do indeed block vision. Guns will not fire at blips on radar unless those blips are made visible by a unit which can actually see the enemy. Expand the line of sight of your big guns by patrolling with scout planes and hiding inexpensive units behind trees and rock outcroppings. Make sure your hidden units are ordered to "Hold fire". They will act as spotters for the long-range weapons which can then attack incoming forces. If no cover is available, place your spotters behind wreckage, which will block direct fire. (Michael Wyatt, Uldis Upenieks)
* To determine your defensive perimeter, you can select a gun and hit "A" for "attack". Move the cursor around the map to view the range of that weapon. Set inexpensive, quick units on "patrol" (or tough units like The Can on "hold position") inside the edge of the weapon's range. Incoming attackers will not only be hampered by the patrolling defenders, but they will also be under constant attack by the gun, which can see them. (Prince Mystery)
The tiny crawling bombs that each side has explode more effectively if they are self-destructed, using CTRL-D. They are fun to hide beneath trees or behind hills on the outskirts of your base, where you think the enemy might attack by ground. Mark likely spots using CTRL-F5 through CTRL-F7, so you can return there quickly by hitting F5 thru F7 respectively. Hide the little bombs near a sentry, and when the sentry is attacked, go there and self-detonate the bomb.
* If you are attacked by land units which have few or no air defenses (such as a group of heavy tanks), attack them with gunships set to "roam". Their ranks will be thinned and perhaps eliminated even before they reach your own ground units.
(Cerberus)
Submarines can fire on any sea unit, as can destroyers (which can also shoot at aircraft). An equal number of each is a good early defense versus sea attack.
Torpedo Launchers only fire when they can spot the enemy, which is the forte of inexpensive Sonar Stations.
* A submarine or two sent quickly over to an opponent's shoreline can make it difficult for him to establish a shipyard, as only other ships can spot your subs. If you notice a shipyard under construction, wait for it to be built before attacking. Your sub will destroy the shipyard before it can build a defensive unit. (Ken Perkins)
* A single submarine can wreak havoc on a group of amphibious tanks which are still under water. Patrol your coastlines with a sub or two to protect yourself against these attacks. (Jon Healy)
* If you have subs off your shoreline which are hampering your efforts to build a shipyard, target them on the radar map with Torpedo Bombers. They are the only units which can attack subs, apart from sea units. (Charles Husemann)
* Building torpedo launchers in groups allows them to take out enemy targets very quickly (although torpedo launchers are vulnerable to battleships and missile ships, which have a longer range). An entire wall of torpedo launchers can ensure than an enemy Commander cannot rush into your base. (Virus)
If you play it safe, building an anti-nuke launcher is the way to go. Even if everyone else builds an anti-nuke, build a nuke launcher too. Fire a missile at the outskirts of enemy bases, just to see if they have built a defense against it. If not, bombs away! Almost everyone does build it, but even so, having nukes is a nice way of blowing away new bases, especially large artillery pieces that an opponent builds near your home. Nukes also make it more difficult for fleets of ships to amass off your shores.
* Remember that anti-nuclear missile launchers require missiles! Nuclear launchers do as well. There is no way to speed the construction of such missiles, so plan ahead. (Greg Mann)
Commanders
* Commanders are vulnerable against air attack, as their D-Guns rarely connect.
Assign a couple of anti-air bots to guard your Commander, and you won't have to keep such a vigilant eye on him. (Ravage)
If you have your opponent on the ropes, be wary of the kamikaze Commander! If he can end the game with mutual annihilation, he very well may try it out of desperation. Keep your Commander cloaked and on the fringes of your base, so he can run away in time to avoid the opposing Commander's explosion.
* If you happen to notice an enemy Commander rushing your base, order two air transport to "load" him. Two are necessary in case the enemy Commander shoots one down. Fly him right back into his own air defenses and remove the threat while getting great revenge! (Peter Green)
* An enemy Commander straying from his base can also be eliminated by hitting him with two nuclear missiles in quick succession. Chances are that he's unprotected, if he's far from home. (Anonymous)
* Similarly, air transports can be used to kidnap construction bots which have wandered to the frontiers. Snag advanced construction vehicles, carry them to your own base, and "capture" them with your Commander. (Map_man, Jonas)
* One option you have versus this kamikaze tactic is to do the very same to your opponent. As soon as you spy his Commander, walk your own over to his base and self-destruct him. (Ravage)
* If you are playing a team game, and your ally is against the ropes, rescue his Commander with an air transport. Bring him back to your base and allow your ally to rebuild behind your defenses. (Max Smitko)
* On water maps, cloaking your Commander and sneaking him over to the opposing shoreline can provide you with some guerilla-type kills. Creep him into the midst of the shoreline defenses, D-Gun the crap out of everything, then dive him back into the water. An opponent with insufficient underwater defenses will not be able to respond. (Ken Perkins)
* Set your Commander to "hold fire" and slowly sneak him into the enemy base. If possible, scout for the anti-nuclear missile silo. If he has just one, D-Gun it and sneak away before launching nukes! The cloaked Commander also provides a scouting unit for artillery attacks. (Al Tapper, Charles Crain)
* If you do attempt to use your Commander as a roving nuclear bomb, remember that he himself stores energy and metal equal to the initial amount each side begins the game with. Be prepared for a large drop in storage! (Greg Mann)
Offense
Total Annihilation's units are well-balanced, and work best as a mix. A fleet composed only of the largest battleships, for example, can be sunk by a few lowly submarines. Guard a flagship (the slowest one in your fleet) with several other ships, so they will move at its speed. Assign fighters to guard various ships in the fleet, too. Then, instead of dragging a box around the entire bunch and sending it somewhere, just choose your flagship and move it. It's easier, and safer than having your fastest ships arrive at the battle first, which will ruin your strategic blend.
Battleships and carriers take a very long time to make; better to pause and repair them than hope they get another kill or two while wounded badly.
Construction ships do repairs far faster than construction aircraft, although a mix of the two is best, since aircraft generally avoid the pounding that construction ships take from other ships. Keep carriers in the back, as their main worth is in repairing damaged aircraft (which they do automatically).
Keeping ships or ground units in a huge group is risky, as a well-placed nuke can take them all out. It's better to split attacking forces into several groups, and use the CTRL key to move them in from various directions.
* Be aggressive in your exploring. Quickly send inexpensive, fast bots to "roam" the landscape, followed by construction bots with orders to build a Metal Extractor on every unclaimed metal deposit which your explorers uncover. An opponent who does not properly scout will allow many of these Extractors to remain unmolested. Then order your construction bots to spread Missile Towers in a line between your base and the others, and patrol over those towers with fighters, to discourage your opponent from sneaking scout planes into your base.
(Matt Hoglund)
* On a water map, several air transports can carry a squad of tanks to the opposite shore and make a mess of things quite quickly, especially if your opponent didn't defend for tanks so early. (Stu Haluski)
* On that note, it is possible to easily load several ground units onto transports as follows: group your transports, then use SHIFT to instruct them to pick up a series of units. Each ground unit will be loaded by one air transport.
(Matt Gibson)
If you send planes out to attack Metal Extractors or solitary units out in the frontier zones, set the planes to "Roam" and they will continue to seek targets, which will be less defended than home bases are.
* Before planning a large assault, track a single bomber as it flies near the enemy lines. Notice where the anti-air missiles are firing from, and send your land units to attack those towers just before you fly your planes into the battle. Set your bombers to patrol the scene of the battle, and they will choose their own targets. (Gary Weis)
* Be sure to keep artillery units behind direct-fire units as you attack (or defend). This makes use of artillery's ability to fire over friendly units and wreckage. Furthermore, artillery fires more accurately when it is not moving.
(Matt Hoglund)
* When attacking, concentrate fire on buildings and larger units which are produce resources and take longer to replace. Taking out one Fusion Reactor is worth more than taking out ten missile towers. (Keith Engwall)
* The first unit sent to an outpost should be a radar jammer. An opponent who spots colored dots on his map sitting on a nearby hill will surely investigate--so keep those dots hidden! (Andrew Verhelst)
If you are certain you know where a player's home base is concentrated (like on an island or a mesa), fire your long distance artillery and battleship guns into the blackness, using the map and the "attack" order. No need to even bother scouting - just keep shooting and wait for the screen to shake! If you can see dots on the radar map, you can fire at them. Choose your artillery and center the mouse on the radar blips until you see the "attack" cursor.
* Alternatively, load crawling bombs onto air transports and fly them toward enemy bases. Select the transports and track them by hitting "T". With five seconds to go before they will be shot down, hit CTRL-D to self-destruct them (they are more potent if self-destructed than if destroyed by your enemy). You might send a few fighters in first to draw enemy anti-air fire, and a transport carrying a radar jammer for the element of surprise. (Vernon Amos, Ben Davidson)
Torpedo bombers aren't worth a thing versus land targets, as their torpedoes simply plop onto the ground well before the target. Send torpedo bombers against sea units; torpedoes lock on to the metal hulls and adjust their trajectory.
Normal bombers are ineffective against moving sea units, and should be sent to attack land targets or shipyards.
* Draw enemy fighters away from their base by sending non-stealth fighters at them. Fly those fighters back toward your own collection of anti-air units.
Meanwhile, send stealth fighters into the enemy base, which no longer has as many fighters there for defense. While your stealth fighters attack important targets, your enemy's fighters are off being attacked by your own anti-air. (Max Smitko)
By contrast, you can quickly recall your fighters (if they are drawn away by this tactic) by finding one of them, selecting it, hitting CTRL-Z to select all such units, then clicking on the hot zone. They will all return to where you order them.
It's best to wipe out an opponent's energy and metal structures first, as it cripples their economies. Group your big artillery (even if it's just one unit) with the CTRL key and send a scout plane toward his base. Track the scout plane; as soon as it reveals important targets, select the artillery with the ALT key and attack the target before the scout plane is killed and the landscape goes dark. Using CTRL and ALT along with the numbers 1 through 9 make it possible to fire artillery without having to return to where they are on the map.
