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There I was, on Kaurava I, trying to wipe out the 252nd IG, and all I could do was get overwhelmed...

I've recently bought Soulstorm and it's the first WH40K game I've ever played, having never been a tabletop player. I had rolled through the earlier missions on Kaurava I by means of the standard squads, along with Immolators, Celestians and the Living Saint. That last is important---I starting thinking that I was overly reliant on having an effectively invincible unit that did terrific amounts of damage and that I would be in trouble once I couldn't get it. Boy, was I ever right.

I've read the two threads that I found and part of that strategy has worked, so I'm trying to figure out how to dodge the triggers that seem to send a) wave after wave of Valkyrie transports and b) Marauder bombers in an endless stream to chew up everything. I've used a five-ship formation of Lightning fighters to cover (and then eventually) eliminate the eastern convoy origin point, and then went and parked them over the western convoy origin point after chewing up everything else around them. Somehow, the convoys are still getting through.

To make a long story short, what's the next step? A save I've got has me with three or four resource points (and L3 listening posts/holy icons) and a decent position, using an Exorcist and a few turrets (apparently, there's a turret cap) to guard the base plus a few squads of whatever's being built. The giant artillery piece the IG had in the middle of the map is gone courtesy of a precision attack from the Lightnings, and I'm thinking about running up the extreme western side and trashing the tank kazerne in the extreme NW corner with them, but I'm stuck since I seem to trigger the "send everything" response that I can't match, since those stinking Ogryn types---mutants or something----seem to trash pretty much anything thrown at them that isn't fixed-wing aviation. Basically, I've built to the maximized squad cap and I've researched pretty much everything but I don't think I've got the right mix down just yet because either Ogryns or bombers come along and trash me. I then thought I could just vaporize their bomber manufacturing, but that seems to trigger the AI Zerg rush. The next Big Idea involves me having a confessor run along and use faith-based abilities, but who should I have him attached to, my elite squad? Also, what's that "alert level" thing about?

Any advice is appreciated, because I figured that using the Sisters would lend me a big advantage as a result of a review complaining about them being overpowered and since I was supposed to be facing the Imperium's cannon fodder. I thought I understood the WH40K universe/game engine well enough to do this, but I'm having fits trying to nickel-and-dime the opposition until it's too late. At this point, I'm thinking that I'm probably so bad at this that there's a special commissar being named to find out why it is that I'm doing so awful.

You are supposed to fight Imperium cannon fodder, AND their hundreds of their SCARY guns, and their sea of man.

If you are thinking that you could breeze through them, oh how you are wrong
don't rely on your "relic" unit make do with the basics since they are the bread and butter of your forces, try to capture the map bit by bit

Play 40K, capture the battlefield inch by blood inch

This is imo, the hardest stronghold to beat. I had to leave the planet and conquer a bunch of other folk just so I could rush them with Honour Guard units at the start.

Alert Level increases in one of two ways, i'm not sure which though, either it's time related, or the more you kill. Possibly both, I've never tried to work it out. It basically means that the guard will have access to heavier support and tougher units to throw at you, at alert level one, they'll send maybe guardsmen with commisars at you. As it increases, they'll send Chimeras, Hellhounds, Sentinels and eventually Russes. It also doesn't help that there is literally no way of defending your listening posts while also going on the offensive.

Something that helped me out was researching the tech at the barracks that speeds troop reinforcement, get that to level 3 as quickly as possible, a couple units of Sisters, some Celestians and Missionary's attached to everything you can. Attach your Cannoness to one of your sister squads so she's not leaping into CC and getting killed, also so she can pop any of her faith abilities and affect as many units as possible. MM Immolators are fairly essential, let your sister squads deal with infantry with their flamers and bolters.

As Retrias says, the Living Saint is useful, but it's not the instant 'I Win' button it usually is, it is frankly too expensive.

Thank you both for the insights.

I'm definitely not playing 40K-style, I can guarantee you that much, and it probably explains why I'm having such a fit. I think I'm more used to the old Command and Conquer or StarCraft logic where you could just rush the enemy at the start, destroy everything and go from there. The hard part for me is a) managing forces scattered across the map and b) dealing with the odd three-tank rush of Leman Russ and other units while also having to monitor the convoys, kill the odd AT-ST clone that keeps sniping my Lightning group from the western convoy origin point and fending off direct assaults on the main base by Ogryns, various tanks and elite infantry.

After several more frustrating tries that culminated in me destroying both their bomber factory and all three known convoy routes (along with the gun much earlier) for no gain, I decided to take the advice offered here and went elsewhere, stomping some Spehss Mahreens in a take-and-hold. I've managed to hold the marshes back on Kaurava I several times against the IG, so theoretically I can keep that up while getting more honor guard units to rush the IG factories later. It's also useful in practicing the small-unit tactics it looks like I'll wind up needing to smash the IG stronghold.

Do bear with me if I make incredibly dumb 40K mistakes---laughter and suggestions are always appreciated.

yeah, the IG stronghold is (IMHO) the toughest one to take down. Multiple Honor Guard units are pretty much essential. Use the Honor guard units to hold your base and build up your forces. Lightning fighters can be used as a quick reaction force to quickly get from one hot spot to the other.

Like I said, I usually keep the honor guard units on the defense because you can't replace them (I think, it's been a while since I played) while slowly building up and expanding. Look for choke points where you can bottle up the enemy and focus your defense.

Zerg Rushing on the stronghold maps usually doesn't work because frankly, you're vastly out-numbered. Castling up is (IMHO) the best choice.

Yep, castling does work. Also, you could play as the IG, jk.

But seriously, there is a turret cap per HQ. I think its 10 turrets for one HQ and an equal amount of mines, so build multiple bases. For one thing it'll prevent you from being overwhelmed and secondly, turrets everywhere.

Eventually you'll be 'walking' your base across the map. Expensive yes, time consuming yes, effective yes.

halonachos wrote:Yep, castling does work. Also, you could play as the IG, jk.

I intend to play as the IG once I finish with the Sisters. As much a fit as I've had with the Baneblades that occasionally roll forth, I will be invincible with them!

But seriously, there is a turret cap per HQ. I think its 10 turrets for one HQ and an equal amount of mines, so build multiple bases. For one thing it'll prevent you from being overwhelmed and secondly, turrets everywhere. Eventually you'll be 'walking' your base across the map. Expensive yes, time consuming yes, effective yes.

I had started trying that strategy; glad to know that there's a way around the turret cap. Turrets saved me on a take-and-hold against the Spehss Mahreens so I look forward to seeding the area with them. Thanks much for the tip! One question---can you sell/demolish your buildings? Valve didn't bother to put a manual in the Steam version and the readme I found didn't seem to suggest that you could do anything----I'd like to be able to dispose of unwanted turrets or degraded plasma generators, etc.

I played orks. You cant zerg like an ork can.

Oh, sending a horde of ogryns at me? Take MY horde of Slugga boys!

Isn't there a squad limit on Ogryn? at least in dark crusade

don't move your troop, move your BASE down to the opponent throat, you are not playing DOW2

Ineptus wrote:I intend to play as the IG once I finish with the Sisters. As much a fit as I've had with the Baneblades that occasionally roll forth, I will be invincible with them!

I had started trying that strategy; glad to know that there's a way around the turret cap. Turrets saved me on a take-and-hold against the Spehss Mahreens so I look forward to seeding the area with them. Thanks much for the tip! One question---can you sell/demolish your buildings? Valve didn't bother to put a manual in the Steam version and the readme I found didn't seem to suggest that you could do anything----I'd like to be able to dispose of unwanted turrets or degraded plasma generators, etc.

You can demolish buildings by click on 'em and hitting the Delete key. Really handy thing to have when your Baneblade pops out the wrong side of the Mars Pattern Command and gets stuck (happens to me on a near-constant basis, it seems :\ ) You don't get resources back from it, but hey, buildings are relatively inexpensive compared to troops (including bringing to full strength plus reinforcing on the battlefield).

And yes, there is a squad limit on Ogryns, sadly. In Soulstorm at least it's limit one; haven't played Dark Crusade in a long while so not sure about that.

It's a Limit One in dark crusade

The same as Termies, and GK

ghosty wrote:I played orks. You cant zerg like an ork can.

Oh, sending a horde of ogryns at me? Take MY horde of Slugga boys!

Haven't seen a true IG player at work eh?

Built an artillery base next to an enermy ork player, a whole base just to defend 3 basilisks.

Also, techpriest rush is so much fun.

Now that is how real IG player, plays


you have three better artillery than everybody else, better use it

Retrias wrote:Now that is how real IG player, plays


you have three better artillery than everybody else, better use it

It's how I won the Necron stronghold. Rushed out 3 Basilisks, used 'em to bombard absolutely everything in range (which was a Necron base and one of the four Monoliths!) the whole game. Didn't help much in the end - turns out 7 Guardsmen squads fully decked-out will demolish pretty much anything - but was funny nonetheless.