What is primary strategy on playing nomads is build mixed army mixed nomad are strong unmixed are weak, and what is primary strategy to play against nomads is destroy important units in the mix, and crush them.
At first we had this very long time un-updated units database http://www.fa-ladder.com/nomads/db/ many units were totally reworked or softly changed, so it only for some fast review.
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T1 phase
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LAND
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ACU, 10500HP
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different as other in 3 ways:
first: he has 1,6 sec reload time, and does 150 dmg by shot
second: he has overcharge every 5 seconds not 3,3 sec, and doesnt fire one shot for 12 000dmg (2,5AOE), but 10 shots for 1200dmg (1,5 aoe), that means when you OC units what is near end of range and some units stand before, he will hit at first the units before for 1200dmg then second shost smash units after, and etc until final units, if he had enought shots. This happens in real time cca 0,3sec. So nomad OC is on same situation superior (plenty of units stay behind, destroy shield with units under) and on some situations weaker (big reload time, and only 1,5AOE dmg)
Third: he has capacitor mode, that is that battery toggle, when you turn it on, it give you better visual intel, better HP regen, your OC would have 15 000dmg instead of 12K and you leave dmg on place where you fire (DOT), which means when you shoot on unmoved striker, you deal 150dmg, and striker is dmg over time for another 150 damages because it stayed on the place where acu with capacitor fired, that is cca 100% more dmg over 1.5 second.
When you turn your capacitor On it is imposible turn itoff until it consumes all its time. It fills up faster if you have full energy in your storage.
It's very important to know this feature on nomads acu, it can make it in good hand monster. What upgrade he can build:
T2+T3/ orbital bombard -> bombard means that in range 200 around Acu, he can call on mothership in space to fire on place in map, where mother ship fires 10 rocket on cca 4-5AOE and give together 5000dmg, this costs only one minute reload time, and can be countered by enemy TMD, or shield. It can be use as suprise destroing Mex, or better first T2 Pgen, but price is high.
Intel probe+ advance intel probe/gun + advance gun. Intel probe mean that you can once per minute send a probe from mother ship which gives you for some time radar intel on that palce, (range of radar cca 60), advanced means that you have visual intel on that place. More interesting is gun, first gun is 2xrate of fire + range to 28, advanced gun who is not so extremly expensive drain same mounth of mass/energy as first gun but for 3,2minute gain 2x dmg, so with advanced gun nomad ACU has 360DPS (can be combined with capacitor)
bonus speed/regen when not in fight (+1500hp)+power armor 40K hp and regen when not in fight/RAS
When you play against aeon, acu in front is "must to be categorie" : you kill 1 aurora by one shot = 1,6 sec so you save 0,4 seconds compared with other ACU. when you play for aeons against nomads, you need to split your army and dont face acu, nomad has big weaknes against aurora, because poor T1 tank, they can beat you easily by ACU or by gunship, when you would be wise and build some AA with auroras he cant smash you with gunships (2AA is enough for 1gunship) so he must go with ACU, acu can be only one one place, when you split nomad would have serious problem. He can build assasin tank, but it is expensive and not so effective.
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Nomads have plenty of hover units(20%speed penality on water) and are only faction which has hover scout + LAB what can be usefull in early harass on small water maps. On this kind of map it's good to know that their T1 tank is also hover, but aurora is highly dominant so hover ability on this tank is good only against sera artillery, or for simply cross the river.
T1 tank - is medium tank(ehmm worst one - but someone must be worst, why not nomads ), low hp, and fast speed, but mantis has better speed, better hp, and turn rate.
T1 artilery - work as AA too, and in final it is very bad artilery and bad AA but because it is both together it is prety fine unit, which easily wins T1 air for nomads. people can easily spam them and dont lose money when oponents dont build air, because can use them as (poor) artillery.
T1 tank destroyer(assasin) - this is ace in nomad T1 and makes up for poor T1 tank, it costs 60 mass, it's slow, low hp, and brutal unacurate when move (nearly never hits), but has long range 28 (30with anchor) and when anchor has precise accuracy and 300dmg on hit, so destroy every T1 unit on one hit.
This unit can be perfectly use for defense base, or defense position, or kill enemy acu, never try use them for rush or for atack, then it is pure waste.
on atack: you go with your army, stay, provoke oponent and then go back to assasin range their one time fire what mean 1kill for one assasin tank, what nearly pays themself, then go back and do it again. When oponents lose half of army, feel free to crush him. you dont need artillery to destroy turrets because you have 2 more range than t1 turret.
on defense: anchor it behind your factory and use them as long range one shot -kill turet, on anchor mode it has +2 range and better accuracy, and most importantly ignores your order for move, so it stays on place until it is unanchored.
on kill acu: my most favorit use, when you invest 600 mass to build 10 assassins that mean on one salve ACU will take 3000dmg, when you provoke your oponent with acu and he focus your acu and not army, these tanks can pretty easily take him enough dmg that bring you victory on early acu fight
when you play against nomads who use many assasins you have 3 options:
1) is use bomber, it has 150 hp and feel happy to die when is bombed.
2) build artilleries, which have 2 more range than assasin tank and big splash
3) split your army and attack from 2 sides, they have low turn rate, and 9 sec reload time, so when he is building assasin you have more tanks, and after first salve they are useless on that corner fight and you can crush him face to face. face to face nomad have problem because of weak T1 tanks, and acu with only 10500hp
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AIR
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As we know from begin of this article, is that nomad need mix, when you mix you are strong otherwise you easy lose.
Nomads have probably best T1 air, of course again with some specificities.
T1 interceptor- similar as others, has more dps and less hp, slightly worse than others, because on vet gain lower HP
T1 bomber - my love
strong side: it is faster bomber, others have 10 speed Phenix has 11 (10%bonus), it doesnt fire bombs but 4 rockets what means it nearly never miss target. so engineers dont escape b micro. and it deals 280dmg
weak side : but it has lowest HP (-9%hp as average), phenix has only 2,6 AOE dmg (sera/aeon 4) 2,6 it mean you destroy only 2 max 3 tanks on one pass, sera destroy 6 auroras on one pass, or UEF bomber destroy 3 and 2 damage. And Phoenix has 7 seconds reload time (others had 4) what mean phenix is unposible to micro, so you cant fly under enemy base and destroy Pgens as speed2 like to do it, or flying for enginers, you must do long circle.
But for this speed you can be faster on place where you need it, 280 dmg with perfect accuracy can be use for easy dmg important units or as help to overide early acu fight to your side. 5bombers = 400 mass and 1400dmg/pass you do at least 2 pass, so it is cca 3000dmg, what means you can alive with cca 50hp on your ACU
![Smile :)](images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
T1 gunship: 135mass cost and 4050energy, 45sec build time. 35dps and 350HP, sligthly better manoeuverable than cybran Jester, and can operate only on place where is not more as one mobile T1 AA. can be use for harass engineers, or for unguarded mexies, and is pretty fine against auroras, it has really low HP, so you must operate only on place where you feel safe, but price for 135 mass is great, so it is sneak units for player who like harass, and as counter auroras, when you win air. But cybran jester is many times better.
T1 transport: 25%cheapest, but transports only 4 units, it allows nomads to use it on situations where it is important to be fast, and no matter how many units come with it (for example twin rivers), but are weak in situation when you want to transport bigger amount of units in one time.
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Naval
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cca same as others, slitghly more dps but less HP.
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How to play nomads on T1.
you need to use a mix of land, and air units, because you have plenty of artillery/AA in your army, you can easily win T1 air, this advantage can be for your opponents anoying, with your perfect bomber or gunship you can harass enemy unguarded eco, he must build plenty of mobile AA or go back, you can spread your influence and build better eco. Your land is weaker on face to face fight, so when you dont have predominance dont go on fight, you probably lose, you must be sneaky and provoke your opponent to die on your assassin tanks. Or you can try to snipe your oponent ACU on T1 phase when you make trap with assassin tanks, or gunships. When you had plenty of energy from your air producition, and game is not loking bad for you, can decide stop build air, and build GUN, with capacitator mode is nomad ACU with gun, slithli better as other ACUs with gun, (because 3 differences of nomad ACU) but this decision is very situational.
Next time i will try to look on nomads strongest phase -T2.
I hope i have a litle bit more enlighted nomads, make them more interesting for you and was not boring.
Have Fun and play nomads!