Need serious help on Farbor

[Fevix]

I'm a casual gamer. Very casual. I run through levels looking for a fun challenge, and I've often found that being too aggressive leads to me being completely overrun due to energy shortages not getting ammo to my weapons, so I tend to slowly build my network until I can more or less take on the entire map all at once (Which is what I do.)

Farbor, however, is EXTREMELY unsupportive of this play style, and is EXTREMELY difficult to someone with my 'skill' set, one that comprises mainly of mass fields of reactors built up over 30 minutes. Not only is every island host to an emitter which I have to battle against before I can officially get started, but there's a very short (To me) time limit.

My last run, I had only just started making headway onto the main island (I had thus far only been able to conquer the island in the top left and the one in the bottom right) when time ran out. This was my most aggressive game, and it was very disheartening to see the mission failed screen once again.

I'm out of options. I don't have the knowledge or the skill to beat Farbor, but I love the game too much to quit. This has been my seventh time attempting and failing this planet, while most previous planets have taken no more than three attempts. (The one with the Moses thing that you needed to clear the creeper out from around the three big panels was the only exception. I ended up having to build a tiny little base at the far left and slowly work my way forward until I managed to clear the large collectors, then plopped down Relays to a nullifier at the inhibitor).

[Khotekki]

There's a thread earlier in this forum simply called 'Farbor.', started by CleanOnion (it's on page three, atm).  There's a bunch of ideas in there on how to beat this mission.  First off, though most people realize that there's two parts to this mission, don't give up simply because the ship launches, you have a little bit over 20 minutes after that to beat the level.

For myself, I don't want to spoil things, but I basically built up both the nw and se island (after using a few suggestions found in the other thread).  Then basically worked towards the totem.  I'll have to admit, the only way I was able to do it was to ignore most of the map (which is really hard for someone like me who enjoys clearing everything out, and working through methodically).  One of the other posters mentioned that you barely want to keep ahead of your energy generation, and I found this also to be true.

In the end, after using some of those suggestions, I ended up finishing the map with the totem at about 80%.

On an aside, I found breaking onto the main island the hardest part.  I basically used the Forge weapon, 10 cannons, a shield, and a relay to do it.  I had to save and try the coordination a few times, but once I got the timing down, I was able to land there, and fortify myself quickly.  Then moved up to the totem using shields and cannons (unrefined, somewhat amateurish, but incredibly effective).

I think I attempted the map 5 times before success.

Check the other thread out, if those ideas don't work, I'd come back here and ask specifics, save often on this map, and GL.

[fractalman]

As long as you clear out and build up the upper left and lower right islands before the prism ship moves to the totem, you should be able to just muscle your way through the main island with large swarms of blasters and mortars in the remaining 20 minutes; don't bother with the lower left sections, and don't be afraid to sacrifice units.   


You can also slow the initial phase down a bit by sniping the ore carriers; be warned, they DO respawn.

If you combine this with the trick for destroying the lower-right ore processor with 2 command nodes at the start of the level, you gain about 6 minutes at the cost of making the lower-right island a lot trickier. 

[4xC]

Here's a helpful surprise.

Spoiler

A good way to buy time before the Prism ship launches is to shoot the harvesters with snipers. I do this every time I try the level and it works quite well.

[close]

[Loren Pechtel]

That one is so against my play style also, I got nowhere until I realized you don't care about the map, just the ship.  What I did is develop both islands then build a bunch of strafers, some bombers and some guppies.  The inhibitor doesn't cover the top or right edges.  (I also put mortars where I could to hit the main mass just to keep the creep down a bit.)

When I had built everything I could I hit the right edge with the strafers, when they had done all they could I brought in the bombers and got an area of anti-creeper.  I then landed my third node there, brought in every cannon I didn't need in holding the line down south (I had hopped to the next island to get the aether mine) and the guppies.  I then started building something of a third base there although it never could produce enough power, the guppies were bringing in much of it.  I took out the two closest items (I forget what they were now), raised them up a bit and put cannons on them--that really pushed the creep back.  At that point I moved my airpower north but it didn't really matter, I was able to advance on the ship directly.  It was about at 60% when it went boom.

[Fevix]

Thanks for all the suggestions here. If I had more time than could be bought be simply sniping the ore ships, I'd use my usual strategy (Massive generator arrays) then just attack the heck out of that main island, but I don't, so I can't. I'll keep all of these suggestions in mind next time I'm feeling (in?)sane enough to try Farbor yet again.

[teknotiss]

Thanks for all the suggestions here. If I had more time than could be bought be simply sniping the ore ships, I'd use my usual strategy (Massive generator arrays) then just attack the heck out of that main island, but I don't, so I can't. I'll keep all of these suggestions in mind next time I'm feeling (in?)sane enough to try Farbor yet again.

remember to pause alot, on farbor i stayed at 1x speed and paused/unpaused constantly.
i also built in a particular order on both single emitter islands. it was something like 2 collectors then start a blaster (nearest the emitter but up one terrain level) then more collectors and then reactors (always build one unit at a time till you have the power to build more), add a mortar.
at this point the C from the emitters was manageable. add 2 more blasters per island, and the emitters can be easily killed.
i just went for killing the ship after the first time, and i didn't bother with sniping the ore ships.
i hated the constraints from the time limit, not at all my style of play, but it was satisfying to complete it.
hope that helps and good luck dude  8)

[Mefi]

My first post so "Hello". Got motivated to post in this topic as I don't have fastest time in Farbor less than 19 min and with that I get win before ship is launched. From time of CW1 I like clear then win so my tactic was not build and drop to main land with relay in power up spot but to take all around so something you said want to do.

First tip: sniper is you friend.
You start at NW and SE. In SE ore field is deeper into so 4 snipers shoot down ore ship before it lands and you can have extra ore this way. In NW it's close so you would spent to much energy so just 3 to shoot it before it gets back. Next to NW is small island so same just that amount of snipers that you will shoot down ship before it gets back (2-3).

Sprayer is good here for invasion. Mortar in first 2 power up spots, sprayers at edge and you can easy invade other parts.
After invading from SE to next part. Set 2 snipers at this small island between next and main land. This way you cut off another supply ship.

Use pause a lot.