Strategies for the "Mass" orbital / Artifact of Odin ??

[RockyRaccoon]

I generally just don't even bother with these. I haven't figured out how to use them effectively?  Any advice.

I love the other two. They are very effective when going for speed runs!

Does the land height matter when using an 'M'? Are the crater and wall heights always the same?

[J]

I generally just don't even bother with these. I haven't figured out how to use them effectively?  Any advice.

I love the other two. They are very effective when going for speed runs!

Does the land height matter when using an 'M'? Are the crater and wall heights always the same?

The wall and crater height is always the same (the terrain where it lands doesn't matter). The mass orbital is very effective when shot over an emitter. Make sure the emitter remains inside the crater (not on the walls) and you can easily cap and nullify it. Weak-normal emitters can be capped with a single mortar this way.

[Cavemaniac]

As above.

You can also think of a Mass Driver as a one-shot, cheap Bertha - it costs 25 to pick up, whereas a Bertha costs 150 to fire.

Highly effective when used against a stack of creeper you've collected with the singularity effect of the Forge.

Also, you can modify the landscape to suit yourself - i.e. create barriers/walls.

I made a so-so map to demonstrate this effect - check out Landscape Abuse 101 in Cavemaniac's Alpha sector.

Also, attached is a pic of a cool 'fort' idea I used for building a fast forward 'firebase' on the DMD map Spore Spawn.

[Nephthys]

These ideas are awesome. I will add them to my arsenal!

[RockyRaccoon]

You can also think of a Mass Driver as a one-shot, cheap Bertha - it costs 25 to pick up, whereas a Bertha costs 150 to fire.

Highly effective when used against a stack of creeper you've collected with the singularity effect of the Forge.

This implies that the Mass destroys creeper? I guess I assumed it just displaces it.

Weak-normal emitters can be capped with a single mortar this way.

This is great. I must've only tried it on either a "hi-ouput" emitter or one with Digitalis. I just tried it and it works well!

[Blackbird_71]

I have been playing this game for how long?  I only now find this out. just though those were worthless pickups. I NEVER associated them with the poorly explained powers in the orbital tab.  never mind knew how to use them. Now that I do, I got a top 20 score

[GoodMorning]

I'll throw in that on at least one map, I have used the Mass almost on my own height-10 toes, to buy a few critical seconds for base-building and efficiency. The crater can act as a sump, making it also a poor man's Terp.

On a side note, the response of a CN to a mass hit can be amusing.