Custom Map #487: Dragon's Clutch. By: CoyoteTraveller

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This topic is for discussion of map #487: Dragon's Clutch


Author: CoyoteTraveller
Size: 192x120

[heritor]

I've tried several times on this one and am happy to congratulate you CoyoteTraveller - it's definitely hard.
There doesn't seem to be any way to last more than ~4 minutes on this, whether or not you defend the well or just stick solely to the castle.

Does anyone have any hints or tips? If not, I'll probably just wait until someone does a YT playthrough.

[CoyoteTraveller]

Thanks!  I think I tuned the difficulty a little high, for a first map at least.  It's definitely playable without a ton of micro, but it's always full of pain.  First thing I can think of is that pit you arrive with gives you a LOT of options at the beginning - those are crates of 100 energy and 100 arg in there.  Also, mortars are more energy efficient than cannons, and this is a map where you'll spend a lot of time in deficit.  (You'll also spend a lot of time losing ground here and there.)

Some intended tricks:

Spoiler

After about 15 seconds, the Creeper has receded enough that you can reach a hill on the mainland from the starting pit.  With all the Eco in the pit, well-placed towers there can get you +4 energy per second for as long as the shields stay up, which is a very nice bonus...if you don't have any other plans for that Arg.

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Spoiler

With the free energy crate, you can start a Terp started immediately, and two of the ERNs are easy to get - especially at the very start.  If you like to play a turtle-oriented game, an ERNed Terp could be a huge asset - that's not the "planned solution", but this map _does_ reward playing with terps.

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Spoiler

The "Well" that Preacher was talking about is the flip breeder south of the castle.  If you can drop any AC in there, then you can park a sprayer nearby in "Dispatch Ore" and maybe "AC Collection" for the rest of the game for a huge free source of bluite.  AC Bombers are pretty effective here!  If the Creeper takes the Well, though, you've probably lost.

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Spoiler

There's no easy trick to getting early Redon, at least not that I'm aware of myself.  That means you're going to eat a lot spores, and yeah, they come twice as often as usual...but they don't aim well, and they're a pretty minor threat.  Defend your backfield with a good number of mortars; you can kill 'em after they land.

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