Well, since strategy articles are considered viable content, I may as well post my first contribution to the growing area of Ares Strategy.
-----Targeting (Mistreated)-----
Many people do not consider targeting in Ares to be very important. The extent that most people use it for is to assign esorts to transports or to their flagship. At best, they use it for fleet structure (Carrier-2 gunships-2 cruisers each attached to gunships, ect.) However, targeting can actually win you a battle. It can be the deciding factor in same species games, which are what tournaments are all about.
Use 1: Taking out someone specific: Preferable your opponent's HVD. In an Ishiman vs Ishiman game, where both sides use the double carrier-rest cruisers tactic, which is so very common, it is whoever loses their HVD first that usually loses. Therefore, target the cruisers to the HVD to swarm it so you can kill it with your HVD, and send your carriers to the planet so they can support each other. An ishiman carrier on it's own is pretty easy to kill- is far more difficult. This is why attacking is generally preferable. This is by far my favorate use of targeting, since I usualy play games against opponents of the same species.
Use 2: Lures: A great tactic, best for humans since the ship mix is always the same. No doubt most of you have read the attack magnet strategy on the axis page. This is an elaboration on that as well as an explanation of why it works. I will use the example of humans and gunships with an ATR. A human HVD travels through hyperspace much more quickly than the gunships do. Therefore, if you are defending the assault transport, and your opponent comes at you out of hyperspace, you have the advantage of using your hvd to pick off his while your gunships, which are grouped together, will eat him alive. When the gunships arrive moments later, they all drop out of hyperspace in different places. Your gunships are in a group. This means that you can divide and conquer your opponents gunships, and you still have your HVD. I can win most of my human games with this strategy.
Use 3: Defence: If you are looking to defend your planet, then do. Don't attack just because you're worried. Patience can be rewarding provided you do the right things. DO NOT target your fleet to your HVD, they will be moving around and all over the place, making them easy prey. Additionally, they will be trying to follow you while fighting, which gets them killed really quickly. Instead, target your ships to a fixed or slow moving point, such as a carrier which is targeted to your planet. This way, you will be the anvil to your opponent's hammer; he may strike, but when the hammer breaks the anvil is still fine. This also allows you to use your HVD to move around and be it's best without leading your fleet astray.
These are just some of the uses of targeting, and now that people know them I'll likely never win another game, since they form the basis of my tactics.
