Is there any good tactic I can use on this level? Something that will really give me an edge?

First off, there's walk-throughs at the Ares Axis. I dunno the URL, I keep forgetting it, and I lack the forsight to ever bookmark it, but I can tell you for certain the URL is NOT (url="http://"http://axis.ares.net")http://axis.ares.net(/url)
Okay... This is the one where you have a bunch of supply ships jump in halfway through and complete construction of a half-finished super-ultra-spaceship-thingamajig (better known as an Obish Destroyer), right? Here's the way I beat that level:
The first things to build are 2 engineer pods. Send one to each flak drone right off the bat (you don't HAVE to send the first pod to the flak drone closest to the Canth planet but it helps). After that, target yourself and fly towards the two assault transports heading for the... resource-pump-doohickeys (better known as Bunker Stations). Build some gunships to back you up, and blast the assault transports to bits.
When that's done, build some assault trans of your own and let your opponent take a crack at the resource-pumps. All's you have to do is kill assault transports as they come so that it is the computer that's wasting shields and ammo neutralizing the darn things and not you. When one of them is neutral, move in and attack the rest of the computer's ships, sending in your ATs (so's that hopefully, partway through the fight, the resource-pump will power up and open fire on the computer). You may as well attack the other resource pump immediately after if you're strong enough and the computer wasn't dumb enough to attack that one too.
If you do it right, you should end up with both Flak Drones, both resource-pumps, and an Obish Destroyer on the way. All that remains is to hang around the Flak Drone closest to the Cantaran's planet and wipe out any Engineering Pods that come too close. The computer is too stupid to go around, and they will stop the moment they spot your ships. When you feel you've got a sufficient advantage over the computer, take all your ships and sit on their planet while you wait for your game-ending transport to land there. Good Hunting.

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Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for the Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.

-The Lord of the Rings

(This message has been edited by Soldier of Binki (edited 01-23-2000).)

The Axis url is (url="http://"http://www.axis.n3.net")www.axis.n3.net(/url) .

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I come, I go; You'll never know...

-Admiral Dennis
(url="http://"mailto:admiraldennis@mac.com")mailto:admiraldennis@mac.com(/url)admiraldennis@mac.com

To beat this mission I just built as many cruisers as I could with the resourses I started with and immediatly launched them to the enemy planet. The Cantharans sent existing units back to the planet but my large force was overwhelming them. I just kept sending more cruisers there and finally built a transport, I transfered control into it and went around the flak stations and bunker stations(I didn't bother capturing them, thought it was a waste of resourses and time) then landed on the planet and won. It didn't take me more than 20 mins at most.

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(This message has been edited by HotSpice (edited 01-26-2000).)

There are two good ways to beat this level. One, is by occupying the bunker stations and getting a superior resource level, and pushing the Cantharans back; or two, just capturing the flak drones and keeping resources equal, but working your way up the string of escorted trans/ATR/engineering pods until you reach the planet. If you are going for the skillz win, do the second method - after you take out the ATR's, go ballistic attacking. For the more normal win, go for the ATR's, then concentrate on keeping the bunkers clear. There is no real way to get an easy edge or occupy some special point - you either get the resources, or go straight for their planet. Either way, make SURE the Canths have no ATR's alive, EVER.

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Replicant
www.axis.n3.net

Replicant wrote:
**There are two good ways to beat this level. One, is by occupying the bunker stations and getting a superior resource level, and pushing the Cantharans back; or two, just capturing the flak drones and keeping resources equal, but working your way up the string of escorted trans/ATR/engineering pods until you reach the planet. If you are going for the skillz win, do the second method - after you take out the ATR's, go ballistic attacking. For the more normal win, go for the ATR's, then concentrate on keeping the bunkers clear. There is no real way to get an easy edge or occupy some special point - you either get the resources, or go straight for their planet. Either way, make SURE the Canths have no ATR's alive, EVER.
**

Good advice Replicant, but didn't my tactic work too? As soon as I took over the cantharans base(many ships were over it) they sent back their ATRs to try to defend it(wonder why...) The mission didn't even take long for me. I just attacked right after their first attack on the bunker staitions failed.

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HotSpice(better known as Avenger on GR)

My stratagy is for this is called the "overrwhelming attrition" stratagy. Occupy the near fd and bs, then dig in like crazy. After a while slowly push the enemy off the map! But I am a little cautious there. But hey, the enemy's tactics invite and reward overcaution. Watch them eat death once you have 45 cruisers!

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Commander-in-Chief of the Nijayias Interstellar Navy.