Mechanoid Invasion

Recommended Loadout

NOTE: If you added Laser weapons in the previous mission, leave them alone, add anything else listed below that you can, but don't remove the lasers.

-[ Angelwing ]-

Whatever you want. Strong weapons needed. Fighters, too.

-[ Brutus ]-

Add 2x Flash Fighters.

-[ Sparta ]-

Swap 1x Bubble Energy Shell for 1x Delektron Shell, 1x L1 Fusion Support Generator for 1x L1 Quark Support Generator

-[ Avalanche ]-

Add 1x Flash Fighter

-[ Guardian ]-

Add 1x Flash Fighter, 1x Volcano Plasma Gun, swap Pulsar Missile for Magma Plasma Gun

-[ All Ships ]-

Fighters are a help in this mission... but don't sacrifice getting better weapons for fighters. If you have the RPs, add fighters. Otherwise, we'll deal with it.

If you destroyed the Serenity on the previous mission, as well as all of the subsystems of the other two ships, this mission will be extremely easy. When the mission starts, pause the game (spacebar). Select all your ships and have them Attack Devices (F6) on the nearest ship. Click that ship and make sure any engine subsystems are highlighted and flashing. Then, select ALL of your squadrons (minus commandos of course) and have them attack the same ship you just attacked. Once one ships engines are down, do the same to the other ship.

Now that they're dead in space, you can take your time. Take out their shield systems and any remaining systems. Not that it matters, but it's fun. After that, just blow them up as quickly as possible. They launch escape pods and if you don't blow the ships up quick, they can get to and infect the stargate. If you trash the ships quick, they never get close.

Also, the explosion shockwave from one of the ships is massive. It will wipe out a majority of your squadrons, so pull them back before it blows.

OTHERWISE, if you did not destroy any devices -- read on.

This is another one of those annoying missions. Lots can go wrong, and speed is a major determining factor. We have to blow up the three Vardrag ships in this area, the Starblazer, Pathfinder and Serenity. What's most annoying, in my opinion, is the damned Vardrags voice. I can't stand it! It makes me want to break things! Oh, you can skip dialog, just click the dialog box! But still, it's annoying!

Anyway, two things can happen here. You can try to save the Stargate and Starportal, or you can let them get infected. If you manage to save them, your job is easier as the Fortress Shield prevents the infected Vardrags from using the Wormhole, thus allowing you all the time you need to destroy the ships. If you can't save it, you have to be very quick about taking the ships down.

One other thing to note is that the Vardrag ships have a huge shockwave when they explode. If either the Sparta or Brutus are too close, they'll die instantly... which is extremely aggravating.

You do not need to save the Starportal here, you won't fail any objectives, but like I said, it would make your job easier.

If you plan to try to save the star portal, send half of your fighters to guard the Starportal, while the other half guard the Stargate. Send the Angelwing at 200% Engine power to guard the portal, too. Then take the Sparta and Brutus and guard the Avalanche. Set the Avalanche to 200% engine power and engage the closest ship (usually the Starblazer).

If all goes well, your fighters and the Angelwing will manage to save the starportal. If not, pull all your fighters back (F1 them home) and have all your ships start pounding all the Vardrag ships. Watch out for the shockwaves!

Also... there's a survivor on one of the ships. I'm not sure if its the Serenity or the Starblazer... I've never managed to save him. You don't fail an objective for that either.

Once all the ships are destroyed, and if you saved the starportal, you're done. Otherwise have all ships go back to the Guardian (we didn't move it remember?) and assign them a group and use the Siege formation to take out the Starportal.

Why didn't we use the Guardian? Well... the Vardrag ships have Cataclysm missiles. These will take out a battleship in one hit. If you're lucky and have fighters and flaks to guard the Guardian (heh...) it won't die. But every time I've ever moved it, it's died. So just leave it alone. Better to keep it alive.

Destroy all the ships, save or destroy the Starportal and it's...

MISSION COMPLETE!