NS_Agora:


Summary:
Agora is generally considered a marine biased map. From the long hallways to the sheer size of the map, it is easy for marines to capture and hold nodes with relative ease, and it has some easily defendable siege points. But, with its size and abundance of nodes, commandrs need to put continued pressure on the alien nodes, or higher lifeforms will come quickly and in numbers.

Key Points On the Map:



Hans-System 21: This is a popular relocation point for marines. From this location you have access to three resource towers anf can easily hold the onein Marine Start giving four resource towers.
Tunnel RP2: From Tunnel RP2, you can quickly move into Tunnel Hive below and to Cargo hive above.
Main Generator: From this location you can quickly move to Sewer and Tunnel hives.


Siege Positions:
All siege positions below have been combat tested for accuracy and ease of defense. The sieges in the picture below are placed AS FAR AWAY FROM THE HIVE AS POSSIBLE while still reaching.

Cargo Hive:



Siege Point I:
If you are approaching the Cargo hive from the Marine Start side, the hallway above Steam Tunnel is very easy to fortify and protect. You can place the sieges up top at the ladder so that they can be easily protected, and all aliens are bottlenecked at the ladder. There is one vent beside the ladder, but it too can be watched from above. The sieges should be placed as close the the lower wall as possible to give enough room for marines to walk by unhindered.



Siege Point II:
This position is optimal if you are advancing from the south side of the hive location, from Tunnel hive. Most commanders place the turret factory and phase gate against the wall nearest to the hive, but you can place it at the position below to have a farther distance from the door. Try to keep the door closed by left clicking on it. There is a vent directly above this location, as well as one on the wall between The Pit and the hive, so watch for skulks and bile bomb from above.



Tunnel Hive:



Siege Point I:
This location is optimal if moving from Cargo Hive, or The Wedge. Building the phase gate at the tunnel RP2 node and electrifying is really the best way to fortify it, but in a pinch, this location is nice. The sieges can reach the hive from this location and marines can easily move around the sieges to kill anything attacking it. There is a walkway above for skulks to move from the tunnel hive, and two hallways on either side. There is also two vents behind the siege point for gorges, lerks, and skulks to attack from.



Siege Point II:
This location is optimal if moving from the Sewer hive side of the map. Place the phase gate and turret factory on the right wall, that way aliens have to round the corner to attack. the sieges MUST be in the hallway to reach. There is only one way from Tunnel hive, and no vents into the room.



Sewer Hive:



Siege Point I:
Best suited if moving from Marine Start, this is a bit further back than most normal siege locations. You don't even have to weld the water room! Place the turret factory on the left side in the corner, and place the sieges against the lower wall on the ramp. You will notice there is a gap between the siege cannon on the top level and the one on the ramp. That is because that spot causes the turrets to sink, so be sure to leave a bit of room (or be ready to recycle). There is only one way from Sewer, and no vents into the hallway.



Siege Point II:
Most people place the turret factory in the corner closest to the hive, where it is easily bile bombed and swarmed by skulks. By placing the TF further back, you can easily defend and get a ranged attack.





I hope this guide will help you better understand this map, and you can become a better commander and marine. Please, if you know of any added strategies regarding shotgus rushes, relocation, even well used chamber placements and skulk hiding spots, add them. Let's make this a comprehensive strategy for anyone new to commanding to this map.

Wow... now THAT is a guide... however, scenario: What if your team cant aim and sucks and the other team is better then you?

I never thought about relocating to Hans-System 21. I'm gona try that next time I come agora. Also very nice info on where to siege from that will help alot.

is tim rad4christ?

Aye, he is one and the same.

great guide, horrible map.

I'd remove the commanding basics section to its own topic if i were you. Those points have been spelled out before, but it wouldn't kill anyone to have another topic on them. I would also additionally consider how a marine would feel in any one of those siege spots. For example:

Cargo hive, siege spot 2. Although it is a large room with high ceilings, something which would seem to facilitate an easy defence for marines, it has several boxes and beams obstructing visability, it has three different vertical levels to consider when moving around, and it has 5 (count them!) access points for aliens to attack from. Its one of the hardest positions to hold on the map (although few rooms are easy on agora). If it was necessary to siege from this location, I would make sure to keep a flow of mine packs going through the gate and I would definately place the phase gate on one of the raised platforms on the side of the walls.

Tunnel hive, siege spot 1. This spot suffers from the same problems as the one above. 5 access points, beams and scattered boxes and two different height levels to make navigation and dodging difficult. The beam makes it very easy for a lerk to gas the whole room from a safe vantage-point.

Sewer hive, siege spot 2. This spot has three access points, but one is by water and covers the whole floor. The buildings are placed on a bridge and skulks can swim from the hive room to any point in the siege base. Assuming your marines are intelligent and organized, it would take two marines minimum to guard full time. This area is still easier to hold than both of the ones above it, but it's probably worth it to walk around to the other point and build there, if possible.

Further, I think some discussion of the plusses and minuses of each relocation spot would be helpful. F'rinstance, Hans-system 21 may control 4 resource towers, but it's about 40 feet from the entrances to the original marine base, and being so close offers only marginally better access to the rest of the map. One of the biggest considerations in a relocate should be map access. If it doesn't offer any, you're probably going to lose due to the time and res taken. A basic relocate takes about 2 minutes; minutes the aliens are using to establish their dominance.

Otherwise, thanks for the guide!

Nice! this was actually the first topic (along with the other one on Ayumi) that were actually useful.

Yeah, I just now realized what was bothering me about these two guides. They're awesome, totally rad and so forth, very good, but you're giving people these siege locations without giving them a word of warning about how some of them can be absolute deathtraps. Siege point one in tunnel hive coming down from cargo is an absolute nightmare because of the easy access to the room skulks have. The TF has to be so close, skulks have an easy time picking off builder marines and the TF itself.

You're usually better off marching from Cargo hive westward towards The Wedge, then down the elevator shaft or weld open the stairway so you can get to the MUCH superior Tunnel Siege Pt2, with it's one entrance and exit.

Commanders have a responsibility not to let their guys get into stupid positions. I hate trying to take Tunnel from the north. If you're on your game as a com, you need to select all soldiers and use the waypoint function to click them a path the way you want them to go. Let them know what they should do. They're dumb and don't understand that lots of vents and obstactles = bad.

Awesome guides though.

Of course, each hive has a preferred place to siege from. Sewer is hard from Main Generator side, Cargo, is hard from tunnel side, and TUnnel RP2 is a nightmare. But, if this is the only way, I'm trying to give the best place. On Tunnel for example. Some commanders try to build in the hallways beside tunnel, and they get so cramped skulks and bile bomb own them easily. If the other siege point is taken, and you HAVE to siege from RP2, this is an optimal setup. The gorges can't bile the PG TF directly without exposing alot of their bodies. And marines are just going to have to do their best to guard it. It's hard, but not impossible.

Nice topics. Your relentlessly exposing those nice little seige points.

This to!

One word: "Nifty"

Say, is it possible that you will merge all your guides together into a single pdf?

Please, to would be soooo sweeeet <3

if i could do neat graphics like that maybe i could do similar guides like this with ns_lost and metal. propably you'll have to settle for my MSPaint skills.

except i'd need a computer with ns running first :x