GDF on Slipgate

[Azuvector]

Haven't had an awful lot of opportunity to play the GDF side on this map lately, teams always seem to fill GDF first, so I've not been able to really formulate a lot of my own strategies from the GDF POV yet.
What typically seems to happen when I play Slipgate as Strogg is I'll go get the Cyclops ASAP, and spend the whole round dodging in and out of the Slipgate. Last time I did this, my first death(And destruction of the Cyclops) was 18 minutes into the round. Needless to say, the GDF lost. This is pretty typical on this map, in my experience. I've yet to lose, ever, on Slipgate when using the Cyclops in this manner.
That said, I tend to be a gamer who plays for fun rather than wins. I want a challenge. So, I invite any GDF players with experience dealing with a Slipgate-camping Cyclops to share what they do to get a win. (And in general, any tips that'll help the GDF out on that map.)

My own from my limited experiences playing GDF(And from being the Cyclops that the whole GDF team is trying to take out.) on that map are fairly limited:
The most effective means of getting rid of the Cyclops is a combination of EMP grenades to prevent it from moving(retreating back through the Slipgate for repairs), and an Airstrike to do the damage needed to take it out.
The Anansi generally shouldn't attempt to take the Cyclops on its own: the avenues of approach are fairly limited, and the Cyclops has little difficulty hitting the Anansi in midair. Same deal for the Bumblebee: it's not going to make it to the Slipgate to airdrop anyone if there's a Cyclops there.
The Titan can force the Cyclops to retreat by playing peek-a-boo at the bend in the road: pop out and fire, then back up fast before the Cyclops can retaliate.
Rocket-using Soldiers need to attack from the left or right of the Cyclops, and are best off not trying for a lockon. Attacking from down the road using a locked-on missile is generally fruitless as it can be decoyed away with little effort.
Hanging around anywhere on the Slipgate side of the buildings in the area is a bad idea: the Cyclops can reach out and touch you even behind cover, with the splash damage of its plasma cannons.
When hacking, while a Cyclops is still active, the only console safe from the Cyclops is the one on the opposite side of the Slipgate, behind the Cyclops: it can't move around the Slipgate fast enough to get a LOS on you, and frequently will accidentally step through the Slipgate in the process of trying to reach you. An experienced Cyclops pilot will ignore you if you're back there, so your only concerns will be with Infantry.
An effective strategy for Fieldops/Titans is to get up on the hill/cliff overlooking the Slipgate and drop artillery/tank shells onto the Cyclops and infantry defenders there, retreating back over the crest of the hill when needed. Beware if the Strogg bring a Tormentor through the Slipgate too, as you'll be a high-priority target for it.
Any infantry in the Cyclops' area are best to stay on rooftops so that if they do expose themselves to the Cyclops, they can force a direct hit with the plasma cannons to be required, rather than being on the ground or near a wall where splash damage is a major factor.

A note to Strogg players: before initially bringing a vehicle through the Slipgate, use team chat to notify your team that something's about to come through. For non-Cyclops vehicles, or any time you come through the Slipgate while a Cyclops is in play, always let the Cyclops pilot know to expect you, and give him time to move out of the way or reply with a "Wait": telefragging a Cyclops camping the slipgate can demolish the Strogg defense, and none of the other vehicles are as valuable to the Strogg team at this point in the game.

[SuperHappyCow]

The cyclops is pretty ridiculous in and of itself. GDF have no weapon that one player can wield that can deal so much damage. I mean, we do have super fast air strikes, but then, we have to basically be standing ridiculously close to the canister to get the strike right if the cyclops has any idea what's going on.

[Azuvector]

The cyclops is pretty ridiculous in and of itself. GDF have no weapon that one player can wield that can deal so much damage. I mean, we do have super fast air strikes, but then, we have to basically be standing ridiculously close to the canister to get the strike right if the cyclops has any idea what's going on.

It's strong and well-armoured certainly. Its weaknesses are a lack of precision weapons + a gunner position, a general requirement for it to be motionless in combat, limited visiblity/situational awareness(They're probably the easiest vehicle to sneak up behind, given no radar. Try running up behind one as a covert ops in disguise, undisguising and EMPing the hell out of it. Works great.), and also the fact that they're slow and a big target, which makes them both easy to hit and keeps them out of small areas that the Titan can fit into.
Also, in regards to the Titan, and while this doesn't apply in the Slipgate map, generally, it does quite a bit in others: the Titan's shots fly in a ballistic arc, while the Cyclops' fire straight. This allows for a Titan driver to go hull down behind some intervening cover, and be virtually impossible for the Cyclops to hit, while having no problem dropping shells on the Cyclops' head.

[Singh400]

Slipgate is one of my favourite maps playing either as GDF or Strogg. I've won with both sides before and lost.

The key for GDF I feel, is to do a covert rush. This has worked for me 60% of the time. Once hacked, you need to get the MCP quick sharp into the slipgate. Don't give Strogg a chance to setup. Even if they do setup, it's pretty easy to get through. Once the MCP is through the slipgate, it's usually near the deploy area when Strogg spawn in. Thats usually too late to call in a deployable. The rest is all down to infantry and luck.

The key for Strogg is to hold a good defence at the slipgate (2 APTs and 1 AIT) and constantly recapture/liberate the forward spawn. Most games I play (usually play as Strogg) now, I find we (Strogg) can hold the Slipgate till around the 15 minute mark.

I've not seen the Cyclops used on this map before.

[Knife]

I think this map is horrible for Pub-Play. It is so lopsided to the strogg that it's undeniable. Today I was playing on a server I frequent (Free Love and SunShyne Los Angeles, ChosenOnes) and the teams were practically equal between the regulars on the server. We know who each other are, and I can say that the teams were even. The GDF got to attempt to hack the controls about eight times before we succeeded, and even then, there wasn't enough time to finish the map. I ended up with most XP, Best Vehicles, Best FieldOps, and Most upgrades, so I know that I was working my ass off to clear out the Strogg so the Covies could get to the gate, and we still had a horrible time getting into the hack area. It was madness. At the end of the round there were quite a few people (all regulars and experienced players) voiced their distaste for the map, and I couldn't agree more.

I love this game more than any game I've played, but I just cannot get over how highly skewed the Slipgate map is. It has become my nemesis for the meantime. Time will tell if I ever see this map played well on a regular basis. For now it is painful to play.

[fuzzmaster]

The cyclops is pretty ridiculous in and of itself. GDF have no weapon that one player can wield that can deal so much damage. I mean, we do have super fast air strikes, but then, we have to basically be standing ridiculously close to the canister to get the strike right if the cyclops has any idea what's going on.


Thats kind of a silly thing to say when GDF has an Anansi in their rear base. 10-15 seconds is enough to do the job unless they have a killer defense in place, then you're screwed anyway so might as well snipe for the rest of the map.

[bubufetz]

take a gdf truck and ram it in apt then get in gun gl:O

[Kal-Torak]

Best anti cyclops weapon is the anansi. If you have a good pilot they are almost impossible to hit. And they have the range advantage on you as well.

Best combo to take a cyclops is 1 EMP gren hit followed up with anansi strikes and artillery if you have it.

[TreeFrog]

EMP doesn't do shit against the Cyclops b/c most of the time the Cyclops is already sieged and doesn't need to move much.

Titans are great anti-cyclops as they got unlimited range (Cyclops has limited range) and can move in between objects.

oh...and rocket arty > cyclops

[Azuvector]

Been a while since this thread was created, but by and large, my opinion's unchanged. Only server I ever have trouble abusing this on is probably the exclaimation, and even then, on the rare occasions that I've done it, I still usually take down a sick number of people...

EMP doesn't do shit against the Cyclops b/c most of the time the Cyclops is already sieged and doesn't need to move much.

The point of the EMP is to stop the Cyclops from getting up while your rocket artillery, dommafia-piloted anansi, hammer, airstrike, etc, is inbound, and simply stepping back through the Slipgate to completely negate all the damage taken so far, in complete safety, and stepping back out to resume its post as Slipgate-guard once repairs are done.

[DugDanger]

EMP nade and a sneaky soldat plant with the ol, HE charge will do it.

[Nogen]

Whats so hard about a cyclops? As a field op, airstrike, grenade, grenade, grenade and no more cyclops. Anansi you just stand off or fly right up high above them. Bumblebee you do the sine wave dodge. Rockets you just dumbfire...

2 good pilots can always unlock slipgate. Anansi to clear plasma mortar, bumblebee to sit behind the gate and clear it out. I can't remember the last time I played slipgate and didn't at least see the MCP get through the gate.

[cheezespread]

An Emp nade and either a rocket arty or the above mentioned some are deadly . Just need to know when to use them . Though i cant fly anything , a few rockets from an anansi will crumble it . And i always end up being in that Cyclops when some one skilled decides to fly the anansi ;)

[4rv1d]

Slipgate is shit map for the gdf. Bad level design very unbalanced.

[GanjMahal]

Whats so hard about a cyclops? As a field op, airstrike, grenade, grenade, grenade and no more cyclops. Anansi you just stand off or fly right up high above them. Bumblebee you do the sine wave dodge. Rockets you just dumbfire...

2 good pilots can always unlock slipgate. Anansi to clear plasma mortar, bumblebee to sit behind the gate and clear it out. I can't remember the last time I played slipgate and didn't at least see the MCP get through the gate.

Okay, but here's the part you're missing: You are not in the Bumblebee for the wide majority of games. I'll admit that the issues with Slipgate are generally problems in execution rather than layout, but you have to realize that 99% of teams let the 'bee sit idle or fly it headon into the Strogg AVT farm. Having played Slipgate many times as one good pilot, I can safely say that the lack of the second must make a very big difference; considering our respective experiences. I don't think I've ever met a second pilot that would meet your requisites as a 'Bee pilot.

[Azuvector]

Whats so hard about a cyclops? As a field op, airstrike,

And right here, the Cyclops stands up, and backs up through the Slipgate before your airstrike occurs, since the airstrike marker is quite obvious when you're aware that you're the biggest target on the map. At best, you just catch the edge of it and do maybe some partial damage. Which will be repaired in seconds. And then the Cyclops will be back.

grenade, grenade, grenade

And this never happens. :P
EMP is required as part of your tactic to work. Assuming you can get all that dished out before the Cyclops simply blasts you to pieces when the EMP's interruption of the fire control of the Cyclops wears off.

Even with EMP and some heavy weaponry standing by, it's pretty dicey if the Cyclops pilot is alert. I've managed to 'slide' the Cyclops through the gate a few times, as it's powering down from the EMP, to wait out the disabled time on the other side.

Best you can do with a Cyclops in this setup is suppress it for a few seconds at a time while it goes to repair, unless the Cyclops pilot makes a mistake in judging if its safe to hang around and takes too much damage before trying to retreat.
And meanwhile, anything that comes into LOS of the Cyclops is going to be eating Plasma Cannon shells as fast as it can fire them.

'bout it.

[blaznee]

I find slipgate to be pretty enjoyable now.. Last couple of times I have played it, the GDF have won.. And more often than not it's down to the last objective..

I agree that in the beginning with suicide rushing coverts it was next to impossible.. Now GDF attack in waves backed with medics.. Pretty hard to keep the slipgate unhacked for more than 10 minutes..

[DugDanger]

Okay, but here's the part you're missing: You are not in the Bumblebee for the wide majority of games. I'll admit that the issues with Slipgate are generally problems in execution rather than layout, but you have to realize that 99% of teams let the 'bee sit idle or fly it headon into the Strogg AVT farm. Having played Slipgate many times as one good pilot, I can safely say that the lack of the second must make a very big difference; considering our respective experiences. I don't think I've ever met a second pilot that would meet your requisites as a 'Bee pilot.

Sadly iv only played 1 or 2 games with you! and it was never on a map with the bee.

But on topic, this tactic is harsh because the Cyclops can back into the slipgate on taking damage and heal, the gdf cant follow until hacked. Thats why you need to EMP the bugger. Well there should be loads of cov ops.

[GreasedScotsman]

Yeah, I've seen someone try this tactic on ! a few times and a single EMP was all it took. The average GDF team has about 3 Covys. With some VOIP and teamwork, I guarantee one of those nades is going to connect (unless you're spending most of your time in the slipgate warp trying to dodge them and not firing at anything, and thus the Cyclops is effectively nullified anyway).

Of course, an alternative I've seen is to shift the normal hack point to the one directly behind the Slipgate where the Cyclops can't shoot. Just the other day, I watched with a huge smile on my face as the team of Covys came up the hill about 2 minutes into Slipgate after being stopped cold at the closest hack point. They walked by me in my Titan on the back hill, dropped in behind all of the Strogg defenses and hacked the gate from start to finish without any interruption. The Dese covering the closest hack sat there looking for targets in vain. Almost all the Strogg flooded to the normal hack point where an Engineer had laid mines (ROFL) and I covered the side of the back hack piont that is exposed to the Strogg spawn with my tank gun. It was a thing of beauty.

This reminds me of Valley (pre-nerf) back in the Beta when GDF finally started getting the hang of the objectives... there was a period of really nice experimentation and adaptation on both sides, with a bit of lag time between each stage of evolution, and I look forward to seeing it happen across all 12 maps.

[Dellamorte]

I also always rush for the cyclops when playing as strogg.
However recently I get mysteriously teamkilled after some minutes. It happened three times already and I wonder wheter I pissed off some crazy anansi player on GDF. After that I didnt wanna waste the time to get a new cyclops and soon after that the slipgate got hacked...

[space]

EMP + Rocket Arty FTW.

[PhotonScatter]

Surprise Rocket Arty FTW, don't even need an EMP nade.

That said, I think the Cyclops behind the Slipgate in Antarctica is more annoying. Add to that your team holding the forward spawn, stopping the MCP on that off ramp = no more ground vehicle support, and no air if they don't fly over it.

[GreasedScotsman]

Yeah in my opinion, the MCP (and only the MCP) should come out a bit ahead of the slipgate ramp on the Ant. side so that you don't risk the "nearly impossible to spawn on the other side" issue due to constant telefragging.

[Azuvector]

Yeah in my opinion, the MCP (and only the MCP) should come out a bit ahead of the slipgate ramp on the Ant. side so that you don't risk the "nearly impossible to spawn on the other side" issue due to constant telefragging.

I wonder if that could be resolved by simply giving the damn thing more spawnpoints. Let people spawn farther from the exits if the nearer ones are blocked. Add in a sort've horizontal geyser/ripple effect that stretches out to the spawnpoint to cover the large gap between the gate itself and the spawnpoint.

[whiteaden]

The point of the EMP is to stop the Cyclops from getting up while your rocket artillery, dommafia-piloted anansi, hammer, airstrike, etc, is inbound, and simply stepping back through the Slipgate to completely negate all the damage taken so far, in complete safety, and stepping back out to resume its post as Slipgate-guard once repairs are done.

LOL!! dommafia-piloted anansi.. :cool:

[Nogen]

And right here, the Cyclops stands up, and backs up through the Slipgate before your airstrike occurs, since the airstrike marker is quite obvious when you're aware that you're the biggest target on the map. At best, you just catch the edge of it and do maybe some partial damage. Which will be repaired in seconds. And then the Cyclops will be back.




Didn't we all learn in W:ET how to hide our airstrike cannisters so they can't be seen?

[yano]

Another thing that can kill GDF on the first objective is parking a Desecrator behind the slipgate. It has the advantage of being able to see/defend all 3 hack points with 2 people. I've used this position many times with great success - as long as the rest of the strogg team is doing their job...:oppressor:

[Generic.Z]

slipgate aint that hard if you have a GDF team that is committed to the hack and not gaining xp with deployables and crap (e.g. engineers and field ops)

a gdf team with mostly cov's and meds rushing the hack will get it done in no time at all! seen it happen many times.. if stalled then a fieldop or two can come in handy throwing vampires...

coverts need to remember to use their smoke grenades as well! very helpful btw... keep rushing the slipgate and it will get hacked! the problem is, most of the time-- the GDF team only has 2 to 3 coverts.... to many non-essential classes (e.g. soldiers and engineers) at the start of slipgate --

[Singh400]

^Agreed, one of the most annoying things is when the rooftops get infested with medics & supply crates. That usually means the slipgate will be hacked ASAP.

A lot of people don't think to take out the supply crate. Instead they kill the players, but leave the supply crate intact.

[tenio]

well a bumble bee with a rocket-soldier is very powerfull and if you get third guy to be guner it is almost invinsible

firing at cyclops with rocket and gun at same time = win

[GanjMahal]

well a bumble bee with a rocket-soldier is very powerfull and if you get third guy to be guner it is almost invinsible

firing at cyclops with rocket and gun at same time = win

Cyclops rate of fire in seige mode is too fast for that. Unless you've got other things distracting it on the ground, or he doesn't know you're there (somehow), it won't work.

The larger issues behind Slipgate have little to do with the Cyclops IMO; and it's not even the most difficult MCP map but it gets the worst rep because it does have the hardest "do this first and then the MCP shows up" objective in the game.

[whiteaden]

Cyclops rate of fire in seige mode is too fast for that. Unless you've got other things distracting it on the ground, or he doesn't know you're there (somehow), it won't work.

The larger issues behind Slipgate have little to do with the Cyclops IMO; and it's not even the most difficult MCP map but it gets the worst rep because it does have the hardest "do this first and then the MCP shows up" objective in the game.

the problem with the MCP is that smart Strogg constructors mine the exit of the slipgate.. if the MCP gets through, it gets disabled right away..
making people get telefragged, easy kills for those who do get through.. no vehicles passing through (as far as I know.. never tried bee or Anansi when the MCP is dead @ slipgate exit).. the Cyclops camping it.. and Strogg win.. it's lame.. but works.. :rolleyes:

[GorkerMorker]

What bothers me about the GDF on Slipgate is that it's a total BITCHFIGHT to join the GDF at the start and halfway the game the GDF team collapses like a house of cards in new orleans because of all the disconnects.

Such behaviour really fascinates me.

[Tandem]

For the cyclops: if I'm on my own, I hit 'em with an EMP, then toss a third eye on him &detonate it right away to drain him, he'll be sitting target for any teamates in the area, a good shout-out to let ppl know hes stunned is a good idea too. If the cyclops is there i'd hack the opposite side 4sure after i stunned him, if my radar was destroyed i like to tap the slipgate and wait for any infantry close by to rush in, take them out and hack away.

-a team effort would be the best way, EMP, third eye(optional)-if the cyclops driver is ridiculus good,and is killing everyone and you get close enough(which i havent met), use a smoke grenade to disorient him. I'm always suprised to see how underutilized the smoke grenades are. If every CovertOps threw a smoke nade, the run-in-and-hack people might make it. After hes stunned ,dumbfire rockets, grenades, whatever gun you armed with. The team should pull together for any enemy armor. Especially aircraft, if everyone shoots @it everytime they see it, it wont last. Icarus included.

GDF have to pull it together on this map. If the teams are evenly skilled, GDF has to perform up &beyond. Same thing goes for Strogg on Volcano. Lots of horrible games on both sides, its no fun having trouble finding someone to kill, even less being held at the 1st obj the whole game. If no one takes the lead, I usually will, typing and voip, but still that doesnt do it sometimes. When no one is typin or talking, or responding to teamwork, LOL thats a buzzkill

[SuperHappyCow]

Man. I hate it when I call out before the match: I'm attacking in the anansi, need a covert ops or medic, or engie to come with me, but no one does a thing.

Also, people forget to lay down third eye cameras while hacking, or throw down smoke grenades. On the first rush, get the third eye down, and on subsequent rushes, get the smoke canisters down. Then snipe anyone coming around corners.

[Bunkermaster]

The death of GDF on slipgate is: 1 covert op, rest medic camping roofs and not healing anything, not destroying spawnhosts, etc. Really annoying. Just had a few games like that and boy do I hate it.

[whiteaden]

The death of GDF on slipgate is: 1 covert op, rest medic camping roofs and not healing anything, not destroying spawnhosts, etc. Really annoying. Just had a few games like that and boy do I hate it.

nothing beats a team with 3 covert ops, 1 medic, 1 engi, and 3 fieldopses who think they need to use their Vampires to back the 3 (!) hacking covert ops up.. :rolleyes: had that once.. we had it nearly done.. <fieldop [vampire] 3× covert ops>

we did a vote kick on the fieldop because he pulled that joke on our forward spawn aswel already.. his reason: there was a strogg on the roof.. 2 radars and one AIT dead :rolleyes:

[Antima]

Azuvector,nice to see that my name is on your "hit list".
Since I can't do the same from GDF but I will return the favor.....:cool:

[Azuvector]

Azuvector,nice to see that my name is on your "hit list".
Since I can't do the same from GDF but I will return the favor.....:cool:

Huh?
*edit*
Oh, the signature. :P
Recall that? Bunch've you GDF hacking the Sewer console, all crowded around.... Parked the Flyer Drone right in the middle of 'ya. :P
Shame GDF won the map anyhow. XD