Skirmish: Reacting to the Enemy
Although this can apply to other game types, when attacking an AI player in Skirmish mode, there are some additional tactics to try. The AI enemy has six different starting strategies that can branch out depending on your actions, the map, and many other factors. These strategies range from an early Rush to a fully defensive Turtle posture. The AI also prefers to attempt a hit-and-run tactic of hitting your base or units and then fleeing. This makes tackling AI units difficult at times, especially on Legendary difficulty.
When facing an AI Covenant player, rest assured he’s probably constructing a Temple first, so expect to see his leader fairly early in battle. React by building a Turret or two and creating some infantry units (such as Flamethrowers) to slow down the Covenant hero; this can withstand a Rush. Be prepared to build or train units as quickly as possible (that is, prior to accessing a Vehicle Depot or Air Pad), because the AI Rush is extremely difficult to defend against if you are unprepared.
AI UNSC players have access to the same six starting strategies but execute them in different ways, depending on the leader. One of these tactics is a Rush, involving a mixture of Marines, Flamethrowers, Spartans (who can really cause problems if they Jack your vehicles) and a few of the leader’s special unique units (Cutter’s Elephant, Forge’s Cyclopes, or Anders’s Gremlins). Stop this Rush with Turrets (with Flame Mortar or Rail Gun add-ons) and anti-infantry units.
AIQ: How the Enemy Reacts to You
Generally, the AI is always aware of everything going on in the battlefield. A lack of human intelligence is balanced by quick reactions and complete knowledge of how the war is going. However, the Halo Wars AI experiences human, or more natural, tactical styles. Usually, a human player lacks a deft multitasking ability and concentrates on only one aspect of the fight at a time (managing a fight, building up a base, Tech leveling, training units, gathering supplies, or other activities). The AI mimics this, too, shifting focus after a small amount of time, which diminishes depending on the difficulty setting.
This results in the AI at Normal difficulty having “lapses in concentration,” like a beginning player. You may see a foe overly focus on fighting you while ignoring the training of replacement troops. They might send a group of troops to attack, return to base to construct buildings and Tech Level up, but forget to return to manage the battle. Scouting units may idle if a battle is happening elsewhere.
AI Thoughts
When engaged with an AI enemy, a circle on your minimap shows where the AI’s focus is. When that circle is over their base, they are usually training or building. When it moves to an enemy base, they are probably sending units to attack that location. When the circle is tracking one of its Scout or attack groups, it is managing those squads and usually ignoring its base. Use this knowledge to your advantage; after a few games, you can get to know your AI foe—or friend, as allies exhibit these tendencies too.
AI Ally Command and Control
As AI allies cannot communicate via headsets, tactical plans are attempted using flares; every flare you launch is interpreted in a different way, and your AI ally reacts accordingly (with a voice to indicate this reaction):
| Location of Flare | Usual AI Response | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One flare into an unexplored area | Ally sends a Scout and confirms when the Scout reaches the destination | Helpful for exploring areas you cannot, or don’t have time to, reach |
| One flare into an explored area with no enemies | Ally uses that location as its Rally Point for new squads | Useful to get ally troops together for a joint assault |
| Two flares into an unexplored area | Ally sets Rally Point at the unexplored location | — |
| Extra flare after set Rally Point | Ally disengages from any current battles and retreats to the location | — |
| Flare on an area that has a small enemy force | Ally sends an appropriately sized task force to engage | — |
| Flare on an area that has a medium enemy force | Ally sends its spare squads to attack | — |
| Flare on an area that has a huge enemy force | Ally respectfully declines if it doesn’t have enough troops to do the job | — |
| Repeated flare on an area with enemy forces | Ally drops what it’s doing and sends all forces to that area, no matter how scary it looks | — |
| Flare on a friendly base with enemies present | Ally sends a force to defend | — |
| Flare on an ally’s Supply Pad | Ally sends you supplies if it has any available | Repeat for multiple deliveries |
| Flare on your Supply Pad | All allies send you supplies if available | Repeat for multiple deliveries |
AI Changes and Difficulty Levels
Your AI enemy has the power to crush you instantly, or forget where you are completely, and this is due to the sliding scale of difficulty, ranging from 20 (Easy) to 100 (Legendary). When facing an AI opponent on Normal or Heroic difficulties, they receive no economic bonuses, statistic tweaks, or other bonuses. Instead, a Normal AI foe tends to periodically forget
to place buildings, or becomes overly focused on a battle and forgets to train new squads, or doesn’t train units to effectively counter yours. Compare these foibles to an AI foe on Heroic difficulty, who has a much more focused game and can be considered to be playing as effectively as a human who has mastered the game.
A Legendary AI player is akin to challenging a grand master: a tournament-level, top-ten ranked foe with an answer for every one of your choices, sometimes before you think of them! Legendary difficulty can be beaten, but only after you thoroughly master the game. Many seasoned players still win only half their battles against a Legendary Skirmish opponent. Legendary AI players receive statistic and economy boosts to reach this level of intensity.
| Difficulty | Rating |
|---|---|
| Easy | 0 |
| Normal | 33 |
| Heroic | 67 |
| Legendary | 100 |
Dealing with More Than One Foe
Adapting to more than one foe is the key to winning a 2v2 or 3v3 battle, and this comes down to understanding the specific facets of every unit. For example, if a foe erects a Barracks early, this should alert you to a potential Rush, and you should react accordingly (e.g., retaliate with Jackals or Flamethrowers or anti-infantry units). If a foe heads at you with Marines and a Scorpion, nullify these units—in this case, with a Spartan to Jack the Scorpion, or Hunters—or speak to your allies to bring in help.
In large-scale battles, a defensive play is usually best early in the fight. Construct some Turrets so you avoid enemies Scouting your base for weak points. With Turrets, a foe may have a unit advantage over you, but the power of the Turrets, combined with an attack from your Leader Power (either via the Spirit of Fire with the UNSC, or on the ground as the Covenant) overcomes this. Highly mobile units such as Warthogs, Ghosts, Hornets, and Banshees are effective when tackling multiple foes, as you can swiftly move from a defensive point to attacking a foe without losing time or becoming too vulnerable. But nothing beats good communication and teamwork (via a headset or flares). Remember tried-and-true techniques such as providing support or resources and “piling on” with multiple Leader Power attacks at the same enemy fortification or squad.