Factorio Forums

Just wondering what people's preferred tactics for clearing Biter Bases at various stages of the game (read tech level vrs. biter level/size of base, etc) are.

I've got a rather large biter base near by oil production output that I want to take out, but I definitely can't do it on foot, and even turret creep with a few gun turrets will be hard to pull off (I have Piercing ammo a plenty, but am late enough in the game that large biters and spitters are a thing now). There is a similar base to the NE of me that is on a rather large coal deposit that I would also very much like to clear so I actually have Coal again (currently back on Solid Fuel via oil from that outpost to keep my furnaces and boilers running).

There's also a small base with a Big Worm in it that is by far the closest biter base to my main that I've wanted to take out for a long time (also rather near a small coal deposit that I want to take), but that damn Worm does so much damage and with such range that it can defeat gun turret creep because its range is as good or better. So what can I do about that?

Tank + Defender Capsules + Poison capsules work pretty darn well, the damage from poison capsules stack and 4 poison capsules will destroy big worms - the throw range + damage radius is enough you can safely throw them while outside big worm range (also the Tank can take quite a few big worm spits during a drive-by which allows for the poison capsules to be thrown deeper into worm clusters). Defender capsules are weak without bullet upgrades, but with bullet upgrades they are completely awesome right up until the very highest evolution level (also the bullet upgrades will make the tank MG deal very respectable damage - much more than the cannon), distractor and destroyer capsules aren't as good as (upgraded) defenders but also aren't as reliant on upgrades, distractors hardly need upgrades at all because they don't even use robot follower count.

Also if there's only 1 big worm you can get rid of it by just ramming it with the tank, but don't try that if there's more than a few worms, the tank takes a lot of damage when ramming, it's better really to use the tank as armor and deal damage with capsules and the MG, but smaller nests can and should simply be bulldozed.

I find personal robo ports and lasers work well 5 ports and 4 reactors can destroy most bases
just watch our for power running out and lack or repair packs.

Mid game: tanks plus poison capsules. Kill all the worms with poison, keep moving around and shoot at the spawners.

Late game: modular armor, 2 or 3 fusion reactors, and as many shields as you can fit. Firepower comes from destroyer capsules, with a bit of posion and slowdown if I feel like it. If you have 50-100 destroyers going around even behemoths drop pretty easily. I generally move in, kill a couple spawners, retreat until all the biters are killed, and head back in. If I feel like it I'll drop 10-20 poison caps around just to make sure the worms die.

Alternatively: Orbital Ion cannons [viewtopic.php?f=93&t=17910]

Early game: In theory, you can turret hop, but it'll cost you. I know because I just tried it.

I'm using RSO, RSO Radar, Long Reach, and More Light. My map had a bad initial layout. I started near some coal. The closest deposits of iron and copper were to the north. Far north. There was also a biter base to the northwest that seemed to be a little too close. I decided to try the map anyway.

I was able to get basic electricity in about 20 minutes and start some research. About 45 minutes in, the minimap caught my eye. Several "red dots" are exploring south of my iron mine in the large void that separates it from my fledgling base and my coal. They have to be taken out. Their whole base has to be taken out.

I made a few turrets and several yellow magazines, and headed northwest. With Long Reach, I could place a turret near any of the four spawners, but the biters would quickly destroy it before I could add any bullets. Instead I placed a turret some distance away and loaded it, and then I used a second turret as bait to try to attract them and draw them off. It worked, but it didn't. The spawners generate new swarms almost immediately.

I started placing turrets in twos and threes. The first ones are far enough away to avoid their attention. The next ones are just slightly closer, but close enough to be covered by the first turrets. Once I was close enough, I approached the base myself and started shooting. I actually took out one of the spawners, and almost died in the process.

Back at my base, I made a dozen turrets and around 100 yellow magazines, and headed back to the northwest to try again. This time I fully relied on turrets and Long Reach to turret-hop all the way to the spawners. Again, my supplies ran out and I had to go back for more. It would take two more sorties and over twenty minutes to finally clear that base.

The cost was enormous. It took everything I had to clear that base. Just as I was starting to regroup, a swarm from the south decided to "explore" my fledgling base. Several shotgun blasts took them out, at the cost of friendly fire to my own buildings. I decided to try a different map.

This experience strongly suggests that if I focus my research on military and wait until I'm a little bit bigger (green science, Military 2), and if I'm willing to rely on mods, then in theory it should be possible to take out a biter base in the early to mid game and not lose my shirt in the process.

oddron wrote:Early game: In theory, you can turret hop, but it'll cost you. I know because I just tried it.

I'm using RSO, RSO Radar, Long Reach, and More Light. My map had a bad initial layout. I started near some coal. The closest deposits of iron and copper were to the north. Far north. There was also a biter base to the northwest that seemed to be a little too close. I decided to try the map anyway.

I was able to get basic electricity in about 20 minutes and start some research. About 45 minutes in, the minimap caught my eye. Several "red dots" are exploring south of my iron mine in the large void that separates it from my fledgling base and my coal. They have to be taken out. Their whole base has to be taken out.

I made a few turrets and several yellow magazines, and headed northwest. With Long Reach, I could place a turret near any of the four spawners, but the biters would quickly destroy it before I could add any bullets. Instead I placed a turret some distance away and loaded it, and then I used a second turret as bait to try to attract them and draw them off. It worked, but it didn't. The spawners generate new swarms almost immediately.

I started placing turrets in twos and threes. The first ones are far enough away to avoid their attention. The next ones are just slightly closer, but close enough to be covered by the first turrets. Once I was close enough, I approached the base myself and started shooting. I actually took out one of the spawners, and almost died in the process.

Back at my base, I made a dozen turrets and around 100 yellow magazines, and headed back to the northwest to try again. This time I fully relied on turrets and Long Reach to turret-hop all the way to the spawners. Again, my supplies ran out and I had to go back for more. It would take two more sorties and over twenty minutes to finally clear that base.

The cost was enormous. It took everything I had to clear that base. Just as I was starting to regroup, a swarm from the south decided to "explore" my fledgling base. Several shotgun blasts took them out, at the cost of friendly fire to my own buildings. I decided to try a different map.

This experience strongly suggests that if I focus my research on military and wait until I'm a little bit bigger (green science, Military 2), and if I'm willing to rely on mods, then in theory it should be possible to take out a biter base in the early to mid game and not lose my shirt in the process.

I recently successfully cleared that large-ish base south of my oil mining operation, and I did it w/ gun turret creep. By any chance, did you research stone walls and wall in your turret? I would build the 4x4 wall before placing the turret and start w/ first turret out aggro range, 2nd just within, and march them one at a time closer and closer. Because I was doing this at the point where large biters and large spitters spawn, I had to pack a full stack of 50 repair packs to keep the turrets alive (and even then, there were times where I failed because I couldn't repair them fast enough and had to reload my save and try it again).

oddron wrote: This experience strongly suggests that if I focus my research on military and wait until I'm a little bit bigger (green science, Military 2), and if I'm willing to rely on mods, then in theory it should be possible to take out a biter base in the early to mid game and not lose my shirt in the process.

Usually when I go on early game biter extermination expeditions I use about 6-10 gun turrets and 400 regular magazine (but more ammo is better). The more firepower you can bring to bear, the quicker you can destroy the nest and the fewer biters are spawned in defense so you end up using less ammo by having more turrets. Typically I get 4 assemblers producing regular magazine before automating science, both to have enough for nest removal and to defend the factory while I'm away.
Also hotkeys really help - 1 through 5 to select items from toolbelt, q to remove item from hand, hold LMB to paint down turrets, with ammo in hand ctrl-RMB to add ammo to each turret.

I do a stepped approach. I defend liberally with turrets in the early game.

As soon as i get piercing ammo I try and clear any small bases nearby. I may even hit a bigger base if I think i can whittle down its spawners a bit. Don't underestimate the value of making a base smaller even if you can't kill it outright.

I focus on defense until Laser Turrets and Personal Roboport. Then I simply use a blueprint to Plop down a couple turrets and power poles. I will machine gun anything close enough to hit my turrets and then advance forward. I make sure I have plenty of accumulator power stored and I don't do this at night. Don't forget your repair packs

In the later game or on maps I've played with very large biter bases I will go for MUCH bigger blueprints of gun emplacements.

I played a map with just max biter settings. Had bases that were MAP FILLING HUGE! For that I actually brought a stocked roboport and just massive turret blueprints.

If you want a challenge, beware the autofill mod. Running in, whilst placing a line of autofilled turrets is kind of killing the combat for me. Honestly thou the combat isnt why I play factorio XD

Honestly if, like me you dont use laser turrets the autofill mod literally breaks the combat.