Factorio Forums

There is also something I have learnt while playing : if you try to play green style (produce minimally, try to research solar panel and replace all your steam boilers as soon as possible with 0 emission clean electricity, ...) you'll end up losing the race against time : because even with 0 pollution, the enemy gets naturally stronger as time passes.

As long as your defense is stronger than the biters your pollution attracts, then go on, pollute as much as you want to progress quickly in your researches.
You'll end up with the same biter bases waiting for you, but you'll have power armor 2 loaded with apocalyptic stuff, piercing ammo loaded combat shotgun, biterland will become hamburger (biterburger ?) paradise.

As already suggested, but not by many ... Flamethrowers.
I personally find them really useful early on. They are very cheap to make (basic oil processing), and have excellent damage against biter spawners. Lay down a defensive wall of turrets as your safe area, and kill them bugs with fire! Works great unless they have worms around, than you will probably need few poison capsules.

Pic The iron field NW is one i'm after.

If you still have enough resources to make 50 rounds of armor piecing bullets, that and a submachine gun will be enough to wipe that enemy base (it's just one spawner?) real easy.

Don't try using the normal ammo, use armor piecing only.

Well, shotgun works wonders too once you manage to get the biters killed. Just take your pistol away from the weapon switcher so it's easier to switch between machinegun (for biters) and shotgun (for spawner)