Strategies and Tactics/TEC/Build Orders

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Builds by HuntingX: 
====Build 1====
Standard 1v1 (non rush) build on small-medium map
# Buy 2 units of crystal
# Upgrade home planet
# 1 Worker on Cap ship, 1 worker on crystal
# Build 2 scout frigates, scout
# Start Mazra or Kol (either works fine) when cap ship fac finishes
# Start 2 metal extractors
# Build colony ship
# Take nearby asteroid (all maps have 1 nearby asteroid)
# While taking asteroid, scuttle capital ship factory
# Build 1 military lab
# Finish the asteroid, colonize it, upgrade so you don't bleed cash
# Mine all asteroids, and add 2nd military lab
# Research lrms, start producing
# Asteroid #2 should be cleared and ready for taking (there's almost always a second asteroid, if not, find a lightly defended terran or desert)
# Take asteroid 2, build it up as before
# You should be popped out now on LRMs, start research on flaks.
# Your scouts should see opponent enemy composition. You have 3 colonies, you can decide whether to take more or contest neutral extractors (I usually do neutrals)
# Start research on popultion upgrade
# Whichever colony is CLOSEST to opponent, should build at least 2 frigates factories
# Depending on opponent unit composition, start production on Flaks and LRMs
# Your capital should be 4 or 5 now, continue pressuring
# Win or lose, depends on you
====Build 2====
Hardcore rush 1v1, small map
# Buy 2 units of crystal
# Upgrade home planet
# 1 Worker on Cap ship, 1 worker on crystal
# Build 2 scout frigates, scout
# Start Sova when cap ship fac finishes
# Start 2 metal extractors
# Build 3 light frigates, then a colony ship
# Send Sova to enemy main base with embargo
# Take nearby asteroid with light frigates (all maps have 1 nearby asteroid)
# While taking asteroid, scuttle capital ship factory
# Continue harassing with Sova (jump in, embargo, jump to nearby star, recharge mana, jump in, etc.) Note Embargo only stays in effect while Sova is in system.
# Get asteroid operational, while building the 2 military labs. Send the light frigates to your Sova to confuse opponent
# Start LRM production immediately, queue to your Sova
# Research pop upgrade, take neutral extractors with colony ship, and continue LRM production
# Since they have almost no income (no trade income early, almost all income comes from home planet which has no income due to embargo) your mass LRMs should overrun him and end the game
====Build 3====
Economy build, larger 1v1, medium large 2v2
# Buy 2 units of crystal
# Upgrade home planet
# 1 Worker on Cap ship, 1 worker on crystal
# Build 2 scout frigates, scout
# Start Mazra or Kol (either works fine) when cap ship fac finishes
# Start 2 metal extractors
# Build colony ship
# Take nearby asteroid (all maps have 1 nearby asteroid)
# While taking asteroid, scuttle capital ship factory
# Build 1 Civil lab at main
# Finish the asteroid, colonize it, upgrade so you don't bleed cash
# Mine all asteroids, and add 2nd civil lab
# Start research on trade, and continue taking any planet within reach
# Start placing trade ports as income allows, research ice or volcano depending on allegiance to home and mineral quality.
# Deserts are a priority, you can support a ton of trade ports per desert planet
# You're doing this with little to no units, because you expect the opponent can't get to you in time. If they can, you shouldn't be doing this build anyway.
# With spare slots (or upgrade as you will), add 2 military, start LRM production
# Tech up, start mixed LRM/Flak production
# Add static D (Gauss) at outlying colonies, continue building trade ports at inner colonies
# Once an economic advantage is secured, mass an unholy army of LRM/Flak and charge.
====Build 4====
Anti Advent
# Buy 2 units of crystal
# Upgrade home planet
# 1 Worker on Cap ship, 1 worker on crystal
# Build 2 scout frigates, scout
# Start Kol when cap ship fac finishes
# Start 2 metal extractors
# Build colony ship
# Take nearby asteroid (all maps have 1 nearby asteroid)
# While taking asteroid, scuttle capital ship factory
# Build 1 military labs at main
# Finish the asteroid, colonize it, upgrade so you don't bleed cash
# Mine all asteroids, and add 2nd military lab
# Let the advent scout your two military labs (so he thinks you're going LRM, and in fact, you CAN go lrm if you so choose, it depends on his unit composition)
# Pump light frigates, watching his unit composition. If he has disciples, add a few (5-6) lrms to crush them. Continue making light frigates after
# Once you have enough lrms to beat down his disciples, continue adding only light frigates, and research flaks
# Do not let Advent tech. Many of the more clueless posters keep saying how great Advent is with level 6 cap ships. He'll be lucky to have a level 2, forget about level #
# If the advent is good, he has been massing defense vessels. If he doesn't mass defense vessels, just kill him with LRMs. Note, NONE of his units do well vs light frigates. Disciples do "ok," but he has NO counter (illuminators do NOT get the bonus damage)
# Trap the Advent in his asteroid + terran. At this point, since none of his ships do anything to yours, he's probably building static d, awaiting your push
# You can now either build 2 civil and go trade + colonize while holding him back, or add 3 military and go kodiaks and kill. It's map dependent
# Finally, make sure he doesn't level his caps. Every time he leaves his base, gank him with your fleet. He can't kill them with his units (poor advent)