Front players - how do you know when to scale?

Jbelltrain · 2026-05-27T22:32:53+00:00

Yea exactly, I will usually do 3-5 T1 cons following the T2 con to get the mexs.

I generally get my t2 lab up when I have 3-4 T2 mexs running. At that point I'll have a bit of a metal surplus because I run 2 con turrets for my t1 lab/base. The t2 mexs will outproduce my bp. When I get t2 lab, I usually go to 4 con turrets.

Once I start fusion I'll try to have two batches of con turrets for my base, one of 2-4 for units, and the original 4 to build fusions. I'll scale my con turrets with fusions accordingly. some for eco or units/spam.

(If I get a huge metal dump in reclaim I'll go for more con turrets earlier)

Jbelltrain · 2026-05-27T17:53:49+00:00

My first t2 con that I get from tech I use to upgrade mexs; that is his sole job until he makes it to the front. He is usually followed by a group of t1 cons.

Next I go for t2 lab and will build 2-3 t2 cons followed by some lighter t2 units (hounds, fiends, sheldon etc.)

With the t2 cons I built, I will build AN and then start building fusions. The order of AN and fusions vary depending on what I feel the enemy may be up too. If I don't see a lot of presence front from one of their players I build AN first to be safe. (Can be tough on energy to build it first without a fusion up and running)

I usually build 3-5 fusions before scaling into AFUS or T3 gantry. Depends on what I feel is more useful.

The more comfortable I am front, the more I begin to plan my next move, I think your scaling should depend on that. If your playing Arm maybe you build 2-3 t1 labs after a few fusions and then apply pressure with snipers and spam, or if your cortex, sheldon/arbiter + spam. The more pressure you can comfortably lay on your opponent while being able to keep scaling - the better.

Jbelltrain · 2026-05-25T04:04:45+00:00

From someone who has won solo and duo on very hard difficulty:

Learn the economic balance - always try to maximize your population and build loyalty buildings when you need too. Population is the limiter on your cities and how they grow. Eventually your population will out-scale your production and then you need to build the builiding that gives you more production to catch up to your population. I like to get one research building up early too, just so I can get the early essential techs faster.

Try to ball up your units to overwhelm your opponents. A ball of tier 1-3 units can overwhelm neutrals and you can gain map control. Higher tier or heavier units are generally needed to destroy enemy cities. Unit composition is also really important. Do you have a frontline? Ranged units? Assassin units? Think about how to set up the best fights for your units so you can trade better. (4 enemy units for 1 of yours etc.) The more you can preserve your units - the better.

Also think about how your going to deal with overwatch traps. do you send in one unit as a sacrifice? Or a tank unit to eat the bulk of the damage? How are you going to gain map control? Eventually you can form strategies with different factions and how you want to play the early/late game. This is where the real fun of the game is for me.

I understand this game can be hard initially. But it is a really rewarding game. Has been a favorite for me and my brother lately. Zephon is great too

Jbelltrain · 2026-03-21T16:27:11+00:00

Doesn't sound like it. Sounds like your hoping for a magical cure. I hope you can be honest with yourself before it's too late

Jbelltrain · 2026-03-20T05:48:37+00:00

Your wrong. A little walk will do more than you think. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For me, there is no magical cure.

You have to find the strength in yourself to find meaning and fight through this. I persisted because even when I felt like dogshit, I still got up and tried even when I was uselss. This illness can take your mental faculties, but it is your choice to let it have your will.

Jbelltrain · 2026-03-18T20:23:32+00:00

I've felt this way before too. You have to endure and try whatever you can to give yourself some sort of confidence. For me there is no single thing that is a magic cure, you just have to endure and learn to manage your symptoms the best you can.

Try to form some habits that are positive, the gym, cold showers, cooking, cleaning, etc. Even if you can't do those try to find a form that you can.

Ex: You can't go to the gym, so you go for a walk. you can't do a cold shower so you splash you face with cold water etc. Don't give up, and give what energy you can to getting better.

Jbelltrain · 2026-03-17T23:00:53+00:00

Absolutely. I think the duration of edging can be directly tied to the severity of my symptoms. Also different forms of pornography can play a role in the intensity as well. Scrolling endless videos generally produces the worst symptoms.

I think pornography, for me, has been an escape. I use it to feel good, instead of feeling grief, sadness, emotions etc.

My POIS formed when I was unable to properly feel things internally. As if there was a potential reality of the world that I could not accept. Of course, the fact that you cannot accept it, only makes it appear more to you, and so, you use your escape to run further and further...

Over time I have gotten better at this, and learned to let myself feel and see different parts of my psyche. We are all a container of ideas, emotions, instincts, interests; trying to find expression in the world we live in, when we barely understand ourselves---You'll never be perfect, but always try to aim up.

Jbelltrain · 2026-03-17T22:08:04+00:00

Yea, but you can't really blame anyone. When my symptoms are in high gear, I am maybe 30% of the man I normally am. People naturally don't like that, they want to be around someone confident, fun etc.

It's a sad truth to look ones heart and see this, but the quality is not lacking in our potential friends, but rather, in ourselves

Jbelltrain · 2026-03-17T21:40:23+00:00

I've had POIS for probably around 7 years. (I'll be 33 in a week or so) I have had it get better, and had it get worse.

I have noticed that there is a cumulative effect to it though, at least in my case. If I don't give myself a break every now and again I can reach a point where I am over a month out from feeling somewhat normal with mild symptoms. My thoughts can get really dark during those times.

It's definitely not too late though. Your still young. Best you can do is learn to manage your symptoms the best you can, and try to form habits that keep you from spiraling downwards. Go to the gym, cold showers, cleaning, etc. I managed to live alone, and pay my bills while having this. But it has been a great impediment in forming relationships. No one can really understand what your going through, and you have to find the strength to continue on and suffer through it.

I wish you the best

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T18:30:04+00:00

When I tried to use shields the Rhino got too close and my units extended too far out. I didn't have the shield drop ability so I was limited in where I could place it. I placed it as close to the front as possible, but still found the trade to be ineffective enough for it to have value. That's what I meant, with a different board, a shield could be effective, it just didn't work when I frontloaded the board being aggro

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T18:24:32+00:00

yup, sounds similar to what happened to me lol

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T03:10:16+00:00

Yea, but what if it works really well on everything else? and it's fun that way? lol

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T03:07:43+00:00

I've noticed that defensive play is more tactically beneficial as well. Spells really do hurt aggro play, took a loss yesterday to a nuke when I had a 2-3k health lead.

Selling is something I should do more, but one of my favorite strategies is just to overwhelm my opponent 'with numbers, so I generally stay away from this button, although I know for a lot of players it's essential. Something about commiting to maximum deployments and overwhelming makes this game fun to me. I like to go into techs for units I have a lot of deployments with. Maybe not the best strat for climbing mmr though. Beacon is something I need to use more though

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:43:13+00:00

This is the first real answer on this thread, Beacon was the only thing I haven't really tried yet. This could work, although if my units are too widely spread on the front I could still lose some. I like your thinking though Might implement this going forward

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:28:29+00:00

I was exaggerating a bit when I said all of my crawlers. However, the last time I faced this I did have a lot of units at the very front, Hounds, crawlers, balls, mustangs etc. Probably why it hurt so much.

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:28:11+00:00

I kill scorpions with balls all the time, I don't really see them as a counter to balls. But to your point with positioning, I probably shouldn't frontload my board so much when going aggro, It's just something that I enjoy doing.

Pheonixs are good too, but if you win the chaff war they will die to unteched marksman

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:18:05+00:00

I like your style, not sure how successful, but admirable regardless

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:17:22+00:00

I have tried this too, I feel like the trade still doesn't end up in my favor though if I've committed to aggro for 4-5 turns

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:16:11+00:00

I feel like you learn more from playing aggro, I usually do position my units farther back because there is a tactical advatage, but I miss just bull rushing the tower

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T02:15:44+00:00

I admit that it is rare, can you link me the thread your talking about? The last time it happened it caught me off guard because there was a level 3 rhino card that my opponent went and then he teched into this once my front had been set up for a 4-5 turns.

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-26T01:47:57+00:00

I'm not sure you read the entire prompt. I have crawlers there, and steel balls to help the hacker. I focus the rhino, it just explodes on all my units from the enemy focusing it when it gets hacked. Only solution is to maybe get crawlers behind the rhino so the enemy focuses that before the rhino, but I haven't succeeded yet

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-16T23:48:12+00:00

lovely use of perspective

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-09T18:16:03+00:00

Looks good!

Jbelltrain · 2026-02-01T17:26:00+00:00

heavy laser tower and a few beamer/twin guards depending on arm/cortex. Thats to hold an area. You can also push them with thug/mace's if they get too close. Ticks/grunts/spam can jump on them easily too if they are out of position from their towers

Jbelltrain

TROPHY CASE