Games » Natural Selection 2 » Natural Selection 2 Docking Marine Commander’s Guide

Natural Selection 2 Docking Marine Commander’s Guide

Natural Selection 2 Docking Marine Commander’s Guide by radforChrist

This is a comprehensive, but not complete, guide to Marine Commanding on Docking. I hope this helps new commanders, and allows experienced commanders a platform to discuss strategies and alternatives.

General Tactics

This map has two locations for aliens that matter. Maintenance and Stability. If you can successfully pressure those resource points, which no matter the hive start, are necessary to aliens, you will win, disregarding the successful base rush.

To find out where a hive is, simply look. The egg spawn is visible to a commander, so you’ll be able to quickly know.

Other ways to find out are in the contact. Early contact in East, it’s departures. Early contact in Courtyard, it’s likely Gen, but possible Locker. Contact in Caf is usually Locker.

As a general rule, I have an Observatory at EVERY Phase location, and DEFINITELY in every tech point. It’s a necessary tech to monitor for rushes and rambos.

I’m showing ARC locations for each point, but unless specified, it’s generally just as easy to rush the hive. I’m just trying to be complete in my strategies.

Key Locations To Hold
Stability: A PG in Stability is detrimental to aliens. You can ARC two hives, and moreover, you cut off a valuable resource and thoroughfare. I can’t express how important Stability is.
Courtyard: This is the gateway to Maintenance/Ball Court, and Stability/Generator. Aliens LOVE healing crags, shifts and eggs, and other fun stuffs here, as it is central. You need to keep it clear, although holding it without stability isn’t always the easiest. Constantly pressure this location.

Marine Start – Terminal

I usually push an armory/Obs in base and go for Phase tech. This obs location give a good coverage, and easily defensible. Also, if you place it right, it’s on the “hump” of the structure about 3 ft off the floor making it disorienting for aliens looking for it.

Late game to defend from Onos base rush, this is a typical set up. Watch out for the robotics at landing entrance, a gorge can also lob bile over it and use it for cover.

Cafeteria Tech Point

Attacking This Point
This point will DEFINITELY need some changes. I know Cafeteria is seldom held by aliens, but it is so simple to take out with ARCs. Let me show you.

Such safety in Landing Pad.

This location is a walk from base, easy to defend, and impossible for aliens to reach quickly from Caf.

Defending This Point

I don’t really place anything AT the tech point, as there are no current vents into Cafeteria, and we generally hold Terminal?Landing area. Instead, this location gives notice to any incoming from Onos Bar/Locker Rooms.

Locker Room Tech Point

Attacking This Point
There are THREE locations to hit Locker Room.

Back Alley

Typical layout. You can move the PG closer, but I like the hallway in which to cover. The Armory stops larger lifeforms.

As an alternative, you can place an OBS in Onos Bar, and it’s mush easier to defend, still giving greater coverage.

I didn’t show ARCs here, but it’s pretty simple to place them near the obs in the first pic.

Ball Court

I love ball court, because it effectively isolates Locker Room, but you have to contend with aliens from two fronts. The armory closes the door to large lifeforms, but be careful, ARCs can’t get by either.

ARCs reach from here.

Courtyard

This is a GREAT location if you hold Courtyard. The unpowered Armory keeps larger lifeforms at bay, and ARCs reach well. This is not, however, the MOST ideal for rushing on foot, but viable.

HOWEVER, don’t try to build on the catwalk north of that PG. They somehow go up here:

Defending This Point

This site has three points of entry, armories can block two, and a robotics factory the third. A centralized Obs helps. Although, the right entrance can be block with an armory to where even marines can’t get by. be careful.

Generator Tech Point

Attacking This Point
There are two locations to attack Generator.

Maintenance

This location is great for manually taking down the hive, but not with ARCs. The OBS placement barely covers the power node, and as it is at the resource nozzle, don’t forget to watch it!

Stability Monitoring

Best location on the map. A two for one! The OBS location covers the vent and hall.

Easy to ARC!

Defending This Point
I’d much prefer keeping Stability as the main area, and only having the RT, but in case you NEED to defend this place.

Departures Tech Point

Attacking This Point
There are two side to push Departures from, Stability and East Point.

Stability

Stability is HORRIBLE for direct push, but that’s not why I love it. It already take Generator rather easily, as you’ve seen.
This is a great way to set up Stability. It gives excellent coverage of all points, and if you’re pressuring Departures from here, it’s probably an assumption you already have Generator. If you don’t, no worries. Below you see how this location decimates Generator, too.