Messiah00Guy vs. Arcan
Map: Alpha Draconis
STF 2.0.1




Figuring we were going to be fired for lack of testing, me and Arcan decided to get sexed up, run away and play a game of STF together. We only followed through with one of them.

We logged on to TPCnet and I made, choosing Alpha Draconis as the starting map. We picked STF and hit the little start button. While it was counting down I got to look at some of the new background at the pregame screen. Not only does STF modify the gameplay/graphics it also adds several new backgrounds throughout the game, along with a new title screen. (What the hell? -Hercanic)

Anyways, after a few initial comments eloquently discussing STF's various graphical changes...





...we got started.

I started out in the North-West corner of the map with a flagrant Teal, while Arcan plopped down a hub on the South-West of the map, like so...



I proceeded with the normal 10-12 engies and built an Fuel Extractor and two Sentryguns. I scouted with my scout (No pun intended, right? -Herc) to find Arcan's base, which had... the exact same thing I had. Two Sentries, a slew of Engineers, and a Fuel Extractor.

After this I decided it was time to go for an add-on, but I kinda got a little stupid. I decided I would try the strategy that Hercanic liked: to whore and mass sentries... (You're damn right. -Herc)



...so I decided to go with a Support add-on. So I started construction on an Assault add-on.

Yes, that's right, I built the wrong one by mistake. So I cancel it, cursed to myself, and proceed to build an Espionage add-on, so I can get Support units.

...

Yes, I built the wrong one again. I didn't notice I had until it was almost done, so I canceled that one and I actually built a Support add-on! Now I was behind in tech and IQ. (No kidding. -Herc) The four sentryguns I had propped up around my base made up for it, though.



Shortly after I saw that Arcan had gone Pyrotechnics, because he had a Pyro waltzing around the map. I proceeded to build four Scouts and an Osprey...



...and sent it on its jolly way to unload right behind Arcan's mineral line. They managed to pick off a few Engies while staying out of the range of his Sentryguns. I can tell he liked it.



I then loaded up and flew outta there. On the way back to my base I observed that Arcan had built a Sentrygun and Fuel Extractor in a valley that connected our two bases, so I dropped the Scouts on the cliff in hopes that I could pick of any Engineers, but alas he had yet to build a hub, so I had to satisfy myself with taking pot shots at the Fuel Extractor. Unfortunatly, Arcan had researched Napalm Storm and promptly fried all four of my Scouts in small succession.

During this time, I built a second Hub at my main and teched to an Assault Add-on. I then sent a lone Engineer to build a Sentry above on the cliff where I had just been harassing, to stop any possible mining attempts for a short while.



Arcan attacked me while my second hub was building; his forces consisted of about 4 Pyros and 3 Demomen; he rushed in two Pyros in hopes of Napalming my Engineers. His first Pyro fell to my sentryguns before he could get a storm off, but his second managed to cast a Napalm Storm, though because of the high HP and constant movement of the Engineers, none were killed. His third came in with his main assault force, and because he had other units to draw fire he managed to Napalm my mineral line, killing about 4-6 Engineers. The rest of his forces were then dealt with by an EMP/Sentrygun combo.

You may notice that my reports don't have any screenshots of actual battles--that's because in STF you need every ounce of concentration, and if you take even one second to take a screenshot you can lose a lot of men very quickly. You need your full attention on STF. (I think he's just slow. Or lazy. Probably both. -Herc)

Anyways, around this time I decided to expand to my All-Mineral Cliff Expansion just south of my base.



I also decided to tech Espionage on this expansion, and thought about doing some cloaked attacks through spies.



During this time, Arcan had been building more Pyros and Demomen, along with building an additional hub teching to support. He also began an expansion at the North-East starting position. I had been fortifying my expansion with Sentries and massing an upgraded HW force with Scout support. With an exploring Scout, I saw his newly built hub and quickly sent my forces there through Osprey transport and promptly razed it to the ground; he only had a Pyro and two building Sentries, so it posed little challenge.



At this point I built four sentries right on the cliff that was north of his main base...



...and proceeded to raze the two Sentries that were present in the valley between our two bases. Things were looking grim; I had three Hubs, one of which was an Expansion, Turrets north of his main base, more supply but roughly a bit less men than he. So I decided to attack. I sent my newly built Spies with cloak to harass his base, I EMPed the only Scout on duty and proceeded to hack away at his base. Unfortunately, two carefully placed Napalm Storms promptly wiped them out before they could do any damage. Damn those slow Spies.

With additional HW Guys, I then rallied my men and decided to go in for an all-out attack. I charged in there...



...but a newly emerged Pyro set fire to half my forces while they were pounded on by Sentry, Pyro and Demomen fire and eventually fell to Napalm and the combined fire of Arcan's forces.



I then rebuilt more HW guys, and coupled with the ones I had building during the Attack, I sent the new force to once again attack Arcan's main base, and this time they overcame Arcan's forces, for three Hubs worth of Supply sure supports a lot of HW guys. (Back to your old tricks again, eh? -Herc)



It was GG as I did the happy dance.

This has been a STF [BETA] Battle Report.

- Messiah00Guy