I have quite a few replays on long maps of me repeatedly dying to archer starts I'm quite sure I should be able to handle.

www.stickempires.com/play?replay=replay6322798&version=2.08
www.stickempires.com/play?replay=replay6322696&version=2.08

In all the opponent goes for 2 miners, saves the 200 gold and queues up the archer on the first gold return. By that gold return point I know they are going the archer start but when I try to run bombers in with a few crawlers arrow blocking my opponent runs past their statue and my bombers just explode on the statue, removing my chances of deleting that archer till I have more bombers and crawlers, by which point my opponent will have a second archer and I'll never be able to take down both if I can even snipe one.

Right now I'm doing MMCC and seeing the archer start and going for Bombers immediately after the scout - no idea if this is the wrong way to handle it or I just need to change micro somehow to prevent bombers thinking blowing up a statue is a good idea when I told them to attack an archer

I'm sure there's a way to handle archers at start game in CvO but can't manage it. The MMintoA start stops me getting free eco advantage to afford losing half my units to take down the archers.

usualy use bombs and get your crawlers to meat shield also three crawlers the one at the front can retreat when on low hp and the others can take other lowering the archers hp and then send in a bomber to send it on its way. when u have enough mana a dead can easily out fight 1-2 archers easily even more so with posion as an archer will likely die if it does not retreat soon

i prefer to tank a bit with crawlers until i can afford castle dead. continue making miners squeezing in 3 boms for swords or archers whichever is more. then go wings or deads thusly

Quote from pumuecils

i prefer to tank a bit with crawlers until i can afford castle dead. continue making miners squeezing in 3 boms for swords or archers whichever is more. then go wings or deads thusly

So basically don't try to blow up the archer at the start of the game?


Is there really no way to directly deal with magnetic statues?

Well, pull out your bombs before you get near to the statue and try again. Tank with crawlers, switch out the nearly dead ones. Keep bombs near crawlers.

Quote from _Ai_

Well, pull out your bombs before you get near to the statue and try again. Tank with crawlers, switch out the nearly dead ones. Keep bombs near crawlers.

Won't my opponent just be able to bring out a second archer then and stop me ever being able to explode both?

at what point do u start collecting mana I send the fifth miner I get to pray the answer could be too tech up more quickly and if you suspect an archer mass go for a dead mass with spears and then later get a marowkia Or medusa and bingo ur in the late game where Chaos is stronger and archers are less threatening because of juggers and the tankness of deads hope this helps

This title said specifically start game. The request for help and advice was start game. The time I had lost the game by was always at latest by the 2:00 mark. Masses simply cannot be made that early, I was not asking to deal with archer mass, I was asking about archers @ start game, and more specifically the MMA start on longer maps at start game.

I would really like to see someone pull off the late game counters you have suggested at 2:00 into the game on a competent opponent...
The archer comes out at 35 seconds into the game on that start, with more units to follow and an equal eco on Chaos.

And chaos is weaker late game. The strongest late game is order.

your micro is odd if you cant use the h key to prevent archers from rushing out. if its really that hard... kill his miners instead and go CD

My crawler micro and others but more specifically crawler micro still needs huge amounts of work :P

Okay, I have lots of ways now I think I can resort to if my bombers look like they want to blow up a statue again so thanks for all the help and hopefully I won't throw another game that way.

Improving Crawler micro should help a lot. Buy more Crawlers so you can tank for 2 or 3 bombs.