Frontline Tactics: From First Refinery to Final Core

Controls that save time

• Mouse: left-click or drag to select; right-click terrain to move and enemies to attack; wheel to zoom.
• Keyboard: M Move, A Attack, R Patrol, S Hold, F Service, B cycles friendly facilities, P pauses, and 1–5 manage control groups.
• Keyboard targeting: use arrows to position the view center, then Enter or Space to confirm an armed order, building, rally point, or visible Orbital Lance target.
• Touch: tap a unit or Army, choose the order, then tap its target. Open the compact tactical radar from the top bar.

Reliable opening build

1. Place a Flux Refinery near an active glowing deposit inside the command network.
2. Keep the opening Rangers near the approach while income begins.
3. Complete a Field Barracks if one is not already available, then establish the productive-refinery milestone.
4. Build the Vehicle Foundry and queue a Striker tank.
5. Preserve enough flux for emergency units, repair, or Fortify instead of exhausting the reserve.

Rangers and Strikers

Ranger squads cost less, train faster, and move quickly. They are suited to screening, responding, and fighting light targets. Striker tanks cost more and move slower, but bring heavy armor, longer range, and stronger single shots.

A Striker ordered to Hold braces after 1.25 seconds. While stationary it gains range and improved damage against armor and structures until movement breaks the stance. Use Rangers to keep light interceptors from surrounding it.

Defend waves without surrendering initiative

Enemy waves commit to strategic targets and retain forward route progress, so they cannot be kited backward indefinitely. Intercept along their route, but do not drag your army so far from the base that another lane becomes undefended. The threat monitor discloses the target once the wave has committed; before then, interrupted signals intentionally avoid revealing hidden intelligence.

Patrol is continuous. Stop a patrol before issuing an incompatible follow-up. Service can return damaged units to the Core or a compatible producer after six safe seconds; the Core services two at once, while compatible producers handle one.

Break the command network

The hostile Reactor, Barracks, and Foundry each sustain 300 points of the Scorch command core’s regenerating shield. Destroying links reduces the shield support and removes enemy options. Clear defenders, break exposed links, then concentrate on the core.

The Orbital Lance recharges during the operation. Use it on a visible high-value concentration or structure when the damage advances the objective; shrouded targets are blocked without consuming the charge.