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NOVUS | Tactical Overview |
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View the Novus Build Tree
View the Novus Tech Tree
View the Novus Build Dependencies
View the Novus Patch List
Novus General:
It's a good idea to always have at least one Novus patch active during a Skirmish match since they cost nothing and most of them can remain on for the entire duration of a Skirmish match unless switched out with another patch. Optimized Collection unlock from the Nanotech branch would be a prime example of a good patch to leave on.
Not all Novus units can use the Flow Network to travel at first, only Constructors and other infantry can. An upgrade in the Flow branch unlocks the ability for all Novus units to use Flow for travel.
DOUBLE CLICKING is what makes units (aside from the Constructors) use the flow network. Single-clicking a move order will not make units flow.
Scout early and often. Novus has some of the best scouting units/tools in the game (for instance, Vertigo is insane at scouting), make sure to fully utilize these tools by scouting constantly. Games are often won by the player who had the best intel.
Novus units can Flow using enemy Flow Networks.
Keep in mind, most Novus units are extremely weak alone but what sets them apart from the other factions is that when used in large groups their power tends to grow exponentially. Antimatter shots stack and do more damage for each other antimatter shot sticking on a target, a group of a dozen or so Dervish Jets nearly have the power of a small superweapon when using their Death Blossom ability in unison and Amplifiers can bring a base crumbling down in seconds when a large number of them are using their Harmonic Pulse ability.
Units:
The Founder:
The range at which the Founder can connect to the Novus Flow Network with his Flow Tap ability is huge. Rush him to an opponent's base in Performance mode and turn on this ability to flow your troops directly to the enemy's doorstep!
Constructors:
Novus buildings will build faster if you assign more than one Constructor on a structure. Three Constructors will give you maximum build speed.
Ohm Robots:
The Ohm Robots suicide attack Swarm can be absolutely devastating when used in large numbers. If you build enough Ohm Robots, you can even take out a fully armored Hierarchy Walker by swarming it.
Hackers:
Hackers have the insignificant attribute, meaning enemy units will not autonomously attack the Hacker. They will only attack the Hacker through a direct order by the enemy player. If your opponent isn't paying attention, you can send a Hacker straight into the enemy's base unnoticed.
The Hacker's Purge Systems ability not only removes harmful effects from your troops but also beneficial effects from enemy units, like Phase Shift.
Be mindful of the angle of your attack when you use the Hacker's Lockdown ability on an enemy vehicle since the vehicle can still fire while locked down.
Blade Troopers:
Blade Troopers can make two duplicates of themselves and also have an unlockable perma-stealth passive ability (Flow branch). This makes them exceptional at assassinating enemy heroes entrenched within an enemy base since you can sneak in with about 4 of these guys, duplicate them and have a dozen Blade Troopers tearing the hero to shreds!
Blade Troopers have the ability to throw Blackout Bombs on the ground which forcibly re-shrouds the fog of war to the opponent. This prevents them from being able to select, order or otherwise control their units under the effects of the bomb and also prevents the opponent from using targeted abilities that require the fog to be revealed over the Blackout area (such as Orlok's Siege mode ability and even superweapons!).
Variants:
Variants are the Novus faction's primary anti-infantry vehicle. Park Variants near the entrances to an opposing player's base to keep an eye on troop movement. Make sure their Weapon mode is turned off!
Antimatter Tanks:
Novus Antimatter shots do great damage vs. Masari Dark Armor.
Amplifiers:
Amplifiers can not only damage units with their default attack, but they can also use it to shut off special abilities, which is handy when the enemy has brought heroes to the fight.
Switching to Harmonic Pulse mode activates a powerful sonic area attack that can repel units and devastate buildings.
Corruptors:
Viruses are one of the most powerful tools the Novus have at their disposal. They not only reveal infected units but they also slow their firing rate and movement speed down. An upgrade in the Novus Research branch Computing allow the virus to automatically spread to other nearby units and structures over time. Couple this with the Viral Reboot patch (also unlockable from the Computing branch) which shuts down all infected units/structures for a limited time while active and it's possible to shut a player's entire base down if the viral infection spread itself far enough.
Field Inverters:
The Field Inverter is the strongest hitting weapon for the Novus faction. It carries a rail gun that deals heavy damage to multiple units.
The Field Inverter can go into shield mode which can be upgraded to repel enemy shots and cloak friendly units and buildings that are directly under the shield. In dire situations, this unit can be used as a minor air defense.
The Field Inverter's shield can even shield units and structures under it from a Hierarchy Mass Drop. With enough Field Inverters, you can protect an entire base!
Dervish Jets:
The Dervish jet is a lightly armored but heavy hitting air unit that does really well when grouped with other units. Its quick speed makes it great for hit and run attacks.
Structures:
Command Core:
The Novus are the only faction that starts a Skirmish match with a functioning minimap since their minimap is tied to their Command Core structure. Only by losing this structure will they lose minimap functionality.
These are one of the few player-built structures that Walkers can't simply walk over. They have to actually move around them. Use this to your advantage by making a wall impassible to Walkers, forcing them to take a long way around.
Flow Generator:
Always try to build multiple Flow Generators to ensure that the power doesn't go down in your base if the enemy manages to take one of them out.
Flow Towers:
Flow Towers not only have a permanent stealth effect but they also have a large visual range. This makes them great surveillance tools. Note that if a Flow Tower is unpowered, it will be visible to enemy players.
Recycling Center:
Novus Collectors automatically use Flow to travel between resources and the Recycling Station they are spawned from. Since Collectors are instantly shot into the Recycling Center through the Flow line, building a Recycling Center connecting directly to a Flow Conduit speeds up your resource gathering considerably.
You can actually direct where you want your Collectors to gather resources from by selecting your Recycling Center and right-clicking on any spot on the map. This sets a rally point from the structure which orders your Collectors to collect any resources near that spot. Set the rally point in the center of an opponent's base to gather some free intel.
Since the Science Walker's Machine Magnets have a limit to how many machines they can control, set a waypoint from your Recycling Center toward the Science Walker. Since the Collectors count as machines to the magnet, this will jam up the Walker's magnets allowing you to safely bring your combat units in to take out the Walker.
Science Center:
The Novus Science Center unlocks Redirection turrets, Hackers, Dervish Jets and the powerful Black Hole superweapon.
Redirection Turret:
The Novus Redirection turrets takes projectiles fired at them and fires them back at the attacker. Only non-projectile weapons (such as melee, beam weapons or Saucer Foos) should be used to safely take out these turrets.
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