Overwhelmed by the choices in Mechabellum? Our guide offers the basic principles of the game, providing strategic advice and tips on how to navigate through upgrades, tech, and devices to give new players an edge. Get ready to conquer the battlefield with our expert advice!
The Ultimate Guide for New Players
Introduction
I understand how you might feel when you come across a new game like Mechabellum. It seems fascinating to play an autobattler game with mechs shooting at each other with heavy weapons. You start playing the game, go through the tutorial, try out a bot match, but then you may feel overwhelmed by the many options available to you. You might be unsure about which unit to purchase or what upgrades, tech, and devices to use. You may be wondering how anyone can make any decisions in this game.
As a fan of Mechabellum, I want to see it succeed and attract new players and maintain a large player base. Therefore, I have created this guide to help new players overcome the initial obstacles.
If you are already an expert in this game, this guide may not be useful for you.
This guide reflects my personal opinions, and it may not be entirely accurate. However, I have tried to provide information that is useful and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Basic Themes and Principles of Mechabellum
Strategy – The game’s units behave like they would in a real-time strategy game, such as Starcraft. No unit is invincible, and they become more powerful by working together and compensating for each other’s weaknesses.
Finesse – Both players receive the same amount of base supply per turn. You cannot gain an “economic advantage” by having more workers or bases. You must work with the resources you have efficiently to win the game.
There are some exceptions, such as Supply Specialist, Cost Control Specialist, and Giant Hunter. However, you cannot rely on them in every game.
Equality – There are two differences between players. First, both players are offered a different selection of specialists and units at the start of each match. Second, everyone may select their own unit modifications (up to four each) for each unit.
Apart from these two differences, both players have the same options in each round. You can unlock and buy any unit, and your options may be modified by the specialists you pick up (higher/lower cost, greater/reduced stats).
Deterministic behavior – There is relatively little randomness in this game. Units always move at a set speed, have a specific amount of health, and deal a specific amount of damage at a specific attack rate. These values may be modified in various ways, but the modifications are predictable mathematically.
There are some random elements, such as random reinforcements each round and the natural inaccuracy of Stormcallers and some techs/abilities. However, both players are offered the same selection of reinforcements each round, and damaging attacks are often quite strong regardless.
Adaptability – There are some reinforcement and unit combinations that are extremely powerful. Both players have the opportunity to take advantage of them, but you need the foresight to notice them.
Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle
1. Eat a Balanced Diet
Maintain a healthy and balanced diet by incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals.
2. Exercise Regularly
Stay active and incorporate exercise into your daily routine. This can include walking, jogging, swimming, or any other form of physical activity that you enjoy.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Make sure you’re getting enough restful sleep each night. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night to help your body recharge and function at its best.
4. Manage Stress
Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga. Stress can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health, so it’s important to find ways to reduce it.
5. Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and keep your body functioning properly.
By following these tips, you can improve your overall health and well-being.
About the Research Center
The Research Center has the following permanent upgrades:
Nuke
A very powerful ability but a big price tag at 400 supplies. It can be good to buy on a decisive round or to save yourself from defeat. Don’t buy it early. The long recharge time means you usually get just one shot.
Field Recovery
Once per round, you can sell a unit and get refunded its base cost and upgrade cost. For instance, a level 2 Rhino sells for 300 (200 base + 100 for upgrade). It’s good for selling units that are serving no purpose or that didn’t do what you expected. Be careful about selling units that are acting as targets or distractions.
Mobile Beacon
Once per round, you may direct a circle of units to move a certain way. Melee units especially will stick to the path and only attack what they bump into. This tends to be more useful in 2v2, but it can make a unit dodge a bad matchup or have Rhinos and/or Crawlers blitz straight toward a vulnerable target (including a building).
Attack Enhancement
Not bad in the mid-to-late rounds.
Defense Enhancement
Less important than Attack, but okay to pick up if you have a tanky army. It doesn’t help low-health units like Mustangs and Crawlers very much.
About the Command Center
The Command Center has the following bonuses that last only for that round:
Rapid Resupply Guide
+200 supply this turn, -300 supply next turn. You have to weigh if the loss of net 100 supply is worth it. Always use this in a final decisive round, and it might be a good idea to use if you are at critical health and might not survive the next round.
Mass Recruitment
Use this carefully. This game is not about unit spam. It is more useful for mass recruiting cheap units as a specific counter to something surprising the opponent did. For example, if they suddenly put down two Overlords in one round and you have no counters. It might be a good idea to put down three Marksmen or something like that.
Elite Recruitment
Use this carefully. 100 supply is very expensive, plus you need to pay for the unit’s upgrade (e.g. a level 2 Rhino will cost 300). It is better in later rounds when many units are upgraded and you may need to place upgraded units to keep them relevant.
Enhanced Range
I usually only buy it if the round is must-win.
High Mobility
I usually only buy it if the round is must-win. Because it’s a flat bonus, it has a relatively stronger effect on slow armies (Fang, Sledgehammer, Fortress …)
About Unit Placement
There is no perfect way to arrange your units, but here are some thoughts:
Round 1 Formations
Try out the recommended formations button. Not all of them are perfect, but most are fairly decent.
Positioning
Depending on what the opponent has, position your units so that the tankiest units take damage first. For example, if your.
About Flank Attacks
From round 2 and onward, you are allowed to place units on the enemy’s flanks. The first time you do this per unit (or if you reposition an existing flank unit), the unit will take 10 seconds to teleport in, leaving it helpless against enemy fire. As long as the unit is not repositioned, it will not have the teleport on successive rounds.
If you notice that the enemy has left the flanks vulnerable, even one unit of Crawlers or Soldier Bees can result in their building being destroyed early in the battle.
Adding a flank attack can also distract and split up the enemy’s forces. Even if your flank attack doesn’t break through, just tying up enemy units for a long time can be valuable.
Because the enemy may flank attack you, it’s a good idea not to put your units too far forward or too much in the center. Otherwise, the enemy will have a clear path to your towers.
Try not to let your forces get distracted by a flank attack for long. Place enough units to deal with the flank attack swiftly and then get back into the fight. On decisive rounds, a sentry missile or two might help clear up the flank more quickly.
If you don’t mind sparing the supply, a pair of sentry missiles can deter the enemy from placing low-health units on the flanks because they will be immediately destroyed and have no element of surprise.
One option is to keep placing more and more units onto the flank, but this is only rarely a good idea. If you feel like the enemy’s flank is somehow vulnerable, maybe you should go for it. But generally speaking, the flanks are for trickery and distraction. The 10-second teleport is a big penalty.
Be cautious about putting Tier-3 units on the flanks. They move slowly, so are not going to engage the buildings too quickly. They also need support. A single giant with no friends is going to be easily defeated.
About Tier-1 Units
A brief synopsis of each unit follows.
Marksman
A basic sniper unit. It has a slow rate of fire and little health, but makes up for it with long range and powerful single-target damage. It is very strong against singleton units such as the giants, Arclight, and Hacker. It’s also not bad against low-count units like Phoenix, Quad Lasers, and Sledgehammer. Adding upgrades and tech can make them extraordinarily good at single-target takedowns.
The best counter against them is the high-count stuff like Crawlers, Fangs, Soldier Bees, and Mustangs. The Marksman will get stuck shooting powerful shots against weaklings and get overwhelmed.
Fang
Basic infantry with small guns. Fangs are very bad without techs, but terrifying once they have some levels and techs. If the opponent happens to have a formation that is countered by Fangs (extended range tech can help a lot early on), then eventually they can level and tech up into a Fang/Fortress combo. Fortresses have a Fang-summoning tech, by the way.
If your opponent is countering your Fangs too well, Fangs can still act as targets. In very late rounds, you might consider giving your Fangs the personal shield tech so they can absorb two shots from heavy-hitters like Marksman and Fortress. They have the benefit of not charging forward like Crawlers do. Fangs placed in the back might reach the front line after the enemy’s Vulcans have been destroyed.
Crawler
Basic melee robots. They move fast and pack quite a punch assuming they get into range. They are good at dodging Stormcaller Missiles, and can soak shots from slow-attackers like Marksman or Melting Point. However, it is rare for them to stay relevant as damage-dealers in later rounds. They are still good to have around so that the enemy wastes time killing Crawlers instead of killing your more important units, but the way they charge ahead means you will very rarely benefit from having more than about 5 units of Crawlers.
Arclight
Basic AOE unit. The Arclight has little health, but it deals decent AOE damage that is strong against light units such as Fang, Crawler, and Mustang. With enough upgrades and tech (and the +100% Arclight experience specialist!), they can reach some serious damage output against even giant units, but they will still always be a bit on the squishy side. They tend to be all-or-nothing, becoming your main force or a paltry support unit after the first few rounds.
About Tier-2 Units
Rhino
The Rhino is a medium melee bruiser that is fairly tanky, fast, and packs a decent punch. It is quite vulnerable to single-target attackers such as Marksman, Quad Laser, and Melting Point, but is fast enough to dodge Stormcaller missiles and tanky enough to take a lot of punishment from most other Tier 1 or 2 units.
Rhinos can be a bit risky because they are so easily defeated by Quad Lasers, which are also a good unit, or by Melting Point if that fails. The Rhino’s high speed and melee range tends to make it run far ahead of your army, where the enemy can easily set up their counter units. It is also quite vulnerable to the Hacker for the same reason.
A good unit in the right time and place, but you may regret over-reliance on them.
Soldier Bee
A swarming air unit. They deal decent damage, but are strong mostly by virtue of only a few things countering them. They are easily killed by Mustangs and won’t do much against Overlords either. You can try throwing a couple into your army to see what happens (the results may be surprising), or have them bounce around with Jump Drive on the flanks to keep your opponent guessing. It’s not bad to sell them once they’re served their purpose.
Mustang
Fragile but hard-hitting generalist. Mustangs are good against swarming units (Fang, Crawler, Soldier Bee) and air units, and their fast speed helps them get close to Marksmen and Stormcallers. They have several techs that can help refine their direction, but they are still best treated as anti-swarm and anti-air. Their anti-unit capability will always be on the weak side, and they will always be fragile.
They can also take the missile interceptor tech, making them uniquely strong against Stormcaller and Overlord projectiles. Level 1 Mustangs missile intercept just as good as any other level.
Quad Laser
Close-range single-targeter and tank. Quad Lasers are quite durable and are good at taking down other durable units such as Rhinos, Sledgehammers, and (to a point) ground giants. Because there are four of them per group, they aren’t terrible when multiple targets are involved, but you still want to avoid getting them tied up with Crawlers and Fangs because this is very inefficient.
Stormcaller
Artillery AOE unit. Stormcallers are best against slow units that end up standing still in a prolonged slugfest. They will tend to miss a lot against fast units (especially fast melee), and they may do insufficient damage against giants.
They are definitely good in the right time and place, but if they start targeting enemy Crawlers or Rhinos, they are going to whiff the majority of their shots. They may also become useless if the enemy uses many Mustangs with missile intercept. Two or three can be great. Overbuy at your own risk.
Sledgehammer
A well-rounded anti-ground tank. The Sledgehammer is average in most regards. It is fairly durable, has a decent punch, and some splash damage. It does okay against most Tier-1 and Tier-2 ground units, tending to lose slightly against Quad Lasers and being rather weak against Rhinos. Their slow speed also makes them vulnerable to Stormcallers.
Their health scales pretty well with upgrades and the Field Maintenance tech. If allowed to upgrade freely, they can become very hard to kill, even in the later rounds. But if they get destroyed too often in the early rounds, it can be hard to reach that tipping point.
Phoenix
An airborne sniper, much like the Marksman. Its attack is single-target and powerful, but the Phoenix is fragile.
If you just treat it like Marksman, you’ll be fine. As an air unit, not many units can actually fire at it. Just watch out for the ones that can, as virtually all of them can easily defeat a Phoenix in a duel.
Hacker
A very specialized unit, and you wouldn’t be wrong to ignore it most of the time, but when you do find the right place to use it, the result can be overpowering.
The Hacker has a few problems. It is fragile, very slow, has a middling range, and its “attack” does very little “damage” on its own. It needs the right target, and a lot of support.
I will usually use the Hacker plus Quad Lasers to counter an enemy Rhino that has the self-destruct tech. With the appropriate Hacker tech, the hacked Rhino will be restored to full health and get turned against the enemy. This is easier to do against Rhinos because they tend to run far ahead, whereas other juicy targets such as giants will be slower and have a longer range.
The Hacker costs 100 supply to unlock, which is more than the other Tier-2 units.
About Tier-3 Units
The Tier-3 units are strong, but their single bodies make them vulnerable to Marksman, Melting Point, and certain abilities such as Orbital Javelin. They are good, but do not feel compelled to rush to them.
Vulcan
Flamethrower AOE giant. The Vulcan can easily destroy swarming units such as Crawlers, but if the Vulcan gets stuck attacking something tanky, it’s going to be there for a while. Vulcans are often best placed slightly back in your army so that it can wipe out the Crawlers that rush ahead, and isn’t likely to get stuck on a shield or something like that.
Upgrades and the Scorching Flame tech can help the Vulcan to do surprising damage against even tanky stuff. But it’s still mainly anti-swarm.
The Vulcan costs 100 supply to unlock, which is lower than the other Tier-3 units.
Fortress
Anti-unit tank. The Fortress has a cannon with minimal splash damage, mainly for single targets. It is also quite tanky for its cost (but watch for Quad Lasers and Melting Point), and has good support techs like barrier and anti-air missiles. It usually combos well with squishy armies so that the Fortress can soak some damage on their behalf, and make the enemy’s anti-swarm stuff target the Fortress.
Sometimes, Fortress can be better at anti-unit than even Melting Point, because its damage is done steadily without time wasted for the charge-up. This can make Fortress surprisingly resilient against low-level Quad Lasers, for example. Yes, the Lasers will eventually fry the Fortress, but the Fortress is one-shotting them right back in return.
Melting Point
Anti-unit specialist. Like a souped-up Quad Laser, the Melting Point can easily and quickly destroy any target — one at a time. The energy diffraction tech can help make the Melting Point a little more swarm-proof, but its specialty will still always be single targets. Unlike the Quad Laser, it can target air units.
Overlord
Airborne giant. The Overlord’s cannon hits hard with some splash damage, and being airborne means that only a few things can target it. But it has the lowest health of the giants by far. They are good on support, buffing the army with their photon emission tech and taking down any target with their fantastic weapons, but try to keep them out of the frontline, and maybe reconsider if your opponent is packing a lot of anti-air (Marksman and Mustang especially).
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