Kanes Wrath

At some point in your Kane's Wrath online career, you will inevitably meet someone who has decided that their best chance of winning the game is to set up at least two War Factories and queue up a few dozen battle tanks, and then proceed to roll them into your base, steamrolling everything in sight. Aghast, you watch as the armored convoy of doom rips your army to shreds and demolishes your base, leaving you wondering how something so mindless as spamming one unit type could be so effective.

There are several types of main battle tank (MBT) spam possible in Kane's Wrath. This tip focuses on analyzing each version and how to defeat it. Above all, tank spam must be scouted effectively. If the first warning you have is the opening salvos from the opponent's tanks, then of course you will most likely lose.

Secondly, harassment is your friend. Keeping your opponent bottled up in your base worried about the incoming Disintegrators, Orcas, Pitbulls, or Bikes will prevent him from accumulating the funds needed to create a sizable mass of tanks, particularly if you are knocking out his Harvesters.

If you are on the defensive, try and fight the tank spam near your War Factory or Warp Sphere. This will allow you to retreat damaged units back to get repaired while you simultaneously pump out reinforcements.

Predator Spam

Affectionately referred to as "Predspam", this tactic is quite popular among GDI players due to the sheer firepower and armor possessed by each Predator Tank. While slow, Predators can absorb heavy damage before succumbing. Upgrading them with Railguns makes them even more dangerous.

GDI

As vGDI, countering Predators in the early/mid-game is best accomplished by having a strong Predator force of your own. There are other options that can be mixed in to defeat Predator spam, but having a sizable vehicular force is almost essential. The chief reason for using Predators in a mixed force is for their armor. A line of your Predators in between the enemy tanks and your other units will prevent any infantry you are using from being easily crushed and they can take hits for lighter armored units such as Shatterers. The important thing is maintain a protective armored screen to absorb damage. If you prefer not to use Predators, APCs work as meatshields, and their mines can slow down a tank rush. You will need a lot of APCs, though.

If you prefer to use infantry to counter early/mid-game Predator spam, Missile Squads with Composite Armor are also a cheap, easily-massed anti-tank force that the hostile Predators will have a hard time countering. If micro'd properly, mass APCs and Missile Squads can work, but only if the Missile Squads are evacuated before the APCs die. AP Ammo is a must for this plan.

Shatterers can also provide an added firepower boost against massed Predators. Their splash damage can damage multiple tanks, so make sure to aim for clumped up tanks. Also, retreating your force backward can cause the enemy armored column to converge unless your opponent uses Formation Move, leaving them more vulnerable to Shatterers and whittling their available firepower, as some of the tanks will be in the back of the column and unable to focus their firepower as effectively. When using Shatterers or Missile Squads, make sure to keep them behind tanks of your own, as Shatterers are fragile and expensive, while Missile Squads can be crushed.

If your opponent is not paying attention, Orcas are also effective against Predators. A word of caution: Three Pitbulls will instantly kill an Orca, and Orcas tend to clump up, rendering them vulnerable to area-of-effect attacks such as rockets. When using your Orcas, try and be sure you attack with at least 3. If you only are using one, it gives your opponent time to build up a counter. However, an opponent spamming just Predators will quickly lose them to a few Orcas just in the initial run.

Late game, Zone Troopers work well against Predators provided there aren't large amounts of anti-infantry units present. Sonic Emitters are also effective, given their large range and high splash damage. Furthermore, the Juggernaut is one of the best units against tank-spam. Predators advancing under a constant hail of Juggernaut fire will be blown apart. Make sure to use meatshields to protect your Juggernauts. Using Shockwave Artillery can also disable large numbers of Predators long enough for your units to make short work of them.

Steel Talons exclusives

The Steel Talons have a trickier time dealing with Predator spam due to their slower and more expensive Titan walkers. However, Titans shoot over buildings, so hiding them behind Tiberium Silos and Power Plants can buy them time to get off those few crucial shots. Furthermore, Predators can be crushed by Titans, so hiding the Titans behind your War Factory may lure the Predators in close for a quick crushing. Keep in mind that a decent GDI player will micro his units to protect them from crushing and that Shatterers are not available. Either Missile Squads or Orcas become more important than ever against Predator spam as Steel Talons. Since Steel Talons Missile Squads do not have Composite Armor, Orcas may be the better choice, as their rockets decimate tanks. Whenever using Orcas, be sure to micro them, using Formation Move to keep them spread out and less vulnerable to anti-air rockets, and controlling their fire rate to avoid wasteful overkill; Orcas are known to fire off multiple rockets at a target that is nearly dead, wasting ammunition.

Late game, Adaptive Armor and Behemoths make short work of anyone foolish enough to continue Predator spamming. The key risk of fighting Predator spam as Steel Talons is the slowness of Steel Talons armor. Air units can help mitigate this weakness, but beware of enemy Firehawks, Slingshots, and Pitbulls.

ZOCOM exclusives

In 1.02, ZOCOM really have a hard time producing Predators of their own due to the experience bug where ZOCOM Predator tanks give far too much experience. Early/mid-game, they will still most likely need Predators, but a higher ratio of Missile Squads is recommended. Due to the excellence and cheapness of the Tiberium Field Suit and EMP Grenade upgrades, a fast Armory can help ZOCOM by providing its Grenadiers and Missile Squads with more of a frontline role. EMP Grenadiers can knock out several Predators at a time if micro'd well, but they are a fickle unit due to bugging out and the attack delay. Zone Shatterers can be useful, but their fragility means that they must be micro'd well in order to get off more than one shot.

Alternately, the ZOCOM Orca, with its splash damage and higher armor when upgraded with Ceramic Armor, is good against massed Predators. ZOCOM Orcas are harder to control and are less effective against moving targets, making them less useful for overall harassment, so Rocket Hammerheads may be preferable due to their versatility and lower micro requirements.

Late game, Zone Raiders, especially inside Hammerheads, make short work of Predators. A MARV loaded with Zone Raiders can also be effective, but lategame ZOCOM has a hard time against massed armor when it has artillery support. Support powers and weakening your opponent's economy with aircraft will be your best defenses as ZOCOM.