Introduction to ‘Turtle’ strategy

The ‘Turtle’ strategy is a purely defensive operation, where all your production and units are focused on ‘entrenching’ yourself near or around your base and holding your ground; creating a high density of strong units to protect against attacks from your opposition.

If you know your units, you’ll be aware that some are ‘soft’ counters and some are ‘hard’ ones. This means certain units will deliver more damage to another type of unit, and are build for a specific task. For example, Wolverine is an anti air unit, and a hard counter to anything that flies, but a soft counter to anything else.

Units: With the Turtle strategy you want to be focusing your force around hard counters to what your opponents making. The first thing you want to do when Turtling (after you’ve established you won’t be rushed), you want to be scouting your opponent to see what units he is going to go for. If you haven’t been rushed, they are most likely going to be turtling themselves, or ‘Booming’. Either way you will have time to get yourself together.

If your opponent is ‘Booming’ they’ll be going for their super units most likely, although scouting them will certify this. All super units have a hard counter, so make sure you get these fully upgraded and ready. If your playing UNSC upgrade your Spartans too.

Digging in: So your production and research is under way, now you have to decide what and where your going to defend. Most maps have obvious ‘choke’ points where your opponent is forced to go if they want to attack, if your facing vehicles or infantry, these are good places to place your forces. If they have aircraft, they’ll most likely attack the most important thing; your base.

Save for a rainy day: Turtling is a good strategy to get mega points, personally my top 5 games have been from Turtling. But there does come a time when the game has to come to a close, for time’s sake and because there is actually a points cap on this game; so there’s no point in going on forever.

Make sure while your defense is doing it’s job, your upgrading every unit available. Even if your Anders, upgrade your Marines. You will need a force to ‘finish’ the game, and this could consist on any unit. Hard counters are good for defending what your opponent is making, but if they change their unit production to counter you you’re in trouble.

Finish the fight: Finishing is one of the hardest things when Turtling, as it’s likely your at a stalemate with your opponent. Playing 1v1 is even harder, you have to either do a gradual push and take your time with attacking them, gradually taking one base at a time and weakening his economy and production capabilities; or you can ‘steamroll’ him by attacking non stop unit the games done.

If your playing in teams it’s slightly easier, as one of you can focus on continuing to defend while the other launches the attack, being gradually reinforced by the other player(s).

Turtling can be quite a slow pace of game, with matches lasting for 1, 2 or even 3 hours.

Halo Wars Guide