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Once you've gathered enough resources, it's time to begin producing units and engaging in combat with either the computer-controlled enemy in the campaign game or a crafty human opponent in a multiplayer game. This section provides some proven strategies on defeating either opposition.
One of the most important Homeworld: Cataclysm habits is using unit groupings. By pressing the Ctrl key and a number, you can create a group of units that you can select quickly and easily by just pressing that number key again. For instance, if you want to group a squad of 20 acolytes to an easily selectable group, simply highlight each acolyte and press the Ctrl and 1 key simultaneously. To select those acolytes in the future, just hit the 1 key. You'll notice the small 1 next to each unit denoting its group.
Unit groupings are extremely important. They let you efficiently move and attack enemy units. For instance, you may wish to attack the enemy frigates with your own frigates, but assign the strike craft to intercept incoming cruise missiles. If you were to attempt to manually select all friendly strike craft, it would take precious moments that could spell the end of your units at the hand of those cruise missiles. With unit groupings, though, just hit the group's corresponding number key and attack the cruise missiles within seconds.
Because grouping units let you maneuver and attack much more efficiently, quickly, and effectively, it permits flanking maneuvers - such as sending a squad down on top, behind, or below an enemy force - or selective retreating. For instance, if a certain squad is overmatched in the battle, you can select that group and retreat instead of selecting each ship manually.
Group everything in their specific group - including workers! You may need to move your resource collectors suddenly; assigning them all to a single group lets you move them quickly and easily. You can also assign the workers all to the same tasks much easier with groupings. Get used to using groupings; if you're to succeed in multiplayer games, unit groupings are a must!
Success or failure in a battle can hinge on your ability to make wise decisions during combat situations. You basically have two options in combat: attacking a single unit (by clicking on the enemy unit) or attacking a group of units (by holding down Ctrl and bandbox selecting the group of enemy units). Deciding when to do each depends on the current combat situation.
In strike craft wars, it's useful to bandbox attack. That way, your fighters will engage different enemy fighters, and you will likely weaken several on the first pass and likely destroy many on the second pass. Numbers play a large game in strike craft wars. If you possess more acolytes or ACVs than your opponent, you're likely to win, especially if you used smart tactics and formations (more on this later).
Concentrating fire works well in frigate and capital ship attack. By concentrating fire on one enemy vessel, you can quickly gain a numbers advantage and, hopefully, win the war. In frigate and capital ship battles, don't bandbox attack. Instead, concentrate fire on one enemy vessel. If enemy strike craft also attack, divert some of your forces to deal with them - but not many. If it's only a few strike craft, they won't damage your frigates and capital ships much. It's wiser to keep attacking the large enemy ships then deal with the strike craft once you have obtained a numbers advantage.
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