Teching... Huh... good god, y'all.

[Xanthian]

What is it good for? You know the song.

Anyway, this has to be about the seventh SM player I've run into that hits tier 3 just as I'm hitting tier 2 as ork...

Now, the issue is that ork tier 2 has two things; nobs, who are pure melee, have no fire on the move, and can't kill anything as a result, and anti-vehicle (tankbustaz). While these are both good units, they hardly make an army.

Luckily enough, this SM player was bad enough that after imbaing away all of my shootas in a single psychic inquisition, my nobs then proceeded to be allowed to melee his assault terminators. (Go figure, he's up against ork and instead of making heavy bolters, he makes assault termies, lol.)

Anyway, even without more choppy, they overran him. (I swear to god, manz with speed boost completely make up for the missing damage from nobs) Mostly because he obviously conceded map control in order to tech that quickly.

Now, this raises two obvious questions. Firstly, aren't tier 3 units supposed to obliterate tier 2 units? (Or in the case of nobs without choppy, practically tier 1.5?)

And secondly, how the hell can sm players tech that quick? Can they delete their chapel barracks or something??

[SubakuGaara]

I'm not sure what kind of game you're playing, but if its 1v1 a good harass can set someone back a whole tier.

[Troubleshooter]

Now, this raises two obvious questions. Firstly, aren't tier 3 units supposed to obliterate tier 2 units? (Or in the case of nobs without choppy, practically tier 1.5?)

Tier 3 do obliterate tier 2 units. Tier 2 units that have scaled via upgrades are not tier 2 any longer though. Also, tier 3 units that are capped at one squad will not make up for a missing support structure (ie. Other infantry and vehicles) just based on battle prowess alone. Tier 3 is a "leg up" usually, not a guaranteed victory. Some tier 3 units have game turning potential, like the WW and the Mad doc... but they are also useless without some sort of follow through.

And secondly, how the hell can sm players tech that quick? Can they delete their chapel barracks or something??

6 minute terminators is possible without deleting anything... but they are litterally defenseless for 6 freaking minutes. In a 1v1 set up, this should be a suicide move every time. Pausing long enough to get GK's and 2 LS wont slow down SM much by way of tech... so if you dont handle his GK's effeciently, then yes you could be facing a 7 minute terminator/whirlwind scenerio.

[Archraven]

I have this problem as Chaos...in a mirror game, my opponent fought off 3 tacs with just one zerk squad and a sorceror, and had Oblits out before I hit Tier 2.5. An IG player had Sentinels running down my flank right as I hit Tier 2.

I usually make my temple with two heretics, send 3 cultists to cap, and pop raptors as soon as my temple is done. From there, I either go with CSMs or a CL and then CSMs to tide me over until Tier 2, building a gen and an armory somewhere in the middle. My opponent usually has Tier 2 units out by the time I get that done, and hits Tier 3 soon after that.

[Hiroshi_Tea]

you should stick with just asm or marines
don't try and do both
or that will really slow you down
have about 2-3 squads
and then should should be teched

i'm guessing you're trying to do too much in just tier 1

[Murton]

Seems to me you're building too much in Tier 1, as Chaos you have the ability to start Tier 2 research in the very first minute of the game, I recommend you take advantage of that.

Build Order should pretty much be Barracks, two sets of cappers and a couple heretics to get that barracks up quicker, once the barracks is complete (use FL on one heretic at roughly half way and remember to switch it off again before he dies) then start Tier 2 immediately. Use the heretics to install your LPs to get your req back and then start building units.

It sounds like a lot but trust me, that is all possible before the game counter reaches 1 minute, a couple CSMs and gens and you're ready to start zerker mass and other Tier 2 nastyness.