BETA Combat Doctrine

As an alien force created for mining (completely unbeknownst to humanity), the BETA center their strategies around total dominance with overwhelming numbers; the areas that they take are eventually mined of all possible resources, leaving a barren wasteland behind that is unfit for supporting human life for decades to come.

What allows them to not just stand toe-to-toe with humanity's forces, but to actually dominate them, however, are the @BETA - Laser Class and @BETA - Heavy Laser Class. Their lasers can instantly destroy both air and ground enemy units from beyond visual ranges, and due to the fact that a typical low-threat BETA encounter would usually number several dozen @BETA - Grappler Class, @BETA - Tank Class, and @BETA - Destroyer Class means that without air support, @Human armies would typically find themselves outmatched and outnumbered in a ground war. The laser classes also prioritize targets based on the computer systems they have, thus making missiles and drones higher priority targets than artillery shells. The more advanced, the higher the priority. However, this later changed to give higher priority to manned systems, thus making @Tactical Surface Fighter (TSF)s which have powerful computers as well as having a human pilot a higher priority for the laser class BETA.

In addition, there is no real way to detect a BETA offensive from far off; ground-based sonic sensors and recon satellites are at the mercy of the weather and mechanical failure. The best defence is to have pilots being able to respond quickly and efficiently to a sudden incursion, and to quickly deal with an incoming force if it is detected early enough. During a large offensive push by the BETA, expect to see several hundred to tens of thousands of @BETA - Tank Class, @BETA - Grappler Class and @BETA - Destroyer Class, as well several @BETA - Fort Class and dozens if not hundreds of @BETA - Laser Class/@BETA - Heavy Laser Class in the mix as well.

Behind the scenes (suspected by humanity until confirmation), the BETA are usually commanded by the Superordinate, a BETA strain best described as a "biological quantum computer". Located within the @Kashgar Hive, Objective 01, this is the one true threat to victory in any engagement; the BETA in general can be lured into traps or defeated with clever use of tactics, but when led by the Superordinate, the BETA become noticeably smarter, to the extent where it understands the concepts of human tactics and will create ways to counter them.

Some basic tactics used by the BETA include tunneling from underground, often surprising defending forces from the rear, or from another front, creating opportunities for overconfident pilots to get trapped in a pincer maneuver. Often the main issue with combating BETA in any prolonged engagement is the threat of running out of ammunition, and the massive numerical odds; close-quarters combat is viable, but that would be playing into the area of strength for the BETA, and is not encouraged unless as a last-ditch measure.

BETA force size organization, as is expected of their force composition, is several times higher than their human counterparts. To add to that, most major engagements take place with multiple corps-sized formations deployed by the BETA, as is their nature to rely on overwhelming numbers.

Organizational Formations and Numbers

Force measurements of BETA herd formations are listed below:

  • Platoon - 30 to 60 creatures

  • Company - 60 to 250 creatures

  • Battalion - 300 to 1,000 creatures

  • Regiment - 2,000 to 3,000 creatures

  • Brigade - 3,000 to 5,000 creatures

  • Division - 10,000 to 20,000 creatures

  • Corps - 30,000 or more creatures

During engagements, it is common practice to identify units branching off from corps-sized herds based on their numbers and composition. For example, a @Human battlefield update from command over comms might go something to the effect of: "A battalion-sized herd of Destroyer-class has branched off from the main force, now heading east towards Kanto. No Laser-class detected. Direct ATCs to begin fire missions and available QRF forces to engage in culling operations immediately. That is all." This would indicate a more numerically manageable battalion (between 300 to 1,000 creatures), with a large presence of Destroyer-class, has split off from a much larger force, without the support of either laser or heavy laser-class BETA. (This would allow for traditional bomber aircraft and helicopters to assist in the engagement.)