Ok im a little new to it but how do I build a second harvester I don't get the option to and I'm just confused on how to do this

For those of you who have been wondering about how to get a second harvester, you cannot build a second harvester until you reach Level 6 when you gain that ability as a reward. It doesn't really make too much sense to me why they choose to make it exclusive to a level up but that was the choice they made so far and I would hope they change that as the game goes forward. Seems silly to lock an option like that behind a level up requirement.

Steps for dealing with double harvester start1) War Factory --> Pitbull/Attack Bike --> Scout their starting a) Don't build your own harvester yet, wait for scouting information. This is a very easy way to counter Orca rushers, if you see a helipad/air tower and no harvester of their own, they already have a Orca on it's way to kill your non-existent harvester. Don't bother even building a harvester until you are capable of dealing with the Orca, he has no harvester either so he has no advantage on you. Orca's hit hard but Pitbulls can attack while moving, Orca's are fresh meat to them due to their reload time, build them and hunt it down and if he builds a harvester you have Pitbulls on the field to easily destroy it. b) If you see them with two harvesters (2nd one should be built as you approach the base), play extremely aggressive, this means build 1-2 more Pitbulls/Attack Bikes, including something that can deal with missile/laser squads, unless they build a war factory then just keep pumping out Pitbulls/Attack Bikes. You have number advantage, micro your low life units away. Pitbulls can attack while moving, abuse it, I have easily used 2 pitbulls to dominate 2-4 attack bikes without losing one as well as used Pitbulls to run circles around harvesters while the enemy attempts to chase me.2) Are you winning the "Fight"? a) If you can completely dominate him and attack his base directly, DO IT! You don't need the missile to win, sitting back waiting for the missile is how they get back into the game. b) Do you actually need a harvester to win this game? Harvesters take up a unit slot, another troop on the field allows you to pressure them even more. If they are just feeding you harvester kills like morons, you already have a source of income. If they are smart and not feeding you harvesters, you want to build one so you can keep the pressure on. c) If you're unable to win the "Fight" and push him to his base, turn your aggression to controlling the furthest two tiles, it still gives you map advantage and you have control of the missile with a extra tile on your side if you need it (If you don't need a 3rd tile, don't bother with it).I understand the annoyance of them having the option of double harvester start but all I see is excuses and a refusal to change the way you play. Double harvester starts can be punished extremely hard, the only thing that kinda prevents me from being super aggressive early is the Nod Scarabs (Depending on positioning). If a Pitbull can sneak around, even scarabs are useless against it's mobility. It's extremely rare that I lose to a double harvester start (If I do, it's because I built a damn Rhino by mistake over a Pitbull >_<), they're probably the easiest games for me to win.

This was the last straw for me, I am not a mobile gamer, but I'm a cnc fan. When I saw the 2 harvesters I was surprised by the lack of balance even more than getting ion cannoned(something else I didn't have). This is probably common practice in mobile games to get you to buy in game currency but for a cnc game it just isn't a good idea. I can't imagine playing Tiberian Sun(my favorite cnc title) on the pc and not have Titans or Mammoth tanks because I didn't unlock them but have to play against people that had them,

@Maumas1You need to be level 9 to gain access to the NOD faction as well as a second harvester.To everyone complaining about double harvesters, it is the laziest strat in the game, and SUPER easy to beat.Step 1: scout your enemy and identify they are double harvesting.Step 2: Keep the nuke charging. If they have no pads, you only need 1 pad. If they have 1 pad, you need two. (or you can hop off your pad and let them charge it for you 😉 )Step 3: harass their harvesters and base. Keep them building units and buildings.Step 4: watch as their first tech unit comes out just in time to watch the 2nd nuke sail into their base.Double harvester builds sacrifice map control to get extra income. So if you tie up their income enough through harassment, your army can easily handle a tech unit or two before the 2nd nuke gets off. In the upper tiers of the game, a 1 harvester build beats a 2 harvester build 95% of the time. That last 5% is mistakes, bad map, or you are facing a +2 or +3 player.Just because an answer isn't obvious doesn't mean it doesn't exist 😉 There are ways to take on double harvester players!

if I had to guess, the reason they level gated it is because they wanted to make the gameplay slowly more complex as you level up. If this was release that wouldn't be a problem since matchmaking would have enough people to match levels together.

Second harvester | EA Forums

20 Replies

Mavster07
8 years ago
We'll see, am climbing pretty hard right now for how little I play (Pretty much do the dailies, always have full fuel and call it a day). Lots of people start barracks vs me already but I find Rhino's will still run down missile sqauds and with some managing (pulling them away, so their units switch target to high health, etc) I eventually just overpower their missile sqauds. Perhaps I'll hit a wall (2335 medals) but as of right now it seems to be the most effective method for climbing for me, still am only level 9 so there are plenty of units I haven't encountered yet but I adjust my strategy as needed.
It's why I love Seth for Nod, they over commit on the missile squads to counter attack bikes. Let me just build a flame trooper and use his drill pod to clear all your infantry out and send the bikes back in! 🙂.
JadeXyan
8 years ago
Ah 9, yeah you're not quite to the point I'd expect you to hit that wall yet. Snipers, jump jet micro, just a higher average level of skill so you run into people who don't overextend and have figured out how to counter your overly expensive seth flametroopers with a handful of riflemen/militants and that scout early enough to see the bike rush coming and skip the harvester to just counter rush against you, all things that make bike rushes less viable, of these skill is likely the greatest but snipers definitely help a lot :P
Anonymous
8 years ago
@ mavster07: thumbs up! That's how you do it right. Your post should help a lot of people who are fairly new to RTS games.
Since there's nothing to say left I vote for closing this thread now.
DaSud
8 years ago
I actually delay my second harvester for board control. I like to have my mind on what the opponent is making so I can win the first nuke. That's generally when I will bring on the second harvester.
I am finding in matches vs skilled players the tiberium is actually being mined out, so at least with some tweaks it might become more of an all-in play rather than a shoe-in.
I also disagree with double harvest vs single matchmaking, but it is a hurdle you eventually pass.
Cottoneyej
8 years ago
Faulty logic. This isnt a typical c&c game. But to use your logic. It would be like putting two people against eachother and on your side is only green tiberium. And on theirs is only blue. You simply cannot out build or beat a competent person with double income.
Anonymous
7 years ago
I am lvl7 and still can not build second harvester or it is not player lvl need to be 6?
BattaIia
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
@Maumas1

You need to be level 9 to gain access to the NOD faction as well as a second harvester.

To everyone complaining about double harvesters, it is the laziest strat in the game, and SUPER easy to beat.

Step 1: scout your enemy and identify they are double harvesting.

Step 2: Keep the nuke charging. If they have no pads, you only need 1 pad. If they have 1 pad, you need two. (or you can hop off your pad and let them charge it for you 😉 )

Step 3: harass their harvesters and base. Keep them building units and buildings.

Step 4: watch as their first tech unit comes out just in time to watch the 2nd nuke sail into their base.

Double harvester builds sacrifice map control to get extra income. So if you tie up their income enough through harassment, your army can easily handle a tech unit or two before the 2nd nuke gets off. In the upper tiers of the game, a 1 harvester build beats a 2 harvester build 95% of the time. That last 5% is mistakes, bad map, or you are facing a +2 or +3 player.

Just because an answer isn't obvious doesn't mean it doesn't exist 😉 There are ways to take on double harvester players!
Devon202
Seasoned Newcomer
7 years ago
The only complaint that I have about the harvesters is that the replacement harvester is free. So that small detail allows players to remain viable even when the harvester is been destroyed. So in essence you really cannot stop someones economy by destroying a harvesters because A. they still generate income even without a harvester. B. to replace a harvester is free so there is no punishment for leaving a harvester unprotected. Really really bad design.
BattaIia
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
The punishment is not harvesting for a time. Most players (perhaps out of some misguided belief of honor or good sportsmanship) don't block harvesters. They also do strange things like tech up and let their opponent back into the game.

If you kill their harv, keep building, and keep your army in their face. Block their harv from ever getting back onto a patch and collect the next 100 tib. Repeat with a unit on a pad as necessary until both nukes have gone off, or your units kill their base out of boredom.
AlphonseDiscipl
7 years ago
I actually very very rarely build a second Harvester anymore. Once I was told about the unit cap and that Harvester counts against it, I haven’t done two since. Lol

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Second harvester

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