[11-3-2] Some strategies to defeat the tank rush

Learn effective strategies to counter tank rushes in Total Annihilation. Discover tactics involving unit production, air superiority, D-gun usage, and light laser defenses.

So, you know that your opponent is about to rush you and want to counter it. Here are some tips:

1. Return the favour and build your own two vehicle plants and start churning out the units. When his force arrives at your base, your force will be larger as you will have had longer to build it.
2. If he is concentrating on building tanks, he won't have any anti-air capabilities. Build an early aircraft plant then an air transport, and go and pick up his Commander! Then detonate it over his base after sending him a 'This is what happens to tank rushing bunnies' message. :)
3. Instead of using the early aircraft plant to build an air transport, build a steam of fighters (or bombers), and have them all go to the rusher's base as they are built. Have them on a patrol in his base (give the aircraft plant a Move and Patrol order), and he will HAVE to do something about it.
4. Don't forget the power of the D-gun! A couple of solar collectors built early will let you power the D-gun long enough to wipe out most tank rushes (or at least put a serious enough dent in them for your own forces to take the remainder out). If you practice with the D-gun's run-on effect, you should be able to take out multiple units with a single blast.
5. Also never forget the stopping power that 2 or 3 light lasers can have against the weaker units. Group the lasers together and build a radar near them. When you see enemy blips approaching, select the lasers and have them start firing from their maximum distance. Not only will the lasers destroy his forces, but the wreckage from this destruction will break up the unit groups and force them to maneuver about, making it that much harder for the bunny to focus their fire on a single target.

Death to all tank rushing bunnies!