This guide would revolve around my experience on base layout and placement on defending units. This strategy would be most helpful for Mid Tier players.
Note: Since I belong to the Survivor Faction, this guide would slightly be beneficial for survivor player.
I hope that it may help new and returning players adapt to the game and may it give insights that can inspire them while making their own base layout.
But before proceeding there, I advise new players and returning players to prioritize upgrading their units first and at least to have ELITE uniques and defending uniques up to LVL 5.
First, regarding base layout:
It is the most common practice and efficient strategy to establish a parameter around your Command Center (CC). One reason is that when your CC is destroyed, you surely would receive 1 or 2 star bubble from its destruction. Another reason is that, as your defense chips away the enemy's time and units, it increases the chances to avoid a 3 star bubble, especially if tough buildings like CC remains standing with only a few second on the clock.
Another way to take advantage of it is to place it slightly near the edge of you base. Although it is a little risky, it also means its a lot harder to attack on that part of the base with the right defenses.
I placed 4 bunkers around the corner of my CC (NW, NE, SW and SE) and converted them to strongholds. On that stronghold, I placed sharpshoters equipped with Flash Coating(invisibility), Reflex Stabilizer and TK rounds. With the bonus damage amplification provided by the stronghold and TK rounds, it makes the raw damage of sharpshooters even more lethal. This would greatly help in providing damage against the enemy's main ground troop like nova, DS and prophet which have more that 70 million health. I advise upgrading the strongholds until it can fit 2 sharpshooters ( 3 is ideal). Be sure to pu walls around the strongholds and CC to reduce the enemy's ability in battle (like aiming directly at the strongholds. Walls block vision of the attacker, buying some time)
Next, near those strongholds, place the heavy platforms (the one that houses hunter missile and railgun) on the side of the CC ( N, S, E and W). Depending on the defending units you're gonna put, you can either equip them with 2 hunter and 2 flak or at least 2 railgun, 1 hunter and 1 flak. Since my recommendation was to have 4 bunkers built specifically against ground, having anti air would be a great help. Although flak isnt well-received as a thought for base defense, with the growing number of aces attacking, it's better to at least have one (further defense against air would be relying on your defense troops). It would be helpful if you could unlock supporting turrets to equip into the heavy platform.
Place a watchtower on the south (I placed my base slightly to the north and have much space in the south) a few distance away from the strongholds but not too far) and place buzzsaw to defend against air.
Place the drone silo on the W and E side a few distance away from the heavy turrets and place walls to protect it. The rocket silo are a few distance into tge south equipped with Achilles DS.
Then for the final piece add cryo to your turrerts and place gen II turrets beside each cryo turrets. The cryo may be a relic from the past, but it can help you slow down units with it. Maybe not slow down uniques, but it's helpful against technicals, phalanx and such.
Only take your dozer away from the upgrade of your defense platform when your def lab runs out of research material. Switch and ups def lab so that you can continue to unlock new weapons.
Lastly, Def Toons.
Some people prefer using their faction units so that they could use their faction bonus trait. But it's not a bad idea to add a few of the other faction's unit. I recommend putting nick into the defense to deal a lethal blow against air units. Kraken and Executioner would further help deliver shovk to the enemy's ground. A few lancers would help with a few technicals. A screamer would secure the sky. I also put a legendary bfg equipped with anti air into the base.
Note: Once the survivor warlust activates, the damage of sharpshooters done inside the stronghold increases significantly. On the early phase of the war, once your frontline defenders die (kraken and executioner or nick -> if included), you can start earning warlust, increasing your damage. If you dont have nick, better get techs with rocket launcer.
I hope that this helped the readers even a bit.