Ur one to ask.
But for all the cpu nubs out there:
I'd suggest starting out trying to beat 5 vaygr players. Its typically easier than trying to beat 5 hiig players. Also unless your a pro vaygr player, its easier to play as hiig. Mostly because I only know maybe a couple players that know how to get a fast vaygr bc (sub 10mins) with fighters. As far as i know i'm the only player to beat 5 expert cpu w/ vaygr, but i know around ten player's who've beat 5 expert cpu w/ hiig. So the easiest way to set up your game is like this:
Set-upThere's lots of ways to beat 5cpu, but the basic goal is get a fast bc w/ fighters. On CB you want to go for bc first geting fighters as almost an after thought. I dont start building int till my bc starts. Prior to 8mins, your ms/cc guns can pretty much kill the small attacks the cpu gives you. Once your bc is out, jump it around the map and kill one cpu at a time. Once you kill a cpu's ms/cc/sy he's dead - including all his swarm that was buzzing around. Its important to probe the map before attacking. You want to wait till a cpu has moved his fleet to the middle of the map before jumping your bc into his base. This way he'll have to retreat all the way back home, and by then you'll have killed his cc/ms/sy and he'll be dead. After you get bc + full int, you can get ions, or pulsars, or watever you want.
A good time for anybody is under an hour. The faster you beat the cpus, the easier it is. The longer you take, the more ships your gonna half to kill. I think the first time i beat 5cpu it took like 1hour 20mins, and i had nearly 500 kills. Was doing a wacky build to capture the pos1 cpu, then go double dd, and then get a slow bc - lets say this just wasn't the best way of doing things. Now my times a bit better - over an hour better infact. If you wana get the record your gonna have to beat a fast-as-fuck
17:53.