In a game where the map is so big that you are very safe for the first 30 minutes or so, RA rushing is almost unstoppable unless you are fighting an extremely experienced player. This is why it will be nerfed in 1.1.
For LONG MP games without the RA rush <IWIN> button, I present my 10 Simple steps to win with Vasari.
1. Build the Space Egg and expand quickly. In addition to becoming a late game siege weapon, the Egg is peerless for rapid expansion.
2. Send scouts to find and take every neutral extractor possible before other players get around to them.
3. See rule #2. This is how you early game econ with Vasari.
4. Spam Assailants. YES, it IS your most effective ship early game.
5. Scout enemies, if they are making counters to Assailants (carriers, flak, heavy cruisers) immediately tech up and start making the counter-counter. If they AREN'T making counters and they look at all vulnerable, you should tech up your phase missiles right now and go smash them before they get a clue. Unless of course they have tons of Illuminators
6. Have they been taking your neutral extractors? Those are YOUR neutrals! Send scouts to take em back when they aren't looking.
7. Press button marked <IWIN2> -- Get Subverters. Subverters + Assailant missile spam = death to inexperienced players...and most experienced players too. (NOTE, these are also nerfed post 1.05 and I haven't had much of a chance to try em out due to annoyance with the strikecraft bug.)
8. What?? You haven't won yet? Ok, read 9.
9. Extreme late game, you will use your Phase Gates to rapidly reinforce on defense and project your fleet across your territory on offense. Your Kostura cannons will herald your arrival by temporarily turning a planet's defensive structures into art deco while your fleet smashes it and your Space Egg vacuums worlds. Yes, the Kostura cannon is useful...especially against those lousy turtles who only have 5 worlds, but all 5 are maxed on defenses.
10. At this point, since the phase gates are in place, I still go RA.
