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[JonahGrimm]

Hey folks! Welcome to an experiment.

What's going to follow this is five, unvarnished, not-hand-picked matches, all run in the same mech, in this case, the GRF-1E (hero - Sparky). The goal here is to show, without any sort of picking and choosing, how matches run from the time you hit the play button until the time the credits roll. Sometimes, i'm going to do well - and sometimes I round the corner into the face of the assault lance.

My voice is awful, and I won't subject you to it. Rather, I'm going to put some commentary on each video here, just to point out some highlights, a few good ideas... and every time I make a terrible mistake as well.

Why me? I'm an average pilot (or maybe a little above? maybe? Y'all tell me!) who is hoping to start dissecting what happens in a fight and, maybe - just maybe - offer something to players hoping to get a little more out of their solo queue time. How can you make a difference? How can you maximize your contributions, especially in the solo queue?

More importantly - how does it all go wrong?

Anyway - i hope this series is helpful to you. Let me know if it is - if it's useful, I may do more!

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The mech in this series is the GRF-1E - the "Sparky" hero mech, a Griffon. The build for this mech is here: SPARKY

It is fully levelled, with all efficiencies unlocked.

Modules?

• Radar Deprivation
  
• Shock Absorbance

• Imp. Artillery Strike
  
• Cool Shot 9
  
• Med. Laser Range 5
  
• Med. Laser Cooldown 5

The First Run: (apologies on video quality - I will endeavor to improve this on future series.)





3:12 - Match Starts
4:17 - My first move on this map is to take my mech - which is usually on an edge - and move to the farthest lance of friendly mechs. This does two things: in a PUG, my lance tends to follow me, which bunches everyone together, and it usually means I'm running for the assault lance, which means that they'll be fully supported for the initial advance.
4:45 - After linking up with the assaults, I use the GRF's crazy jump to get to the high ground, and see what I can spot for our LRM boats. At this point, given my position, I'm already thinking I want to sweep along the right side, but without knowing where the enemy lances will be, it's suicide. Generally, though, they'll move to D4. I'm hoping to sort out where they'll put their firing line.
5:14 - I sweep to the right. I haven't seen much, but the assaults have hit the ramp; this will support them.
5:38 - I notice a lonely, lagging Atlas out of the corner of my eye. It's a good target... except that this is Assault, and he's still under turret coverage. However, I start considering a line on him.
5:50 - The point isn't actually to hit a target, but to put big green laser pointers aiming at it. This mech isn't visible to the rest of the team; if anyone's paying attention, they'll note something is that way.
6:05 - There are lots of mechs behind me, and not a lot of support. now I'm rejoining the team, looking for a better strike angle. Our turrets take fire - this generally means not that the enemy is pushing the base, but, rather, they've spread out and their advance elements are poking at us.
6:17 - My radar dep module saves me damage. I cross through the mesa looking for a place to engage the enemy's advance elements.
6:24 - My team finds a lonely stormcrow - I jump down to help, but don't do much. I realize that that Atlas has probably moved out of turret cover, and their team is strung out. I go see if I can sneak up on him.
7:00 - I run into a timberwolf. We skirmish. nobody wins anything - but he pulls back /away/ from his team.
7:10 - My atlas finds me, I start taking LRM fire. I skirmish with him, get into cover.
7:28 - I circle behind him, and start taking LRM fire from turrets. I'm too light to go toe to to with him /and/ a turret, so I drop my Arty strike, hit him once or twice, and run. An enemy clanner targets LRMS.
7:35 - I am again saved by my radar dep module.
7:48 - Still can't get an angle - head for the other front, near our base. Somewhere in here I see a red dorito for a hunchback, and angle to engage. my AMS helps out friendlies by wiping missiles.
8:11 - I realize that that Hunchback is in a protected spot, and my minimap (terrible in this resolution) shows that he's actually pursuing someone. I head for him to try to help.
8:38 - I save the battered Adder; I can't really claim the kill, but speed was good here.
8:41 - I link up with the Adder, and we push into the enemy lances from our position. I take the high road.
8:58 - With our lances now taking the hill, we encounter the enemy in force. However, they're strung out in a line; the adder and I start poking them at range. (note that between mech quirks and the range extender, the 1E's medium laser range is nearly 600m!) I play peekaboo on the mountain edge for a bit.
9:40 - The enemy splits, and its time to get stuck in. Here we go!
10:00 - Time to flank - using JJ, head for the hill to come in from an unexpected angle. Oh, look - it's my Atlas!

... don't ask me about the UAV shot. I don't know.

10:39 - The stalker's got a bead on me. Time to go poke him.
11:00 -- Oo. his shoulders are open!
11:22 - I'm proud of this moment: he knows where I am, and he outguns me. I wait, he fires his big weapons at another target, which means a great moment to pop out and smack him.
11:31 - ... and he's got an XL engine! Get oriented now on the last enemies; they've got to be near the base.
11:50 - Friendly targets are shooting downrange, but nobody's targetting anything. I dont' know where he is, only that there's a target there. Worse, I don't know /what/ he is, or where he's damaged. Bad teammates. Bad bad teammates.
12:00 - I see him, but can't get a target, and now my CT is open. This ain't working. Change angles to take on a turret, open things up a bit, but there's not much point.
12:20 - I focus on the turret blocking the way, but the TBR pops out and puts me into the danger zone. On the flip side - I know where he is! Into cover and time to flank.
13:09 - Moved in on the last mech, and eat a friendly-fire gauss shot to the back. Ouch.

Win! 445 Dmg, 3 kills, 7 assists. 132k cbills (without premium), 1045xp. Spent 40k on consumables this match.

Edited by JonahGrimm, 13 November 2014 - 07:12 AM.

[JonahGrimm]

The Second of Five:



1:34 - Match Starts. Woo! Alpine. I hate this map, not because the map is bad, just because the PUG tactics on this map are frighteningly predictable. That does, however, give us something we can do. I resolve not to take the stupid hill.
3:02 - It's still best to link up, though -so I head to the main body of friendlies.
3:23 - Yup. They're taking the hill.
3:40 - I decide to cut through the city instead, hit the flankers. normally, this is a bad plan, but I just can't do the hill again.
4:20 - I see my first flankers, and try to get info. I come close on Alpha, but no luck; I don't catch what he is. I decide to sweep anyway.
4:35 - I am now technically solo - this is a bad place to be. However, a friendly has targetted alpha. This means someone's looking my way from somewhere high. I keep going. At this point, I'm reasonably certain I'm faster than he is.
5:00 - Keeping the hill for cover on my left, I don't find alpha - I find India, and I discover that I scout him on targetting. This means nobody else has seen this guy. A Centurion, untouched. Looks to me like this will be a duel. 3SRM4s means he's got a shotgun, MGs will chew up open spots in my armor. he still doesn't know I'm there.
5:10 - I engage. My first shot is /terrible/ - I am for the arm, and drag my lasers over his entire mech. Second shot is much better, and scrubs the torso. good! He turns, I back up along the mountain.
5:12 - I set up an ambush here - I have good cover available, and he's charging. I hope to get another shot in before he can return fire.
5:21 - I do it twice, once with a full blast. He wastes ammo. I turn to spread damage while my lasers recharge. I work on getting him mad at me.
5:40 - We joust, and end up off the hill... in the killing field from our hill. At this point, we're even - and that's not good. I try to pull him into the open to get some long range help, if I'm lucky.
5:47 - i deliberately take SRMs to the back. I need him to quit pounding my front armor while I cool off. I use my cool shot to accelerate things.
5:50 - Back on him with cover. A good jump dodges his SRMs.
5:55 - I get help from the hill! Yay ER-LL boat!
5:57 - His leg is open, i've still got armor. Time to be a brute.
6:07 - I focus his legs, with help from the LL boat, we drop him. My arm is open.
6:12 - At this point, his team should be at the hill. I decide to flank from behind. My lancemate in G-10 apparently has the same idea.
6:31 - Looks good so far. We press on.
6:40 - I decide my goal is to disrupt their firing line - there's not enough firepower to burn down enemy mechs if their rear armor is untouched. I get ready ready for my arty strike.
6:58 - Drop arty strike in the middle - not for damage, but to irritate. Shoot a couple guys, hang out for them to target me. With luck, I'll pull more than one mech....
7:09 - Woo! Here come /three/. We're up 6-2, and half the remaining team has decided to kill my lonely griffon. that should give the guys on the hill some help.
7:15 - I try the ambush thing on the stormcrow, but my cover's terrible. He starts winning trades.
7:28 - We're now up 8-2, and the stormcrow breaks off when my G10 buddy arrives. I head up the hill to get cover, and get myself in fighting trim.
7:49 - Reoriented, I head back in. Time to push.
8:10 - I focus the stormcrow; my team melts his friend, he stays on me as I'm a ragged target. I aim for his torso and burn it out; he overheats and blows.


Win! 357 damage, 1 kill, 1 assist. But I like to think I helped at the end... that said, I wasn't nearly as effective a teammate as I could have been on this map, as, honestly, I despise the hill.

[JonahGrimm]

The Third of Five:




0:55 Match Starts. I like this map - good sign.
1:13 Time to join up with the lance on the far side of the map. Get settled into the controls.
1:40 The orion is likely a DC. Not a good start.
1:52 On this map, the GRF makes a great scout. I decide to run up the center on the high ground and get some targets for the team while they mill around deciding where to go. Jump-jets-ahoy!
2:16 I spot my favorite scouting location. Lots of cover, great fields of view.
2:32 Contact! I go for scouting bonuses, and to make a note of what mechs I'm seeing.
2:39 Three targets, and they've seen me. I've also seen a mysterious red triangle on my minimap to my right. There's a flanker over there.
2:53 ... "SRMs" filters through my head. That flanker is shooting me! He's not on minimap; this is not good. Huginn?
2:57 Got him, and yup! This is Not Good; he's faster than me, those SRMs hit like a brick, and his MGs will core me quick if anything opens. However, my team is now behind me. I stay put for the moment. He doesn't pursue - and that's troubling.
3:18 One more scout - and again saved by radar dep. I decide to move. I stay high, and head toward the front.
3:24 Ooh. That Huginn. It makes me edgy, but I see he's running, and try an ambush.
3:33 ... Dire whale! I need to move - that thing can't see anyone else. Into cover, maybe another ambush on the Huginn? I intentionally do NOT change targets; I want that raven.
3:47 I get an angle, go to engage, and the AC/20 hunchback blows him to bits. Go hunchie! I decide to go up and see about those targets I was spotting a moment ago.
4:00 Mid jump, i see the red triangle of someone just around the corner. Decide to stay high and see what's what. For a moment, it throws me: where did this guy /go/?
4:10 I hold target on the stalker for the LRM boats... but I see what's likely the triangle that ran off. I decide to engage... BUT. Dire wolf! And he shut down! I MUST KILL IT.
4:40 I should have pulled out after I saw his friends come down the ramp, but... just...one... more... shot...
4:43 OW OW OW OW OW. Back up, turn, get to cover! Hunchback has moved up - run, dude! No time to type...
4:53 I find cover. Remember I have jumpjets, and go for it! Crazy jumpjets save my bacon.
5:00 I try to find the damaged dire whale, but don't have an angle.
5:10 I get stuck on a pipe, but the dire whale's moving out.. ambush time!
5:12 Two steps back to get off the pipe... and fall unintentionally off the roof, enemies behind and in front, no angle to jump back up. I have a feeling this is not good. I decide to charge forward, and see if I can get out of this mess. I take some potshots, but red triangles everywhere, and at least one sees me...
5:30 I should run, but nope. I'm going to shoot at things. And suddenly... firestarter. FRESH firestarter.
5:50 OW.

We win in a mighty skirmish mostly thanks to an amazing Warhawk - but I didn't do much at all. However, all that spotting helped keep it from a complete disaster. 106k Cbills, 800 xp, 256 damage, 2 assists. Not a good game, for me - with lots of mistakes.

[JonahGrimm]

The (Disastrous) Fourth of Five:



Last game was rough - this game turned out rougher.

0:34 - Game starts. River city night, okay! I can do this.
1:19 - power up, turn off cockpit lights. Where possible I try to run RCN without night vision; sometimes it works - you can see sparks from shooting mechs, explosions, and the rest far easier. This time it didn't. I decide to flank with my lance, heading down into lower city, across the bridge.
2:00 - they're grouping - it doesn't do much damage, but I take some long range potshots anyway, to the limit of my lasers.
2:30 - I decide to move to the middle; staying on the edge is pointless, and our assaults have 'cut the corner' to rejoin the team. We're having nasty attrition early because they're in the open; the light flankers are going to have to do something, and they do, pushing in. I try to support by targetting from the center.
3:05 - I'm watching our assaults in the open die - and there's not much I can do about it. Our line is strung out completely; the lights crash the enemy rear (or at least start to). I already know we've lost the game - but it's time to see if the lights can do anything. I decide to join them.
3:27 - I home in on the enemy Jager, but take a gauss shot from /somewhere/. It's not good that I can't find the source; I try to push forward into cover.
3:35 - No night vision hurts: the SHD gets a free volley. I engage night vision, and go after the SHD - my team is mostly to my right, which means the SHD is in the middle of their line. i'm thinking I can engage, burn him, and get to the tunnel. I'm not thinking well at this point.
3:46 - It starts well, though - i hit him, get behind him, and open up. He engages a light, and I pound on his armor.
3:49 - The SHD runs off - I have beautiful angles on Dire Wolf rear armor.
3:51 - I start getting hit from behind, the DW turns. I use that to get into the tunnel for cover... and then I overheat. Which was stupid, as I still had my cool shot available.
4:06 - Dire wolf introduces me to its LB-Xs. It fares about as well as you'd expect.

I finish observing the best TDK pilot I've seen in a while - he's worth watching!

LOSS. 200dmg, 3 assists, and a net loss on consumables. Ugh. Just Ugh.

[JonahGrimm]

The Fifth of Five:



2:24 - Match Starts. Tourmaline! Good, I like tourmaline. I get oriented, and go to join the team.
3:14 - I hook up with the heavies at F5, and the call goes to take Epsi and Theta. I roll with the heavies to Theta, choosing the right side.
3:32 - I decide to push 'right side' into 'right flank' - I'm now the outer edge of my team at Theta.
3:45 - I get to the flank at the perfect time, and start working it. I get a couple of shots in, and watch the minimap for an opening... but they're all looking my way. Pointless to engage, I drop down to help at Theta.
4:18 - I stay to the edges, and see /their/ flanking team (from Kappa) moving in. Too far to shoot, but I target 'em anway because you should always have /some/ target, and that gives the team a little warning.
4:20 - I head back to the flank. Still can't seem to find an angle, this time...
4:36 - Here's the angle... in we go!
4:55 - Enemy team retreats into the gully... time to push.
6:12 - Working the banshee, keep the push going up into the place where everyone dies - seriously, that plateau is like a mech graveyard.
6:15 - Stalker stops in the breach - I try to get around him... and get stuck.
6:20 - We drop the Banshee, he retreats and lets me out, and push ahoy... by myself into the last of 'em. I dance, turning to spread fire, and head for cover.
6:50 - Get stuck back in - put a good shot into the Jager, then turn to engage the flank...

.. we clean up the last few for a WIN. 384 dmg, 2 kills, 6 assists, 131k cbills, 850 xp. not my best game, but a good run as a harasser.

So, hopefully that helps some folks read through what happens in a game, and hopefully you'll see the mistakes I made and not make 'em yourself. Not my best games, but they were fun - and if you can see anything interesting, do let people know!

Luck and good hunting to you all.