21 replies to this topic

[Senor Cataclysmo]

Hey there,

I've been playing for a little while now. My first chassis were hunchbacks & shadowhawks, & I've gotten to the point now where I can drop in most mediums & nimbler heavies and unless something goes drastically wrong, be confident of surviving the match, getting a kill or two, doing respectable damage & earning some Cbills.

Every so often I'll take one of the trial assaults for a spin, but I utterly suck at assaults. Theyre definitely my weakest weight class. I can't use my usual sneaky terrain hugging playstyle because assaults handle like hippos & when I've tried to play more on the frontlines with them & tank damage for the team I've been fried in seconds, no amount of damage spreading seems to help.

Now, I've decided to buy the WaveII pack, so I'm going to have a couple of assault mechs kicking about my hangar come december & I'd like to learn to pilot them effectively.

So can anyone give me a hand with the basics of how to handle an assault mech?

cheers

[Apocryph0n]

Well, you're going to have exactly 1 Assault in your hangar, which is the Man'o'War

Since it is unlike most assaults (90kph, less space for weapons than some heavies), you can basically pilot this one like a huge heavy mech. It has nothing to do with DireWhales or Atlas that are sneaking around at 50kph. Heck, you can outrun a KitFox in it. (almost )


Oh, and you should get the King Crab Hero Variant thingy, which is basically an IS DireWolf handling.wise. Keep your rear clear of lights and win staredowns all day long with ultimate Dakka.(Prepare to die a lot in PUG games, since most Pugs leave their assaults behind so they get eaten by Light Mechs)

[Senor Cataclysmo]

Camper101, on 17 November 2014 - 03:42 AM, said:

Well, you're going to have exactly 1 Assault in your hangar, which is the Man'o'War

I'll have the crab aswell. Crablust was my main motivator in picking up the package rather than going a la carte

Any tips on handling assaults more effectively? i.e. where to position onesself on the battlefield. I've only really played solo queue PUGs so far, but Im planning on finding a group come December when I have more time to play

[Theron Branson]

I've been a Atlas pilot since closed beta (Founders Atlas and all variants) and is my favorite chassis esp. now with the much needed buffs so I know a little bit about Assaults.

No Replacement for Displacement:

Speed: You'll never win a drag race against a Jenner or Locust but I say go with the biggest or almost biggest motor you can in that chassis. This is honestly your savior because if your too lumbering your group will leave you and you will die by Lights swarming you. The bigger motor also allows you to torso twist faster to absorb more punishment.

Weapons:

Depends on what you want to do but personally I feel energy weapons along with a close range killer like the AC20 is a perfect mix and maybe some missles (again depends what role your filling). Ac2, and even AC5's I would stay away from unless your in a Clan assault. ALWAYS BRING AMS.

Tactics:

I know it's hard at times but pick a heavy mech or fellow Assault to follow (Since he's closer in speed to you then other classes) and stick with them at all times. Stay in packs. Also, caves and tunnels are your friends if your a brawler. Remember your a tank, and therefore the biggest target in the battle. Your job is to hold the line and to push the attack. Let your Mediums be the flankers. If I know a lance is in trouble I try to make myself a target and allow them to fall back since most are going to target me then other mechs. You have to be a team player in a assault more the any other chassis.

There's more about what modules to get and so on but this should help for now.

[Sky Hawk]

First.. Trial Assaults are just useless.. so it means almost nothing, that you sucks with it or not... But, if you are not sure, that an Assault will fit your Medium-mentality... use first just some Heavys.. The nearest for your Hunchy and Shadow would be,... the Thunderbolts and the Jagers.. But, if you really want to jump 2 weight-classes..

If you want sneak, with an Assault, use a Stalker.. If you liked the Shadow, because the ballistic-shoulder, use a Banshee... for example.. ... But for piloting an Assaults.. ok..

First, you must decide your playstyle: LRM-Boat, Sniper, Brawler, etc.. Than make your own Builds: weapons, engine, etc. - what you likes and can use too.. (some player can't use Gauss for example..) Then, you must figure out, can you counter a Light alone, or not... If yes, you can go alone, or a bit separate for the Group and play your role out.. If not.. you must follow the Group and die/fight with/for it..

The major different between Meds and Assault is not the Tonnage or Armor... (A DW/TW will core both in no time..) It is speed an mobility.. With a Med, you can ran around, peak, fall back, run away.. With an Assault, you can't... or least just hell slow..

You must know, where you want to go, and what want you do there.. there is no time to run away, if you reach the enemy.. you must fight.. And if you are not sure, you can win, even, when you falls back.. do it with fighting.. or you must hold out till your team win or die.. If you just walk around the map, like with your Meds can do.. Your team will miss your DPS and Armor..

Do not missunderstood.. A Stalker can peak and hide like a Raven.. A Banshee can make a deadly AC-rain from the corner like a Shadow.. but still, they move slower.. the enemy will know exactly where you are..

And.. you must accept.. that, there are times, when your only job is to take damage, and take damage, and take damage, as tank, as bait, as meatshield.. and probably die for the team and for the win.. in a head of a push or in a cap situation..

If you don't go to Snipe alone, or do some similar job, you position will be in the middle of your Group.. because the others will gather around you..

But, neveless... since your speed are slow.. during the long walks till your target, you will have far enough time to figure out, what and how can you do it..

Edited by Sky Hawk, 17 November 2014 - 05:00 AM.

[CimaGarahau]

I love my Atlas fleet.

Edited by Eclair Farron, 17 November 2014 - 05:15 AM.

[Senor Cataclysmo]

This is all good advice guys! Thanks.

I should probably also point out at this point Im a clanner at heart, so king crab (& maaaaaaaaybe stalker) aside I'll almost exclusively be using clan mechs when CW drops. Anything I should know about those in particular?

[purplewasabi]

Hello, I got the Atlases about 2 months ago so please take my 2 cents with a grain of salt. Lots of great advice above. Personally, the first thing you should grasp is the role you want to play, and then positioning. Is it safe to say that the assaults, like the Atlases are support mechs?

edit: As mentioned by Skyhawk, the trial assaults are rubbish. I took a leap of faith with the Atlas and I've enjoyed them ever since. There might be a better way to select your future assault mechs, maybe running them through smurfy?

Edited by purplewasabi, 17 November 2014 - 05:53 AM.

[Tekadept]

If you ain't 1CTRing an assault you are doing it wrong.

[CimaGarahau]

purplewasabi, on 17 November 2014 - 05:41 AM, said:

Hello, I got the Atlases about 2 months ago so please take my 2 cents with a grain of salt. Lots of great advice above. Personally, the first thing you should grasp is the role you want to play, and then positioning. Is it safe to say that the assaults, like the Atlases are support mechs?

Well, firstof all stay within your team/group if it's possible. Don't act alone, just because you have lots of armor and firepower. If you run into the enemy by intention or by accident you got primed by the whole enemy very quick! Cause the enemy (if they are skilled) target the most dangerous thread at first!

[NAZGUULL]

war hawks are primarily lrm support/snipers, Dire Wolves, 100 tons of face melting awesomeness. However be prepared to be focused a lot. frontload your armor as much as you feel comfortable doing so. And like previously mentioned, find your other assaults and stick with them.

[purplewasabi]

Also, you need to get used to the bad torso pitch and yaw angles. So you have to do your homework, avoid areas with steep inclines for example.

[Dont Brawl With This Atlas]

i play only assaults, brawler builds, my favourite is the as7 s 77 alpha ac 20 4 srm 6 2 s lasers patience and reading the map is crucial. Getting seismic module is very important since on assaults when you charge over a hill or a corner u wanna know exactly how many mechs you are facing 2 v1 u are good anything more then 2 u will loose an arm or your mech.

With the srm and ac20 leading the target for a clean shot is a hard earned skill master it and u can 1 shot lights with it

Dont push or peek unless you are absolutely certain you are facing 1 or 2 mechs otherwise just hold the line and blast the ones who are peeking.

For brawler u need that alpha dmg so u can alpha and torso twist to eat their dmg and after the cool down alpha torso twist.

hardest mech i find to fight against is the dire especially the dakka the amount of screen shake (even with advance gyro module )and blinding from explosion is a huge advantage for the dire.

Edited by IamJeist, 17 November 2014 - 11:23 AM.

[purplewasabi]

IamJeist, on 17 November 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

i play only assaults, brawler builds, my favourite is the as7 s 77 alpha ac 20 4 srm 6 2 s lasers patience and reading the map is crucial. Getting seismic module is very important since on assaults when you charge over a hill or a corner u wanna know exactly how many mechs you are facing 2 v1 u are good anything more then 2 u will loose an arm or your mech.

With the srm and ac20 leading the target for a clean shot is a hard earned skill master it and u can 1 shot lights with it

Dont push or peek unless you are absolutely certain you are facing 1 or 2 mechs otherwise just hold the line and blast the ones who are peeking.

For brawler u need that alpha dmg so u can alpha and torso twist to eat their dmg and after the cool down alpha torso twist.

hardest mech i find to fight against is the dire especially the dakka the amount of screen shake (even with advance gyro module )and blinding from explosion is a huge advantage for the dire.

A good example of the brawler role. High alpha builds with the aim of lowering TTK as much as possible. Ideally you would want to kill the enemy in one alphastrike. The devil is in the detail, too much ammo can be a bad thing especially when you're going up against a dakka wolf.

[Mechteric]

I would say don't sweat it, I'm (usually) a good pilot myself and tend to stay with the faster mediums and heavies as well. Its when I hop in my Fatlas I realize I have to play completely differently than I'm used to. No more solo flanking maneuvers, no more popping up for a "quick" shot in front of several enemies without getting shot to pieces by the time I get back to cover. Its a whole different ballgame.

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 17 November 2014 - 12:20 PM.

[Darwins Dog]

When I switch back to assaults (I'm also a primary medium pilot) I have to remind myself to pick engagements carefully. Once you engage you are committed to finish the fight one way or the other. You can't turn and run if things go badly for you. Similarly, you can't reposition easily, so try not to get too far from the action. You may not be able to get back to the fight in time to help your team.

You will have to rely on your teammates for information about what is happening. If you are on comms with a scout, that's the best. If you are pugging and don't have a talkative team, then you have to use other means to get intel:
When someone pops up for a shot, watch how much return fire comes at them, and where it is coming from.
Look for AMS tracers to tell you where enemies are hiding.
Try to anticipate where enemies will be coming from. If you see fire coming from one area, then try to think about where they will likely go from there.
Be aware of where your death may come from.
Crossing big open areas is bad (but sometimes necessary), so try not to do it alone. If there is an alternate route, it may be a better option.
Think about where light mechs might try to ambush from (the trench in Frozen City comes to mind).
Seismic Sensor is a huge help to give you a warning before you engage.

More than any other weight class, assaults require you to have a plan when you act, and to be aware of your surroundings. Also practice and reflection. Play more, and after every death imagine a parent asking a child "Now, what did we learn?"

[bayoucowboy]

1) Don't make first contact. If you do as an assault, you will probably die quickly. Let your lights and mediums do their job and scout the enemy.

2) Focus on the slowest mech that is closest to you - or the one with the most damage

3) Try not to back up - there is probably someone behind you, but never try to turn and run

3) If you are the last mech in a losing match - you did it wrong

[Ano]

Darwins Dog, on 17 November 2014 - 12:47 PM, said:

Similarly, you can't reposition easily, so try not to get too far from the action. You may not be able to get back to the fight in time to help your team.

Very much this. Really don't feel tempted to go for the flanking run so you hit the enemy's backs, unless by "flanking run" you mean "go left round this pillar while others go right" While enjoying the spectator view, I've found myself looking at empty parts of the map from plenty of Atlas and Dire Wolf cockpits because someone thought they'd go the "other way round" and the melee moved while they were en route.

Also (assuming you're in the solo queue) do pipe up if your team's self-appointed co-ordinator has just ordered everyone to group up 200 lightyears from the assault lance starting location.

[loopala]

Learn the assault backward j turn. When a faster mech circles of death you, hit reverse and turn opposite of the circle. Ie most people circle to the right or clockwise. You backup and turn left. Causes the fast mech to run into your line of fire instead of trying to chase them with your line of fire.

[luxebo]

Sky Hawk, on 17 November 2014 - 04:56 AM, said:

First.. Trial Assaults are just useless..

Someone will eat your face with an AS7-RS(C) in the next matches you do. Some are niche as heck but most wreck face if you properly play.