5 replies to this topic

[ImperialKnight]

Or at the least if you don't want to contest top, don't stop and cluster at the middle platform, letting the enemy team shoot you like a sitting duck.

Top gives you cover from LRM, clear line of sight and firing lines, AND allows you to focus the enemy that comes up the slope.

[Kimberm1911]

Eh.......... The problem is that when playing with PUGs, it's very difficult to coordinate your team for anything, so generally pushing top is the easiest thing to get your team to do. HPG manifold is one of the few fairly balanced and fun maps to play, and with a coordinated group there are many different strategies to effectively win. Circling is never a bad strategy, especially on the D4? side of the hill where you can set up a nice firing line and the enemy will have to poke over the edge to shoot you, effectively giving you freebie shots while their guns will occasionally clip the edge. Pushing under isn't bad for a sneak attack, especially facing a single minded enemy who isn't paying attention. I've played games that were won by camping outside the wall, it's a boring strategy, but it's a strategy none-the-less. In PUGs however, HPG normally turns into a stale peek and shoot with two or three guys camping the ramps trying to take pot shots while avoiding fire. NEWS FLASH!!!!! If you are in a Kodiak 3 you can trade with the cicada, you will win, don't back up into your team wasting both your shot and theirs while you are trying to avoid the Cicadas *GASP* 4 medium lasers. *end rant.

I think your statement that pushing top is best is a bit limited. You don't need to to win.

Peace, and have fun

Edited by Kimberm1911, 26 July 2016 - 07:20 PM.

[Insanity09]

A few times, with organized teams (VERY rare in PUGland, ofc), taking the basement in dom/skir has been a fantastic success. As in 12-3 or less, and the only kills the enemy typically gets are fools who can't follow directions, &/or decide they can't live without looking around outside (as it turns out, they usually can't live with doing that either, but whatever).

The key is patience. Rush the basement, watch the doors, and DO NOT be visible from the entrances. Catch anybody coming in in a crossfire. Any way they turn to fire, they expose their back to somebody.

It can work, but it is so rare that is probably isn't worth even trying, so unless you have a whole team of talkers getting on board with the basement plan, go top.

[InspectorG]

Domination i would consider basement. All else up top.

Conquest you can trap a scaredy-enemy to cap basement and keep them there while you win via caps.

But Pugs are like herding cats so with PSR as it is...its all random.

[Steel Raven]

The platform is high ground. With a good team, it give you a good firing position for most of map but your entire team can't park on top so you always need a plan beyond taking the top(which is where most pug matches ether make or break)

The basement is too often turns into death trap for the same reason. It's ether a route for a quick push or all-or-nothing kill zone that requires good team work. Your looking at a four way bottle neck otherwise.

[Valleric]

Being on the platform exposes your mech to a lot of fire. If at the minimum a full Lance could hold the top, if not that well. Too many times I've gone up there just for the rest of the team up there to ditch, leaving me face tanking. It's better in a pug to push one side.