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First thing’s first: I tried Chicken and Waffles flavored Lays potato chips today. They were not very good, but not nasty. Still, they were not good. I would describe their quality as un-good.
Second, I’m sorry this thing is so long.
Next, I just wanted to write some thoughts I have on the Assault mech and its role, based on my own experiences piloting an Atlas, maybe start a dialogue (or just a series of comments explaining what a genius I am. Know what? I like that. Let’s do that one.).
I would like to list some of the pros and cons of the Assault class mech and the strategic/tactical implications of those aspects. Let’s start with the (very well-known) cons.
1.Con: Assault mechs are slow.
Strategic Implication: Assaults must be deployed in a very deliberate manner
We can’t rush in to help you very quickly, and we can’t escape a fight to save our lives. Need help at lower city? Too bad, I’m 5 mins away, and you’ll all be dead by the time I get there.
Teammates all pulled back because we’re in a tough spot and reinforcements just showed up? Too bad, I’m stuck here. There is not much middle ground for an Assault mech.
This is the biggest problem with the assault class. We are the opposite of versatile. Assault mechs are a very deliberate class. Wherever you put it (more or less), it’s stuck there- for a time anyway. Relocation takes a lot of time- time your teammates not have. This may or may not be as big of an issue depending on the weaponry of the Assault mech in question, as they may or may not be able to support from a distance, but either way if it’s a long distance, your Assault mech is (probably) not going to be fully utilized.
2.Con: Assault mechs are huge
Tactical implication: I need big objects for cover, and people have a hard time missing me.
Some would argue that this isn’t necessarily a con, and its size can be used as a tactical advantage, but lets face it: a huge target is easy to hit. This isn’t real war. The psychological advantage of a huge hulking monster coming toward you is going to be gone after the first couple encounters with an Atlas/Awesome/Stalker. There’s no real risk in a video game, aside from score, so there’s very little intimidation factor. So what we’re left with is a big easy to hit target that requires a very large object indeed to take full cover behind.
Assaults have a lot of guns, and everyone can see the big death machine coming. The big, SLOW death machine. You want it dead- as quickly as possible. So you’re a magnet for all sorts of punishment (especially if seen at the same time as the other mechs. Though people also love to kill light mechs).
Heck, a lot of light mechs are so much shorter than my Atlas that I can barely see (let alone hit) them when they’re right next to me. There are ways around this, but they’re only workarounds. It’s still a pretty big con, aside from letting you carry lots of weapons.
3.Con: Assault mechs are not very maneuverable
Tactical/Strategic Implication: Assaults usually need supportThere are Hoverounds that are more maneuverable than my Atlas- and they’re probably faster too! Everyone has seen the light mechs dance around the big, clumsy Assault mech, tearing at its back armor till it meets its ignominious end. It’s an easy fate to meet when you’re a lone Assault mech.
Now, there are things you can do to beat a light mech one on one, but if there are two, you’re toast. Not to mention, most Assault mech pilots just don’t have the patience (or experience- one or the other) to slowly dance back and forth, left and right, until they finally score that kill.
The only good answer is support: An Assault needs support from the lighter mechs its supporting just as much as they need the heavy punch of the Assault’s weapons (most of the time. Sometimes we can just wreck 3 mechs in a row. But that’s not common). Proper support for an assault mech stops lighter mechs from maneuvering around the firing arc of the Assault’s weapons.
4.Pro: Weapons. Assaults have ALL the weapons.
Tactical/Strategic Implications: Assaults should (usually) be deployed at places you HAVE to take or hold.
Let’s face it: Assaults have only TWO strengths: Weapons and Armor. But oh boy do we have these in spades. We can carry a vast array of weapons, heavy and light, and we can hit you from just about any distance- and it will hurt. We can fire at a distant lock with an LRM20, then turn right around and punch that Hunchie in the shoulder with our AC/20 and lasers, and maybe knock out his main weapon(s) just that quick.
I love my Dragon, and I do fine in it- 300 DMG or so per match. Sometimes 500 when I use it a lot, but I can never hit with it like I can my Atlas. The Atlas, for all its faults (and most Assaults I’m guessing) is a VERY STABLE weapons platform. Even while getting pegged with other heavy weapons, I’m usually able to keep my cool and use hit right back very accurately. More so than I can with any other chassis. Its possible that that is only because it fits me better- I don’t know. All I know is I can hit with it, and hit better than with my other classes.
The damage is incredible, and I am able to hit hard at any distance. Furthermore, I can accommodate the heat sinks necessary to KEEP firing all of these weapons. In the end, Assault class mechs punch harder than other classes, and at more varied ranges. And it can survive to keep doing it, which brings me to….
5.Pro: Armor. Assaults have ALL the armor
Tactical/Strategic Implications: We take bullets so you don’t have to! Also, we can hold a position longer and more effectively than other classes. We add longevity to any attack or defense effort.
Assaults are not invincible, we all know it. They go down just like everybody else- often to the smallest mechs on the battlefield. But Assaults have a LOT of armor and, if used properly, can add staying power to any offensive or defensive endeavors.
I look at armor as a timer. You’re GOING to get hit. But how long will that armor last until you’re a goner? Is it long enough to take out that mech? By adding an Assault to your unit, you’re adding time for either it or other mechs to inflict damage. As previously stated, a lot of pilots, when they spot an Atlas advancing, just want it DOWN- as quickly as possible. That takes a little while with an Assault mech. While the enemy mechs are A) concentrating their firepower on the Assault mech or B ) Firing in a general melee, the Assault give the group the advantage of A) Slowly dying while his teammates rack up the kills, or B ) Destroy one mech, and quickly move onto the next, hopefully downing more than one enemy mech.
Either way, the Assault buys time for your team. This is especially useful when you need to hold a capture point and you just need a few folks to burn their armor until you get a win.
Summary: The Role of the Assault Mech
To sum it all up, the Assault mech can be the deciding factor in most engagements, if used properly. The key, IMHO, is proper support and deliberate deployment. The Assault mech is spearhead of your primary attack, the point man that drives through the enemy at the place it is most needed. It is the anchor of the defensive line, buying time for the team to cap an objective or even withdraw if you need to sacrifice someone. The assault can support from most distances, but is best utilized in a manner that can make the best use of its armor for the team.
Whatever role one uses an Assault mech in, it must be deliberate. Bouncing from cover to cover is well, and is an excellent strategy, but an Assault is not much good for expeditionary efforts- unless you know with some degree of certainty, that this will be the primary location of your offensive/defensive. It must be deployed in a manner that it will have support. I don’t know how many times I’ve followed my team (mostly in ungrouped matches) to a certain location, put up a good fight, only to have my teammates abandon me as soon as more enemy mechs appear. That leaves a lone atlas in an exposed position, upon which lights pounce and (if they don’t kill me) and buy time for the med-heavies to show up and finish me off. The key again, is a deliberate intent when deploying an Assault mech. One must keep in mind where the anchor of the attack/defense should be when deploying the Atlas. We are too slow to get in OR out with any speed. We can be used in flanking actions, to be sure, and there are 1000 other uses outside the standard uses/roles of the Assault class, but these, IMO, are the primary roles of the Assault class.
Any thoughts? These are just my thoughts from my expeirence so far...
Edited by Brenticus, 21 February 2013 - 11:43 AM.
