24 replies to this topic

[Brenticus]

Kmieciu, on 25 February 2013 - 03:19 AM, said:

In a fight between 2 Hunchbacks (100 tonnes) and an Atlas, I bet my money on the Hunchbacks.
In a battle between 2 Ravens and a Spider (100 tonnes) versus an Atlas, odds are against the Atlas.
4 Commandos vs an Atlas? He does not stand a chance.

Because tonne for tonne, Assault mechs are very inefficient. If a team takes 8 D-DCs and decides to assault enemy base, there is little the defenders can do to stop them. So you just might want to out-cap them.

I notice that both of your examples involve the Atlas facing multiple opponents. First of all, I'd have to say that it would depend on the circumstances/position/ranges, but I'm not sure that an Assault losing to any two given opponents makes the point that the Atlas/Assaults are inefficient.

Which brings up another point: what are they inefficient at? Dueling? Fighting multiple opponents alone? Or soaking up damage so that teammates can waste the opponents? Assaults are certainly not efficient at everything- I think we have all established that they are not the jack-of-all-trades that some of your lighter mechs are, but I reject the idea that they are not efficient at ANYTHING.

On another note, I think a lot of the effectiveness on Assaults is also derived from the accuracy of the pilot. Missed AC/20 shells can be intimidating, but Assaults aren't fully effective until you get the effect of enemy mechs breaking cover to immediately have their arms destroyed or armor go from no damage to orange, etc. However, that takes a high degree of accuracy- especially difficult with weapons you have to lead like the Gauss/AC's. If an Assault is not able to (much of the time) achieve this effect, then it is not fully effective.

In some ways, its like a machine gunner: very exposed, everyone wants to hit it, and it often leads to a short life expectancy, but if you get someone who can really hit with that thing, it keeps heads down and is devastating.

[Royalewithcheese]

Kmieciu, on 25 February 2013 - 03:19 AM, said:

In a fight between 2 Hunchbacks (100 tonnes) and an Atlas, I bet my money on the Hunchbacks.
In a battle between 2 Ravens and a Spider (100 tonnes) versus an Atlas, odds are against the Atlas.
4 Commandos vs an Atlas? He does not stand a chance.

I definitely agree with the last two. In my experience, the only type of mech that I see as inherently a threat to my Atlas other than another Atlas is a light. (Any mech with a really good pilot is a threat, of course.) Those things are just so much faster, and my guns are not suited to hurting them.

Re: Hunchbacks, I generally don't feel too threatened by them - they don't seem as capable of getting behind me as some other mediums, so it comes down to a question of what mech has bigger guns and more armor.

[Anony Mouse]

Heres how I see the Assault class.They are the mobile linchpin to any strategic line, offensive or defensive. If the rest of the team can maintain the mindset that the Assault(s) is the center of the battle, than support is available when they need it, and there is a reference point for coordination. Mediums can maintain a fluid line and still have "Bigguns" to fall back on. Heavies can flank and spank if they watch their movement, knowing that the assaults are in rear guard. Lights can scout, spot and lure opponents back into the killing field.

[Kmieciu]

Assault mechs are not well suited for defense. They are vulnerable to hit and run attacks, they cannot move in and out of cover fast enough.

How are you going to defend?
1) Stay on the ridge, in the open? Every enemy is going to have an easy time hitting you from well over kilometer away.
2) Stay behind the ridge? Enemy jump snipers are going to put 35 points of damage on your center torso until you are dead.
3) Hug a tall building and wait for the CPLT-A1 to jump behind your back?

[Void Angel]

Actually, an Assault can be very effective in a defensive role; you need your team's support, of course - just like on the attack. Assaults (such as my Atlas) operate on defense by projecting combat presence. In a way, this is just how they operate offensively, too. Let their "jump snipers" pop over the ridgeline at me. They're going to lose. They'd lose even if they were just trading with me, but my team is going to add their own attacks to my own charged particle injections and laser fire. Even if they do manage to inflict damage on me, they're still ignoring my teammates. Then, when they do try to assault, they still try to kill the "vulnerable" assault 'mech.

Of course, defense should always be viewed as a prelude to transitioning to the attack. Tactics should always be flexible, and adaptable to the situation.