15 replies to this topic

[Sephlock]

Just wondering, because sometimes it really pays off to flank in... say... a 4x ultra autocannon Jagermech or other heavily armed mech, and other times you encounter nobody as you move out to one side, flank around the center only to encounter nobody, then are faced with the choice of either

A: Capping

or

B:

[Zerberus]

Atlas D-DC. And I do so regularly, why should I advance through open ground and take unnecessary damage when SRMs and ACs like rear armor that much better? Because somebody that wants to play hulk smash robots would prefer me as his meat shield instead of me being an effective use of 100 tons of armor and firepower??

[Sephlock]

Zerberus, on 15 May 2013 - 09:06 AM, said:

Atlas D-DC. And I do so regularly, why should I advance through open ground and take unnecessary damage when SRMs and ACs like rear armor that much better? Because somebody that wants to play hulk smash robots would prefer me as his meat shield instead of me being an effective use of 100 tons of armor and firepower??

One could argue that with you (at least occasionally, depending on how the enemy moves) being on the opposite side of the map, especially given the frequency with which Alpine and Tourmaline appear, you are using neither your armor nor firepower effectively . Especially not in a slow mech.

That's the conundrum...

To flank, or not to flank.

Cuz sometimes by the time you arrive, your teammates are either dead, or at an established firing line (engaging the enemy WW1 style- trench warfare and all). Then when you flank, you may get ONE kill, and....

[Hammerfinn]

If I'm not in the front line, I'll almost always try to work to the flank, especially in anything that runs over 80 KPH. I consider speed more of a consideration than weight for flanking.

Usually, I'll do a hit-and-run or a run-through if I'm fast enough, and it cna create a lot of confusion even if I get instagibbed by their snipers.

[Pater Mors]

Flanking is a manoeuvre that can be performed by any mech. It is entirely situational and can be devastating if timed and executed right. It can be as simple as heading left around a rock outcrop while your team heads right or as complex as breaking off at the start to swing right around and strike from the enemies rear once they have engaged your main group.

I will almost always call when I am flanking unless it's done in the heat of battle. That gives my team the heads up that they're going to need to give me a distraction and if you get a good team this can work very well. Caldera is a good example. If you can have your team contain the enemy on either side of the crater, you can come around the other side and give them hell. Communication is really important. If your guys don't know what you are doing, they won't know when to apply pressure or push forward which can leave you exposed and very vulnerable.

Everyone should have a go at flanking (not all at once of course!). Some of my best matches in my Highlander 733C have been when I have taken 3 or 4 enemies by surprise on their flank and just completely broken their formation which allows my team to overrun their gun line. Obviously you have to be careful doing this. You can't just charge those 3 or 4 enemies, but you have to apply a good amount of fire power (in my case 2x UAC5's seems to spook most people when you hit hard and suddenly) to make them fear you while at the same time protecting yourself. If you die while flanking, you haven't necessarily failed, but it's obviously much better not to die.

[Kiiyor]

If you're in a PUG, you can often flank to get the whole group out of trouble.

Lots of pugs start out coordinated, but end up milling around in confusion if they encounter stiff resistance.

In the absence of any leadership (even if someone is trying to take charge, because in a PUG, reading chat is for *******) the group will maybe ridge hump for a bit, before the levels of indecision in the group generate enough critical mass for someone to do SOMETHING TRULY STUPID™, like start a charge, which in pug terms involves stomping over a ridge in glorious single file to die spectacularly.

A lone mech attempting a flanker (not a huge one mind you) and NOT DYING is often enough of a catalyst to get the rest of the group moving.

Once upon a time, on a pug battlefield:

Jenner pilot: "Searge, we're pinned down! WE NEED TACTICS!"

DD-C: "They've got us pinned up good, private. Our only recourse now is... THE SINGLE FILE CHARGE."

Jenner: "But... OK Searge. I'll.... i'll inform the men"

Swayback to Trenchbucket: "Did... did the searge just say charge? SINGLE FILE? I have a wife and kids man!"

*Trenchbucket awkwardly pats the swayback on it's mighty hump*

DD-C: "OK MEN, NO-ONE EVER SAID PUG LIFE WAS EASY, A-"

Jenner pilot: "WAIT SEARGE! Kiiyor has moved off to the flank!"

DD-C: "That poor, brave, gloriously awesome fool. The best way to die is in impotent fury with random strangers, I always say."

Jenner pilot: "SEARGE! He's still alive!"

DD-C: "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS??!?!"

Swayback: "**** this noise! Sorry Searge, path of least resistance and all that guff!"

DD-C: "No apology required Pte Swayback! Let's hurry and share in his power!"

[OneEyed Jack]

Atlas.

I don't really play my Atlas much these days, but I do flank all the time in my 100% Brawler HGN-733C.

[Zerberus]

Sephlock, on 15 May 2013 - 09:21 AM, said:

One could argue that with you (at least occasionally, depending on how the enemy moves) being on the opposite side of the map, especially given the frequency with which Alpine and Tourmaline appear, you are using neither your armor nor firepower effectively . Especially not in a slow mech.

That's the conundrum...

To flank, or not to flank.

And some PUGs attempt to in match... until they realize that it´s them that are out of position and being ineffective while the D-DC closed the range to the Snipers and started tearing them apart with CR weapons, moving their attention off the scouts. Much more effective use of armor and weapons than playing lookout for a noob jumpsniper that`s over 2000m from any sort of target.

That is the risk with any and all tactical maneuvers, that the situation will have changed by the time you are in position.

[oldradagast]

Highlander, though it has jumpjets, so that explains it. Though I have flanked in an Atlas before in River City. In heavy Mechs, i'll do it all the time - better to not be the first target and then hit them when they least expect it.

Love the "PUG battlefield" story!

Edited by oldradagast, 16 May 2013 - 05:33 PM.

[Shatterpoint]

I only pilot Awesomes really, my Pretty Baby has trekked its way across that crystal map more than once to go all up close and personal with the snipers.

Great thing is they're like snipers in any game, once they zoom in on my team across the map they forget they can unzoom and move..had a few occasions where I just stood there shooting the arms/legs off mechs one at a time point blank without them ever turning around to defend themselves.

Reminds me of the bushwookies in battlefield, you can just walk up and collect their dogtags one after the other while they snipe away like afk bots..wish we could collect pilot helmets or something in this game.

[Sephlock]

Its nice when that happens, and you can feel like Batman, taking thugs out one by one from behind .

[Abivard]

Flank and end run are two different things;

Never end run in something to slow.( you are as out of the fight as if you died at the start, the bigger and slower the worse it is for your team)

Always Flank them when you can. (Always turn the flank, rolling up the flank is always key to any battle. letting your flank be turned is doom.)

T think crossing the T.

If you team is online, side by side, and you attack the enemy who is in column or one behind the other you are rolling their flank. they have one mech that can shoot at you and all your mechs can shoot at their front mech at once. This is the essence of focus fire.

Too many miss this fact, so it needs to be stated.

[Soy]

Shatterpoint, on 17 May 2013 - 05:55 PM, said:

..wish we could collect pilot helmets or something in this game.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Dawn_Moffat

"Behold! This is the man I killed, spawn of the greatest enemy humanity has ever known."
--Dawn, presenting her trophy to the Steel Viper Clan Council.

Dawn returned to Jabuka on August 30th, of 3057, and intruded upon a Clan Council that had gathered there to discuss strategy regarding the recent removal of Ulric Kerensky from the office of ilKhan. There amongst the shocked bloodnamed warriors - none more astonished than Khan Perigard Zalman - she presented the head of the descendent of Amaris the Usurper. Though her arrival was not welcome by the assembled warriors - indeed, many were openly skeptical of her offering - her prize would eventually restore her honor and her position as a proud warrior of Clan Steel Viper.


What a ******* boss.

[Vassago Rain]

Atlas flankers is a kong tradition.

[Sephlock]

Kong?

[Davers]

I refuse to flank in anything heavier than an Atlas, perferably a D-DC or a D.