For no rational reason I've been looking forward to riding one of these things into battle since it was announced, and the pre-release general consensus of its weakness only strengthened my resolve to make the damn thing work (I think its a medium pilot thing).
So lets put our heads together and see if we can come up with some tips, tactics, and taboos for Blackjack pilots.
And yes. I know mediums are underpowered, and that I really should be running a Jagermech or some other kind of fat guy. But I we medium jocks kind of take pride in our irrationality.
Why? Because...
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I'm not nearly as clever as most of you crazy medium jocks, but I'll throw in a few thoughts so far. These are tentative tips, so go ahead and correct me if I'm wrong.
-The ballistic Blackjacks are not light hunters, or fast response units. Your speed will allow you to keep pace with most heavies/assaults, making you the meat-and-potatoes fire support unit. Stick with the fat guys to make the most of your mech.
-Blackjacks have enough armor to take a few punches for its buddies, but isn't built to tank like a hunch 4G or zombie cent. Try to limit your time as a damage sponge if at all possible.
-You aren't going to win any peekaboo battles in a Blackjack (ballistic variants mostly). The chassis doesn't support the kind of high alpha guerrilla weapons that most medium scrappers tend to have. That being said, the Blackjack can mount a respectable amount of sustained firepower with plentiful ammunition and proper heat management (either in the mechlab or on the field).
-The Blackjack is some kind of unholy spawn of a Jagermech (dakka dakka dakka) and a kangaroo (visual focus is on the legs, but most of the combat action happens up in them boxing arms). Hillsides are your friends, and you should hang out with them more often. The Blackjack is unique among mediums for having the majority of its payload at or above head height. This means that you can minimize exposure when you fire away at the reds.
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(EDIT: "you just ain't gonna get kills" has been proven false. However, remember that just because you have the dakka, you ain't Rambo.)
-The sustained damage output of the Blackjack combined with a slightly higher turn and twist rate than the fat guys means that you'll have an easier time damaging light harassers, particularly when taking out a light mech's leg can be done with greater consistency because you aren't relying on big, one-shot-and-wait weapons.
-You are the streak that they never saw coming. ECM has proven to be nearly useless against direct-fire medium mechs when their pilots have a good sense of situational awareness. When your minimap goes fuzzy, stay cool. Try to keep your bearings and remember where your teammates are. Be ready to repel (you don't actually need to take that damned 3L out. You just need to drive it off for the moment).
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So what do you crazy motherhumper medium pilots think makes the Blackjack work in the field?
Edited by SirDubDub, 23 May 2013 - 11:34 AM.