17 replies to this topic

[Naimes]

So I tried to level some stalkers and in the end I personally didnt have alot of fun playing assaults. The profile and speed despite there obvious firepower did not mesh well with my personal playstyle but hey thats mechwarrior, one must experiment to find ones niche. What I want to discuss is the general way myself and the other assaults had been treated during our battles together.

Firstly I had heard prior to buying my first stalker that players generally use assaults as a bulwark or defensive barriar and shoot from behind or from nearby cover while the assault pulls targets for them. This I didnt observe during my time with this class as most mechs ran great distances ahead, often leaving myself and others of my type in the dust leading me to my next point.

Even though the bulk of my team was often holed up in a tactical position with me on route I found I still served a function as I was still pulling fire off the team thus serving as a de facto bait. Sometimes I may have had another wandering mech for support but more often then not I was accosted by mediums and lights moving to our base to cap and seeing my back in ever so slowly getting away.

Of course I chalked this up to be simple run in gun pug behaviour however me and a few others were suprised to have to field concerns as to why we had not been at the forfront of the battlefield serving in our primary role when by then our units had been doing concentric circles trying to kill the raven or spider firmly set on our backs.

And now while I no longer run an assault I do feel I must pose a question for the sake of those brave, slow moving warriors of fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it). Would it not be better to help your truest companions in armor find there spot of awsomness serving as your bastion or perhaps if the fault lies with the mechs themselve would a speed or general armor buff be appropriate?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and thank you for any responses you can provide.

Edited by Naimes, 30 May 2013 - 09:06 PM.

[Sephlock]

"And now while I no longer run an assault I do feel I must pose a question for the sake of those brave, slow moving warriors of fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it). Would it not be better to help your truest companions in armor find there spot of awsomness serving as your bastion or perhaps if the fault lies with the mechs themselve would a speed or general armor buff be appropriate?"

I read that three times and still can't figure out what the hell you were trying to say.

[Deathlike]

Assault mechs are generally in force these days... it is not hard to find a Steiner scout lance...

The issue is not armor... they gain the most from the doubled armor from the base values built in this game. The main issue for an assault mech is about "committing" to where you want to go and attack. Not all players will help go with an assault... but also not all assault pilots know when it may be a proper time to commit. As an assault mech pilot, you simply don't have the speed like a heavy to disengage.. you do it or you don't do it at all.

[The Cheese]

Sephlock, on 30 May 2013 - 09:10 PM, said:

"And now while I no longer run an assault I do feel I must pose a question for the sake of those brave, slow moving warriors of fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it). Would it not be better to help your truest companions in armor find there spot of awsomness serving as your bastion or perhaps if the fault lies with the mechs themselve would a speed or general armor buff be appropriate?"

I read that three times and still can't figure out what the hell you were trying to say.

Translation: I don't run an Assault mech anymore, but I feel like I should ask a question on their behalf. Should non-Assault mechs work together with Assault mechs for the good of all, or would it be better if Assault mechs had a speed or armour buff so they can be more self sufficient?

Why the question was asked is beyond me.

[Sephlock]

The Cheese, on 30 May 2013 - 10:00 PM, said:

Translation: I don't run an Assault mech anymore, but I feel like I should ask a question on their behalf. Should non-Assault mechs work together with Assault mechs for the good of all, or would it be better if Assault mechs had a speed or armour buff so they can be more self sufficient?

Why the question was asked is beyond me.

Neither Communism nor Libertarianism is the answer here. As in life, the answer is somewhere in the middle.

[Bishop Steiner]

they'd be a lot more sung if most weren't cowering like little girls behind cover. I get using it as needed, but when half or more of your team are assaults, and they do jack squat most matches, I don't feel a lot like singing.

[FupDup]

"Unsung" my a$$, they're probably the most common weight class in the game or tied with/just barely behind heavies.

Edited by FupDup, 31 May 2013 - 08:38 PM.

[Sephlock]

For what its worth, if the pilots are bad it won't matter even if they rush forward. In this one match, my entire team rushed the tunnel and somehow got massacred, leaving me to fight a completely untouched trio of mechs (a cataphract, an stalker, and an atlas) all on my own.

I almost got the Atlas, but alas, it was not to be.

[Bishop Steiner]

FupDup brings out the number one issue every mechwarrior has had... Assaults become the most common. Despite being the "rarest".

[Sephlock]

Bishop Steiner, on 31 May 2013 - 08:43 PM, said:

FupDup brings out the number one issue every mechwarrior has had... Assaults become the most common. Despite being the "rarest".

I don't want to hear that from a Steiner .

[Bishop Steiner]

Sephlock, on 31 May 2013 - 08:57 PM, said:

I don't want to hear that from a Steiner .

which means only Steiners should have them in abundance.

But we also have Commandos, WOlfhounds, Hatchemen, et al or a reason.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 31 May 2013 - 09:28 PM.

[aniviron]

Sephlock, on 31 May 2013 - 08:57 PM, said:

I don't want to hear that from a Steiner .

I'm sorry we're rich. It really is a burden being able to afford the best mechs.

[dr cyanide]

As a dedicated Highlander pilot, I get annoyed when other assaults are content to sit back and snipe and get slowly stripped apart.. Since buying Heavy metal how ever I am toughly enjoying being an assault pilot. the key to assault class is intimidation and calculated weapons fire, if assault mechs work together they can pull down practically anything in short order.... I find that tweeking an assault out for maximum speed and armour works well, generally I shy away from being too ammo dependant since assaults need 1 thing... endurance, and that's where I agree with the commitment in an engagement, lets the heavies and mediums duke it out a bit then send in the assaults that have been hanging back and blitz them from the flank or rear. using assaults for mobile ambushes in gullies or behind rocks is also viable, cover is an assault mech next best friend. The way I have loaded out my highlander was to strip out all the JJ's (damn useless things as far as assaults are concerned) pulled out the missile launcher, kept the gauss, and upgraded the 3 medium lasers to 3 large lasers.... then bulked up on heat sinks for greater battle endurance, I may not have the greatest once off punch but I can dish out the pain longer and more accurately.

[Bishop Steiner]

dr cyanide, on 01 June 2013 - 09:21 AM, said:

As a dedicated Highlander pilot, I get annoyed when other assaults are content to sit back and snipe and get slowly stripped apart.. Since buying Heavy metal how ever I am toughly enjoying being an assault pilot. the key to assault class is intimidation and calculated weapons fire, if assault mechs work together they can pull down practically anything in short order.... I find that tweeking an assault out for maximum speed and armour works well, generally I shy away from being too ammo dependant since assaults need 1 thing... endurance, and that's where I agree with the commitment in an engagement, lets the heavies and mediums duke it out a bit then send in the assaults that have been hanging back and blitz them from the flank or rear. using assaults for mobile ambushes in gullies or behind rocks is also viable, cover is an assault mech next best friend. The way I have loaded out my highlander was to strip out all the JJ's (damn useless things as far as assaults are concerned) pulled out the missile launcher, kept the gauss, and upgraded the 3 medium lasers to 3 large lasers.... then bulked up on heat sinks for greater battle endurance, I may not have the greatest once off punch but I can dish out the pain longer and more accurately.

JJ useless in an Assault? Do youconsider poptarting an ambush? You actually brawl, and know HOW to use JJs, the Highlander will dance circles around your ground based one. And with an AC/20, 2 ER PPC and 3 SSRM2, I wil gladly face off any groundbound turtle with a grenade strapped to it's right arm.

Too each their own, but don't go spreading misinformation like "JJs are useless in an Assault" just because you don't use them well. (Or do, as the more who believe it, the easier my job is.....)

I especially can't wait to get my Victor. The Turtle hunting, and attendant QQing will be delicious! (Turtle Soup!)

[Catnap]

As to the problem the OP sees: upgrading the engines of your assault mechs is assault playing 101. A stock engine assault mech will get turned around and screwed over by anything that's not right in front of it. ~40KMH isn't enough for anything.


I myself typically play in a spearhead manner. I run and gun to the front, distract the enemy, and torso twist and dance until the rest of the team manages to maneuver in position and hopefulyl pick apart the enemy. Then I pull back with barely any armor left and play support while we mop up whatever hostiles still remain.

[LordBraxton]

Everyone is trying to copy our Steiner swag

[J0anna]

Sephlock, on 31 May 2013 - 03:52 PM, said:

Neither Communism nor Libertarianism is the answer here. As in life, the answer is somewhere in the middle.

Libertarianism isn't the opposite of communism, So the answer lies elsewhere.

Naimes, on 30 May 2013 - 09:04 PM, said:

And now while I no longer run an assault I do feel I must pose a question for the sake of those brave, slow moving warriors of fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it). Would it not be better to help your truest companions in armor find there spot of awsomness serving as your bastion or perhaps if the fault lies with the mechs themselve would a speed or general armor buff be appropriate?

No Buff is needed. Normally the best friend of an Assault is another Assault. Unless you're in a group, you can pretty much assume that your pugs in non-assaults are going to run off and leave you. So normally I try to find another assault and be their wingman. If they happen to be the wrong range (i.e. long when I'm short or vice versa), hopefully there's another or a slow heavy you can team up with, otherwise the match is probably lost and you get to drop again in a few minutes.
For those wondering why assaults use cover so much, they are the easiest mechs on the field to hit, as they can't dodge and are pretty large. Yes they have a lot of armor, but with 3 or 4 mechs shooting at them, that armor disappears very quickly. Smart assault play is all about deciding where to commit, because once you do, you'll in it all the way. Situational awareness is vitally important in this game and assault pilots need this in abundance.

Edited by Moenrg, 02 June 2013 - 05:16 AM.

[NoxMorbis]

Before the SRM damage nerf, I played a DDC which I really loved. Played right, and with the proper support, it could do heavy damage to a lance, taking out multiple mechs befiore it died.

DDC mastered
STD 350 w
3 SRM 6's
1 AC20
2 ML
1 ECM

I haven't played it wince the SRM damage nerf way back because it got fully 60% of its damage from the SRM packs.

To make this buuild work, you had to get in to 50m and then open up. If you didn't kill your opponent quckly you would get taken a part by lance mates fast. Killing your opponent meant taht you could turn and fight fast enough to take down 1 or 2 more mechs before you died. I don't think it would work now that the SRM damage would take asy more than 30% of the total old school damage.

If you've never played that load, you might try it. You have to play savvy thouigh because you must get in close before taking damage or you get dissected far too early. You can swap the AC 20 for a guass for some long range capability also.Both loads were fun.