11 replies to this topic

[JC Daxion]

Yup i just learned this and it makes perfect since now.... Mediums are the lance scout...

they are fast enough to figure stuff out, have enough armor to hit that blind corner, and peak around... Even charge through a position to count, and see the layout.. (though i really don't recommend you doing that often.. But that rare occasion where you have a blind corner and cover just 50m away.. It sure is fun!!!

There are few things more fun than charging through a position so fast that you get off a couple AC-20 shots with a round or two of medium lasers.., and around the bend before they realize what hit them.. or better yet, your light mech buddy rounded the corner just before you... Ohh crap a spider.. (lance trys to hit it...... and you get a free run with 2-3 AC-20 shots to what ever suits you...


So this brings me to my new info... and it really does make perfect sence. In those PUG's, You come up to the enemy, and suddenly 5 team members fall, and you are thinking where the hell is the back up.. well they are all dead...


It is the mediums job to lead, just a head of the assaults.. and give them info... Let them set up the ambush for those poor saps that chase you around that blind bend, that you just ran into their lance..

The main thing i must warn, you have to be super carefull, and hopefully are searching with cover... You WILL take a PPC or gauss on occasion.. Just make sure it is just one. So far in all my matches, i havent had an alpha hit from 600m+ from one of those stalkers. Honestly i it's just dumb luck, or perhaps they just are a little slower into position. And always be on the look out for those guys that love to shoot weapons into nothing.. Perfect way to give away position.

I always thought it was follow the atlas.. But now i realize it is.. Lead the atlas by 75m but even 150 can be good depending... And hope that the light is at least giving you a hint of where people are... give those monsters good lintel, and let the reaping begin!

I have learned just barely peaking.. then backing up, with a quick twist and run has saved my life on more than one occasion.. and there is nothing like leading a couple mediums, or a heavy+light into a 5 mech ambush..



Please any vet let feel free to say where i went wrong.. But really this is all i have learned from all these helpfull people here on the boards... and dying more than i have killed... But that is starting to change...

[MistenTH]

This makes perfect sense to me. Scout for the big guns to reposition best to use em instead of dying early. But more suitable imo for fast light mechs. But a fast medium can do it if needed but it's bigger risk.

Works best if team is less than 200m away.

Draw fire that misses for the big guys. Let them takeover and tank. Double back and add your firepower without being shot at. Perfect.

Edited by MistenTH, 01 June 2013 - 12:10 AM.

[Jojobird]

As your skill rises, you will get hit from longer range a lot more. Take extra care. 600+ is really not that far away, ERPPC stalkers will regularly hit you from 1000+ if you're not careful.

[Modo44]

If you run in a straight line, even a Spider is big enough to get. Just saying.

[Hayashi]

Following the Atlas is still generally better. You'll want to get into good positions relative to it so all of you can fire without shooting each other in the back.

And in a medium, when a sniper sees you you generally lose all the armour in your side torso instantly and the rest of the torso in the second shot. It takes about 7 shots to kill me in a Hunchback. Snipers are quite accurate. Piloting a light is a different story, they can shoot 12-13 times and if they're outside 500m, there's a good chance none of the shots will hit. Speed and smaller hitboxes makes a very large difference. While it may work now I don't recommend developing a habit of charging ahead of the larger chassis - mediums are currently the weakest class of mech in the game right now.

Edited by Hayashi, 01 June 2013 - 05:55 AM.

[oldradagast]

It depends upon what mech you're in and if you're on Conquest or Assault.

Obviously, if everyone follows the Atlas on Conquest, you'll lose by caps every time, and even on Assault, you'll lose out on a lot of information gathering before the main battle is drawn.

I play a lot of heavies along with assaults, and when I'm in a heavy, I don't stay behind the Atlas. I keep near him and a bit ahead, but behind cover, and I give him time to catch up before the battle begins. This gives me a bit of freedom to gather info ahead of the assaults while still not presenting a large target or leaving the assaults behind.

On Conquest in particular, a strong argument could be made to stick with whatever other mechs move at the same speed at you if the game starts out with some focus on capping vs. just matching to the center to slug it out.

[Bendak]

Hayashi, on 01 June 2013 - 05:55 AM, said:

...mediums are currently the weakest class of mech in the game right now.

I've found them the easiest! Must be doing something right then hiding behind an Atlas

[Koniving]

Actually had video related to this recorded recently. I'm gonna go compile it and put it up here tonight.

[Hauser]

Once you know what you are doing, mediums are the least frustrating class to play.

• People on cap and nobody goes back? You're fast enough to make it and tough enough to win a knight fight on the cap.
  
• Assaults rolling in on a flank? You are fast enough to relocate and though enough to make it matter.
  
• Team abandoning you? They can't! Nearly everybody is slower then you.
  
• People rushing in? You are not the priority target. You can fall back when the big guys die.

Well that and given that hardly anybody plays mediums extremely well, your opposite number tends to be incompetent.

Edited by Hauser, 01 June 2013 - 03:37 PM.

[Xeno Phalcon]

Atlas' should come standard with a perch so I can park a light on its shoulder and go "Squak! Polly want a ppc!" can you imagine a spider hanging onto a atlas shoulder like a oversized elemental? XD

[Hayashi]

Hauser, on 01 June 2013 - 03:36 PM, said:

People rushing in? You are not the priority target. You can fall back when the big guys die.

Doesn't really apply to me sadly, I'm always the priority target regardless of which class I play... I've never managed to figure out why. The only way to lose aggro is to keep parking behind an Assault so that they give up and shoot the Assault instead.

As for which is least frustrating/most fun that may depend on your playstyle. So far it seems that lights have the 'hit everywhere at once, distract everyone and shoot everyone in the back' role, mediums have the 'support fire at close range' role, heavies have the 'do as much damage as possible before you die' role, and assaults have the 'take as much damage as possible in your teammates' stead, and give as much damage as you can' role. Dragons play like Mediums, Cicadas play like Lights and Awesomes play like Heavies. Personally I still like Lights the most, but since I've run out of Lights to play I'm going on the Medium class now.

[Modo44]

Hauser, on 01 June 2013 - 03:36 PM, said:

People rushing in? You are not the priority target. You can fall back when the big guys die.

Not really. When riding an Atlas, I often try my first alphastrike to take out something squishy. Mediums have the best firepower to tonnage ratio, so guess who's on my list.