5 replies to this topic

[ZeProme]

I'm pretty sure a lot of people know that often times, the best way to win an engagement is to "focus fire" an enemy mech.

If you are unclear what "focus fire" means, it's a term used to eradicate a single target as quickly as possible.

So, what if there are 8 vs 8 mechs out on the open with no cover? How would you prioritize which enemy mech to go down quickly in-order? Which are likely the biggest threat? Which are likely the least threat?

[Watchit]

It all depends on the situatiooooooooon! So in lieu of any standardized equation or method I'll give you a couple guidelines from which you can create a base and expand upon in your own way.

In general you want to get the high DPS/High Point dmg mechs outta the way first. E.g. currently any dual ac20 mech is high priority.

You also have to be able to change on the fly, because some people are just born without any luck and are stripped of their CT armor early in the match. If you see one such unlucky fellow, taking him down first over a more dangerous and fully armored opponent is a fairly sound strategy.

Also to consider of the most dangerous mechs on the enemy team, which are easy to kill quickly. For example, AC20 jagers take XLs almost exclusively, you may want to kill them first since they're not only dangerous but can be taken down quickly with a side torso core.

Another scenario would be if the other team is LRM heavy. One way to deal with that is to kill their spotters quickly, and "blind" them.

As you play more weight classes and varied loadouts you will begin to understand which mechs are something you don't want to fight for long, are easy to kill, and how to counter them. I hope this little essay helped you in some way.

[Koniving]

Myself it comes down to a simple equation. Who has the biggest gun or the weakest armor? Bam. Everyone shoot it. Dead.

If they all have strong armor and the same guns, then it boils down to who is the most arrogant of them all. That's an easy one to pick out as you just shoot the one with the brightest paint job.

Watchit, on 20 June 2013 - 08:10 PM, said:

Also to consider of the most dangerous mechs on the enemy team, which are easy to kill quickly. For example, AC20 jagers take XLs almost exclusively, you may want to kill them first since they're not only dangerous but can be taken down quickly with a side torso core.

As my luck would have it out of the last 5 AC/20 Jagermechs I've fought, 4 of them had standard engines. I think they're getting smart.

Edited by Koniving, 20 June 2013 - 08:40 PM.

[mailin]

I try to take out LRM boats if I can. Even if it's just a matter of disrupting their fire, I figure every time that they concentrate on me is less time that they are able to fire lrms on my team mates. Remember, once within 180m lrms are ineffective. This is why smart teams will have their lrm boats at least 200m away from each other. Sometimes focusing fire simply means stay with your group and fire on whatever the guy closest to you fires on. There are some caveats though, which is why it's situational. 1) anything heavier than a medium shouldn't be chasing lights (squirrels). 2) If you have streaks and can get a lock on a light, fire away, but don't chase the squirrel. You really need to have situational awareness to be able to decide which mech to make your priority.

[Koniving]

I agree with Mailin, LRM boats need to go first. However in Zeprome's given scenario if there's LRM boats you have no chance.

LRM boats need to be taken out stealthily. Sneak up on them and take them out while none of their teammates are paying attention.

[Dalziel Hasek Davion]

The scenario you paint is a lovely one - eight 'Mechs in the open with a free choice between them. I don't think any decisions you make about priority are going to be useful since you will never see this scenario. If you look out of your cockpit and see eight enemy 'Mechs, I can guarantee you have stepped out of cover and are about to get obliterated.

Try playing as a lance commander, calling shots for your team and things get much muddier, much quicker. That teaches you very quickly how to prioritise. Not least because you get very immediate feedback from your lance.

In early engagements, you may only see one or two enemy 'Mechs, miles away and in cover. As the firing lines collapse and main sequence of battle is joined - you may see several enemies at once - and not have any real targeting information about them except what type of 'Mech they are. I am not always blessed with the ability to identify, in the heat of the moment, the biggest threat to myself, let alone the team.

The reality of commanding a battle is this - do you best to pick a target all of your lance/team can fire at with a minimum of movement with the maximum chance of taking it down. Stragglers - lone wolves and slow-coaches are done first because they tend to present the best opportunity to gang up on them first.

Yes - high alpha builds, when identified, can become a priority. In a match last night, a scout spotted a lone six-PPC Stalker in a canyon trying to flank us while we were in a long-distance firing-line duel with other 'Mechs. As a team we disengaged from the cover-sniping duel and went 5 or 6 to 1 against the Stalker. It lasted no more than ten seconds. When you are lighter and more agile than your opponent - survival becomes about awareness, coordinated movement, and team discipline.

I am learning a lot about lance leadership. Too often I call a target - only to see it disengage and flee behind a line of fresh enemy 'Mechs. Too often I call a target and then find myself shooting at a different enemy because that one is more convenient for me. If I'm doing that, then my team are doing that too and the whole point of focus fire is lost.

I think one of the keys is simplicity. The principle decision should be based on something obvious and immediate. Weapon loadout is not it as you don't always have the luxury of knowing. Weight class might work or if the enemy has missing body parts or is smoking. However speed and proximity to cover or allied 'Mechs are vital. If you call a target and it simply runs away at 150kph leaving you for dust, it was a bit of a waste of time and leaves your lance possibly strung out and confused. Call target in haste - regret/repent at your leisure.

The other key is fire discipline. The ability to not fire on a juicy target, to save your heat for a shot on the designated target - and to move, not where you want to go, but where you need to go. It's not easy. It would help enormously if I had a button to send a specific signal to my lance to "attack my target". Cycling through a contact list to find the right letter code takes valuable time.

Anyway - enough. Good luck with nominating targets for your lance/team. I am having a great time taking on that challenge and making it work. I hope you find the same.