8 replies to this topic

[iJaacK]

Hey all, Have been playing Mech warrior a while and have asked to try my hand at "Tactician Specialist" by my clan and in doing so I am just looking for some tips, even some guidance from other players who are more experienced than me at coordinating 12 man groups.If you have the time and would like to share there knowledge on the matter it would be very much appreciated

Kind Regards,
iJaacK

Edited by iJaacK, 14 October 2013 - 12:02 AM.

[MungFuSensei]

Well, when talking tactics, you have to split it up into two main sections: How you and your team interacts, and how the enemy interacts.

Since you're in a clan, take some time and get to know your team's mechs. How many are long range? How many are brawlers? How many are hit and run? How many LRM boaters? Who's ammo dependent? Who's gonna overheat? That kind of pre-game information means you have to think much less in game. From there, the finer points start to emerge. Got a lance's worth of long range guys? Stick them together, and have them hold a nice defensive position within response distance of the base. Got a group of brawlers? Have them ready to flank and ambush instead of rushing to the middle ground. Mid range guys? Have them hold the line and start the fight. Also, dedicate certain team members to chase lights. Teams fall apart quickly trying to catch the rabbit. Use voice communications, and keep them simple. For instance, targeting an enemy, call out "[Lance][Letter][Mechtype]", ie, "Bravo target Charlie Atlas". You can have a pre-game plan, but keep it loose.

Now, as for how the enemy interacts, this is playing off of psychology. For example, like I've mentioned, "chasing the rabbit". In the air force, they call it being the "Wild Weasel". The purpose is to run through the enemy ranks, not really getting stuck in, but to spook them. This gives the rest of the team targeting information and clear, uninterrupted shots. This doesn't have to be just for light pilots, though. If you have a quick Centurion, rushing up the front lines and then running back to friendlies will often drag softer targets into the teeth of your brawlers. For more static engagements, with long range builds, having lance mates pop out and shoot from cover in sequence causes the enemy team to keep retraining their guns, affecting their aim. Think of it like Whack-a-Mole. Saves anyone from being focus-fired.

That's just scratching the surface. Get a lot of play time in with your mates, and then you'll know what they like to do, how well they handle pressure, and who you can trust to do what job.

[King Arthur IV]

[Devil Fox]

Every unit will be different, every unit has strengths and weaknesses... it's simply taking the time to find out your unit's resources and skill level, then before a drop you organize the lances into roles, weapons, ranges, speeds etc. That way you can use a lance to react based on a playstyle, then it's in essence learn the maps and how to use them to maximum effect, alot of 12's play is setting up how to spot and intercept the enemy.

Once you know where they are it becomes a reactionary method to move to engage, flank, hold positions etc, it's all experience... the more you can get, the better you react, and the better you can anticipate what the enemy might try. Once you have the players and lances running smoothly it would be the best time to begin using split-comms, just to ease chatter in-game and give a more finite ability for lances to adopt as necessary within given orders.

Basically just get your 12's going and practice, you'll quickly learn to size up your own force, their skills, and load-outs and you can begin to look into optimizing your lances/unit structure, and the initial ground work tactics you employ when you do drop onto maps.

[Rushin Roulette]

The most basic part of 12v12 for the tactician is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

You want to get as much information as needed around the teams and not more than needed/important.

We have our comp drops organised into 3 teams (not always lances as they are rarely 4 players in a team). Scouts, Brawlers, Snipers/LRM support.

Where the Brawlers and Supporters are positioned is controlled by the Droplead, but who each team shoots at is at the sole discression of the teamleader in each group (the exception is if someone needs help and calls a priority target).

Scouts move around independantly and report directly to everyone if and where the enemy has been sighted.

Make sure that each player knows the priority areas of their opponents before launching (For example the right torso of the Atlas or the Hunch on the Hunchback), so that the main damage potential of the target is removed first.

The information within the teams for focus targets is as follows: Target designation, Target Chassie, Position, critical information if any (for example Charlie Atlas in C4, Rear torso open). If everyinthing is under ECM then improvise (for example Right Cataphract or Left Atlas)

If required, the scouts are responsible to cover and support any team which needs help because they are being overwhelmed by fast movers. It rarely makes sence for snipers and brawlers to go for the same target, as they tend to get in each others way too much while infight and more than 3-4 players shooting at the same target is not economical.

For example: if 4 players can take down a target in 8 seconds, 8 players will take 5 seconds.

If 2 groups of 4 players have separate targets, then they can take down 2 targets in 8 seconds instead of 2 targets in 10 seconds plus however long it takes for the 8 players to focus on the second target.

[w0rm]

http://mwomercs.com/...owcase-matches/

[Itsalrightwithme]

If you guys are new to 12-mans, my 2-CB advice is to simplify command as much as possible while you guys work on the discipline. One quick way to do this is to pair up your scouts, brawlers, snipers. Wingmen follow their leads in terms of movement and targeting, so they have to have "compatible" mechs in terms of speed and weapons, preferably identical variants/loadouts.

That way you streamline target-calling, movement, etc. Plus, outside of 12-mans you can encourage these pairs to practice regularly, that way they get better as an atomic unit.

I honestly think that beyond that, it's case-dependent, there is no general but non-trivial advice. It depends on your strengths and weaknesses. Unless you want a whole list of "good practices" such as using NATO alphabet, clear comms, not cluttering the drop commander with too much info, etc.

[Kjudoon]

Conquest tactic #1: NEVER take Theta first (except on Crimson Straights and Alpine Peaks, when it's not an automatic death sentence to do that.)

It's not called the Theta Death March without good reason. Being surrounded in the middle like Custer's last stand is not good tactics and pretty much never leads to victory.
Terra Therma, it's a cage match at the volcano where the timid die in the doors, and the brave get slaughtered by a secured position. Think the movie "300" in most cases. Ignore them, go around and force them out by capping everything and kill their lights till they get bored and panicked from losing on cap to charge you in the open. Fortresses are great if you don't intend to do anything else. Knights that don't ride out of the castle to meet the enemy starve behind the walls.

Frozen City, Theta is often catastrophically lost by the first team there because of overhead firing positions, and a protected corridor from Kappa allows for a disasterous crossfire. BTW, just charging Epsilon or Kappa (depending on side) is often a gawdaweful mess too. Brawler's paradise.

Forest Colony, Theta is wide open from all sides and can be LRMed to pieces from both sides. Getting in the water is rarely smart too. The terrain is your friend and the side that starts by the Satellite dish is probably the one who's going to win if you don't pay attention to this terrain.

Caustic Valley, Theta gives you elevation, and about the same amount of cover as the Alamo gave Crockett and Travis. They enemy can surround and drown you with missiles. Trust me, it's my favorite map and I love people going to Theta first. Easy win. (site of my first 12-0 win too doing just that)

Canyon Network: Similar to Caustic valley, but because of the terrian being crisscrossed by canyons death is slower there. You are still surrounded and flanked and can expect some 'surround and drown' pain rain, but worse, they can poptart the {Scrap} out of you, go rob your store (base) and have 3 caps up on you before you can say "your mother was a hampster and your father smells of elderberries".

River City, Are you kidding? Theta's a low area in water surrounded by high covered areas. One spotter and it's Pain Rain from all sides. Cover is your friend more than heat dissipation here. Get in the city, play troll under the bridge and use cover. I can sit up just about every point but Epsi and lob LRMS at you all day till you die or run for it. Just do not EVER go to Theta first. Maybe second or third.

Crimson Straights and Alpine Peaks are a little different. Kappa's the CS version, but because it's a multi layer affair, it's just a bad crossfire spot, but not certain death. Alpine Peaks being so large, the center really isn't a serious center, and there's enough range and variability to the terrain no site is an auto death march.

Just remember, the dead have no glory and the stupidly dead have no honor.

Conquest rule #2: Do not get "Ooh Ooh SHINY!" syndrome at seeing close caps. Murphy's law of combat. If there are two paths, the easy one is mined. In this case, the only maps where the close cap is safe is Frozen City. But then we refer to Rule #1 where Theta is a death trap to take first. Cool places to die are still places to die... and dying almost always equals losing.

There are more guidelines IMHO, but most would be for PuGs who don't listen anyway.

Edited by Kjudoon, 14 October 2013 - 10:00 AM.

[MisterPlanetarian]

A few points, some are kinda generic others are not.

*MWO gameplay is farily simple, most success in 12v12 has very little to do with individuals. It's alot more about prepwork and making sure your team knows how to work together.

*Synergy across the whole team, builds are alot more role specific in 12v12 compared to anywhere else. Make sure your team is built to do as much damage as possible at 500ish meters. Everything else is secondary as far as builds go. Example: Set a minimum speed for your whole team, usually based on the slowest assault mech (D-DC and stalkers). 60kph is a reasonable number. Set goals like 20-30damage pinpoint alpha per medium, heavy and assault mech.

*Firing lines. Never blob up chokepoints. If you push through a narrower gap drill your team to spread out into a line based on a preset rule.

*Terrain. Know the maps and where risk spots and chokepoints are located. Presently make sure you got mechs that can handle any terrain well.

*Drill your players individually or in smaller groups and make sure they learn proper unit behaviour like spreading out and what mechs suck and what mechs don't. This is simply creating a habit and it does take time.

*You won't get much out of team practice if you have to wait for biobreaks all the time and rotate people on your 12 man team, unit consistency is key. Practice is not only 12 man teamwork but also getting your players well versed in unit tactics and teamwork on a lance level, it's typically the most effective way to getting your habits set.

*Aim for the Jagermech > Cataphract > D-DC > Stalker usually. This is ofcourse dependant upon intel and positioning. But a Jagermech will outdps any atlas out there and it's barely half as tough.

Edited by MisterPlanetarian, 14 October 2013 - 11:41 AM.