50 replies to this topic

[Cagneyy]

Im another "All i play is assault" guys. The role itself is actually a patient one. As another poster said before the assault is a thinking mans mech. Sure you probably wanna be the guy leading the charge to key positions. When you get there however its not very wise to just rush out of cover and such. An assault pilot is constantly scanning the battlefield and staring down for seismic activity. Reading the position of the enemy team the best they can. At the same time watching to see if team mates are setup and ready for a push or at least close to react to any action.

The game has phases.

Early game is where the scouting info and poking takes place. Alot of damage can be exchanged at this point but that doesnt mean its time to death charge. At this point lights are (hopefully) buzzing around finding enemy locations, mediums are probably in a firing lane popping off with the heavies. Basically trying to make the enemy scramble or just get a lucky kill or two. The assaults are looking to start the mid game push.

Mid game is when the team needs to start moving up in cover and sending out flanks. The assault will then decide where to make its presence known. Pushing on outnumbered packs or backing up team mates under fire, trying to draw attention and use that armor and controlling areas.

Then, late game. This is when everyones armor is glowing and mediums are making due with what pieces they have left and the heavies are cleaning up torsos. The assault pilot is marching around with his friends smiling at a fight well organized and executedm, smashing anything left.

Bottomline is the assault WILL push. Just not always when everyone sees fit. This being what seperates the good assaults from the bad. Engagements and pushes take a team not a careless pilot in a fat mech

[PlzDie]

Mehlan, on 16 October 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:

No, i've noticed that tends to work even less... I'll use a combination of both, depending on my situation...or what I THNK it is, i know i've eaten a few ac/ppc/guass shots when i've been a tad to slow.

Sorry I made the suggestion, do as YOU see fit. I on the other hand usually gets results in my pug matches with doing this, or maybe its just that the players I drop with is maybe a bit more experienced.

Edited by Duppie1974, 16 October 2013 - 10:21 PM.

[xengk]

I think because it is available for trial right now and you get alot of player who rarely or never pilot an Atlas before giving it a go. However, they still retain their mentality/play style of a non-assault while piloting one.

These day when I drop in PUG, if I see a champion atlas that has a lone wolf icon, I would follow the Victor/Highlander/Stalker/BM in the team instead.

[Mycrus]

Assaults should be pushing from the 1st second... During the dead time at the start of the match, I say "hard right". That is the direction I intend to push... Pugs follow, cool we are in for a winning wafflestomp... Pugs, don't follow... Whatevs there is always the next drop...

[Father Tork]

Reading through everyone's responses I've come to the following conclusions;

1- Atlas players in PUGs in fact DO have a tendency to be timid and try sniping or LRMing from a distance, even with a balanced load out.

2- The reason they resort to this is actually due to the majority of cases where in a PUG match, when they have committed, they did so on their own cause teammates didn't support them.

Accordingly I am no longer of the opinion that Atlas pilots who act timid are cowardly, they simply understand the majority of PUG players will be looking out for themselves. (Something even I am guilty of every now and then)

So when I'm playing a Medium or Heavy brawler type, I'll let me team know early if I plan on supporting the Atlas' or not. As attempting communication is really the only potential solution...

[Mawai]

Most of this has been mentioned ...

1) The loadout of the Atlas may not support close range combat well. I see this alot with LRM fitted D-DC ... which could provide ECM support to an advance but don't because their main weapons don't work at less than 180m. This is also true of gauss rifles and some other sniper builds.

2) Atlai are almost always left behind, especially in PUG matches. These mechs should be the core of your assault group but typically everyone (mediums, heavies AND other assaults) rush off to do battle leaving the slower mechs behind. It takes them a while to catch up.

3) Strategically everyone needs to push at the same time ... and it needs to happen vs. a weak spot in the opposing defense. Having an Atlas rush over a hill into the middle of a defensive position usually results in one dead Atlas and more often than not a loss for the side with the suicide Atlas. Pushes require several mechs to advance at the same time so the defenders often split fire. Similarly, the attackers need to focus their fire on specific mechs and take them out. This is why pre-made groups can be so effective ... because they coordinate fire better when they work together.

So ... there are a lot of reasons why an Atlas might be at the back. However, if the heavies are left to lead a push against opposing assaults ... this will often end badly since the heavies die faster to concentrated fire ... so assaults are a crucial component of making a charge work.

[Wookiemart]

Thanks for the feedback guys, things are a little more clear now.

Will definitely try to apply new approaches to the battlefield with this intel in hand.

Regarding the mountain pass in the crimson map I now pack UAV's to get clear intel on whether or not there is a contingent sitting on the other side waiting to blow us all to hell. It gives whatever LRM boat we have a chance to get off a few shots if there are any targets. And if the coast is clear some lights and mediums and hopefully a few fast heavies can follow through to a flanking manoeuvre.

I think with using the UAV and TAG heck even the NARC if need be to highlight more clearly what target you are attacking, it makes it a little easier for puggers to know where to hit.

[Scrawny Cowboy]

Positioning and situation awareness.

[Soda Popinsky]

I'm a pretty lousy Atlas player, but have been spending the last few weeks grinding to buy 3 variants and Master them.

When playing PUG matches in my brawlers, I'm incredibly inconsistent. When I have a group that goes in with me, I'll score 500 (which I consider good for me), to 700 (amazing for me). Other times, I get focus fired when support evaporates, and I'll be lucky to break 100 or 200 dmg before I melt. So, yeah, I'm a bit wary of charging ahead. I've learned it's best if I go behind a two or three Heavies on a charge, as the enemy will be busy spreading fire on those (faster) guys to coordinate firing on me (like what happens when I'm first in line).

I will admit to hiding / hanging back, as I also field a sniper build. Why would I dare run a sniper Atlas? Because I already have 2 brawler Atlai, and a 3rd one would be a bit boring. Maybe it's a good thing, as we tend to win more when I field the sniper. Besides, until we have weight limits, my fielding a sniper Atlas doesn't stop somebody else from dropping in their brawler Atlas.

Edited by Soda Popinsky, 17 October 2013 - 08:59 AM.

[cDnStealth]

I started off as a medium pilot with my Hunchbacks and right from the beginning I decided that my role was to stick to an assault like glue and support them. When the Highlander came out that was my first entry into the assault class. I've now got a D-DC and I can say from experience that more often then not I find myself leading charges of one and dieing without support. People just seem so afraid to attack in PUG matches. I find a lot of my matches consist of both teams sitting behind hills exchanging long range fire/LRMs and most often I watch as my team slowly gets picked off until it's impossible for us to win. Generally when I see an opportunity open up I gun it forward hoping the rest of the team will back me up.

The big problem is that if you see an Atlas (or any assualt really) moving to engage and you don't decide to suppport them you've pretty much lost the game once they're dead. I played a game on Alpine recently where there were 2 other Atlas on my team. We decided via the in game chat that we were going to charge the enemy line. All three of us run out of cover and we kill a few mechs before each of us are destroyed. Where was the rest of our 9 mechs? Cowering behind a hill watching us die. That's just how matches go these days and with the game being 12v12 now it's so much more difficult to single-handedly win a match. You can go out and kill 2-4 mechs yourself and your team can still lose it for you.

[Xulu]

First off, I'd like to say I'm not the best Atlas pilot, but by far not the worst. Part of the issue is with tactics, like a previous poster said, we will get left by ourselves if the big guy sticks his neck out for a large brawl. Secondly, I'm a tactical pilot. I don't just yell YAHOO and run in guns blazing. I'd rather someone else do that so I am prepared to blow their face off as they crest the hill and run into our group. Just my two cents.