1
Click the following for the NGNG article section to read “Tactical Maneuvers: Basic Lance Formations and Movement Drills for Mechwarriors”
Scouting was one of the goals of Role Warfare – the pillars that MW:O was to be built on (and hopefully back-burnered for presentation during CW). It was defined as:
“Gathering information as a reconnaissance/stealth unit that gets relayed back to the rest of the friendly force. ”
(This was written months ago and does not incorporate any of the newer modules or features. These items can be presented in this thread by anybody who wishes to only describe them and their use in a scouting role. Please keep the discussion rational and, if at all possible, polite.)
Scouts Out!
A Primer* intended for Light Mech Pilots who want to perform the role of a Scout in a Public match in the Mechwarrior:Online videogame
Why highlight "Scouting in Public Game (PUG) matches"?
Because it is rarely ever done well.
A competitive team in Community Warfare (CW) will likely have a dedicated communications network with reporting protocols in addition to highly capable personnel performing the Scout role. Contrast that with those loner light mech pilots typically found in a PUG match who wander off to only get whacked within 2-3 minutes of the match starting without having given a single enemy contact (ctc) or enemy location (perhaps expressed, in chat, as “ctc:grid”, a situation report (sitrep), or simple "Hey, I found them at......". I am pretty sure these players were not really thinking about being a scout for their team. It has become evident that dedicated scouts supporting PUG teams have little to no useful experience in that role, behaving more like snipers in an FPS game like CoD, Halo, etc where they go off, alone, to hopefully find that hidey hole to take pot shots. After CW launches, there will be many players who will continue to play PUG matches, eschewing the premise of CW. However, they might be some who may want to develop Scouting skills or improve some of their extant skills and practices.
If any of you light mech pilots do not intend to scout and instead desire to harrass, ignore the following information and unleash your inner dog of war.
The Usual Suspects
In the vast majority of the Assault and now Skirmish PUG matches I've participated in since Closed Beta, the one or 3 light mechs on our side will fly away, often by themselves, to try and avoid the enemy in an attempt to start the cap process or, in the case of Skirmish, try to get close enough to harass the enemy. (Remember, this is MY experience. Yours may differ.) I want to focus on that one Light pilot (or the odd pretty fast medium mech) kitted out with sensors, modules, and speed who wants to help the team as the venerable Scout. This is difficult to do in an MW:O PUG match because without a dedicated voice communications net, scouting can be more than just difficult. (At the beginning of one match, I typed in Team Chat "Scout be careful and give us some info". The lone light pilot on the team replied "I will" -- then died 10 seconds later. This, and other occurrences like it, clearly demonstrates the need for in-game voice comms and some "best practices".) Every Scout needs to anticipate how much time they might need in order to alert the team to enemy contact or situation– this gives you time to type if you do not have voice comms. Oh, and AVOID contact above all else – or, don't embrace contact. Resist that impulse to get close enough to take a few shots unless you know you can get under cover after you shoot. If they can see you, welllllllll..... you know. The exception to this situation is the few times I have seen a pair or Lance of lights sail away to wreak havoc, obviously using voice comms.
Here we go – The Scout's classic role is Reconnaissance
Game countdown ends and you separate from the main force as soon as you are released.
Your teammates are in the "movement to contact" phase and need your eyes to tell them where to and where not to go. The raison d'etre for the Scout is to "Find" and "Fix" the enemy.
In order to achieve those two goals, keep in mind that the Scout is supposed to "Sneak, Peek, and Retreat" -- NOT to take on the enemy force. Just learning and following those three concepts (verbs) will extend your life during a match considerably and allow you to "find" and "fix" the enemy for destruction by your teammates.
You are ahead of your teammates, probing to locate the enemy force and its scouts.
This is where the sensors and some modules (especially zoom) come in.
1) Comms -- Now, how to inform your teammates about the enemy. Ideally, in-game voice or 3rd party VoIP are the desired options. This is done with pre-mades, but usually, players on one PUG team are not together on a TS/VoIP server. Passively, there's pressing the "R" button, barring enemy use of ECM, of course. Actively, typing info out is optimal but potentially life-threatening given the time needed to type something out. Having a macro set for your KB function keys might be useful, but figuring out the best way to say "enemy lance in C3" or "main force moving to F5" with KB commands may take some doing - especially if your teammates do not understand your "code". Better to keep your distance or find a hide spot and report that way. This is when you "Find" and "Fix" the enemy. Maybe "ctc d5 6" (“contact, grid D5, 6 mechs”) or, perhaps “6d5” for 6 mechs grid d5, or even d56. (If you have a better method, please share in a constructive manner, and remember, this is for PUG matches and speed is essential to conveying intel.)
2) ECM - if ECM is equipped, the ideal tactic is to mount a long range weapon and poke the enemy in such a fashion as to elicit a response similar to "rage quit" with one or more leaving the protection of the main battle to go off to try and locate of the offending "shooter" (known as “chasing the light”). Another is to use the current capability of the ECM suite and shield the main force using the "disrupt" mode – this is not the Scout's traditional role, but you can use this tactic. A third mode is a combination of the other two mode tactics when the the main force is fully engaged and the scout can run in and amongst the combatants looking for targets of opportunity or to assist other teammates – again, not a typical Scout role. A side effect of running in and amongst enemy LRM mechs with ECM on "disrupt" is that the enemy mechs will be unable to achieve missile lock. Operating in "counter" mode should be considered when chasing an enemy ECM mech. This latter tactic is highly situational and should be event driven. BAP can make things difficult.
3) TAG - you're it! If equipped, Scouts can use the TAG laser from a hide position to great effect to support LRM volleys once they have "found" and "fixed" the enemy. I've seen a few more airstrikes these days and their utility is evident, but, the TAG does nothing to help this or the artillery strike. (Ever hear of the Copperhead artillery projectile? It depends on a TAG for its accuracy.) The TAG laser should allow the Scout to target designate from a safe and possibly obscured distance for LRMs
4) Advanced Zoom: It allows the light (or any other class) mech mounting a long range weapon to be, well, more precise. Using it whilst tracking a moving target can be difficult in that the red target box around the targeted mech seems to lag. It is unknown whether this "effect" is common for everyone using this module.
5) Advanced Target Decay: Ummm, we're thinking this really does not need further explanation, but suffice to say that having it mounted allows longer duration friendly LRM mech support.
6) 360 degree Target Retention (200 m range limit): If you are using this as a scout, you're doing it wrong, .
7) Seismic sensors for a Light mech I would argue serve little purpose at this time unless you are that Ninja light mech scout who knows the best place to hide near major avenues of approach/retreat. Your views on the seismic sensor will likely vary, therefore, if you must take exception, please describe your usage of the module in terms that will aid the scout in his mission, if he decides to use it.[/i])
8 ) Capture Accelerator: If your intention is to capture bases, use it. Otherwise, use the module slot for something else.
9) Artillery and Airstrikes. I've seen them used quite effectively, - in a choke point where, despite the reddish-orange smoke "alert", mechs cannot get out of the barrage area fast enough. One piece of advice for where to NOT use either strike -- Don't drop one in an open area, the smoke "alert" gives targeted players enough time to scamper away quickly enough to avoid damage altogether or get just enough exposure to have their backsides toasted a little.
10) Hill Climb: With jump jets, you do not need this, however, it does mitigate the speed reduction for non-jump jet capable mechs.
11) Improved Gyros: Reduces screen shake whilst being hit by enemy fire or jumping;
12) Advanced Sensor Range: Use this, your teammates will also benefit with the enhanced information;
13) Target Info Gathering: Allows a long range shooter to identify armor/component weaknesses;
UAV – unmanned aerial vehicle - With a UAV module equipped, you can press “Insert” to launch a UAV into the air, 150 m directly above you. The UAV will automatically target all enemy Mechs that come within its sensor radius; this information will be shared to your team. Also, The UAV can target Mechs that are shielded by ECM and will share this with your team. These last two points alone sell the UAV – so if you can buy it, do so and learn to use it effectively. It can be shot down.
Offense and Self-Defense
By "Offense" here, I do not mean the broader concept of tactical offensive maneuvers with a larger force, but the pilot's acts whilst in his mech as a Scout. Here, think of "Offense" as in "Being Offending". Self-Defense, is, well, self explanatory.
Having at least one long range weapon, like a laser that reaches out past 540m, is handy for a quick side shot - not full damage, perhaps, but enough to inflict some damage and give an enemy pilot pause. Properly used, the Light mech pilot, shooting an opposing force mech, could draw at least one mech away from the main force by being a pest. Using a long range ballistic weapon is not an immediate guarantee for damage (or attention because the targeted mech may think a shot random) unless you can appropriately lead the target or set up number of shots. LRMs? Can you carry enough missile "density" on that Light mech that will overcome a mech's AMS - like an LRM 15 or 20, without compromising your armor, speed, or other mech feature? Probably not unless you are Clan.
For Self-Defense, the rest of the mech loadout is pilot preference and should include AMS. Keep in mind, an enemy light may be as fast, if not faster, so, carry weapons that you can also use to defend yourself and also use the terrain effectively to absorb/deflect shots to protect your legs. Do whatever is necessary to discourage pursuit. Or, if you want help and you have the “stones”, coerce the enemy mech(s) back to your team.
The Contributors:
Gremlich's details can be found in the Tactical Maneuver article.
The other contributor, Errodien, aka Lenny, is a Paramedic currently in college to complete his Associates in Firefighting and currently enjoys streaming for NGNG. An avid Battletech'er, he began his journey down the dark side back when he was a mere 13 years old and has loved it ever since. With many years of CBT under his belt, he has a vast knowledge of both the lore and game mechanics.
*(Primer is pronounced "prim-mer", not PRI-mer, as in paint primer or one who primes something, like a pump)
citation for Role Warfare: http://mwomercs.com/...-3-role-warfare
Edited by Gremlich Johns, 18 July 2014 - 02:19 PM.
