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(updated 3/22/2015)
Welcome to the 12 queue. Some if you will have been here for a long time, some of you perhaps are just starting, and perhaps this guide will encourage others to give it a shot. When the 12 queue is populated it can range from ultra-difficult to easy games. It depends on who you are facing, and how serious they are taking the drop (what mechs they take, arties/airs, etc.).
This guide will go through the very basics of organizing and carrying out a 12-man. If you are not performing well in the queues, then take a look, and I highly recommend that you try out this basic style.
Overtime, using this, adapting to changing circumstances, and improving piloting and shooting, you’ll start winning more, and soon you’ll be as awesome as Alex, and everybody will want to watch you play.
Play style:
Let's start off with the play style as this will impact the mechs being taken. First, what do we know? We know that we have to go 3/3/3/3 and that we will be facing something close to that as well (since non 12-persons aren’t restricted to 3/3/3/3 you might see some crazy tough matches, such as facing 5 DireWolves, enjoy the challenge!). We know that we will get a random map (which will of course be the same 2 maps all night). Let’s also assume that we are going randomized game mode.
The play-style recommended for this guide is one of high movement and high aggression. It's very basic. It encourages the team to stick together, to shoot together, to have natural focus targets, and to make your own mechs difficult to hit.
Drop dec:
So we've decided that we are going to move and be aggressive. Thus, let's form a drop dec around that. The builds below are largely from metamechs.
Lights:
2 FS9-S: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7161afac1399b07
1 Raven 2X: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f975bd9ff903739
The 2 firestarters are good at handling any scouting, as well as harassing when the fight develops. The raven 2x is a very good light for harassing at range with its low duration 2 large lasers.
Mediums:
1 Strk Crow: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a1cf81d7bd4dbdb
1 Pulse Crow: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f8381c02cd14649
1 Wolverine 6K: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c43af0cd1a7937a
This is a big mix of mediums. you could opt for 3 pulse crow, 3 wolverines, or 2 pulse crow, and 1 strk crow. I wouldn’t recommend 3 strk crows due to heavies and assaults that you’ll be facing. The strk crow’s primary job is to be all sneaky beaky like, and destroy the opponents lights when they get in on your main force. The pulse crow is an all around good mech for poking. Options include the 2 lrg pulse, 2 medium version. The Wolverine 6K is a great side poker, as well as a general harasser. Great care must be taken to protect the right arm.
The pulse crow is hot. Don’t fire all your mediums. When poking to the right have your weapon groups setup to only fire the mediums on the arm and perhaps head. When poking left, fire the left arm, torso and head mediums.
Heavies:
2 Timberwolves:
5ml Gauss: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4474e24c5ba324a
Pulse: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...899affbf255cee8
1 Hellbringer: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...17bea63596533ba
The timberwolves are highly versatile. The 5 medium laser gauss can handle the mid range poke, some long range (with the gauss), as well as still being very strong in a brawl. The hellbringer gives your team valuable ECM, which can be used to limit the effectiveness of LRMS (which you will see in the open queue), but more importantly to hide the position, movement, and damage of your team.
Assaults:
2 DireWolves:
UAC5: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...074d90a862dbb91
Triple Gauss: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b538af7590c4a4e
1 Stalker 4N:
4LL: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e5d4185136499be
6LL: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...9eba26483698488
The DireWolf is the all around best assault in the game. The UAC5 version is great for pushes, but its not good for a prolonged range game. Due to the style of this guide, and the simplicity of use, I’d recommend the UAC5 version. The Stalker 4N is the best range poking mech in the game. I highly recommend the 4LL version, as it has more heat sinks and allows you to sustain fire that much longer. While being able to fire 3 + 3 on the 6 has its advantages, for what we are doing here, the 4LL is more forgiving and better able to handle the aggressive play.
Grouping:
Organize your group by class. For example, if the group leader is in an assault, have all the assault players join first, this way they will start in the same lance. While this might take multiple times of dropping group and re-forming, it is a useful way to ensure that your big mechs start off together. For example, instead of having direwolves spread out over 3 different spawn points on tourmaline, and having to decide where to group up, you can have all your direwolves start in one lance, and the rest of the team can just group up with them.
Game on!:
Red corner are you ready? Blue corner are you ready? FIGHT!
“Oh **** oh **** oh **** what do we do?”
“I don't know, what you do you wanna do?”
If that is familiar to you at the start of a match, then this next part is especially for you. Because as soon as you have the 'oh **** they are coming' moment, then well, you will probably sound like this:
Now that we are past that. Let's talk about maps. There's one map in the game. Stop worrying about the map. For now. We will be play every single map the same general way, until we are winning enough to realize when its good to play like this, and when its not.
Simple strat:
So, we start off, and our firestarters, because they are faster, move ahead and find the enemy. Our raven stays with the main group or might check out a different side, but still staying close to the main group. Our main force is moving forward to some nice spot on the map. But you said there's only one map! There is. Actually, all maps play differently, and each map has their strong and weaker positions, but we are trying to simplify things just to get a style working, so for now, treat all maps similar, and overtime develop the understanding of what to do for each map and how this style applies to each map. So just go forward the same way you do in pubs. Move forward and group up. But which way to move? Well traditionally I would have said go counterclockwise, due to right side dominant weapons. But the Clans invaded the inner sphere, laughed at their faces and bowled them over. Seriously, the right side circling style has its uses, especially when running mechs like the wolverine, or a FS9-S config with all its weapons on the right side. However, with the DireWolf slowly chugging along, its no longer a necessity and can cause tons of problems.
Instead, lets go with the tidal wave formation. I made this up. But essentially it's like a flying V, except its a chaotic mess of mechs moving towards the enemy like a shovel. You are trying to scoop them up. So just keep moving together in this somewhat-V formation. If the enemy is on your left, you pivot to face them and keep scooping. This ensures that you never lose your flank. You will be constantly keeping the opponent in front of you. If they split heavily and try to flank with a few mechs, so be it, crush them while they are weak. Sometimes you might need to back up in order to keep the mechs in front of you. This can often happen when in close proximity and with hills/buildings in the way. Consider the arms of the V to be like your arms in a hug. They want to try to wrap around and squeeze the enemy as much as possible.
As you close the distance, some enemies should become clear targets. You generally want to shoot them in the CT. You could also decide to just go for legs. Legs are great targets, as once destroyed you create these little roadblocks that make it hard for the rest of their team to move, plus you can hit a leg from almost any angle. But, on some maps, legs are harder to hit, such as the Bog. While you could try to focus on a particular class, I’d say in general, let the strk crow handle the lights, and everything else should be hitting the easiest target to hit. Often this is a heavy or assault. Keep moving, and scooping up mechs.
At this point, we are hopefully putting down good strikes. Nearly all of your mechs should have an arty/air & coolshot 9. Let’s have the firestarters take a UAV and a strike or coolshot. The UAV helps you keep track of your opponent, and really helps with the your Strk crow maintaining locks. Make your placement of arty/air good! No use wasting one for a single mech, unless its going to be a really good strike. If you have a beautiful strike opportunity, call out priority.
So, we are moving and they are moving. But what if they are brawl? Well, you can sit back and trade fire in a traditional style. If you do, stay mostly grouped, but not too grouped otherwise strikes will hit multiple mechs. In general you’ll want to have about 400 meter separation between you and the opponent at the time of engagement. This will give you enough time to destroy a couple mechs before they get in optimal brawl range. So you can also just continue moving as a group around the map, paying attention to always maintaining that range from your opponent.
At the point of engagement, your firestarters need to be hungry and also engage sneaky beaky mode. They need to get behind the lines, and harass. A couple working the back of an assault can take it down in seconds, and give your team a huge advantage. But a dead firestarter cannot do damage, so they do not want to get picked off. For the most part, if your opponent is occupied trying to shoot your lights, the rest of your team better be shooting the opponent, and, if so, consider yourself to have a huge advantage. Otherwise, the firestarters need to wait to engage, until the rest of your team can shoot the opponent.
Addendum:
The maps. Here’s some general advice on the maps.
Alpine Peaks: If Skirmish or Assault, control I9, no matter the side you are at. If you are conquest, just play as described above. Don’t be overly focused on caps. Too easily teams get out of position trying to capture points. But move fast, and destroy fast, otherwise you might find yourself having cap issues.
Canyon Network: Moving along the perimeter works pretty good here. At some point you’ll probably want to move through the middle. Don’t get caught up sitting behind the middle. It’s too static there, and you are too easily outmaneuvered.
Caustic Valley: The 3-line works very well for team play on this map. Just group up together somewhere before you start moving, as your spawn points are fairly far away.
Crimson Strait: Avoid the platform. It’s typically death there. You typically cannot trade well from that position. Grouping up under the platform is often a good place. Tunnel rushes can be fairly easy countered if scouted properly.
Forest Colony: This is the simplest map to play for this guide. You can opt to move along the shore line or in the water.
Frozen City: It can be tricky to play with these mechs, due to the slow direwolves on a small map, as well as the buildings upsetting the general movement formation. But move otherwise as described, and most of the time you’ll find you have a significant advantage.
HPG Manifold: Moving either in the inside-perimeter, or moving through the top area (don’t camp here), is idea for this strat.
River City: Be careful of the spawn points. Make sure your slow DireWolves are always protected. But group up, move, and pivot as needed to keep your opponent in front of you.
Terra Therma: Push center, but push it from at least 2 of the paths. If you all group and come through one, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. If they don’t go center, have your lights try to find them while being very careful, and then continue the general movement.
Mining Collective: Don’t get hung up on center. Otherwise, group and play with the same movement concepts.
Tourmaline: Be careful around the center area. You have to be prepared to handle the opponent coming from any direction, so be ready to pivot. Sometimes you’ll want to back up to maintain keeping the opponent in front of you.
Viridian Bog: In the words of theB33f, just quit. Okay not really. But this strat works fine here too. Just be very careful of leaving mechs behind, as well as the opponent shooting down on you from the top of the hills. Don’t try to assault the hills, just keep them in front of you and shoot them as they try to pop you, or keep moving and sweeping up any mechs that are out of position.
Edited by TheMagician, 22 March 2015 - 08:39 PM.
