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[InspectorG]

Ok so there is much crying about the removal of turrets from Assault. Add in a dash of NASCAR. A dash of 'Base Rushing'. Add in 10lbs of good old fashion Pug scrubbery and you have the recipe for "Assault is ruined, PGI you suck you need to die in a cockpit fire!!!" type rants.

Thats ok. The good Inspector will shine some light on just what Assault mode with no turrets is about. Its not rocket science. Its not even Texas Hold'em...unless you want it to be.

First things first, Assault actually allows for some varied tactical play...in Group drops. Why? Coordination and Communication.

This guide is not about Group Drops. Mainly cuz i dont drop Group because my Unit is all lazy casuals.

So a different/better guide by those more dedicated to Group play can be offered by someone else.

Now, Solo play, Assault, and YOU.

Granted caveats for Solo play:
Dat Pug Life. You signed up for it, quit b*tchin about it.
Little to no Coordination.
Little to no Communication.
On average, ill put this politely, 'less than comp level skill'.
Less than meta builds.
Straight out WACK builds.
Troll builds(respectable but...yeah not in it to win per se)


So to keep this KISS 'keep it simple, stupid', this will be a very general guide aimed at fixing the MAIN problems in Assault...and no its NOT ABOUT TURRETS.
People crying for turrets want yet another Skirmish that has a smaller field of play so they can validate their brawl builds. See, i figured you guys out! Quit crying about Assault. Brawling is your issue take that to PGI.

1. Take any given map and divide it into quadrants, aka 4 equal-ish pieces.
2. Realize there is an enemy half and a friendly half. And a line in the middle that separates the two...very important.
3. Realize the map has 2 sides, left and right...important also because of 'NASCAR-ing'.
4. your base and enemy base are generally near the center line and towards the back of the map opposite of each other.
5. Middle of the map is the 'cross hairs', aka 'Pug-Magnet' or the 'NASCAR Vortex.'
It should not be hard to envision the above. if it is...go back to 4th grade.

Now...given usual Pug behavior, the average match starts with those with the lowest ping going first either to the Center Pug-Zapper, or fast RIGHT(VERY IMPORTANT) starting a NASCAR.

One COULD try to communicate pre-match, with varied results. My experience is sarcasm and a negative tone work best...like you are preemptively calling out a teammates bad play before they even recognize they are actually doing it. Dont name names, it only leads to problems.

1.So the common NASCAR Complaint we get is the fast zippy lights and the fast mediums(Stormcrows, Cicadas/etc) zip off with the medium speeds in the middle and the big fat slows LAST to fend off the Hyena horde that will devour them. Cue 'The Circle of Life'.

HOW can a somewhat organized Pug capitalize on that behavior?
Because the beauty of a Pug is that the enemy Pug is likely just as bad as your team. Literally a battle of who is 'less bad'. See below

2. The other complain about Assault is something whiny and blubbery about "all this is is Base rush with no fighting and the rewards suck, blaaahhhhhhhh. *sniffle sniffle*".



This is where cutting the map into quadrants comes in.

General Brainstem level Pug play dictates most Scrubs will power up, move forward-ish and 'shoot something'.

This is where things fall apart in Assault. By mindlessly advancing to the center, or NASCARing, you are LEAVING YOUR OWN BASE DEFENSELESS!!!!

Repeat: LEAVING YOUR OWN BASE DEFENSELESS. Keep rereading this till the implications sink in.
Use the Frontal lobe on figuring out just how, if your team advances PAST the center line, will they be able to get back to base if it is under attack.
"Oh the lights are fast and can do it...ill keep shooting stuff". This is uttered by the guy who doesnt notice the average Light score at end match. Lights are hard to pilot, most die early.
Just how many do you count on being around to cover base???

So to me, the EASY fix, aside from herding cats, is to NOT ADVANCE SO FAR!!!!
Hot Damn what an idea!!!
What if the team only advanced about 1/3rd of the way to the center line???? Set up a firing line? Why, long range guys might be able to cover the middle AND base! Slows wont have to run 5 miles and throw-up to make it to base! Lights can move quickly between center and base!

Ideally, the enemy advances PAST center line and your enlightened Pug set up near base and is trading well. NOW 1-2 FAST mechs go and tease their base. Now they have a choice to make, and with a Pug, dumb choices will be made. This 'confusion' SHOULD net some advantage. Wont always because, well, you could be getting stomped.

Should NEITHER team advance to the middle because both are smart and thinking of defense, then long range trades happen, skirmishes and strikes happen, and lights may be bold and infiltrate/tease their base.

Joy!!!

But what if the team just wants to run, free, like Freebird?!?!?!????
You COULD conciser the odds and NASCAR LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(LEFT HALF of the Map).
But good Herr Inspektor!!!! Das ist sacrilege! The work of the Devil himself! We will be damned!!!!!

Think about it, average NASCAR runs counter-clockwise. Slows(FIREPOWER) gets left behind.
Your full team vs their 3-5 fast mechs.
Dats good odds, son.
You essentially get double-or-more firepower on some brainstem lights/mediums.

If it works you get a nice numbers advantage. Get that snowball rolling.

You really only have to watch for them flanking to center then around your team but, hey, cant have everything. Adapt and move.

Thats really about it. A whole whopping TWO tactics for Pug Assault that should keep base rushes or mindless Skirmish(we already got that mode elsewhere) from happening too often.

Enjoy!



Special AP level class for the sneaky:
Ghetto Thug 101. Prereqs: Being a Thug 101. Playing the odds 301. Hustling 201.

In this advanced class we will weight use Advanced Probability to weigh the odds and payouts of Camping your own base. Advanced Psych and Advanced Sociology will be used to tell your team to shut the f*ck up and be confident as a pure baller to carry to victory by some Advanced Vulturing (201 or above) techniques.

1. Take yo heavy *ss Streak boat or high Alpha mech and HIDE somewhere behind base. 200-300m seems about right. Depends on terrain and build.
2. Powerdown.
3. Ignore yo punk *ss team. They likely suck and cant even anyhow. You gonna get yours, they too stupid to get theirs.
4. Wait.
5. Some gimp *ss light will try to cap your favorite base. AINT HAPPENING!!!! HA ha!!!!!
About 10 seconds after the warning and your team bugs out trying to finally communicate, you GOT THIS!
6. Power up!!! Insert "Surprise Muthafunker!" giff/video on your awesome stream.
7. Leg some muthaf*cka!!!!
8. Best is when they went AFK checking they Songsa or Facebook stalking some girl. BOOM!!! YOUAINT GOT NO LEG, B*TCH!!!!! HA HAAAAAAA!
Here, Ill help you with the other! BOOM!!!!!
Or if you riding yo streak ride, get nice and close behind him. Just how he likes it in the prison showers. BOOM!!!! Here, kid, eat another...BOOM!!!

Now, chillin at Base can work and if yo team does well, it can let you vulture come gimp *ss mechs late match for the carry win.

But sometime, man, your team didnt do Sh*t and they gonna be comin down on yo azz, HARD.
All you can do, go out blazing!!! Scaramanga style!!! Empty the clip and join yo dead hommies.

End of class, peace out!