12 replies to this topic

[el piromaniaco]

Hi there!

I did use search and found some old threads concerning UAVs, but nothing with only short and simple tips for beginner. So i decided to write this here.

You can see an enemy UAV on the minimap when you are standing right beneath it, or when it's in the range of your BAP. (red circular symbol, freindly UAVs ae blue of course)
You can see it in the sky due to it's rocket engine, you can spot it's exhaust.

When you shoot down a UAV you not only get 50 XP points, you also destroy one of the enemies reconnaissance tools (detects and targets mechs within 240m radius, even ECM shielded ones)

To shoot it down you simply aim at the exhaust flame, and then shoot a tiny bit above that. If you see your range indicator change from inifinte (loop symbol) to a definite distance in meters you are aiming right. Damge 10 should bring the UAV down. You can even target ® the UAV if you have a BAP equipped.
I saw UAVs getting shot down with LRMs, but imho a laser would be best. If you are skilled at it or can afford the ammo use any other weapon of choice.

I've read somewhere that an UAV shooting range should one day become part of the academy.

So, hope this helps.

Greetings

el piro

P.s.: Don't get caught by the enemy while staring at the sky though, always watch you cover. I f you can't shoot at it, tell your team and/or maybe target it so they can see it on the map.

[Boulangerie]

Very good tips!

An enemy UAV giving away your teams position, headings, and allowing LRM locks against your team is one of the most important priorities for removal.

Another tip is that it can be at quite a steep angle to take out. Since torso mounted weapons (the cross shaped crosshair) have a more limited pitch, arm mounted weapons (the circular crosshair) are much easier to get on target. If you find it hard to look up enough, hold down the free look button (default Left Ctrl) and you'll see that your arm crosshair actually still follows your look to a certain extent. You can also use free look for certain advanced "sword and board" maneuvers by driving your mech sideways, but that's for another thread .

Try the free look trick, or try backing up somewhat to take out the UAV, but remember to stay in cover if possible, don't back yourself into the open. Also be on the lookout for flanking mechs, and they tend to take the initiative when a UAV is out since they can tell your teams positions at this time.

[el piromaniaco]

Thanks for your post Boulangerie.

Some important details i've forgot to mention.

Greetings

el piro

[Palor]

I love a CStreak 6 for killing UAV's.

[loopala]

arm mounted erll/ll are the best for UAVs. once you get the hang of it they are very easy to spot and hit. for practice you can launch an UAV in testing grounds, you will not be charged for it. while you can not destroy or target it, you can play with range indicator to see were to shoot while in a no stress environment.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

On a side note, be aware that UAVs bob up and down. It's easy enough to just fire at them when you're using lasers, but sometimes you got to do this using PPCs or even AC5/AC10. Since the target is so small, you'll need to predict time-to-target to make sure the PPC bolt or AC shot hits.

[B L O O D W I T C H]

el piromaniaco, on 07 November 2015 - 03:06 AM, said:

You can even target ® the UAV if you have a BAP equipped.

That's false, you can target them (like Lock onto enemy mechs) even without a BAP. (which you should always do, since you will share the target with your whole team)

On a side note
- Any UAV has 10 Health.
- A normal UAV stays for 45 seconds
- Improved (GXP enhanced) and advanced UAVs (MC consumable) will stay for 1 minute
- they always hover 150 meter above launch point.
- UAVs have no limit on how far below they can pick enemy mechs up (or how far up).
- They are very easy to spot with thermal vision

[Lhunara]

Perhaps I should add that if for whatever reason you spot an enemy UAV but are unable to shoot at it, inform your team and hopefully someone will take care of it. State the map coordinates too.

Note that adding insults or calling your teammates' heritage into question for not seeing the UAV is not productive.

Edited by Lhunara, 08 November 2015 - 01:11 AM.

[T0rmented]

An extra tip for shooting down UAV's when u get your distance readout on the UAV and before you pull the trigger, fire an artilley/airstrike at the UAV! Now shoot the UAV out of the sky and whatever is underneath it gets artied. The smoke will trigger on the UAV and not on the ground so the victims beneath the UAV get no warning!

[Tylerchu]

T0rmented, on 08 November 2015 - 01:22 AM, said:

An extra tip for shooting down UAV's when u get your distance readout on the UAV and before you pull the trigger, fire an artilley/airstrike at the UAV! Now shoot the UAV out of the sky and whatever is underneath it gets artied. The smoke will trigger on the UAV and not on the ground so the victims beneath the UAV get no warning!

Shoutout to those with the skill and situational awareness to be able to do this.

[Kalamity27]

Great information! Should be stickied for new players.

[White Bear 84]

This is a must read! So many players ignore UAV's - they really can turn the tide in the fight...

[purplewasabi]

I would also like to add a few tips for new players when dealing/using UAVs. Its not as easy as it seems. Food for thought.

Lhunara, on 08 November 2015 - 01:06 AM, said:

Note that adding insults or calling your teammates' heritage into question for not seeing the UAV is not productive.

why is this even a thing?

White Bear 84, on 14 November 2015 - 07:43 PM, said:

This is a must read! So many players ignore UAV's - they really can turn the tide in the fight...

There's a time and place to shoot down UAVs. Just like laser-baiting, UAVs can also be used to bait enemies and expose enemy positions indirectly by observing how the enemy react to said UAV. Particularly in coordinated group drops. If the UAV is not negatively affecting your team, best to hold your fire and avoid the area to keep the enemy guessing. Unless you have Gauss Rifles because it doesn't leave a trail for the enemy to trace back to you.

Similarly to "when" you should shoot down a UAV, you should also know "when" to use a UAV. For example, If there is a large coordinated group on the other side of the hill and you pop a UAV while having one lance with you, there is a likelihood they will disregard it and charge whats under the UAV. The enemy has lost the element of surprise, yes, but it may instigate them to charge rather than falling back. A rule of thumb I use is that when my ie. Atlas deploys a UAV, I use it offensively. When my Spider deploys a UAV, its mostly for supportive/scouting purposes.

So not only should you be cautious when shooting down UAVs, but when using them as well.

Edited by purplewasabi, 14 November 2015 - 09:00 PM.