So now I've some of the lightest armour out there, what do I do?
While we could discuss the various roles and play styles of the light, Light Hunting, Assassinating, Tanking and so forth, this thread is all about tanking after all. So here we'll discuss some basics.
First off, even the great Atlas can only take so many hits. The point of tanking with a light is to draw fire and then not get hit by it. Terrain is your biggest ally in this, as terrain is invulnerable where as you are not. Random movements, using vertical movement, and moving perpendicular to your opponent are all viable ways to spread the damage, hopefully harmlessly onto the terrain as you dash madly through a burst of laser fire. Beware the IS ballistics though, a good ballistics pilot will spell your doom if you are unprepared.
Drawing Fire, and Hopefully Surviving to do it Again.
Base rushing for fun and profit in Canyon Network
Map provided by
Smurfy
The action takes place all over, but mostly in B4 and C4 thanks, in part, to our pilot's efforts.
Follow along with
this pilot, if you will.
Apparently our pilot chose to make an early rush towards the enemy base in order to put some pressure on the enemy team early, so as to give their allies time to set up. Mayhaps not the best of choices, since the assault lance chooses to go the long way around, but only time and video evidence will tell.
At about ~0:45 our pilot decides to engage the entire enemy assault lance, starting of course with the time honoured tactic of shooting folk in the back. Everyone gets angry.
At 1:05 our pilot looses an arm due to moving in a predictable easy to shoot pattern. Too much straight forward. Mistakes made in the mechlab deny the surviving srm 2 it's ammo.
At 1:25 we find out via Voip the the enemy is trying the same tactic, with two mechs. We now know that our gambit is merely buying time for our allies to deal with the enemy lights.
At 1:58 a failure to properly face the enemy whilest retreating strips our rear armour an nearly spells doom for our brave pilot. Edit: our pilot would like to take this time to counter that this is an unbasiced first run, and they they were spoiled on locusts. Still, mistakes were made, and from here out the pilot must endeavour to never turn it's back.
At 2:31 the appearance of a jump capable madcat, alongside the uller whose also pressuring our pilot, decides a change in tactics. Now it is time to survive. Shortly thereafter both enemy distractions are dealt with, an the battle may begin in earnest. Our pilot, battered an half dead, has done it's job and begins the long arduous backpedal to friendly territory. We see some decent usage of vertical movement, but no longer to we tank for the party.
At 4:12, after some decent twist from the enemy light our pilot chooes to tear off a damaged limb whilest the enemy was powered down. Soon however, the pilot remembers the age old adage, 'Leg the Light' and finally that nuisance is dealt with.
At 5:15, after a quick scouting foray yields four of the surviving seven enemies' positions, our Pilot pops a uav. The team appreciates the gesture, and after a quick acknowledgement, the Arctic Cheetah proceeds to abuse the superior tactical advantage given to trade like a master.
Eventually, the allied team, realizing it is up four mechs charges, and the match is quickly wrapped up.
Squirreling.
Proof Positive you don't need a decent mech or aim to squirrel. Canyon Network.
Map provided by
Smurfy
The action takes around the Enemy Base. A3 with some hold outs in B4.
Follow along with
this pilot if you will
We see some similar approaches, and similar mistakes as were made last time. Most notably, the failure to properly turn an present the forward armour whilest fleeing leaves our pilot with no good decisions save to charge blindly forward and try to buy a few more seconds of time for our team to continue thier unstoppable advance.
A quick glance at the mini map early on shows the allied forces moving aggressively forward. Whilest scouting the left side, our light makes it to the enemy base unmolested. Taking a risk, the light decides to see how many mechs it can draw away from the front lines, and begins capping the base.
At ~1:50 we see a whole three mechs peel off towards our light, and they just don't stop coming.
Then of course, our pilot loses all their rear armour and given the option to charge a grid iron, or gamble with a gauss to the back, our wolfhound charges back into the field.
While our brave pilot doesn't last long against the onslaught, we find ourselves three mechs up when the wolfhound finally dies. Despite bringing a pretty terrible build, and doing a mere 22 damage, our pilot managed, for the first three minutes, to distract half of the enemy team, giving the friendly side a two to one numbers advantage during the initial stages of combat which allowed them to secure the lead and steamroll the opposition.
There are other ways to get folks attention than base capping, (namely shooting them in the back an then running away cackling madly,) but this just goes to show how much positioning and altering the enemies line of battle can influence a match. Next let us see if our pilot can put these tactics to use on a skirmish map.
Tanking, Like a Light.
Next we see if our tactics make work outside of the assault scenario. Again we enter...
Canyon Network. Map provided by
Smurfy
The action takes place around C3-D3.
Follow along with
this pilot if you will
At first we see our little light head out to scout and flank the enemy position, finding two out of the three lances maintaining some cohesion. As yet unspotted, our light takes time to pick and choose a target.
By 1:20, we see our pilot engaging a Jagermech from behind in a classic back-stab. However, it looks like our opponent has not neglected their rear armour, and so rather than continuing to try and assasinate the mech right next to it's own lance, our pilot disengages to maintain survivability.
At 1:40 olur pilot Places a UAV at the apex of a jump, allowing the little unmanned drone a higher altitude at which to spot. It is effective and the uav will time out rather than get shot down. This will spot both the medium an heavy lance for our allies. Who appear distracted by enemy lights, drats.
At ~2:05, our light has earned the ire of a full lance, and decides that that is not enough, and bugs out to fire upon the next lance. By jumping directly into the centurion, we give em an easy shot an our left arm is stripped of armour as a result.
At 2:25 we spot and get confirmation on the dual gauss Jagermech. Remember them, as dual gauss is a vicious build, and can shape the very battlefield with their presence.
At 2:45 a fellow light spots a locust. Our pilot takes up light hunting briefly.
At 3:33 the gual gauss Jager claims it's first victim, and our pilot's team is down nine to eleven. at 3:45 the minimap shows a three mech push from the front lines, and our pilot disengages to assist. The push stalls and only one mech joins the fray on the flank, but the scores are balanced, go team!
After two more kills, our pilot commits to engaging the dual gauss mech. I'll give you a hint, the jager pilot is good.
At 5:17 we see the short jump cause the gauss to miss high. At 5:22 our pilot tries to use vertical movement to dodge again, but the hill does not change the height enough, and our brave light mech loses a leg, sealing it's fate.
In the end, this battle came to a close with a narrow victory on our allies side.
~Leone
Edited by Leone, 15 December 2015 - 03:26 PM.
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