5 replies to this topic

[Leone]

A brief look at surviving Tukkayid.


So, we've Apparently got a big Community Warfare event coming up, and I'm fairly certain alotta new folk'll be a bit out of sorts. I hope in this thread to explain a few things about the game mode and give new players to Faction Play a few ideas on how to increase their performance, and hopefully get more fun outta the game mode.

Whilst don't have the time or materials on hand for a full on comprehensive guide, I felt the need to get this out there in time for the upcoming event more important than figuring out how to get the clips I wanted in here and breakdown down every action.


Aggression Wins matches.

If you cede the initiative to your opponent you are allowing them to set up the engagement in their favour. I know it seems like setting up a firing line can be a good plan, and at times it can, but it can also be a trap for the defenders. Can you reposition to assist your teammates if they get flanked? Do you know where the enemy is right now? Are five mechs just jump sniping your carefully placed firing line and winning trades?

Sometimes, you just gotta move. Always be ready to reposition to bring the hurt where it needs be, and make sure you're not leaving your team out to dry. From the front a firing line is an impressive and daunting task to overcome. From the side it's a trail of cookies that eventually leads back to your dropzone.

I offer as evidence, This video showcasing a firing line too slow to get into position afore the faster clan mechs got in the gate. In response the defensive team collapsed in on the attackers, who did not group up to repress the assault, and thus were overwhelmed by 'greater numbers' in a game with even teams.

Which leads us to our second topic...


Teamwork is Overpowered, and Cannot be Nerfed.


Think back on that first video. Yeah, my aim was atrocious, but that was okay, cuz my team had my back. Look at the minimap. Those two brave friendly mechs that went up against the press of the enemy? They died holding 'em back. Those enemies lagging back that felt the full brunt or our counter push? They died. Do the math. Every time a larger group of mechs went up against a small group, the larger group won.

Sure, with a skill difference you could maybe prevail against greater numbers, but planning on someone else's incompetence is not a winning strategy. This is CW we're talking about. You should expect to drop against a group that's been playing with eachother and doesn't even bother with comms in order to work together half the time. Cuz odds are, you'll get one of those sometime, and they can be some of the best matches you'll ever face.

So don't leave your team behind to get overwhelmed. It'll happen to you as well. Get up there, share armour, and even if you end up dying with your team, at least you'll get to drop together an can regroup together. If two mechs sit back, all you're doing is making it easier for the enemy to focus fire and take your team out that much faster.

Which leads us to our next point...


Fresh mechs are better'n damaged mechs.


Seriously. You've got Four mechs, so don't be afraid to scratch some paint, or trade in for a shiner model next wave.

Okay, let's say you've done it, you've managed to win out the first wave, and you still have your first mech. Awesome. Now go charge into the enemy and wreck it so you can get a fresh mech. Think about it. Twelve fresh mechs find your team, an you're already wounded. No doubt, you'll drop fast, miss most of the fight, and by the time you get out there with your second mech, your team'll be in shambles, and you'll get focused down.

So, save yourself the trouble and go get some damage done and get a fresh mech. If you ever wonder why one team ends up in the drop zone of another, it's because they're out there trying to get the lone mechs droppin' in, making the best of thier triumphant wave cuz they know even if the dropship shoots em down, they'll have fresh mechs to go up against the battered survivors of that dropzone getting overrun.

It's a numbers game. Twelve mechs are better'n ten, and fresh mechs are better'n damaged mechs. So once you've won one wave, get out there and make sure your team's the one with twelve fresh mechs against their damaged mechs.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm talking generalities. Some time you might be on conquest and need to go grab some caps, or maybe you've done too well and lived too long and now the next wave of mechs are getting ready to meet again an you don't have time to get a fresh mech out there soon enough. You don't hafta slavishly stick to these tactics, just know they're winning ones.

I offer, as an example of everything we've talked about, Two pug teams, one using the tactics and strategies described, and the other... not.

Which of course, leads us back around full circle.


Seriously, Aggression wins matches.


Or at least makes the other team earn their victory. Think about it. Your drop zone is a resource you need to protect. So don't give the enemy easy access to 'em. Move forward, and meet thy foe near the middle of the map. Then, even if you are wiped out, you'll have time for your second wave to drop and get together. Hopefully you'll repulse the remainder of the first wave, and hey, you could even make a comeback.

But pull back near your drop zones on the first wave and you are inviting those very zones to be overrun by enemy forces. Then your second wave'll end up trickling into the fray and you are yourself engineering the very numbers disparity we spoke of early, and will have been complicit in your own defeat.

So, be willing to work together, and if you can, wait to send your second mech into the fray until you've your team with you. If you win a wave and can do so, send your surviving mechs out to get some damage and swing the next wave in your favour. Be always willing to move out and find a better firing solution. And always defend thy dropzones.

Good luck out there mechwarriors.

<o.

~Leone.

Edited by Leone, 06 May 2017 - 01:00 PM.

[Leone]

Unit on Unit combat.


So far I've dropped some advice and shown it in use in a pug match and snippet from a unit on pug match. Now let's take a look at unit on unit combat through the lens of team aggression, numbers disparity, and teamwork.

A Look at Range Disparity.

In a game of numbers disparity, out ranging the enemy is a pretty sweet advantage. If they can't fire back effectively, you'll end up sittin' pretty, getting in some free damage. Of course, the trade off is those long range weapons'll be less effective inna brawl.

So, how does one combat this when you find yourself outranged?

Stay low, keep cover and advance inta brawl range as best you can. Use their advantage against 'em an sneak inna brawl range. They're run hotter and overheat faster. Stay outta long range sight lines. This'll require a bit of map knowledge and some planning on some maps, but is doable.

Let's take a look at two units, both playing aggressive, but along different tacks. On one side we have 228th Independant Battlemech Regiment, playing the long range game, constantly flanking and disengaging to keep the range advantage, and on the other we have Kell's Commandos, trying to brawl it up and take the fight to them. Both teams play aggressive and try to keep the fight in their preferred engagement range.

Follow along with this pilot if you will and observe the tactics in play. It's a bit of a slow start, but it showcases both teams using their preferred range to their advantage. The follow up shadows this pilot as they reach the nail biting conclusion to a close fought match.

The initial confrontation goes to the long range team as unit placement benefits them and as the slower, and oft shorter ranged IS mechs take a loss closing the distance, and then, the speed disparity in the mechs makes for a numbers disparity once the engagement starts as the assaults are too slow to reach the fight in time. We see our pilot head to the flank to help a friendly, but, being too slow gets there too late and ends up outnumbered and thus defeated. Wave one ends five kills to twelve. We can see quite clearly early on the longer ranged clan mechs doing a number on a few IS mechs as they maneuver around, and the decision to cross the gulf and charge is made at quite a distance and further splits the brawling team as their inherent mechs speeds close at different rates.

Yet, here we do not see the victorious team send in their damage mechs against the next wave, and it may've been their undoing.

Wave Two sees most of the close range team take a long circuitous route that leads to more cover and gets them in brawling range. A mech is sacrificed to keep the enemies attention, and true to form they eventually charge it and displace to keep range as best they can. However, the lack of fresh mechs on the long range team is now telling. They fall quicker, and soon the first wave an their reinforcements are taken, the close range team continues on to take more mechs and get more damage in. Damaged mechs fall back an let fresher mechs charge into the fray to conserve firepower and better spread damage. Wave two ends with twenty kills to twenty four. A nice comeback from that first upset.

Wave three sees more of the same with the Inner Sphere mechs trying to close and the Clan mechs keeping range, the majority of the inner sphere mechs keep low, limiting the incoming fire, but a misread of the call has our pilot heading into a firing line trying to get the 'right marauder', not realizing there was another mech being targeted. Half of the third wave is missed as our pilot is busy getting his last mech, but the wave ends thirty kills to thirty six, but again, our brawlers have all fresh mechs for this next confrontation.

Wave four sees a brilliant tactical maneuver from the clan mechs, sending lights out to harass and distract, allowing their remaining heavier mechs to take free potshots at distracted pilots. Truely a classic case of light tanking. However the large concentration of fresh brawly mechs manages to overcome the remaining clan mechs, pushing them back to their dropzone where we see the match time out in favour of the brawlers.

Despite having the range advantage the clan mechs in this match get beaten in the brawl, though they do do a magnificent job of whittling down the Inner Sphere mechs as they close to engagement range. The trick on both sides lies in positioning and teamwork.

~Leone

Edited by Leone, 04 June 2017 - 06:08 PM.

[Insanity09]

Many good lessons here.

It also showcases one of the less well understood (by pugs) benefits of units dropping together. They can all decide, ahead of time, to drop in a particular style of mech. That means they have a unity of strategy, which can be a huge deal.

[Leone]

The in game chat is actually fine for in game. The problem lies in the outta game chat system and looking for group. Having used teamspeak, I feel it is superior to the in game one, but not much we can do about that.

~Leone.

[xX PUG Xx]

Another good thread on what to expect when entering Faction Play: well worth the read.

[Grayson Sortek]

Leone, on 03 May 2017 - 11:02 AM, said:

It's a numbers game. Twelve mechs are better'n ten, and fresh mechs are better'n damaged mechs. So once you've won one wave, get out there and make sure your team's the one with twelve fresh mechs against their damaged mechs.

~Leone.

Very well written sir. There are some very good lessons to be learned from this post and the videos, thank you for taking the time to share. I think your point about using the extra 'mechs that survived as skirmishers/berserkers to soften up the 2nd wave of enemies is a very good point. I'll have to give this a try next time!