46 replies to this topic

[Darbbo]

I feel it's time to remind pilots what roles their mechs play and when certain things while in a drop should happen. Soooo many times I have heard people cry and moan about lurmers because they don't like it when the lurmer holds back to engage the enemy claiming that they should be up front sharing armor damage which is completely WRONG.

The job of a mech with LRM'S is to fire from long range weakening the enemy and while the lurmer is weakening the enemy the rest of the team should hold back with the lurmer until the LRM's are spent and then the lurmer with its "backup weapon moves in with the team as one force and engages the enemy so stop crying about lurmers because they know exactly what they are doing.

The job of each mech depends on what weight class they are in and most medium and light pilots have forgotten their mechs role during a drop. This is what it should be IMO:

Before combat:_____________________During combat:
Light's -- Scout _____________________Harasses Assault's
Mediums' -- Escort Assault's___________Protect Assault's
Heavy's -- Escort Assault's____________Provide support for Mediums and Assault's
Assault's -- Stay with main group_______At the front lines soaking up damage

Edited by Darbbo, 14 October 2018 - 02:58 PM.

[Spheroid]

The role of a mech is to kill other mechs. End of discussion.

[Jay Leon Hart]

Darbbo, on 14 October 2018 - 02:53 PM, said:

Soooo many times I have heard people cry and moan about lurmers because they don't like it when the lurmer holds back to engage the enemy claiming that they should be up front sharing armor damage which is completely WRONG.

...

The job of a mech with LRM'S is to fire from long range weakening the enemy

...

Assault's -- Stay with main group At the front lines soaking up damage

Error:mismatch

[Bombast]

I agree with Darbbo - People needs to understand what each weight classes role is. In light of that, here it is, the truth of mech roles:

Mech Roles
---
Assault Mechs: Shoot and kill enemy mechs
Heavy Mechs: Shoot and kill enemy mechs
Medium Mechs: Shoot and kill enemy mechs
Light Mechs: Shoot and kill enemy mechs (And get to the Domination circle first)

Edited by Bombast, 14 October 2018 - 03:02 PM.

[VonBruinwald]

Bombast, on 14 October 2018 - 03:00 PM, said:

Mech Roles

You're forgetting one...
Spider-5V: CAP!

Those hardpoints are not for offensive use.

[JediPanther]

VonBruinwald, on 14 October 2018 - 03:17 PM, said:

You're forgetting one...
Spider-5V: CAP!

Those hardpoints are not for offensive use.

And it's still the worst mech in the game while being the (currently) only mech to have an 80% quirk with 10% stack from skill tree for a 90% 90% 90% quirk! I'd still find a 5% laser duration quirk to be 10,000% more useful since it's highest alpha is limited to just 12. The only reason I haven't sold mine is because of all the jump jets and suicide jumping off alpine's h 10 mountain with full skilled out jump jet tree. The only thing you can really do with it is put on 2 er smls or er mls with an lfe and troll when the expected st instant death doesn't happen.

[Peiper]

Generically speaking, I would say that the roles are like this.

Laser and autocannon mechs: on the front line.
LRM equipped mechs: on the front line.
Light/fast mechs: Among the enemy while everyone else is on the front line.

Maximum focus fire, maximum confusion for the enemy, maximum damage on the called targets.

Assaults don't 'soak' damage like tanks in an RPG group. If an LRM mech is NOT on the front line (along with so-called snipers), that means the mechs at the front - will soak a disproportionate amount of damage and increase the odds of a loss. Also, light/fast mechs can render the sniper/lrm guys ineffective if they hang back because the front rank either can't turn to help, or if they do, they get killed. Mechs should always work like a skirmish line when facing the enemy, and as a blob when moving.

Yes, there are plenty of exceptions, but in two evenly matched teams, if one uses these basic tactics, their odds of winning goes up vs. a group that is not working together.

Even more ideally, the front ranks works to envelope the enemy and/or trades places with following mechs to share armor more effectively than simply moving forward together. Taking turns soaking damage. But to keep it simple: everyone is on the front line working on the called target, and the fastest mechs are WITHIN the enemy causing chaos and biting ankles.

[Luminis]

Darbbo, on 14 October 2018 - 02:53 PM, said:

Soooo many times I have heard people cry and moan about lurmers because they don't like it when the lurmer holds back to engage the enemy claiming that they should be up front sharing armor damage which is completely WRONG.

Got called out, huh?

Please don't try to tell people hiding and lurming off of parasitic locks is a good choice. Removing 80 - 100 tons of armour from the frontline is bad and if you do it regularly, you should feel bad.

[Prototelis]

Someone doesn't understand hp pooling.

[Escef]

Why do people still even make these threads? It's nothing but the same, inconclusive arguments you've been having for years.

[Bud Crue]

Darbbo, on 14 October 2018 - 02:53 PM, said:

The job of each mech depends on what weight class they are in and most medium and light pilots have forgotten their mechs role during a drop. This is what it should be IMO:

Before combat:_____________________During combat:
Light's -- Scout _____________________Harasses Assault's
Mediums' -- Escort Assault's___________Protect Assault's
Heavy's -- Escort Assault's____________Provide support for Mediums and Assault's
Assault's -- Stay with main group_______At the front lines soaking up damage

Really now?
A 30 ton Cheetah and a 30 ton Urban mech do not have the same "roles" even if we pretend that there are roles other than shoot other mechs. A Cougar with its massive alpha potential does not have the same role as a Panther. It gets even sillier when you start looking at mechs with different weights within the same class. You really think that Cougar has the same role as that Cheetah, that Urbie, or maybe a Commando or a Piranha? No. No you don't.

Edited by Bud Crue, 15 October 2018 - 03:52 AM.

[Ssamout]

- Role of an assault mech is to be first to lumber into an enemy firing line and get focused as soon as possible. First in, first out.
- Heavies and mediums should chase squirrels, preferably one km or more behind front lines. One assault should always support that action.
- Lights are for capping, doh.

[HenryFA]

This guy is tier 2, claiming LURMer should stay 800m away from the frontline.

That's why he is still tier 2, end of story.

[ShiverMeRivets]

The role of all mechs is to chase the squirrel.
The squirrel must not get away!

[Khobai]

this game doesnt have role warfare unfortunately

the role of all non-heavy mechs is just to be way worse heavies

[thievingmagpi]

Lights faster than 140 = shoot butts. do whatever.

Lights between 140 - 120 = side flank. disengage when threatened, reset attack when safe.

Any other lights = wait for main body engagement, and then attack, chase down injured or disengaging mechs

Fast mediums = Harass enemy lines, get early damage before engagement, keep enemy force off balance. Re-position to support slow assaults in case of early game light attack. Use speed to focus on targets of opportunity and distract enemy once main body engagement has begun.

Mediums, heavies = shoot good

Assaults = do big score

[Nightbird]

I agree with the misinformation in the first post, convincing people to play poorly will mean more cbills for me.

[Darbbo]

HenryFA, on 15 October 2018 - 04:52 AM, said:

This guy is tier 2, claiming LURMer should stay 800m away from the frontline.

That's why he is still tier 2, end of story.

Your silly. I Lurm at 400 meters and am a mobile flanker as I Lurm but the job of a lurmer is to weaken the armor period.

[Y E O N N E]

thievingmagpi, on 15 October 2018 - 06:26 AM, said:

Assaults = do big score

Shoot gooder.

[Lykaon]

Bud Crue, on 15 October 2018 - 03:52 AM, said:

Really now?
A 30 ton Cheetah and a 30 ton Urban mech do not have the same "roles" even if we pretend that there are roles other than shoot other mechs. A Cougar with its massive alpha potential does not have the same role as a Panther. It gets even sillier when you start looking at mechs with different weights within the same class. You really think that Cougar has the same role as that Cheetah, that Urbie, or maybe a Commando or a Piranha? No. No you don't.

Part of this issue is the assumption that a light mech is a light mech and as such it's a light mech in all regards always.

And so on for the other weight classes.


I would define roles outside of the weight classes. basically we have some styles of combat that can define a role.

A skirmisher is a mech that matches high speed and mobility with potent close range firepower. Many popular light mechs fill this role. Examples are Piranhas,Wolfhounds with medium (pulse) lasers, Arctic Cheetahs with short range weaponry etc.
If a mech can break a top speed of 110 and is armed primarily with weapons with ideal ranges under 300m it's probably a skirmisher.

Harasser mechs. These mechs are generally mobile and possess a mainly long range payload.These mechs are generally found away from the main body of the team generally in a wide flank or wing and sometimes behind the enemy line. Frequently these mechs have ECM. Examples: Raven ER-lrg laser build,Cicada large laser or PPC build and Shadowcat Lrg pulse/er lrg laser or ER-PPC loadout.
The major distinction between a Skirmisher and a Harasser is the harasser isn't built for rapid quick strikes or sustained close range brawling. The harasser uses range and mobility to peek and poke instead of strafe and brawl.

Line support mechs: These mechs are not generally suitable to be directly in the front but do fight from a forward position.A line support mech is an immediate second line mech following up a vanguard mech. A Centurion with a big AC and SRMs, An SRM brawler and many urbanmech builds focused on several smaller weapons suit this role. Also mechs with unfavorable hitboxes but potent firepower potential are suitable for this role (Novacat AC+laser builds) aggressively played LRM/ATM boats are also suitable for line support (certainly ATM carriers)

Vanguard mech: A vanguard mech is a mech designed to directly engage the enemy and aggressively so. These mechs are the ones to lead a push and dish out the damage.Heavy and assault weight brawler focused mechs are generally good choices for Vanguards.

Suppression and support mechs: These mechs are more often than not rear line lurkers or on the wings of the main line.They perform the function of keeping flankers pinned selecting targets with tactical flexability and in general shaping the outcome of the battle from longer ranges than most mechs engage at. Most players call these mechs "sniper builds" and "Lurmboats" A well played suppression build can be used early in a match to soften targets up and prevent the enemy from having free mobility on the field.
Gauss based loadouts and LRM boats are popular in this catagory.