34 replies to this topic

[Giani]

A lot of players seem a little too attached to the mantra of "stay together and never run off" as the end all be all of "teamwork". While it is important and a good general guideline, sometimes a situation arrises when the team just needs a Rambo.

For example, the team is staying in a tight formation on Forest Colony and ends up pinned down in one of the narrow canyons. The entire enemy team is at the exit, denying passage, but also prevented from advancing by your team. A standoff. I've seen this happen a number of times, and it gets frustrating with each team peeking out and taking a pot shot or two then scurrying back for cover before a flood of LRMs or gauss slugs pepper their position.

It's Rambo time.

To break the stalemate someone needs to fall back and use tunnels or cover to sneak around and flank the enemy position. It can't be everyone, or their spotters will see it coming. But a lone Rambo should be able to get close and then charge in with guns blazing (or pulse lasers... pulsing?). Hit them fast and hard, make them pay attention. Is this suicide? Almost certainly. But this is suicide with a purpose, which separates a true Rambo from some noob who runs out and gets killed 20 seconds into a fight. While the enemy is busy dealing with Rambo, the rest of the team can advance and unload on the broken enemy line.

It may be bad for your K/D ratio, the repair bill might hurt, but sometimes dying is teamwork.

[MadPanda]

I've noticed about the same. Sometimes when you see a lone atlas charging at you, you think this guy is a newb suiciding but he takes so much punishment and meanwhile rest of his team comes in and your team is running around like chickens with their heads cut off and this so called suicide rambo atlas makes the big play for his team. I've started doing this with my atlas and have noticed good results. Of course sometimes you get a brainless team and end up dying for no real gain but thats PUG games for you...

[aspect]

You are correct, but 99.9% of "stick together" comments are a desperate attempt to keep people from wandering off into the water on forest colony and getting demolished by LRMs, etc. I just played a match where a cicadia ran past my team near the beginning of the match, and three people chased him out into the water, including an Awesome. They all died from missile/sniper fire, and then the rest of the team died when the focus shifted back inland. Not great tactics.

[lsp]

Do that and be ready to die(fast), be better and more effective if you take 2 or 3 guys with you. Then you sandwitch the enemy team. All that does is put your team down one, giving the enemy the advantage.

Edited by lsp, 09 November 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[Monsoon]

Well there's a difference between a 'Rambo' and a tactical move to distract. Sometimes this is the role of a Harasser or 'Squirrel' and sometimes it's the role of an Atlas (or three).

I've done it with both, ready to accept the fact my mech is about 'eat it'. Then again, I generally only did this with my pre-mades as with too many PUGS, doing this would result in nothing. Because they didn't take advantage of what you were doing.

Sometimes the move is also obviously a distraction. So it takes some judgement to realize what you're doing is working, and to notice when the other team obviously isn't biting (and strategically retreat before it's too late).

Edited by Monsoon, 09 November 2012 - 04:18 PM.

[Stone Wall]

We won our game today because of what I did. This Rambo tactic doesn't get the same amount of kills, but it is needed sometimes.

I was a Streakcat. Half of the enemy team had LRMs. My team decided to full out brawl the other half of the enemy team in front of their LRM boats. I knew ahead of time, because of the radar, my team was in trouble. It doesn't take many times playing against 4 LRM boats to know this.

Anyways, I ran to the far left and came within 300m of the LRM boats before they saw me. Instead of lobbing LRMs off the hill at my team, I made them turn 180 and run down the hill at me. My team continued on to kill the enemy brawlers/scouts, while I took out one LRM boat and died. The LRM boats then continued to have to turn around and run back up the hill. By then, they were outnumbered and we won.

Edited by Stone Wall, 09 November 2012 - 04:27 PM.

[Monsoon]

aspect, on 09 November 2012 - 04:11 PM, said:

You are correct, but 99.9% of "stick together" comments are a desperate attempt to keep people from wandering off into the water on forest colony and getting demolished by LRMs, etc. I just played a match where a cicadia ran past my team near the beginning of the match, and three people chased him out into the water, including an Awesome. They all died from missile/sniper fire, and then the rest of the team died when the focus shifted back inland. Not great tactics.

Yup a typical 'squirrel' move...go fishing and see how many fish come out 'a-biting'. The other is having that fast mech hit the base and see how many of the enemy go back to 'defend'. If they aren't in communication with each other, allot of times you'll end up with (typically) 4 mechs headed back, leaving a 7-4 advantage for the rest of your team.

Edited by Monsoon, 09 November 2012 - 04:24 PM.

[Leetskeet]

Running in at the start gets you killed

Keeping the push going when the tides turn wins matches

[Sirous]

Leetskeet, on 09 November 2012 - 04:25 PM, said:

Running in at the start gets you killed

Keeping the push going when the tides turn wins matches

Sure, and sometimes a lone K2 PPC and Larges can distract and keep 4 mechs of the same size back at their base dealing out enough damage that when his finishes off the rest because it was essentially 6 on 3(both sides had a disconnect). The other teams is damaged enough that they roll right over the 4 that were trying to kill that lone mech that was unharassed on his way to their base.

We have had mechs that did not stay with the group and the were the ones that essentially won the game for us. Either because it was two base rushing groups and that lone mech distracted them long enough or we got distracted by that lone mech or two.

Not always a valid tactic but certain times it was needed at the time for that particular match. Problem is you never really know until after the match is over how well it worked.

Edited by Sirous, 09 November 2012 - 04:44 PM.

[Lyoto Machida]

Sirous, on 09 November 2012 - 04:43 PM, said:

Not always a valid tactic but certain times it was needed at the time for that particular match. Problem is you never really know until after the match is over how well it worked.

Sometimes, he's the Rambo your team deserves, but not the one it needs right now...

[Salient]

Amen

[Haegir]

I completely agree, in my elite 4SP I almost ALWAYS try to get my team to work together but when that does not work it's time to go 85.3 KPH into the side of the enemies and shred them with 5x small lasers and 2x SRM 6's. But, with that said, this tactic will always work better if you can convince a team mate or two to go with you. Before anyone smashes me for my tactics, in the 4SP I average between 400-800 damage a round (highest was over 1100). All you need to do is feel out the enemy and once they are engaged it's time to party. I'd love to see more players in mediums and lights utilizing these tactics in small "wolfpacks" of two or three, it's extremely effective and makes for very fun rounds. Just some food for thought. Keep up the hunt Mechwarriors o7.

[Lykaon]

lsp, on 09 November 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

Do that and be ready to die(fast), be better and more effective if you take 2 or 3 guys with you. Then you sandwitch the enemy team. All that does is put your team down one, giving the enemy the advantage.

The real trick to using this tactic is having your team capitalize upon the shock attack of the "Rambo".Without a team to take advantage of the situation you will end up down one mech just as the man said.

The other night on Frozen city my group decided on a cave rush.So I could either support the plan or go off plan.

I supported the cave rush.As my Atlas was rounding the bend to the enemy opening our Jenner pilot comes tearing back down the tunnel typing in chat "don't go out there" not a perfect piece of recon data but helpful.

At this point we had all our assets in the tunnel ready to break out an brawl.To turn back now would mean loosing momentum.

I say to my team "I'm charging follow me out"...

My Atlas breaks cover to see all 8 enemy mechs standing in the open facing the cave.They were prepared to defend from a cave rush.They were not prepared to defend from a psychopath in an Atlas backed by 7 unengaged mechs.

I accounted for three kills one hunchback and two dragons (and the right missile pod of a catapult) before I was out of the fight.

The rest of my team took no further loses and exterminated a "prepared" enemy. Communicating your intent to go all "Rambo" and having the rest of your team capitalize upon it is key.

[Stone Wall]

when all else fails, rambo away

[JimSuperBleeder]

The Sacrifice: Starting Jesus Christ

[Nutlink]

I've done this and had teammates do this many times. Nothing like watching that Atlas and Cataphract on the other side of the hill turn around to chase a Centurion while I pop up over the hill and let my Wang fire on their back ends.

[Tarman]

BOTA49, on 27 November 2012 - 06:47 PM, said:

I've done this and had teammates do this many times. Nothing like watching that Atlas and Cataphract on the other side of the hill turn around to chase a Centurion while I pop up over the hill and let my Wang fire on their back ends.

I'm sure quotes like this are why the Wang was the first hero mech available.

On topic, I've done and seen the sac move before. It works enough to keep it in the toolbox; sometimes you don't even die if your team can back up the crazy fast enough. It's a tactic like any other, it could apply sometimes and other times not. If the other team believes you to be a real Rambo you can also use that against them. "Easy" bait for a nice ambush.

[gregsolidus]

New players: Please don't be this guy, no one likes this guy.

[Stone Wall]

gregsolidus, on 27 November 2012 - 07:16 PM, said:

New players: Please don't be this guy, no one likes this guy.

unless you know to Rambo in after your sides have clashed. and you need some aiming skill for this to work.

Rambo'ing in at the start is a new player move.

[G4M3R]

When Rambo works, it really works ... ... when it doesn't I die a horrible death.

Edited by G4M3R, 27 November 2012 - 07:22 PM.