478 replies to this topic

[BravoLima53]

As another Atlas pilot, I agree. Follow, support, try not to get in my line of fire and I will try not to shoot you in the back. When starting out one of the first posts I read suggested this for noob pilots. Find the assault mech and support it, if no assault find the heavy. I will gladly take damage so you can down the mech in front of me.

[Joseph Mallan]

Great advice Void.

[Dazzer]

follow the atlas becuase

a) it has a huge amount of firepower
if it all go´s wrong you dont have to out run the enemy , just out run the Atlas .......

[Void Angel]

Dazzer, on 23 July 2013 - 10:36 AM, said:

follow the atlas becuase

a) it has a huge amount of firepower
if it all go´s wrong you dont have to out run the enemy , just out run the Atlas .......

Haha! Put on your "Boots of Only Having to Run Faster than You."

[Void Angel]

Just wanna play, on 11 July 2013 - 09:34 PM, said:

actually the bigger engines torso twisting boost is negated by it being heavier so they are kind of even when it comes to twist speed, but id much rather block my ct with y side torso then my arm

I don't have a Stalker, but my drop buddy uses them extensively - he's trying to learn lights now, and his biggest problem is learning to be afraid of other 'mechs. =) So while I don't have one available for direct comparison, I've watched his torso movement. Mine seems faster, yet even if they're comparable, an Atlas brawler has a better range of arm motion. Additionally, as has been pointed out to you already, it's much preferable to lose an arm than a torso, even considering the differences in toughness. After all, once I lose the arm, I've still got a torso left.

Edited by Void Angel, 23 July 2013 - 02:44 PM.

[Quaamik]

The stuff here is really good advice whether in a PUG or a premade group. Here is my 2 cents too add in:

1) Follow the frigging DC Atlas.
2) Stay in the Gar Darn ECM coverage area until you actually engage the frigging enemy.
3) Stay with the group unless you are scouting or your group has some better plan. Note that if you are not in a premade group your plan that involves splitting up probably sucks. You likely don't have the communication to coordinate it unless everyone is talking to each other.
4) Lock a frigging target. It doesn't matter if its one you are shooting at, if its not locked (solid red) your teammates probably can't see it.
5) Once engaged, energy weapons are for firing. They don't run out of ammo, and even if its a bad shot that misses, it make your opponents think twice, duck and scramble. They only reasons not to fire them is:
a) no target
too much heat
c) getting on target
d) you are under ECM, they don't know you are there and you have a good tactile reason to keep it that way

Edited by Quaamik, 19 August 2013 - 10:56 PM.

[Quaamik]

I have to add one here.

When your support mechs move up do NOT leave them hanging. It sucks to be in a medium mech, trying to assist the heavies and assaults, and suddenly finding that all your heavies decided to turn and head back to base or behind the last ridge leaving you alone. If you do, I guarantee I won't survive long enough to do significant damage, and in the end you will be down another teammate.

[Void Angel]

=)

[Hellen Wheels]

It is always very helpful to me to have a light or medium (or just a faster) mech "picketing" around my Atlas....that is, scouting around a radius of 400-600 meters out, lighting up targets I can unload my 2000 LRMs on. When I'm out of LRMs, we close ranks a bit, and the picket harasses targets within 300m of my position and we brawl along together while I unload my short and medium range ammo and dakka dakka pulse lasers

Edited by Hellen Wheels, 20 August 2013 - 09:59 AM.

[Void Angel]

I'm very skeptical about using LRMs in indirect fire as an Atlas. Stalkers, and even Awesomes, do that much better than the Atlas (due to hardpoint locations and tube limitations.) My preferred build with LRMs was an ERPPC, 2 ALRM20s, and a large laser - highly effective prior to LRMageddon. Sadly, the aftermath of LRMageddon, coupled with the hardpoint-locking of ECM, killed that build for me. I'm still trying to find a build on my D-DC that will allow me to use LRMs effectively in direct, line of sight combat again - which is where LRMs and the Atlas are most effective.

Coincidentally, you bring up one of the points I made during the Troll War which (sadly) drove much of the discussion in this thread: if your Atlas is a long-range combatant, you should still attempt to support him. On the other hand, if you're that long-range Atlas, keep in mind that you're always most effective when you're taking advantage of your superior durability to pressure the enemy team - which usually means line of sight combat.

Edited by Void Angel, 20 August 2013 - 03:55 PM.

[JigglyMoobs]

You know, following the Atlas works great even if you are in another Atlas, at least in PUG. Last night I was in an RS and followed a DDC around on Forest Colony. I don't remember his exact loadout but he was a good pilot. I had 3xLL + AC/20.

I kept on his six about 100 m to 200 m, slightly off to one side. It worked great because his ECM kept me covered and he dealt with the larger mechs out front. Meanwhile, enemy lights started buzzing around him like flies, which I easily swatted with my LLs and AC/20 as they were fixated on him. I also made sure no one could ever shoot him in the back uncontested. Between the two of us we ended up killing something like 7 enemy mechs.

[Void Angel]

Well, you have to mass fires and work together to be most effective. More complex tactics are viable with voice communications and practice, but the reason I advocate this tactic in PuGs is that it works without the need for communication. Pushing as much metal at them as you intelligently can, while effectively using your firepower, is the easiest way to make use of massed fires, and it'll serve you well nine times out of ten - though of course nothing is foolproof.

In the end, it boils down to this: stay together, focus fire...
And Follow the Fracking Atlas.

[Void Angel]

PS: For an AC/20 RS, I recommend something like this. It won't have the long-range power your build has, and you have to practice good heat discipline in the crunch - but its firepower is rawr-damage, surprised-around-a-corner-and-still-killed-their-Atlas-amazing. You have burst firepower to make a hole, plus good sustained firepower if you're watching your heat.

Edited by Void Angel, 22 August 2013 - 02:08 AM.

[JigglyMoobs]

Void Angel, on 22 August 2013 - 02:06 AM, said:

PS: For an AC/20 RS, I recommend something like this. It won't have the long-range power your build has, and you have to practice good heat discipline in the crunch - but its firepower is rawr-damage, surprised-around-a-corner-and-still-killed-their-Atlas-amazing. You have burst firepower to make a hole, plus good sustained firepower if you're watching your heat.

Actually my RS build is a monster, even against other Atlases:

AS7-RS

The reason I think is that all 47 pts of damage are going to the same point, and I can fire 3 consecutive alphas at almost the max DPS before running into the heat limit. After that I can still fire AC/20 and 1 laser at a time for pretty much as long as I want. This makes it possible to drill into the CT of any enemy at a rate that SRMs can't match until they get very very close.

I usually aim for the cockpit which interferes with the enemy's aim.

So, for my particular playing style, I've come to see SRMs as detrimental. It does not do enough damage to the right component to justify the heat penalty, and with seismic I don't usually get surprised by a guy coming around a corner.

On a pug I do this:
button 1: 3 LLs chain fire
button 2: AC/20
button 3: 3 LLs simultaneous fire

Usually I use 3 and 2. Fire the LLs 3 times with a couple of AC/20 shots, hide for 10-20 seconds as I cool down, repeat.

I have the most trouble with my Atlas on Frozen City due to the terrain, but it is otherwise pretty effective, even on hot maps like Mordor.

Game from 10 min ago on Forest Colony. Fire power not a problem for this mech.

Edited by JigglyMoobs, 22 August 2013 - 09:47 PM.

[TB Azrael]

MagicHamsta, on 19 December 2012 - 05:20 PM, said:

1) Because the Atlas D-DC may has the ECM. Awesomes/Stalkers cannot has.
2) Because Atlases has more armor than Stalker or Awesome.
3) Because Atlases has the largest profile of all mechs, making it easier to use as cover.
4) Because Atlases tend to be piloted by more clueless players at the moment and need all the help they can get.
5) Because it looks better following an Atlas compared to following a mech that resembles a dong.

Fixed number 4 for you.

[exbuzz]

TB Azrael, on 22 August 2013 - 04:05 PM, said:

Fixed number 4 for you.

Not really. The same amount of bad players play all mechs. I would even say that ATLAS has better players on average, as most DDC pilots will have done the research and chosen to pilot and Atlas DDC because it's one of the most effective and game-changing mechs. Most new/bad players wouldn't have the discipline to grind for a DDC as the first mech. It just seems like there are alot of noob Atlas pilots because when such a game changing mech plays badly, it is apparent to everyone on the team. If smaller mechs play badly, no one notices and it doesnt have a huge effect on the battle.

Edited by exbuzz, 23 August 2013 - 07:30 AM.

[oldradagast]

JigglyMoobs, on 21 August 2013 - 11:02 AM, said:

You know, following the Atlas works great even if you are in another Atlas, at least in PUG. Last night I was in an RS and followed a DDC around on Forest Colony. I don't remember his exact loadout but he was a good pilot. I had 3xLL + AC/20.

I kept on his six about 100 m to 200 m, slightly off to one side. It worked great because his ECM kept me covered and he dealt with the larger mechs out front. Meanwhile, enemy lights started buzzing around him like flies, which I easily swatted with my LLs and AC/20 as they were fixated on him. I also made sure no one could ever shoot him in the back uncontested. Between the two of us we ended up killing something like 7 enemy mechs.

A pair of well-played assaults is one of the scariest things to face. When they start swatting the lights off each other, focusing fire while keeping out of each other's way, and generally leading the team vs. being a sniper turret, you can roll over the enemy unless they are well prepared.

Oh, and Jiggly, that Atlas RS is just terrifying... yeesh...

Edited by oldradagast, 23 August 2013 - 08:20 AM.

[Training Instructor]

Yeah, also want to add. When you see an Atlas pushing up, and 1-3 mediums, heavies, or assaults are suspiciously sticking with him, they're probably a team on voice coms, or at least pretty competent lone wolfs. Follow them to freedom, shoot who they shoot.

[JigglyMoobs]

oldradagast, on 23 August 2013 - 08:18 AM, said:

A pair of well-played assaults is one of the scariest things to face. When they start swatting the lights off each other, focusing fire while keeping out of each other's way, and generally leading the team vs. being a sniper turret, you can roll over the enemy unless they are well prepared.

Oh, and Jiggly, that Atlas RS is just terrifying... yeesh...

I had a hero Jager join me on a flank to the enemy's rear that game. He kept my six clear of harassing lights, and even ran interference and took shots for me when he ran out of ammo. We managed to catch a team full of LRM boats who ran low on both health and LRMs, with their backs turned and fixated on our team mates to the front.

Edited by JigglyMoobs, 23 August 2013 - 10:39 AM.

[Training Instructor]

Had multiple games tonight where the PUGs went to the traditional positions and got slaughtered, even after i told them me and my lance were going a different way.

Hate losing when people refuse to do something the opponent doesn't expect. But what really infuriates me is that the matchmaker is elevating our lance, and giving us 8 mediocre/new players who have just learned standard positions.