30 replies to this topic

[AustinNH]

My advice is here. It's not the only way to do, it's just how I do it.

How I would build a 'mando: I recommend running the fastest engine that you can fit in a mando. 215 I think. That's the way to take advantage of its light weight. XL if you have the CB. If you have heat problems, first switch to DHS before adding any heat sinks over 10. If you still have heat problems, you can add some more DHS. ECM is not as important as it used to be now that netcode is fixed. (Streaks were the biggest concern for a light pilot, and ECM counters those. But now lasers are more viable than they used to be, and ECM won't help against lasers.) Similarly, now that the netcode is fixed, your insurance against lights should be lasers, not streaks. I believe that, with enough practice aiming, you'll be able to do more sustained DPS against lights using lasers. The missle hardponits should be filled with unguided SRM. These will be used to nuke enemy slows (slow mechs) when they're not paying attention to you. Maybe you could use streaks instead, which, combined with lasers, could make a good build for hunting enemy scouts. But you'll be doing very little damage to enemy slows.

How I would play the above described 'mando build: In assault you're an early scout. Check for cheesy moves by the enemy team such as multiple lights rushing down a side lane to base cap, or even a full 8-man base rush. In frozen check the tunnel if no-one else is. Communicate your findings back to your team using chat, even if you don't see anyone, just say "tunnel clear" etc. The challenge in doing this is to avoid a situation where you encounter enemy scout-hunters that can chase you down and kill you before you get back to your team. Ideally, if you encounter enemy scouts/scout-hunters and are outnumbered/outgunned you will be able to run back to your team, request assistance in chat, hope that your team is watching the chat, and hope that the enemy scout-hunters are silly enough to chase you right into your team allowing your team to get an early kill. On the other hand, you will occasionally encounter an enemy scout that you can easily beat 1v1, in which case you should destroy with caution. Make sure you're not about to get jumped by a second enemy scout. And don't get overzealous and chase that enemy scout into a dangerous situation. In conquest your early game job is to grab a resource point for your team. The same precautions apply. Once you're finished with your early scouting mission you will typically regroup with your team, but not always. Mid game begins and it's time to make some decisions. Several useful things can be done here. One is to help with close range brawls. One of the advantages of your speed is the ability to quickly turn a 1v1 somewhere into a 2v1 in favor of your team. Or at 2v2 into a 3v2. If multiple engagements are breaking out try to think about where you can be most useful. Enemy slows that don't notice you can be nuked with your SRMS. This does more than distract them; it is substantial damage, and the screen shake will make it harder for them to aim. You can pick off damaged enemies trying to flee. As always, be careful not to overextend into a dangerous situation. Pesky lights trying to stay behind allied assaults and heavies can be your job too. Use your lasers and leg them. The easiest part of the leg to track with a laser is usually the hip joint. Once you leg a light, usually you should just ignore it. A legged light is a dead light. One of your teammates will clean it up and there's more important things you can be doing. Sometimes you can completetly occupy an enemy Atlas by staying behind him and poking at his rear armor. It would take some time to kill him, but if you keep him occupied so he can't blow up your team, you're doing your job. During all this try to maintain some map awareness so your base doesn't get capped and you or your teammates don't get caught horribly out of position. Additionally, know when you should go for a base cap (or resource point capture in conquest). Sometimes you can turn a losing engagement in the middle of the map into just enough of a distraction to allow you to secure a win through point capture.

Anyway, that's how I do it. But there are many other ways to do it. I didn't even really touch on missle spotting, TAG, ECM use, etc. because I don't usually do those things. One thing I like about this game is that there are lots of playstyles and ways to help out your team. Now that the netcode is better you can be useful without just running ECM and streaks.

[ASSASSYN X]

I just started using the commando. It is my first purchased light mech given I run medium and heavy the majority my time. I like it for harassing fire and to supplemental defense of fat boy awesomes that are slow. I I have only managed one kill wil it, but I usually get assist equal to the amount of enemies in game. I spread the love.

[Heeden]

K0M3D14N, on 24 January 2013 - 10:44 AM, said:

I'm not the only pilot that gets personally offended when I see other people piloting the same class on the other team, am I? I make it a point to try and kill them if I can just to say "what now, son?"

I'm the opposite, I try to kill all the other mechs in my weight class and get offended if a doppelgänger attacks me. The other day I saw a streak-armed Jenner. I was so happy for him finding a non-ECM mech to shoot, and only slightly saddened by the fact it was me.

[JSparrowist]

Commandos are meant to be fun for hit and run. Although in this example we lost, I was fairly effective at scoring some kills/damage by hitting and running.

I <3 the little commando!

[Stanger]

Commando tasks:
1.) if ecm-cover your allies if only ecm, counter ecm of LRM boats if other team has ECM. If other teams LRMs are a problem, disrupt them.

2.) if there are other light mechs, attack them so your heavy hitters are free to take down the other teams heavy hitters. You can also bait enemies in front of your team to take them out faster.

3.) Spot for LRMs. Don't just be in front, be off to the side so you can see around obstacles they can't.

4.) Brawl swarm-if your team is being aggressive then be more aggressive. Stay at full throttle and hit big mechs from behind.

Other thoughts-streak srms and srms are effective vs lights, stay behind or away from srm/ssrm cats. NEVER STOP MOVING, especially when there is a gauss or AC/20 around.

[Terran123rd]

^--- Hit and run, most definitely. Either that, or you should be sneaking around taking pot shots at people's backs and biting their ankles, then running off before they turn around.

[PANZERBUNNY]

The only reason the Commando has a role on the battlefield is because PGI felt sorry for some lights and created a broken ECm system that does more than it should.

If it wasn't for ECM, you wouldn't want to be a Commando pilot.

[Ghost]

I love piloting Commandos. Sneaking through the woods on Forest Colony to do some spotting is probably my most favorite thing. I gotta say though, getting into slugging matches is never going to end well for any Light, the Commando in particular. I roll around in the classic COM-1D, but I've been meaning to upgrade to the 2D and let that ECM make my job easier. I'm very opportunistic depending on what map I'm on--open maps tend to see me using the LL and spotting a lot more, while close in urban combat has me delivering pinpoint SRM strikes on occupied targets. I'm done for if it's a one on one though.

[K0M3D14N]

PANZERBUNNY, on 24 January 2013 - 02:37 PM, said:

The only reason the Commando has a role on the battlefield is because PGI felt sorry for some lights and created a broken ECm system that does more than it should.

If it wasn't for ECM, you wouldn't want to be a Commando pilot.

Only I haven't used the ECM variant the majority of the time I've been a Commando pilot and I still love the little thing. Sure I'm not killing everything that moves, but I'm still looking a valuable asset to my team in the form of scouting the enemy and providing a deterrent against other light mechs. I also mark enemy targets for LRM strikes. That's all I really care about.

Kills aren't everything.

[Cranky Poed]

I like to skirt the brawl..run in pew pew a bit..then beat feet when the Atlas sees me go behind him...