Overview
“Tactical maneuvering is the hardest aspect of combat.” -Sun Tzu, Art Of War (By moving well, you remove that difficulty.)
Half Engineer, Half Tactician
Battles aren’t won by mechanical might alone. The heart, mind and soul of the pilot play an equally important role in deciding who lives and who perishes. These are guidelines to follow:
THE FLANKER, Part 1
Typical T10 skirmishes see two teams spearheaded by a Megabot, each. Entire teams tend to gravitate near these Megabots; use this psychological phenomenon to your advantage.
Despite the insistence of some to ‘stick together’, splitting off and going the other direction is the ONLY way for you to go. And it works superbly, every time.
As a flanker, you should not let your target(s) notice you until it’s too late for them. For that reason, charging mindlessly head on with the Megabot is NOT AN OPTION.
Fly low, circling around the map to reach the rear of the other herd. Occasionally your transit might get interrupted as you fly smack into an opposing flanker; it’s these guys which you get to task yourself on ridding.
VS Types
PLASMAS
Dodge them easily and rain hail of lightning nails upon them.
RAILS
EPs do a good job of absorbing them if their aim outpaces your maneuvers. Grind them down to their seat whilst they’re exhausted.
(Once, I came up to a rail sniper and floated over his head. As his guns came turning to me, I simply went forward such that I ended up behind where his rails pointed. His rails had to slooowly turn 180 to face the other side, and by that time, I had retro-thrusted the other way!)
COPTER SMGs
Copter SMGs are easily dealt with by maintaining a higher altitude than them. Their own blades will block their SMG fire, plus their SMGs are often belly mounted anyway, unable to shoot upwards.
THRUSTA STEEKS
Thruster sticks (I’d prefer the name ‘NASA Rockets’) are easily cured from the skies. T10 Thrusters have a terrible HP per CPU ratio of 277 compared to T10 EP’s 620.375, or T10 cubes’ 933. It’s well known, though, that their maneuverability doesn’t degrade quickly with damage. One could aim where their guns are mounted to lessen the hurt on themselves. Essentially, though, all one has to do is keep hitting them with their hitscanning SMGs. Don’t miss!
GROUND SMGs
Ground SMGs have less maneuvering options. The simplest thing to do against them is to figure out where their seat is, and claw your way towards it. Take the seat out and watch the fireworks!
THE FLANKER, Part 2
So after clearing out your path of the opposing flanker, or if your way is clear to begin with, continue on to the rear of the other herd.
The first targets to go after are rail snipers hanging back, safely injuring your friends from afar! Thus do you make quick work of them (lonely campsite, no backup for them).
Who’s next… Plasma Bombers. Your plasma-wielding teammates can’t do much about aerial adversaries, so deal with those for them. Close in on them, barrels blazing, paralysing them by amputating their rotors and wings and then diving down, talons outstretched. Bombers, devastating to ground units, are traditionally easy targets for dogfighters in any game at all.
Enemy SMG fighters are, too, a problem to contend with. Together with friendly SMGs with a frustration for flyers, take them down.
(If you have to get repairs, do it.)
Aerial Supremacy Achieved; The balance is shifted
Having ridden them of air power, the ground forces on your side get to charge forward, no longer pressured from above.
Pick out the enemy field mechanics to remove their ability to recover from crippling blows by your teammates. Short range, mostly ground, you’re air (hopefully)… no problem!
Afterwards, descend on each of the malevolent Mega’s meek mooks and chomp on them whilst they’re still firing forward.
The Mega, left alone, then succumbs to fire from all sides; a spectacular way to end a well-thought out battle plan!
Epilogue
I wrote this because T10 battles thus far are quite predictable, ever since the Dawn of the Megabots. If pilots – warriors – start making decisions on their own, breaking away from monotony to take control of the battle, this game would be a lot more fascinating.