Warning:
This is a perspective on the mech- "Predator" from a new player, with a weeks play time and study of the mechanics within HAWKEN, POST STEAM.
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PREDATOR: /TIPS/-----EDIT I'm dang near max level with this thing, I dont use anything but the breacher and EOC Secondary, I dont know much about the other guns, so I dont write about them.---
---EDIT TWO- If you want to know about items, I use the armor regeneration (advanced) and shock coils. Nothing much else is needed for a stealthy approach.---
This medium B class mech provides three key skills to contribute to the battlefield. 
- Picking- The predator, even when played aggressively, feels purpose built to remove and cull the battlefield of those that are weakened and attempting a retreat.
- This technique is applied in many ways, on especially weak targets the breacher at full charge will remove targets limping from the battlefield.
- For those with forethought and and eye for ambush, the mine launcher can pepper the floor with enough to spike away large portions of health, with 4-5 mines you can quickly remove a weaker target as they attempt to move from the fight.
- The key to a successful attack on those that retreat is to play to the predators cloak, imagine Jurassic Park's raptor and remember to attack from the flanks, using mines as a preliminary softener before getting into their face with a breach shot to end it quickly.
- Observe the class of the target, C classes are harder to knock out unless they reside in their tank mode, which gives the predator a keen advantage when attacking from behind, a simple thing to do when you cloak and move outside of their field of view. B classes are sturdy, but a well planned strike will remove their power in the instance that you get into a fight with them, its not a terrible idea to hold right click and plant near their feet or intended direction of movement. Alternate to the breacher when the time allows to spike for large amounts of up front damage. A class mechs are dangerous if they get the chance to outmaneuver a predator, learn to take advantage of their low HP with a couple of mines and a from-behind breacher. Most A classes attempt to dodge frenetically as their health drops, use their panic and sweep for the kill when they are separated from the pack. Remember you're a wolf, a raptor, divide and conquer your foes before they can even get a shot off.
- Take the lesser walked path, in most instances players tend to flock through common channels, there are observation points littered in every map that are perfect for the jump on a target. Even better is to lead a target to their own death, feigning fear or panic to pull a target around a corner pre-set with mines that will suddenly put them at the disadvantage.
- In the instance you find large portions of the enemy team focused on your allies(I cant stress this enough, if they see you, its time to NOPE out of there), the best hope you have at helping is to EOC the floor around or behind the enemy. On a siege map, I've noticed that placing mines at key AA pathways and in crowds while out of observable view can really aid the team, remove their line of retreat or kill them, you've still helped your team. This also allows you to observe for weakened prey to attack and take out of the fight.
- The breacher shotgun is hands the best friend for CQC. Ambushes can turn in your favor quickly with a close range burst from the breacher.
- For the moment you find yourself head to head, remember, spamming fire of the EOC is NOT bad as long as you know where to fire. Predict their movement, remove their line of escape, or leave a path of mines to force their movement. There have been multiple instances where I simply hold right click and smash left when I'm in a full on head to head fight, leaving the enemy spiked with mines and breacher damage to finish them off.
- Fear is your friend, in many cases as a predator, you can use the fear of a surprise minefield to deter chasing. This allows you to pick targets and move about quickly without fear of retribution from chasers.
- People hold grudges, use their hatred of a predator to make them chase you from the fight, or to actively LOOK for you and lose focus of the objective. One less enemy for your allies is one less they have to worry about. In many cases the enemy looking for you is also the most likely to fall for a counter ambush, knowing they are looking for a predator means you can use the enemy players instinct to follow your known pathways and ambush from another.
- Taking out the technician can break a fight, on objective based maps, the enemy may very well outlast your team if they have one, pick it down and remove their edge. One less mech and also one less healer, double whammy.
I've played Predator almost exclusively since getting HAWKEN, yes I bought it, yes with money (the cardinal sin of the internet). I know I'm not known around here, nor am I a long time player, but mechanically I know this mech very well in my short time with it. Its strengths lay with its ability to show up where the enemy would not expect a mech, especially one that doesn't show up on radar, and one that can set traps. Lateral thinking is key for the predator, as it revolves around removing enemies from the pack and surprising them from behind or the flank.
Do I think it could use a minor buff? Yes... the damage of the breacher feels heavily lacking at any range other than point blank...HOWEVER... I've played Team Fortress Two, a class known as the scout excelled in close range, but was quite squishy; its shotgun was the only major damage it had but the scout WORKED. If the developers see that the breacher is fine as is, I'm not going to complain.
Do I think the camo could be improved? Yes... I don't need perfect invisibility, but the current cloak could use a slight transparency tweak. I find that I can avoid most fights, but that's simply to using distraction as my friend. I've held perfectly still and watched multiple enemies walk right past me, much to my fear that they'd see me. In that same light however, the cloak is glaringly obvious in direct observation, the haze it has is very obvious.
Is it as effective at killing as the more offensively based classes? No, but why should it be? A predator does not slaughter the masses, they remove the key pieces and watch the tower fall. Without that healer, the group falters and becomes broken by your allies rush. Without the defensive C class holding the front, your allies have the chance to push the line further back. Without an offense, the enemy is forced to hold their line or fall back, losing ground or objectives.
The predator is dangerous, just dangerous enough to win games. I like it, can I nitpick it? Yep, but that doesn't mean I'm dissatisfied.
TL;DR
fuzzy bunny that, read the post. Tips'n'fuzzy bunny.
Edited by ArgosRho, March 07 2014 - 07:41 PM.

 

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