11 replies to this topic

[ROSING]

So I've noticed in Missile Assault that there are two types of maps: ones where the points are in a line and ones where points are in a triangle.

I just want to see if the tactics I've been pulling make sense (So I have a little credibility when I shout at my teammates which points to go), but here goes:

Line MA: Capture two points, preferably the one in the center and then the closest one on the side. Hold those two, if the other team is weak enough push for the triple, but otherwise just hold those two. Teammates should be in between those two points to respond to either quickly when the enemy pushes them.

Triangle MA: Capture two points, then keep on moving to cap the point you don't have, while the enemy caps one of yours. Avoid getting caught up in pointless fights midway unless you're defending a point, but it should be a game of who can cap points faster. Make sure you always have 2 points a majority of the time. You should be going from point to point in a cycle.

That's what I have inferred from playing MA If I'm totally wrong tell me, but I want to know if I am doing MA right.

[ROSING]

Probably wrong section, I saw the Modes sub forum just after I posted this...

[ticklemyiguana]

Aside from the fact that you've just stated the only two ways to describe three points in euclidean geometry, (I kid, just touting maths.) yes. At least in basic theory.

Basic tactics of MA are hold two until you have more than twice the points than your enemy. Then move everyone but one person back to a single point, keep the other person at the old point until he dies (pretty inevitable, but useful as a scout and harassment, and slowing the enemy down. Primarily just to increase the lead,) And then pull everyone back to that one point and hold it. That point should be the most secure point, though it is often the middle point on line maps. (AA on Origin, Bazaar, Front Line, though you can certainly make it work with one of the others. Just think how hard it is to capture the AA on Siege when the enemy has all 6 players on.) After a significant victory, killing three or more mechs, it's generally best to send out a scout (or any fast A class) to capture, or at the very least neutralize another silo. This makes them scramble, often splits them up, and buys you time, and in the best case scenario, easy kills.

Basic line tactics: (Wreckage, Front Line, Bazaar, Origin-must modify tactics on origin. It's not really a line, but can be played as one.)

Line push. Straight line push of five or six mechs from one side of the map to the other. This requires you have captured one of the end silos in the line, and the enemy has the other two.
Best mech comp is two or three heavies, a tech, and any combination of A's and B's for the remaining two or three, depending on the map.
This tactic is best for breaking up the enemy, and they will often take back the initial silo that you had.. Lead in with heavies. PPA incin is preferable, though it's one of the faster C classes, so make sure the rest have time to catch up. Breach a single point of their defenses-often underneath the AA if taking the AA silo (Front line and Bazaar). Not only does this secure you an easily defendable spot very quickly, but most teams have difficulty defending against concentrated fire of five or six mechs. This will give you a numbers advantage and in the event of an AA push, force any mechs lingering topside to engage below, or clear off and take another silo. The more enemies you can kill, the better. The tactic is about displacement and buying time, not fully securing silos.
By the numbers-evacuate the first silo with all mechs and take the second. Leave the heavies at the second. Push forward with the lighter mechs. The enemy will be broken up if the first push is successful, and the third point can often be taken with three or fewer solid players in light mechs.
The tactic generally results in a 1-2 silo swap, where you initially hold the first in the line, and wind up holding the second and third while the enemy takes the first. If done quickly, not only will you have the multi-silo advantage, you can often take the third silo faster than they can take the first, especially if you have a big victory at the middle silo and send a scout (not necessarily a scout, just a faster mech that can fight well independently.) from the leading party back to harass anyone looking to take the first silo.

Pincer. It's what it sounds like. You have the two edges and take the middle. This is best done not quite at the same time, but in a consecutive fashion broken up between the light mechs and the heavy mechs. Find two vulnerable spots on the defenses and hit first with the light mechs on one side. (This is NOT the tunnel on front line. Think diagonals.) Make sure all three radar signatures pop up on the enemy map. This is generally enough to get everyone's attention, and then fall back behind cover shortly after they start shooting. In this time (while they are repositioning to defend against the light mechs, get as close as you can with the heavies (or the optimal range for Rocketeer, Hawkins Brawler) and hit them one at a time. If you get the radar signatures right, for the first couple seconds, you wind up looking like the bigger force is the light mechs, and this is often enough to break off one or two enemies from the defenses. It's often not so clean in game, so it's of little purpose to discuss further. In general, the tactic relies on confusion and synchronized firepower.
Before you take it, as the fight is wrapping up, get two mechs moving immediately to either side as scouts.

Basic triangle tactics. (Last Eco, Bunker, Facility, Origin to some extent) They don't vary much. The only differences are that the angles at which the defending enemy will be facing will be different, and because the distance between the last and first silos is about the same as the distance between either and the second, there's a lot more hopping, as you've already noted. Optimal mech composition varies throughout the game. It's good to start off with more heavies, but depending on the course of the game, sometimes you need the lights to catch up with them. (You can get a squad of three raiders going and capitalize on their blitz ability to capture two silos very quickly.)

I am actually a little tired and don't feel like going into triangle tactics. There are a lot more variables, and what I just wrote is long enough to be its own topic. Here's a handy link. https://community.pl...ng-conventions/
But good luck, and keep playing.

Edited by ticklemyiguana, June 16 2014 - 09:49 AM.

[AnotherWastedLife]

I also ask my teammates to do the same things as you do, but I think it doesn't change their behavior at all.  People generally either don't think at all or they figure it out on their own.  Most don't think at all and are immune to logic.

I disagree with one thing though.  Just because you control 2 points and doing fine does not mean that you should go for the third point.
In wreckage, if you control S2 and S3, the worst thing you can do is have 3 or 4 idiots all going to S1 together "as a team" because "you should always stick together".  It's stupid, stupid, stupid.  They all slowly travel to S1, capture it, take a smoke/masturbation break to ponder their next masterfully strategical move, and S2 and S3 gets captured by the enemy and we now control one silo instead of two.
omgwuthapenhowwut

When I wait for the match to begin, I position myself to the right to capture the nearby right point, see my teammates joining me on the right.
I switch to the left to capture the point on the left.  They join me on the left.
I switch back to the right to capture the right point.
The walls go down and the match starts.
My team mates come to the right from behind to join me on the fuzzy bunny point while I look at them, casually cutting my veins and crying.

The number of times this happens makes me almost convinced that giving them any hint is not going to help in any way.

Edited by AnotherWastedLife, June 16 2014 - 11:12 AM.

[ticklemyiguana]

Pub matches are different. And even still you can find some good ones.

[camtheking20]

Charge!!! At the first thing u see

[dorobo]

I do it the way op describes it with a little added trickery here and there.

[ThatDamnedBoedy]

To win simply outnumber the other team for long enough.  simple....well in a pub match.

[EliteShooter]

My ultimate MA tactic after 594 MA games; just go for the uncontested silos, nothing more. Find your ways to do it, be flexible.

[IronClamp]

Charge blindly at any silo. You can capture anything, until the enemy figures out you like to charge silo 1 all the time.

[Leonhardt]

Effective MA tactics are a small scale replica of Napoleonic tactics at work. In particular his early campaigns against Austria during the French Revolution. His later tactics at their core mirror this campaign in his reworking of military structure and fundamental changes to the organization of his army. His later campaigns are far more complex though and do not represent the simplicity of games such as MA to the same effect, but if one looks hard enough they will find the principles still ring true.

Edited by Leonhardt, August 31 2014 - 06:43 AM.

[ThatDamnedBoedy]

outnumber your opponent...surefire win.