28 replies to this topic

[Shwyx]

Hi there.

As I've progressed with my MMR I've noticed that the biggest threat I'm encountering right now are A Class mech players of equal or higher skill level. I think I can manage a halfway decent Berserker and Reaper myself, but what several pilots are demonstrating in their Infiltrators and Scouts is beyond me. They're in my face before I even know they're there and I've lost half my health before I can get off the first shot (which won't land).

In a 1vs1 situation, I'm glad to admit that I can finally hold my own ... somewhat. Often times I'm just dead, but if I'm in the open with my Bruiser or in a tight spot with my Raider and the switched secondary, I actually have a fighting chance.

But in a team game ... no chance. I just lost a Siege game where the enemy team had two decent Scouts and two decent Infiltrators and we were demolished left and right. The score was close at the end, but we never stood a chance.

What's the proper reaction in that case_ A fleet of Rocketeers_ Installing Quake in order to get my twitch reflex right_ I'm at a loss and also somewhat frustrated.

[N0stalgia]

This is how it goes. For a while, A Class mechs will be the biggest threat. Then, as you progress further, C Class (And some B Class) mechs will become the biggest threat.

[spo0n]

Brawlers eat scouts.

Gren eats infls.

[Coboxite]

Shoot at them.

OK, best way is to catch them in the open. With no cover, the low armor values of the Scout and Infiltrator will bite them in the ass. High DPS weapons such as the Vuclan, SMC, and the primaries of the Incinerator usually will wreck them.

Above all else, wait for them to blow their dodge THEN fire your secondary weapon.

[EliteShooter]

YOU NEED MORE AWARENESS.

[Mawnkey]

Learn to watch your radar and have better situational awareness. Even with cover readily available, A classes are still vulnerable if you can have a TOW already in the air and waiting for them as they round a corner. I've done this many a time. When they start the fight with 1/3-1/2 of their health missing right off the bat, it makes things a lot easier for you. In the case of an objective based mode like MA or Siege, they may go ahead and run right then. That's as good as getting a kill in DM/TDM. No need to chase them, as all you want to do is keep them off objectives.

Bottom line though, A class mechs count heavily on engaging you on their own terms. Learn to make sure the fight starts on your terms instead.

[nokari]

Get a Brawler with mini-flak and detonator and/or shield and DON'T MISS. Hit them with the Det for a surprise and drop shields when you need to get away.

[Coboxite]

nokari, on June 15 2014 - 12:33 PM, said:

Get a Brawler with mini-flak and detonator and/or shield and DON'T MISS. Hit them with the Det for a surprise and drop shields when you need to get away.

Huh, brawler can get mini flak.
Cool beans.

[nokari]

Coboxite, on June 15 2014 - 01:12 PM, said:

nokari, on June 15 2014 - 12:33 PM, said:

Get a Brawler with mini-flak and detonator and/or shield and DON'T MISS. Hit them with the Det for a surprise and drop shields when you need to get away.

Huh, brawler can get mini flak.
Cool beans.

Maybe I'm thinking of Vanguard...

[Frisbee_Player]

Fighting in A mechs is all about map awareness and positioning... if you take away their ability to position themselves, you take away their greatest asset. Make sure you know where good ambush spots are on maps, that way you can either expect to be ambushed, or ambush someone chasing you, one TOW to the face is enough to deter a lot of A's because of their low health. A mechs like the scout and infil seem very fast when you fight them, but just wait for them to dodge, then hit them with your secondary... they have a dodge cooldown too, so its best to hit them while they wait for it.

[Krellus]

they might have been in a party/on teamspeak, in which case their co-ordinated attacks vs your pug = doom.

[mittens800]

If your team is getting stomped there is little you can do.
At that point anyone on the opposing team that is "good" will have a field day.

You've probably been on both sides.  With a good team you can basically "do no wrong" if you're an above average player.  Just pop in and out whenever you want.  

Losing team usually will not focus fire and just allow A classes to casually stroll through with nary a peep.  "Why yes my good chap, I will let you take out my "on the verge of exploding" team mate.  Pip pip to you, carry on!"  If you try to attack enemy team, it becomes 6v1 because... well, you know how it is.

[mmm_yep]

Shwyx, on June 15 2014 - 12:01 PM, said:

Hi there.

As I've progressed with my MMR I've noticed that the biggest threat I'm encountering right now are A Class mech players of equal or higher skill level. I think I can manage a halfway decent Berserker and Reaper myself, but what several pilots are demonstrating in their Infiltrators and Scouts is beyond me. They're in my face before I even know they're there and I've lost half my health before I can get off the first shot (which won't land).

In a 1vs1 situation, I'm glad to admit that I can finally hold my own ... somewhat. Often times I'm just dead, but if I'm in the open with my Bruiser or in a tight spot with my Raider and the switched secondary, I actually have a fighting chance.

But in a team game ... no chance. I just lost a Siege game where the enemy team had two decent Scouts and two decent Infiltrators and we were demolished left and right. The score was close at the end, but we never stood a chance.

What's the proper reaction in that case_ A fleet of Rocketeers_ Installing Quake in order to get my twitch reflex right_ I'm at a loss and also somewhat frustrated.

I think I was actually in the game you are referring to. Luckily, I was on the other team and didn't have to fight the swarms  of flying A class mechs. In your defense, the two Infiltrator pilots were very good.

I think siege makes this problem seem even worse because you have no choice but to poke the nest at the AA and the Scouts and Infiltrators are just waiting for you to arrive. Best advice in this scenario is to hang back and go in with at least one other teammate (preferably more). Try to coordinate your teams attacks together and you won't feel so helpless. I know it's much easier said than done, especially with a group of people who just want to shoot things and win.

Once you have some back up, use the advice already given: predict their movement/dodge and shoot where they will be (not where they are). Explosive weapons with a blast radius (splash damage) also helps.

Edited by mmm_yep, June 16 2014 - 09:34 AM.

[Shwyx]

Thanks for all of your posts.

Awareness is something I can certainly work on. I've decided to spend some more time with my A class mechs and I've also bought the Scout; both to improve my skill with them and to learn how to react or rather what to expect from them when on the other side of the battle. The Scout is also pretty good for training the mid-air detonation of TOWs, something I haven't really done so far, and what might work well on the Bruiser too.

As for coordination ... I don't see this getting better any time soon, except for higher MMRs and thus better players. The vast majority of PUG matches are a gamble and will stay that way, so I guess I'll have to accept that part of the equation.

Edited by Shwyx, June 16 2014 - 12:30 PM.

[Exelica]

I've read the above posts and there is some good advice in this thread. My two cents to add is basically be aware of your surroundings and make smart decisions on when to engage and when not to. Be aware of where your enemies are and try to sneak up on them. A lot of the time if you get the jump on an A class, it's usually lights out for them. Deathmatch (in my opinion) is a very good mode to practice fighting A class mechs and honing your situation awareness.

[Skrill]

Going heavy and getting good at landing secondary hits after they dodge is the way main rout I see people going. In point defense modes like siege or ma a Predator with eoc will quickly make them realize that they are not as smart as they think they are. Lay many small concentrated traps around the point they are defending and then walk away like a badass. Then, have your team assault the point. The second they start to dodge around all crazy like they will destroy themselves on the mines so long as your placement is good. As a scout there is nothing more annoying than running over a couple traps in a row and dying.

Edited by Skrill, June 20 2014 - 12:03 PM.

[OmegaNull]

Learn C class. They love A class. Nom nom nom.

There have been plenty of times that I have taken out 3 scouts/infils in a row with my brawler before either dying or managing to drop to heal.


When I am in my scout or infil, there are 5 mechs I fear and basically fuzzy bunny myself:
Brawler
Raider
Assault
Vanguard
Grenadier


Now, if you are using A class to fight A Class_

Scout vs Scout and Scout vs Infilatrator... good god that can be hard.

Edited by OmegaNull, June 17 2014 - 08:13 PM.

[LoC_TR]

You can always force an equal damage situation, if your a bigger b or c class you can trade damage with the a classes and outlast them. The hardest part is actually hitting them, that's where the game gets interesting... Counter dodging to open up firing lanes or to line up your shots. Waiting on them to dodge so you know where you need to put your shot. A classes best weapon is their ability to be quick and unpredictable in their position, take this away from them force them to make a decision by being aggressive in your movements and taking space from them. Being unpredictable in your own right is a good way to throw them off.

Just remember when your heading back to the AA in siege... Take your time entering the zone if they're waiting for you, yes time is of the essence but if your dead it doesn't matter. Your approach is important and can give you the position you need to push your way onto the AA. You should be always considering escape routes for you and the enemy. A classes are weak and they rely on their ability to engage a situation on their terms, if you manage to get a first shot on them it will give them second thoughts about coming after you.

[SoldierHobbes11]

Best way to deal serious damage to an A-class is to save your secondary weapon until AFTER your opponent dodges. Even A-classes still have a dodge cool-down, and all mechs are imobile for a split second at the end of a dodge. Even in a frantic fight, patience will out-win panic.

[Hell_Diguner]

Objective game modes require (a team of) A's to stick within a certain area. They can retreat or advance more easily, but they lack the staying power of B's and C's. The most important thing is to land your shots. A's are squishy, but you HAVE to land your shots to take advantage of that. Playing as a C may or may not be the best idea while attacking a team of A's, but defending an area against a team of A's is definitely best done with a C.


When attacking:

Flank, wait for a teammate to engage, then focus fire on whoever your teammate is shooting -or- (since they're A's) whoever you think you can kill or force to retreat (definitely focus on any enemy who has less than full health and who you can reasonably hit). The distraction plus you flanking usually results in only one or two enemies realizing you're a threat at first.

If you can kill or force those aware of you to back off, re-asses the situation. If you are now alone (with the unaware enemies), retreat, heal, and pull the same trick with the next suicidal teammate. If you have health and teammates that are still fighting or starting to fight, keep attacking low health enemies and force as many retreats and deaths as you can.

If you're going to die, you have two useful choices: Try to lure enemies away from the objective and survive as long as possible, or go all in and do as much damage as possible.

Folks have mentioned the Predator and explosive weapons, which I agree with, assuming you're good at landing those explosives. Sharpshooter and Reaper and unusually effective against A's (at a distance) IF you're good at landing your shots. If you're being completely useless (I've been there), think about switching to the Technician and shoving your medic gun up the posterior of whichever teammate isn't playing like a fool (hint, it's the guy who retreats before allowing himself to get swarmed and die).


When defending:

Expect to be flanked, and expect to be chased. An attacking A will often suicide against you if they think they can finish you off. Just hold your ground as long as you can (because that limits the movement options available to A's, making them more predictable and easier to kill), and retreat TO TEAMMATES when you reach half health. Don't get greedy and think you should finish an A off unless, perhaps, you're playing a Raider or an A class yourself.

Edited by Hell_Diguner, June 22 2014 - 08:42 PM.