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The Infiltrator's active camouflage ability has a cooldown of about forty seconds. It lasts as long as the Infiltrator has fuel. Generating heat deactivates the cloak. Boosting doesn't, but doing so means that the Infiltrator's cloak won't last as long.
Due to the above restrictions, an Infiltrator spends most of his time uncloaked, like any normal mech. Due to what I've said so far, you might be tempted to agree with those players who believe that cloaking is useless. However, if you've carefully picked over what I've said, you'll know that far from the case. This is because a cloaked Infiltrator is removed from the radar entirely, even while boosting. Such is tremendously helpful while escaping and while initiating attacks.
Due to these points, the Infiltrator is a powerful mech designed for hit and run assassinations.
TL;DR Infil's cloak is for evading detection via radar, it is not for hiding.
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The Predator, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast. Do not ever mistake a Predator for an Infiltrator. Doing so guarantees you a swift and confusing death.
Stalker Mode, the Predator's special ability, is simultaneously an upgrade and a downgrade to the Infiltrator's Active Camouflage. Like AC, SM causes the Predator to become nothing more than a dull blur. Unlike AC, SM lasts indefinitely. Like AC, SM deactivates if the Predator generates heat. Unlike AC, SM deactivates if the Predator takes damage. Unlike AC, SM deactivates if the Predator boosts, dodges, or flies. Like AC, SM increases the Predator's walk speed. Unlike AC, SM allows a Predator to see mechs, both friendly and hostile, through grayscale terrain. This is what makes Stalker Mode viable, this is what makes the Predator an amazing, versatile mech suitable to any role-- so long as its pilot is skilled enough.
The Predator is notoriously difficult to play. This is for several reason. Most notably, the Predator is a slow mech, its weapons have a slow rate of fire (though they hit like a couple of piled up semi trucks), and the Predator relies on positioning more than most B and A class mechs.
The Predator can be a simple mine layer, but to stick to that role is to drastically underutilize your mech. To be effective, a Predator pilot must employ many different tactics during a match. What tactics that pilot uses depends on his skill at the controls and his ability to read his opponents.
Examples of these tactics include:
The boogyman. The boogyman's goal is not to destroy mechs. Rather, it's to psyche the enemy and let them know that there really aren't any safe places to hide.
The garbage man. The garbage man's goal is to find and dispose of mechs that have been damaged by teammates and are frantically searching for a place to repair. Stalker Mode makes the Predator terrifyingly effective at this role. One can argue that this is the Predator's natural role, and they'd be right.
The assault Predator. The assault Predator is a difficult tactic to employ, mainly because it goes against everything the Predator is designed to do well. However, an experienced Predator pilot can make this role work, though it usually requires the air compressor internal. The assault Predator's role is less of a role as it is a state used to gauge the battlefield. Stick near your team, attack the baddies, fly around, run and swap to a flanking role as soon as the situation presents itself.
The flanker. The flanker's role is to-- you guessed it! --flank. This is an extremely fun role to play, though it requires a pilot to be patient and to know how to read the battlefield. A good flank can destroy an enemy front line, a good flank can psyche out the enemy, a good flank can distract the enemy long enough for your allies to break in, a good flank can take out the enemy team's Technician, a good flank can cause absolute chaos behind enemy lines.
The miner. The miner's role-- if it can be called that --is to lay traps then lure enemies into them. This role by itself is pretty boring and often useless for your team. Play this role for seconds at a time, play this role in combination with others. If you're flanking and are afraid you might be chased back, lay a trap along your escape route. If you notice a chokepoint, spray some mines there and continue on.
The scout. The scout's role is to relay information back to his allies. This role is a bit difficult to play in pub matches, due to how the VOIP system is a bit buggy at times. Like the miner, this is more of a sub role. Don't dedicate yourself to spotting, but alert your team if you have critical information for them.
The denier. The denier's motto is this: The ground is lava! The denier devotes himself to being a long range area denial extraordinaire. The EOC Repeater is a required primary in order to fill this role to any extent. The Repeater makes the denier less effective at solo roles. For that reason, the denier should hide out with his buddies, blasting dual EOC fury across the map from the back of the pack anywhere one may suspect the enemy to run towards.
This is the Predator. It can fill so many, many roles, so long as you're willing to learn those roles. When piloting a Predator, you are an artist and the battlefield is your clay. You can take the time to learn and make something beautiful of it, or you can smear it everywhere and whine on the forums about how clay is underpowered and Assault fingerpaint is better in every conceivable way.
TL:DR The Predator is amazing and it can fill every role on the battlefield if you'll take the time to learn it.
Notes:
Questions, comments, or corrections_ Let me know if you have any!
Looking for a good Infiltrator pilot with a bit of time of his/her hands to help me rewrite the Infiltrator section. PM if interested.
Please note that my section on the Infiltrator is smaller than my section of the Predator by virtue of the fact that I have less experience with the Infiltrator and am therefore not qualified to offer tips and tricks on its usage. I just know the basic facts gained by examining the mech and seeing it in action.
My wording may be a bit odd in places. For example, my introductory paragraph is a bit blunt. This is because I originally wrote this guide as a reply to a dude on /r/Hawken. Decided to post it here after I realized that I had actually written something half decent. I may later pretty up my formatting.
I'm thinking about writing individual guides based off of each tactic I mentioned, complete with gameplay videos. Are we interested in that_ Also, anyone know of any good, free screen recorders_
Edited by TwentyFirstPilot, June 29 2014 - 04:07 PM.
