|
| Chicken Mechs | Snipers Guide | Defensive Guide |
This strategy guide is designed to help the player become familiar with the various Mech defenses that are available in MA and gives tips to assist with each defense as well. In addition to this, jump jets are covered, as well as other defensive strategies.
There are four basic Mech defenses. These are chaff, null sig, shield, and target jamming. Knowing how to use all four of these defenses can mean the difference you making a kill or becoming a kill yourself. All of the defenses are more beneficial when you have gotten used to them in the game and know when to activate them or to hold them when you will need to use them later.
Chaff is a defense that is useful against the Javelin and Crossbow type missiles. It is a flare that is dropped by the Mech and it draws the missiles to it. This defense can save you when you have an opponent that has reached level 3 with missiles. It is especially useful against Mechs such as the Catapult, which can fire their missiles from a distance and never have to close with you to make a kill. It will give you some breathing room to either move closer to the enemy, or if needed to seek shelter. Once the chaff has been dropped, if you are near your opponent, and you are still high on your armor or you can finish your opponent off quickly, stay near the chaff to draw the enemy's missiles to it instead of you. If you are near death, move backwards if possible and try to find cover by moving straight back and to one of the sides. This way the chaff will still protect you while you are moving. Chaff is NOT effective against Hammer missiles.
Null sig is a defense that allows your Mech to become invisible to both radar and the naked eye. It is found mostly on the light Mechs, but one heavy Mech, the Loki, does have it. The best way to activate and use this defense is to move from your enemy's sight then activate the defense and move slowly to where you can have an advantage on your opponent. This defense can be detected by several means though. Your Mech will leave footprints behind, and on some maps, you can be tracked this way. If you have a high heat, you will also be visible as a blur, so try to keep your heat level low when you are using this defense. If you are damaged enough that you are smoking, then you can be tracked by this as well. The last way to track someone when they have activated null sig is when they have fired their weapons, you will appear as a blur and if your opponent can lock onto you, they can track you this way. Keeping these things in mind, always try to use this defense in a place where you can readily disappear again behind cover quickly, and always try to keep your heat level low and your armor high so that you do not leave a smoke trail.
The shield is available only on the two unlockable Mechs in the Campaign mode of MA. These are the Ragnarok and Ymir. When activated, the shield will surround your Mech so that no damage is done to it. This protection does not last very long, so use it only when you need it. You will want to use this defense especially when you are either attacked by multiple opponents. Timing is very critical with this defense, you are only protected for a few seconds, so be sure to time use it especially when there are very damaging attacks coming at you. When you are facing off against multiple opponents, which will frequently happen, be sure to keep the enemies in front of you if possible, and pay attention to the weapons that they are using, and use your shield only when you know the most damaging attacks are coming at you. It is better to take damage from a level 1 weapon than from a level 3 weapon. If possible, use this defense in combination with terrain. If you can time it right so that the only time that you are visible as when you are protected by your shield, you will be very difficult to destroy.
Target jamming is a defense that makes it impossible for you to be targeted by your opponent's weapons. Normally when your opponent moves his crosshairs over you, he will get a lock on you with his weapons, target jamming takes this away from him. This defense is best used by sniping Mechs, as it makes it impossible for your enemy to lock onto you and return fire in a consistent manner. The jamming only lasts for a few seconds, so be sure to use your most powerful weapons to get your shot off, duck behind cover to let your jamming system recharge, then go back out and take another shot at your opponent. The Mad Cat is both hated and loved at the same time for its powerful weapons and its target jamming capabilities. This is probably the best defense to have unless you are facing someone that is a talented player. If used properly, you will be able to activate it, shoot your opponent and then get behind cover.
Jump jets are one of the best defensive tools that you can have. Jump jets will allow you to move quickly behind cover if needed, and also will make it harder for you to be hit when they are activated. Jump jets offer one of the best ways to avoid PPC's which are often unavoidable. To do this, you will need to activate the jump jets and when your opponent fires his PPC's drop from the sky, the PPC's will fly over your head and when they curve to hit you, they will hit the ground behind you. This tactic does not work all of the time, but it does work, but the timing for it is critical for it to succeed. Another tactic with jump jets is to move behind some terrain so that you are not visible then use your jump jets to get above the terrain, fire your weapons and then drop back down before your enemy can get a lock on you. To optimize this, it is best if you move around somewhat behind the terrain that you are taking cover behind so that you can appear at different spots. This will prevent your opponent from waiting for you to reappear and then fire on you.
Besides the ones that were designed for defense, there are several other defense strategies available. These range from using terrain to the movement capabilities of your Mech. There are also many that you will develop on your own, that will uniquely be yours. Below are discussed using terrain and your movement for defenses.
Terrain comes in many shapes and sizes on the different maps available for use in MA. There are buildings, hills, ice formations, bridges, and even more within the games. Two of the best maps available for this are the Coliseum and Hell's Kitchen. There are plenty of natural formations that you can use to your advantage on these maps. Most terrain is destructible, but you will find that the majority of hills and lava vents available cannot be destroyed when they are used for cover. Buildings and other terrain can be destroyed though, so be sure to only temporarily use it for cover, just long enough to lose your opponent and find something better for cover. Another thing to avoid when using buildings for cover is to try to stay out of them and off of them, because if they are destroyed, you will be destroyed along with the building. You will also take damage if you are near a building when it is destroyed. Some terrain will damage you more when it is destroyed if you are near it, so be careful to choose your terrain carefully. Please do note that some players do not like others that use terrain to their advantage and will often call them "terrain cheaters." These players will usually end up spamming your ears with profanity and insults, so be ready for that if it comes.
Using the movement of your Mech is often the best defense that you can use. A moving target is harder to hit, and even if your opponent has made a lock on you, the attacks will sometimes miss if you are weaving with your Mech. There are two basic things to remember for movement with your Mech. The first is to always move in the same direction if possible and never come to a complete stop, as you will lose all momentum and have to build up speed again. If you need to change direction, do so without stopping, it will make you more difficult to hit, especially at long distances. The second is to try to keep your Mech moving in a weaving pattern. This will keep your opponent from leading you and may keep attacks from damaging you. Movement is especially important if you are using a light Mech. Light Mechs have little armor, but if used properly, a light Mech can be the most dangerous ones on the map.
