For the past few months in playing with some friends who use rolling trial accounts (I miss reserves ) and are fairly new to the game, I've endevored to come up with some easy to follow group strategies that don't require a lot of certs to pull off and can be used in almost any pop situation.
Here are two of the results....
Picnicing
- So named for what you do, finding a hillside near a vehicle battle and setting up a campsite
What you Need:
- 8 to 12 people
- Certs (All): Rexo, Medium Assault, Anti Vehicle
- Both advanced Engineering Certs (1 Person)
- Phantasm (1 - 2 Pilots)
- AA Max (1, Optional)
- Adv Medics (As Many As Possible)
- AMS Driver (1, Optional)
What to Do:
Find a battle raging between two bases with a lot of open field and vehicle action, this would preferrably be between the other two empires (so you get the most number of targets). Set up parallel to the battle, preferrably below a ridge line overlooking the battle.
Have an AMS driver park far away from the battle and have everyone bind to it. Then have the adv engineer and 3 other infantry take a phantasm to the chosen location. The advanced engineer should immediatly deploy an Aegis bubble and begin charging a shield and ammo dispenser.
The phantasm pilot should return to the AMS to pick up the rest of the group. After both the ammo and shield parts are charged you're ready to start the picnic (If someone can deploy Cerebrus turrets or a sensor disruptor do so now).
One person needs to move up to the top of the ridge and 3rd person spec to find a target, after choosing something all persons with AV should concentrate on it until it dies or is out of range. Continue killing things until the battle dissipates or you get wiped.
Works Best With - Lancers - Highest DOT, 8 Lancer users targeting the same vehicle can melt it nearly instantly
Works Worst With - Phoenix - Time wasted guiding the missle hurts the speed at which you can put out damage at range, firing leaves all users vulnerable to being picked off by aircraft or cloakers
What to Watch For:
Aircraft are the bane of this tactic, strikers are a good middle ground for making aircraft run, but nothing beats having an AA max run from a nearby tower.
Mother Duck & Ducklings
- So Named because all the MAXes following around a BFR look like a gaggle of ducklings following Mom
What You Need:
- 3 - 10 People
- BFR Pilot w/Gunner Variant (1 - 2 Pilots)
- BFR Gunner (1 - 2)
- AA Max (1 - 4)
- AV Max (1 - 2)
- AI Max (1)
What to Do:
To simplify Ill assume a smaller group size with one BFR, if you get upwards of 10 - 12 people, use two. This is the only thing useful I've ever seen BFRs do
Make sure both the pilot and gunner are using AV weapons for their respective slots, if possible, both the pilot and gunner should have adv medic and the upper tier engineering certs. Like the picnic strategy this works best in an open field battle, involving the other two empires or your own.
The MAX suits should stay between the legs of the BFR or behind it at ALL TIMES. This prevents reaver spam from hurting them at all, while they can fire AA weapons back with impunity. Having an AV Max along ensures that any enemy BFR is going to end up dead or running away, and the extra DPS it puts out helps kill enemy vehicles.
The key to this strategy is knowing when to run and when to stop and fight, Aircraft are the #1 threat to a BFR in the field and having an AA max thats invulnerable to their fire makes this combo a very tough nut to crack if you stay coordinated. In the past weeks we've been doing this most of the times we've died it comes down to a CR5 OS.
Just make sure to keep back from any infantry prone areas and you should be good, any droppers can be taken care of easily by the MAX units or the gunner bailing.
Works Best with - NC - The particle cannon on the BFR can get a shot in on aircraft fairly easily, ensuring that even if they afterburn away the 3 - 4 sparrow missiles that hit it will finish it off
Works Worst With - VS - While the starfire is nice, its easier to afterburn away from than the sparrow, in addition the BFR is no where near as good air aircraft deturance than the particle cannon.
What to Watch For - Angry CR5s that can't kill you with anythng but a low-orbit ion cannon, oh and letting infantry get too close, I don't know what it is, but people tend to get a bit angry when you've shot down their reaver for the 4th or 5th time...