ImpWolf
KnightLords
7
   |
Posted - 2013.12.21 04:29:00 -
[1] - Quote
With 1.7, vehicles, tanks in specific, came to dominate the battlefield. I have no doubt that some of the weapons will be getting a buff (a militia swarm should be able to handle a militia LAV, and at least bring pause to a militia tank). However, I do not see this situation changing, and I actually found it to be something of a challenge. How can Infantry adapt to the new situation...and how can you as an infantryman or commander adapt?
The First Rule: Barricade
As infantry goes, when a tank enters your Area of Operations, your focus isn't to destroy the tank, but to survive(at least at first). This creates a unique paradigm among light infantry, heavy infantry, and tanks. I know it sounds bizarre, but it would seem that Tanks eat heavy infantry, which in turn, eat light infantry. As crazy as it is, light infantry, if experienced have a chance to turn the tide back on the tank.
Generally speaking, heavy infantry will be the first to die if they are not behind cover already. They make for a pretty large target, and move very slow. If your a heavy, your experienced enough to know this, so I assume you will be behind cover, and staying put. However, for you light infantry (which includes the militia fits), as soon as the tank enters into the area, you can no longer count on your heavy buddy to handle the enemy.
Light infantry will have a much easier time reacting to tanks. This is especially true for experienced light infantry who have skills in electronic warfare (scanning and such). You can maneuver into a position of cover, and adjust as you need, so that the tank cannot get you. Just be prepared, if the opposing force is organized, they will have an infantry screen to help clear out these areas of cover. Between the advancing infantry, and the hardened tank, your chances will be slim. Just hope that you can kill more of them in those conditions than they can of you.
This brings me to my last point. Buildings/bunkers are your friend. This much you already know. Infantry now huddle inside of the bunkers, waiting for a tank to pass by. But I would even go so as far as to say that profile dampening at least to the first level, is a necessary skill for all infantry. If the tank passes the building by without seeing you, that's great for you, great for your team, and bad for whatever infantry he is escorting.
The Second Rule: Communitcate
Now, as infantry, you are safe in your bunker. You have to figure out how to disable this monstrosity that is camping your whole squad. I would say it is time to think outside of the box.
Hopefully, you or your squad leader has comms. Tell the rest of the team what your up against, if you can try to give important details, as quickly as you can, without exposing your position. After all, if this is the only tank the opposing team has left, and your two tankers have been playing cat -n- mouse with this enemy tank for a few minutes, this could be just what they need to finish him off.
Just prepare yourself and try to coordinate with the response. If you have a militia swarm, and that is all you have available to you, don't fire it on the get-go. Wait for your tanker or other response to get in close. Then combine efforts and try to go for the kill, instead of just trying to push the tank away. If there is no help coming, and you just need to move, then so be it.
The Third Rule: Retaliate
Okay, so now what can you as the stranded squad, or you as the team do? Most of you know some of these. I am hoping at least one of the stories though is new to you.
Swarms & AV
If you are fitting low-powered launchers with less than 5 missiles on militia suits...save your rockets. Wait for something else to happen, and combine the effort. If your proto, or if there are more than one of you, do what has to be done. Again, I think swarms are largely ineffective when any given squad has to have two of them to make a tank retreat, but I have seem them get swarmed in a killbox (that consumed too much resources in my opinion).
I welcome comments by Swarm users. I'm skilling an alt in AV, so my experience is limited.
Direct Fire
Plasma guns, etc. I do not do direct fire, nor do I know enough about it at this time. My general understanding is that it is now much less effective of recent note, but still more effective than Swarms in general. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Think Outside the Box
Remote Explosives. I would say it might be a good skill investment, if you can. The skill requirements pretty much takes new players out of this option, but at least know about them. Be prepared to help your buddy get that remote explosive planted, or crash his truck (packed with ex) into the enemy tank. This is ingenuity at its best.
Other
If you have nothing, nothing that you can do, you still have a duty to survive. Get behind cover. Don't take potshots. Watch the enemy and report him to your team, be ready to act in coordination to achieve the kill. Otherwise, just keep your eyes open, and wait for a golden opportunity:
As an example (this story will delight): I was in a pub match. I play solo (I'm not Rambo or anything; I just dont have that big a corp yet, and I don't often team up randomly). So, the team had taken point bravo, which was in the middle of a city. There were plenty of barricades up, and places for me to hide behind.
Well, we took the point, and managed to keep the infantry back. We broke out and killed the enemy, then retreated behind the barricades before their tanks could get us. With speed and infantry maneuverability, the small alleyways were our playground.
(Continued) |
ImpWolf
KnightLords
7
|
Posted - 2013.12.21 04:42:00 -
[2] - Quote
They controlled the outer two points, we had the two in the cities. They slowly edged us on kills, but their raspberries kept attacking (without decent tank support) and we kept killing and hiding. I could tell the tankers were getting impatient by their actions.
At one point, the other team members left. You know how blueberries are "Nothing is going on here...lemme go find something to sho....ahhh!". Who am I kidding, I'm like that too. Its just dumb luck that I decided to stay. Part of me enjoyed dodging behind the walls, and playing cat and mouse with this tank.
So one tanker pulls up in a standard militia fit. But oh boy did she have a nice rack up top, and by rack I mean a rack that holds the magnetic aparatus that powers the railgun.  Still, buddy looks around, doesn't notice me. I just sit there quietly, watching him. He decides to test his luck, and hops out of the tank (its more akin to a tank destroyer or an anti-tank gun with the militia fit going on).
I see my opening. Two bursts of my combat rifle and his body is spasming on the ground. I know for a moment he was desperately hoping some medic was nearby to revive him. Seeing none, I let him slowly suffocate on his own blood instead of tapping on his forehead.
I fire once at the tank. No response. No movement. No other occupants. I rush in, and hack it. I then proceed to drive it up and out, and take out one of the two other tanks. Now at 1 v 1, the other tank played much more cautiously, and we were able to take the two outlier points.
So...there you have it. My anti-tank weapon? My mind and some random raspberry's impatience. And to that random raspberry....thanks. 200k well spent.  |