Django Quik
R.I.f.t
Orion Empire
394
   |
Posted - 2013.05.03 11:47:00 -
[1] - Quote
I too am dedicated AV but I run swarms rather than the hulking mass that is a Forge Gunner. I have two methods depending on the tactics that the tanks present are using:
1) strap on my skinweave scout suit with an enhanced stamina mod (vigor and endurance skills to level 3), lvl 3 swarm launcher (no damage mods at all) and lvl 3 Exo AV nades (maybe lvl 3 fluxes but not often) and a standard nanohive. Run as fast and stealthily as I can to get either behind or above the tank, drop the nanohive and start spamming nades away. MLT tanks will usually die by the 3rd or 4th nade but almost all standard tanks (if driven by anyone with a brain) will manage to roll off well before their in danger. If the tank manages to get out of my throwing range, I get my swarms out and try to get a hit or two off before it disappears into the safety of cover.
The only time I can use this tactic to realistically solo a good standard tank (shield or armor - though armor is more susceptible) is if the driver has gotten into a silly position with very little cover or very difficult to escape from easily/quickly. I can't kill a really good tank like this solo, or even get remotely close.
2) B type assault with lvl 3 swarms and 3 damage mods, lvl 3 AV nades/fluxes. This I save only for really tough standard tanks or protos because it's about 80k isk and losing 3 means I make a guaranteed loss for the match. Usually I will still struggle to solo a decent tank in this fitting because they keep distance and tend to have good shield/armor reppers. A decent shield tank will be pretty much impossible for me to solo because swarms do barely anything to shields, especially with hardeners. My best chance is to get high into a position where I can pretty much see anywhere the tank is - this is only possible on one or two maps and only if the tank has been silly enough to get right out in the open. The grenades are just for if I somehow end up that close but the main tactic is just to spam my swarms as much as possible.
It's only the last couple of weeks or so that I've been thinking I really need to get proto swarms and even when I do, they will be reserved for only the special really tough tanks I can't take down using method 2.
Sometimes I wish I'd gone sentinel class, so I could get the free forge gun fit for those pesky shield tanks but I enjoy my mobility too much to spec into anything heavy.
From my perspective, I think AV and tanks are pretty balanced:
Anyone should be able to solo a foolish solo tanker in a bad tank with very little tanking SP investment.
Any average standard tank should survive one person AV nading it and be able to get away without dying but anything more (i.e. multiple people AV nading, or AV nades and swarms) and it should expect to die.
Any good tank should always survive a single person with no/few AV skills, no matter what the AVer does. If the good tank dies, it's likely because the driver did something stupid.
A good tank should be able to just about survive a single decent dedicated AVer if they are careful and sensible but said AVer should be able to at least scare the tanker enough to keep them hiding.
A really good tank should never fear a single AVer but obviously can never be too careful when anyone else could just bring out some extra basic (or even militia) AV to boost the attack.
This is probably the thing that I think needs to be toned down at least a little. I really don't think everyone should have access to AV for free from the very start. AV is a specialisation and should always be a conscious decision. If someone has a decent tank out that can't be killed by a decent AVer, a random blue-dot shouldn't just be able to bring out a free swarm launcher and tip the balance.
So yeah, there's my opinion - get rid of the swarm starter fit. I don't mind there being militia AV but not for free and not for everyone. That will make AV vs Tank more balanced
|
Django Quik
R.I.f.t
Orion Empire
394
|
Posted - 2013.05.03 11:59:00 -
[2] - Quote
Ah yes, AV nades, this is another thing to address - the seek range is ridiculous, even on the ones that are supposed to have less seek range (is that the packed ones?). Drastically reduce the seek range, so you can't just lob an AV nade in the general direction and watch as it flies 90 degrees round to pull into the vehicle. Tone it down so that the AV nade has to pretty much exactly hit the vehicle and then it sticks. Hell, make them sticky grenades even!
However they do need to actually stick. Otherwise they'd bounce off and do no damage whatsoever and become completely pointless. |