Omega Dreadnought
Sinq Laison Gendarmes
Gallente Federation
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Posted - 2013.07.12 14:30:00 -
[1] - Quote
Coming from well over a year of experience with World of Tanks, I was quite interested in getting into tanking on Dust 514. Now, before I get into the nitty-gritty of some basic tank warfare stratagems, I would like to be frank and state that this is quite a different beast than the aforementioned game WoT. The physics of round reflection does not exist, you have infantry with AV weapons that will annihilate you if you are not careful, but I have come to terms that there are some universal strategies that can be utilized in Dust.
Positioning First and foremost, positioning can determine a battle between metallic monsters before it has even began. This concept can be used in a myriad of ways on Dust, from dropping your tank on top of a building to hiding behind a ridge to decrease your profile so that only your turret can be viewed adequately. The concept revolves around giving you the most profitable firing lane while making your opponent's as negligible as possible. When setting yourself up for a tankVtank battle always keep in mind your opponents side of the field, your own, and the possibilities of each. This is the core tanker's skill, all other aspects being equal (skill points, modules, and turrets) the tank with the best position will always win an encounter versus a tank with a weaker position.
Speed I am not saying that every tank build should include a jovian fusion powerplant, though I would advise it, but speed is critical in various circumstances. Total chassis speed and acceleration can be a determining factor in if you can get away from that Wyirkomi swarm launcher, 80GJ Partical Cannon, an Orbital Bombardment, or those damn La Dai AV grenades. Chassis speed is not the only place where speed is a determining factor in engagement potential, however. One must also keep in mind turret rotational speeds, especially when getting involved in close range engagements with other tankers. Firing rate is another aspect of the speed portion of the successful tanker equation that is critical to success. Rounds per cycle and volley cycle time are critical components of a tankVtank engagement and should be brought into account before determining your engagement position. Which brings us to another strategic influence for using tanks on the battlefield, firepower.
Firepower The main reason many of us like to play tanks in the first place. It is best to think of a tank as a mobile turret platform, because that is exactly what it is. The style of the turret is the most important trait in determining target acquisition (what you want to target first and what you want to focus your fire on throughout the battle), engagement position/range, and if you will even be able to overcome your opponent in the first place. Various traits are associated with turrets, everything from firing range, firing cycle duration and rounds/cycle, round strength, and rotational speeds have a determining factor in engagement potential.
Armor This is the final tank trait in determining engagement strategies. Basically this translates to how well you can take a hit and is not based entirely on your fit. What I mean by this is your opponent's firepower directly influences this trait. If you are in a Maddy and your opponent is using a missile turret, it may be time to fall back and allow your infantry to take the lead against this potentially fatal opponent. If you are utilizing a rail turret you may just need to find a better position to begin this engagement. If you are also using missiles, then what armor type are they using? Are they in a shield tank or an armor tank, if they are running a Gunny then you are at the weaker end of the engagement profile and a calculated retreat may be in order, if they too are Maddy drivers then the playing field is a bit more even. At this point it may be wise to look at the combat feed and see how their turret stacks up against yours in order to have an idea of whose armor will fail first. At this point, if all things are equal, it may be worth finding a position to try and get that first hit before he can react, maybe a second follow shot before they may be able to react which should allow you to take a bite out of their armor.
In summation Everything eventually comes back to the tanker's first and most important trait to have in mind at all times, positioning. There are many other factors which revolve around this key fundamental, but to a tanker position is key. I may not be a Dust tank authority, like Gorilla Grodd or Void Echo, but I believe that both of them would agree completely with this short list of the most critical aspects to tank driving. Many people have gotten the upper hand on me, and I have gotten the upper hand on many a tank driver myself, regardless I hope you have fun pursuing your tanking career in Dust and hope to see you on the field. |