Brickfighting: A guide to using Boas in Last Stand/HS
Jan 8, 2017 21:24:17 GMT -5
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Post by Muhlakai on Jan 8, 2017 21:24:17 GMT -5
Clan mates have been asking me lately how much I love Boas. The answer is ALL THE LOVE. While I'd been answering questions it didn't really occur to me until today that perhaps I had the credibility to write a short guide. So, here's my credibility:
For the curious, those are lv 4 bots and lv 7-8 weapons.
*** So.... Tarans or Orkans? ***
Orkans rule, tarans drool. I probably wouldn't run more than three Boas without including a Taran, but Orkans will rock your world and rock the Reds even harder. Tarans are only preferable when there are shields out or (occasionally) when the field is really, really heavy with other plasma. Orkans, however, are just about always preferable. I drop one first in every single match. You will NEVER be sorry you spawned in an Orkan. In fact, my hangar would have three Orkans and one Taran if it weren't for the fact that my Gold hangar doesn't use three Orkans and I'm just leveling the weapons for my Gold hangar. I would probably be content to run five Boas (1-2 Tarans) but I'm already not leveling one of the Thinders on a Taran because only the Gold hangar weapons are getting the love.
...but here's the catch: Orkans are harder to use! Most people like Tarans because they're easier to do more damage more consistently. ...and they're right! Tarans reload to capacity faster, they are easier to adjust fire on the target if you initially miss, and they don't penalize you as badly on a total miss. They also just don't give you the survivability that Orkans do. See, Orkans are great because what you're going to spend your matches doing in a Boa is smashing Red faces with a brick (analagously speaking, obviously. We'll get to that in a minute). Smashing someone in the face with a brick is more effective if we do it quickly rather than slowly, and Orkans are just faster for smashing, crippling, and eliminating Reds. Playing with Orkans is going to take time and you'll take a lot of lumps along the way. You'll definitely benefit in the long run, though.
*** So, what's this brick fighting thing? ***
Forgive me, because this is going to sound a little graphic. When you're driving a Boa, my recommendation is that you drive it at the Reds like you're shoving a brick right into their teeth. And when you're close enough to do it, you want to smash them in the face with that brick over and over again and shove the brick between their teeth so far that they can't move their jaws. You want to be mean, fast, and brutal.
*** So what does that look like on the battlefield? ***
To start with, you need to make a beeline for the deepest spot on the battlefield that you can. That doesn't mean that you walk through the open or even in a straight line, (no reason to be suicidal!) but you don't want to waste a single second. Boas are a little quicker than plenty of bots, but by no means fast when it domes to Silver tier. It's going to take you 30-40 seconds to get into battle, minimum, so don't waste time. Be ready to move the very moment the game starts and take every corner as tight as possible. Any inches you can shave off the path will get you to the front as soon as possible.
And where are you going? You're going to the point that is going to attract the utmost attention while still giving you the ability to stay under cover until Reds approach and you can pop out to hit them with a brick to the mouth. So for instance on Yama you're going to walk right into that center beacon and hide behind the shields, mauling anyone who comes as far as the start of any of the ramps. On Shenzhen you'll walk to the left around the giant courtyard and not stop until you get to their home beacon, weaving through the buildings on their side to avoid fire until you can be right on top of the target. As Reds spawn you want them to decide to fight you because you're close ...but deadlier than they think.
Speaking of which, it's worth a few words on the right time to jump out. For fighting with bricks there's nothing like a Thunder. Period. Full stop. Whenever possible, don't expose yourself at more than 150m and definitely not at more than 200m. You can corner shoot with the Orkans at 300m, but the Thunder will be useless that far out. You want to hold the brick in your hand, not throw it at them.
See, Boas are fairly durable as Silver bots go, and a mated Thunder and Orkan deal significant damage. So you're going to try to attract as much damage as possible wherever they can't ignore it. Your goal isn't to even survive forever, but to make the Reds pay dearly for sniffing around in the corner you've claimed. I generally take out at least two or three bots for every Boa I throw on the field, hiding behind cover until I can pop out and maul them.
...which brings us back to the Orkans. Orkans are great for ripping someone's face right off in the fastest manner possible. They're massive damage, they fill the target's screen with explosions that make it harder to track you, and they suck down a Red's life bar like a kid drinking a juice box. Tarans are great for sparring, but you aren't sparring with a Boa in this situation, you're smashing them with a brick as fast and as furiously as possible. The faster you topple that Red the more life you'll keep, and the more life you keep the more times you can smash Reds with that brick.
*** Multiple Reds and pole dancing *** (No, not THAT kind!)
The toughest moments come when multiple Reds approach your spot at the same time. Now, to be fair, this is actually how you know you're doing the brickfighting PROPERLY, but that doesn't make it less challenging. You need to quickly evaluate your choices and move. You have less time than normal when two or more Reds approach together.
If the Reds approach on the same side then identify the softer target. The faster a Red is eliminated the fewer the guns are pointed in your direction. You don't care about maximal damage, just the number of guns pointing at you. So take Cossacks, Destriers, Golems, Vits and Pattons first, then Griffons, Leos, and shieldbots, etc. You might prioritize a target a bit higher if they only have long-range weapons, too. Those long reaches can damage teammates, but you're hoping to come back before shorter weapons can move away.
Whenever possible, hide behind enough cover to have an angle on the target that you want to hit first without giving the other Reds an angle on you. This is usually easier if you aren't scraping your hull against the wall. Give it room to breathe so you can wiggle around and adjust your position easier. You are essentially dancing around the cover with the bot(s) that you aren't shooting at while you keep your guns pointed at the bot you're smashing with a brick. If they get close enough that both can hit you, then I suggest a slightly modified strategy: start shooting at (and dancing around) the largest of the bots. Keep the other bot on the opposite side of the target you're smashing. Most of the heavies are perfect for this. They're more than big enough to block friendly shots while you beat them up. Again, while you dance around this living pole do NOT shove your face into them! You can manage the other bot's angles much better if you give your target personal space while, you know, you smash them with a brick.
If the Reds approach from two different directions then you need to pick one to assault first and then wheel around on the second. You'll still pick your primary target the same way, but you may also decide based on whether one side or the other is a) easier for you to attack while keeping more cover and losing less life (that's usually the Left if you're cornershooting in a Boa) or b) easier for you to keep the beacon or wherever you're holding so you can either keep or recover it after the second Red comes around the corner.
*** Pros and cons of brickfighting ***
-> To start with, my win rate shows that brick fighting can be spectacular for carrying games, but only if you do it the right way and with skill. You need to pick an aggressive position and play it properly. If you don't gather enough attention you won't be changing the dynamic on the field enough.
-> Brickfighting isn't easy! You're basically asking the Reds to give you the most challenging match possible. You're doing it right when the most incompetent member of your team has the chance to cap a beacon. That means that you have to play your best game the entire time. You also know you're doing it right when 4/12 maggeps decide that you're the guy they really want to make sure dies over and over. Do it right and they'll be trading their bots for yours at a loss.
-> Your damage will swing HEAVILY. There are rounds where I've dealt 40k damage but the Reds have retreated to their corner until my team caught up and crushed them. There are lots of other times when I deal well over 600k for round after round. (Sometimes those Reds hang nearby but aren't as aggressive as they need to be to win!) As I've gotten better at this my damage has dropped almost 100k.
-> Brickfighting is great for the gold grind! It's rare that you won't make 5Au every match for top damage. Also, you're often taking and retaking a far beacon, so it's pretty common to get most beacons, as well.
*** That's it! ***
If you really want to master brickfighting then you're going to need time and practice. You are NOT going to do it well at first, but anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly at first. The results, however, are clearly effective. In any case, maybe this just gave you an excuse to consider putting a mothballed Boa back in your lineup and even giving it a try with an Orkan.
For the curious, those are lv 4 bots and lv 7-8 weapons.
*** So.... Tarans or Orkans? ***
Orkans rule, tarans drool. I probably wouldn't run more than three Boas without including a Taran, but Orkans will rock your world and rock the Reds even harder. Tarans are only preferable when there are shields out or (occasionally) when the field is really, really heavy with other plasma. Orkans, however, are just about always preferable. I drop one first in every single match. You will NEVER be sorry you spawned in an Orkan. In fact, my hangar would have three Orkans and one Taran if it weren't for the fact that my Gold hangar doesn't use three Orkans and I'm just leveling the weapons for my Gold hangar. I would probably be content to run five Boas (1-2 Tarans) but I'm already not leveling one of the Thinders on a Taran because only the Gold hangar weapons are getting the love.
...but here's the catch: Orkans are harder to use! Most people like Tarans because they're easier to do more damage more consistently. ...and they're right! Tarans reload to capacity faster, they are easier to adjust fire on the target if you initially miss, and they don't penalize you as badly on a total miss. They also just don't give you the survivability that Orkans do. See, Orkans are great because what you're going to spend your matches doing in a Boa is smashing Red faces with a brick (analagously speaking, obviously. We'll get to that in a minute). Smashing someone in the face with a brick is more effective if we do it quickly rather than slowly, and Orkans are just faster for smashing, crippling, and eliminating Reds. Playing with Orkans is going to take time and you'll take a lot of lumps along the way. You'll definitely benefit in the long run, though.
*** So, what's this brick fighting thing? ***
Forgive me, because this is going to sound a little graphic. When you're driving a Boa, my recommendation is that you drive it at the Reds like you're shoving a brick right into their teeth. And when you're close enough to do it, you want to smash them in the face with that brick over and over again and shove the brick between their teeth so far that they can't move their jaws. You want to be mean, fast, and brutal.
*** So what does that look like on the battlefield? ***
To start with, you need to make a beeline for the deepest spot on the battlefield that you can. That doesn't mean that you walk through the open or even in a straight line, (no reason to be suicidal!) but you don't want to waste a single second. Boas are a little quicker than plenty of bots, but by no means fast when it domes to Silver tier. It's going to take you 30-40 seconds to get into battle, minimum, so don't waste time. Be ready to move the very moment the game starts and take every corner as tight as possible. Any inches you can shave off the path will get you to the front as soon as possible.
And where are you going? You're going to the point that is going to attract the utmost attention while still giving you the ability to stay under cover until Reds approach and you can pop out to hit them with a brick to the mouth. So for instance on Yama you're going to walk right into that center beacon and hide behind the shields, mauling anyone who comes as far as the start of any of the ramps. On Shenzhen you'll walk to the left around the giant courtyard and not stop until you get to their home beacon, weaving through the buildings on their side to avoid fire until you can be right on top of the target. As Reds spawn you want them to decide to fight you because you're close ...but deadlier than they think.
Speaking of which, it's worth a few words on the right time to jump out. For fighting with bricks there's nothing like a Thunder. Period. Full stop. Whenever possible, don't expose yourself at more than 150m and definitely not at more than 200m. You can corner shoot with the Orkans at 300m, but the Thunder will be useless that far out. You want to hold the brick in your hand, not throw it at them.
See, Boas are fairly durable as Silver bots go, and a mated Thunder and Orkan deal significant damage. So you're going to try to attract as much damage as possible wherever they can't ignore it. Your goal isn't to even survive forever, but to make the Reds pay dearly for sniffing around in the corner you've claimed. I generally take out at least two or three bots for every Boa I throw on the field, hiding behind cover until I can pop out and maul them.
...which brings us back to the Orkans. Orkans are great for ripping someone's face right off in the fastest manner possible. They're massive damage, they fill the target's screen with explosions that make it harder to track you, and they suck down a Red's life bar like a kid drinking a juice box. Tarans are great for sparring, but you aren't sparring with a Boa in this situation, you're smashing them with a brick as fast and as furiously as possible. The faster you topple that Red the more life you'll keep, and the more life you keep the more times you can smash Reds with that brick.
*** Multiple Reds and pole dancing *** (No, not THAT kind!)
The toughest moments come when multiple Reds approach your spot at the same time. Now, to be fair, this is actually how you know you're doing the brickfighting PROPERLY, but that doesn't make it less challenging. You need to quickly evaluate your choices and move. You have less time than normal when two or more Reds approach together.
If the Reds approach on the same side then identify the softer target. The faster a Red is eliminated the fewer the guns are pointed in your direction. You don't care about maximal damage, just the number of guns pointing at you. So take Cossacks, Destriers, Golems, Vits and Pattons first, then Griffons, Leos, and shieldbots, etc. You might prioritize a target a bit higher if they only have long-range weapons, too. Those long reaches can damage teammates, but you're hoping to come back before shorter weapons can move away.
Whenever possible, hide behind enough cover to have an angle on the target that you want to hit first without giving the other Reds an angle on you. This is usually easier if you aren't scraping your hull against the wall. Give it room to breathe so you can wiggle around and adjust your position easier. You are essentially dancing around the cover with the bot(s) that you aren't shooting at while you keep your guns pointed at the bot you're smashing with a brick. If they get close enough that both can hit you, then I suggest a slightly modified strategy: start shooting at (and dancing around) the largest of the bots. Keep the other bot on the opposite side of the target you're smashing. Most of the heavies are perfect for this. They're more than big enough to block friendly shots while you beat them up. Again, while you dance around this living pole do NOT shove your face into them! You can manage the other bot's angles much better if you give your target personal space while, you know, you smash them with a brick.
If the Reds approach from two different directions then you need to pick one to assault first and then wheel around on the second. You'll still pick your primary target the same way, but you may also decide based on whether one side or the other is a) easier for you to attack while keeping more cover and losing less life (that's usually the Left if you're cornershooting in a Boa) or b) easier for you to keep the beacon or wherever you're holding so you can either keep or recover it after the second Red comes around the corner.
*** Pros and cons of brickfighting ***
-> To start with, my win rate shows that brick fighting can be spectacular for carrying games, but only if you do it the right way and with skill. You need to pick an aggressive position and play it properly. If you don't gather enough attention you won't be changing the dynamic on the field enough.
-> Brickfighting isn't easy! You're basically asking the Reds to give you the most challenging match possible. You're doing it right when the most incompetent member of your team has the chance to cap a beacon. That means that you have to play your best game the entire time. You also know you're doing it right when 4/12 maggeps decide that you're the guy they really want to make sure dies over and over. Do it right and they'll be trading their bots for yours at a loss.
-> Your damage will swing HEAVILY. There are rounds where I've dealt 40k damage but the Reds have retreated to their corner until my team caught up and crushed them. There are lots of other times when I deal well over 600k for round after round. (Sometimes those Reds hang nearby but aren't as aggressive as they need to be to win!) As I've gotten better at this my damage has dropped almost 100k.
-> Brickfighting is great for the gold grind! It's rare that you won't make 5Au every match for top damage. Also, you're often taking and retaking a far beacon, so it's pretty common to get most beacons, as well.
*** That's it! ***
If you really want to master brickfighting then you're going to need time and practice. You are NOT going to do it well at first, but anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly at first. The results, however, are clearly effective. In any case, maybe this just gave you an excuse to consider putting a mothballed Boa back in your lineup and even giving it a try with an Orkan.