BR - at a complete loss

I feel your pain. BR can be absolute chaos especially if you're playing to win. My mantra: Beacons are killzones, stay away. My advice here would be to play medium setups like the RDB. Other than that, BR is BR. I've had more games ending where a team mechs out before the beacon bar than games ending because of the beacon bar.

Can you post your hangar?

Also, tell me what your strategy is before the match starts and what you do in the first 30 seconds - be map specific if you play different maps very differently or if you squad or not.

OK, I JUST grabbed this Rog from an offer in a moment of extreme weakness. It and a previous grab came with a bunch of Au which I used to pump the whole loadout up to 8's. The Rog replaced a 8/9 RDB Griff for now. I've played exactly one game with it (and already love it), so I'm not sure where it's going to fit -- if I'll keep it with the Gary for a fast hangar, or replace the Gary with more muscle. TBD.

Anyway.... 99% of the time I'll open with Gareth and go straight for the center beacon. Most times I can get there first; unfortunately if I don't, I'm usually already committed by the time I realize it, and hope I have backup. After he's gone, it was either the RDB Griffin for mid-range support, or the Rhino if I need to make a run for another beacon. It depends on whether we're up or down on beacons. After that, it's all situational depending on beacon count or reds approaching blue beacons. I'm either trying to cap or defend, while it seems like everybody else is going for high damage most of the time.... or camping.

The problem is that BR changes so fast, there's no time to strategize, only to react. I can't tell you how many times I've lost Rhino heading for an unguarded beacon only to have 2 or 3 reds spawn just as I get there. Most often I'm meching out trying to get or keep a beacon advantage. I played a few games ignoring beacons just to see what would happen, and lost both. One game the entire team had two beacons total. That's why I feel like I have to grab 'em.

This might be the best advice I've seen yet. I know that you do better in packs, but I get too preoccupied with the beacon count. I'll stick with my fast guy out of the gate for that initial grab, but for the rest I'll start looking for teammates and areas of strength to support rather than holes in the defense to fill. And we'll see how that works. 

In BR don't rush the red beacons. Learn where the drop areas are and expect a red to drop if you try for it. Hang back in firing range but close to cover. Eventually a red will drop there because they see you near their beacon but it'll take them a second or two to orient themselves whereupon you can unload and get cover.

I don't push for a red beacon until another blue is there to help and/or all 6 reds are on the field, especially if they're all healthy. Chances are less a red will drop a healthy bot to spawn at that beacon or notice it's contested if not looking at the map.

On a map with a beacon the reds are focused on defending treat it as a shooting gallery. Don't even try for it, just hang back and kill reds as they keep respawning at that beacon. I recently spawned late on Yama to see reds already had center. Me, and thankfully my teammates, knew to encircle center and just kept cutting them down instead of trying to capture center in those brief periods no reds were on the top platform. I made my way to the side, under the catwalk where I could hit them as soon as they spawned down-ramp. 6 or 7 minutes in it appeared there were only 3 reds left (all 6 blues still) and only then did my teammates move for center. After it was capped I respawned in a healthy bot and we bulldozed those last remaining players.

The other thing is, since you don't care about leagues, just give it some time and you should slide down to more competitive battles.

Hey, Danny, mech'ing out sooner in BR is common but under 5 minutes IS unusual. Fast, fragile bots aren't really good for BR IMO; not only do you need to take a beacon but also defend it--that's why I've stopped using bots like stalkers and gareths and opt for rhinos as openers instead. Usually I'll do one of 2 things: If I feel like running my fury (tridents or zeus) then I'll open with that and take out bots going for CB--usually fragile ones or rhinos. Then that gives the blues the opportunity to take CB when the coast is clear. If I don't run the fury, I'll open with a DB rhino, ignore side beacons (leave that to my teammates), immediately go for CB, take out 1-2 reds in the process and immediately follow it up with splash heavy. Then I'll work from the outside with a RDB, then finish off with plasma griffs and lancelots.
I usually try to get control of CB early so I can push through while teammates advance (hopefully); it's a strategy that's worked for me. After that I defend from the outside.
Maybe that's what you need: a mid-ranger. I always tell people if you're mech'ing out too fast then you better stay away from having too many KFs (unless your focus is damage) and run a couple of MRS. An RDB is still viable on tight maps; fury, not so much.
Then of course there's the possibility that maybe DM is more your thing than BR.

My current experience in Beacon Rush Android Gold right now is brutal, both for me but also for my opponents. Many games end up meching out in my side or the other. But there is still plenty of Beacon grabbing, but still, do remember, ironically Beacon Rush are getting to be often won by total team attrition --- in other words, its practically a TDM at first.

The flip side of it, win or lose, I am getting large boosts in kills and damage, so I am adding up to my coffers rather quickly.

My best hangar for getting the most beacons and hoping for top damage starts with an Orkan Rog (I need a jumping bot to start Springfied), followed by a maxed Thunder Carnage for fun. Then a Zeus Taran Lance and DB Griff for damage. In my fifth spot, I have a fast DB Gary (would love a Kumiho to replace him) that is used last to cap easy beacons or pulled into service sooner if I see an opportunity or feel that I am personally falling behind in beacons.

When I first started playing BR, I barely glanced at the map and immediately deployed my next bot to go for the nearest beacon or near a couple Reds to immediately start shooting and racking up damage. I usually ended up dying quickly because in my haste to spawn, unforeseen things would happen or they would team up on me. I now sometimes look at the map for a couple seconds and see how the battle is going, and most importantly, what strategy the Reds might be trying. If you're lucky, you can see what direction the Red might be moving and you can drop in to cap or kill, however you see fit. If you're meching out with 5 minutes to go, what is another 5 to 10 seconds staring at the map going to hurt.

Oh, and try to cap the beacons in groups. Altho you will share the cap with the whole group, try to be in as many different capping groups as possible, more than the next guy on your team. Watch for a group of your teammates flipping a beacon, and plan to be there in time for when it happens.

Capping solo, you have to be real lucky. So many times I have traveled the entire distance on Springfield or Yama only to have a DB Griff wait to spawn right as I get there. Its like they sit out for a minute or two waiting for some unsuspecting capper to come and get blown up. Its kind of effective if you ask me, but their team probably misses their presence on the battlefield.

Aww Danny... I feel you.

Maybe you should start trolling the reds. Switch out your hangar lineup to something more fun! Play hide and seek with them!

Beacons are death traps in BR mode. Be very careful when capping them, and look for reds that are dead and ready to drop into your beacon when you approach. If you see them in limbo, hang back and wait for them to drop first so you leave yourself an exit strategy.

Try to only recap beacons that are your home beacons. And do so with the support of your teammates. Wait for them by the beacon, and turn around to make sure someone is coming to help you.

Some home beacons you might have to ignore if they get captured by red. Example is the home beacon in Dead City. Once that gets captured, too many reds will teleport in making it a suicide mission. If that happens, your team should go for either the centre or their home beacon. Lots of times, the home beacons get traded on this map, so the map becomes flipped. The battle is over centre, but both teams will reinforce their captured beacon.

Canyon is another example where sometimes it's better to let them capture your home. Set up a kill zone by having blues surround that beacon, and quickly wiping them out when they spawn in. If your team is successful, even having 2 or 3 is blues around it will be good. Reds may keep trying to reinforce it and keep dying one by one without getting a foothold. You'll either mech them out, or they will realize it's a death trap. Once you have a kill zone around it, then it's ok to recap it without worrying about a red suddenly popping up.

Basically, you have to find a better balance with aggression and capping beacons. Because this is the main reason you are meching out so fast.

Valley should be your friend. I find this map encourages the most teamwork, so I get the highest scores on this map. Practice running with a group of teammates on this map, and use them as shields. Let them be in front and take the initiative and take the damage. If you're behind your mates, the reds have to specifically target you.

You can usually flank or come at them from multiple angles or even from up above on Valley. This allows you to surprise a red without taking much damage yourself.

Around corners on Valley, I can solo if I'm in my DB Griffin or Orkan Rogatka. Let the red make the first move, and fire early so your salvo will reach them as they turn the corner. You can retreat into cover as you do this and keep readjusting your aim so you don't hit the wall. If you don't finish them off in 1 salvo, then you need to go into cover and wait for you Orkans to recharge a little. Then repeat the process. For a DB Griffin, you'll need to wait until your rockets are at least halfway charged before engaging a new red. Rogatka will need a full charge.

If you have a Carnage Thunder, one of the most effective strategies in BR mode is to wait for a red to come near your beacon. Then drop in on them. One time, I killed 2 Griffins that jumped over the wall into the Centre beacon on Springfield. Another time, I shredded 2 Lancelots on the same map. But mostly, you'll have to be happy with getting 1 sneaky kill.

Same strategy can be used with DB Griffin.

One shift in strategy that I am still trying to improve - What is going on around the beacon.  From what you are describing, you sound like you are hyper-aware of beacons and the resulting effect on the power bar.  I have always been that way and it has cost me & my blues many a battle & a quick death for me.  I try to look at what is the environment around the beacon.  Way to many times I have taken / turned a beacon only to be destroyed.  I try to strategize what will occur during time I go for beacon & after I turn the beacon.  It has helped win battles, increase damage, and keep my bots on the field longer.

SoCal

Top tip - delay killing your enemy to capture the beacon.

When you kill, they respawn. In a shiny new full health red bot usually at the place of most concern, exactly where you don't want them to.

That last sliver of health on the bot as you charge towards the beacon? That usually means the pilot is dazed, most weapons blown off and already thinking about their next mech choice. That gives you opportunities to begin capping before they die.

And goddam it feels good to storm a beacon, take em out and clear the beacon in one fell swoop!

I tend to mech out quicker in BR, especially I drop infront of a red to defend a beacon even I know my bot will be heavy damage after the fight. Played less aggressive a bit then a bit, until you know what is the best aggressive level for your hanger. Sometimes give up a bot to have Winning advantage isn't bad, like Yamatao center.

Well.... changing spawning strategy is definitely helping. Trying to stick more with teammates than saving beacons alone, and on average I'm hanging in much longer. I still have a few quick cash-ins, but I know that's to be expected once in awhile in BR; but there are many more that I'm still around at the end. Wins/losses are about the same, so the frustration of the early exits were obviously not worth it. All around, it's making for a much more enjoyable game, which is the bottom line. The bouncy new Rog doesn't hurt, either.   Damn that bot is fun. 

Yeah, this is still a challenge. The instinct is to head for an unguarded red beacon, but you have to be doubly aware of what's going on everywhere else on the battlefield, not just around you and that beacon. This part is gonna take a lot of time to figure out what to look for, when to move on a beacon, and when to stay put.