Meta Report: June 2020 (Full meta)
Jun 1, 2020 12:27:08 GMT -5
EatStinkyTofu, Cdr. Crimmins, and 29 more like this
Post by Ⓑⓞⓑ Ⓓⓨⓛⓐⓝ on Jun 1, 2020 12:27:08 GMT -5
Greetings once again, commander, and welcome to the newest edition of the meta reports. I've decided that simply covering the top 10 bots is not comprehensive enough since the advent of titans, so I've included all of the subjects below.
1. Meta Synopsis
2. Top 10 Meta Bots (Beacon Rush)
3. Titan Meta
4. Weapon Meta - Priority Weapons by Class
5. Anti-Meta - Older bots that perform well in the meta
--------------------------------------------------------
Meta Synopsis
Now that the new kids on the block, Ravana and Nightingale have established themselves we're seeing the meta shift further and further towards a strictly Ravana meta in squad play. Top-tier S ranked clans are primarily hangars consisting of at least 3 Ravana with the outliers being the occasional Nightingale, Loki or Ao Jun. Ravana and Nightingale were strong to begin with, but the Ravana was not only buffed mechanically but also buffed with a very strong pilot. Nightingale also was given a pilot with an A+ ability.
While other bots are bullying their way back into the meta, looking at you Clive Blitz, they simply don't have the ability to ghost opponents entirely the way Nightingale and Ravana are capable of.
This leads us to a very Specter/Ares/Leech like metagame where that single bot was so dominant that the majority of resources are being poured into leveling Ravana & medium weapons.
The fortunate part for non-squad players is that there are still some relative weaknesses at the top, Ravana is fairly evenly matched against bots with high resistance and healing, and unless it uses it's ability to cross the map is not an extremely fast bot.
As far as Titans go, Nodens has changed the landscape fairly dramatically. While Nodens isnt the killing machine a Ming can be and doesn't hold ground like an Arthur it is still flatly the best support unit in the game capable of turning even mid level titans into unstoppable forces.
*Note: Overdrive Unit and Titan Repair Unit are both very very strong modules. I haven't' seen enough of them to put them on recommendations for meta lists, but if you have a chance to get your hands on them they will be top modules to own.
------------------------------------------------------
Top 10 Meta Bots (Beacon Rush)
To explain the rankings, here are my criteria for rating each bot.
- Firepower
- Speed, health, special ability
- Power cell consumption
- Utility
- Technical prowess (corner shooting, turn speed)
------------------------------------
#1 Ravana (previous #1)
Recommended weapons: Cryo, Storm, Ignitor, Corona
Recommended modules: 2 Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
As more and more Ravana infiltrate champion league it's clear that this is now the "bot to beat" it's ability (now even juicier with it's pilot) combined with phase shift makes the Ravana nearly impervious from harm for LARGE windows of time. This of course is massively useful in both defending and attacking beacons, as beacons don't care if you are in reality or in ghost form. Combined that with weapons that can burst huge damage in short windows of time you have yourself a killer.
Simply stated the fact that weapons can reload during phase shift and transcendence you can abuse burst weapons and create opportunity windows where their DPS cannot be topped. Multiply this issue with the fact that Ravana has a lot of durability for a bot with such a powerful ability and you've got trouble on your hands when facing one.
------------------------------------
#2 Ao Jun (previous #3)
Recommended weapons: Glacier, Ember, Redeemer, Viper
Recommended modules: 2 Thermonuclear Reactor/Last Stand or Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Ao Jun bumps itself up a spot in the list due to Yang Lee (pilot) providing a direct counter to Loki and Nightingale.
Even with the recent nerf the Ao Jun has a long way to go before it's no longer in the meta, its ability to smash bots, including titans, during its flight is unmatched. Combined with the new Yang Lee pilot you have a solid aggressor against everything. The one thing the Ao Jun lacks is the ability to hold a beacon from sustained pressure, otherwise the white dragon might still be on top.
------------------------------------
#3 Nightingale (previous #2)
Recommended weapons: Cryo/Rime, Corona/Halo, Ignitors/Blaze
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
The ability to suppress almost the entire red team during a ridiculously long flight and drop onto a target and burst them into oblivion is powerful. This is a contender for a top slot on the list because it is also very strong against titans. Nightingale has proven to be a solid beacon runner at all phases of the game and the legendary pilot keeps it safely in the air when necessary.
-------------------------------------
#4 Loki (previous #5)
Recommended weapons: Rime, Gust, Halo
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Loki is undeniably a cornerstone of high Champion League squad play. The ability to navigate the battlefield under duress of Titans is unmatched. More squad games are won and lost due to the Loki than ever before because nothing else has stealth and enough speed to steal beacons away from a flotilla of Ao Ming. That said, the Loki also forces the enemy team to remain spread out and leave defenders at beacons or run the risk of sacrificing a bot to keep beacon advantage.
Many matches in squad play are simply determined by Loki's ability to grab center. Once a 3-2 beacon lead is locked in its very hard to take away from hordes of Ravana, often needing a fairly early Arthur/Nodens push to break.
------------------------------------------
#5 Blitz (previous #8)
Recommended weapons: Shredder, Spark, Rime, Blaze
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Blitz was already borderline meta, but with it's new pilot ability to emulate the Leech it's impossible to say this bot is no longer a force, incredible speed, resistance and firepower. Equipped with Shredders or Rime is can lock/freeze enemies almost instantly while suppressing firepower. Alternatively 4 Sparks can so serious damage at any range while reserving the ability for defensive purposes.
It's interesting to note that Overdrive Unit combined with Deft Survivor make this bot incredible in the offensive category, the ability to automatically go back into resistance mode with 25-75% more damage makes for some impressive assaults.
-----------------------------------------
#6 Phantom (previous #6)
Recommended weapons: Spark/Scourge, Shredder/Atomizer, Blaze/Ignitor, Rime/Cryo
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair
Phantom was the premier map opener, while still strong in this regard many clans/players are opening with Loki / Ravana combinations, which are difficult for Phantoms to navigate. Phantom still remains a strong early play and a relatively strong mid/late game play because of the combination of speed, firepower and an ability that can we abused by strong players.
If you want to begin games in a Phantom I strongly urge players to consider spark/scourge as that is the strongest setup for combating opposing Phantoms and you can chip them down all the way to center/key beacons. If your Phantom is for the mid-game the best setups are sustained damage setups combined with healing to better tank through Ravana.
-------------------------------------------
#7 Leech (previous #4)
Recommended weapons: Cryo, Scourge, Storm, Corona
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Leech has unparalleled firepower, frightening speed and an ability that is unmatched except against a titan. That said the Leech is beginning to decline in the meta, it's a very risky drop in the second half of a match when there are multiple titans deployed. Combined with the fact there are a lot of bots that can simply wait out the resistance timer (Ravana) and the fact that shotguns took a huge nerf the Leech isn't quite as dominant a force as it once was. An early game Leech is still an extreme powerhouse and can be played aggressively, but as stated earlier once titans start dropping only a skillful player can maximize the potential.
----------------------------------------
#8 Falcon (previous unlisted)
Recommended weapons: Ember, Nucleon, Calamity, Glory
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair Kit
Falcon makes it's way back into the top 10 this month on the back of it's ridiculous ability to tank damage and hold beacons. Primarily used to counter Ravana beacon pushes it can at least hold the fort until backup arrives. 1-on-1 a Falcon can defeat a Ravana if it's weapons and pilot skills are built to beat Ravana... think armor, durability, repair and adamant. While resistance bots are naturally poor against titans, the falcon can hold it's own against just about every meta bot.
While I put Glory on the list of recommended weapons it's really not good anymore. You want weapons that can sustain fire against Ravana over long periods of time, Ember & Nucleon being preferred and Calamity is good too as long as you can maintain lock and don't mind using a slot on guidance operator.
-----------------------------------------
#9 Fenrir (previous #10)
Recommended weapons: Scourge/Calamity, Ignitor/Ember, Cryo/Glacier
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair
Fenrir excels in the early game as a 2nd drop, they are still incredibly hard to beat down and can withstand a Ravana for long enough to simply wear them out of phase shifts and keep scourge/calamity locked on and firing. Many of the Falcon notes translate directly to the Fenrir in the sense that it's generally used to squat on a beacon and hold Ravana at bay.
Fenrir has been spotted as an opening bot combined with Nightingale to devastating effect, this combination absolutely ruins a Phantom opening and doesn't care if the beacon is red when they approach, they will simply grind the enemy out of there at the expense of multiple bots... keep in mind this opening is poor if the opposing squad has a Loki since the Fenrir cannot afford to run quantum radar instead of healing.
---------------------------------------------
#10 Mender (previous unlisted)
Recommended weapons: Shredder/Atomizer, Blaze/Ignitor, Spark/Scourge
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/Thermonuclear Reactor/Last Stand or Heavy Armor Kit/Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair or Repair
Mender as many of you know is a personal favorite of mine, a bot I consider to be the universal soldier. Not incredibly strong against anything yet not weak against anything. Mender built with Deft Survivor skill and good timing can float itself and it's allies with repair for long periods of time either pushing or defending a weapon. Combined with any resistance bot or high durability bot a Mender can push a group of allies from an even clash into a winning clash with ease. It's also fairly strong at healing allied titans.
Mender has a decent matchup against Ravana since it can reload its healing burst usually a couple times with deft survivor and last stand. It also has a positive matchup against the other top 4, Nightingale, Ao Jun and is low enough to hit Loki with ease.
----------------------------------------
Titan Meta
#1 Ao Ming
No surprise here, the Ao Ming is still a massive damage hog with the ability to clear entire hangars off the field. The only real counter to the Ming is an Arthur push or stealth (for now).
It should be noted that the Ming is fairly poor at taking or holding beacons, so it is best deployed when there is a beacon lead and played well it should be floating over or near one of your teams rear beacons so that if a Loki does break through you can simply land and keep the beacon blue.
Obviously it's best to abuse the range benefit of plasma or titan scourge weapons to protect yourself from opposing Ming or Arthur.
#2 Arthur
Arthur, unlike the Ming is an excellent beacon holder and a respectable beacon pusher. An Arthur, especially combined with a nodens or nightingale is the best way to bust a red beacon through tides of defending Ravana in squad games.
Arthur is relatively weak to splash, especially opposing titan rockets so it's good to identify the weaponry of opposing titans before pushing.
#3 Nodens
I'd like to put the Nodens above the Arthur but the fact is this is a support titan, it's not great at forcing beacons or defending them. It's also not great at handling multiple 'normal' bots, it's not difficult to kill a poorly placed Nodens.
That said, the Nodens does one thing really well... keeping other titans alive. If you can support an Arthur or Kid with your Nodens from a relatively safe location those titans can easily drop multiple red titans backed purely by your suppression and healing chain.
#4 Kid
I was and still am a big advocate for the Kid titan, it's disregarded by many players as 'bad' because when titans were released there was a massive flood of level 3 Kid in the game. Many stayed level 3 while players accumulated the Pt necessary to move into a different titan and non-machine gun weapons.
A maxed Kid is no joke, it is the best titan for killing regular bots in mass. The kid is very fast, especially compared to Arthur. It has the highest durability and resistance of any titan and it's very functional against Arthur and Nodens.
You can argue a Kid supported by a Nodens is superior for beacon pushes to an Arthur Nodens combo due to both titans being relatively quick and stove being extraordinarily powerful.
The downfall of the Kid is that it is poor against Plasma Ming without Nodens/Nightingale support, it's very difficult to find appropriate cover and close the gap from 600-500 without losing significant portions of its durability.
--------------------------------------------------
Weapon Meta
Heavy Weapons:
1. Calamity
2. Glacier
3. Ember
4. Nucleon
5. Redeemer
Housed primarily on Ao Jun in this meta there's little argument that Calamity is the superior weapon. It doesn't miss, it stretches across most maps and with Yang Lee can hit any target. One thing Calamity lacks is the ability to punch through Arthur shields and physical shields in general, which leads to Glacier and Ember being just below it in power ranking. Nucleon is fairly new but used correctly it is a much improved avenger. Redeemer hasn't changed much since its release, it still hits like a ton of bricks against the correct targets.
Medium Weapons:
1. Igniter
2. Cryo
3. Storm/Corona
4. Scourge
5. Atomizer
Igniter seems to be the most well-rounded medium at the moment, fairly high DPS, good sustain and doesn't care about physical shields. It's difficult to use against some bots but that comes with practice. Cryo and Shotguns pack a huge load of DPS but suffer from poor reload, this is frequently mitigated by ability that allow the weapons to reload (Ravana, Nightingale) to be fresh for every window. Scourge and Atomizer both make this list for being strong against Ravana.
Light Weapons:
1. Shredder
2. Spark
3. Blaze
4. Rime
5. Halo
Shredder is definitely the king of light weapons currently, since the "change" from random lockdown to accumulation lockdown even two Shredders can lock a bot down from almost every range. Combine that with good damage, quick reload and pairing nicely with almost every medium and heavy it's really the go to in the light category. Spark punched above it's weight in terms of damage and can be a threat out to 600M. Blaze & Rime both splash and both put out respectable damage numbers in range. Finally while Halo has been "nerfed" when used correctly (inside 100M) it empties the entire clip so quickly that often you'll lock or win a fight on the spot, ideal for fast bots like Loki and Strider.
------------------------------------------
Anti-Meta
This section used to be the "honorary mentions" to the top 10 meta bots, instead i'll give a quick rundown of bots that I feel can still perform, even in niche scenarios.
These are in no particular order.
Ares & Greeks: Well, this should say Ares and Hades, since the Nemesis is really poor at the moment. Greek bots are some of the few bots that can maneuver against Titans well during their retribution shield. Played right they can dent titans decently and perform at range against meta bots. They're very weak against Ravana, which can get inside the shield with ease which is why they are no longer considered strong.
Invader: Invader seems to be making a mini-rally as it's high healthy pool can handle Ravana to a certain degree, with adamant skills and bulking up with healing and armor modules it acts somewhat like a Falcon and Fenrir placing it just slightly out of the meta.
Pursuer: Pursuer are much stronger than they're given credit for, and the new legendary pilot stretches its ability out even further. If it weren't for Yang Lee Ao Jun this would most likely be a top 10 bot as they can move freely amidst titans, brawl decently against Ravana and has the speed to outright avoid fights it doesn't want to engage in.
Bulgasari: Bulgasari still has a very strong shield and relatively high health. Skilled pilots can use high DPS weapons and time their attacks correctly between the shield and damage bursts. Physical shields are underrated to an extent if you can avoid rockets and flames.
Hellburner: Still strong given the HB is maxed with destroyer pilot skill, there's a multitude of bots that simply can't handle a Hellburner rush. It takes work to understand the timing and distance for the runs and to start detonation to activate as other abilities drop but once a skilled pilot knows these it can easily 1v1 many meta bots. It also keeps pace with Loki and can essentially force a 1 for 1 trade against those troublesome things.
Strider: The strider should never be overlooked, and will likely never be a poor bot. 5 dashes and a very quick dash reload means this bot can easily cover 300M or more in an instant. It's also still faster to center than even the Loki on some maps, even long maps when you can time your superdash reliably. A good strider pilot can beat every meta bot 1v1, maybe not in a shoot out, but they will know how to be right where you don't want them to be when you are the most vulnerable. The Strider is the most difficult bot in the game to play well, but also the most rewarding once it is mastered.
----------------------------------------------------
That's all I have folks, please keep in mind this is one persons opinion. Because of the ever changing variables in the game and vastly different play styles what you find here may not suit one person as it does the next. If you have any suggestions or discussions, please leave a comment here or PM me and I will take that into consideration for future meta reports.
Cheers,
WalleyeHS
[VØX] ??
1. Meta Synopsis
2. Top 10 Meta Bots (Beacon Rush)
3. Titan Meta
4. Weapon Meta - Priority Weapons by Class
5. Anti-Meta - Older bots that perform well in the meta
--------------------------------------------------------
Meta Synopsis
Now that the new kids on the block, Ravana and Nightingale have established themselves we're seeing the meta shift further and further towards a strictly Ravana meta in squad play. Top-tier S ranked clans are primarily hangars consisting of at least 3 Ravana with the outliers being the occasional Nightingale, Loki or Ao Jun. Ravana and Nightingale were strong to begin with, but the Ravana was not only buffed mechanically but also buffed with a very strong pilot. Nightingale also was given a pilot with an A+ ability.
While other bots are bullying their way back into the meta, looking at you Clive Blitz, they simply don't have the ability to ghost opponents entirely the way Nightingale and Ravana are capable of.
This leads us to a very Specter/Ares/Leech like metagame where that single bot was so dominant that the majority of resources are being poured into leveling Ravana & medium weapons.
The fortunate part for non-squad players is that there are still some relative weaknesses at the top, Ravana is fairly evenly matched against bots with high resistance and healing, and unless it uses it's ability to cross the map is not an extremely fast bot.
As far as Titans go, Nodens has changed the landscape fairly dramatically. While Nodens isnt the killing machine a Ming can be and doesn't hold ground like an Arthur it is still flatly the best support unit in the game capable of turning even mid level titans into unstoppable forces.
*Note: Overdrive Unit and Titan Repair Unit are both very very strong modules. I haven't' seen enough of them to put them on recommendations for meta lists, but if you have a chance to get your hands on them they will be top modules to own.
------------------------------------------------------
Top 10 Meta Bots (Beacon Rush)
To explain the rankings, here are my criteria for rating each bot.
- Firepower
- Speed, health, special ability
- Power cell consumption
- Utility
- Technical prowess (corner shooting, turn speed)
------------------------------------
#1 Ravana (previous #1)
Recommended weapons: Cryo, Storm, Ignitor, Corona
Recommended modules: 2 Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
As more and more Ravana infiltrate champion league it's clear that this is now the "bot to beat" it's ability (now even juicier with it's pilot) combined with phase shift makes the Ravana nearly impervious from harm for LARGE windows of time. This of course is massively useful in both defending and attacking beacons, as beacons don't care if you are in reality or in ghost form. Combined that with weapons that can burst huge damage in short windows of time you have yourself a killer.
Simply stated the fact that weapons can reload during phase shift and transcendence you can abuse burst weapons and create opportunity windows where their DPS cannot be topped. Multiply this issue with the fact that Ravana has a lot of durability for a bot with such a powerful ability and you've got trouble on your hands when facing one.
------------------------------------
#2 Ao Jun (previous #3)
Recommended weapons: Glacier, Ember, Redeemer, Viper
Recommended modules: 2 Thermonuclear Reactor/Last Stand or Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Ao Jun bumps itself up a spot in the list due to Yang Lee (pilot) providing a direct counter to Loki and Nightingale.
Even with the recent nerf the Ao Jun has a long way to go before it's no longer in the meta, its ability to smash bots, including titans, during its flight is unmatched. Combined with the new Yang Lee pilot you have a solid aggressor against everything. The one thing the Ao Jun lacks is the ability to hold a beacon from sustained pressure, otherwise the white dragon might still be on top.
------------------------------------
#3 Nightingale (previous #2)
Recommended weapons: Cryo/Rime, Corona/Halo, Ignitors/Blaze
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
The ability to suppress almost the entire red team during a ridiculously long flight and drop onto a target and burst them into oblivion is powerful. This is a contender for a top slot on the list because it is also very strong against titans. Nightingale has proven to be a solid beacon runner at all phases of the game and the legendary pilot keeps it safely in the air when necessary.
-------------------------------------
#4 Loki (previous #5)
Recommended weapons: Rime, Gust, Halo
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Loki is undeniably a cornerstone of high Champion League squad play. The ability to navigate the battlefield under duress of Titans is unmatched. More squad games are won and lost due to the Loki than ever before because nothing else has stealth and enough speed to steal beacons away from a flotilla of Ao Ming. That said, the Loki also forces the enemy team to remain spread out and leave defenders at beacons or run the risk of sacrificing a bot to keep beacon advantage.
Many matches in squad play are simply determined by Loki's ability to grab center. Once a 3-2 beacon lead is locked in its very hard to take away from hordes of Ravana, often needing a fairly early Arthur/Nodens push to break.
------------------------------------------
#5 Blitz (previous #8)
Recommended weapons: Shredder, Spark, Rime, Blaze
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Blitz was already borderline meta, but with it's new pilot ability to emulate the Leech it's impossible to say this bot is no longer a force, incredible speed, resistance and firepower. Equipped with Shredders or Rime is can lock/freeze enemies almost instantly while suppressing firepower. Alternatively 4 Sparks can so serious damage at any range while reserving the ability for defensive purposes.
It's interesting to note that Overdrive Unit combined with Deft Survivor make this bot incredible in the offensive category, the ability to automatically go back into resistance mode with 25-75% more damage makes for some impressive assaults.
-----------------------------------------
#6 Phantom (previous #6)
Recommended weapons: Spark/Scourge, Shredder/Atomizer, Blaze/Ignitor, Rime/Cryo
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair
Phantom was the premier map opener, while still strong in this regard many clans/players are opening with Loki / Ravana combinations, which are difficult for Phantoms to navigate. Phantom still remains a strong early play and a relatively strong mid/late game play because of the combination of speed, firepower and an ability that can we abused by strong players.
If you want to begin games in a Phantom I strongly urge players to consider spark/scourge as that is the strongest setup for combating opposing Phantoms and you can chip them down all the way to center/key beacons. If your Phantom is for the mid-game the best setups are sustained damage setups combined with healing to better tank through Ravana.
-------------------------------------------
#7 Leech (previous #4)
Recommended weapons: Cryo, Scourge, Storm, Corona
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/AC/Last Stand
Recommended active: Phase Shift
Leech has unparalleled firepower, frightening speed and an ability that is unmatched except against a titan. That said the Leech is beginning to decline in the meta, it's a very risky drop in the second half of a match when there are multiple titans deployed. Combined with the fact there are a lot of bots that can simply wait out the resistance timer (Ravana) and the fact that shotguns took a huge nerf the Leech isn't quite as dominant a force as it once was. An early game Leech is still an extreme powerhouse and can be played aggressively, but as stated earlier once titans start dropping only a skillful player can maximize the potential.
----------------------------------------
#8 Falcon (previous unlisted)
Recommended weapons: Ember, Nucleon, Calamity, Glory
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair Kit
Falcon makes it's way back into the top 10 this month on the back of it's ridiculous ability to tank damage and hold beacons. Primarily used to counter Ravana beacon pushes it can at least hold the fort until backup arrives. 1-on-1 a Falcon can defeat a Ravana if it's weapons and pilot skills are built to beat Ravana... think armor, durability, repair and adamant. While resistance bots are naturally poor against titans, the falcon can hold it's own against just about every meta bot.
While I put Glory on the list of recommended weapons it's really not good anymore. You want weapons that can sustain fire against Ravana over long periods of time, Ember & Nucleon being preferred and Calamity is good too as long as you can maintain lock and don't mind using a slot on guidance operator.
-----------------------------------------
#9 Fenrir (previous #10)
Recommended weapons: Scourge/Calamity, Ignitor/Ember, Cryo/Glacier
Recommended modules: Heavy Armor Kit/Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair
Fenrir excels in the early game as a 2nd drop, they are still incredibly hard to beat down and can withstand a Ravana for long enough to simply wear them out of phase shifts and keep scourge/calamity locked on and firing. Many of the Falcon notes translate directly to the Fenrir in the sense that it's generally used to squat on a beacon and hold Ravana at bay.
Fenrir has been spotted as an opening bot combined with Nightingale to devastating effect, this combination absolutely ruins a Phantom opening and doesn't care if the beacon is red when they approach, they will simply grind the enemy out of there at the expense of multiple bots... keep in mind this opening is poor if the opposing squad has a Loki since the Fenrir cannot afford to run quantum radar instead of healing.
---------------------------------------------
#10 Mender (previous unlisted)
Recommended weapons: Shredder/Atomizer, Blaze/Ignitor, Spark/Scourge
Recommended modules: Thermonuclear Reactor/Thermonuclear Reactor/Last Stand or Heavy Armor Kit/Heavy Armor Kit/Last Stand
Recommended active: Advanced Repair or Repair
Mender as many of you know is a personal favorite of mine, a bot I consider to be the universal soldier. Not incredibly strong against anything yet not weak against anything. Mender built with Deft Survivor skill and good timing can float itself and it's allies with repair for long periods of time either pushing or defending a weapon. Combined with any resistance bot or high durability bot a Mender can push a group of allies from an even clash into a winning clash with ease. It's also fairly strong at healing allied titans.
Mender has a decent matchup against Ravana since it can reload its healing burst usually a couple times with deft survivor and last stand. It also has a positive matchup against the other top 4, Nightingale, Ao Jun and is low enough to hit Loki with ease.
----------------------------------------
Titan Meta
#1 Ao Ming
No surprise here, the Ao Ming is still a massive damage hog with the ability to clear entire hangars off the field. The only real counter to the Ming is an Arthur push or stealth (for now).
It should be noted that the Ming is fairly poor at taking or holding beacons, so it is best deployed when there is a beacon lead and played well it should be floating over or near one of your teams rear beacons so that if a Loki does break through you can simply land and keep the beacon blue.
Obviously it's best to abuse the range benefit of plasma or titan scourge weapons to protect yourself from opposing Ming or Arthur.
#2 Arthur
Arthur, unlike the Ming is an excellent beacon holder and a respectable beacon pusher. An Arthur, especially combined with a nodens or nightingale is the best way to bust a red beacon through tides of defending Ravana in squad games.
Arthur is relatively weak to splash, especially opposing titan rockets so it's good to identify the weaponry of opposing titans before pushing.
#3 Nodens
I'd like to put the Nodens above the Arthur but the fact is this is a support titan, it's not great at forcing beacons or defending them. It's also not great at handling multiple 'normal' bots, it's not difficult to kill a poorly placed Nodens.
That said, the Nodens does one thing really well... keeping other titans alive. If you can support an Arthur or Kid with your Nodens from a relatively safe location those titans can easily drop multiple red titans backed purely by your suppression and healing chain.
#4 Kid
I was and still am a big advocate for the Kid titan, it's disregarded by many players as 'bad' because when titans were released there was a massive flood of level 3 Kid in the game. Many stayed level 3 while players accumulated the Pt necessary to move into a different titan and non-machine gun weapons.
A maxed Kid is no joke, it is the best titan for killing regular bots in mass. The kid is very fast, especially compared to Arthur. It has the highest durability and resistance of any titan and it's very functional against Arthur and Nodens.
You can argue a Kid supported by a Nodens is superior for beacon pushes to an Arthur Nodens combo due to both titans being relatively quick and stove being extraordinarily powerful.
The downfall of the Kid is that it is poor against Plasma Ming without Nodens/Nightingale support, it's very difficult to find appropriate cover and close the gap from 600-500 without losing significant portions of its durability.
--------------------------------------------------
Weapon Meta
Heavy Weapons:
1. Calamity
2. Glacier
3. Ember
4. Nucleon
5. Redeemer
Housed primarily on Ao Jun in this meta there's little argument that Calamity is the superior weapon. It doesn't miss, it stretches across most maps and with Yang Lee can hit any target. One thing Calamity lacks is the ability to punch through Arthur shields and physical shields in general, which leads to Glacier and Ember being just below it in power ranking. Nucleon is fairly new but used correctly it is a much improved avenger. Redeemer hasn't changed much since its release, it still hits like a ton of bricks against the correct targets.
Medium Weapons:
1. Igniter
2. Cryo
3. Storm/Corona
4. Scourge
5. Atomizer
Igniter seems to be the most well-rounded medium at the moment, fairly high DPS, good sustain and doesn't care about physical shields. It's difficult to use against some bots but that comes with practice. Cryo and Shotguns pack a huge load of DPS but suffer from poor reload, this is frequently mitigated by ability that allow the weapons to reload (Ravana, Nightingale) to be fresh for every window. Scourge and Atomizer both make this list for being strong against Ravana.
Light Weapons:
1. Shredder
2. Spark
3. Blaze
4. Rime
5. Halo
Shredder is definitely the king of light weapons currently, since the "change" from random lockdown to accumulation lockdown even two Shredders can lock a bot down from almost every range. Combine that with good damage, quick reload and pairing nicely with almost every medium and heavy it's really the go to in the light category. Spark punched above it's weight in terms of damage and can be a threat out to 600M. Blaze & Rime both splash and both put out respectable damage numbers in range. Finally while Halo has been "nerfed" when used correctly (inside 100M) it empties the entire clip so quickly that often you'll lock or win a fight on the spot, ideal for fast bots like Loki and Strider.
------------------------------------------
Anti-Meta
This section used to be the "honorary mentions" to the top 10 meta bots, instead i'll give a quick rundown of bots that I feel can still perform, even in niche scenarios.
These are in no particular order.
Ares & Greeks: Well, this should say Ares and Hades, since the Nemesis is really poor at the moment. Greek bots are some of the few bots that can maneuver against Titans well during their retribution shield. Played right they can dent titans decently and perform at range against meta bots. They're very weak against Ravana, which can get inside the shield with ease which is why they are no longer considered strong.
Invader: Invader seems to be making a mini-rally as it's high healthy pool can handle Ravana to a certain degree, with adamant skills and bulking up with healing and armor modules it acts somewhat like a Falcon and Fenrir placing it just slightly out of the meta.
Pursuer: Pursuer are much stronger than they're given credit for, and the new legendary pilot stretches its ability out even further. If it weren't for Yang Lee Ao Jun this would most likely be a top 10 bot as they can move freely amidst titans, brawl decently against Ravana and has the speed to outright avoid fights it doesn't want to engage in.
Bulgasari: Bulgasari still has a very strong shield and relatively high health. Skilled pilots can use high DPS weapons and time their attacks correctly between the shield and damage bursts. Physical shields are underrated to an extent if you can avoid rockets and flames.
Hellburner: Still strong given the HB is maxed with destroyer pilot skill, there's a multitude of bots that simply can't handle a Hellburner rush. It takes work to understand the timing and distance for the runs and to start detonation to activate as other abilities drop but once a skilled pilot knows these it can easily 1v1 many meta bots. It also keeps pace with Loki and can essentially force a 1 for 1 trade against those troublesome things.
Strider: The strider should never be overlooked, and will likely never be a poor bot. 5 dashes and a very quick dash reload means this bot can easily cover 300M or more in an instant. It's also still faster to center than even the Loki on some maps, even long maps when you can time your superdash reliably. A good strider pilot can beat every meta bot 1v1, maybe not in a shoot out, but they will know how to be right where you don't want them to be when you are the most vulnerable. The Strider is the most difficult bot in the game to play well, but also the most rewarding once it is mastered.
----------------------------------------------------
That's all I have folks, please keep in mind this is one persons opinion. Because of the ever changing variables in the game and vastly different play styles what you find here may not suit one person as it does the next. If you have any suggestions or discussions, please leave a comment here or PM me and I will take that into consideration for future meta reports.
Cheers,
WalleyeHS
[VØX] ??