079’s Ultimate Guide to Long Range

To start, let’s cover the fundamentals of long range and address the common complaints given to it, as to be fair, they are not without merit. Long range plays way differently than brawling or even midrange, as while brawling is all damage and midrange is a mix of damage and territory control, long range is more territory control than damage. It’s a spectrum really, the longer range you go, the less damage-oriented you become. Now, that play style can be very off putting to a lot of players, and that is the root of why it is looked down upon. People either do not understand long range’s effects on the battlefield or are not playing it right. The term “camper” has been stamped on long range builds, and while it is true these builds do not move a whole lot, that term is misleading.

Like midrange, long range does not push beacons or engage in close quarters combat, but instead defends captured territory by damaging or destroying advancing enemy units. This is done by moving between a few key points on the map that afford good “firing lanes”, where the build can oversee one or more important locations on the map, usually beacons and choke points, and disrupt enemy movements. Unlike midrange, which usually has firing lanes to 1 or 2 areas of interest, long range can oversee most of if not the entire map from one position, meaning that unless the reds significantly change their strategy, the build can stay in more or less the same position for the entire match. However, that luxury comes at a price, as long range weapons are only capable of limited damage, meaning the user must know how to play them.

I am sure everyone knows the pitfalls of poorly played long range. The bot just sits there the whole match, having seemingly inconsequential impact on the battle. Well, the way good users avoid this is by seeking out their targets. Unless the enemy is fine with loosing beacons and potential damage, it will have to step out of cover eventually, so long range must be ready to capitalize on those vulnerabilities. This is done by keeping tabs on all potential targets (so most of if not the entire enemy team), seeing what build they are running, and hitting the ones that want it the least. While Phase Shift, shields, and stealth all can disrupt this strategy, none of those last forever, so one must be ready to punish imperfections in the enemy’s play style. Long range weapons may lack sustained damage, but their burst damage is incredible, so once one hits the red button, some poor target is going to be put in a precarious position. There is more to it than just taking away health though. Targets can have their drone chips or Cloaking Unit modules be activated or be forced to use their active module before entering close quarters combat, thus leaving them at a major disadvantage. This all sounds nice, but just like midrange, this strategy does not win battles, so one must be weary of the beacon bar, and if the time calls for it, one must eject from the bot or otherwise sacrifice it in order to assume a more active role in capturing beacons. Long range can assist in offensive territory capture, but its primarily defensive nature means it is best used when one’s team is in the lead.

With the tactics breakdown done, let’s look at robots and weapons! Unlike midrange, where there are lots of different configurations, long range only has a handful, so for this guide, I will cover individual equipment families more than broad archetypes. That being said, there are two main types of long range, which are defined by their equipped weapons, so I will cover weapons first:

Sustained Long Range: 
These builds do not deliver their damage in a single shot, meaning their burst damage is lower, but their damage over time is much higher. These builds excel versus titans and armored targets, as they often either have a hard time getting to cover or try to shrug the fire off. These builds can even engage in more close range operations in a pinch, though that usage is not optimal.

Molot/Molot T/Tempest: 
These classic auto-cannons just refuse to die out! Able to pump out surprising damage at 800 meters that only increases the closer targets are, these are a great budget option. They may be outclassed by more modern weapons, but they are not to be underestimated and definitely can hold their own damage-wise, and their physiologically degrading bullet rain and double damage to physical shields gives these weapons some utility.

Gekko/Flux:
The laser-based counterparts of the auto-cannons, these weapons operate in much the same way. They give up solid sustained damage and double damage to physical shields for more range, better accuracy, and reloading while firing, so it is up to personal preference which is better. These weapons are a bit pricey though, so consideration is needed before investing into them.

Prisma:
Ah yes, the bane of unarmored bots, this one is all the rage right now! This weapon plays a lot like Flux, but increased damage at higher range and slightly different unload/reload mechanics means they are a bit different. This weapon is expensive no doubt, but that price comes with staggering performance. For higher leagues, this is the go-to sustained long range weapon.

Sniper: 
These builds are the sneakier, burst-oriented counterparts of sustained long range. They strike all of once from the shadows of cover, leaving targets no chance to react. These builds require patience, but it pays off when a target suddenly looses a massive chunk of health. They are quite vulnerable to shields and Phase Shift, but patience also can mitigate this.

Nashorn, Kang Dae:
The classic sniper weapons that unfortunately have no business in higher leagues. They may seem okay on paper, but no shield or resistance bypass, slow projectiles, and being in an unfavorable middle ground between sustained and burst damage means these weapons are not recommended for anything other than just trying long range out for cheap.

Arbalest/Ballista:
These weapons are essentially budget railguns, giving up performance and resistance penetration for range and affordability. These weapons can be formidable in higher leagues, but generally are a bit underwhelming and outclassed by other weapons.

Volt/Weber/Gauss: 
The railguns are a modernization of Nashorn and Kang Dae, featuring massively improved damage, resistance penetration, and a charge mechanism. These weapons of course are best used against armored targets, piercing their built-in defenses and drone chips to remove large chunks of raw health. However, these weapons also perform against unarmored targets as well, and their kinetic damage makes them great physical shield busters too.

Trebuchet: 
This weapon exists essentially in a space of its own, being the absolute epitome of snipers. It has far less sustained damage than Gauss, but has more range and a higher damage per shot, meaning this weapon spends most of its time charging behind cover, only emerging to decimate unsuspecting prey. No resistance or shield bypass are two massive drawbacks, but this weapon has its fans and it can have incredibly satisfying moments, even if it is not a super appealing choice.

With the weapons broken down, let’s take a quick look at recommended robots. Surprisingly, the choice of robot really is not that important for long range, hence why I am talking about it after weapons. The bot just needs to have high firepower, either by having powerful built-in weapons or being able to equip lots of heavier weapons. When making a long range build, one must mind what hard points a robots has, as many long range weapon families do not have entries available for every hard point. Because the robot itself is not exceptionally important in determining how a build plays, a simple list will be provided:

Butch:
This bot is here for one thing and one thing only: Trebuchet! It is outclassed for every weapon besides that one, but if you plan to go Trebuchet, this makes for a quite solid budget option!

Natasha, Fury:
These bots are the solid budget choices, as they are cheap and easy to use, but lack the fancier features of other bots and are somewhat fragile. Natasha is better for most builds since two light hard points are better than a heavy, but Fury is of course better for weapons that specifically require heavy hard points, like Nashorn or Prisma.

Falcon:
This robot offers more defense and mobility than Fury or Behemoth, but its Fangs Out ability limits the weapons it can use. Weapons are the most important part of long range builds, so using Falcon with weapons that are severely limited by its ability is not recommended.

Behemoth:
This bot is a no-brainer consideration, as it has amazing firepower and good durability. It is a bit lacking in mobility though, so it is still a bit vulnerable, and its Siege Mode can be cumbersome at times, but these are not huge drawbacks.

Hawk:
This bot is an interesting choice given its emphasis on closer range combat, but its high firepower allows it play much like the Natasha, with its ability granting extra defense and firepower against armored targets to make up for its fragility.

Leech, Fafnir, Spectre, Typhon: 
These bots enough firepower to make the cut, good mobility, and their abilities allow for some extra defense when needed or to gain good firing angles. Typhon is notable for its shield, while Fafnir can have shieldbreaker while flying with its legendary pilot.

Raijin, Jaeger:
These two bots play similarly, scuttling into position and activating their respective modes, but differ in that Raijin is good for all weapons while Jaeger’s built-in cannon synchronizes better with sniper weapons, meaning the bot is specialized for that specific role. Jaeger’s mobility and firepower make it overall the better choice, but it is not a super clear-cut choice.

Erebus:
The popular bot for long range right now, and for good reason. It has good defense with its shield, good firepower, and its ability is long range enough that it has both offensive and defensive uses. While expensive, Erebus does outclass a lot of other robots, notably Fury, Typhon, and even arguably Behemoth and Jaeger.

Siren:
This bot may seem like an odd choice given its lower firepower, but it actually has a decent amount going for it. Siren’s ability grants great firing angles and freezes targets to helping to mitigate the bot’s initially low firepower, while also affording decent protection with the reflector shield. Siren’s firepower is still an issue though, so it needs high-performance weapons like Prisma to do well.

With the normal robot configurations out of the way, here some titan configurations so consider! It should be noted that having a sniper titan is not recommended if one only has a single hangar deck, as these builds are too specialized to anchor that hangar on every map. This is not an issue for normal bots because most players can survive a battle on 4 bots and a titan, meaning the long range bot is not an exceptionally large liability.

Titan Weapons: 
In the right circumstances, namely larger maps and/or TDM, a sniper titan can completely sway matches thanks to its influence over the map and its durability making it tougher to take out. The sooner one can bring out these titans, the more havoc they can cause!

Striker:
This is really the only titan weapon that is long range, and it is a sniper weapon. Pinpoint accuracy, great damage combined with limited resistance penetration, and chain damage lets it really cause some ruckus for single or groups of targets going from cover to cover, as well as mobile targets. It does struggle a bit against armored targets, but will wear them down over time.

Titans

Sharanga:
This titan is perfect tor Striker, making it an obvious choice for a long range titan. Its height lets it reach over cover, and its abilities allow it to increase its offensive and defensive capabilities when the time calls for it.

Murometz, Ao Ming:
These two titans lack the raw power of Sharanga, but make up for that increased utility. Ao Ming can heal, fly indefinitely, and has more raw firepower, while Murometz can equip double Quantum Sensor, disable targets for easy damage, and use its Heavy Rain ability for offense and defense. The big thing holding these titans back is the lack of a long range weapon for beta hard points.