Defender approach

So here's my frustration. I've been playing for a few weeks now, and I'm pretty settled that the defender fits my style of play and my skills best. And when I'm teamed up with people that appreciate a defender, it is amazing -- with a good fixer near, I can absorb damage all day long. And I find it gratifying to watch enemy after enemy be distracted by me until they explode at the hands of shooters.

BUT

When I find myself surrounded and swarmed while my team hangs back and does nothing, I want to commit murder. And when they scatter in all directions, I don't know who to follow.

So...

My question is about how to APPROACH the battle to minimize those events. I know that if I charge too far ahead, I get hung out to dry. But if I hang too far back, I'm letting shooters take damage I should be absorbing. How do I find the balance? And where to I go if the other players all split up?

 

You gotta go by the feeling in your balls man. You win some you lose some just gotta try to be less agitated when the team doesn't work together. And when the team splits up I usually just pick the highest infamy guy to stick with. Or the largest group.

Also remember you're a damage dealer to compliment the shooters. Not just a meat shield. sometimes you gotta avoid damage to stay alive

 

I've seen some Defenders that load up on Bandages. They have thier own built in fixer. Other than maybe that there's nothing you can do for bad teammates.

 

do not care about shooter, they are all afraid at the moment, serving at nothing until mK5, camp is the new shooter tactic!
don't stay with useless camper, they are not able to aim correctly at middle/close range.
never stay in the middle,move from rock to wall, etc... follow fixer, or defender,

 

Samee. My set up is so nice too.
T3 epic canon maxed
T3 rare canon 29
T3 rare big torp maxed
Plus rare perks and all my guys for those weapons are 20+ in training
I went from 2030 to 1600 today.
Because all matches all my team mates let me get ganged up on while they SCATTER and hide lol...even if i spam together..
Nopee!! We need a mother fucker button

So we can say TOGETHER
MOTHER FUCKER
So we can show the severity of it lol

 

It happens to me sometimes I put turbo to escape from them, firing big torpedoes backwards those who r following me even mostly I can't make it

 

It depends on what inf u are at. At lower infamies, there are alot of players that dont follow good battle strategy. The numbers of such players get lower as you climb up.
Just do your best and dont sweat the loss.

 

Here's how to play defender:
Below ace 3: just follow the highest infamy or highest mk level guy in your team.

After ace 3: Charge straight with double explosive cannons + flare gun and boom boom that enemy fixer. Then boom boom some more until you die. Done.

 

I know the frustration, but your defender will get better at mk5. CURRENTLY use one long range weapons like sniper and what i used to do with my low HP defender was maintain a certain distance with unfriendly, NOT CLOSE ENOUGH NOR FAR. You can use your hp at long range acting as shield too by keeping your shooter and surroundings in check, charging with shooter when ever necessary or staying back and taking long RANGE HITS which are supposed to be landed on shooter. Preserve your HP if team is not ready to charge, so when you see a high value target alone(except speeder) you can rush and kill him 1 vs 1.

 

Not just defender. I often find myself in Battle alone playing Enforcer. For the life of me I can't figure what my team is doing while all 5 unfriends are actively having their way with me.

 

Defender pre mk.6...
Needed items.
Keep a sniper at all times.
And grow 2 ex cannons.
1 bandage maxed out.
Grow one Big shield maxed.
Get a maxed turbo.
And grow as many small shields as you can maxed.
Even once all these are accomplished.

Next up, needed to grow before mk.6....
ONE more small shield maxed. EXTRA BLUE SLOT OPENS UP.
Also grow a maxed flare!
If u do the work to grow all this before mk.6 your ship will be OP. Make 6 swap flare with sniper.

Tactically Pre MK.6...Stay with your strongest h.p shooter at all points and then charge enemy once you have a clear opening without taking early damage.
Avoiding early unnessary damage is key. Pre mk.6.

Tactics Mk.6 and on...you need to have charging abilities worked out. I can carve an entire map avoiding early shots and show up with 16,381 h.p. knocking on the unfriends door with only being shot maybe one time. Never ever slowing down and only driving forward.
Hopefully by this mk.6 and up ship you have learned this art.
You have more shields. Use them and take out unfriends being an absolute beast in their face. Kill fixers when charging. Flare then 2 ex cannon shots. Or best player on unfriends team...flare then 2 ex cannon shots. Will kill most players. Or close.

Lastly...
Have Brock and Blastian upgraded crew training to all shields and defender h.p. benefit. And Burnince for flare. And Bhurt maxed for Ex cannon.

Doing all of this will maximize your defender abilities. You will be prepared for the future. A defender beast you will become.

 

Damn, how old is that? 7k hp. So weak hahaha!!!

 

What do you think about Double Ex-canon paired with Grenade with max % instead of flare gun? Grenade does more damage, faster cd, and easier to hit.

 

Two great defenders run that setup you described.
Benjen.and Peelah when he plays defender.

It's effective. Damage created is higher than flare.
Biggest cons have to do with hitting target.
I have found grenade tricky to use.
But if you do awesome with grenade....then follow that route. 2 x ex cannon and grenade.

The biggest theme here is get a weapon to create fire damage and wail away with the ex cannons.

Also always create consistent damage as a defender. You have 3 weapons. Don' waste a shot. Always hit. Play a game within the game. How many shots can I fire in a row without missing?

Also...word of advice to defenders. Never fire at beginning of match till you can hit someone. You give away your position too quickly. You will say good bye to over 1/3rd of your health getting hit early. Charge. But be sneaky in your attack angles while getting finally to the unfriend bunch.

Also defenders should fire ex cannon into bunches of unfriends.
The shot will cluster and spread out by a space. Creating muliple ship damage.

 

Nicely explained. Particularly the shot wasting part,you are exactly right,once you are closee ,any ship is as good as dead.

I don't like grenade on defenders, that thing req a good turrets to lead shot(gear lube is an option,but who uses that)
For fire advantage naplam/flare are my FAVS.since napalm has short range and defender can execute it perfectly,due to huge HP.Flare+dual Exp, doesn't need any explanation..

ANYWAYS KUDOS! YOU just described defender in a nut shell

 

Now that Ex-canon splash and burn have been reduced, How much do you think the recent update affects defenders?

 

New update affects 95 percent of all defenders. Effectively a nerf.
Most defenders have ex cannon or flare. Or both

Now in playing how bad is this nerf? You will feel a 300 h.p.fire damage difference between pre nerf. And now.

As for splash damage the shooting wall trick shot doesn't. work anymore. They reduced area damage via 25 percent. No other splash damage weapon was reduced like this.

In general defenders have been reduced by 5 to 10 percent total damage with this recent update.
And if u play flare and 2 ex cannons. You will feel the 10 percent nerf.

 

Agreed. I call this the "John Wick" method, shoot everyone you can and don't ever miss.

 

Does ex cannon crit?