[UNOFFICIAL GUIDE]: My Personal tips to help you through rough waters (i think) :)

continued... Gameplay Tips 02: shooter

• Mortar Shooter - aka the bombardier. This type is defined by its ability to deal continuous splash damage on enemy formations. Bombardiers will likely carry 2 mortars and at the most 3 mortars. i can not recommend more than 3 mortars as this will severely limit your ability defend yourself from rush attacks. This is the most specialized shooter and as such, must play its part effectively to be a factor in any match. Frost users will love having them around but it will most likely be a love-hate relationship with stun users since the constant splash damage will most often unintentionally cancel your stuns prematurely. Despite their inherent flaws, bombardiers are very dangerous against slow moving targets (shooters/defenders/fixers) as well as the best deterrent against clustered formations (fixer-centric formations). The best place for a mortar shooter is at the back of the team, providing a continuous barrage against unfriends.

• essentials:
  • mortimer - if you love mortars, make sure mortimer is always trained to the max. you have to choose between ballpark and long range mortar though since their upgrades conflict a lot on mortimer's skill tree. take note that big berta is the only 2 slot mortar and has the longest projectile flight time, it needs a setup combo to be more effective, i'd recommend the ballpark to combo with the berta. long range mortar is the most accurate due to its ability to increase its projectile speed. The standard mortar is best for harassing unfriends due to its quick cooldown.
  • increase area damage skill - maximize this skill as much as possible, this skill improves splash damage and makes non-bullseye hits more effective.
  • range perks - you'll need to keep a safe distance while firing your mortars, at least 1 epic range perk on each of your mortars can make a big difference
  • mortar frost damage perk - very useful if you like to fleet with frost users
• recommended red items: standard, ballpark, long range and big berta mortars (mandatory), you have to have at least 2 of these 3 weapons, high level standard cannon (for close combat), sniper/blast cannon, explosive cannon
• recommended blue items: shield, bandage, gear lube
• playing as a bombardier:
  • as with the marksman, it is best to keep yourself at the back of the formation, use your scouts to determine enemy movement and fire your mortars accordingly.
  • as we all know, mortars are just bad against speeders and fast enforcers, so as a mortar shooter, your primary targets are fellow shooters and defenders.
  • combo-ing your mortars: if you have a berta with you, it is always best to use it 2nd or last (if you have triple mortar setup). the opening mortar shot will most likely be avoided and depending on where your enemies go, your 2nd mortar shot should be able to connect. Leading your shots properly is a skill acquired through practice and familiarity with your weapons so just keep practicing. use your first shot to halt their movement and anticipate their next move to setup your 2nd mortar. remember that shooters and defenders don't accelerate fast so making them stop on the 1st shot will increase the chances for you to hit them for a more damaging shot on the 2nd one.
  • if you have teammates with frost, make sure to support these teammates and focus on their targets as well.
  • stay within "help distance" from your yellow teammates in case an enemy tries to rush you, having a friendly yellow boat nearby will increase your chances of surviving a rush attack.
• playing with a bombardier:
  • try to box your unfriends into a tight formation so your bombardier can work their magic.
  • if you have frost items, call out your targets so your bombardier will know which one you are targetting
  • mortar shooters will tend to stay back, if they have long range capabilities, give them a good vantage point by scouting for them. always remember that they can see what you see (at least on radar)
  • keep an eye on your bombardier and be ready to assist if an enemy gets close to them, they are very weak against rush attacks.
• best counter
  • rush attacks are best to eliminate bombardiers, just watch out for their teammates who might be nearby
  • tesla shields - the bane of all parabolic weapons, even the mighty berta is rendered useless against this counter.
  • speed and nitro - good speed and decent map awareness is all you need to avoid these aerial bombs, and if your frozen, a well-timed nitro will leave you relatively unscathed.

• Assault Shooter - aka. brawler. This type of shooter is characterized by its sheer brutality in the mid to close range game. Armed with blast and explosive cannons, they can deal massive damage in a short amount of time. Brawlers typically press the attack and should slowly close the gap to finish of its targets. Shooter players who prefer the mid range game should love this setup and must prioritize HP boosts through shields and/or max out bandages to keep the fight going for a while longer. Brawlers usually don't survive a battle, but if effective, they would have taken out 1 or 2 boats and leave a 3rd hanging on to dear life before they are neutralized. to increase their deadliness in battle, it would also be good to equip a flare gun or a firebomb as your opening move. if a precision shooter does well to keep at least 30 distance from its enemies, the brawler thrives within 30 distance with its hard hitting mid-range guns.
• essentials
  • Bhurt - you'll need to get this crew up to speed as quickly as possible to unlock the damage skills for explosive cannon (the signature weapon of a brawler)
  • Brock/mortimer/feelix - maximize HP and shield boosts skills from this 3 crew members, you'll need every HP you can get.
  • Explosive cannon / blast cannon - you'll need these 2 cannons to be an effective brawler
• recommended red items: explosive cannon, blast cannon (mandatory), sniper cannon, missile launcher, big torpedo, firebomb, flare gun, carronade
• recommended blue items: big shield, standard shield, bandage
• Playing as an Assault Shooter:
  • equip at least one long range weapon (missile launcher or firebomb) as your approach weapon, you can also equip a sniper cannon to do this.
  • if you have aggressive yellow teammates, follow their lead and focus on the nearest available target.
  • if you have incendiaries, use them as your opening move to "tag" your target with burn damage and pound them with your explosive cannons and/or blast cannons
  • a big torpedo can perfectly complement a brawler's play style since they are fairly accurate at midrange and deal massive damage. (note that you have to sacrifice a little damage to upgrade your big torp speed with torp speed perks - get it to at least about the same speed as triple torpedoes [around 4.1-4.3])
  • your mindset should be to deal as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible - thus, if you have sunk at least 1 boat and dealt huge damage to at least 2 boats, then you have done your job and hope your teammates have also come to play.
  • in an all shooter/defender formation, assault shooters should dictate the pace and press the attack. if a defender is on your team, make sure to attack together with the defender(s).
  • given the opportunity, you should always try to take out fixers first, speeders/enforcers should also be taken out at every chance.
• Playing with Assault shooters:
  • if you're a speeder/enforcer, try to attack together with your brawler, their firepower with your debuffing abilites can quickly take out a target. they need to close the distance and are vulnerable to flanking maneuvers, intercept those flankers and give your brawler the window to finish off its target.
  • if you're a defender, attack together with your brawler, rush/blitz tactics are the best moves for this teamup.
  • if you're a fixer, repair bolt would be the most recommended fixer item for you, you can't follow brawlers closely so you'll need to be able to heal them from a safe distance.
  • generally speaking, brawlers tend to plunge head on into battle, it is best to support their attack and focus fire on their targets.
• Best counter(s):
  • focus fire - blast them as soon as you see them, the sooner they fall the better, their firepower is too dangerous to ignore.
  • keep your distance - most brawlers will only have 1 or 2 long range weapons, keeping your distance while chipping away at their HP will render them ineffective.
  • stun/frost - always a good way to slow their advance. properly coordinated stun locks on brawlers will frustrate them to no end and will most likely cause them to attack recklessly.
  • defenders - a strong defender can face down any opponent, even the strongest brawler is no match for a powerful defender.

 

• Notable shooter weapon setups:
  • firebomb, firebomb, railgun, sniper, sniper - absolutely a pain to deal with, if you don't take them out fast, they can quickly chip away at your team's HP levels.
  • sniper, sniper, railgun, missile, big torpedo - long range beast and still deadly in close range combat.
  • railgun, sniper, napalm, missile, mine - offense and defense, with decent map control abilites
  • explosive cannon, explosive cannon, firebomb, sniper, standard cannon - burning damage combo at its finest
  • missile, missile, explosive cannon, sniper, carronade - a clever mix of long and short range explosive power
  • long range mortar, big berta, triple torpedo, sniper, explosive cannon - splash damage extraordinaire
• not recommended setups
  • all mortars - even a weak speeder can destroy you without suffering a single scratch, even a mine wielding mk5 fixer can beat this setup
  • all torpedoes - spamming torpedoes is fun but it really doesn't really give much success in the long run, and again, you are helpless in close range
  • all mines - don't... just don't...
  • all napalms/firebombs - like all mortars, effective for a time, but again, you are very vulnerable up close.
  • all cannons - for the lower MKs, this is viable, but as soon as you get your 4th weapon slot, it just takes away your versatility in dealing with different situations if you only have cannons with you
• Camping: when is camping good and when is it bad?
  • Camping is part of a shooter's strategy, they are natural campers. But there is a very clear distinction between a good camper and a useless camper.
  • Camping effectively:
    • if you are a lower level shooter (mk4/5) who is suddenly thrust into a battle between mk6/mk7s, your most viable choice is to camp, meaning to hide from direct line of fire and try to contribute with whatever is in your ship's capabilities. however, staying far behind your team will actually add more to your team's handicap. your best move in this situation is to stay at the back of the formation but follow your strongest teammate (shooter/defender) and back them up with your weapons. Be aware of where your enemies are and adjust your position accordingly, you should always keep your best tank between you and your enemies. if you see an enemy trying to circle around for a flanking approach, call it out and adjust your position accordingly, don't try to take it out by yourself unless you know for sure you can.
    • if you're a siege or mortar shooter, you will most likely camp a lot in battles but to do so effectively means that your distance from your enemies must still be within range of your weapons and you should have a decent angle of visibility to be able to make good lead shots. if you're positioned behind walls, make sure your teammates are providing visibility on your enemies otherwise you will just be firing blindly.
    • if you're teammates are taking a beating, try to get yourself visible and draw some fire to try to buy your teammates some time to escape or recover. don't keep on hiding behind a wall and let your teammates die 1 by 1.
  • bad camping:
    • hiding somewhere and just spamming your mortars/bombs/torpedoes without any intelligible effort in finding your target
    • hiding somewhere at all times even when you see your teammates getting damaged badly while you still have 100% HP.
    • hiding somewhere where you can't use at least half of your arsenal effectively.
    • hiding somewhere and just planting mine fields
    • hiding somewhere until you find yourself all alone and so separated from your team that you can't do anything to help them and they can't do anything to help you.

So that's that for shooter... did i miss anything? please let me know what you think... 'til next time

 

Detailed stuff! Perfect Guide!
Great Job!

 

yes u taught me lots of things i did not even know but one question, i have got misilles before but at tier1 epic their damage is useless but those with tier 5s do much more damage. How is this able to happen

 

ok

 

Psst, I'll give all of you this secret tip to reach your max HP. I see so many people doing this wrong so I'll post it here.
It's pretty simple.
Best HP perks go on big shields.
If you have defence perks on big shield and HP perks on standard shield, you'll have less HP than you would have with HP perks on big shield + defence perks on standard shield.
Similarly: Assume they're all HP perks.
Big shield (epic perks) + standard shield (rare perks) > Big shield (rare perks)+ standard shield (epic perks)
So unless you're enforcer main, always put best HP perks on big shields first.

 

Nice

 

Great guide @yellowocean very helpful thank you.
My two cents:
Securing Kills
Securing Kills is important but it is stupid to get yourself killed trying to kill a low health enemy(there are exceptions to all rules and this is no exception, if you are sacrificing yourself for an important kill then do so but make sure it is a good decision because you will be leaving your team to do the rest.)

"But I really wanna kill the speeder that was harassing me all game!" Too bad 99% of the time it isn't worth it your emotions aren't worth throwing the battle... calm down, stay positive, and you may get your chance at revenge.

"Is it ok to sacrifice myself for a fixer?" As I stated there are exceptions too rules but fixers aren't dangerous, if you feel like your team can win the battle if you take out that fixer fine but you should never rely on your teammates being competent.

*When you or your teammates secure the first kill, it lowers the amount of guns on the field giving you an advantage but this doesn't mean you should start rushing the enemy team the whole point is to keep your player advantage for along as possible, when I secure a kill I immediately fall back; mostly because the enemy wants me dead for killing their teammate but also because they are looking to even the scores. When you have an advantage in numbers the team should regroup *****(especially if you have a fixer, what's the rush? YOUR team is winning putting pressure on the enemy team to make a move!)***** Fall back, regroup and try to recover as much health as possible the enemy is trying to kill you, especially since they are down. But this leads to them playing more aggressively attacking the lowest health target to pull back the score, if you stick together your team can use their fire power advantage effectively securing more kills and eventually the win...

Thank you and good luck on the bay!

 

i agree with what you have said here, but it really is a case-to-case basis, it takes experience (quite a lot) and some familiarity with your teammates to be able to determine if a sacrifice is worth the gamble from your end. if i get teamed up with players that i know can really play well, i'm more willing to play bait and be the designated target of the enemy - my objective then would be to at least take 1 down with me and make at least 2 more boats hang on for dear life. But it really depends on the situation. When i'm in situations where i need to be in super carry mode (5k infa teamed up with 3.5k infa and lower), i take more risks and play much more aggressive because i know i can't play the long game with underpowered teammates, more often than not, if my teammates can play, i still get quality matches despite the disadvantage - i won't always win but at least we give the unfriends a hell of a fight.

 

Spoiler

I'm not even 1500 infamy so I can't really give advice to nightmare players since most of what I know they know already...

Yes, I guess what I said is really for inexperienced players.

 

Being low doe not stop anyone I am even lower than u are

 

My point is that, I am not very credible.... I can give advice all day but someone of higher infamy isn't compelled to listen to me, therefore most of my advice is for players in my infamy range.

 

i find that i listen to anyone however good they are as they mostly have good advice

 

I saw Zusay's latest video,you literally came forward aggresively to help when he was diying.This proves your statement.I suggested him to share video forums so that atleast players here clearly understand the meaning of team-Work

KUDOS! Great work.
(we were once matched together in team,LOST by not being able to stop capture,our speeder commited suicide in very begin.It was a sad match lol)

 

Yeah I saw that one too
The slow motion made it seem way too cool.
Kudos to zusay

 

well, my mistake there was i didn't back up fast enough to be in range of sugarbaby's pulses. Zusay was down to 1 last shot from the pursuing defender so i had get ahead to block shots physically. i overshot my advance though and was out of range of my fixer's pulse and i was kinda surprised by how quickly gom caught up with his defender. Zusay did well in luring the enemy and they got funneled to bits in that section of the map.

 

Yes! More pls

 

if an enemy is at low hp and is being 'covered' by another teamate, don't go over and attack that enemy. You probalby have other enemies to worry about. But, if they are evenly matched or overmatched, you may want to avenge/help them. If you can't for whatever reason, say 'help (name)!' in battlechat.

Also, if you are coming from one of these mini 1v1s, say 'help' 'yes' so your team knows your coming.