The Art of Mech War (V) Strategy (II) Pilot Strategy

[Strategy, Tactic, Warfare]

V. STRATEGY 
PART II. PILOT STRATEGY

The individual strategy is one that a single pilot adopts to achieve his goals. habitually become the most powerful living Mech pilot, gain fame and have a luxury retreat. Of course, less ambitious goals can be set. Either way, adopting a strategy will always be beneficial, as it will help us reach our goal more easily.


1. PILOT FEATURES

1.1. PILOT LEVEL

 The level of the pilot is the expression of the continuous assessment of his capabilities in front of the piloting of a Mech.
A higher level, enables the pilot to handle heavier Mechs effectively, enables the improvement of their Mechs within the arc of their superior capabilities as a pilot and allows the installation of new structural modules (equipment) or weapons modules (weapons) as well as upgraded your Mech, which will always be possible with the only limit of the pilot's own level.

 The speed at which a pilot obtains new levels is directly proportional to his activity in missions, battles and his participation in Mech games and tournaments, such as circuits, king of the mountain and the big tournaments that face the mercenary clans called Clan Wars, Squad Wars and Faction Wars.
The personal choice that the pilot adopts and his personal strategy (see next section "Pilot Training") will depend on how much or little he increases his personal abilities as a pilot.
When ascending the level, the pilot can gain access to the following improvements:

  • With each new level, the pilot acquires two pilot skill points (which are not necessary to use immediately, but can accumulate and use them once you have clear your choice)
  • Access to new and larger bases (check here all the available bases) where a Commander can array his Mechs into deadly formations.
  • Access to new deadly weapons.
  • Unlock of new potential level to upgrade his Mechs, which will acquire higher Mech skills and more equipment and weapons slot modules to install.
  • Likewise, it receives from the Galactic Senate as a reward for its promotion, 5 Niodes, although usually they will not be enough to cover the new needs, they are always welcome.

1.2. PILOT SKILLS

 As well as raising the level, the pilot will increase his skills and abilities in front of his personal Mech, as well as his remaining squadron, which will benefit from these capabilities thanks to the interfaces of the A.I. installed in each Mech.

 The Pilot skills are:

  • Energy. 
  • Heavy
  • Armor
  • Weaponry (Laser, Missile, Cannon, Fire, Ice)
1.2.1. Energy: 

Increases the action capacity of the Mechs in the performance of missions, circuits and raids. Since 10 and 20 energy points can be recovered instantaneously by the Stim Packs, it is recommended that this feature be increased by at least 20, to optimize the use of the large Stim packs. Although higher Energy scores are recommended if you want to participate in the circuits.

Every point invested in Energy raises the own Energy feature by 2. All pilots starts with a 16 energy base.

1.2.2. Heavy: 

It allows to drive Mechs of greater tonnage without negative repercussions. A pilot without the ability to heavy enough high, can suffer the Kickback effect, causing damage to the Mech itself when attacking an opponent.


The skill needed to handle the 100-ton Mechs is 55, after which, it trains more slowly, requiring 65 for Mechs of 105 tons.

1.2.3. Armor: 

A combination of technical skills that allow the pilot to improve the structural strength of their Mechs, along with a greater ability to reduce the threat of enemy weapons, result in an increase in the resistance of the Mechs themselves as well as this ability is greater.

Initially, every Armor point raises by +0.17% the armor of all the Pilot's Mechs. This bonus gets reduced to +0.12% per point and below at higher Armor scores.

1.2.4. Weaponry:

Improving these skills, the pilot will increase his capacity as a gunner in the handling of each of the different types of weapons in the Mecha Galaxy.

Some elite pilots aim to raise their weaponry skills as high as to 116, for a plus of 42% damage with all the proper type weapons, so that with a full Honour Guard bonus, they may reach a perfect bonus of +100% on them virtually doubling the damage produced with the specialty weapons of choice)

Initially, every point invested in a weapon type, raises the damage produced with that type by +0.5%, this boost gets lowered to +0.33% after reach level 20 with each weapon type.


2. PILOT TRAINING

Depending the goals of a Pilot, we can differentiate four overall different strategies:
  1. Blitz or Rush (Hardcore)
  2. Comprehensive Training
  3. Turtle or Camp
  4. Levy enlistment

2.1. BLITZ OR RUSH (HARDCORE TRAINING)

Blitz, Rush or Power leveling is the most aggressive strategy for a pilot, in the aim to join the top divisions of competition and the hope to join a strong Unit which with help the pilot may accede to greater rewards to build a stronger force.
Pros:
The pilot will unlock a potential to highly grow in power against other pilots below his level, but to make this advantage effective, he will need to acquire the proper Mechs, equipment and weaponry to install in his larger formations and mightier Mechs.
Free an fast acquisition of resources:
  • Every level will win 5 Niodes and 2 skill points.
  • Large amounts of crsytal can be acquired from Circuits, Missions and through standard battles.
  • Ferrite and Bioptics will be earned in high amounts through Missions and standard battles.
Cons:
Once started the long run of Blitz, if the pilot couldn't get resources enough at a reasonable speed, he will become weaker against the average pilots he will face in the new divisions in which he will be battling.
The Blitz is a strategy that will require a continual and sustained effort to keep growing in strength against other competitors in the same bracket.



2.2. COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING OR TURTLE

Turtle or the Comprehensive Training is a slow leveling in which the Pilot deliberately freezes his advance through training (and his win of experience) waiting to acquire all the needed resources to advance every new level optimizing all the new capabilities and expanded formation with the addition of new and upgraded Mechs, equipment and weaponry.

Turtling can be confounded with Camping, but while a true camper stays into a static position, the turtle is slowly moving, doing a new step every time he can make a strong step with all his needs covered.

Pros:

Turtling allows to keep a balanced and always strong force within the owned pilot level, that will allow a high success in Tournaments (Clan Wars, Squad Wars, Faction Wars) as in circuits or King of the Mountain events, all of them source of new gear to improve the own force.

Allows the existence of balanced units in which the pilot can build strong bounds of loyalty and camaraderie.

Cons:


This strategy allows to build a considerable strong force, but in comparison with a hardcore pilot, might stagnate and nerf his own training by limiting his possibilities as acquiring lower tier rewards in the tournaments and events he were participating.

The Turtle Pilot might suffer some exhaustion to acquire resources, forcing him to harvest, join Honour Guards and disassembling useless stuff to get the precious resources for upgrades and gear acquisition.



2.3.  CAMPING OR KING OF THE LITTLE HILL

Camping is a controversial strategy in which a pilot stops his level progress or training, avoiding as much as possible the gain of experience, but in which he is able to highly improve his formation, Mechs, equipment and weaponry, thus obtaining an advantageous static position over other pilots who enter in competition with him (hence what is called camping).


Reasons to embrace this strategy. When the pilots do not have the time or resources necessary to maintain the sustained effort to train with reasonable success. For them, camping is a way to get rewards that would otherwise be vetoed.


Pros:


This strategy is highly effective when it comes to beating the new pilots who enter the field against the camper, but in reality the pilot who practises it, stagnates terribly, limiting his area of ​​operations to the tiny area where he is encamped. . Normally a camper can achieve a great power, capable of defeating other pilots whose forces are predominantly crystal, but owning a level far superior to them. However, as the crystal pilot continues to gain levels and increase his strength through new and more powerful Mechs, equipment and weapons, he will reach a point where he can obliterate the camper, although by the time that happens, it is also possible that the divisions in which each fight are different.


Cons:


In the long term of time, camping leads to stagnation, and despite the considerable power that can be gained within the static position, the lack of training will in make the camper a weaker pilot compared with those leveling above at some point.


A camper will suffer frequent exhaustion on Crystal, Ferrite and Bioptics resources, needing to frequently harvest allies' crystal farms and bulking on fury lasers to get the resources for upgrades or acquisition of new gear.


Countering the Camper Strategy:


The ways to counter this practice are invariably to continue the training, until a pilot were above the scope, division or environment of the campers, or to join them, also becoming a camper.

Controversy:


Camping is often seen as a method to bypass much of the effort usually required to acquire a desired reward that makes the activity controversial. Among many pilots, camping is considered very similar to cheating. The most common reason for this is that if all the pilots camp, there will be no opportunities for the new pilots to come into conflict, and therefore there will be no competition, discouraging them.


2.4. LEVY ENLISTMENT

This category is likely the lack of work towards any strategical goal and encompasses those pilots not really committed to reach success trough their hard work.
Pros:

This profile requires a null effort, so the pilot can focus on social goals, like enjoying the Company of other casual rookies in levy units. All a source of relax and ease.


Cons:

A casual or levy pilot will become the prey of all other type of pilots, cannon food and sandbags for the predators.



3. LONE WOLF OR TEAMMATE?


With Independence of the single goals, a good way to help to achieve them is to join a Clan.

Obviously, the elite Clans, those earning usually gold and silver medals will be the more helpful that a pilot could join, as they will receive good feedback and advise, aside the greater rewards from participation in the Clan Tournaments and Games (Squad Wars, Clan Wars and Faction Wars)

The difference between a lone wolf pilot or a teammate pilot (a clan member), is so big like to despise the opportunity that to be part of a wider crew can offer.


By being an active member of an unit, a pilot will get Access to the following rewards:
  • A greater entertainment and friendship.
  • Feedback, knowledge and a better learning curve.
  • Allies to Exchange gifts (resources)
  • Allies allowed to support in King of the Mountain events.
  • Access to the Unit tournaments (Clan Wars, Squad Wars and Faction Wars), and thus, to great rewards like:
    • Unique Mechs (Vizi & Zadok for gold medals at CW, SW and FW)
    • Other Mechs. As rewards for gold, silver or bronze medals, as from raids.
    • Equipment. idem.
    • Weapons. Idem.
    • Additional skill points. Idem.
  • Higher opportunities to acquire Niodes from lottos won by Unit fellows.