Written by Wesco.
Below is the first of what I hope will be several guides written by F.E.A.R members on the different roles you may fill within F.E.A.R. Although it will be mainly of use to new players, it can't hurt for veterans to check it if only to refresh your memories. Any comments or corrections welcome!
Important Have fun, no gunner or driver in F.E.A.R is gonna shout at you or kick you out the mag for being new. It's not the easiest thing in the world so if your having trouble, ask away. We don't bite....Well Mist does, but only if you have four legs.
The Magrider and You:A Primer
Index
1. Basic Info
2. Things to Remember
3. Target Priorities
4. Communication (or, how not to be kicked out over the water)
1. Basic Info
The Magrider comes in for a lot of stick, for the weakness of it's main gun, its appaling accuracy at maximum range and its relatively soft skin. You will also notice these criticisms come mainly from people who use the Mag as a sledgehammer, running full speed at enemies and engaging at short range. This will make you and your driver die, lots, no matter how good you are.
The Magrider is, in fact, the best of the three MBTs, this is because it is the only one designed to kill armour. Sure the Vanguard and Prowler hit damn hard, but they have sacrificed tank killing efficiency for the ability to mow through infantry. With enough practice as a tank squad these opponents should be no challenge, just a lovely steel box filled with BEP.
Infantry is of course the Magrider's main blind spot. taking three direct shots or four close splashes to kill a rexo is poor, especially with only a 25 shot clip, though the this is where the PPA can come into play to an extent.
Now some stats.
Heavy Rail Beam
Range-300 Metres-Ideal Engagement range 50-255m (see note below)
Clip-25 shots
Rate of Fire- Approx 56 beams a minute (with three reloads)
Pulsed Particle Accelerator.
Range-200 Metres-Ideal Engagement range 8-180m
Clip-150 shots
Rate of Fire- Approx 304 lazors a min (with three reloads)
Note on Ideal Engagement Ranges
As raised by some drivers, you can play the naughty game and circle an enemy tank at 20-30 metres and outrun their turret, however this works best in a one on one situation, which is a rare one. In addition, the reason for the Heavy Rail Beam stretching out its range to 255 is because beyond 250 Strikers and Phoenixes are out of range. Anything beyond 260 and your gonna have a hard time hitting the broadside of a barn, and with the mag's high DPS but low damage per shot, this is a waste of ammo.
2. Things to Remember
Drivers
1. You main job will always, always is to bring your gunner to bear on the enemy and keep him there. Gun Mags yourself for a while, learn how high your gunner's point of view is and the rate of fire; its all very well having the tank safe but if the gunner can see nothing but tree then you'r useless. equally its all very good chasing an enemy over rough ground but you'r gunner will hit far fewer shots. Know what it's like riding in the back and you'll know how to drive from the front.
2. It is always more important to be alive then to kill the other guy. Unlike DA you and your gunner can't get straight back into the action via an AMS, you need to respawn at a base, get to the V term, pull your mag, load your gunner, load your ammo, orientate yourself and get back in the fight, often alone and at the mercy of the Mag's worst enemy, the Reaver Pack. Retreat points vary between drivers, but most will begin to consider escapse routes at 60% and be hightailing out at 40%. These numbers should be higher at a base where your arse is vulnerable to AV as you move away and lower when your in the field skirmishing with enemy vehicles. Hey, you can stay and zap that Vanguard or GG but be smoked yourself and you're useless to F.E.A.R officers and to the operation at large. (PS, always fall back with a partner, more of this in Communication)
Gunners
1. Just as the driver must always line you up for a shot. You must always be ready to take it and maximize your damage in that few second window you have of stillness before your gunner has to begin zagging and jinking to avoid shells/hand held AV etc. These principles can be summed up in the acronym W.E.S.C.O (of course)
-W-hen to shoot: A single Rail Beam shot won't particularly bother even a Lightning, let alone a turret, MBT, Ground Support Vehicle or Max, its the Mag's ability to consistently reach out and touch someone that will make you a force to be reckoned with. This is a practice one, its damn hard to keep the precise, virtually no splash shots on when moving on uneven ground, don't fire wildly and waste ammo, pick your shots; the other empires arcing tank shells will have just as hard a time, if not more, hitting you directly.
IMPORTANT shots up at infantry and maxes who are on a hill line or ridge are wasted ones, even the Mag can't hit these targets to any effective degree. Your driver will move you around to a better position, and if he doesnt, tell him.
-E-valuate your enemy: There's no real trick to this one, just lots of practice and perhaps some time playing the other empires. Most enemy drivers will exhibit the same tactics again and again, retreating at a certain health, heading for rocky ground or trying to get right up close and personal, be ready for all of these tactics. Remember you're in the superior vehicle, but that any other tank will make mincemeat of you unless each of your shots hit home. To give you an idea of your comparable enemies' health, it will take you 21 shots to kill an unshielded Prowler or Vanguard, so you have 4 shots to miss before that long costly reload. Learn how the bastards move and fight, you'll always be one step ahead.
-S-hooting straight: spend some time down at the VR vehicle range, fire shots off at the V.Term or at a tower, you'll want to understand the spread and projectile speed of the Rail Beam at different ranges and also how long it takes to empty a clip, when you can hit a base door with all 25 shots from 150 metres while moving, your getting there.
-C-ommunicate with your driver!: Perhaps the most important part of the acronym. Although this will be covered more in the Communication section it is impossible to crew a Mag (or any other vehicle) without driver and gunner working as one, if not your gunner could be shooting at a Basilisk while Striker's make a new entry hatch in your front. Even if you're not constantly chatting, all veteran gunners will use the clock positioning system; it may sound a simple system, learn it.
If they're calling twelve o'clock, they will be doing it because that target is more important then the one you are shooting at. Unless you've got a really good reason, shift that gun! Conversely you have far better visibility then your driver, even in third person they will see (at most) 180 degrees of the battlefield and even then only the ground level. Inform them whats going on in simple concise terms; eg "two Reavers on our six, left now" You are the tank's eyes; and nobody likes being blind.
-O-ften, you will die; Even the best Mag crews get smoked. Whether its the need to stay in an CY to secure a DA drop, or the bad luck of bumping into the front of an enemy armour push or being caught by a Reaver wolf-pack sometimes there's no way out. DO NOT STRESS ABOUT THIS; if there's something you or your driver did wrong, chat about it after the raid or Op, don't lecture, advise. Dust yourself off, have a beer and get back in the tank.
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