Starter Asset Guide
Welcome to the Starter Asset Guide!
In Terrain Control and Team Solaris Arena, one's initial rank gives them 43,000 C-Bills. At the beginning of a game, the donation timer prevents players from easily going beyond 43k for their first asset. Besides BA and APC, Clan and IS each have unique starting choices. One's best choice of starter asset depends on what role is needed on the battlefield. What role performs best often depends on what stage of the game it is. Just as a guideline, for starter assets at the beginning of the game, brawlers and skirmishers tend to work best, starter assets that tend to work better later in the game are fire-support, backcappers, and supporters. A well-coordinated team can help make fire-support assets more valuable and less risky in the early game, but frequently fire-support assets find themselves too far from combat to be helpful or very ineffective at short range.
Solaris Arena and Test of Strength game modes usually have different starting C-Bills than Terrain Control or Team Solaris Arena.
Starters
"Role" describes what the asset is usually good at, mostly based on it's weapons. All starters are good choices for backcapping, the starters mentioned here as "backcappers" are those that perform the role particularly well. "Tier" indicates how well the asset generates C-Bills and Points when it deals damage. "Supporter" indicates that the asset supports its allies using electronics.
| All stats are current as of release 0.14.10 | |
How to Upgrade
If one's goal is to eventually upgrade their asset, there are a number of strategies.
- Sell - After earning enough C-Bills from dealing damage, capturing objectives, or supporting the team, sell the asset and buy a new one.
- Underbuying - Spending less on a starter asset can help give one a head start on an upgrade.
- Delay Upgrade - The longer one delays upgrading their asset, the more they can take advantage of extra C-Bills from tier.
- Rank Up - After earning enough points and then dying, buy a new asset.
- Get a Donation - Ask for donations from teammates in order to buy a new asset.
- Avoid Killing Enemies with an Overheat - If an enemy dies to heat, no one will get credit for destroying them.
APC and BA
APCs are typically a poor choice for a starter. Most early game assets are fast enough to return to base to get [[ammo] whenever they need it, so an APC isn't necessary. The APC's extra spawn point often isn't needed either as early game ticket bleed is slower and allied Hephaestuses and Goblins offer their own spawn points. After purchasing an APC, the player won't have enough remaining C-Bills to afford a second asset meaning the player will have to fight as a BA. Without much armor to share with allies during team fights or enough speed to keep up with allies, APCs and BA often weaken a team in the early game
The APC is a unique case. As a combat vehicle, APCs are completely incapable of defending themselves against anything other than hostile Battle Armor and even that can be a bit of a stretch with only two MGs for defense. It is in their ability to provide ammo reloads and act as a Battle Armor spawn point that APCs show their true strength.
Players that spawn at an APC appear inside the vehicle's troop compartment and can purchase any BA weapon while inside. Friendly assets can walk up to an APC and purchase reloads for their weapons as well. All of these features are available at any time. When leaving an APC in a particular location, simply power it down with P and exit the vehicle.
APCs can also be used to rush capture zones in Terrain Control games, as the vehicle has more than enough armor to take hits from base turrets, which would otherwise kill you.
Overall APCs are godsends, even essential, for players who plan to play as Battle Armor and can be incredible irritants to opposing teams that are unable to locate and destroy it. They're also very helpful on large maps with few ammo reload points, such as the middle base on TC_DeathValley or as a support unit parked next to a Long Tom player. Keep in mind that APCs also carry a LAMS turret, but it is only active when the vehicle has a pilot at the wheel.
Just make sure to hide the APC well if you're going to spawn at it. Ditching it behind buildings or in narrow alleys is generally a good idea; some bolder players leave their APCs in parking lots on some maps, preferring to fool other players into believing them to be map objects.
Battle Armor
Playing as a Battle Armor (BA) can be tough and it is likely you will die many times, but it can be a lot of fun and if done properly, a way to hold key map areas from the other team.
The most common weapon setup found is purchasing a Manpack PPC (BA PPC or MPPC) along with the Micro Heavy Laser (MHL). The BA PPC is effective as a ranged weapon, but it also provides a lot of recoil. This can be used to propel yourself in one direction faster by shooting away from where you want to go and also to help you evade enemy weapons fire. The MHL is the most damaging BA weapon in MWLL and can cut other starters to ribbons if they foolishly ignore you. Like any Heavy Laser, it must be focused on a single component for maximum damage; ideally, this will be a 'Mech's rear torso. Cutting the rear torso open will deliver engine damage to the enemy 'Mech, cutting their speed in half and reducing their heat dissipation. A couple more hits will certainly net you a kill.
When playing as a BA, you will almost certainly want to buy an APC and leave it somewhere to function as an additional spawn point or simply to help you get to the front faster. Keep in mind that holding down left-Shift allows you to run, at the cost of introducing a delay when shooting, much like in first-person shooter games.
Most BA tactics involve hiding behind a piece of indestructible cover, jumping or strafing out briefly to shoot, then hiding again. If your target is alone and is a slow, heavier 'Mech, running around their legs places you within a deadzone where they cannot hit you whatsoever. Other popular tactics include quickly leaping over the target 'Mech and landing behind them, then doubling back when the target tries to follow your movement after you land. BA function best when something else can draw the target's attention, as attacking when the target is waiting for you to move is a recipe for certain death. As a BA player, you can also help keep opposing BA at bay provided your aim is better than theirs. Combined with an APC, you can also capture and hold territory in Terrain Control effectively, which can be a good option for contesting distant areas.
Also, Battle Armor players will find that they make a lot of cash they can't use - it is best to donate your leftover CBills to your team to help them fund better assets.
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