MechAssault: Xbox Live Tactics 3

Just when you thought every last drop of enjoyment had been squeezed from MechAssault, Microsoft Game Studios drops new content onto your Xbox hard disk. One of the downloads introduces a new element to the MechAssaultonline universe—a Capture the Flag (CTF) mode.

Although you could do your own thing but still be successful in the original modes, you'll need to rework your play style to find success here. Senseless destruction will only get you so far; the complexity of CTF demands a team that coordinates and eliminates, but does not deviate. So with this in mind, get ready to jump head-first into the world of MechAssault as we discuss strategies that will make your team a winner.

Loose Lips Sink Ships
Your cloaked Raven is tiptoeing into the enemy base to grab the flag unnoticed. You notify your teammates to prepare for your return trip. Suddenly, you're bombarded with PPC fire, missiles, and machine gun fire, transforming your 'Mech into a smoldering pile of rubble. What the heck happened?

You made the right decision to let your teammates know of your looming heist, and we give you a huge thumbs-up for using your headset. But chances are you forgot to press the black button while speaking. By default, voice communication through the headset is heard by both teams. That means you just announced your plan to the entire world. "Whoops" is right.

Don't Leave Powerups Lying Around
Often a situation will arise where either friend or foe will bite the dust just within reach of your flag, leaving behind all sorts of weapon and armor powerups. After your team is finished fighting over the spoils, make sure none of it remains, especially armor. What could be worse than whittling down an enemy Corvus' health to the brink of fiery death, only to see it snatch your flag, and then replenish its armor? Even if a teammate has to inflict damage on you so that you can grab the powerup, make sure no armor goes unclaimed.

Mercy Kills
You were lit up by a Loki and an Atlas, and now your poor 'Mech is limping along, desperately searching for some armor to make things right again. But of course you can't find anything to help. In this situation it's better to just have a teammate kill you so that you can quickly respawn, ready to rock and roll. Otherwise you'll be a detriment to the whole team while your butt hobbles around looking for powerups. This is especially true for runners. After taking tremendous damage on their runs for the flag, they'll be on the verge of collapse by the time they catch sight of home base. Just keep in mind that if the game ends in a tie, the winner is the team with the most kills. So if it's going to be a photo finish, judge your options carefully.

Winning Formations
Three main facets of CTF gameplay exist: defending the flag, capturing the enemy's flag, and tracking down your own captured flag. After many hours of getting our butt kicked and listening to gamers like you, we finally found two strategies that stop enemies dead in their tracks.

Two Defenders, Two Runners: In this scenario, your team picks two über-strong 'Mechs like the Ragnarok or Prometheus to defend the base. With two skilled players piloting these war machines, a frightening wall of defense will shut opponents out. But defense is only half the equation here. Choose a pair of fast runners like the Corvus and Raven for offense. One player goes for the flag while the other lurks nearby. After the flag is captured, run back to the base dodging as much enemy fire as possible. In the likely event that the lightly armored flag carrier is vaporized, the second runner scoops it up relay-style and continues the frantic race home.

The advantage to this strategy is that your defense is as tough as nails, and your offense is lightning fast. The major drawback is that if the enemy does beat your defense to grab the flag, the lumbering defensive 'Mechs will never be able to catch them, and the runners on offense have little hope of taking down a 'Mech with their puny weaponry.

One Defender, One Mid-Field, One Support, One Runner:This team calls for a heavily armed/armored 'Mech for defense (a Rag perhaps), an agile but heavily armed 'Mech to control the mid-field (maybe the Uziel or MadCat), a fast runner like the Corvus to grab the flag, and a moderately fast 'Mech to support the runner on the return to home base.

This strategy doesn't emphasize brute force as much as it does finesse. The defender will probably lose the flag a few times, but that is what the mid-field 'Mech is there for—to clean up messes. The runner's job is obvious, but the support player must protect the runner on the trip into the enemy base and on the return trip. If necessary, the support player can grab the flag after a runner has been destroyed or absorb enemy fire. They can also drop back to lend a hand on defense or retrieve a stolen flag, or the mid-fielder can help out on offense. The drawback here is that this strategy almost assumes your flag will be stolen, so just make sure your mid-field player has the skills to return it.

Be the Flag
One thing we see a lot is a player standing directly on top of the flag. No, they aren't trying to get a better view of the battlefield. If a cloaked enemy 'Mech enters your base undetected, you'll certainly know it when your 'Mech suddenly drops to the ground. And all the cloaking in the world doesn't do an ounce of good while carrying a very uncloakable, brightly colored flag.

Map-Specific Strategies

Desert Storm: Don't be fooled by the name; not all of this map is dry and sandy. Use the cool water in the trench to cool off overheated weapons. One of your first tasks should be to destroy all bridges leading to your flag to slow down the enemy advance. For this reason, the Corvus is the best choice for a runner. After the bridges are reduced to rubble, the jump jets are invaluable for jumping chasms. Also, many of the rock formations and bridges on this level can be used as a powerful attack in the form of falling debris.

Midtown Mayhem: You cannot be hit by enemy turret fire when standing in the middle of the base. Just look out for enemy 'Mechs. If you're using the Corvus as a runner, leave the enemy walls where they are because they'll protect you from enemy turret fire and you can jump jet right over them. But if you are using a Raven or another jump jet-impaired 'Mech, knock down the walls to the enemy base for easy access, easy escape.

Overall the Corvus has the advantage on this map. In the city you can hop from rooftop to rooftop easily with Corvus's 2× jump jets, usually sneaking by any mid-field defenders in the process. City buildings can also block some of the incoming fire. Plan escape routes amongst the trees to absorb some of the shots chasing your tail. Run along the tops of the two ridges with a Corvus. If someone starts shooting at you, just drop to the side where they aren't — not many 'Mechs can jump jet over or shoot through the ridge. It's a simple way to lose someone in hot pursuit of you and the flag you are carrying.

We've given you enough advice for now. It's time for you to put these strategies to use and wreak some CTF havoc!