Global Agenda Robotics Ultimate Guide

Global Agenda Robotics Ultimate Guide by Septumus

I. The Roles of a Robotics
II. The Leveling Process
III. A Breakdown of Robotics Tools
IV. Preparation
V. Turret Tactics
VI. Drone Tactics

The Roles of a Robotics

What role is a robotics supposed to fill? This is a hard question to answer because the robotics can fill so many different roles. Besides the fact that a robotics has many different roles available to it, their roles change depending on whether you were attacking or defending, the type of mission, who you were playing with, and how many other robotics were on your team. With that in mind, the robotics basically has three core roles available to it. If you wanted to break it down into those three options available you would end up with this:

• Support through deployables
• Additional DPS with drones
• Setting kill zones and blocking entrances with turrets

Of course most robotics will almost never do just one of those things as it is much more helpful to fill more than one of these roles at one time and some will even fill all three at once. Examples of this are a robotics that carries a turret and some support deployables or a robotics with drones and a support deployable or an offensive robotics that has a turret and drones.

Now you’re probably wondering what kind of robotics you should play so let me stop you right there. A good robotics has no pre-defined role. Once you know what role you should be playing for that particular fight than that is the role you take. It might take a little bit of time to figure out what is the best role for the situations you will encounter but like with every game a little practice just makes you more effective especially when you have the right tools at hand!

Later in this guide (in the preparation section) we are going to help you get a head start on choosing the most effective role depending on the situation you are going in to. After that we are going to get more in depth with sections specializing in turret and drone tactics and usage.

The Leveling Process

Once you have created your robotics character you are going to end up as level 5 either after you run through the tutorial or if you decide to skip it. As a level 5 robotics you start out with the following tools:

• HEL-TAC Rifle
• Force Wall Deployable
• Personal Turret
• Eye Drone
• Focus Repair Arm

You will of course also have access to your Energyburn Mace, Jetpack, and Boost which are always available to you at no skill point cost. As you level up you will receive a new item to use on every odd numbered level (ex. 7 or 19). On every even numbered level you will receive a skill point to use in enhancing your character. Below is a list of what items you will receive at which level.

• 7 – Medical Crate Deployable
• 9 – Auto Cannon Turret
• 11 – Tempest Shotgun
• 13 – Grizzly Drone
• 15 – Sensor Deployable
• 17 – Power Station Deployable
• 19 – Rocket Turret
• 21 – Hornet Drone
• 23 – Arc Repair Arm
• 25 – Harrier Drone
• 27 – Lockdown Drone
• 29 – Rumbleblaster

Tip:
Using PvE to level until you are between levels 15 and 20 can be a good way to make sure you have a good arsenal to be more effective in PvP without going through those beginning “growing pains”.

It can be difficult in the early stages of robotics with limited access to the tools that basically define the class but you just have to remember that you won’t stay a low level for very long.

A Breakdown of Robotics Tools

HEL-TAC Rifle – The HEL-TAC Rifle is the very first ranged weapon that a robotics gets his hands on. It is typically most effectively used somewhere between a short and medium range to long range for attacks. Attacking too close with this weapon can make it difficult to make your shots land, even harder if the other player knows what he is doing when it comes to evasive maneuvering. Outside of anything but close range with weapon performs very well. The ability to zoom in for a 30% damage boost can really cause some serious damage (especially if you have put a few skill points into ranged damage bonus!). Overall this weapon is great for those wide open maps or if you just need some precision damage dealing.

Tempest Shotgun – Becoming available at level 11 the Tempest Shotgun becomes the Robotics solution to the close range combat problem. This weapon has several features that make it appealing to both drone and turret Robotics. The fact that it performs well in close range is the first which gives it an edge over most of the weapons the other classes carry. It also has a slight knockback feature that is just enough of a push to slow down someone rushing at you and sometimes even to push them into your turrets line of fire with a couple of shots. While the damage on this shotgun looks very nice at first you have to understand that all 5 slugs won’t land on your target very often so the damage can sometimes be pretty dismal. I will say though that if you put some skill points into ranged damage this weapon can be a real terror, especially with a medic damage boost or standing next to a sensor.

Rumbleblaster – Once the Rumbleblaster become available at level 29 it really fills out the arsenal of the Robotics for going on the offensive. While it does eat up a lot of energy this weapon deals a very decent amount of damage in a small AOE radius which makes it perfect for groups of enemy clustered together or for taking out an enemy Robotics turret nest. While this weapon can take some time to master it can be used to great effect while supporting a group on the offense. I don’t really suggest using it while defending since most of those fights tend to be close range and the AOE damage will harm you and your deployables.

Focused Repair – The focused repair arm that you start the game with will probably be your best friend throughout your Robotics life. Not only does it allow you to bring your deployables up twice as fast but it also gives them a damage boost while you heal them. The alternate fire on this particular arm gives your turret up to a 55% damage boost (very considerable!) and heals it at a little over double the normal rate which will usually keep your turret alive while under fire. Unfortunately the alternate fire also eats up your power at nearly 4 times the normal rate which makes your ability to sustain it difficult even if you are next to a power station deployable.

A.R.C. Repair Arm – Becoming available at level 23 this is the repair arm for the Robotics who needs to repair multiple deployables at once. The primary fire of this repair arm is identical to the Focused Repair Arm but the alternate fire is quite different. The alternate fire on this arm causes the repair beam to jump from the deployable you are healing to any nearby deployables and heal them for around the same amount as the primary fire. This arm is also perfect for the Robotics that likes to use the damage boost feature of his repair arm. It can provide up to a 40% damage boost on both the primary and alternate fire which means you can get a very decent damage boost at only 4 power per second meaning you can sustain that extra damage for quite a while.

Tip:
Every Robotics should carry at the minimum a level 1 repair arm of some sort. You never know when you’ll have to help out a fellow robotics player on your team and that little bit of help could mean win or lose.

Auto Cannon Turret – The second turret available to the Robotics that unlocks at level 9 is something of a specialty turret in my opinion. It has the same damage and DPS as the Personal Turret but with half the arc and a 35ft longer range. This turret does have more resistances to damage making it harder to destroy but with that comes a longer deploy time and more time until you can deploy one again. This turret does have its uses though. If you know you are going to be under fire and need a heartier turret or want to put an emplacement in an especially long room this is the way to go. A lot of choosing this turret is having knowledge of the map you are going to be playing in and knowing where this turret is going to be worth taking over your Personal Turret.

Eye Drone – The first drone you start the game with. The Eye Drone can detect players in stealth mode and will take a shot at them (assuming they are the closest enemy). This thing actually has a longer range for sensing stealth than a level 4 sensor so it does have some uses. You may want to consider taking it if you are going to be on a map where you set up a rocket turret in secluded areas where your biggest threat is likely to be a Recon hunting you down. Just throw one up while you are busy repairing or building your turret and it’ll watch your back while you are focusing on something else.

Force Wall – The Force Wall is another one of your starting off hands. It has many uses and can be very useful in certain situations in PvP but in PvE it becomes a necessity. I think the most useful uses of the Force Wall in PvP is in the defense of your turret or nest and in an offensive role in completely blocking off the enemy turrets. Players are smart enough to simply walk through or around but deployables can’t do that. Blocking off the enemy turret can buy your team enough time to take it down safely.

Grizzly Drone – Becoming available at level 13 the Grizzly is your first anti deployable drone. Every time it shoots a deployable (or robots in PvE) it has an EMP burn effect which lowers resistances to damage. This makes it easier for you to do significant damage to the deployable as well as causing the Grizzly to do more damage. Carrying this drone around when you want to take out enemy turrets and nests makes your life much easier. The Grizzly will also attack players but be warned that if there are any deployables in the area it will be attacking those first as they are higher up on its targeting priority.

Harrier Drone – The Harrier Drone available at level 25 is basically the Grizzly drone with one major difference, it goes after players. This drone has a slightly better damage output than the Grizzly but is basically the same drone. If there are any players nearby it picks the closest one and starts shooting so make sure you drop it next to your intended target.

Heal Station (MedCrate) – The first unlock available to a Robotics coming at level 7 is one of the staples of a deployable nest or defensible position. Its healing ability allows you to defend a position while absorbing great amounts of damage if you play it right. The Heal Station can also be used to good effect while on the offensive. When your team assaults a point run up and drop one in the middle of the action and bring it up allowing your team mates to live longer.

Hornet Drone – Unlocking at 21 the Hornet Drone becomes a necessity in every offensive and drone Robotics inventory. Like the Grizzly this drone is anti deployable and causes EMP burn which lowers damage resistance on deployables like turrets. It’s AOE attack is perfect for taking out enemy Robotics nests especially when coupled with the AOE damage of a Rumbleblaster. If there are no deployables around this drone is great for attacking groups of enemies that are clustered together as well since it does very decent amounts of damage with each shot. Unlike the other drones available to you the Hornet fires projectiles which can be dodged or may miss targets that are moving around.

Lockdown Drone – When it becomes available at level 27 the Lockdown Drone becomes an asset to any drone Robotics. This drone can be used for either escaping or harassing a player. If you get in trouble simply drop it and run while your attack is slowed down by its beam. If you’re attacking someone drop it and kill them while they are slowed down. This drone has even more deadly uses in coordinated teams where when it has targeted and is slowing someone down they become the target of a focus fire. This drone is perfect for those sneaky and fast Recons that try to circle strafe and melee you to death.

NanoForge Power Station – The Power Station becomes available at level 17 and is always a favorite of teammates who are on the defensive. This particular deployable gives boosts to power pool recharge making prolonged firing of weapons possible for moments when it is needed most on defense. Trust me when I say your assault buddies will love you for laying one of these down. The added bonus to this deployable is that it also gives a defensive bonus to everyone in its radius. This along with the extra power pool can make a defensive team really strong. This deployable is also good for when you are going to have a turret you know will constantly need repairing as it will let you heal for long periods which also grants that nice damage boost.

Personal Turret – The turret you start out with as a Robotics is the Personal Turret. Even though this is your starter turret you will probably continue to use it throughout your career because of its diversity and usefulness. The Personal Turret has a 180 degree firing arc which even though it has a short range makes it perfect for defending certain areas of a room or other turrets. This turret also has great use on the offense since it has a very quick deploy time when using a repair arm and has a short reset timer so you can set it up again very shortly after you have previously deployed it. Like mentioned before the damage put out by this turret is identical to the Auto Cannon but this turret has a shorter range and has fewer resistances making it more susceptible to long range attacks taking it down quickly.

Rocket Turret – The last turret a Robotics receives is the Rocket Turret at level 19. This turret is extremely powerful but fires slowly and shoots a projectile which means players have a chance to dodge the shot (though the rockets are homing). This turret has a very long range and a 90 degree firing arc like the Auto Cannon. The rockets do have an AOE effect so when it does fire into a group of enemies it has very potent results. The Rocket Turret is meant for burst damage and long range attacks on points which makes it extremely useful since it allows you to set up a nest while out of the way of the main conflict typically. Trust me though, Recons WILL come for you once you have been noticed and you will be noticed once this turret starts doing its thing.

Sensor – This deployable made available at level 15 is great for any Robotics setting up a nest for point defense with a turret. Not only does it reveal recons within a certain radius, it also shows any enemies on your minimap within a larger radius (stealthed or not). The bonus to this deployable is that it also gives a very decent damage buff to anyone nearby making defense of your nest a piece of cake.

Preparation:

This section is here to help you get a grasp on how to prepare for a particular battle you are about to enter. The trick with Robotics is learning what to take for each map to help best assist your team. This will take some time to learn but here I’m going to give you a little bit of a head start by breaking it down by match type and whether you’re are attacking or defending.

Control:

On this map type both attacking and defending are on even ground so you don’t have to worry about which side you are on. There are several different ways you can go depending on how you want to play the map out. If you want to defend a point you can go with a turret and deployables which is very helpful to your team and necessary. If there are a couple of Robotics on your team you might want to help out with assaulting points and take some drones and perhaps a medcrate to drop on the point you are currently assaulting to assist your team.

Payload:

Attacking – When attacking on the payload map you are definitely going to want to take a more offensive stance since you are going to be following the point as your team pushes it. This can usually make it hard to set up a turret nest so usually drones are the best way to go here since you will want to be on the point with the rest of your team.

Defending – This is definitely where you are wanting to go with a turret build. Setting up turrets at choke points to prevent the enemy from moving the point can be the difference between winning and losing this game type. Be sure to bring a sensor along to buff your turrets damage as well as keep an eye out for recons that will be gunning for you. I suggest bringing a level 2+ repair arm here since your turret will be a huge target if it is doing its job correctly.

Demolition:

In Demolition there is no difference between attacking and defending so there is no need to worry about which side you are on. In this game type you have two specific roles you are very good at: healing the robot and taking out the enemy robot. If you are going to heal your robot you should take the level 4 Focused Repair Arm so you can heal as much as possible along with some drones to drop when the enemies attack and try to destroy the robot. If you are going to attempt to take out the enemy robot go with the Hornet and Grizzly drones since they do EMP damage to the robot causing it to take more damage from everyone.

Scramble:

In Scramble there is no difference between attacking and defending. Turret Robotics do have their place in this map but it can be very hard to pull off unless you have a team that backs you up. I usually suggest going with a full drone build on these maps as it will allow you to help guard the point. Hornets work very well on these map types as many of the enemy will all gather in the same place.

Breach:

Attacking – When attacking on a Breach map it is usually best to go with a drone build though there are some maps where taking along a rocket turret is much more useful. When you go with the drone build you help hold and defend the point which can be very helpful and taking a deployable along such as a medcrate can make a huge difference. If you happen to be on a map where the rocket turret is more useful be sure to try and set up as far out as you can and definitely take a sensor along. Just remember you want to be able to hit any enemy that tries to stand on the point to defend it.

Defending – When defending on a Breach map turrets are almost always going to be the best answer. Being able to set up kill zones on the points you are defending is very important. Other deployables help your team defend as well such as the medcrate or power station.

Turret Tactics 

Placement:

Okay, so I’ve made an imaginary room that will give some examples of turret placement. The red dot is the point for capture and the black rectangles are crates and the dark blue lines on the walls are entrances. What I’ll be doing here is showing a few different turret placements that I would use in a situation like this and talking about the pros and cons of each placement. The yellow circles represent the turret and the light blue lines represent the firing arc.

The Peek-a-boo:

The peek-a-boo method is basically using a barrier of some sort to give yourself as much cover as possible while sticking the bare minimum of your turret out just to get part of the room in your firing arc. I find this method works best with Personal Turrets as it leaves just a small area of your turret undefended forcing Recons to come from a certain area to attack it. When using Rocket or Auto Cannon turrets this method can work just as well giving you a defended side and some cover. Choosing your spot wisely can still force only a single smart direction of attack from other players so you at the very least know where they are most likely to come from. The issue with this method is that there is always a back way from which attack could come but sometimes the position you can set up in is worth having the extra risk of attack.

The Corner:

When putting your turret in a corner it is important to back all the way in so it is as close to the wall as possible especially with the Personal Turret. Part of the strength of this method is the fact that it leaves nearly no undefended lanes of attack, especially with the Personal Turret. With the Rocket or Auto Cannon turret I find that it is best to aim the firing arc down the wall with the most open area instead of making it even on both sides. This makes it so that you only have to defend one side of your turret instead of both sides. The issue with this method is that smart enemies will use you as cover when they attack your turret which can do damage to both you and your turret (if it is a rocket).

The Wallflower:

This setup has a lot of inherent weaknesses but can allow you to cover rooms that are very hard to get any turret coverage for. It works especially well with the Personal Turret as it leaves only 2 avenues of attack so you will have to make sure you cover the sides really well. When it comes to the Rocket or Auto Cannon Turret I highly suggest finding a barrier of some sort to line your firing arc up with so that you are not completely out in the open since that would leave some very wide areas of attack for the enemy.

Height Advantage:

Sometimes just jumping up on something that is higher than everyone else can be devastating. This works especially well with rocket turrets in an outdoor area. If you can jump up while everyone is distracted with the ground battle some of the times you will go unnoticed and be able to get your turret set up without the enemy noticing which will definitely turn the tide in any battle. Setting up your turret slightly back from the edge is best that way you get the most cover possible from below fire with whatever you are setting up on. Don’t set up too far back or your turret will turret will shoot the edge instead of what it’s aiming at. This tactic does leave your turret extremely exposed from the rear and sides however so don’t expect the placement to last for long but sometimes just those few moments can mean a lot.

Denial of Service:

A very simplistic tactic but there is certainly something to be said about putting a turret in just the right place to make a certain entrance a death trap for the enemy forcing them to come in through a different route. Of course they are going to have clear shots on this turret and will try to take it down to reopen the entrance but if you can keep it up it’s definitely always a good thing to make one of the ways in worthless. Setting up in this method makes your turret the biggest target in the area for a while though so you better be prepared to repair it a whole lot.

Drone Tactics:

Before I lay out a few drone tactics we need to start with ideal drone placement in most situations. Ideally every drone you place will be a few feet above the heads of your enemies. Even though the Grizzly and Harrier are ground based drones I recommend this for them too because by the time they land they will be fully spawned and shooting immediately instead of being a glowing target for a few moments.

The Fly By:

The trick to the Fly By is have a target in mind by the time you are already in the air so that you have enough of your power pool left over when you hit the ground to start shooting right away. You can either attack from above using the height to start out above your enemy or start at a distance and use your jetpack to get the height you need. What you need to do is fly as close to right over your target as you can. As indicated by the X in the picture, you want to release your drone as close to directly over your target as possible. Once you have done this get a little bit more distance between yourself and the enemy and land going on the offensive as soon as you do. Between your attacks and the drone you will quickly whittle down the enemy. This tactic works best with the air based drones. I recommend the Hornet for a group of enemies or turret nest and the Lockdown Drone for a single enemy.

The Drone Hop:

This is the perfect tactic for when you get ambushed or if there isn’t enough room or time to get up into the air before you get attacked. The premise is pretty simple; the enemy is close and probably attacking you so you drop a drone and jet over them to evade damage. This will result in one of two things happening, they will either start firing on your drone which will take the heat off of you long enough to do some damage yourself or they will keep shooting at you giving your drone enough time to spawn and start dealing some damage. Either way you want to start attacking as soon as you land to take advantage of the situation. If they do end up destroying your drone by the time you land or shortly after you can just drop another drone though if you don’t have one you’ll have to assess the situation and either fight or run. Against a single player this is best used with a ground based drone like the Harrier and against groups nothing beats the Hornet.

The Sidewinder:

This tactic is best used to trap someone in an area or against cornered opponents. This can be done just as easily from the ground as from the air (air is always suggested though). It goes off the same premise as the Fly By but instead of placing the drone directly over the enemy you want to deploy it with a little bit away from them, if you can place it in a way to cut off a likely escape even better. This tactic doesn’t work very well with the Eye or Lockdown Drone as they don’t have the range as the others.

Ring Around the Rosie:

This tactic is simple. Rush the enemy drop your drone and start circling them while both you and your drone unload on them. This is usually a great way to overwhelm the enemy and take them by surprise.