PlanetSide MCG Guide

PlanetSide MCG Guide by PWNageNiNeZ0Rz

MCG is a fantastic weapon. Honestly, I’d take it over the lasher or JH anyday.

But in order to be used effectively, there’s a few rules to follow. The MCG is very effective in the ability to handle multiple enemies. Because of its large ammo capacity, you can easily switch targets after you finish the first – and so on. Use its LARGE ammo capacity TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. I cannot stress that enough. The Lasher or JH don’t even come close to the MCG’s ammo cap. Although each round may not be as punishing as a lash orb or multiple pellets from a JH shell – the sheer rate of fire on the MCG makes up for that. Dodge your enemies’ fire if you can, either behind trees or rocks or any other obstacle near you. Dart through corridors or run up the stairs. Let your enemy use their clip so you can rush them while they are reloading.

A very effective strategy with the MCG is getting behind your opponents. Especially with agile, the MCG has the ability to tear its opponents apart while keeping most of the hits on the enemy. From my experience with all 3 HA weapons, the MCG has the most maneuverability than any of the HA. The reason is because of the 100 rounds a clip carries which gives some “leeway” to miss a few shots. With the Lasher or JH, each and every round is critical to taking down your opponents. With the MCG, you can hold down your fire and still miss a few shots but still defeat your opponents. When using the MCG, strafe from side to side and circle your enemy. Most of your enemies are stationary or do not move as much when they are firing. Although some may move side to side/diagonally they won’t get enough rounds in their clip to effectively make long strides and to maneuver while firing. The MCG has 100 rounds so maneuver as much as you can! Going in from a circular motion, and closing in usually works best. Let them use their clip trying to hit you while you circle them, and then close in and finish the job. Zig-Zagging works very well, and is a great maneuver to use. Try to get behind him/her or from an angle that makes it a bit harder for your enemies to target you. Remember, the MCG has the most maneuverability out of the HA – so use it to your advantage. It spits out rounds faster than any other weapon so use that as well.

Also, keep in mind that the CoF on the MCG blooms after aprox. 18 rounds (give or take a few shots). Always keep this in mind : with those 18 shots you can take out a REXO or Agile no problem w/o having the CoF bloom. Those 18 rounds are critical and can really do wonders on 1v1’s.
When targeting opponents that are further out, fire in controlled bursts. Those bursts should depend on how far your enemy is. An effective way of shooting opponents that are far away is shooting those controlled bursts, but crouching every 1/2 second or so to lower the CoF bloom. Crouching does improve accuracy, but it lowers your ability to maneuver. So crouching every 1/2 second or so will improve the accuracy, but will also not hamper your ability to maneuver. Advanced targeting is crucial to this b/c you can see if your rounds are hitting the enemy.

Of course, there are some limitations to this weapon. The award for close quarters combat would have to go the Jackhammer. Each round is devastating up close, so for most occasions do not got head to head with a JH at close range! An experienced JH user will tear you apart! When encountering a JH user, use range to your advantage. Back away and circle as you are releasing your halo of bullets. Get as much space between you and the JH as you can. The JH’s ability to own in CQB is downsized by the ability to hit medium/far ranged objects. So remember, when going against sweepers or JH’s, get some range between yourself and the enemy – that goes for most outdoor fighting and medium ranged duels. As for towers – there is a slight difference in ways you should engage JH or sweeper users. Since towers are primarily for CQB purposes, there are a few pointers you must know before heading off.

Know where your opponent is. Use 3rd person (usually the T button, refer to diagram 1)

Does your enemy see you? Surprise in a tower is key.

Scenario 1 : Now if you’re in a tower and have an elevated position to your enemy (example : you are on the 3rd floor and you see an enemy coming from the 2nd floor using 3rd person) use that position to your advantage. Surprise is a huge factor for this. Once your opponent is within a few feet of you pop out. There are many ways you can handle this situation. You can either pop out and start to strafe diagonally while shooting OR you could pop out, dart PAST your enemy, and shoot him from the back. Either strategy works, but I prefer to use the 2nd one. Using 3rd person for this is important.

* reminder * remember to toggle off 3rd person once you decide to make your move and ALWAYS keep your weapon out.

DIAGRAM 1:

DIAGRAM 2:

DIAGRAM 3:

Very effective Tip :another effective way to counter people using the same strategy as scenario 1 is to throw a plasma nade at the top of the stairs, (either with a handheld grenade, thumper, or punisher) and watch and listen carefully to see if you hear the “hissing” of the plasma or the green cloud that usually engulfs a person when exposed to plasma nades. If you hear/see this, you can automatically know someone is up there. Usually when someone is hit with a plasma, they run to find cover to heal/repair them self. The second you know that the person is there and was affected by the plasma, RUSH THAT PERSON! You have a direct advantage because that person’s health and armor are down and their stamina is slowly diminishing! Very good opportunity.

Now for Lashers, use the maneuver tactics you will learn as you gradually get better with the MCG. Dodge the orbs and get in a position so it is hard for him/her to hit you. Lasher users need to CONTINUALLY lead their targets! Take advantage of that weakness! When they are firing their orbs at you, strafe in 1 DIRECTION! It’s harder for the orbs to keep up with you (especially at longer ranges). As your enemy is reloading, RUSH them! Always use your ammo benefit to your advantage! Orbs are easily dodgeable from far away so that should be no problem. Indoors or in CQB, use doors, walls, dividers, boxes, etc to dodge or lessen the damage of the orb. Although the Lasher does do LASH damage, it isn’t too much unless you’re facing multiple enemies. Maneuvering is key for defeating any lasher or JH user…

This is my relatively “short” guide for MCG. With experience and knowledge, the MCG is a very formidable weapon. I will add more later. Enjoy.

The Art of the MCG

Watch my MCG Movies!

Download HERE The Art of the MCG Part I ( AGILE Armor )

Download HERE The Art of the MCG Part II ( REXO Armor )

Advantages of Agile MCG :

•     More mobility and strafing capabilities.
•     Far more evasive maneuvers.
•     For fast paced players.

•     Huge Inventory space to handle both Infantry and MAXes
•     Far better damage absorption then the Agile
•     Capable of handling multiple enemies at a time due to Armor + Ammo.