MechWarrior Online Surviving Alone Guide

MechWarrior Online Surviving Alone Guide by Terry Ward

These following simple steps will help you when you have the feeling to face a premade team and you are alone in a group of so called “PUGs”.

(Disclaimer: Sometimes your opponent will not even be a premade, but actually might follow these simple steps that will make them look like a premade. However you may still get owned and die in a fire by veteran groups, but do not worry the same is true for premade groups also…)

Phase 1: (You are in a PUG group and do not use a voice service, aka Total Loner tactic)

Step 1:
If the timer counts in the match and nobody has taken charge and said anything post something to your group like:
“Let’s stick together and form up in Grid XY” (Where XY is a grid nearby your starting location, where you still have cover from LRMs)
Sometimes you will still have some very smart players charge the enemy lines and die in a fire right from the bat, do not try to save them, form up with the smarter guys in the grid you defined.

(Sometimes at this stage you will get a text message like “Stay with us, we are a group of X players”, so you are actually a PUG in a premade setup. Then leave this guide and just stick with that group, watch the minimap closely…)

Step 2:
If someone charged away or you happen to have scouts who have a clue you will get targets and see which way the enemy is going. Sometimes only for a short time (until the one charging dies in a fire) so pay attention.
If you have LRMs on your team, now is the time to use them. Take shots of opportunity and if more than one target is spotted type something like “focus X” (where X is the target designation shown in the red targetting cross at the top side.)

Step 3:
Try to keep your guys in some kind of formation (aka meat shields front) and try to make out where the enemy will come in. If they charge you mindlessly (aka PUGs that did not read this guide) then simply pick them off one by one, but stay in cover best you can.
If they are a team and press you on one side then make out the nastiest targets (assaults, streak cats, gaussapults,…) and focus fire on them, again by calling a target via teamchatbox. Even assault mechs go down fast if hammered by 4-6 players at once.

(by now you may have noticed that you play defensively. This is due to the simple fact that when playing alone, the time to type commands in the chatbox ingame thingy is limited and pushing/rushing etc. needs much more coordination, so starting out playing defensively is much more easy while texting. You only have to be very patient, as this is not an FPS where you simply CHARGE, this is a game of tactics and team work…)

Step 4:
By now you either have picked most enemies off as they charged you one by one (PUG group) or you and the enemy took casualties (preferably the enemy more) and hopefully you are in advantage 1 or 2 mechs at least. So now comes the time to push it.
Make up a line where you can go along. Take your time texting with your team and make out which mechs to put front (those who still have armour left). Then stick together and go as fast as your slowest mech and push towards the enemy base. If you outton (aka have more tons left alive) push for their cap/base point and try to get your people on there, even if your own base is under attack. With your weight you will still have a chance to run down the timer faster than the enemy. If you encounter the enemy on your way, try to still take as much cover advancing as you can (for example run through small streets in river city etc.) and firing only when you have clear shots at them. If they get in your back and you can outrun them, do so, if not, turn around as a group and again focus fire.

Does this really work?
Now this is a very simple and basic tactic, but you will be better than 90% of PUG groups currently. Many premades will still slam you, simply due to the fact of voice comms and better coordination. But you can even kill some premades with this simple tactics (especially those that are only good at PUGstomping.)
I still recommend you get voice comms and simply use C3 or any of the free services to get a group together (you need not join any merc corps etc. to get into a voice comms group, just browse the forum for free TS servers that run MWO groups or join the MWO C3 Server.)