Guide [Issue 30] The Contrasting Combinations - Part 1

[Remaine 4,687]

 

Greetings, readers. I'm going to embark on a continuation of a series which, unfortunately, discontinued way back in Issue 12. Credits go to @Ranger7 - he was the previous mind behind this series. I will be thoroughly looking at two combinations each issue, and will be offering my two cents on how to, and/or where to use the combo effectively in each game mode, if deemed possible.

 

The first combination I'm going to look at this issue is Thunder-Wasp.

In this situation, dependent on the map, this combo has the potential to perform really well here - but what can't be missed is that the lack of Health Points in a 'every man for himself'  format, in essence, will pose a problem, whether micro-upgraded or not. Enemies will be aware of this, and it's possible that you may become a target. I think that in order for this combo to prosper in deathmatches, it's going to need a fair bit of cover - something that can take the damage for you, whether it be a wall, or a building, for example:

 

 

In this case, I've used the back of a inclined floor, but you should get the gist of what I mean at this point. Also, landing shots from farther away can net you kills too; you don't want to be too close, for if you are, you're susceptible to being butchered - you're not always going to be able to escape!

You've got one of the best turrets for team deathmatches on a speedy hull - rake in points everywhere. If you're not too fussed on your D/L and score is the ultimate factor for you, get one to three shots on a given opponent (how many shots you fire is circumstantial to the enemy's hull) before moving onto the next one, and repeat this process, leaving your teammates to finish them off. Ultimately, you'll net more points since you did more work on each enemy. Finish the job yourself if your enemy is being accompanied by an Isida, or you feel that your teammates are bad enough to the extent that you can't trust them with the task of finishing the opponents off. If D/L is rather significant to you, you're going to need cover, again. Refer to my gif above to get a feel of what I mean. See if you can utilise cover in their base too.

Despite using the swiftest hull in the game, it's not as easy to get away from the base than you may think. Once you've gotten away, you're pretty much golden, given that no one will be able to catch you - but whilst in the base, it can be quite difficult to get away, if defenders/campers are present. There are a couple of ways you can go about making it easier for yourself to succeed in your venture in capturing the flag. The first way is to lower your enemies' Health Points before even getting into the base - this is where Thunder can prove particularly useful, due to its splash damage and all, it can hit more than one enemy; campers tend to use shorter range guns and so you can damage them, without them being able to damage you. That way, once you do get in, it shouldn't be too difficult to take them out, if you haven't taken them out already. One thing to keep in mind is: if the defenders/campers have an Isida, make sure it's taken out before you even think of invading or attacking the others - no matter what modification, one Isida can give enemies a huge advantage. The first technique can also fall under this too; make sure the opposing Isidas have been destroyed otherwise the enemies will take you out due to their personal vampires replenishing their Health Points - for equality, get a vampire of your own to assist you! The most commonly used way to escape a base is via outnumbering the enemy - it's common because it generally works, but make sure your teammates are capable of doing their bit, and make sure some of your teammates are hanging back in case the opposing side want to nab a flag.

 

Other than speeding along to points that haven't been obtained/forgotten about, I'm not really seeing a use for this combo in CP. Particularly in the case of where there's one point only, which is quite common, bulk is required, and Wasp doesn't have that.

Bearing in mind that this combo is quite low on Health Points, turrets will be able to get your HP down to zilch with relative ease - you'll want to be protected from as many turrets as possible. At the same time, the protection's got to be noticeable. Therefore, paints such as Taiga, Prodigi and Picasso will be the biggest help in this case, since you're solidly protected from nearly half the turrets. Paints such as Emerald, Inferno, Zeus and Clay can prove useful too, if only a certain amount of turrets are an annoyance to you, despite your armour. In the case of those at the M2 stage, Hohloma, Sandstone and even Rustle are the effective ones.

Its agility means it can make for a great attacker - but you don't want to get too close to opponents, otherwise you're only going to be inflicting damage on yourself. On the other hand, the splash damage can make life easier when it comes to clearing foes. Your diminutive stature can enable you to squeeze through places other tanks cannot e.g. the slim pathways in Future - not only this, your speed allows you to take shortcuts in maps (e.g. the ramps in Monte Carlo); in essence, if you want to be a long range attacker, and a potentially great flag-caper, Thunder-Wasp's the way to go.

The second combo I'll be looking at this issue is Twins-Viking.

Twins-Viking can be a demon in deathmatches, but it's dependent on the size of the map in question. If you're in a large map, you're going to have a problem, given that Twins' range leaves a lot to be desired. You'll find that it's difficult to get to people, and when you do, since that, in the average large map's case, there will be so many places for the enemy to escape to, and so it's possible that they might even get away. Bringing it to places such as Dusseldorf and Berlin wouldn't be too lucrative on your part. However, if you're in cramped quarters, you're not going to find it difficult to get to, and finish off enemies at all. Striking unsuspecting enemies from the rear means they're pretty much done, in most cases, given that by the time your enemy has turned his turret (or its whole darn tank), you will have dealt too much damage for the enemy to strike back effectively, unless you're in the extreme circumstances where your opponent is wielding Rock, Urban and the like.

With Twins-Viking, its utility in team deathmatches is quite debatable. Reason being is that it doesn't unleash a large amount of power at a single time, which means pretty much every other turret can net more points from a kill, simply because they can obtain a respectable portion of the points from a single shot/spray. However, with Twins-Viking, you're going to need more than a single plasma ball to get a good segment of the winnings - and what with teammates yearning for points, unless you're in a place which enables you to have a 1 on 1, it can prove quite difficult to get high up in the scoreboard, due to obtaining 4 or so points for each kill you get. Therefore, it's rather outclassed in team deathmatches, especially when the maps are big - heck, it'll be a good day if you get anything! What you can do is be a sort of midfielder in team deathmatches - take out the opponents that are on their way to your base; you will achieve 1-1 situations more, so you will obtain more points on the proviso you win these duels, and more kills - it will make you more of an asset. You can also try to pose as a sort of defender, in an attempt to make sure the opposition does not dominate your base - if it isn't obvious already, domination equals detrimental. Do watch out for the long range defenders that will try to get you, though!

It's capable of performing to a high standard in any position, but it's generally better for it to pose as part of a cavalry, which in this context, means you'll be part of the back-up that helps resolve the flag dilemma. You'll accompany a bunch of other teammates and swarm into the base. You can try to take the flag for yourself, but only do so if you're one of the fastest there, OR you feel the team is taking on the enemy to a good enough standard that you can get away undone. Otherwise, leave it to your speedier cohorts. Bear in mind you don't always need to go in a group to succeed. If there's not too many defenders at the base, you can go in on your own, and severely weaken them, or even take them out. If escaping the base speedily requires you to jump, I must stress that doing this is not the answer:

 

 

It may seem like basic common sense to you and I, but you'd be surprised at the number of tankers that think their Viking has sufficient enough speed to make it down without flipping and it does a great disservice to your squadron. It's simple; either drive backwards, utilise your turret, or grab a Nitro. To be fair, sometimes, it can work, but not enough for you to rely on it. And if hit with a projectile, you're finished.

 

Alternatively, you can defend with it - stay at your base preventing intruders from getting in - you don't have the range to get the snipers so be weary of them. If an intruder gets your flag, stick on them until they're out.

In smaller maps, points can be dominated. Enemies can be taken out before even getting near the point. However, be aware of the longer range turrets that will try to attack you from far away, with the mindset that you can't do anything about it. In larger maps, you still can do quite okay, depending on where you are, but you'll need to stay in cramped quarters; if you're in wider areas, you'll find that you won't be able to do much, despite Viking's respectable amount of health.

The longer-range turrets can laugh in your face due to the substantial difference in range - they can get you but you won't necessarily always be able to get them; therefore, paints such as Prodigi, Emerald, Clay and even Jade will prove effective. Regarding the M2 stage, Winter and Sandstone will be of help, but in this case, it's more down to personal preference.

Suited for those who like to be able to fend for themselves in cramped quarters, and being great back-up when required. Spacious quarters may prove difficult for you, so you should stick to where you work best. It shouldn't be too difficult to keep upright with this combo, given you can use your turret to keep in balance, and your hull is on the stable side of the spectrum.

---

What is your opinion on these two combinations? Which combos do you want to be examined next month? Do you have your own tips that you'd like to share? Feel free to comment below!

 

[AceAgent 5]

Dictator Twins <3

[jazz20 1,181]

Some ideas for next article?

 

Smoky titan

Isida Viking

Fire Hunter

Ricochet Hornet

Freeze Wasp

Edited January 4, 2015 by jazz20

[rich678 1]

Ideas for next issue:
Isida-Hornet

Firebird- Hunter

Railgun-Dictator

Freeze-Wasp

[ExplosionsEverywhere 196]

Great article rem!

[Athena369 265]

Well said! Looking for more from this series !

Edited January 3, 2015 by Athena369

[AceAgent 5]

Try something like

Hunter - Thunder

Dictator - Twins

 

 

Or try some more unorthodox combinations that still have potential such as

Dictator - Freeze

Wasp - Shaft (which is actually pretty common at WO ranks)

[blackflag444 256]

amazing! how about twins hornet and twins titan

[My_Tiger_Psy 4]

I think the weirdest combination is wasp shaft.
Or Mammoth Isida

[genak138 950]

I think you should do some Mammoth and short range combos.

Also, Wasp and Shaft is pretty weird, so that wouldn't be bad to talk about either.

[denex12 77]

Viking/Isida and Dictator/Smoky seem like interesting combinations :P

 

Personally, I would love to see a Wasp/Rail one though :)!

[Truthteller 4,204]

Written Nicely, Well Done +1

[NatchGa 665]

I really like this series. It shows a lot of people that it is possible to use strange combinations and still succeed in a battle. You just have to be careful which battles you join.

 

I have a really annoying problem in which I cant control fast hulls. (I have practiced a lot with them, but it seems to be of no use) But I also love using close range turrets. The solution to this problem is simply what kind of battle you join. If you're going to be a slow hull with a close range turret, than you should pick smaller battles with few obstacles. Thus it is easier to go across the map, and easier for you to attack people because there is only so far that they can go.  

 

Examples of these kinds of battles would be Highland, Atra, Arena, Ping-Pong, Hill, Island, and Farm.

[keithchua 0]

there 70 hull turret combo in total