Guide [Issue 49] A Definitive and Comparative Guide to Slugs

[greyat 2,972]

                                                  

 

A Definitive and Comparative Guide to Slugs 

 

 

Well folks, in the due process of exchanging insults via Skype chat, it came to the attention of myself (Night-Sisters) and GreyCat that we were both working independently on articles of the same topic.  Namely, a comparison of Titan and Mammoth.

Neither one of us was particularly willing to give up on the idea, so a violent duel to the death for copyright tenure was arranged. Thankfully, (for the sake of the planet Earth) before open warfare began, a certain Sith-affiliated reporter suggested the idea of a collaboratory effort. This proposition was agreed upon, and a temporary truce established long enough to write the following article.

 

**

Mammoth and Titan. The two "fat guys" of the game rightly posses the reputation of being slug-like fortresses on tank treads. Going up against these chunks of flubber could easily be compared to an open assault on Fort Knox; neither situation has much hope of ending well. 

Thanks to their relatively comparable stats, it is fair to say that the styles of gameplay offered are similar – but not identical. This begs the question: are Mammoth and Titan interchangeable? Should you purchase both? If not, is one better than the other? 

Answering the above has extremely practical implications for the thrifty tanker ($$$) so without further ado:

 

 

Statistics

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                                                  Mammoth:                                                                                                             Titan:

 

           

 

 

Pricing: 

 

If you purchase every "M" straight out, not considering the cost of M3+ MUs, Mammoth would set you back 324,500 crystals. Titan costs 340,500, a good sixteen thousand crystals more than Mammoth. However, price is only half the story, so lets move on to a blow-by-blow comparison of the stats. 

 

Mammoth possesses the distinction of being the most-heavily-armored hull  in the game. However, Titan does not lag far behind in the hitpoint field. At M1 and M2, they differ by about 5 hp; in-game, this difference equates to the damage dealt by a single M0 Twins plasma ball.

At M3 Mammoth pulls ahead more significantly, armor-wise. It has a good 43 hitpoints more than Titan, relatable in-game to the difference of a single M3 Smoky shot.

 

Comparing Mammoth's speed to that of a slug is, frankly, a bit generous. If the two were to race, a slug would be the more likely to emerge victorious. Titan is slightly more nimble (if nimble is even the word to describe these hulls) – it tops out at one entire unit of speed faster. Though still slow, this added boost to speed may be well worth the deficit to health. It’s far easier to move out of the way of enemies, and you can catch up (or at least stay in range) when you are pursuing some of the heavier medium hulls.

 

 

Mammoth is a good deal slower than Titan, so it stands to reason that it will have more lethargic rotational abilities. Holding down the left (or right) arrow key, it will take Mammoth approximately 5 seconds to spin 360 degrees. Titan requires four seconds to come full circle, which makes it a tad more maneuverable and thus easier to drive. 

 

 

This is one parameter where Mammy most definitely takes the cake. Flub-flub here is chubbier, chunkier, and clunkier than Titan, meaning that the enviable title of most-stable hull in-game resides with Mammoth. Of course, Titan is also an incredibly steady hull, and it is difficult in the extreme to flip either tank.

 

 

Let's face it; if you're using one of 'the slugs' in a team game, the most sensible use of your bulk is to function as a pathological camper. (Hehe.) If you take a look at Titan's acceleration stat, you will find that it significantly higher than Mammoth's. Hence, when it comes to pushing, generally a Titan will win. This could be very useful in battles such as Island CP, where a Titan can push an enemy Mammoth off the point and capture it, or in CTFs where some fat Mammoth has decided to create a nest on the flag. 

As some of you may have learned in school or elsewhere, force equals mass times acceleration. Although Mammoth’s mass is higher, it is not high enough to offset its significantly lower acceleration, so this is one aspect in which Titan is clearly superior. 

 

 

In action

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Armor

 

As a heavy hull, you’ll be one of the few hulls on the battlefield that can take a shot outright from a Railgun on double power. Given the proper paint, you might even survive a shot from a Shaft on double power. Think of it this way – a Shaft with sufficient MUs can one-shot a Hunter or Viking without a double power.

 

This generous pool of HP doesn’t mean you can squander it. As a heavy hull with a large profile, you’re likely to be the target of every enemy in sight. You’d be surprised how fast a Titan goes from healthy to dead. The key to working with heavy hulls may be counter-intuitive – it is hiding – staying out of sight until the enemy cannot flee. More on that later.

 

It also means that you’re well suited for many tasks that require HP and not speed – for example, sitting on a control point or the flag. No one’s going to get their objective without having to remove you, and that’s the hard part – you’re likely to win any duels against lighter hulls.

 

 

Armament

 

There are eleven turrets in the garage. However, not all of them form the perfect match with Mammoth or Titan. In general, thanks to their hefty amount of health, the heavy hulls are best paired with turrets that can fire continuously, such as Twins, Smoky, Thunder, and Vulcan. Turrets with ‘charge’, such as Isida, Firebird, Freeze, and Ricochet work less well with heavy hulls as they are likely to run out of charge frequently, drastically decreasing damage per second (DPS).

 

However, there are some specialized cases with heavy hulls. For example, in small maps, putting a close-range turret on a heavy hull will yield disproportionately good results. Twins will also work well in small maps.

 

We wouldn’t usually recommend Mammoth-Railgun (in our eyes, it is the most hideous combo in existence), but there are situations where it might be useful – for example, camping on large maps such as Monte Carlo. (Incidentally, Monte Carlo also names a method of statistical analysis whereby a random sampling is taken many times in order to gain a numerical result, for example the value of Pi. Not related, I just thought it was interesting.) Shaft used with a heavy hull can also be useful – it can lock down an entire sector of a map, especially large ones, and also win duels against lighter hulls at long range. Beware, however, that you also form a huge target – even at a distance.

Ricochet and Hammer also have their uses on heavy hulls – in no-supplies battles, for example, where you might die before running out of charge, or simply in situations where the paints make them ideal.

 

 

Mobility

 

Suppose you’re using Titan-Twins on a larger map, perhaps Kungur. Do you sit on the flag to guard it? Do you charge out into the open, guns blazing? Sure, if you have a death wish. Shafts, Railguns, and Thunders will rain down shells on you without receiving a single point of damage in return.

What you should do is to hide. On Blue team, there are a couple of houses that may come into use. Whatever; just choose somewhere that’s out of sight. Then, when an enemy gets close enough, slide out of cover, and unleash a barrage against them. There’s a good chance that they’ll be so surprised that they won’t even be able to respond. Return to cover, repeat. I know, it’s a boring existence. But that’s what you chose when you decided to play Titan-Twins on Kungur. Or Titan-Firebird. Or Titan-Freeze. Or Titan-Isida.

Of course, there are some turrets with which you don’t need to, or shouldn’t hide. For example, there’s no point in darting in and out of cover with Mammoth-Vulcan while you still have charge; all you’ll be doing is decreasing your damage. But in the end, hiding will dramatically increase your lifespan. If they don’t know where you are, they can’t hit you. The same goes with any hull, but heavy hulls in particular; a Wasp can easily evade charges from Twins, whereas a Titan is going to be struck by just about every single shot.

 

 

From the Community

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a.)  Which hull is better, Mammoth or Titan?

 

b.) Why?

 

 

@eragon33: a.) Mammoth.

 

b.) Very slim difference in my opinion. Mammoth looks better, so I choose it. I don't really care about the microscopic differences in each other.

 

 

@Yisroel.Rabin: a.) Titan.

 

b.) "Why?", you ask? Well, simply because of it's better statistics. Although Mammoth is officially "the heavier hull", which makes it move slower, Titan is better at pushing tanks, which is better for golds. Also, Titan is longer, which can make it good for ramps/platforms in parkour. (Although Dictator would be the better choice, but that's a different story.)

But get this, Titan M3 is 2,700 crystals cheaper than Mammoth M3.  :o You can save so many crystals.  

 

 

@KillerGnat: a.) Titan.

 

b.) Back in my nuggish days, when I drove aimlessly around with no thought for my own safety, I avoided one hull in my garage: the Titan. To me, who never looked at the statistics of any turret or hull, it seemed like a slightly faster, less-armored version of Mammoth. I held that view for months until some of my friends irl began playing Tanki. They had enough common sense to compare each hull and turret with its counterpart. Soon, they had both ditched the Mammoth for the Titan. Then, when I actually started doing research, I began agreeing with them. At M0, the Mammy is better, imo. But the M1's of both unlock so early that you don't really need to think about the M0s. When you look at the m1 modification, you'll see that Titan blasts the Mammoth out of the water in almost all comparisons. My personal favorite is teh Titan's superb pushing power.  The trolling potential for it is immense. In addition to that, it's faster and has almost the same protection. At this point, all you've got going for Mammoth is its singular similarity to a potato, which, if nothing else, will hopefully do something to appease the gods of Tanki who seem to look so favorably on that vegetable. 

 

 

@yk88:  a.) Titan.

 

b.) It seems underrated by players of my rank, but I recently discovered that the speed of the Titan compared to the Mammoth is actually more noticeable than I had first expected, and contributes to the concept of simultaneous attack. 

 

 

Conclusion:

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In the end, the question of the better heavy hull is for you to decide. Both have advantages, both have disadvantages - it is up to you to weigh these qualities according to your preferences. It just so happens that we like speed and maneuverability, thus preferring Titan over Mammoth. However, there is difference in cost to be taken into account; the varying ranks at which the hulls are available to be purchased at. We can only help you make an informed, decisive purchase because at the end of the day, it's your call.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         @greyat

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              and

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  @Night-Sisters

Edited July 24, 2017 by Hexed

[Yisroel.Rabin 16,224]

Mhm, that moment when you're in an article, you skip the entire article until the part where you're in it, just read what you said and feel super special.

Nah, just kiddin', good job guys!

[Zenyth 6,494]

Good job! I prefer Titan mostly.

[lukey0 27,543]

l3rillient article.

 

Mammoth FTW! Its looks top it. Titans tiny tracks... Thank goodness that's not the same in TX.

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Very, very good article. I must say, I prefer Titan over Mammoth (I have both on an alt) based on the stats. Again, lovely article, keep up the good work!

 

P.S. The collaborative articles are the best, k? Do more, please!

[Benefactor 6,888]

What would be "salt" to these "slugs"?

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

What would be "salt" to these "slugs"?

Turrets :P

 

But seriously, hit-and-run tactics or circle strafing seem to work the best. In my limited experience, anyways.

[BSG-62 512]

Phew! I thought this was another food article. 

[destroyer56super 33]

Quote from KillerGnat:

 I held that view for months until some of my friends irl began playing Tanki. They had enough common sense to compare each hull and turret with its counterpart. Soon, they had both ditched the Mammoth for the Titan.

 

Are you referring to Pode and I? If you were, I have to tell you that we actually joined TO before you did! :o 

The reason you're higher rank than I is that you, are, a, no-lifer. :P 

 

 

In my opinion Titan M1 and M2 are superior, but Mammoth M0 and M3 are better because the sacrifice of speed is probably made up for with the added health. If you check my profile you will see that I have both M1s of  Mammoth and Titan, I will let you compare my play time on each. 
 

Did you know that my friend, I and many others actually use the Titan and Firebird M0s together, it actually works!

But as most tankers know, any hull with any turret can work from recruit to Master Corporal. :P 

 

Edited February 20, 2016 by destroyer56super

[VaudeVille 1,428]

I think they forgot to mention that mammoth's turret is placed more to the edge (front mounting hull to be precise), therefore it is less exposed than titan when camping behind a wall or building. Which means it can just stick its turret out, fire and get back into cover. Tho is a mammoth even remotely capable of hit and run? Hit and hide should probably be the term used for heavy camping hulls :ph34r:

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

Great Article! I'd love to do an Interview, if you guys wouldn't mind ...

[The-Operator219 1,929]

Mammy is for the Isida-magnet, Titan is for the guy who wants to Tank several hits and keep firing.

[RivaIdo 1]

Titan is basically the ''better hull'' due to its speed and power...Mammoth is higher by a few health points which makes it not so much of a difference

[Gigalink 116]

I have both M3 Titan and M3 Mammoth and I use both hulls a lot. I've always been a fan of heavy hulls due to their staying power and the good K/D ratio that they offer. If I play on a medium to large map, I get Titan unless I am shafting. If I play on short to medium maps, I get Mammoth unless I hear goldbox siren, then if possible, I switch to use the pushing power and higher speed.

[TG159 734]

Mammoth imho

[newrohan 1,040]

Can you guys please give me some vocabulary and grammar skills?

[TG159 734]

Can you guys please give me some vocabulary and grammar skills?

Titan isntn't fat hugger.

It isn't not't fat nug. A

Edited February 21, 2016 by TG159

[newrohan 1,040]

Titan isntn't fat hugger.

It isn't not't fat nug. A

But they got a brilliant English anyways.

[TG159 734]

But they got a brilliant English anyways.

Yes them has good English.

You are not on pc u on area device.

Edited February 21, 2016 by TG159

[newrohan 1,040]

Yes them has good English.

You are not on pc u on area device.

I am on a PC :mellow:

BTW, I guess we shall not continue spamming here...

[TG159 734]

I am on a PC :mellow:

BTW, I guess we shall not continue spamming here...

Good idea. Just people only use uppercase when auto correct. Apparently not u.

[The-Operator219 1,929]

I prefer actually getting somewhere, so Titan is my pick.

Mammoth is more notorious, but Titan is a better mount for Railgun out of the two.

(Note that this only implies you're crazy enough to want a heavy Railgunning tank. .-.)

[Supernatural 2,053]

Titan is way better, especially in small map CP's and golds. It's nearly as slim as a Hornet, it's faster, it has more way more pushing force, an that 40 hp minus is nothing.

[dkchamp 384]

So what m3 should u get on the hull sale mammy or Titian?

U confused me a lot now I can't decide noooooooooo. :p

[The-Operator219 1,929]

What good is forty extra HP if it gets taken away plus more by a well-placed Railgun shot?

With Titan you can address said Railgun and take it out.