Ares and Firebird - A decent pair?

[Dagron 10]

Ares was recently introduced to the game with a mixed, mostly negative response. I personally love it, though I must admit some bias as my primary platform is the mobile client until a Switch port happens or even unlikelier, I finally get around to finishing my PC build. However, that's not why you're here, is it? You're wondering how in the world a heavy hull can be paired with Firebird, of all turrets. Well, quite simply, with a lot of janky maneuvers and lots of speed boosts.

Before we get into the meat of this wall of text, I'd first like to attempt to explain Ares' controls (on mobile) in a better way than the recent V-Logs ever could. It's quite simple on mobile: Rotating the camera instead turns the turret you have equipped separate from the hull. Moving the thumbstick forward will cause the hull to attempt to simultaneously move in the direction the turret is facing and also rotate the hull so that the front of it matches the orientation of your turret. In even simpler terms, imagine if Magnum could rotate by pressing the turret rotation keys but the hull also moves slightly behind it. What does this do for Firebird that other hulls don't? Well...

 

1. Jukes and japes

By focusing one tank down and melting their hull down to tinfoil then abruptly changing direction to target someone on the opposite side of your hull, you can react quicker to developing events in the battle. You could, say, focus down a Dictator to force him to use his overdrive then suddenly target the Isida attempting to flank you and heal him, wasting an enemy's valuable ability AND delaying his healing, possibly even downing a medic if they're stupid enough to continue approaching.

Everyone who's anyone knows when a Wasp gets very brave, especially if they have a long range turret, they're going to drop a bomb. Some of them even completely do away with the concept of hit-and-run by just running and hitting shift then standing around like a fool. What can this combo do to help in this situation? First, equip a speed boost if you aren't already fastened up. Then start approaching to intercept the Wasp, ideally from a slight angle so that after you hose them down with napalm you can then rotate your turret away and then start moving out of range of the now counting down bomb. It takes some getting used to, but due to the unique way of inputting directions combined with the ability to instantly change your direction you can melt the Wasp and avoid the explosion easier than faster tracked hulls. If my words here help, try to think of turning with this hull as both using the joystick AND rotating in the direction you wish to move, as this is faster than simply trying to strafe/backpedal away.

 

2. Strafing and retaliating

Think you've mastered this combo just because you can maneuver quickly? Now it's time to learn how to "hug". I call it this because to me it brings to mind two people hugging. To do this you must approach your desired target, preferably from behind, and then get right beside them and begin moving the stick into their direction. This will cause Ares to essentially latch onto their hull and you can rotate the turret without worrying about getting disoriented. You should be blasting them with fire throughout this, then once you reach the desired damage and temperature, begin moving again to let them cook to death. Once you get the handle on this, try doing it without squeezing into them and instead circle-strafe like you would with any other hull. This is the bulk of your engagements with Ares-Firebird but will also reward you quite a bit by hopefully mitigating the disorientation the hull causes just by being what it is. 

Retaliating is the exact opposite. This is using Firebird's naturally fast turning speed to react to oncoming threats and maneuver into range, bearing in mind what I said earlier: The hull considers forwards to be the direction the turret is facing, and also accelerates quicker moving forwards. Firebird moves so fast, in fact, that even when your hull is slowed, you can actually outpace a circle-strafing Freeze on a Wasp.

 

3. Distracting and outlasting

Using Ares with Firebird locks you out of a direct assault role due to the hull being too slow and big to safely approach from the front, but if you use the techniques described above, you can easily slip through some flanking routes and begin attacking enemies from the back and in general, spreading discord and massive damage through groups of defenders or midfielders. Think of yourself as not only a slow moving target, but a slow moving priority target. Your primary role should always be to distract and stress out the enemy team by making them devote valuable time and ammunition to taking you out before you barbecue their entire spawn, allowing your teammates to grab the flag or gain ground on the map and supply drops. Firebird's crowd control and ability to dish out afterburn makes it perfect for this role as not only will they have to try and repair the damage mid-rampage and put their repair kit on cooldown, but also try to swarm you or run into a hiding spot. The more time you can spend alive and being hunted down, the better as every pride-driven Hornet who you've angered by having the audacity to outsmart them tunnel visioning you is one that's not killing your team.

 

4. Alternate routes and vertical drops

As Ares is essentially impossible to flip to such a degree I refuse to believe the developers actually modeled the bottom of the hull since you'll never see it, it is the absolute best at navigating narrow ledges and making insane vertical maneuvers to not only flank but also escape danger. Need to escape a swarm of Wasp-Firebirds on a bridge? Just jump right off and watch them flip themselves chasing you. Need to get to an enemy Shaft around a bend? Go around the edge of the terrain by hugging the wall and take him by surprise! The sky's the limit when you face no risk of failure. Go above, go beyond, but most of all, have fun.

 

5. Conclusion

Unfortunately it's past midnight and my Mr. Pibb supply has been depleted, so I must wrap things up. Ares-Firebird presents an interesting challenge for the user and while it might be less efficient than a light hull, the capabilities of the hover mechanics make it well worth trying out.

Lok, Thu'um.

[Person_Random 4,991]

Approved.

Heh, sorry for taking so long; I've had a tad bit of bot trouble, but now I'm up and running smoothly again. First off, welcome to the AWS! Glad to have you here - you've got a lot of knowledge and potential, and this Ares guide perfectly demonstrates it. It's already pretty decently formatted, so you must have done your research unlike a certain nub *coughs* me. In any following game-related pieces, I'd be excited to see a splash of color by adding some pictures, which would make your article one step closer to being part of the best of the best. It's great to see such a high-quality article in the AWS. Keep up the good work!

Edits: minor comma fixes 

[E_polypterus 2,374]

Sounds nice and rare( Fire Ares???) will read later when I’m free. Pics would have made it more interesting tho...

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by E_polypterus

[Venerable 2,967]

Nice guide!

I never really gave a thought to pairing melee turrets with Ares... I'll surely try Fire-Ares out, taking help from your guide.

Pictures would really have helped in illustrating some of the maneuvers you mentioned. 

Good luck for your future works, and welcome to the AWS!