Really been struggling lately.... :\

FireKiller87 wrote:

knyx wrote:

Protip: seraph tackle has a huge immune frame, you can legit build with 2 shields and spam tackle.

I don't think it's immunity. Today, I got killed in the middle of Seraph Tackling a Destructor, and I got hit just before I pierced the enemy's bot.

But you can tune for STR, get two shields and spam Seraph Tackle. The ammo is infinite and pierces enemies, a big bonus for melee attacks.

Not all of it's an immune frame I guess, I was shooting at a tackle spammer today and landed quite a few bazooka hits on it, but none of them seemed to give a satisfying "POW" sound and damage popup. More research might help on this matter.

Confirmed months ago that seraph tackle is invincible until the loop.

Suguri wrote:

Confirmed months ago that seraph tackle is invincible until the loop.

Well, that might explain it. I must have missed that confirmation. Thanks for the info.

Well, scored another lucky cosmos mod....



Got him up to 35wlk now and while the Armor Breaker rifle's still good, I'm trying a number of other uc/easy to obtain weapons to act as backup...the Bayonet weapon, if nothing else, provides a melee option, but maybe someone can suggest something better?

Also...FINALLY....



Not really sure what to do with this one, weapon-wise...just glad I finally scored one!

On still another note, yes, I left Hotglue of my own accord...I just felt I wasn't doing them any good...

...and much to my surprise, I already have 2 other offers on the table...; I'll keep their identities private for now, considering I won't be able to play much for a few weeks...new job training, yay....

CapeMike wrote:

Well, scored another lucky cosmos mod....



Got him up to 35wlk now and while the Armor Breaker rifle's still good, I'm trying a number of other uc/easy to obtain weapons to act as backup...the Bayonet weapon, if nothing else, provides a melee option, but maybe someone can suggest something better?

Also...FINALLY....



Not really sure what to do with this one, weapon-wise...just glad I finally scored one!

On still another note, yes, I left Hotglue of my own accord...I just felt I wasn't doing them any good...

...and much to my surprise, I already have 2 other offers on the table...; I'll keep their identities private for now, considering I won't be able to play much for a few weeks...new job training, yay....

Congrats with the Melfi Neos and the GunRunner tuning.
Once you're done with the WLK, start pumping that TEC.

About Melfi Neos...what Bazooka is that? I'm positive it's not Handy, which is sad cuz Melfi Neos could really benefit from that.
I have one too, and it's currently built for +FLY and balanced STR/TEC. Got a Custom Shotgun, and planning on getting other stuff for it since I'm a crappy shot with any kind of sniper's weapon. I might get a Minizooka and shield or tuned WBG and Minizooka, like an AIR.

As a replacement for Bayonet...I wouldn't use a UC melee weapon as they all pretty much suck. If you're bent on getting one, I'd suggest a Halberd(although the -stats aren't nice, -1 TEC -1 WLK -1 FLY), which has decent reach and force. My LazFlamme made decent use of this as a close combat weapon in addition to LazFlamme BS.
A Hand Axe is useful if you are running and are rushed by multiple enemies. When running, attacking with Hand Axe makes your bot swing the axe in a full circle, which is nice for fending off multiple or larger melee attackers. The only problem: Hand Axe has only average melee speed and pitiful reach. You do get distance, though, and you can swing Hand Axe three times in a circle before stopping the attack, which is cool for keeping melee attackers from approaching too closely.
A Boomerang Axe has decent speed, and good reach for a melee weapon.
As a ranged replacement, any type of Magnum-class weapon is an excellent choice. Handy Magnum is a nice, low-cost weapon that's surprisingly effective. Auto Magnum is slightly improved over Handy, but has higher cost and a +1 FLY stat. Combat Mag, while difficult to acquire, is an excellent and reliable(high cost, though) weapon with high Force(15 Force, 370 ammo) and a great ammo supply, in addition to a very nice +2 WLK(Note: Combat Mag is LND-type only.). Custom Magnum is a high-cost weapon with Combat Mag-caliber Force in exchange for -100 ammo. You also lose 1 WLK, but get +1 FLY in exchange.

Was back on the alt-account again...rather embarassing when an Izuna dismantles my art without me ever landing a single hit(without said Izuna even resorting to it's wisps)....

Guess I need to find a better short-range weapon for those situations....

Also, I've still got my level-up Jikun(whereas I junked the one from my main account out of frustration) there...

...maybe I'm just missing something, but how does anyone manage to hit anything with it's melee? The only time I managed to land a melee attack with it was with the target grounded and bound!

...of course, I could just swap the legs for something and turn it into another gun-runner concept.... *hmm*

CapeMike wrote:

Was back on the alt-account again...rather embarassing when an Izuna dismantles my art without me ever landing a single hit(without said Izuna even resorting to it's wisps)....

Guess I need to find a better short-range weapon for those situations....

Also, I've still got my level-up Jikun(whereas I junked the one from my main account out of frustration) there...

...maybe I'm just missing something, but how does anyone manage to hit anything with it's melee? The only time I managed to land a melee attack with it was with the target grounded and bound!

...of course, I could just swap the legs for something and turn it into another gun-runner concept.... *hmm*

how 2 hit.


Get near,right click

Seriously, please....

I've tried that, but I somehow keep missing, the closer I am to a target...doesn't make any sense to me, either...tragically, this means no bot I have has any chance at ALL at short range in a 1 on 1 situation...and now that people have picked up on this...well....

If I could just get over this fear, for lack of a better word, of short-range combat, maybe I'd do a little better...I dunno...just so depressing sometimes...if I actually had any rt to buy(or roll for) something nice/more suited to what I can do, I would...that dual-railgun Saggi, for example.

C'mon...a little gentle encouragement here? Already basically turned down those 2 invites I mentioned earlier, simply because I'm worried I won't be of any use....

practice your melee on me then

Sounds like you and me need to run Haku duos again so you can practice your aim and get a kamui staff.

Don't tell me you suck at melee unless you can score no hits with a VF

Do you really have to use melee?
I mean you will be of use the instant you stop playing giant manly (non air tho cause air bots with stardust cannon and a crap ton of hp so even when getting hit by railguns they don't flinch are gods) bots and get eaten alive by by all the vanguards and better melee units running around on the ground.
If you are bad at melee then don't play melee at least until you get a better melee unit outside of Mighty Byne.

Sometimes, I wish I -had- a Fencer so I could see what the fuss is about....

...but to give you an idea of just how bad I've been(and still am) with melee...; finally scored an Ivis during beta, fairly late into said beta, and took it into a 15 vs 15 battle...can't remember if it was union or shuffle to be honest....

...
...
...

...scored a grand total of ONE SWING in the middle of a group of 2-3 bots...and that was right-click spamming after crimson veil...; on the other hand, that one landed swing resulted in my 1st and only beta pvp-melee kill, so it wasn't a total wash.

Baffled with how other people were taking on 6-1 odds and winning with her, I garaged the Ivis and didn't touch it again....

I'm not much better with air, sadly; I try the same things other airs do to eat me alive, and I get shot down so quick, I often don't have time to react before getting stunlocked to death on the ground!

Unfortunately, I don't have any other decent Supports outside my Priestol(who could use a cartridge reset if I had one), my main KokoGaap(named it 'Koko Nut' as a joke) with Boost Run(pain in the arse to hit at a full run), and maybe my 'Berll...whom for some reason, I can never get her draw guns to consistently hit at long-range, effectively removing my primary skill from play...if I had the Rt, I'd gladly buy a Nicole, as it seems fun to play...and heaven help us all if I ever get my hands on a Melfie...that bot seems to've been made with me in mind; aoe harassment attack, decent mobility, instant heal, 'oh crap' attack(blow-back arrow), mid-to-small hitbox....

...I'll think of something sooner or later....

Just looked at that accel saber you have up there. My thoughts:

Stop tuning wlk and go for tec now. You're at the third highest boost run speed breakpoint, going any higher's only really advisable for melee bots.

Bayonets may be one of the worst weapons in the game. If you absolutely -have- to have a melee part, use one or two red squealer arms, but I wouldn't bother meleeing on accel saber.

Steel Rider LG is fairly large, and doesn't have the similar stats of other large legs like Snailbot LG or Sea Lion LG. I highly recommend switching to one of those two, or to Ace Braver LG for small hitbox and great stats. It's not really a big deal, steel rider LG can work, but it's really not that great.

Get accessories that increase tec, along with another stat if possible. For head accessories, use EVE ornaments, sunflowers, Hana Kanzashi, or cute beret. For eyes, use Intelli Blue, Mini Lily, or Monocle.

Arms are fine

I want a 2-slot Victory HD, but people only send me LGs ;-;

For weaponry, I'd recommend bazooka + buckler. It's the staple UC setup for accel sabers.

Lose the prop BSJ, inane cost and stat debuffs, if you really need a joint, use rear wing.

I'd say ditch the armor breaker. I can barely hit things with it, but that be me. It has a lot of drop I noticed too D:
Lose the Steel Rider LG too, Ace Braver is a lot smaller.
Not sure where Scout Rifle is found, but I'd recommend that.
Bayonette sucks as well. Only thing I'd consider using that on is a chibi.

I never liked boost run on gunner lands, as stopping to refill boost gauge can prove fatal. I'd almost say ditch boost run, as your walk is high.

As for melée:

There's really no guide to this. It's just something you pick up. You have a Byne? He tends to be forgiving in terms of making mistakes. Even though he has sheilds, don't rush straight through the missiles and bullets. Look for back routes, pick off straggling arts, then when you feel the enemy group is low, assault from behind.
As for how to land hits, you want to almost circle them . Flank left and right, dodging shots as necessary. On L lands, spam that 8-Vulcan until you get in melée range. You still need a gun on melée types.



Tldr: Replace LG, replace guns.
For melée, keep a gun still such as 8-Vulcan. Circle around your opponent, slowly getting into melée range and then strike, either pop a slayer bit and repeat, or dash away and repeat from circling around.

knyx wrote:

Lose the prop BSJ, inane cost and stat debuffs, if you really need a joint, use rear wing.

How did I forget to mention this, it was the first thing I was going to say D;

Prop BSJ is horrible, especially for its cost, and it jacks up your hitbox size considerably as well. Do not touch under any circumstances.

@Trill: Boost Run's fine as long as you can manage your boost. Just pretend you're playing an air and you'll be fine.

knyx wrote:

Lose the prop BSJ, inane cost and stat debuffs, if you really need a joint, use rear wing.

This.
I might not even use the Rear Wing BSJ, if possible, as it still extends your horizontal hitbox a little. The -1 TEC is slightly annoying too, and the bonus WLK can be replaced by a High Run tune.

@Trill: With Boost Run on a Gunner LND, I'd move backwards once my boost gauge starts getting to about 1/3 remaining. Since a LND using Boost Run won't drain it as quickly(I'd estimate the useable Boost Run time as about 15-20 seconds on a full gauge), you can effectively run around and piss people off, and quickly make a retreat if the tide turns.
However, with that high WLK, Boost Run feels slightly redundant. I would have gone for Sway or possibly Short Boost.

To melee effectively, you either 1)need a Fencer for his imba damage output, or 2)need to know your surroundings and orientation in relation to all enemies in the area. Melee lock-on in this game sucks massive balls, so aim manually. Practice with your melee in the lobby, whenever you have the chance. Know what your melee can and cannot do(does it cover your front/sides/back? how far does it send you when you use it? how long until you can attack again? does the attack disorient you(read: LazFlamme BS)? are there any additional effects when you are running/stationary/surrounded(Hand Axe, Lance, etc.)? is there anything you can do to upgrade your melee through force/speed/status effect/range tuning? what about internals, if applicable? if I'm a Byne/Mai-chan, can I reach the enemy and pilebunker them before my armor is shot off?)

If you're playing an AIR...what bots did you use? What was it's/their FLY? What tactics are you using? Are you making a concerted effort to dodge, or are you just flying in straight lines? Are you manually aiming? Are you being smart with your gauge? Are you running out of boost in a bad area(enemy filled)?
Remember, reflexes are important. If you're stunned in midair, wait for the stun animation to clear, wait a half a second, then hold down SPACE again to re-engage your boosters.
If you fail at this and you fall to the ground, dash in one direction and hold SPACE immediately during the dash to fly close to the ground. While a lot of people consider this a waste of booster, the biggest advantage of this becomes evident when you're under attack. By doing this, you immediately start flying at cruise speed(your maximum flight speed according to your FLY stat), and thus can escape a bad situation more easily. If your pursuer is not expecting you to do this, you can obtain a great head start and often force your attacker to abandon the chase. This tactic won't work on terrain where elevations differ greatly over short distances, and works best on flat terrain(you can't do this on a hill, for example, because you'll hit the hill facefirst and stop flying).

Protip: If you're playing a bot with low FLY(say, you're leveling an untuned Beezle A, or anything with less than 20 FLY), you'll have to have proportionally greater evasion skills.
Be smart with your boost gauge. Once you engage the boosters, you have 10 seconds to do whatever the hell you have to, and get the fuck out of there before you take a Sturbanger missile barrage to the face(or worse, a Toy-Loli sights you and sends a flurry of nukes your way). I usually limit myself to 6 seconds of combat flight time before retreating(takes me about 2 seconds to lift off to a reasonable height, 6 seconds of heated Air-to-Everything combat, 2 seconds to find a good spot to land. I have 27 FLY, which usually is enough to secure a good spot to land).
Look for choice places to land. Elevated platforms are ideal as you can gain more height while taking off.
Height is the most important factor in determining how safe your Airbot is, within the limit of weapons range. If you're using short-ranged weapons, you'll have to fly lower if you want to hit an enemy. This puts you in greater danger from anything that wields a bazooka or missiles. Simply put, Height = Safety, More Height = Less chance your weapons will strike at any certain speed. The trick is to find a balance, unless you're a scrubby wisp spammer and can't do anything else, in which case more height is always better.
Having a Propeller Bit is a nice way to ensure that you stay in the air forever besides the obvious Seraph Wings, provided that your bits don't take too much damage. I haven't tested the full length of Propeller Bit flight time, but I'll estimate it's around 20-30 seconds, which would be double to triple the normal AIR boost time.

FireKiller87 wrote:

@Trill: With Boost Run on a Gunner LND, I'd move backwards once my boost gauge starts getting to about 1/3 remaining. Since a LND using Boost Run won't drain it as quickly(I'd estimate the useable Boost Run time as about 15-20 seconds on a full gauge)

I got seven seconds testing it just now.

Suguri wrote:

FireKiller87 wrote:

@Trill: With Boost Run on a Gunner LND, I'd move backwards once my boost gauge starts getting to about 1/3 remaining. Since a LND using Boost Run won't drain it as quickly(I'd estimate the useable Boost Run time as about 15-20 seconds on a full gauge)

I got seven seconds testing it just now.

Really? I would have thought it was longer. I don't have any bots with Boost Run, so I can't test this for myself.

Suguri wrote:

FireKiller87 wrote:

@Trill: With Boost Run on a Gunner LND, I'd move backwards once my boost gauge starts getting to about 1/3 remaining. Since a LND using Boost Run won't drain it as quickly(I'd estimate the useable Boost Run time as about 15-20 seconds on a full gauge)

I got seven seconds testing it just now.

Boost run is directly proportional to the regular amount of booster for flying you can use. Airs are the ones who can go for about 20 seconds boost running.

1st off, apologies for the delay...survived my 1st day of a new job, so playtime will be a bit sparse for the next 2 weeks except on weekends....

With that, The 'rifle' weapons, especially the Armor Breaker, have been good to me, and I've been tagging red squealers in their dashes with me at a full boost run...while not as succesfully, I've also been hitting airs with it at extreme range, but they're usually pre-occupied with another target...still....

Don't have the cost capacity for a Scout Rifle just yet, but a few more levels may fix that....

The only 2 airbots I have right now worth anything are my Ghost Raider(Stealth/Sniper/Quick Jump) and a lv 5 Helingal...not sure which to really focus on.

I may still work with some different weapon loadouts on the GunRunner...time will tell!

=edit=

Won't be replacing the Steel Rider lg, as it has 2 very expensive and lucky cosmos mods on it...the low profile makes it hard to hit at range by other ground-based bots, but I -did- swap the prop bsj for the rear-wing bsj...nice look, too!

Apologies for my recent silence....

Internet connection at home over the last week has been sporadic at best, likely due to rumored upgrades from the company....

Also, I'm in training for a 3-month contract job(yay!) at a local call center! Granted, it's only for 3 months, BUT it means once I head home to the States, likely by September, I'll have SOMEthing to work with in getting restarted...again....

Man, fate just doesn't like me....

My alt. account(the one with the Byne), gets a lucky cube which hands me...a Kamui Staff...; I put it on the Byne(just BARELY had the capa. for it)....

...and I don't see what the fuss is about this thing(landed ONE swing)...useless against airs(obviously), can't get close enough to arts to make a difference, and anything else was just circling out of melee range....

...utterly useless piece o' junk....

O.k., melee is now officially beyond my skills, so lte's just move on to something...ANYthing...else that I can actually do...I feel so utterly useless my-self-....

CapeMike wrote:

...utterly useless piece o' junk....

You serious?
You can manage to punch things with Byne and yet you can't hit with kamui staff?

Go back to training arena and learn to hit things again.

Keep at it until you feel confident enough.