MechAssault Mech Strategy Guide: Uziel
Version 1
Copyright 2003 A. Belonio
Gamertag: Hiryu02
This FAQ was written by A. Belonio. No part of this FAQ in whole or in part may be used
without the consent of its author. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document
are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.

Table of Contents:

1.) Introduction
2.) Specifications
3.) Tactics
4.) Enemy Mech Breakdown
5.) Maps
6.) Gametypes

Intro:
I'm writing this guide for those diehard pilots in MechAssault who are looking for some
tips or strategy for this underrated mech, the Uziel. Able to hold its own in almost every
situation, the Uziel packs a powerful punch, and enough maneuverability to get it out of
many tight situations. If you like PPC weapons, but don't want to pick the overpowered
Mad Cat, the Uziel is a great choice. Part of using any mech effectively is knowing the
strengths and limitations of your mech. As well as knowing how to turn specific
battlefield situations to your advantage. I'm sure most of what I put down in this guide is
already known to veteran MA pilots, but for those intermediate or just starting out I hope
this guide can be helpful.

Specs:
-Weapons
PPC (Particle Projection Cannon) x2
Damage at level 1: 600
Damage at level 2: 750
Damage at level 3: 1000
The Uziel mounts dual PPC cannons, and most of its damage is delivered by them. They
are homing weapons that require to be charged to inflict full damage. Dual PPCs do a
total of approximately 600 points of damage, enough to kill a small to medium Mech in
4-5 shots. Powered up shots do better damage of course, with level 3 PPCs delivering
enough damage to kill a Mad Cat at full health in 4 shots. PPCs are unaffected by chaff,
or nullsig ( if you can get a lock on a cloaked mech, you can hit it ), but are rendered
almost useless by target jamming. A locked-on PPC shot WILL hit in almost any
situation, unless blocked by an obstacle. The higher the level, the slower the bolt travels,
with level 3's dodged about 30% of the time by fast mechs with skilled pilots. But in
almost all situations, PPCs cannot be dodged, except by hiding behind an obstacle, or
with extremely skillful/lucky dodging. PPCs generate a lot of heat, however, and you can
only fire 4 charged shots before overheating, and having to wait to cool down below the
redline to charge up another shot. Careful heat management is a must.

Crossbow Missile
Damage at level 1: 44
Damage at level 2: 62
Damage at level 3: 80
The Crossbow missile, while decent, are not worth using except when powered up or in
combination with other weapons. One combo to use if your missiles are leveled up is to
charge a PPC, fire, then tap B as quickly as possible to switch to missiles and fire a volley
that hits the opponent almost at the same time as the PPC. You can then flip back to PPCs
and charge another shot. This enables you to add extra damage to every PPC shot you
fire, with an insignificant increase in heat. This will not work once you are overheating. If
you charge a PPC shot and fire immediately, you'll go back over the redline and be
unable to use any weapons until you cool. Missiles are negated by chaff, and cannot lock
on a mech that is using Target Jamming.

Machine Gun x1
Damage at level 1: 21
Damage at level 2: 30
Damage at level 3: 38
Like the Crossbow Missile, the Machine Gun will not be your primary offense. It has the
shortest range of all your weapons, but has the quickest firing rate. It also does the least
damage. It does however generate little to no heat. Thus its primary use is as a cooldown
weapon once you are overheated. If you are in range, squeeze off four PPC shots then flip
to your MG to continue dealing out pain while you cool down enough to charge your
primary weapon.


-Weight/Armor: 50 tons / 3,214
The Uziel is classed as a medium mech, clocking in at 50 tons. It has an Armor value of
3, 214, good, but far from the best. An Uziel can take a good beating, and absorb up to 5
level 1 dual PPC shots before core breach. This means that the Uziel is best used as a hit-
and-run threat, making good use of terrain and cover to outfox heavier opponents.

-Maneuverability
The manual lists the Uziel as having a top speed of 35. This is slightly inaccurate in game
terms. For example, the Uziel is a tiny bit slower than the Mad Dog, but is clearly faster
than the Vulture. It is more accurate to use The Atlas' speed of 20 as a base. Thus, the
Uziel is closer to having a speed of 30. While this may not seem terribly fast, considering
that you are significantly faster than all the Heavy and Assault mechs, as well as one or
two of the Medium class mechs. While all the Light class mechs are faster than the Uziel,
the Uziel has more than enough firepower to handle Light mechs comfortably, given
equal pilot skill.
The Uziel also utilizes JumpJets, which are extremely useful for dodging flak, as well as
moving over terrain and obstacles. On maps like Icepack, or Colosseum, JumpJets are
invaluable for traversing the map, and getting away from opponents if need be. Just
finished duking it out with an opponent, only to see another powered up enemy headed
for you? Hit the Jumpjets over the nearest hill and put some distance between the two of
you, knowing he'll have to waste time going around the mountain you just jumped over.
By which time you're already on the far side of the map. JumpJets can also be used for
DFA or Death from Above. Lets say you have your opponent core breached, he's just a
shot or two away from death. But you want to save that last shot so you can make it to
level three with the salvage he gives you. Jump jet above him and drop onto his head.
You'll do a decent amount of damage, prolly kill him and save that precious ammo. Each
mech does DFA damage equal to their tonnage x 10. So the Uziel does 500 damage DFA,
almost as good as a dual PPC shot.  Don't forget, if your legs are crippled, you can still
move at a decent speed by jump jetting. I can't tell you how many times I've been
gimped, and used my jumpjets to grab armor salvage that fixed my legs and armor, and
kept me in the game*"Speed" calculation as well as other technical info is taken from
Shadow Panther's MA Mech and Weapon Stats spreadsheet found here:
http://members.aol.com/shdwpnthr/stats.htm

-Countermeasures:
The Uziel's defensive weapon is chaff, which once deployed attracts all missiles fired at
you for about 3-5 seconds. Chaff takes several seconds to recharge before it can be used
again. Especially effective against mechs which rely on missiles to deliver their sting,
like the Catapult or Mad Dog. Chaff is ineffective against Hammer missiles, which are
dumb-fire and do not need to achieve target lock. Also useless against all energy and
ballistic weaponry.  Chaff can be a lifesaver, as it can buy you the time you need by
negating part of your opponents arsenal while you continue to dish out the pain. It's also
great fun to "stick" the chaff on an enemy mech in the middle of a firefight, and watch all
missiles aimed at you hit him, and his own missiles fly wildly about. One of the
important things to remember about chaff is that if you deploy it after the enemy launches
a salvo of missiles, the missiles will still hit you. Launch chaff on anticipation, before
they launch the missiles. That way your in the clear. Or if you notice someone hitting you
missiles, go ahead and launch chaff anyway, that will take care of any follow-up missile
attacks.


Tactics/Strategy
-XBOX LIVE Destruction: He who holds the Land, can conquer Heaven.
This is the bread and butter of Mechassault. Before the game starts, size up your
opponents. Keep in mind which opponents will leave behind salvage that you need.
Primarily Energy salvage for your PPC. Mechs that leave Energy salvage are:
Atlas                        Mad Cat             Kit Fox
Prometheus              Thor                    Uziel
Ragnarok                 Catapult
Ymir                        Mad Dog

Make these mechs your primary targets during the game, or at least try to grab their
salvage when they die, if you don't feel up to duking it out with the heavier ones. Also
take into account the stage you will be fighting on. The Uziel does best in areas that offer
decent cover and varied terrain, such as Icepack, Colosseum, The Junkyard, and Number
51. River City is to be avoided however. It does start out with all those buildings, but
within three minutes of redecoration, there will be nowhere to hide once those Mad Cats
or Ragnaroks start sniping you from across the stage.
Know the location of the powerups as well, you can use all three types of powerups, so
grab them whenever you have the chance. Again, Energy powerups are to take priority.
Now, try to avoid direct confrontation with heavier mechs, at least in the open. You can
do well by coming up from behind cover or advantageous terrain, and getting multiple
PPC shots into them before they realized you have attacked. By the time they turn around
and bring their weapons to bear, you have a significant edge. Use cover as much as you
can. High ground is also an advantage, many of the heavier mechs cannot jump, so if you
get on a hill and start firing from there, you can just back up when they fire back, and
have their shots crash into the hillside. If you have no choice but to fight in the open, use
your speed, you are faster than almost anything your size and bigger. Learn to circle-
strafe if you have the room, but strafing back and forth in close quarters will also do.
Now, when strafing back and forth, DO NOT simply move the thumbstick from right to
left directly. To change direction smoothly, make a small curve, like a turn at the end of
each of your strafes. This prevents your mech from momentarily stopping as its legs try
to change direction on a 180 degree axis. Doing the little u-turn allows your mech to
reverse direction smoothly in a single motion and be heading in the opposite direction
without the danger of stopping for a second and being an easier target. Adding small
JumpJet bursts at random also help throw your opponent off, but don't hang too long in
the air, except when trying to get over an obstacle. Holding thrusters while also holding a
charged PPC will have you heating up faster than usual, and you already have enough
problems dealing with heat as it is.
Another strategy to use when faced with a powered up opponent that you know you can't
take out at the moment is to run for the nearest group of mechs already in a firefight.
With any luck, they'll see the powered up Mad Cat on your tail and send a few shots his
way, taking the pressure off you. I have done this multiple times and actually survived
the encounters. Note that this won't always work, the other mechs might ignore you, in
which case you can try to steal a kill off one of them and grab the salvage before your
pursuer cuts you down. Or they might decide to blast you first. Anyway, if your tactic
works, you got someone off your back and cleaned up the other mechs. If it doesn't well,
good luck surviving.
Assess your targets wisely, say you come across a Mad Cat and a Catapult fighting,
which one do you fire on? Given that they both leave the same salvage, the better choice
would be to attack the Mad Cat, as it is the greater threat. Also by killing the MC and
taking the salvage, you'll be powered up a level and be able to take down the Catapult
easily, assuming you also took the Armor salvage, denying the Catapult the health. Two
kills just by picking the right target. Now say it was a Timberwolf and a Catapult, then
I'd say hit the Catapult, as the T-wolf doesn't give any Energy salvage which you need.
Use Chaff wisely, especially when fighting missile-heavy mechs. It only lasts for 4
seconds, but that's enough to charge up and send a PPC shot into his hide while his
missiles go loco. It's also a good idea do drop chaff to one side before making a run for
the powerups. That way, anyone trying to hit you with missiles before you get to the
salvage is out of luck.
When fighting other mechs, Target Jamming will give you a headache. It completely
nullifies all target locks you have for 7 seconds. This means your PPCs wont track. There
are two things you can do when facing a TJ-ing mech like the Thor or Mad Cat: one is
two hold your PPC charge and keep dodging while you wait for the TJ to wear off. Then
you'll have 14 second to put a quick end to your opponent before his Target Jamming
kicks in again. The other is to run directly up to him and manually aim your PPCs into his
face. This is easier to do on a limping mech, but can be done to healthy ones as well. It
takes practice to do, but it hurts him when he doesn't expect it and gives you a tactical
and psychological edge.


-Enemy Mechs
Assault-Class Mechs include:
Atlas           Prometheus
Ragnarok    Ymir
Assault Class mechs are not a huge problem provided you know how to deal with them.
The main difficulty lies in whittling down their tremendous armor. The Atlas for example
has an armor value of 6,000, which means you need 10 level one PPC shots to take him
down. The Prometheus is slightly less armored at 5,500. Once again, the main tactic to
adopt is to hit them with as many PPC shots as you can before they can retaliate. Firing
from behind cover or high ground is preferable, from there you can hit and hide as your
weapons recharge. Use chaff to negate some of their offensive options. Often I'll get into
sniping range, squeeze off 3-4 shots, then run and hide. Most of the time the big slow
mech will give up on taking a long time to trudge across the map to hunt me down, and
turn it's attention to other, closer threats. At which point I'll come back into range, and
begin combat while he's fighting off other opponents, often taking the kill, and the
salvage myself. Mop-up on the other mechs isn't too hard especially if they're wounded
from the battle with the Atlas or Prometheus. If you manage to cripple an assault mech,
your job becomes much easier. You can then circle strafe around him at close range
filling him with PPC bolts as he turns just slightly too slow to keep you in his sights with
his crippled legs. The biggest threat from the Atlas is the knockdown capability of its
quad Autocannons, or in the case of the Prometheus, dual Gauss rifles. Both of these
weapons at level two or higher have a very good chance of knocking your mech over,
leaving it vulnerable to salvoes from their other weapons while you lie helpless,
attempting to get up. Once you get knocked over, you can kiss a large chunk of your
armor goodbye, if not death outright.

Rags and Ymirs present a different set of challenges. While not as tough as the Atlas or
its variant, weighing in at 5,000 armor points, the Ragnarok and its variation can be
deadly in the right hands. Also both have the Shield defensive weapon, which can really
throw off your game. Rags can be taken down fairly quickly provided you have 2nd level
or higher PPCs, and you need to get the first 3-4 shots in. Chaff takes care of the missiles,
while erratic strafing throws off Gauss slugs. Gauss rifles are also hard to use in a close
combat situation. In close most Rag/Ymir pilots use the Lava gun, which does high
damage, splash damage, and can knock you down. Lava guns heat them up pretty fast and
take a good while to recharge. Lava guns also have no tracking ability. The best defense
against the Lava gun is skillful movement. If you see the Lava gun start to fire during
your strafe, reverse direction as soon as you can and hit a quick burst on the Jumpjets.
This usually enables me to dodge the shots completely. Alternatively, you can continue
strafing in the original direction, but you MUST hit those Jumpjets. This usually gets you
out of there with one hit from the Lava gun at most. Jumping is essential so that the
weapon can't knock you down. After all, you can't knock down a mech that isn't on the
ground. The Ragnarok's Shield is an important factor; it reduces or negates all damage
for 1 second while it is up, and takes about 2 seconds to recharge. A skilled Rag pilot can
block most of your PPCs if he knows what he's doing. Also charged PPCs give your
opponent warning that you are about to fire, and they can use that to time the shield.
However, most Rag pilots have a rhythm to their shield use, they usually activate it to
block the first hit they see coming, and continue to activate it as soon as it recharges. If
you see the other pilot doing this, HOLD YOUR FIRE. Charge a PPC, and wait for him
to activate the shield in anticipation. As soon as the shield is down, let him have it! With
any luck they'll try to activate the shield again as soon as they can. But since the charge
time of a PPC and a shield are different, his shield will go down just in time for you to hit
him with the next PPC shot.
In any case, he can't use the shield effectively if he doesn't see the shot coming.
Therefore, sneak up behind Ragnaroks and Ymirs, make your attack while they are
fighting someone else. That way you'll get your first couple of shots in, and he won't be
able to see them coming. It is not advisable to approach Rags and Ymirs from the front.
While the Rag's Gauss Rifles can be dodged head on, the Ymir's PPCs will hit you if you
don't use cover wisely. The Ymir's disadvantage though is the PPCs heat them up even
faster than the Rag. If they use PPCs and the Lava gun in combos they'll be overheating
in no time. One last note on the Ymir, it has quad Autocannons which have a greater hit
area than the Gauss Rifles, and at level 2 or higher, have a very good chance of knocking
you down. Keep that in mind.


Heavy Mechs include:
Thor            Summoner
Mad Cat      Timberwolf
Faster than Assault-Class mechs and almost equal in raw firepower, you'll see a lot of
Heavy Mechs on the battlefield. These guys are probably the biggest threat that you will
face. They are quite popular, especially the Mad Cat and its variation, as well as the Thor.
It's a good bet there will be at least one of these guys in every match you play. The Thor
and the Summoner are the only Heavy-Class mechs with jump jets. The Thor is a pretty
tough mech, at almost 4,000 armor. It's favored weapon is its quad Machine Gun rack.
While individual MGs do only a small amount of damage, 4 of them, especially once
powered-up will chip steadily away at your life. When facing a Thor, never get closer
than medium range if you can help it at all. The MGs can only lock at close range, and its
long-range weapon, dual Lasers, don't do that much damage. Thors also have 2
Crossbow missiles launcher, but your chaff should take care of those easily. A Thor pilot
will always try to get in close so he can use his MGs. Don't let him. Snipe him from a
distance whenever possible, and remember that you can steadily outrun him by
backpedaling, constantly plugging him with PPCs. Thors do have Target Jamming
however. Just wait for it to deactivate before firing, so you don't waste PPC shots. And at
mid to long range, you can do significantly more damage than his dual Lasers. Remember
to control the distance between you, and don't forget to sneak in a 2-3 shot lead whenever
possible. The Summoner can be defeated using a similar strategy, note that the
Summoner does not have any sort of defensive weapons so you don't have to worry
about missing locked-on shots. The Summoner does have dual Autocannons, which at
level 2 or higher can knock you down, like the Atlas or Ymir. Don't forget to dodge and
juke to give him a hard time hitting you with those. The Summoner mounts quad Pulse
Lasers, which do less damage than the Thor's quad MGs, but have a longer range. So a
Summoner can attack from any range, but is slightly less effective at piling on the hurt
than a Thor. As always, control the distance, and endeavor to get a 2-3 shot lead before
slugging it out.

Mad Cats are on the whole, the most well-balanced mech in the game. Good speed for a
Heavy mech, dual PPCs, dual Machine Guns, and quad Javelins, PLUS Target Jamming.
Quite overpowered if you ask me. They are the single biggest threat to an Uziel pilot on
the battlefield. They have a tendency to go after you, because you have Energy powerups,
and they've got enough armor with Target Jamming to survive almost any head to head
confrontation. Their armor value is 4, 214, which translates into you needing 7 full-
charge level 1 PPC shots to take out one of them at full health. There really isn't a way to
simply trade blows with these guys and survive, plus your weaker armor means they only
need 5 PPC shots to kill you. Powered-up MCs can be a major headache. It is better to
avoid direct combat early on, and grab a powerup or two before attempting to take on a
Mad Cat. With MCs especially, getting the first few shots in is critical. Mad Cats like
nothing better than slugging it out, trading blows, knowing that their armor and defense
will carry the day. Mad Cats also do better on flat terrain with little cover. Try not to
engage in the open. Instead, fight on uneven terrain, using structures and hills to block
PPC shots. Hide behind a rock or building, pop out, fire, and duck back behind cover
while you charge your next shot. Also higher ground is extremely effective against Mad
Cats as they cannot jump, so you can get on top of a hill or plateau with your JumpJets,
and rain fire upon them from there. Chaff will negate missiles, and you can just back
away when their PPCs launch and watch the hillside take the hit. Remember that once
you have level 3 PPCs, you can take out a MC at full health with 4 shots. Just don't miss.
If you manage to cripple a Cat, it's a bit safer to move in close and circle-strafe like you
would with an assault mech. The Mad Cat, while faster than an assault mech, will still
turn slower than usual and have a harder time hitting you with PPCs. Also, if they
activate Target Jamming, it's easier to run up point-blank and hit them with aimed PPCs.
Mad Cats are fast, but you are faster, not by much, but you still have a slight edge.
Always help out other mechs fighting Mad Cats, that way the MC is distracted while you
pound him with PPCs. Afterward, it's usually easy to grab the power-ups and finish off
your temporary ally.  Timberwolves need a slightly different tactic in that they have no
Target Jamming, and tend to use their dual Gauss Rifles and quad Crossbows in unison.
Most Timberwolf pilots start the fight with a shot or two from the Gauss Rifles, and
switch to Crossbows while the Gauss recharges. Chaff is quite effective against them, as
they use a lot of missiles. It is possible to dodge Gauss slugs, but you have to be good at
erratic strafing with a bit of jumpjet use to dodge them consistently. Always keep moving
against these guys. The Gauss rifles do less damage than PPC shots, but have a slightly
shorter recharge time, and can knock you down, leaving you vulnerable. They also have
the same armor as Mad Cats, so you'll need the same number of hits to dispatch them.


Medium Mechs include:
Catapult        Bowman
Vulture          Mad Dog
Uziel             Belial
Your Uziel is a match for almost any mech in its class. The Uziel is one of the fastest in
the group, and packs enough heat to frag any medium mech that it comes across.
Catapults can be a threat in the hands of a skilled player, but it's main weakness is that it
is a missile based mech, and therefore chaff nullifies half its arsenal. A Catapult pilot
usually fires quad Javelin volleys from mid to long range, possible switching to its quad
Pulse Lasers as a follow-up or in close combat. When facing a Catapult, all of the above
tactics apply such as erratic movement and usage of cover. A Catapult is just as slow as
an Atlas however, and only has approximately 3,750 in armor. Assuming it's not fully
powered up, you can rush a Catapult and engage it at close range. Drop chaff and close
the distance, firing PPCs at every opportunity. Once in close range, circle-strafing works
well. If you are really close, the Javelin missiles won't hit you. He can still lock and fire,
but the missiles wont be able to turn sharply enough to hit you full-on. Pulse Lasers,
unless they are upgraded, aren't that much of a threat, as you can do more damage per
second. The Catapult does have Target Jamming as well, but it can be dealt with using
any of the tactics described earlier. All in all, assuming you don't miss much, and use
smart tactics, a Catapult can be taken down with a minimum of a headache.
On the other hand, the Bowman is a completely different animal. All the Bowman shares
with the Catapult is its chassis, not much else. The Bowman has three weapons, dual
Lasers, dual MGs, and dual Hammer missiles. All of which are dumb-fire, non-homing
weapons. Unlike the Catapult against which you don't want to get caught at long range,
you DO NOT want to get in close against a skilled Bowman. Those dual Hammers will
tear you apart. They do more damage than dual PPCs at the same level, and the splash
damage radius is quite large. A good Bowman doesn't have to hit you, just get his
Hammers to blow up near you to hit you with the splash. At level 3, dual Hammers are
the most powerful weapon in the game, doing 1,500 damage per hit. That means two to
three hits from that baby at level three will destroy you. In about 18 seconds. The main
tactic to adapt against a Bowman, is to snipe, snipe, snipe! I'm also a Bowman pilot and I
can tell you it is extremely aggravating to be picked apart at long distance by opponents
faster than me using PPCs or Gauss Rifles. At long distance, the only viable option for a
Bowman is to use the Lasers, but juking while backpedaling usually avoids that. If you
are fighting a Bowman, do not be predictable. Allowing a Bowman to read your
movement also allows him to place Hammers exactly where you don't want them. Also,
do not run in straight lines either left to right or forward and back. Straight patterns also
make it easy for a Hammer missile to nail you. Oh, BTW, chaff does not work against
Hammer missiles either, so you can forget about that. Control the distance, stay out of
range, and keep moving. That should help you stay alive.

The Vulture is one of the most underused mechs in the game, you won't be seeing a lot of
these guys. The Vulture is slightly slower than you, and is mainly a support mech. It's
quad Javelin missiles do good damage, but it really doesn't have a worthwhile second or
third weapon. The dual Lasers don't pack a lot of punch, and the dual Machine Guns
require the Vulture to get into close range, where it is not really suited. Most Vulture
pilots stay away from the main battle, and pick off targets with Javelins. They have chaff
as a defensive weapon, but that doesn't affect your PPCs so it really shouldn't bother
you. Stay at midrange, use chaff, and pepper them with PPC fire. The other tactics
outlined against other mechs work well here, as always use cover wisely, and you won't
have too much of a hard time against these guys.
Mad Dogs however, are a force to be reckoned with. They have slightly better speed,
slightly better armor, and a good arsenal of weapons. They use their quad Crossbow
tracks mostly, as they are easy to power-up and do a constant stream of damage. Use
chaff to negate at least some of their shots, and with any luck, novice Mad Dogs will
keep wasting missiles on the chaff instead of switching to another weapon. More
experienced pilots will flip to dual Pulse Lasers until your chaff wears off, but in this
case
that's the lesser of two evils. Pulse Lasers do less damage than quad Crossbows, and help
to heat him up a little faster. In any case, good use of chaff will prevent some damage and
give you the opening to come out on top in an exchange. The Mad Dogs last weapon is
the Autocannon, but it's a single, and isn't really that useful unless it's powered up and
can knock you down. But it is there, so don't be surprised if your opponent pulls it out for
a random knockdown. The Mad Dog has great speed, just barely faster than you, the
fastest in its class. The Mad Dog is among the few mechs I've seen that can dodge
locked-on PPC shots with pure speed. The possibility of a Mad Dog dodging your shot is
greater when your PPC is at higher levels, and therefore is slower. Mad Dog pilots
usually rush into battle, strafing back and forth, relying on their speed to dodge
projectiles and pouring out a constant stream of missiles. Once crippled, they are easier to
kill, as they have no jumpjets to get to power-ups faster, and as long as you stay behind
them when they are gimped they won't be able to use their missiles effectively. Mad
Dogs also have no defensive weapon, and that's one less thing to worry about in the heat
of combat.

Fighting other Uziels is a lot like taking on Mad Cats; remember that you need only 5
shots to kill another Uziel. Try to get the first shots in, and use terrain and cover
intelligently. He can't dodge your PPCs, and neither can you dodge his. So that bit of
cover you hide behind could be the difference between a good kill or a quick death. More
or less the same basic tactics apply. Yes I know I am repeating myself, but the fact is that
with a grasp of basic tactics and smart playing, you can adapt the basic strategy to suit
almost every battle situation.
Belials on the other hand are slightly easier to kill than other Uziels. They have the same
armor as the Uziel, but lack a defensive weapon. The dual Gauss Rifles do slightly less
damage than your PPCs, and can be dodged. The main danger when playing against
Belials is that they have a greater range than you, and can snipe you very effectively from
a great distance. Also, once powered up, there is always the danger that they will knock
you down, and get a bunch of free hits in. Keep moving erratically against these guys and
don't be afraid to throw in a random thruster burst to mess up their rhythm. Gauss Rifles
also are harder to use at very close range, so rushing a Belial can help. Remember that a
Belial wants to keep his distance and pick you apart with Gauss slugs.

Light-Class Mechs include:
Cougar           Puma
Owens           Hackman
Uller               Kit Fox
You won't see a lot of Light mechs out there, owing to the fact that unless used by a
skilled pilot who knows what they are doing, most Light mechs die in very short order.
The Cougar is a decent mech, faster than you in fact. Good weapons, mounting dual
Javelins, dualPulse Lasers, and an Autocannon. The main weakness of the Cougar is that
it has no defensive weapon, and its weapons don't really pack that much of a kick. And
with only 2, 714 in armor it's as weak as the Uller. You should have no problems taking
this guy down,a s it only takes about 4-5 shots to turn him into scrap. The Javelins aren't
a big threat unless they are powered up, and its other weapons simply don't do enough
damage fast enough.
Pumas are a bit more of a problem, as they can disappear from radar using nullsig, and
can sneak behind you and do some decent damage. Pumas have dual Machine Guns, dual
Crossbows and a single PPC. Pumas can chip steadily away at your health with guns and
missiles, and do decent amounts of damage with its PPC. Armor-wise it has the same
health as the Cougar. As long as you pay attention to your surroundings Pumas aren't a
big threat, and it is advisable to go after any Pumas you see on the battlefield. They aren't
too hard to kill, and they leave much needed Energy powerups for your PPC. Pumas
usually play a steath game most of the time, turning invisible and trying to steal kills in
big firefights, as they don't have enough weaponry to stand up to a slugfest. Pumas can
be hard to hit with their speed, jumpjets and nullsig. If they stand still for a moment or
two, they can go completely invisible. Once completely cloaked, they could be standing
in front of you, and you wouldn't be able to see or target them. If they fire weapons
though, they become more visible as they build up heat. Nullsig lasts 30 seconds and
takes 14 seconds to recharge. If a Puma has just cloaked and you have a fair idea of
where he is, fire bursts of Machine Gun fire at his general area. If you hit him with a
random shot, his cloak decreases just enough for you to be able to lock on with your other
weapons. Also, if he charges a PPC while invisible, the charging energy produced by the
weapon will still be visible. So if you see a ball of energy floating around,  it's a Puma
running around.

The Owens and its variant the Hackman can be among the most annoying mechs you'll
encounter. The fastest mechs in the game, the "chicken" mechs as they are also known
specialize in running around constantly barraging you with Crossbow missiles, Machine
Guns, and Gauss Rifle rounds from the Hackman. The Owens also has about 2, 900
Armor points, the most in its class. The Owens carries dual Machine Guns and Crossbow
missiles, and has Target Jamming as a defense. Owens pilots generally activate their
defensive special, and try to get in mid-close range, continually attacking with both
weapons. They rely on speed and Target Jamming to dodge your counterattacks, and will
steadily bring you down to nothing. Keep in mind that it is almost impossible for an
Owens to overheat, as once it hits the redline it will simply flip to MGs, which generate
little to no heat, and continue attacking that way. There is almost no pause in the attacks
from an Owens. An Owens will also dart into larger firefights and try to get the last hits
on a smoking mech, or try to steal powerups. A powered up Owens is a pain in the butt,
as it will be both fast and damaging. The Owens lacks JumpJets however, and you can
use this to your advantage. Sniping an Owens from high ground it cannot climb is
effective, and once an Owens is crippled, it can't even jump out of danger. You have an
advantage at long range, as your PPCs can hit it while his weapons, being both close-
range, can't get a lock. Remember to allow for the Target Jamming, and time your shots
well.
Hackman mechs can't keep up a steady barrage of fire like the Owens can, having dual
Crossbows and a single Gauss Rifle. However a Hackman can cloak, and combined with
the Gauss Rifle means that it can snipe you from range, and you won't even know where
the shot is coming from. Hackman pilots like to hang back and snipe, although they also
can get in close and start firing the missiles much like the Owens. But combined with the
fact that firing their weapons constantly heats them up and makes them more and more
visible, even while cloaked, the nullsig isn't that much of a problem. Another thing you
have to look out for is a cloaked Hackman hanging on the edges of the battle, then
swooping in, and try to steal your kill or the salvage. The only possible thing you have to
worry about is if the Hackman snuck up behind you and knocked you over with its Gauss
Rifle. That is pretty unlikely though, and both its weapons combined don't do as much
damage as your dual PPCs. Chaff takes care of the missiles and that's pretty much all
there is to it.

Last on the list of mechs are the Uller and Kit Fox. The Uller is pretty much the red-
headed stepchild of MA.  Only carrying dual Lasers and Crossbows, the Uller is far from
a mech to fear. The Lasers do too little damage by themselves, and the Uller doesn't have
the speed or armor of say the Owens. An Uller will try to do hit and run tactics, and steal
kills. Ullers also love to use their speed to steal salvage and powerups, and deny you the
edge you need. Good Uller pilots are constantly on the move, so you'll have to keep their
speed in mind. The Uller only has chaff as a defense, so disposing of it shouldn't be too
hard. The Uller only has 2,714 in armor points, so it's a relatively quick kill for the
salvage.
The Kit Fox however, is a legitimate threat in the hands of someone who knows how to
use it. It carries Warhammer missiles, which do excellent damage. Good Kit Fox pilots
generally hang back and powerup their Hammer missiles before jumping in under nullsig
to finish off injured mechs. A Kit fox also uses speed to grab salvage and avoid damage.
It has the same speed and armor as the Uller, and is the second fastest mech in the game
with a relative speed of 32, as compared to the Owens' 36. Thanks to nullsig, a Kit Fox
with powered up weapons can actually come up behind you and plant a few Hammer on
your backside and chop you armor in half without you even knowing he was there. Try to
catch these guys in the open and do not allow them to come within close range, where the
Hammers are the most effective. The Kit Fox does leave Energy salvage, so it's usually a
good idea to take these guys out when you can.

-Maps
Map knowledge is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. Knowledge of the
map, how to use the terrain, where the powerups spawn, and so forth adds immeasurably
to your combat effectiveness. Running through the maps randomly doesn't really help
you get kills. And knowing for example where the land bridges are to collapse them on
an opponent, or good areas that are easy to defend and provide good cover gives you an
edge over players who blunder through the maps guns blazing.

Colosseum: One of the most popular maps, second only to River City, Colosseum can be
a good map for an Uziel. Powerups spawn on the plateau on either side of the bridge, as
well as directly under the bridge. One well timed powerup collection run here will get
you to level 3 PPC in no time if you're lucky. Powerups also spawn in the deep ends of
each ravine. You start safe from fire in one of the chambers set in a ring around the map.
The map is essentially circular, with the plateaus on each side, with the bridge smack in
the middle. The plateaus offer a good snipers view of most of the map as well as cover
from heavier mechs on lower ground. An Uziel can just jet up to the plateau, while mechs
without JJs are stuck taking the long way around. If you can get a ground based mech to
fall into the deep ends of the ravines, they are stuck with only one way out to higher
ground while you can shoot down at them with relative safety. Don't get right next to the
flame towers. They can be used for pretty effective cover, but sitting right next to them
raises your heat gauge pretty fast, and before you know it, your overheated and cant fire
your weapons. Don't stay on the same level against mechs with homing weapons,
especially PPCs. Try to take high ground whenever possible.

Frosty: This Map is essentially a deep, wide corridor going around a central hill. There
are several large hills in this map, a few of them linked by ice bridges, which are great to
shoot down on an unsuspecting opponent's head. Powerups spawn on the tops of the hills
on a fairly regular basis. There is a path leading up to the top of the central hill, but
some
of the other hills can only be reached  by jump jets. It doesn't snow here like it does on
Icepack, giving you pretty good visibility. The hilltops are great for sniping slower mechs
below, but watch out for enemies spawning on other hilltops with a clear shot at you.

Icepack: The Uziel can totally run this map if given the chance. It is several valleys
separated by lines of hills, and mountains. The map is encircled by mountains that have a
narrow path set into the side. The main drawback to this map is the lack of any powerups
aside from those you take from the smoking rubble of your enemies. The terrain makes
excellent cover and you can just jump in over the hills, take out the opponent, and grab
the salvage and jet over the hills on the other side to evade pursuit. Set into the middle of
the map is a large sheet of ice that can be destroyed exposing shallow water that allows
more rapid cooldown for your mech. Also, if the ice is broken under a mech without
JumpJets, they have to shoot their way out through the ice, and find sloping ground to get
out of the ice. This can really give you an advantage as if someone is trapped in the ice,
they don't have room to dodge, and are an easier target until they find a way out.


The Junkyard: The main feature of this map is the huge central plateau. Powerups spawn
in the middle of the plateau, as well as its four corners, and on the other smaller plateaus
in the corners of the map. There are a few oil patches on this map, which make great
traps. Herd an opponent onto the patch, hit the patch with a few shots, watch the ground
explode, along with your opponent. Powerup collection is pretty easy on this map, as
there can be as many as 9 powerups on the map at one time. The central hilltop can be
accessed either by jetting up the side, or taking one of the four paths leadind upward,
spaced evenly around it. The terrain is pretty uneven all around, helping you dodge some
fire. There are also many stacks of trash piled around that'll take a shot or two before
being destroyed, making them useful for temporary cover. When you respawn after a
fight, remember to look around quickly to see if there are any power-ups nearby, which
could give you an edge in the next firefight.

Number 51: Number 51 is made of two main areas; a long flat airstrip, and a smaller
industrial zone. These areas are separated by a large volcano, complete with lava-filed
crater. On either side of the volcano between the two main zones, there is slightly hilly
terrain, with small lava pits in each. One side has a land bridge connecting the volcano to
the hill at one end of the airstrip, as well as a large rock balanced on a small base, which
will also collapse if shot at. The other side has more uneven terrain, and a small hill next
to the lava. The volcano can be climbed on one side by jump jetting up, while there is a
path leading to the top on the industrial side. The only powerup on this map spawns on
the level ground beside the crater on top of the volcano. Right beside the path leading up
the volcano are two smaller volcanic hills which also explode when shot at, handy for
surprising enemy mechs standing on or near them. The industrial zone has small
generator lines that also can be destroyed, damaging whoever is near them, as well as a
large generator which can be used for the same thing. If caught in a fight on top of the
volcano against a non-jumping mech, try to herd them into falling into the crater, where
they will continually take damage and die, or get them near the small lava hill right next
to the crater, and try to blow up the hill, and have them take a good amount of damage
from the explosion.

River City:  I almost never play on this map. It is the most played map in the game hands
down. The map itself is bisected by a river that divides the map into two parts, the main
part about twice the size of the smaller city. The river is crossed by three smaller bridges
that can be shot out, or run under by smaller mechs. The main reason I don't play this
map is because all cover provided by the buildings is completely gone after about three
minutes of battle. After that, it becomes a mindless shootout, with everybody firing
homing weapons across the now flat map from spawn point. The reason I never play here
is because there is little to no cover, and the balance of the game swings heavily towards
heavier mechs with long range weapons like the Mad Cat. I really can't give tactics for
this level.

-Gametypes:
Destruction: for all related strategy, refer to the general tactics section above.

Team Destruction: there really isn't much else different about tactics in Destruction and
Team Destruction. The main variable in TD will be how effectively you can coordinate
with teammates. Remember to communicate, and to share powerups. Unless you are
close to death, always try to leave armor salvage for more injured teammates, and to take
only the weapon upgrades you need. For example, energy powerups benefit you a lot, but
missile powerups are better off left for say a Catapult or Bowman on your team. Of
course, if you are the closest person to the salvage, and you have no teammates nearby
with an opponent about to take the salvage, better that you take the salvage instead of the
opposing player. The other half of TD is etiquette, like not claiming that a teammate stole
your kill. It's TEAM Destruction after all. One kill is as good as another, so long as it's a
kill for your team.

Last Man Standing
Team Last Man Standing

Not It: once again, a question of etiquette. Don't shoot somebody if they are not IT and
please refrain from noob remarks like you stole my kill. In all other situations Not It can
be one of the most fun variations of the game. Shoot the guy with the arrow over his
head. When you are it, kill someone as quickly as you can before all the other players kill
you. Real Simple.


All Stat information was taken from Shadow Panther's MA Mech and Weapon Stats spreadsheet
found here:
http://members.aol.com/shdwpnthr/stats.htm


That's about all I can think of ...
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