Tactics

Simple

 * Trip: It sucks, don’t play on it (kuma: +1)


 * Mnob: the outpost placement (very close to each other) as well as map’s linearity makes this map unique. it is considered to be an imbalanced map because each side has a different kind of disadvantage:


 * -left side has two paths leading to its fort.


 * -right side’s second outpost is on low ground.


 * Kuma: All outpost-strong mechs shine on this map. Since most of them also slow, the map’s claustrophobic size helps eliminate that weakness. And the outpost spam eliminates the need to leave the battlefield to recharge. Bombers, chopper, hogs and ospreys shine here, while saucers, neos and strikers are a bit more lackluster.

Twin Peaks

 * Trip: Big 12725 revision; new thoughts, anyone?
 * BS: Taking top at this moment of time in the current meta (As of 12/23/12) should not be given first priority. The fact of the matter is that the bottom path is more sought after as it's the only ground route for units. Following this logic, should you go for top whilst your opponent seizes bottom, there is a high chance that you will lose your bottom close as a result of the remnants of the opponent's bottom capture operation. Just my two cents on the matter.

Duel

 * Trip: It’s not even worth it to clear the side neutrals, is it?
 * BS: Nope, unless you somehow have enough time to:
 * 1) Take out the AA there.
 * 2) Abduct the remaining neutrals.

Nesthorn

 * Trip: Big 13--- revision; new thoughts, anyone?
 * BS: Doubled honey-pots work oh-too-well for healing.

Thar

 * Trip: The neutral tanks on center aren’t placed exactly right to block, so you can still drop infantry in with good placement. Left/bottom edges of the map still hide you from radar as of 11993. Use and abuse.

Sandrim

 * Trip: Center here is extremely powerful, even more so than other maps. If you hold it, you can go basically anywhere and drop anything so as long as you’re not scouted in the air. Likewise, if you don’t hold it, be very careful of drops on your fortress. As on Thar, Left/bottom edges of the map still hide you from radar as of 11993.
 * Kuma: At start, you know someone on the other side will most likely come to get center. So what you do is take your whole team without any units, and dash across middle to intercept them. Use the takedown as an opportunity for whatever.

Chasm

 * Trip: Only clear the bridge neutrals when you feel it’s absolutely necessary, whether for a push or for creeps to go through.
 * Kuma: I actually like clearing the bridges for the exp (about 400-ish exp per bridge). It also allows enemy creeps to come through for more exp to your side.
 * BS: While following Kuma's logic, it also allows both you AND your enemy to send units across relatively safely, assuming all ceteris paribus conditions to be unchanged.

Vale

 * Trip: As on Thar, the neutral tanks on the Gorgon outposts aren’t placed right, so drop cap your side’s early on and just leave all the neutrals intact to defend it from passing AMs/creeps. Being really large, radar range/minimap use is extremely important here as it always is, but more so than on other maps: Always watch the side lanes for long tank columns you won’t be able to see from the rest of the map if you don’t control the corner posts already. Inversely, if you control a corner post and suspect your opponents aren’t scouting (or better yet, make your own distraction elsewhere!), build up forces there and send them off for surprise fortress attacks.
 * Kuma: I find this the best place to do air control with radar guardians. The outposts distances are quite far, so if an enemy moves with any kind of drop and you spot it in time, intercepting is quite potent.

Surprise Tank Column

 * Req:
 * Tanks
 * Seekers
 * Whatever else you put into your columns
 * Execution:
 * Dependant on map layout. Only works if there are multiple lanes. Pick a location that an enemy won’t scout and mass tanks. When ready, roll them on the lane where they won’t be seen until it’s too late. Side routes on Vale, the side lanes on Duel as well as the horizontal closes on Thar are examples of where you could do this.

Normal Close Rush
Req: Execution:
 * both have infantry (creeps will do just as well)
 * Tanks
 * Mobile repair units
 * Seekers
 * MM’s
 * What: Make max MM’s, and some bare defenses. Afterwards, play normally. One gets 2 ratchets, 3 seekers, other 5 tanks stored in queue. Take 3 creeps each and take an enemy close. Deploy tanks immediately, resume building tanks, and roll on the enemy base before they scout/counter. Reinforce with more repair units if mines, more seekers if all mechs are defending, more tanks, if hard land defenses.
 * Timing: 3:00 Or whenever you have full queue of units

Harass
Req: Execution:
 * Jackals/Tanks
 * Haats/Seekers
 * What: Drop AA and attack units behind/at the side of the enemy base and keep harassing them with 1, while the other team member(s) takes the map and rolls in with backup.
 * Timing: Immediately after pre-game.
 * Mnob: many people play greedy on simple 1v1s by building 5 mms and no defenses at pregame so dropping 2 jackals on C command on the one side of the fort and attacking with your mech from the other, can punish this greediness pretty well.

Balls-Out Close Rush
Req: Execution:
 * 2+ players
 * Infantry
 * Tanks (Longhorns preferable)
 * During setup period two players build four infantry and five tanks between them, carry the infantry, and LEAVE THE TANKS IN QUEUE. With 2 players this will use every bit of your starting income; with 3 it’s safer as they can use their money to create some defense.
 * As soon as the game starts, immediately capture the enemy’s closest outpost and take the tanks out. The most aggressive version involves immediately attacking with all 5 tanks (instead of using them to block the doors) and supporting them with your AirMechs, but if this doesn’t end the game your team is left at a significant disadvantage.

Goliath Close Rush
Req:
 * Goliaths

Recommended: Execution:
 * MM’s
 * Creditboxes
 * Level until level 5 or so, then start saving up tons of money. MM’s strongly suggested, creditboxes could be a teamplay option. Once at level 7, dump all money into goliaths immediately. 5 golis = 5x15 = 75k credits is the preferred amount of money to have when you reach level 7, so you can start production immediately. Once you have the tanks built, keep them in queue. Take over an enemy close or 2nd to minimize rush distance. Dump the golis immediately, if teammates are able to, have them reinforce the push. Watch out for heavy and stasis mines, bring an osprey or repair units along when you do this. This will usually will not be countered though, if done from a close, since the time it takes them to go from a close to the base is not enough to properly counter them.

Unit Forwarding
Req: Execution:
 * Tanks?
 * Anything you want, really
 * When you need to take over an outpost and make sure it’s not taken back, but you’re not an osprey/chopper with carry and bringing in a ton of units is not an option and you don’t have the money to build more units, you can use this. Recycle as many units as you need to to get a full queue of defensive units. Take over the outpost and plop them down on the spot.
 * Comment: Reason I consider this a strategy is because people let go of valuable opportunities waiting to have enough money to build a full queue in preparation for a takeover. You don’t need to wait for money, just recycle and queue what you need. You don’t always need units everywhere, recycle the ones that aren’t doing anything important.

AWACS
Req:
 * Radar guardians
 * Tactical ability (Brain)

Execution:
 * Not so much a play, as a way of life. Max out guardians first and build radar guardians whenever you don’t have max. This allows you to see the whole map at all times once you get 5 (vale), 4 (most big maps), 3 (small maps). You can use this information to see enemy attacks way ahead of time, allowing more time for appropriate counters.
 * n’t fix the unit’s position. Works best on top/side doors, since those are hard to see.

Air Control
Req:
 * AWACS
 * Neo/striker/saucer
 * Strong/fast pilot (Gabe/Lexi/Raven)
 * This is a practical application of AWACS. The most obvious applications of this are preventing enemy advances and drops, hence the strong/fast neo. Kuma mostly uses this to gank any carriers. Can also be used to harass and cap weak positions, and see enemy tank columns ahead of time, so that you can counter appropriately. Neo is suggested if you’re the one making use of the information on the team, but if you offload radars to another mech (like an osprey), then you can have another teammate with a fast mech do the ganking and actually use repair guardians for added survivability in a fight.

"All for one, one for all"
Req:
 * Fixers
 * A unit that can take a tank-level beating at least.
 * Great tactic imo for taking posts: place selected unit(s) in front of a post while placing fixers behind. Pretty much self-explanatory from that point. Beware of AOE attacks. 4 fixers a drop ensures a chance for post capture after neutralization. (BS)