I need a change of pace from my infiltrator main. I have 3k certs to burn, and I thought I'd try to build a character that can at least put a dent in those pesky vehicles. As I have next to zero experience with HAs, I need someone to chime in. Can a TR HA certed for AV actually make a difference? As for the actual build, lock-on air/ground or decimator launchers? Flak armor or munitions pouch? Which LMG would be more suited for annoying pilots? Thank you!
For anti tank I would suggest either using your default rocket launcher, or if you have troubles hitting ground vehicles, then get the lock on to ground vehicles. The decimator is terrible for fighting vehicles because it drops an insane amount. I would also suggest flak armor over munitions pouch because it isn't extremely expensive (as the munitions pouch becomes) and you'll most likely be around ally engineers. As for anti air, then go with your air lock on rocket launcher and the LMG you use doesn't really matter because you won't be doing much damage by shooting and killing any ESFs with your gun. But, engineer can also be very effective against vehicles. Tank mines can eliminate all ground vehicles effectively and can detonate if an aircraft lands on one/ flies next to one, and the anti-vehicle mana turret is really good (although it's going to get nerfed). Whether you want to go engineer or go heavy assault, or do both, it's up to you. Happy hunting! -Inf1nit
The starting weaponry is arguably the best already. Put a foregrip on the T9 Carv and a scope of your choice (its a beast of a gun) Unless you want lock on capability I would also suggest sticking with the standard ML-7 over the decimator as the ML-7 has a great damage-to -velocity ratio. If you want air lock on capability I would look no further than the Grounder, the ultimate in versatility. Its only 250 certs and you sacrifice some damage for faster shot velocity and the additional ability to lock on to aircraft. DO NO BUY THE STRIKER, if you want a ground and air lock on launcher, go the Annihilator, it has none of the crippling downsides of the striker and does more damage over time than the Striker as well. But these launchers cannot dumbfire, so they cant hit MAXs or turrets. HAs are great because you dont need to dump certs into it to have a competitive loadout. Use your 3k to cert the balls out of the HA shielding of your choice (if unsure, cert the standard one) and utility slot.
i would sugges t going wth resist shield even if it doesnt stack woth flak, the NMG/AS might be nerfed so you should develop your playstyle around the least likely to be messed up due to tears overshield.
When I do full AV I go with Default Rocket, Munitions Pouch, AV Grenades & C4 and hunt Sunderers & MBTs. It's quite fun. Any of the LMG's will make ESF's bug out when they hear the plinks except if you're all alone.
This will sound unconventional, but I've found this to be oddly effective for TR. Chaingun with Ext mag, Annihilator, and Munitions pouch. If you don't want the spend the certs on the Chaingun, TMG works ok enough (see why below). Previously I would had demanded you get the Striker... but as of now its hard to use, and may get a rework later. So for now we'll table this weapon. The Annihilator is a Ground/Air lock on weapon with no dumbfire mode. It works best when armored targets are at longer ranges, and its dual purpose as AA makes it a more convenient approach then buying the Ground and Air only lockons separately. Since the damage is the same, theres no compelling reason to get the specialty ones unless your intent on doing it cheap on certs..... but honestly the Anni simplifies things a lot. For close range armor and vehicles, use the default rocket launcher. The Decimator doesn't work as well outdoors due to a much lower velocity, more gravity, and a slow acceleration curve that makes hitting something more then 20m away difficult. Munitions pouch is a must if your primarily focusing on AV/AA. You can burn through 4 rockets pretty quickly. And due to the slowed rate of restocking from Ammo boxes, the buffer created by the extra rounds makes a huge difference for continuous operations. Without it, I've found I'd be heavily limited to proximity of ammo boxes. With it, I can stray a little for a better shot, and better maintain fire on fast ground pushes where engineers frequently relocate their ammo boxes. Now on the stupidly fun part..... MCGs. You'd be absolutely surprised how threatening this weapon is to soft skin vehicles, particularly ESFs. With lock-ons, ESFs at shorter ranges can kill you before you even get lock, or simply flare to defeat it (as most that get in close will). This was also relevant when harassers were popular, as their speed make locks tricky. Any way.... soft skin vehicles are vulnerable to small arms fire. And while the relative DPS is low compared to vehicle secondaries, the amount of sustained fire the MCG can put out will either freak pilots out (thinking its a Rotary), kill some partially damage ones, or bring down half their health before they decide to bug out. If you have an outfit capable of decent coordination, you can direct teams of MCG users to focus on the same target, and drop it faster then RLs and lockons could even hope. That same group can coordinate RLs and Lockons against armor, and almost instantly pop them.
All primary weapons damage ESF, too bad people forget about this. If there is an ESF around shoot at it!!! I even have a Reaver kill with a pistol! Just a few days ago another Reaver (BR 100 pilot) was hunting me on a tower, out of desperation I emptied an LMG magazine into it while it hovered in my face, spamming rockets. The reaver exploded and I survived.
Yes! I shoot at all "soft-skinned" vehicles when the opportunity presents itself. I've downed ESFs and Harassers with my Eidolon on more than one occasion. Many times they aren't even aware of you as you plink at them.
I always got completely anti-vehicle to be honest I don't get why people bring things like med-kits, face it, your going to die. What is the point of a med kit when you should have medics nearby? Your job as a heavy assault is to destroy the enemy vehicles and as such I always grab c4. Two c4 on a sundy with a rocket shot to the rear if far more effective than watching my team dumbfire at it and miss for twenty minutes.
For a while I have felt that Engineer is s stronger AV class than Heavy. Changes to lock-on mechcanics make their use very unreliable and puts you too far forward into the fight against armor. Massed ranks against Amour can still be effective but from a longer saffer range you can do the same job with a engineer turret, also as Tank mines have been buffed up providing you can get into place early enough you will do some substantial damage. Against air I feel your better off getting a burster or skyguard out than you are to go heavy. The meta of the game is swinging so heavly towards constant max useage now the roll of HA is diminishing greatly which makes me question why we are getting nerfed.
My experience is that while Engineers with AV turrets are stronger in long range sieges against ground armor, HA have a mobility advantage in closer quarters and when flanking behind enemy lines to take out a spawn. I haven't found an effective means of countering Air with either class though. HA might be viable against Air if you are a savant with dumbfire rockets, but they simply don't care when I peg them with the Engineer's AV turret or lock-ons.
i am full AV, 2x C4, 4x AV grenades, 4x Decimator rockets, and 21x explosive crossbow bolts with the new Hunter QCX. your KD will likely go down, but nothing is as intoxicating as completely obliterating two healthy sunderers (unarmored) without having to reload. just once jump down in between two parked enemy sunderers (i did this once to the TR, this is a step by step accounting of what i did to them all while oblivious TR soldiers ran around me) destroy the first with your 2x C4 and a rocket to set the C4 off (don't hit the charges directly otherwise the charge itself will absorb the majority of the rocket blast, aim right next to the C4 so the blast gets them) and throw all of your AV grenades under the second (AV grenades can be thrown much faster than rocket launchers can be fired), put a few rockets into it until it explodes, and tell me that that isn't the best feeling in the world. you will need to learn how to be stealthy as the heavy (don't use the shield if they haven't detected you, it is a neon sign that says "enemy heavy assault right here", and avoid firing your main rifle until you have killed your target) because you will have very little resistance to vehicle or small arms fire, but being able to single handedly crush an army's vehicular support makes you feel like a god.
