Ive been playing spessmen for a while now and I wanted to share my secrets to not being retarded while playing classes with access to C4, like Spec, SL and especially the Engineer class:
1. The Board
When playing SS13 youre basically playing on this:
We all know what that is, that is a checkerboard. Right now its in the marines best favor, empty. They got all the visibility and range they can get. You have 8 Tiles on this checkerboard and in theory, the maximum amount of firepower you can get out of it is 8 marines standing in a line firing in 1 direction. For the sake of simplicity this excludes IFF weapons such as Snipers and Defensive positions like L Shaped barricades. (Which are by the way hands down the best types of cades in this game because they work by extending the checkerboard artificially to give you more than 8 tiles to fire from).
2. The Obstacles
Due to mappers, the arch enemy of marine spessmen, the map will never look like the clear board above. It will be more looking like this:
For the sake of this argument the figures on this board are obstacles that obstruct view and your firing range. Now all of a sudden your potential DPS of 8 guys firing down 8 tiles is down to lets say 4 guys firing 4. But how important is this in this game?
3. The Health pool
Xenos typically have a larger health pool than marines and regen health over time, making them incredible bullet sponges when played right. They also possess strong cqb abilities. In order to kill Xenos you need to deplete their health pool fast and then finish them off before they can escape your FOV, aka the checkerboard. Obstacles like walls, weeds, resin, and any other obstacle or item/machine that cuts down a marine players ability to deal damage ALWAYS passively buff the Xenos, because they got more DPS and more HP per marine on a tile on average. It becomes, in fact, mechanically nearly impossible for 3 Marines with M41s to kill 3 Defenders in a 3x3 chokepoint. They simply do not have the DPS to kill the xenos before they close the distance, while the defenders health pool is too large and abilities like tail swipe will prevent them to take damage altogether once the distance is closed.
4. The conclusion
Keep the checkerboard empty, do not fight mobs in chokepoints that limit your potential DPS beyond the ability to kill the Xenos you are facing. When building defenses make sure to leave openings that allow marines to chase the Xenos for a quick counter push once those deplete their Health pool pushing the fortification.
When you have access to C4, the M56D or any other weapon that destroys obstacles like walls and offers marines a clear checkerboard to push, flank and shoot, do it. Clear obstacles, Destroy walls, tear down machines, drag away debris, anything that can be cover for aliens is a passive buff for them.
When pushing, push past chokepoints and unfold into wider areas whenever possible, making sure that youy marines, which will ALWAYS have the numerical superiority, can unfold and use the space and range to bring down their potential Damage on the xenos.
Prime examples of awful spots to fight as marine would be the lambda labs chokpoints. Those are 3x3 Tiles, Boilers best friend and always extremly easy for xenos to defend. Ive never seen marines win those chokepoint battles. Ever. All they do is go in Salami tactic, 3 a piece, get destroyed, gg. Dont be that guy.
For Engis: C4, Buckshot shotguns and M56 give you the potential to be the highest DPS spessmen safe of the tank or Dropship. Use those tools wisely.
For Spec/SL: Again, Use C4 and CAS/OB to clear and open up chokes before pushing past them. An unused OB is worse than an OB that has scored 0 kills but opened the checkerboard up for a follow up push by 2 or even 3 tiles.
For PFC and anyone else: M56Ds, Buckshot and rifle fire will tear down walls eventually, if you got ammo to spare, why not shoot them down to give you a little edge. Same goes for Resin walls.
Thank you for Reading
Long Live C4!
