SHS's Assault Guide

I'm relatively new to the forums and MNC in general (have had it for about a month, up to a 89 rank), but I've got a pretty firm grip on the class.

I'd probably categorize the way I play as a support Assault. I make it my job get shots into as many players as I can to make it easier for my team to advance. If I don't get a minimum of 15 assists in a full length game, I haven't done my job.

Contents:
1. Endorsements
2. Assault Roles/Tips
3. Weapons
4. Skills
5. Assault vs. other Pros
6. Arena Specific strategies
7. Closing

1. Endorsements

Gold: Armor
Silver: Accuracy
Bronze: ROF or Critical Shot

Gold Armor helps your overall survivability, as well as helps you win most 1-on-1 fights with other assaults. I previously used Accuracy as my Gold, but it's really not that necessary. I still like it in the silver slot as the difference between it and bronze is pretty beneficial. I prefer ROF in the bronze slot as it seems to help out with some of the larger classes.

2. Assault Roles/Tips

Overall harassment of Pros - Through a combination of Fly/Charge, Assaults are unrivaled in mobility in the arena with the exception of Assassins. Because of this, targeting pros should be your main priority. You should not be afraid to encounter any pro as long as you maintain proper spacing between you and the opponent.

Shoot anything within range to aid your teammates. If you see a teammate's healthy dwindling, use your mobility to get to him immediately and throw your bomb/put bullets into the person attacking. You may be able to assist in the kill with your teammate or at least force the person to retreat.

If you have a Tank on your team, I'd suggest helping control the area of the map he is on. He's definitely the biggest target in the arena and draws a lot of looks, particularly from other assaults. If you can pose a distraction, he'll be able to move much more freely through the map to assist in pushing bots.

Control of Ejectors/Annihilator - I often find it unnecessary to upgrade two of my skills to level 3 (more on that below), so your extra cash should be used for the hazards around the map. While your grenade launcher can kill Blackjacks in a few shots, it's highly inefficient and time consuming. Use the ejectors to take care of bots and move on. Youll make that $ back through killing/assisting.

As for the Annihilator, I know a lot of people think Assassins should be the one keeping control of it. But as soon as it goes up, you should be making a move on it. Even if that means having to delay the upgrade of a skill, so be it. Maintaining control of the annihilator is often more important than upgrading your bomb/passive/charge.

Controlling an area with your bomb - I'll get into this more in other sections, but you should be using bombs to maintain control of the area around you. Placing them at the landings of jump pads, trapping pros into a location, taking out bots, etc.

Killing Bots - With the exception of Jackbots, this should be very low on your priority list unless it's absolutely necessary or there are absolutely no Pros in your area. You're simply not as efficient as other classes (Assassins/Tank/Gunners) and are better off spending your time otherwise However, a Jackbot appearance should instantly switch to your top priority as your Bomb is the most damaging single attack to it.

Do NOT taunt - It's completely unnecessary to waste your time with this. As an assault, you really don't need the extra cash. You're better off continuously pushing for control of the map and focusing on Pros. You'll make enough $ through kills/assists.

Only look down your sights to shoot enemies at long-range or those fleeing If you use accuracy in your endorsements the spread at short/mid-range with the Assault Rifle is very tight. Looking down your sights simply slows your movement down and makes you more of a sitting target. Fight other Pros without zooming in and.

Learn to strafe quickly- This will come in handy against other Assaults, some Gunners, Tanks shooting at long range with the Rail Gun, and Snipers using the SMG. But mainly, the necessity for strafing comes against other Assaults. Quick random side to side strafing during a 1-on-1 battle will win you the fight most of the time, even if he gets the first shot. Other assaults make the mistake of either 1) Looking down the sights, making him a sitting duck or 2) Flying around in the air to be evasive (which basically makes him a flying duck.) Flying back in forth during a mid-range gun fight is a lot less effective against someone who can strafe well. Especially if you

Pick up Speed boosts often - Each speed boost will increase your Speed one endorsement level and will remain in place until you die. So if you pick up 3 boosts, you'll have the gold Speed endorsement until you're killed. But picking up the boosts also gives you a temporary increase in speed higher than gold level. The increase in speed helps you in fights against Gunners, as well as avoiding Tanks/Supports in pursuit. ALWAYS try to pick up the speed boosts if you see them laying around in an uncontested area.


3. Weapons

Assault Rifle - Your main weapon of choice. It's a deadly killing machine at mid-range or closer with Accuracy/Rate of Fire. You can gun down any class swiftly except for Tanks. Pick off Slims with it when they're around, but don't waste your time with Blackjacks.

Grenade Launcher - Primarily used for killing bots/turrets when necessary. You can also use it to Pros at a very long range or pinned in their base. If you can, take advantage of it by bouncing grenades off walls if you've got an injured pro trying to hide. Same with trying to take out Firebases that are around corners. It should also be your go to weapon against Turrets/Moneyball.

4. Skills

Bomb - The bomb when used effectively is likely one of the top 3 skills in the game. Its capable of bot destruction, shutting off access to points of the map/juice machines, and more importantly killing/ringing out/and crowd controlling Pros. Id advise this be the first skill you get to level 3 as its versatility is well worth the $400 and really the only necessary level 3 skill to buy.

The best way to use your bomb against other Pros is to use it to cut off their escape route. If you set your sights on a Pro who hasnt noticed you yet, throw the bomb in-between him and the area of the map hes most likely to retreat for cover. Once the bomb is set, start to fire on the Pro with your assault rifle. You should be able to do a significant amount of damage if using Accuracy/Rate of Fire. Since he likely doesnt have time to turn and return fire, hell dart for what he thinks is the safest place to retreat, usually the nearest wall between the two of you. But youve already scoped that out. Detonate to finish off your kill.

Another tip to use is place the bombs on walls instead of the middle of narrow paths near the side of the map. The areas above the tunnels on Lazer Razor are a perfect example. A lot of assaults will lay their bomb in the middle of the path and detonate once a Pro is almost on it. But the blast of the bomb will likely just damage a Pro with full health and not always ring them out, giving them a chance to retreat. If you place the bomb on the wall or close to it, the outer part of the bombs radius will lie along the middle of the path. Detonating while the pro is on the outer part of the radius will send him off the map. Pick off players with your Assault Rifle who are attempt to fly back onto the map.

Otherwise, use your bombs to cut off exits/hazards from enemy Pros and to get quick Head crabs (throwing a bomb on someone and detonating) on unsuspecting Gunners/Tanks.

Fly - The second skill you should upgrade from the beginning of the game. It greatly increases your mobility and flight time from level 1. Use it to make your way around the map and combine it with Charge to retreat. Its also extremely valuable when youre dealing with Assassins, as they cant grapple you while youre flying

A lot of assaults like to use Fly in hectic gun fights, but Im not one of them. You should use Fly to back away from Supports/Tanks closing in, but against other Assaults, youre better off strafing. Strafing instead of Flying makes it much easier to aim at your opponents and will throw off your opponent more often.

Charge - The one skill I very rarely upgrade to level 3. The animation it puts you in takes way too long and could you get killed. Its especially risky if you attempt it at a pro near a group of bots and grab a Blackjack instead. But you should upgrade it to level 2, mainly as a defense against terrible face grabbling assassins. A few shots + Charge will take one out immediately and make them reconsider coming after you again. Otherwise, Charge should be used for making your getaway while you need to recover health.

Passive - The level 2 upgrade allows you to jump higher while increasing the chances of Critical shots. Level 2 is essential to upgrade at one point as the increase in jumping ability allows you to make movements you otherwise couldnt. Upgrading to level 3 is optional, but definitely recommended if you have a surplus of $.

The order I upgrade my skills largely depends on the map I'm playing on. I'll go over the stats I upgrade on each map later on.

5. Assault vs. other Pros

Assault vs. Assault - Other assaults on the map should be top priority on your hit list. With Gold armor, you should be able to trump any Assault without an armor endorsement. If you use the build I use, keep assaults at a longer distance as your accuracy will allow you to outshoot them.

Assault vs. Assassins - Listen for the hum of its cloak and you should be safe. If theres one thats been harassing you, tap your jets repeatedly while moving around the map. Your assault rifle will tear through her at close range and a charge will finish off any attempting to get away.

Assault vs. Gunner - If caught out in the open against one with its guns spinning, youre likely toast. If theres a possibility of reaching cover, charge for it immediately, turn and throw a bomb between you and the gunners position. If theres no cover, make quick random strafes to attempt to throw off his aim as you return fire. Most skilled gunners will get you, but you can fake out a few novices. If you engage one with a bit of cover such as the glass panels on the arches of Grenade III, prepare to use your bomb to cut off his path toward you or to throw in a position hes attempting to jump to. He doesnt have the ability to hide and you should be able to kill him while hes having to reload.

Assault vs. Tank - As long as youre not in range of his Jet Gun, you should be fine. If your encounter with him begins at mid-range, he may try to charge after you. Just fly backwards away from him. If he continues to pursue with his Jet charge on cool down, you should be able to kill him.

Assault vs. Support - Similar to the Tank, stay away from his Shotgun. If he attempts to close in on you, fly away while returning fire. If you come across a Support by his firebase, throw your bomb near the firebase, but dont detonate. Most supports will likely be worried about getting out the of the radius of the bomb, so hell leave it. Keep the bomb in place and pursue the Support while keeping a barrier from you and the firebase. If he gets low on health, he may panic and try to get back to his firebase for health, but youll still have your bomb there to finish him up. As for dealing with a firebase, you can sometimes fire at it from around a corner with your assault rifle without it detecting you. If you cant get into the position to shoot it with your assault rifle, you can attempt to bounce grenades off nearby walls to take it down.

Assault vs. Sniper - A pretty easy match-up for the Assault as long as you dont get stuck in his freeze traps. If you see one, simply hover over it on your pursuit. If you see a sniper that appears to be looking down his sights at another teammate, quickly toss a bomb behind him. Look down your sights and put fire on him. Hell likely run straight back into your bomb for an easy kill.

6. Arenas Specific Strategies

Ammo Mule

Bomb 2/Fly 2
Bomb 3
Charge 2
Passive 2
Passive 3

- You can jump onto the top dome in the middle without Passive 2, so it should be the last thing you're worried about. An upgraded Bomb 3 comes very handy at keeping opponents in their base if you've established top control of the dome/their ejector ramps. Consider switching Bomb 3/Charge 2 if they have Assassins giving you problems.

- Charge out your base immediately to get to the top of the middle of the dome as quickly as possible. The entire match you want to try to hold down the top of the dome and the other team's Ejector ramps. If you main control of the top, you can prevent support's from setting up firebases in the middle of the dome and protect the annihilator/juice machines. Let the Tanks/Assassins handle the bot lanes, but make sure you keep Pros away from the ejector pads. I frequently try to grab the ejectors to help with bot pushing as the openness of the lanes doesn't let you effectively destroy bots with your grenade launcher.



Grenade III

Bomb 2/Fly 2
Charge 2
Passive 2
Bomb 3
Passive 3

- Once again, I start with Bomb/Fly, but I put off upgrading to Bomb 3 as the upper ring is rather narrow and Bomb 2 can cover them effectively. It's still worth upgrading later on in the game, but Charge 2/Passive 2 imo help you control the top more.

- You need to be controlling the upper area once again. Immediately run out the base, pick a side, and Fly followed by a charge onto one of the upper areas. That way you won't have to blow your bonus $50 right away. If the team is slow to getting to their jump pad, place a bomb near it and set up on the arch closest to their base. You should be able to hold off the side long enough for your slower classes to move forward.

- If you see someone on the ground level between arches , do NOT shoot first. Check to see if the ejector is up and hit them with it. They'll be dazed and worried about finding cover, making it easy to finish them off with the AR. Get to the nearest jump pad and get back to controlling the top of your side.

- If the other team is trapped in the bottom of their base and your team has both sides held down, get to opening in their middle ring that overlooks the lower platform. To do this, stand on the upper area above where their base jump pads are located. Jump/Fly towards the opening and use Charge to make it the rest of the distance. Be wary of doing this if the other team has a competent sniper as most will keep this area ice trapped. If you start taking damage, just jump out to the lower platform and take a jump pad back to upper ground.

Steel Peel

Fly 2/Bomb 2
Passive 2
Bomb 3
Charge 2
Passive 3
Fly 3 (optional, I rarely upgrade it)

- I know a lot of people like to upgrade Passive 2 in the very beginning to be able to jump out of the base to windows, but the jump pad works fine early on. You should be tryin to keep range between you and your opponents on Steel Peel, so it's better to upgrade to Bomb 3 before touching Charge.

- Early game, I like to try to keep control of the middle of the map. Trying to hold the area near their windows right away is risky, especially if they have a Gunner with a pre-spun middle gun. Set up on the middle ring and fly back and forth to the outer ring to help dispatch pros. You want to stay on the upper areas as much as possible. If you do go to the ground level to finish someone off, get to the nearest jump pad (I recommend Charging to it) and restablish your spot back in the middle.

- If you start to get them trapped in their base, then move up to the areas near the windows. Rain fire and bombs on opponents down below, but watch for people trying to use the jump pad in their base. If they decide to just continue to use it over and over, keep your bomb place where they'll land.

- A lot of people don't use them on the maps, but the ejectors are very handy on the map for killing large clusters of bots. You've got the most mobility in getting back and forth to them, so you should always try to get them as much as possible.

LazeRazor

Bomb 2/Fly 2
Charge 2
Passive 2
Bomb 3
Passive 3

- Going to start this off by saying this is probably the map I die on the most, but also the map I usually pick up my highest assist totals.

- I go with Charge 2 early on as the upper portions are pretty narrow/compact and it's very helpful for dispatching pros with low health. The increased jumping ability with Passive 2 is helpful if you're on the lower portion of your base, as you can jump on the lower glass walls to the ramp above.

- Just like Steel Peel, early on you should be looking to control the middle of the map. Try to establish yourself on the middle ring and look to dispatch anyone jumping to the middle from their base. It's very important to lock down the middle to maintain control of the annihilator and especially to prevent good supports from setting up with a hacked firebase.

- Snipers love perching on the left/right sides near their ejectors. Harass them as often as possible. Fly over their freeze traps and take them down.

Spunky Cola

Fly 2/Bomb 2
Charge 2
Bomb 3
Passive 2
Passive 3
Fly 3 (Use if I have a lot of excess $)

- Charge is very important for mobility on Spunky, as well as killing weekend pros in tight spaces. The increased jump bonus isn't really needed, so get pick up Bomb 3 first.

- The one map where you can get away with not always being up top. Early on, I like to stay on the ground near the large Spunky Cola can. From here, you can attack enemies trying to fight in the middle ground level, and keep a lookout on the top/bottom openings near the Spunky can.

- You should buy the jump pad for not only access to the top area to fight enemies, but also as your escape plan. If you find yourself low on health or a Tank/Gunner/Assassin coming through the bottom opening....go up the jump pad and drop a bomb where you would land. Then quickly fly to the top of the Spunky can. Enemies that attempt to chase you up the jump pad will usually be confused as to where you went, which will give you plenty of time to bomb them and finish them off.

- If your team starts to get control of the map, move to their L-Shaped ramps (the two arches with the ejectors). Easiest way to do this is to go up the jump pad, then hop to the Spunky Can, then to the ramp. Try to set up there, use the ejectors to destroy bots, and pick off enemies that come near. If you start to get overwhelmed, charge away to restore your health and go right back.

7. Closing

I hope this guide could give you some pointers on the class. It may be one of the more easily assessable classes for users new to the game, but theres a lot of depth to the class and can ultimately be the most efficient killing machine on the map.

Nice guide, I like the focus on aiding teammates the most.

I will point out one error of yours, and that speed pickups will give you a large temporary boost (puts you beyond gold speed) AS WELL as raising your endorsement level by one for THAT LIFE. If you die, speed gets reset.

Really? I could have sworn the effects of the speed boosts wore off after a little while. Thanks for the clarification.

They do.

When you pick up a speed boost, you get a permanent upgrade to your endorsement level, AND a temporary boost that puts you above gold speed. One pickup will put you well above the gold level endorsement base speed.

I just tried your set up today and I love it.

I am thinking about maybe doing clipsize instead of skill.
How dramatic is the skill charge difference?

I've been trying out alternate builds without the skill recovery and am considering removing it completely. I've read that the bronze skill recovery cuts the cooldown by 20%. I've played without it and it seems like it takes about an three additional seconds or so.

I've been using Armor in the bronze slot, but I'm going to test out Clip Size today.

Great guide. Awesome stuff and you have help me add many awesome things to my playstyle since reading.

One minor thing, though, in your Assault v Sniper match-up you didn't mention how super effective the grenade launcher can be against them. Two shots can kill a Sniper trying to shoot you and long range and by the time they realize the first one has hit them, they usually can't get out of the way fast enough to avoid the second one.

I tried clipsize and I think I'm gonna stick with it. The skills seem to still regen at a very decent speed.

Crits could be interesting.

Great guide. Has really helped me improve as a assault

Very nice guide indeed. Very similar to my Assault build and play style. The only difference in tactics is I use my bomb less and Fly more. I find flying above targets makes it harder for them to shoot me and easier for me to pin'em down.

My Assault endorsements are Gold Accuracy, Silver Armor, Bronze RoF. With this build my main targets are Gunners and Tanks.

Also, I like the format and layout of this guide. It's easy to scan through to find the info you are really looking for. We know not everyone will read the whole thing but having the bold words helps grab the attention of those readers. So either way they will learn something.

I've actually changed my bronze endorsement to Clip Size. The difference in recovery time between Bronze Skill Recovery and no endorsement really isn't much. Thanks for the suggestion Knight.

edited: Also edited the Speed Boost information. Thanks Cheesecake.

I'll work on the map strategies soon.

i run the same set up but with bronze armor i might try out clip size, i enjoy charge 3 for juice controlling people, it is amazing on spunky with a lvl 3 bomb to, you can basically lock down the strip just outside of there spawn (the walkway with the wall inbetween the other walk way)

Just one question: why assist > kill?

Because the way I've been playing assault, it seems it's fine to just go for the kills and protect teammates that way, rather than just trying to gain assist.

If your teammate needs your help, it is mostly they have been flanked and need to be saved.

Amen.

i must admit your assault is god damn crazy though...i don't get your build though....

as an assault i ignore bots somewhat and just target pro's mainly, i do nade some bots to gain some quick juice but thats about it..

Well I mean obviously I still go for the kill instead of the assist. I try to get shots into whoever I come across. But the sig is more directed towards people that take their kill/death too seriously and get outraged when they pick up assists rather than kills. Who cares which you picked up as long as you got the job accomplished in getting your opponent dead. Personally, I like picking up a high number of assists to go along with the kills.

I've watched your most recent vid with ROF/Acc/Crit and tried it out a little bit ago. I might use it as an alternate build against Gunner/Tank heavy teams, but gold accuracy is just too important to my playstyle. But that vid was pretty impressive, maybe I'll run into your Assault soon. Think the only times I've played you were when you were sniping, besides the one game I joined late today. HiiTimes sent me a message about rage quitting after I left, but there's no way I could have gotten anything going in a pub against you guys 5v3.

I understand by what you mean assist > kills. I agree with that statement.

The assault is very versatile in it's build and playstyle so I can understand the gold accuracy part.

And don't worry about that Hiiitime kid, he's a bit antsy.

Amen.

Your endorsement build gets an A+ from me because I've been rolling with that one since... forever. I settled on it and loved it.

I don't really think accuracy is important for Assault, because of the high damage fall off of the AR. You're a lot more likely to come out on top using armor, especially if you know how to use your skills. Your damage output at close range is very high regardless, and having a larger reticule can actually help to keep more evasive opponents pegged.

Also, you should always upgrade passive to 2 before anything else. My build order is typically Passive 2 + Charge 2 - Bomb 2 - Fly 2 - Bomb 3, though I often upgrade bomb before fly, depending on how the match is playing out.

Nice guide, thanks for posting. You would have been proud of my assists after focusing on harassment in my last game.

Though it may just be personal preference, I do partially agree with Ninja Wallace's advice in that I think Passive 2 is worth an upgrade over Fly 2. I start off with Bomb 2 and Passive 2, but I know that others have had success with Fly 2 in the mix first.

I've actually started to use a few different builds since making the guide, depending on the makeup of the other team. As well as switching up the order I upgrade skills depending on the map.

I'll work on updating the guide + the map specific strategies once I get my new xbox...mine died last night. Hopefully I'll be able to find one tomorrow.