Magrider – Thoughts

Recently been playing loads of planetside 2 getting much better feel for the game as a whole.

You can find my various thoughts on the game listed under planetside category pretty big faults with the game.  Core of the game can be rather fun at times even with these faults helps put off new players.  Faction of choice Vanu Sovereignty playing on Ceres European Playstation 4 server. Vanu Sovereignty faction get various benefits with specialist vehicles along with weapons. Main battle tank is called Magrider Vanu get an hover tank.

Admitting my hate now love

Willing to admit that I hated the Magrider at first for various reason I could not make the tank work and would die.  Took me hours to work out how to use it along with upgrading it.  Could be I gotten better with time or something else but I did serious hate it that much I was thinking of switching.   Leaving the Vanu over one vehicle was bit silly so decided to keep at it.  Soon I found started to love the thing with my results improving.

Comparing tanks

New Conglomerate Vanguard – Best armour strongest main gun but cost of speed and acceleration.  Vanguard special ability activation of an tank shield base health is 4,000 but shield adds 2,000 on top for 6 seconds.  Defensive style of tank which is designed to bust up armour. 

Terran Republic Prowler –  Opposite of the Vanguard fastest top speed, quicker reload time lower protection due armour resistance.  Offensive ability anchored Mode lower reload speed higher projectile speed.

Vanu Sovereignty – Magrider – Takes traits from both takes combining both of them into one tank. Main gun 2nd highest damage mobility to match it armour wise middle of the pack.  Mobility does not equal matching prowler speed instead does better job hill climbing.  Unlike the other tanks limited by tracks can move side to side.  Main turret requires whole tank to move in order to aim result front is always facing your target.  Turret does have the lowest arc in the whole game meaning you can hit other tanks before they see you.  Downside comes with slow reload speed and velocity.  Magburner does give you major boost in speed for temporary period of time.

Okay it looks rather bad for Mr average.  Does nothing great just does everything average apart from one or two minor things.

Mr average?

Mr average in many respects with some serious downsides fighting other tanks head on results in death. Vanguard rips you to pieces with sheer damage, prowler burst damage is high enough to win.  Magrider must exploit lack of mobility getting behind taken by surprise you can burst down the other tanks.  Extra mobility over the environment with stealth allows you to win.  Against lighting tanks you can exploit the mobility or take them head on.  Still risky to take on lighting head on unless it the skyguard platform.

Below are some examples from last night….

Example 1

Magrider hides within an valley fires to the hillside which somebody tank. Vanguard follows magrider into valley after being hit. Magrider moves up the valley edge firing down on vanguard main gun can’t aim high enough to hit the magrider.  Vanguard pops the shield trying to escape dies seconds later.

Running stealth allows the magrider to get into positions like the one above. Driver of the vanguard should have avoided that situation.  Vanguard may have better armour with damage potential but can’t do much against burst damage with extra mobility.  Vanguard would been harder to kill from the hillside but still facing quite a task against the magrider.

Example 2

Magrider located to side of the road hidden behind the hill. One lone prowler racing ahead on the road is attacked by the magrider from behind. No cover for the magrider apart just open road. Prowler turns the turret to face the magrider who dodges one or two shots. Hit from behind by the magrider the prowler dies.

Example 3

Vanu has an armored column moving forward hits another armored column.  Main battle tanks start firing on each other Vanu are dodging shots keeping distance.  Small group of Vanu try to flank around using armour and heavy assaults.   Magriders flanking around weaken the armour letting the front armour finish them off.

Combined elements of the magrider allow the Vanu to win. Head on the tanks suffer but that mobility keeps them alive just a bit longer.

Example 3 front armour is best option with stealth being used on the flanking force.  Best results of the magrider requires you to exploit using the environment with some sort of element of surprise.  Vanu main battle tank is rather versatile allows you to burst damage but glass cannon compared to the other tanks.

Weapon velocity

One of the roles I told about with the Magrider was being able to snipe vehicles long range using hill climb to be annoying. However….the main guns suffer from Low weapon velocity.  Combined with bumpy nature of the main gun which is worse on console.   You can provide support from further ranges but not a fan of that play style myself.  Can be very powerful hanging back just at the outsides of one of the big battles.

Gunner

Benefits of the gunner can’t be underestimated for starters it provides you with much need extra awareness.  Extra damage is just the bonus that awareness which helps the most.

High entry barrier

Magrider is just works better with upgrades some of the best ones are upgrading your weapons followed by tank upgrades.  Default main weapon is okay, secondary gunner you get light machine gun which is average.  Very useful against people trying to C4 you but against other tanks no.

Pros and cons

Pro

• Mobility – allows you to get to places no vehicle can go…
• Middle ground – Middle ground in everything
• Low turret arc
• Versatile

Cons

• Lack of straight line speed
• Average armour
• Low weapon velocity
• Solo reduced damage output
• Poor vision – , Low FOV, can’t turn your camera due to being turret based.
• High entry barrier – Cert investment with cons
• Weak against infantry

Sooooooo…

Magrider looks on paper rather bad however in practise the versatile nature combined with tactics means you can do some serious damage.  Front armour is good for moving with the zerg, stealth is good for flanking.  You can hill climb to avoid fire or hide on hills to rain fire down.  Not sure which upgrade is better racer or rival.  Overall I would say the tank good but does have high learning curve.   Still think Daybreak games should buff the main turrets so they have fastest velocity in the game given reload speed makes sense.   Instead of forcing one playstyle I taken the best of both worlds being aggressive defensive so attacking when it suits me.  Tank suits my playstyle aggressive flanking with some clever tactics over sheer force.