Lightning Tips

[Jaged]

I just picked up the lightning, and I am loving it. The only problem is that I am not that good with it. I read Biohazards guide, but all I really got out of that was keep moving. Are there any other tips anyone can give me?

[dscytherulez]

Don't waste time trying to use the mg on people, just hit em with the shells. Only use the mg for light/fast vehs and aircraft. Thats really the only tip I can give you. Oh, being an engi will increase your lifespan 10-fold.

[Subterfuge]

Well, I used lightning for a while, and loved it. I basically tried to stray away from mags/prow/vans unless I was in a group. Nothing wrong with going rambo though :D .

Sometimes I would just run people over, rather then taking my time at shooting them.

I generally used cover and used the arch of the shell to shoot into the enemy base without being seen.

Yeah, being an engi will save your ass more times then you can count, make sure to get some cover before. Believe it or not I see people try to repair right on the field, result is getting blown away.

These tips probably suck, but oh well :groovy:

[MidnightDave]

what he said, plus try and travel in packs you have no idea the damage 5 lightings can do if working together. As for solo work, run from heavy tanks, use your speed as an advantage. What u are gonna be doing best as solo is a. infantry and maxes and b. light vehicles (delivs, buggies, other lightings) and c. ams's Ive chased down so many ams's while soloing with my lighting, u wouldnt believe. Another tip, if u see a prowler/vanguard/magrider of your own empire, go with it. U wont be the main target, but you will do a fair amount of damage thereby keeping you and the tank alive longer.


And I know he said it, but im saying it again. BE AN ENGY!

Engy tip: if u stop to repair, try and find some place that is a crevice/secluded place behind a mountain or something. And never, ever, ever stop to repair on the road.

[Rbstr]

Keep moving, keep away from heavy armor, use the Cannon on everything except Air things, get Engy if you can, Advanced targeting helsp pick out damage things and let you know it your hitting

[Vick]

Use the cannon on air things if your a good shot, if I can hit planes with a 150 you can do it with the 75.

[Rayder]

True Vick, but the Lightning's cannon is a freakin' mortar, it's arc is so much greater than the Van's. The Lightning needs faster turning IMO, also, don't hit trees.

[Jaged]

Good tips, keep em comming.

[Happy lil Elf]

Most of these are common sense but, eh, what the hell.

1. Don't fuck with heavy tanks. Just don't. You can not afford to trade shots with them and since the change a few months back you don't have the acceleration to outmanuver them.

2. Dont' fuck with people who have AV and are compentent with it, or rather don't openly fuck with then. Flank them, run them over if the oppotunity presents itself, but don't try to do toe to toe if they have decent cover, most of the time if you do, you're not going to live to regret it.

3. Don't stop moving unless you're sure you've got cover. If you get out to repair and there's someone 100m away hiding behind a rock with a Deci, you're done.

4. Use 3rd person for driving, 1st person for gunning. Get used to switching from one to the other without thinking about it. There's really no reason to drive in 1st person as it severly limits your vision. The one exception I can think of off hand would be if you are expecting mines, in which case the next tip is doubly handy.

5. Have advanced targeting and always have it on (although this is pretty general for all vehicles).

6. Audio amp is nice. DL will work, but personally I think AA is more useful while driving.

7. If you're not actually shooting at someone, constantly be checking for incoming, well, anything. Watch the skies even more often then you watch the ground. Reavers are pretty easy to survive, unless you don't see them coming and one volley is enough to cripple you.

8. Use your arc to your advantage. You can use 3rd person and cover to take out or harrass all sorts of bad things. AV MAXs, wall turrets, that bastard up on the tower with a Lancer etc. Just find some cover (and again be sure you do in fact have cover and you're not flanked), switch to 3rd person and bombard them. You won't get a ton of kills doing this, but it is very effective for softening them up and causing general mayhem as people tend to get distracted when explosions start going off all around them. Let the heavy tanks go in for the kill and if it seems under control then close in. They can afford to take the punishment they'll get if there happens to be a couple deci users or a few AV MAXs hanging around, you can't.

9. Don't be afraid to mow down infantry. Some people complain about how unfair it is. Ignore them. If a Rexo is dumb enough to fire at you from out in the open from 30m away, he deserves to get smashed by your bumper.

10. Don't be afraid to go toe to toe with a Reaver. It takes some practice but it's actually rather easy to dodge their volleys while peppering them with 12mm and the occasional cannon round. Besides, you're rarely going to be able to outrun or even hide from them, so don't try to. Give them a reason to break off and head somewhere for repairs instead or if they're really persistant, blow them the hell up. Try not to start laughing maniacally if they try to eject, it cen throw off your aim.

11. If possible keep, your shields charged at all times. The Lightning doesn't have a lot of armor and every little bit helps.

12. Stick to the edges of battles. You're not built for charging into the courtyard and mauling things. The Lightning is a scout tank and a skirmisher.

I could probably think of some more but it's a quarter after three and I have to work tomorrow so...g'night ;)

[Jaged]

2. Dont' fuck with people who have AV and are compentent with it, or rather don't openly fuck with then. Flank them, run them over if the oppotunity presents itself, but don't try to do toe to toe if they have decent cover, most of the time if you do, you're not going to live to regret it.
I have to disagree here. You have more armor and a bigger gun then a grunt with AV. If they are sporting a deci, move fast enough to evade it. It is hard to hit a moving target with those. It should be easy to take out one, or even two grunts with AV. Now if they are in large groups, thats a different story.

[Mudflap]

OK, my personal opinion is:

1. Use your dang machine gun. Yeah, you heard me! Infantry have a strange tendency to pop up behind the ridge of a hill. When they do, you're not gonna hit them with a shell, so dish out some machine gun ownage. It'll take infantry down faster than your shells if you're a good shot, and you can hit things closer to you.

2. Keep your arse moving. Mainly to avoid reavers and decis.

3. I highly recommend advanced targetting. It helps me pick my targets, and even take the occassional damaged tank.

4. If you start getting hit by AV fire, find it on your radar and go the other way! It only takes two clips on the striker or lancer to take you out.

5. Never run uphill! You will go at a snails pace and be easier to hit than Mike Tyson's GF.

6. Know the terrain. Keep a mental picture of where you are and how to get out.

7. If possible, I highly recommend staying near other vehicles or troops. It's amazing the number of times my life ahs been saved by Pheonix users scaring off other vehicles.

8. Try not to go rambo. All you tend to do is blow up, with no kills. It helps no one.

9. When taking out turrets, get behind a hill and go into 3rd person to target. Use the arc of your shells to keep from being hit by he dang phalanx.

[Krinsath]

A Lightning's armor isn't terribly better than a MAX's (for a while, they were actually equal). It *seems* easy to avoid, but generally avoiding one makes you run smack dab into another.

Avoid forests if at all possible.

You're a heavy raider more or less. Your job is not to take the battleline, but to harass the flanks. Leave the heavy vehicles (this includes the Sunderer) to the heavy vehicles.

Exceptions to the "always use cannon rule" - Infantry that are too close to be hit with the cannon but are not close enough to be run over (amazing how many people are surprised by this tactic). Infantry hiding in trees and other high places where putting a cannon shot on them is difficult (especially if they're AV).

Run like hell when your armor starts to get about 50%. Seems strange, but that means you'll generally still have control of the vehicle with the damage you soak up disengaging.

If your vehicle is disabled, move away. If nobody blows it up, try to repair it and drive off (saved dozens of my own tanks this way....amazing how lazy some enemy soldiers are).

Other than that, all the good points have been said.

[Krinsath]

8. Try not to go rambo. All you tend to do is blow up, with no kills. It helps no one.

I go solo all the time, and sometimes have runs of almost an hour in one tank. At the same time though, I don't try running into the teeth of an enemy strongpoint. That SHOULD say, "If you're going solo, do NOT drive into the heart of the enemy. *** at the flanks and take down stragglers and loners"...because saying that going solo is what causes that isn't entirely true/fair.

9. When taking out turrets, get behind a hill and go into 3rd person to target. Use the arc of your shells to keep from being hit by he dang phalanx.

Alternately, there are blind spots with the auto-fire turrets where you can sit back and shell them with impunity. While the mentioned tactic is just as viable, if you're sweeping a base exterior for infantry, a way to do both at once.

[SilverLord]

Very good tips, might pick up the Lightning.

[Jaged]

This i turning into a great thread! Anyway, I figured one out on my own. If you are plannng on picking up a lightning, get ATV first. Get proficient in combat with the bassy and by the time you pick up the lightining, you will be a god! It may not have that much armor, but after the bassy, it will feel like a portable bunker.

[scarpas]

;) keep Moving ;)