My experience as an Engineer/AMS driver

[gonnagetyou]

I've been playing the role of combat engineer-AMS driver for awhile. In the process I've come to apprecite just how important the AMS is when assaulting a base. The closer you can park it next to the fight the quicker your team mates get back into the action. The most important factors when using the AMS is location and surprise. Look for natural areas of cover and low depressions in the terrain. You can drive the AMS into some really bizarre areas from which the enemy won't expect you to. Natural bowl shaped depressions or right between the slopes of a couple of hills are my favorite spots. The reasons are because:

1. It's out of line of sight from the enemy.

2. If you feel the need to deploy defenses like Spitfires, motion sensors and mines you can do so on the surrounding slopes. This way the enemy doesn't see your defenses until it's too late. They are forced to come within range in order to take them out.

3. The enemy can't see you leave the cloaking field unless they are right on top of you.

The biggest problem you'll have keeping your AMS location secret will be your own team mates. People too often travel in a straight line directly from the AMS to the battle. For the love of god people don't do this. Run somewhere of to the side before going to the fight. If you don't you're just saying "Hey, over here! Look where I came from for the tenth time!"

I often see enemy cloakers back tracking my team mates in order to discover the location of my well placed AMS. So if you see me running at you and it looks like I'm shooting at you I'm not. You probably just had a cloaker run past you and I'm trying to protect all my hard work.

The one thing I hate the most are team mates hacking my AMS. If your in my squad that's another thing, but if not keep your grubby paws of my AMS. I put it there for a reason and I'll be the one to move it unless you ask me for permission.
I've only had this happen once so far and I caught the guy in the act, but it deffinantly pissed me off.

Enemy Reavers are you're second biggest problem. I haven't quite come up with a solution to that one yet. Those missiles will pound you into the dust in no time and the good Reaver pilots are always on the look out for a deployed AMS. There just isn't much you can do against Reavers even with several troops packing AA weapons. You either need other Reavers or Mosquitoes covering you or just pray you don't get seen. If your position is compromised bug out and find a new spot when you can.

Spitfires:
Place these out of the line of sight of enemies. They are easily taken out and their best use is for ambushes. I like to place them behind rocks or trees along the path of enemy units. That way they aren't seen until the last minute. Hopefully doing some damage. Just below the top of a hill is also a good spot.

Motion Sensors:
As with Spitefires conceal them the best you can. That light on top is a nice giveway for the enemy to home in on.

Mines:
I like to mine roads and bridges. Mine the enterance to bases and doors. I mine avenues of approach that I see being used a lot. If I'm especially sneaky I'll mine the enemies side of rocks and trees. It's nice seeing some poor guy jump behind some cover only to step on a mine.

As far as wepons go, I don't have any certification for the big guns yet. I typically carry the Punisher with Rocklets. The rocklets are good for providing support to my team mates and for taking out enemy Spitefires and Motion Sensors from a distance. I also try and repair friendly vehicles whenever they stay still enough to allow me to. As a Vanu player, I would like to eventully have acces to the Lasher, so I'm saving up for the Heavy Assault cert.

Well hope some people find this interesting. I'm no expert at the game yet, but I'm having a lot of fun. If you see me running around and need an aspiring kick ass engineer in your squad give me a yell. I usually join the first squad that asks.