The Perfect Prowler Crew

[Veteran]

I've been reshaping my character to be the ideal gunner for a crew vehicle.

Heavy Assault, Special Assault, Anti-Vehicular, Reinforced Exosuit, Advanced Hacking, Engineering

This is how it works: two guys with the above template get into the 100mm and 12mm positions in the Prowler, and a guy with the following template drives it:

Heavy Assault, Special Assault, Prowler, Reinforced Exosuit, Advanced Hacking, Engineering.

The tank can roll along bringing death and destruction, as it is so good at doing. Then, when the damage adds up (about 60% roughly), the driver finds a harbor, and all three guys jump out and repair. It takes just a few seconds with three engineers working on it. Then they jump back in and the fun keeps rolling. A great trick for engineers healing a tank is to park yourself right over the icon where you mount the gun. It should say "Press G to enter Prowler as a gunner". While you're healing, keep an eye on your life. If you hear an AMP or start getting shot, instantly hit G and you'll jump in the tank. While you're jumping in the tank, you're immune to damage, so if you're alert, you will never get killed while healing the tank, unless it's by a direct hit from a big weapon. Cloakers love to stalk tanks and kill the crew while they're repairing. Deny them!

If an aircraft becomes a pain, the Prowler plays possum, specifically ordering the 12mm gunner to hold fire against aircraft. This lulls the pilot into thinking the tank has no gunner, at which point the two gunners jump out and send the mighty Striker missiles toward the terrorist scum, bringing a swift and inescapable death. It's pretty effective. Striker sucks big time against ground armor, even when used in groups, but against aircraft it is the premier personnel anti-aircraft solution. It is that feature of the weapon that makes it essential for the perfect Prowler gunner.

As for Heavy Assault and Reinforced Exosuit, this lets all three guys jump out and attack towers on the way. It takes a lot to stop three heavy troopers, especially when they all have Decimators, which means they'd generally prefer to encounter enemy MAXs, since they are childishly simple to kill with the Decimator. Another trick is to have all three guys load AP ammo into their MCG. Since it takes about 75 AP bullets to kill a MAX, three guys spraying AP ammo will kill a MAX in roughly three seconds if he's at full health. AP ammo is also very effective against Reavers, who like to fly low. I've chased many aircraft away with standard bullets, so AP rounds would definitely work.

One or even both of the gunners could substitute Advanced Medical for Advanced Hacking (though I would never do so). This would allow them to revive the tank driver if he got killed. An alternative is to have the gunners replace Heavy Assault with Prowler so that they can take turns being the driver, letting their buddy have a chance at the 100mm gun. It's really fun.
Prowler will never have the rude sniping abilities of the Heavy Rail Beam, but MagRider will never carry three engineers. The right crew can turn the Prowler into a hideous beast of destruction. Terrans: field more tanks! There's nothing like a Prowler to cut a swath of devastation among the ranks of the enemy.

[Katanaboy]

Nice!! You've really put lots of thought into this, and it shows. That crew by itself (or even better, a full squad with three prowlers) would most likely be able to stop anything and everything in its path. It's nice to see people looking past the cons of the prowler, and focusing on its pros (more people).

Problem: Doubtful to find that many cooperative people outside of outfit.

[Veteran]

It's true... Finding people who will cooperate is tough. Fortunately my outfit has people who drive tanks and we can usually keep a tank alive for quite a while. If the tank blows up, we just spawn at the same place and make a new one. Voice chat rules for this kind of thing.

[Rayder]

Prowler is a closed vehicle, so only agile armor could pilot it.

[Veteran]

Yes, the rexo for the driver is for when he's doing other things.

[Warborn]

I used to drive a Prowler religiously during Beta, so I definitely agree with your idela crew. I have to add though that no crew can ever be effective until it is in voice communication. If the driver can't communicate with his gunner(s), the tank is nowhere near what it could be.

But, yeah, cert wise, that's good.

[TheRagingGerbil]

Another great vehicle which is underused is the Deliverer. With a full crew (5 guys) all as engies we raced around repairing and destroing everythingwe could. When the del would get damaged, four of us would pile out, repair, and jump back in. We always kept the 5th guy on a gun.

We kept that Del alive for a good hour and a half, two hours. I lost count of the number of vans, lightnings, and sunds, we repaired during that time frame. We were like a mobile pit crew. The only thing we were missing was ammo to refill everyone.

[Queensidecastle]

Only thing I would add is, never have both gunners out at once. Always leave one gunner in position

[Strak]

I would agree with leaving a guy in a gun.

Last night the NC were kickin the crap outa up, 3 vanguards show up at the tower and begin to nail us. we fall back. I eventually come across the same tower and look 3 vans still parked outside. I surge around behind them and pull out the rek, and hack the first tank. No signs of oppositions. Excellent. I jump into the vanguard and turn it's main gun on the Van guard infront of me and begin to do what vanguards do. Half way through someone jumps in the unmolested tank and begins to pound me. I finish off the first one, and aimi at the side of the tree like Van #s is doing. I eventually get exploded.

Result. No one was left with the tanks, 2 were destroyed and one crippled....by one guy. If I was a driver I woulda just taken off with it.

Sure tanks are cheap, but they had to go get new ones.

[Heckler01]

When I repair any vehicle, im always on the icon to mount the vehicle, I also go to third person and turn on DL.

[Vick]

Good post, I am a nearly full-time gunner myself, and my certs are alot like that.

I still pwnxt your prowler the other day in my liberator, 35MM is the best gun of all.

[NoSurrender]

yes 35mm pwns prowlers