Originally Posted by Greyed

I think most people forget that situations do come up where having an explosive recon is better than support and that 2142, played TGs way, is as much a game of time as it is tickets. Everyone dismisses tactics that don't net tickets and completely disregard the time those tactics buy. You don't need to get tickets now if the time you buy lets you get those tickets later.

One good example. Columns on Shingle. RDX 2 levels down will often catch people rushing to the top. Will it net tickets? Probably not. Does it net time? Hell yes, it does. Or you see a squad skulking around the base of columns, drop RDX over the side like depth charges. Will it net tickets? Probably not. Does it net time? Hell yes, it does.

What does time buy you? Time for more nades to be dropped, more shots to be fired, more ammo to be reloaded, more healing to come in, more revives to come across. Most importantly of all, for those not set in the Rambo mentality (either solo or at the squad level) it allows for reinforcements in the form of spawns, another squad or even members of the same squad who are deployed further forward than they otherwise normally would to get to the flag.

Is it always appropriate in the TG environment? No. But it is grossly underestimated because most TGers dismiss time as a factor in the equation.

Yes a Recon with RDX can be useful, especially like you said when defending a flag or a building such as on Belgrade. However that recon is only going to do any good if he has a support with and IDS with him so he can see where the enemies are and also to resupply him, as well as a medic or 4 to revive him when he eats rockets before he can hit that detonator.

Taking this back to the discussion at hand,

Recon=useful some of the time.

Support=useful all of the time.