Belgrade and Armor

**Zhohar** · 06-06-2009, 09:39 AM

1. You cannot ignore armor on Belgrade. Lyra made a wonderful thread -- you should read it: http://www.tacticalgamer.com/battlef...armor-map.html

2. Armor kills are often unrevivable. A smart armor squad can run 30-70 kills in an average Belgrade round. This is a huge ticket impact on the basis of 4 people alone. We're talking about tickets -- not Voss kills that get revived a moment later.

3. Armor is a different kind of fun. Armor is very different from infantry, and often spoils the fun. Tough luck, it is here to stay, we should adapt. I ran from it for a long time, but I recently embraced my inner armor whore and now I am a better SL for it.

4. Help your armor or deny the enemy theirs. It's simple:
- Holding first flag out of the UCB and Statue = happy friendly armor
- Holding Statue or holding the first flag out of the enemy UCB = unhappy enemy armor. Holding both = very unhappy enemy armor.

5. If no one is running armor, do it yourself. Be conservative, ask for supply drops, run away from Walkers, use external views to prevent EMP/OS from enemy CO. Don't cap flags, don't expose your back, don't move anywhere unless friendlies are ahead of you.

6. Change the way you think as an SL.
Three modes on Belgrade, as far as infantry is concerned
- Default mode: remove bleed from self, make enemy bleed -- straight forward.
- Crux mode: choose your flags so that you have the advantage in firefights
- Armor mode: help friendly armor and deny enemy armor by holding key flags

These are not three separate concepts -- they mush together for a lovely concoction of win and six-flag-bleed.

I am addressing infantry squad leaders with this thread because infantry is fun on Belgrade. Comm Tower firefights are a beautiful thing, and you disagree, you are a dirty Communist.
But.
When you're deciding whether to push Ruin or Playground from Comm, take a sec, and see if your armor is doing OK.

a) If the first flag out of your UCB is hostile -- your armor is hurting. Your armor is not leaving the UCB, and it's having a lot of trouble. Hit that flag, make sure it's yours, then move on. Usually, the people holding it are engies so you can steamroll them with your medics.

b) If Statue is hostile -- your armor is limited. It's useful, sure, but it's about 40-60% of its capacity. Statue grants a walker (awesome against enemy armor), higher ground, and free candy.

c) If you have both the first flag out of your UCB, and Statue -- you're golden. Your APC/Tank/Walker are ripping things to shreds and stealing your gold star. But -- don't be content. Be angry and be mean.

d) Hit the flag closest to enemy UCB. Mine up the roads, man the Rorsches, deny them their armor. Your infantry will have armor support in the back (FREE armor support, because your friendly armor doesn't need to worry about enemy armor), and you can take more flags, and steamroll the enemy.

This is all. I've learned these things by playing locked armor squads recently. The more aspects I get to experience of this game (pure medic, gung-ho shottie, long range tanks, cautious APCs, grenade-only rounds), the better SL I become, and the easier it becomes to win a game.
I think Lyra's comment is the smartest I can give here as a closing remark: be like a chameleon, ready to blend in and adapt into whatever the situation requires.

SilentSunshine · 06-06-2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhohar

I am addressing infantry squad leaders with this thread because infantry is fun on Belgrade. Comm Tower firefights are a beautiful thing, and if you disagree, you are a dirty Communist.
But.

Amen to that.

Really, I needed this post. I've always loved Belgrade, but almost ignored the armor.

**HiTestFest** · 06-06-2009, 10:24 AM

Nice write up!!

**WhiskeySix** · 06-06-2009, 11:20 AM

good stuff!

(hmm... i've searched and searched, but don't see it - where is the definitive guide walkers??)

**Mixa** · 06-06-2009, 11:23 AM

I hate Belgrade for the armor rape, more engineers we have there less I hate it. Good write up, hopefully all SLs will grab engineers, even when heading com!

**flik2142** · 06-06-2009, 12:45 PM

Agree on all points there Zhohar, it's a pity sometimes when I join a squad and complete focus is on comm tower and/or infantry vs infantry fighting, and no recognition is given towards the fact there is possible apc/tank/walker to contend with at some point in game.

Statue is a key flag and too much attention is given to comm tower as a nice infantry zone - I'd like to see SLs giving statue more recognition - as you say: walker, high ground, fantastic staging post and it covers the main road exceptionally well against armour.

**HellHarry** · 06-06-2009, 02:27 PM

Zho you mean guy why do you give other our knowledge so freely you should charge them at less 1 $ for the info :P

Great write up, all of this is true. Statue gives your armor over view of playground, com and ruin... if your armor are good it's close to impossible for an enemy to cap playground or ruin as they have no cover from the armor.

(Whiskey I remeber not finding one too... I had to learn it while reaper was yelling at me on tunis :P good times)

**LordKelvin** · 06-06-2009, 02:52 PM

My first love affair with the A-8 happened on Belgrade. I've been coming back ever since. EU on Belgrade forever!

That aside, I have always seen Belgrade as an armor map with limited space. The infantry aspect is there just to help the APC gorge itself on kills.

**pred011586** · 06-06-2009, 04:55 PM

Yay, now I might not be the only squad that goes for Statue every round now! =D

Nice write-up Zho, you've given a good majority of the reasons I consistently make an initial rush on Statue at the start of Belgrade rounds. There's even more candy hidden in the north building if you can find it!

Maybe now I'll be able to run a Com Tower squad and see what the action looks like over there at the start of rounds.

**WhiskeySix** · 06-06-2009, 05:28 PM

so both teams get the same armor (tank + apc) and there's a single walker at statue that swings the balance between teams?

**MrTango** · 06-06-2009, 05:47 PM

great write-up Zho- I will definitely be more aware of supporting the armor when on foot! And there's nothin' like a fully loaded APC rollin' into the enemy's Playground, guns blazin', pods flyin', guts everywhere. Rare, but awesome.

**DrBeat** · 06-06-2009, 07:21 PM

Very well done as usual. As a primarily infantry player, it is all to easy to sequester yourself at Com Tower and ignore all armor except for the passing APC or two.

**MDFubar** · 06-06-2009, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeySix

so both teams get the same armor (tank + apc) and there's a single walker at statue that swings the balance between teams?

Yes, great write up Zhohar.

**FBmantis** · 06-07-2009, 04:01 AM

Zho your post reads like you stole a piece of the playbook in my head. Certainly I share the same positive and negative experiences around the dynamics of the map running around in a tank often. When on the ground I tend to run squads that defend the two backflags because it is typically neglected and yet ever so important.

I have some old poe2 threads I probably need to convert to 2142 as they touch on some areas of this post that in general we don't do too well with in 2142.

**Lyramion** · 06-07-2009, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FBmantis

Zho your post reads like you stole a piece of the playbook in my head. Certainly I share the same positive and negative experiences around the dynamics of the map running around in a tank often. When on the ground I tend to run squads that defend the two backflags because it is typically neglected and yet ever so important.

I have some old poe2 threads I probably need to convert to 2142 as they touch on some areas of this post that in general we don't do too well with in 2142.

Yes, please touch me... erm.... them