A Path Beyond Is the LT a one trick pony?

[des1206]

The LT has almost the same DPS as the Medium Tank (except vs. mammoth armor), but it's health is so fragile that I don't see it being used outside of the first-load rushes. This is especially true in larger, high-tech level games where its armor just can't stand up to TT/Shock/Mammoth/Kov. $200 cheaper is great, but for most players, survivability is much better a choice. And remember in APB, the gaps between cheaper units and more $ units in terms of power need to be narrower since you can't just get more of a cheaper unit to compensate for its lower power/health. 1 player = 1 tank. Opportunity cost is higher in this game.

If I'm wrong on this, can any player attest to other ways LTs are used right now mid/late game on high-tier maps? It seems like the APC makes a better tanya-chariot and v2 hunter, at least right now. LBs usually fill in the role of rapid response.

Then again the LT IS a tier-one unit. Maybe it SHOULD stay less relevant and get out-classed mid-late game. But if not, how can we change him to make it more useful mid-late game, yet not OP during the early rushes? In Ra3, the tsunami tank (LTs of Ra3) had much lower health than its Soviet/Allied MBT counter parts. It got around to be balanced by 1. Being cheaper 2. faster, 3. amphibious, 4. Its speed allowed it to retreat and self-heal using its secondary.   

Some ideas I have: 1. Give the LT equal range as a Medium Tank, 2. get rid of its mammoth armor penalty (if it's mobility is good for anything, it's for flanking mammoth tanks), and 3. allow mechs to heal it faster so it can quickly retreat out of range and heal. These changes will not mess up the early-game balance and can allow a viable mid/late game LT strategy. Well, maybe between 1 & 3 we don't have to do both, or else it will be too easy to kite with the LT. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by des1206

[OrangeP47]

Proper LT usage is about speed and maneuverability.  Get behind the HT where they can't hit you.  Rush the flanks quicker than a med can. The element of surprise often offsets the lack of armor, if used right, as you'll get quite a few shots in before the enemy even knows what hits them.  I've used it this way quite a bit lately, and I feel like back in the day even more people did so.

[des1206]

3 minutes ago, OrangeP47 said:

Proper LT usage is about speed and maneuverability.  Get behind the HT where they can't hit you.  Rush the flanks quicker than a med can. The element of surprise often offsets the lack of armor, if used right, as you'll get quite a few shots in before the enemy even knows what hits them.  I've used it this way quite a bit lately, and I feel like back in the day even more people did so.

Is this strategy still common/effective in larger games with more players (enemy everywhere, hard to flank), and higher-tech level maps (can't damage mammoth, TT/Vok/Shock shoots you dead pretty quickly).

Edited May 21, 2017 by des1206

[Killing_You]

Oh yeah, particularly in more open maps. I've seen more lights than mediums on KotG since they can take advantage of the terrain and cover to perform hit-and-run attacks on Soviet assault convoys, to the point where many rushes fail because they lose so much health along the way and don't have the speed or maneuverability to retaliate. Really the only maps where it feels underused are maps like Complex and Under, where there's too many bottlenecks for it to be a viable option.

As for the TT, the LT is a great counter since it can get into it's blind spot better than most other vehicles.

[OrangeP47]

1 hour ago, des1206 said:

Is this strategy still common/effective in larger games with more players (enemy everywhere, hard to flank), and higher-tech level maps (can't damage mammoth, TT/Vok/Shock shoots you dead pretty quickly).

Yeah, I got a mammy down to around 25% the other day, more than enough for my rocket soldier to finish off.

The game should be about the tactics used, not 100% about the stats.

[ChopBam]

You shoulda seen it in Gamma.

[NoSpoons]

I think its a general consensus that you should avoid getting into situations where you will lose your tank unless you are going to trade it for a more expensive soviet tenk  

[SirJustin90]

I find the LT makes up for its weaknesses due to it's great survivability.

It's able to run quickly, climb hills quickly, and able to clear an HT's range easily. 

 

That being said if you try and treat it like a MBT and close on targets... the inevitable pain in on you.

[devilslayersbane]

I feel like the light tank is a bit of a odd choice of tank right now. It has the DPS of the medium tank, but the range and slightly higher profile mean that even if you get the drop on a soviet heavy tank, you will probably end up losing your tank. Light tanks are practically useless outside of small hit and run skirmishes with mammoths, but as a supplement to a med it actually works really well. I've had more luck using a light tank to scout out an enemy, wait for the engagement to begin, and then reinforce the front line with fire support. In the hit and run role, the Phase tank drastically outclasses it in terms of overall usage late game on high-tech maps, but early game, most hit and run attack effects can be achieved with a ranger and rocket soldier which offers the advantage of better maneuverability and a more difficult to spot profile, while still giving you adequate dps legroom.

I feel like the LT could use maybe 25-50 more health as unless you're providing the fire support role mentioned above, the risk isn't worth the reward.

[Mojoman]

Just rock back and forth. Leading tank shots as Soviet doesn't work out that well.

[des1206]

What if we just got rid of/reduced its mammoth armor penalty so it does med-tank DPS to mammoth tanks/ore truck? It won't change most game-plays, and helps the LT to be relevant late game too in flanking. I wouldn't worry too much about early ore truck rushes, if they can get enough LTs to go after your ore truck, ususally they would come after your buildings first. Plus Soviets can defend with RPGs.

[GaryOak]

As more people have pointed out, the advantage of the LT is in its speed and maneuverability. This means 2 things IMO:

1. You can dodge shots more easily should the terrain allow a 'dodge shots advantage'. If there's enough cover to maneuver in the map, a LT might defeat a HT. If not, offcourse, the HT wins and a MT might be the better choice. 

2. You're faster: Meaning that in a completely open scenario, LT's might get to their target faster than MT's. Suppose they get there 25% faster (I have no idea on the actual stat), but have the same DPS -- This would mean a 25% higher damage output! (P.S. then again, if you get there around the same time, and you receive return fire, the MT would hold our, say, 25% longer, making its damage output 25% higher!)

Same goes when you're on the attack, but notice that your base defense is going dramatically -- the LT would get back much faster.


So in other words, the LT and MT just have different uses in different circumstances. To each its niche. But that's just my view on things!

Edited May 23, 2017 by GaryOak