Providing Cover

I have to ask. What is the unwritten rule on providing another player cover? Few days ago I built the same node 8 times and not one teammate gave me any cover or helped with building the node.

Granted most of them were in a high value vehicle (mino, goo, dragon) so I dont blame them for not jumping out. Thats how sh*t gets stolen. But damn, when a team is one final node away from a core, cover a fool so you can go hit the core.

On another note, when I am giving cover to players charging a node I feel like they are pissed off I am not linking them. But when a badger rolls up or someone on a hover board drops in, I like to think they appreciate me having their back. Maybe they dont care. I dunno.

So what is the etiquette here? Every man for himself? Help build the node? Provide cover?

Haha! There's the right thing to do and then there's what everybody does.

I like your philosophy of providing cover. It's a sound strategy with good intensions. But you may need to verbalize what you are doing are so people don't complain that you are not helping build the node since you are nearby.

It's not always a good idea to dismount your vehicle, one of the funnest moves is to storm into a node that the enemy is building, steal their vehicle and kill them with it, touché! Some vehicles are so valuable you should always go down with the ship, Mino for example.

Then there's the every-man-for-himself reality of this game. Many have different agenda's. Some is rather douche behavior.

Rape the core.

Some is based on Conan's philosophy, "(When asked, "What is best in life?") To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!

Some want to extend the game longer by sand bagging and not claim victory immediately. The enemy is beaten, now let's see if they have given up the ghost or come out fighting, to see who rage-quits.

Some want a 3rd round, because they like this level and wanna play again.

My advice would be to help link the node in most cases. Keep your head up, be near your vehicle, and be ready to cover if necessary. Linking a teammate linking a node makes it come up much faster. And what you may not be able to see is that other teammates are waiting downstream for your node to lock.

Many times I've been that guy downstream, with a Mino a redeemer or grenades on the node ready to take it down the instant it unlocks, it feels like an eternity waiting for the upstream node and I'm wondering if it's just self building. Then I get killed, moments later the node I was waiting on unlocks. Arrggghhh.

Unless it's a very specific moment (nodes 8-9 on minus sometimes i'll park a turret tank, or send up some preemptive avrils) Ill usually link, but i'll position myself in a way where I can see where the enemy is coming from (remember you can link the bottom and the top of the node). Another good thing is to link the node while standing back as far as possible from it or other linkers so you don't get killed by splash damage when they're trying to hit the node from afar.

I also make good use of the v441 command "Cover Me!". People will surprisingly respond to that. If not, then yeah just say or type something.


The trick here is the balance between defending your node, or attacking theirs. Whoever completes their task first locks out the other. You have to weigh that decision quickly. I'll usually go for the attack option, unless my node is currently being hit then i'll camp and link it to slow them down and buy my (hopefully) attacking teammates a little more time before the lock.

With the instant respawn times this game has, providing cover is often a crucial strategy while building the enemy's primary node.

There is a lot of good insight and information from everyone's replies. Seems there is no right or wrong in this situation.

Maybe its best to play things on a case by case basis. Or simply, one person building the node, get out and help (using tips posted here). Two people or more charging a node and I'll hang back for cover or charge forward heading off any opponents coming towards the node.

Definitely a good idea to communicate to teammates what it is Im doing or need them to do.

Some really good information in this thread. Thank you all for the replies

Don't get out of the mino or dragon if you're driving. Loosing those to the other team can be disaster...as well as shameful.

Cover is a good idea...winning teams use it. I was on the other night on a team that provided ZERO cover, and with only one linking a node (me) it didn't end well.

Sometimes I'll help link, other times provide cover (eg. Minus 8/9 early say using Hurricane turrent to fend off flyers).

Yeah its tough when you are the only one building and other players are off raising their kill count for the match. Im trying to find a balance though. Was playing tank me up yesterday and node 9 (I think) you can count on a hammerhead, badger or dragon to pay a visit. Guy was building the node and I hung back with a cobra. Sure enough in comes the HH and I managed to get an eagle eye on him. So that time it worked out well.

It definitely depends on the map and current situation. But, if you're either linking a node or providing cover to the linkers, you're helping and should not second guess yourself on strategy at that moment. I provide coverage a lot on maps like MTMU at the primary behind the building to let linkers know what's coming and try to stop it.

What's frustrating is when you're linking a node and a teammate in a hammerhead or dragon flies right by you and leaves, giving no support at all.

Oh yeah I often see people just cruising right by. I figure sometimes they just arent paying attention and other times they are executing their own agenda. Hell maybe they just dont care or figure someone else will come along to help. Flyers are maybe in the best position for cover because they can see things coming from a distance.

Last couple of days people have been great about using the mic to warn me of incoming vehicles, players etc. Thats a huge plus. Rather than getting killed charging a node on red planet I was able to jump back into a badger and engage a bio tank.

Hell I'll take a warning any time if someone cant cover. I get killed more by surprise than anything else.

Yep, an extra set of eyes keeping a lookout always helps. That whole teamwork thing actually works... I know, weird concept.

Does the min)o(taur on the bridge count as covering? ;-)

Only if you want to ween.