[SPOILER] Marik Alliance Flashpoint

[YetiBandito]

Hey folks,
first some useful information about the Flashpoint.

You have a limit of max 50t per mech for the first two missions.

Here there be Spoilers:

After the second mission you get to chose to continue using lighter mechs or go in hot and heavy.

I went with the heavy option and since I just can't seem to win the 4th mission I am wondering if going back and going with light would make things a little easier.

I managed to get my mechs through the 3rd mission without internal damage so I could use them in the final mission.
The last mission is a target acquisition vs 8 heavy/assaults with a turn limit of 8 rounds. If you finish one beacon another 4 heavy/assaults will drop.
After all the beacons are done you have 4 turns to extract but the extraction point is right behind the bulk of enemies.

 

[SpaceViking]

That is a really tough one. I managed to win (after 2 failures) with the heavy drop by using one faster/harder to hit mech to go after the marker spot furthest from the evac zone and then just bashing my way through the foes *near* the evac zone with my 3 biggest assault mechs equipped for close in battle. You can ignore the other foes. It is crucial to take care of the closer ones that can get behind you as you face the reinforcements before the reinforcements arrive as those were the ones that also killed me in the first two tries.

Also, IIRC I had the fast guy run behind the base (as seen from initial approach) to avoid most of the foes. My initial plan was to just have him bail out but he managed to get to the evac zone in time.

I am curious what happens with the light drop and kind of wished I had saved beforehand to try it out.

 

[unclecid]

well that stinks that a light lance in original flashpoints are still limited to 50tn

since in UW fp's you get a max of 55tons

 

[YetiBandito]

I don't think that it is an original FP since target acquisition missions came with UW?

And that is why I started the thread with that information because I had a lance of fully equipped 55t mechs that I couldn't use.
For the first to missions I used a PNT-9R with ER PPC that I had ready and had to get some 50t out of storage CN9-A, CN9-AL and HCT-F.
The second mission was quite hard with those since you face very heavy enemies and the evac zone spawned right in the middle of them...

I had to redo the third mission because the first time I had two mechs with internal damage that I couldn't use in the last one.
Trying the mission with a Kintaro and Grashopper as substitutes was impossible, not enough damage to thin out the enemies.

My strategy was to creep up to all beacons and kill as many as I could on the way and then do all the beacons at once so I didn't have to face even more enemies.
The problem with that you get a fresh cluster of enemies right in your path to the evac zone.
So for my next attempt I will try to spawn them earlier so they can disperse a little.

 

[Eximar]

The Alliance FP's are original.

Target Acquisition has been around since well before UW.

 

[YetiBandito]

Seems I have made some wrong assumptions since I couldn't find any info about the flashpoint and it is the first time that I have come across this mission type.

 

[SpaceViking]

I remember that set of missions because I had no 50T mechs expect hunchbacks which while nice mechs are terrible for those particular missions. So I went around the map looking for trebuchets and centurions...

Eventually I went in with a Jenner "spotter" and 3 trebuchets armed just with missiles. Everyone had max jump jets and max evasion gyros.

 

[Jade_Rook]

Target Acquisition missions were introduced in Flashpoint.
Attack/Defend missions were introduced in Urban Warfare.

 

[Rentier]

Target Acquisition missions were introduced in Flashpoint.
Attack/Defend missions were introduced in Urban Warfare.

AFAIK Attack Base / Defend Base was around before UW

 

[Jade_Rook]

AFAIK Attack Base / Defend Base was around before UW

The separate Destroy Base and Defend Base missions have been in from launch. The Attack/Defend mission, where you have to destroy an enemy base to prevent multiple waves of enemies from landing and destroying your base, is new. It was introduced in UW.

 

[Rubidium]

UW also introduced the Battle+ concept of having multiple AI lances of different affiliations. That's why so many flashpoints from UW will have missions where you are supported by an allied lance, or fighting two mutually hostile forces.

 

[Hobbes__]

II had to redo the third mission because the first time I had two mechs with internal damage that I couldn't use in the last one.
Trying the mission with a Kintaro and Grashopper as substitutes was impossible, not enough damage to thin out the enemies.

Were you using the stock versions of the KTO and GRH? My Grasshoppers (1 LL, 6 MLs and 6 SLs) and Kintaros (20 SRMs + 2 MLs) are usually the biggest damage dealers in my lance.

 

[GrayDeath]

Especially in the Alliance FP I learned to play the mission and skipping the normal routine with killing all mechs.
The FP reward is the real reward. If you want salvage you can play normal missions.

So if you should kill a transport and evacuate and slow 90-100t mechs are defending. Just rush the transports, stamp on them und rush to the evac zone. Doable without any internals.
If you try to go for salvage with your much lighter mechs, good luck! Focussing on the mission makes the specialAlliance FPs much easier.

 

[Hypnotist]

Focussing on the mission makes the specialAlliance FPs much easier.

Agreed. High difficulty TA missions are (so far) the only missions where the "Kill Everything That Moves With Fire" strategy just isn't very viable. It can still be done but you will take casualties. I don't recall if it was the Marik FP, the Davion FP or just a procgen mission but I had 3 King crabs insta-deploy in melee range in my rear arc. Nothing to do but run, so it's generally more efficient to hit the objectives as fast as possible while protecting your six and then getting out of Dodge.

 

[Captain Slide]

I've been playing this game a lot (1000+ hours according to Steam) and I have found this particular FP to be the most difficult by far. I only played this for he first time just a week ago on an iron man save, 2000 days in, 5 parts for mechs and Loss on CT destruction on. I also have extended sight (400) and sensor ranges(500) which probably helped the AI more than me in the first and last missions.

You should note that I consider a mission a failure should I lose a mech and generally try to kill everything whilst doing so.

This FP has been costly to say the least. Here is a brief Run down of my experience.

Enter FP find 50 tonne limit (when I have mostly 55 tonners Grrr!)

Mission 1.
1st attempt. Firestarter, Hatchetman, Vindicator, Centurion
Result: Withdrawal, Hatchetman Lost, Pilot in Hospital for 60 days, FS almost wrecked.
Mistake: staying with in range of turrets whilst trying to take down a Grasshopper, Griffin and Orion with insufficient long range Firepower leaving my spotter(s) open to long

2nd Attempt. (after having to go and find some more 50 tonners), Centurion, Blackjack, Trebuchet, Crab (heavy with LRM's, PPC , LL and AC5)
Result Withdrawal no losses, the second building destruction didn't register, despite destroying all 4 buildings.

3rd Attempt, same lance as 2nd Attempt
Result win. Managed to retreat to corner with cover out of range of turrets and sucker Opfor in 1 at a time and LRM to death. Opfor Orion, Shadowhawk, Griffin and Catapract. Destroyed turret and building the run for evac, killed 1 reinforcement too (Wolverine)

Mission 2
No drama using same lance

Mission 3
Chose heavy route. Went in with Victor, Catapult C4, Atlas II, KGC
Result win, No drama

Mission 4 (Target Acquisition). Victor, Catapult C4, Grasshopper, KGC
Result: Win but Pyrrhic Victory at best.
Mechs Lost to CT destruction, Victor, Grasshopper, Catapult (including 2 LRM15++ (+2dmg)), Character Pilot in Hospital 60 days (should be dead), Another 10,10,10,10 pilot also in hospital for 60 days (should be dead but lucky) and 3rd (10s) pilot dead.

I don't think I made any particular mistakes here, but this mission got particularly hard because the supporting lance that you get in other FP's with this mission was absent. This leaves your sole lance facing of against 12 heavy/Assault mechs + the Kurita Reinforcement lance which is 16 in total and the time limit makes it a necessity that you charge into their guns and also stand out in the open. I managed to kill 9 enemies and extract with the sole KGC and it's precious cargo of 2 Guass Rifles and ammo bins . For comparisons sake The other FP's that feature this particular map and mission but have the supporting lance (to draw fire) I usually kill all of the opfor and take minimal to no mech losses (maybe an arm here or there).

The butchers bill for me was 1 medium, 2 heavies (one quite rare), 1 Assault. 1 Elite pilot and a bunch of rare and hard to find/replace +++ weapons. Frankly it was way to high for the rewards on offer. The lostech I got was 1 Highlander 732b part and an ERPPC.

IMO this is the toughest FP out there after perhaps "the Raid" which is a player made FP.

As for taking the lighter lance in the last mission? I don't think so, there were way to many LRM's on the opfor for even full evasion lights to escape unscathed and they wouldn't have the armor to tank it out. If the mission spawns less or lighter enemies then maybe but I would need to see that was the case before trying it.

 

[BARBOSA (Aries)]

I´m yet to find a TA mission that can´t be done by a 3/5/3 assault lance (steiner scouts?) where all pilots have the sprint bonus.
Just rush to the beacons (jumping or sprinting) since turn 1, using vigilance on whatever mech have more enemies nearby.
After all beacons are in place, fighting retreat to evac point (its revealed where at mission start).
Assault mechs at near max armor can take the pounding.

Can´t help with light path though. I never choose that.

 

[Panzer-Killer]

I don't think that it is an original FP since target acquisition missions came with UW?

And that is why I started the thread with that information because I had a lance of fully equipped 55t mechs that I couldn't use.
For the first to missions I used a PNT-9R with ER PPC that I had ready and had to get some 50t out of storage CN9-A, CN9-AL and HCT-F.
The second mission was quite hard with those since you face very heavy enemies and the evac zone spawned right in the middle of them...

I had to redo the third mission because the first time I had two mechs with internal damage that I couldn't use in the last one.
Trying the mission with a Kintaro and Grashopper as substitutes was impossible, not enough damage to thin out the enemies.

My strategy was to creep up to all beacons and kill as many as I could on the way and then do all the beacons at once so I didn't have to face even more enemies.
The problem with that you get a fresh cluster of enemies right in your path to the evac zone.
So for my next attempt I will try to spawn them earlier so they can disperse a little.

IIFC, all FLASHPOINT's weight-restricted FP missions have a 50-tons-or-less-per-Mech weight restriction, while URBAN WARFARE's weight-restricted ones are either 55 tons per Mech with a 200-tons' Lance max weight, or 75 tons per Mech with a 240-tons' Lance max weight.

 

[smurfopax]

I'm not sure but i think i hadn't any big issues with this FP. But i think i exploited the Raven a little bit so that my Assaults could stay near the first two points while the Raven captured the third one, withdrawal wasn't to hard with a running ECM bubble.

 

[YetiBandito]

I went back to before I started the FP and made some changes to my line-up.
I also chose the option to do the 3rd mission with the 200t (50t) restriction enabled.

Spoiler: 3rd Mission

Unlike the heavy option you only have to do one pick-up and there is only one lance of enemies I had 3 Quickdraws and one Cataphract

You get a consecutive deployment for the final mission but you don't have a weight restriction for that one.

Spoiler: 4th mission

There were only 4 heavy mechs and one assault mech present.
The Combine reinforcements didn't arrive after capturing the first beacon, they seem to be fixed to arrive after 6 turns.
Combine dropped another 4 heavy + 1 assault mechs.

So to sum this up, going with the light option for the third mission is a lot easier, you can kill everything in the final mission.

 

[elpollodiablos]

The last mission is a target acquisition vs 8 heavy/assaults with a turn limit of 8 rounds. If you finish one beacon another 4 heavy/assaults will drop.
After all the beacons are done you have 4 turns to extract but the extraction point is right behind the bulk of enemies.

The 8 turn limit is a bonus objective, not a requirement. You can take as long as you want to grind through the 16 enemies (assuming you evac before the post-bombardment kill team shows up).

I've spent all day failing the 4th mission before realizing that trick. Even afterwards, it took another 3 hours and 40+ rounds to beat this level be KILLING EVERY ENEMY. The literal last missile salvo of ammo killed the final enemy, preventing the need to finish this mission with melee. May that objective detail save someone else the pain this mission brings.