Titanfall Xbox One beta - 10 tips and tactics you must try

Rocky Feb 3, 2014

  1. Ro

    Rocky Guest

    According to very credible-sounding reports, EA and Microsoft are throwing a Titanfall beta this month on Xbox One and PC, ahead of the game's release in March. I'm sure you'll take to it like a fish to water - or a lamb to the slaughter, if you neglect to brush up on how exactly Respawn's debut game differs from other first-person shooters on Xbox One and Xbox 360.

    Worried you'll come a cropper? Fear not, OXM has a few tips and tactics to share, based on our hands-on time with the game and some conversations with Respawn staffers. You'll read a lot, lot more in our very next issue, which is out on 14th February.

    1. Squish somebody with a Titanfall

    This takes good timing and no small measure of luck, but the results are immensely satisfying to behold. Pretend that you're aiming a very sluggish mortar launcher.

    2. Shoot Grunts to speed up your Titan streak

    There's been plenty of controversy about Titanfall's use of AI-controlled characters, but much of it turns on the assumption that the Grunts and Spectres are just there to stand in for real players. They actually serve a number of roles. First off, greener players will find them easy to kill - especially if you're using a Smart Pistol, which allows you to line up multiple auto-targeted shots using a wide reticule.

    Grunt and Spectre kills count towards your Titan gauge, so more experienced players may also prefer to target Grunts in order to speed the arrival of their mechanical minions. The most bloodthirsty players of all, of course, will want to escort packs of AI soldiers in hopes of catching an enemy Pilot with his or her trousers down. Think of Grunts and Spectres as recon drones, flushing out enemies as they follow their own routes through the map.

    3. Use the eject button as a weapon

    When Titans are "doomed", you've got a few seconds to eject to safety. This can actually be an offensive gambit, in skilled hands: the eject boost carries the player well above all the buildings on the map, and you can control your descent in order to land in a good sniping spot. If sniping spots are scarce, you might also consider landing right on top of another Titan - then blowing its brains out. Titans don't have to be at death's door before you can eject, so feel free to exploit this feature when out of combat in order to quickly reach high ground.

    4. Use your Titan like a turret

    You'll enjoy romping around aboard a Titan, but you may do more damage if you let your Titan pilot itself - double the guns means double the punishment, after all. The Titan AI is no match for a player's wits, of course, but if you station your pet Transformer well away from any obvious ambush points (such as second floor windows), it should prove a highly disagreeable distraction, allowing you to flank assailants or make your way over to another map objective.

    5. Shoot from a knifehold

    During a wallrun, you can stab your knife into the building and hang in place, picking off enemies with your sidearm. This trick might allow you to break off a run before leaping out in front of an enemy Titan, or in order to get the drop on a pack of foes who've emerged from a door just below. You'll be very vulnerable while dangling in place, of course, so don't do it for too long.

    6. Try close-quarters play as a Stryder

    The Stryder is the lightest of Titanfall's Titan classes, and while it won't stand up to much of a beating, it's hellishly fast. The mech's manoeuvring jets allow it to dodge away from those slow-moving Titan projectiles and flank the attacker, though bear in mind that there's a cooldown period involved. Greenhorns will undoubtedly prefer the heavy, resilient Ogre, but I expect Stryder players to be a match for all comers, regardless of range, once they've gotten to grips with the intricacies. One thing, though: it's probably not worth ordering your Stryder to defend a position. The poor dear won't survive for long.


    7. Don't wait for Titanfall

    It can be tempting to just knuckle down from the outset, waiting for the Titan clock to run down before risking an clash. That's only advisable if the other team is doing precisely the same thing, because any Grunt or Spectre kills the other side racks up during your absence will accelerate the countdown, which means that they'll have Titans in the field before you do.

    8. Are you an anti-infantry Titan, or an anti-Titan Titan?

    If you're all about shrugging off Pilots like they're water droplets, equip your Titan with Electric Smoke - besides briefly hiding you from view, the cloud disorients any players who run into it, including any Pilots who are trying to board your Titan. The Vortex Blocker, meanwhile, turns your Titan into a Jedi knight - able to catch frontal fire in a giant baseball mitt of energy, and toss it back at the sender (or anybody else in the vicinity). This could be a useful trick if you're low on hit points, but you'll still be vulnerable from the sides and rear.

    9. Use your cloak

    Every basic Pilot class gets a timed cloak ability. There's a reason for this: it's damn near essential when you're out in the open, contending with one or more Titans. Time your cloaks to coincide with wall-runs, giant leaps from building to building or when lining up a heavy Anti-Titan weapon. Bear in mind, however, that it isn't nearly as effective a way of avoiding other Pilots - the shimmer is easy enough to spot at closer range.

    10. Don't call in your Titan from across the map

    Because it'll have to trudge through any number of firefights to reach you. Either keep that not-so-gentle giant close to hand, or come to collect it. Remember, a Titan isn't just for Christmas.



    Source - OXM
     

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