Anti-manta run defense

[RottenCowCorpse]

Put Avrils in the air!  You can bump the wingman off the wing with one of 'em

The trajectories followed by mantas in the various maps are well-known.  Use your avrils (or rockets close-in) on such.

Hellfire's points read and well-taken.  Skill is skill.  You could also interpret camping as good defense.

However manta runs of flags can result in games lacking in competiveness as well.  A match that's over in 2 minutes.

Sometimes a better defense is in order for pushback in a match(s) that is lopsided.

[hellfire]

Well said Long back with the EQ malfunctioning, piglet made a comment which is true: If you do it too good, we will have 2 hour games as it might end in stalemates.

To Piglet: Do you have a server record of what has been the longest game ever? I remember playing in demo days a 3 hour + fight and I also remember 2-3 times lao forcing change as the game just would not end

[Piglet]

No, there's no logging of match times.

The longest I remember was when we were still using the *cough* sort of *cough* demo server and playing primeval for hours....

[Flenser]

The Primeval variation that was all tanks? That was terrible!

[Piglet]

For that you had to use link secondary and avril. Once you got that it wasn't so hard

[RottenCowCorpse]

I recall some rather insane matches on the "standard" Primeval 10 years back.  One was at stalemate for a truly desperate 40 mins at that middle node.  The skill level was very high and action off-the-charts.  A blizzard of ordanance flying everywhere.  I actually taped that match but it's buried on an external hard drive - I have a bunch of those to sift thru before I can post it on YT.

Staying on-topic one needs to be aware when a manta pro is on the other team and adjust accordingly.

You're gonna have to work harder on the "D".

[Piglet]

Yeah. That's how I play if there's one on the other team. I listen out for where they're coming from and try and shock them away.

[sup]

You could also interpret camping as a cancer.
cancerping

[duke]

It totally depends on the map:
- on summervillages f.e. all you need to do is use the tank and get dialed in on the flag - any kind of fast movement or sound (there's a clear manta sound 0,2 secs before the runner tries to snatch the flag) you hit the flag - boom, done. You need really good focus for this and 1 or 2 constant healers.
- on edgeclassic using the tank also helps a lot, but even a regular defence (like I do) just focusing on both sides and using the shock balls or beam can stop several manta runs
- on noname a well placed focused bender can stop 90% of the attacks easily

Generally using avrils is a good strategy if the mantarunner has to do a long distance run and the avril has time to hit him, so generally some big maps or maps where the runner has a long distance to go

There are also maps like Bloodbath where it's really hard to stop a well performed manta run, but that run is hard to pull off

[RottenCowCorpse]

Excellent strategy duke.  Well-taken.