Tears of the Desert Epicenter in Ranked S12

[Rina_Pon]

Lost a couple of games on this map yesterday.

In both instances the enemy team was the first to capture the central zone and held it until they won on points.

In my view it is nearly impossible to recapture the center zone on this map, so it is very important to not let the enemy capture it in the first place.

As a Gearing, my usual opening move is to drive into central zone, to spot and prevent its capture.

In the game we lost, there was no CV, we had 3 Des Moines, they had 2 Worcs. They drove both their Worcs up to behind the island in the central zone.

That puts the whole central zone under their radar, and the lead Worc is protected by the island from all our ships guns and torps.

What actually happened: I retreated out of radar range, they took the zone, half my my BBs flanked right, the other half left, but the advance of both sides got bogged down before getting line of sight on the island camping Worcester.

What should have happened?

If we are playing the blame game, who's job is it to kill the Worcester?

In my view, you have to go with the standard anti-Atlanta playbook, which is to rush the enemy position simultaneously from either side. What frustrated me was that my team basically sat around and did nothing. One DesMoines eventually suicided attempting a rush late game, and I died trying to help, but our BBs were just completely  unwilling to push up.

Or was it my fault for letting the Worc get there in the first place?

[RalphTheTheatreCat]

One player cant beat good tactics alone.   You had no chance in a Gearing of moving the Worcesters if they were timing their radars.  Unless your team were positioned to kill him you really only are prolonging your own death by trying.  The DM's could have taken them if they worked together.  The whole idea of trading health is lost in ranked due to the selfish save a star mechanic.   I've seen some good BB players move in and tank damage for an objective but the majority have been back..................……...way back farming damage and not working for a win.

 

Ive had this map a couple of times and once you have the centre its near impossible for the enemy to take it. 

[Rina_Pon]

1 hour ago, RalphTheTheatreCat said:

I've seen some good BB players move in and tank damage for an objective but the majority have been back..................……...way back farming damage and not working for a win.

Ranked is funny that way. The games you win just seem to click from the start, losses seem equally predetermined.

In Gearing if I am given an advantage early on generally I can run with it to a win. Conversely, if I can't find such an opening my team slides inevitably to a loss. It's not like I play better or worse, or even my team plays better or worse, or make better or worse decisions, it's more like just opportunities present or absent.

I have found even BBs will play quite consistently. They'll push up when they can, but hang back when put in check by good enemy positioning. Viewed individually, or even from a team perspective, they are playing sensibly: dying early and needlessly is bad for you and your team. Unfortunately late game counterplay requires tactics that require group coordination and actions that run opposite of what would be considered a good idea when evaluated individually. (i.e. taken individually, it would be a stupid move, but to bring the team to victory and when done together, it is the right move.)

[dejiko_nyo]

What to do? You are effectively competing against 13 other players if your team plays 'save the star'. 1 v 13 aren't good odds. That is why this mechanic has got to go. There is no incentive to play together for a win with the current rules. You might as well make ranked "Free for All Battle Royale" rather than this "teamplay".