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I've seen only a few things said about mines and how to use them, so here are a few useful info for new Engineers and Recons:
1. Motion Mines (MM)
Yes, they are those black balls that chase you around when you speed into an enemy outpost. They can be very difficult to overcome if you don't have a defuser or a FAV that can drive through in ballistic speed and "take" them with it. Depending on the type of vehicles, it takes 1-3 MM to kill a healthy one but many times damaging is equally effective, since someone will have to get out soon and repair the vehicle (=> easy target).
The most important thing with mines is that they're supposed to be hidden, always. Visible mines are wiped out fast, usually with very few enemies killed. Hidden mines have much more chances of killing someone. The best places to hide MM are:
- behind corners or large objects adjacent to the street, so that when someone speeds by they will chase him pretty close
- inside bushes and under trees (on the darker ground), useful for open spaces like Suez
- under healthy vehicles, damaged ones are useless since soon they will burn out
- close to supply crates (for obvious reasons)
For hidden MM, it's very important to select places of increased traffic, like crossroads, bridges, outpost entrances, etc. If possible, put 2-3 MM together so that they remain hidden behind the same cover and their blow will result an instant vehicle kill.
Another special place to put some MM in Titan mode is to spawn on top of the enemy Titan and drop some of them over the shielded hangar area, so that the next transport or gunship will be hit right after takeoff. The same tactic can be employed in the external cargo areas at the back of the friendly Titan, making it very hard for a transport to land and stay there (as spawn point).
However, MM can be used for purely defensive reasons with less need for hiding them. In this case, a group of MM can be spread wide over a choke point or a narrow passage, so that attacking enemy armor is cut down or slowed down before they reach their target.
MM do not explode or loose target when you shoot them with a gun, so you can stop firing at them when you see them chasing you. And no, you cannot place as many MM as you like even if someone keeps resupplying you, no more active MM than you have in the first place. Any more than that will make your previous MM disappear one by one.
2. Anti-Personnel Mines
It's a shame that APM are not available in the Engineer kit, but I guess you can't have it all. The main tactical difference with MM, apart from the fact that they're used against infantry, is that they're static. This means that careful placing is of much more importance. They're supposed to be hidden too, especially since enemy soldiers can pass right by them crouching if they spot them in time. This is the most common way of an unsuspected sniper getting killed, thinking that no one can climb up the stairs behind him.
Similar to the MM, the best points to place APM are narrow passages, the top of external staircases, close to outpost flags or missile silos, etc. The special feature with APM is that they are one of the most important weapons when setting up the defense of a Titan. Unlike MM, APM are extremely useful in the corridors and even inside the console and core areas (when FF=off), and very hard to pass through if placed correctly. The best places for hiding APM in closed areas is evenly "spread" across the room behind corners. When FF=off, APM can be placed facing the back of the entering enemy (careful, APM do have front and back side), that is facing directly towards the defenders. When FF=off, they should be placed facing the sides of the enemy infantry. Placing the "facing" the enemy is not a very good idea, since this usually means that they're clearly visible.
And be advised that APM are colored light gray, not black as MM, so hide them in a similar light-colored background (not dark, as in the base of trees for MM).
3. EMP Mines
Since EMPM are non-lethal, they can only be considered as supplementary to the MM. Essentially they have the same effect as an EMP strike (commander) and much larger effect than an EMP grenade. They can bring any vehicle to a dead stop for a few seconds, but after those seconds it can go on its way. However, this does not mean they are useless, since a correct spread and placement can create a difficult barricade to pass through.
They are static, like APM and unlike MM, so correct placement is very essential. Their shape and size makes obvious that they are meant to be placed on the open road, since it is hard to see in time due to their flatness. They can be placed in a line across a road or a bridge, to form a barricade, or along a narrow passage, to form a multi-stage EMP "trap". In the first case the goal is to stop anything that comes through, so either the infantry goes out on foot or a group of friendly AT engineers and rail guns can take out any immobilized armor in time. In the second case, a single vehicle is "trapped" inside a densely-packed EMP area for a longer period of time, so that the driver either gets frustrated and gets out or there is enough time for a lone AT engineer or RDX-equipped Recon to finish the vehicle. The same logic is for EMP grenades too, only their effect is much smaller, they are more portable and they are very effective against cloaked Recons (their figures appear as short-circuited shadows).
Of course, the most effective use of EMPM is in combination with MM. They can be placed after (not before) some MM in the direction of an incoming enemy attack to ensure vehicle kills, since even a speeding FAV is stalled long enough for the MM to hit it. Be careful, though, that "wasting" a full load of MM and EMPM in a single passage or bridge may leave other less obvious entrances completely undefended.
4. RDX Packs
What does RDX has to do with mines? Well, most Recons know for sure. The worst nightmare for an armored vehicle is not a gunship or an AT rocket, they all give some warning before the hit. Not even a rail gun or the Koenig, that give little or no warning when fired. It is the unseen sniper that sneaks behind a static tank, placing some RDX quietly and blowing it to pieces without leaving any trace of what hit them.
The RDX is extremely effective against virtually everything, except the Titan itself. As an APM, it can be placed in strategic points of passage, on the floor or the wall or even on the ceiling, and blown away any time at command (very useful for selective targeting). As a "static MM", a RDX pack can be placed on a static or EMP-trapped vehicle and blown apart, in fact more effectively than a single MM. The "special feature" in the case of RDX is that it is always under control (when to blow up) BUT this means close observation too (needs a safe place close by). Be sure to know where to place them and when to blow them up when FF=off because they can create a real mess for the team too.
It is very common to see "crazy" people wrapped in RDX packs and speeding inside an air transport, a FAV or even on foot sometimes (in Titans), blowing themselves up upon impact. In fact, they're not crazy at all, since a kill is awarded more that a death's damage to the player, and vehicles are re-spawned very quickly. However, this tactic is not very efficient at all, since the net gain is an enemy tank and a kill *minus* a team vehicle and maybe getting killed too. It's always an option of "self-sacrifice" to secure an almost penetrated defensive position or a very valuable target, but it should be used very carefully and as long as the game rules of the server does not prohibit it.
Final note: Placing mines and exploiting map narrows as an engineer may be boring when compared to a skilled sniper sweep, but between the two only an expert in mine warfare can shift the whole battle in a vehicle-rich environment. Be careful of what may be around the corner for you.
1. Motion Mines (MM)
Yes, they are those black balls that chase you around when you speed into an enemy outpost. They can be very difficult to overcome if you don't have a defuser or a FAV that can drive through in ballistic speed and "take" them with it. Depending on the type of vehicles, it takes 1-3 MM to kill a healthy one but many times damaging is equally effective, since someone will have to get out soon and repair the vehicle (=> easy target).
The most important thing with mines is that they're supposed to be hidden, always. Visible mines are wiped out fast, usually with very few enemies killed. Hidden mines have much more chances of killing someone. The best places to hide MM are:
- behind corners or large objects adjacent to the street, so that when someone speeds by they will chase him pretty close
- inside bushes and under trees (on the darker ground), useful for open spaces like Suez
- under healthy vehicles, damaged ones are useless since soon they will burn out
- close to supply crates (for obvious reasons)
For hidden MM, it's very important to select places of increased traffic, like crossroads, bridges, outpost entrances, etc. If possible, put 2-3 MM together so that they remain hidden behind the same cover and their blow will result an instant vehicle kill.
Another special place to put some MM in Titan mode is to spawn on top of the enemy Titan and drop some of them over the shielded hangar area, so that the next transport or gunship will be hit right after takeoff. The same tactic can be employed in the external cargo areas at the back of the friendly Titan, making it very hard for a transport to land and stay there (as spawn point).
However, MM can be used for purely defensive reasons with less need for hiding them. In this case, a group of MM can be spread wide over a choke point or a narrow passage, so that attacking enemy armor is cut down or slowed down before they reach their target.
MM do not explode or loose target when you shoot them with a gun, so you can stop firing at them when you see them chasing you. And no, you cannot place as many MM as you like even if someone keeps resupplying you, no more active MM than you have in the first place. Any more than that will make your previous MM disappear one by one.
2. Anti-Personnel Mines
It's a shame that APM are not available in the Engineer kit, but I guess you can't have it all. The main tactical difference with MM, apart from the fact that they're used against infantry, is that they're static. This means that careful placing is of much more importance. They're supposed to be hidden too, especially since enemy soldiers can pass right by them crouching if they spot them in time. This is the most common way of an unsuspected sniper getting killed, thinking that no one can climb up the stairs behind him.
Similar to the MM, the best points to place APM are narrow passages, the top of external staircases, close to outpost flags or missile silos, etc. The special feature with APM is that they are one of the most important weapons when setting up the defense of a Titan. Unlike MM, APM are extremely useful in the corridors and even inside the console and core areas (when FF=off), and very hard to pass through if placed correctly. The best places for hiding APM in closed areas is evenly "spread" across the room behind corners. When FF=off, APM can be placed facing the back of the entering enemy (careful, APM do have front and back side), that is facing directly towards the defenders. When FF=off, they should be placed facing the sides of the enemy infantry. Placing the "facing" the enemy is not a very good idea, since this usually means that they're clearly visible.
And be advised that APM are colored light gray, not black as MM, so hide them in a similar light-colored background (not dark, as in the base of trees for MM).
3. EMP Mines
Since EMPM are non-lethal, they can only be considered as supplementary to the MM. Essentially they have the same effect as an EMP strike (commander) and much larger effect than an EMP grenade. They can bring any vehicle to a dead stop for a few seconds, but after those seconds it can go on its way. However, this does not mean they are useless, since a correct spread and placement can create a difficult barricade to pass through.
They are static, like APM and unlike MM, so correct placement is very essential. Their shape and size makes obvious that they are meant to be placed on the open road, since it is hard to see in time due to their flatness. They can be placed in a line across a road or a bridge, to form a barricade, or along a narrow passage, to form a multi-stage EMP "trap". In the first case the goal is to stop anything that comes through, so either the infantry goes out on foot or a group of friendly AT engineers and rail guns can take out any immobilized armor in time. In the second case, a single vehicle is "trapped" inside a densely-packed EMP area for a longer period of time, so that the driver either gets frustrated and gets out or there is enough time for a lone AT engineer or RDX-equipped Recon to finish the vehicle. The same logic is for EMP grenades too, only their effect is much smaller, they are more portable and they are very effective against cloaked Recons (their figures appear as short-circuited shadows).
Of course, the most effective use of EMPM is in combination with MM. They can be placed after (not before) some MM in the direction of an incoming enemy attack to ensure vehicle kills, since even a speeding FAV is stalled long enough for the MM to hit it. Be careful, though, that "wasting" a full load of MM and EMPM in a single passage or bridge may leave other less obvious entrances completely undefended.
4. RDX Packs
What does RDX has to do with mines? Well, most Recons know for sure. The worst nightmare for an armored vehicle is not a gunship or an AT rocket, they all give some warning before the hit. Not even a rail gun or the Koenig, that give little or no warning when fired. It is the unseen sniper that sneaks behind a static tank, placing some RDX quietly and blowing it to pieces without leaving any trace of what hit them.
The RDX is extremely effective against virtually everything, except the Titan itself. As an APM, it can be placed in strategic points of passage, on the floor or the wall or even on the ceiling, and blown away any time at command (very useful for selective targeting). As a "static MM", a RDX pack can be placed on a static or EMP-trapped vehicle and blown apart, in fact more effectively than a single MM. The "special feature" in the case of RDX is that it is always under control (when to blow up) BUT this means close observation too (needs a safe place close by). Be sure to know where to place them and when to blow them up when FF=off because they can create a real mess for the team too.
It is very common to see "crazy" people wrapped in RDX packs and speeding inside an air transport, a FAV or even on foot sometimes (in Titans), blowing themselves up upon impact. In fact, they're not crazy at all, since a kill is awarded more that a death's damage to the player, and vehicles are re-spawned very quickly. However, this tactic is not very efficient at all, since the net gain is an enemy tank and a kill *minus* a team vehicle and maybe getting killed too. It's always an option of "self-sacrifice" to secure an almost penetrated defensive position or a very valuable target, but it should be used very carefully and as long as the game rules of the server does not prohibit it.
Final note: Placing mines and exploiting map narrows as an engineer may be boring when compared to a skilled sniper sweep, but between the two only an expert in mine warfare can shift the whole battle in a vehicle-rich environment. Be careful of what may be around the corner for you.
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