Difference between revisions of "Tactical Miniwarp"

Revision as of 11:48, 23 January 2013

Original article by BlueOrange
Updated for Retribution by Greygal 05:29, 23 January 2013 (CST)

TACTICAL ASSISTED MINIWARP (TAM)

Article by BlueOrange

A Tactical Assisted Miniwarp is when one pilot moves to a strategic position on-grid that other pilots can then warp to. Typically, the TAM is set up using a fast ship, most commonly an interceptor. Interceptors are a powerful alternative when pre-existing bookmarks are unavailable (or existing bookmarks are not useful) as their speed and maneuverability allows the interceptor pilot to provide a warp-in wherever it is required at minimal notice. The TAM technique is especially useful when pilots do not have access to tactical bookmarks for the location where a battle takes place. Note that the terms "mini-warp" and "on-grid warp" are interchangeable.

The fundamental concept

The TAM has two parts, a 'guide' and a 'squad'. The guide is small, fast and maneuverable. The squad is (by comparison) large, slow and difficult to maneuver. By moving out to a range of at least 150km, the guide makes it possible for the squad to use 'warp to gang member' to execute a mini-warp for a range of tactical purposes. The movement of the squad to the guide is the actual TAM. NOTE: Over time, numerous other terms have come into common usage to designate what is referred to here as the 'guide.' These terms include bounce-to, warp-to, pounce, bounce, and others. If you here an FC or other leader say something like "bounce to (whoever)" or "(whoever) is the bounce" it is equivalent.

Basic TAM

The basic TAM:

1. The guide (typically a skirmisher or other pilot flying an interceptor) is instructed to break formation and head away from the squad at maximum speed with the order "[guide name], get us a TAM" or "[guide name] get us a warp-in."
2. Squad members right-click on the guide's bracket in space and select "keep at range" and any distance. "Keep at range" distance doesn't matter because the guide is moving much faster than the main gang. We do this to keep ourselves aligning in the same direction as the guide and to get to the necessary speed for initiating warp.
   1. Alternatively, one can just approach the guide.
3. Squad members now click on the guide's bracket in space and watch range.
   1. Alternatively, squad/wing/fleet commanders can warp the entire squad/wing/fleet commander to the guide.
4. Once range to the guide is greater than 150km, squad members warp to the guide.

All other TAM tactics are variations of this basic TAM technique.

Unaligned TAM (out and back)

Unaligned TAMs are used to position a squad at their optimal range off a particular point in space (usually a gate). The 'out and back' version of this skill can place a squad at any range between 10 and 100km off a gate. It can be executed very quickly by light ships, but heavy ships may prefer the more advanced version (out only) due to their slow alignment times.

1. The squad leader orders "[guide name], give us an unaligned TAM off the gate. Squad, clear the gate and approach [guide name]"
2. 1. The guide picks a direction and proceeds away from the gate at maximum speed. The direction chosen should be unaligned with any celestial object, and include both a left/right change of direction and an up/down change of direction. Straight up and straight down are discouraged, as they may place the squad on top of an opposing commander's bookmark.
   2. Squad members observe the direction chosen by the guide and make sure that they will not collide with the gate if they hit 'approach', manually moving their ship clear of the gate if needed. They then approach the guide, as per the basic TAM.
3. The squad leader says "I'll warp us to [x]" or "warp individually to [x]". Warping out as a squad will result in a tightly-packed formation at the end of the movement and is preferred in most situations.
4. Once at 150km from the gate, the guide says "Range from gate" and continues on the same trajectory until the squad has warped.
5. The squad warps to the guide at range 0km
6. The squad leader calls the intended range off the gate and indicates squad warp vs individual warp. "Warp individually to [x] off the gate" or "I'll warp us to [x] off the gate". individually warping in after squad warping out does not break up the formation, and is usually the quickest method.
7. Squad members warp to the gate if warping individually, or align to the gate if warping as a squad.
   1. Squad leader waits for all squad members to exit warp and then warps the squad to the desired range. They call "Warping squad to [x] off the gate" in case they miss any members in the warp.

Unaligned TAM (out only) (advanced skill)

This method is faster but more difficult than the 'out and back' unaligned TAM and does not allow the range to be set as precisely. It allows any range greater than 50km off the reference point to be chosen.

Steps 1 and 2 are the same as for the 'out and back' TAM. At step 3, the squad leader states the range off the gate that they want to achieve and indicates who is responsible for warping the ships. Eg, "I'll warp us out for 70km"

Step 4 is the same as for 'out and back'.

1. The squad warps to the guide at a range of (range to guide - objective range). So if the objective range is 70km, they can warp to the guide at 100km, once the guide is 170km away.

TAM to gate (out and back)

This method allows a squad to execute two miniwarps to land on a gate, rather than having to fly to the gate under their own power. It is ideal for moving cruisers quickly from their support positions 50-100km off a gate to within jump range of the gate, and is faster than most alternatives for bringing battleships down to the gate.

1. The squad leader orders "[guide name], give us a TAM to the gate."
2. The guide proceeds away from the squad and the gate. If the squad includes battleships, the guide should try to minimise the amount of alignment the battleships need to make - this often means flying from the squad's position on a direct line towards the gate, and then beyond.
3. Once the guide is at least 150km from the gate, they call "Range from gate." Depending on the alignment, it may be difficult for the squad to know how far the guide is from the gate; this call is more important than other 'range from' calls.
4. The squad warps to the guide, and is now able to warp to the gate at 0.

TAM to gate (precision) (advanced skill)

This difficult movement requires the guide to move at very low speeds and should never be attempted with hostiles present. It is the fastest way to bring a battleship to the gate when the battleship is between 55 and 149km from the gate. (Shorter ranges should use 'out and back' or a straightforward 'approach' - longer ranges can warp directly to the gate.)

1. The squad leader orders "[guide name], give [battleship] a precision TAM to the gate"
2. 1. The guide positions their ship so that they are on a straight line from the battleship to the gate
   2. The battleship aligns to the gate
3. The guide sets their 'keep at range' distance to [100km + range to battleship - range to gate] then presses the 'keep at range' button. While proceeding to the correct range, they ensure that they are still on a straight line through the gate to the battleship.
4. The battleship warps to the guide at 100km when the guide is 100km beyond the gate and correctly aligned. The guide should call 'TAM ready' when these conditions are reached.

Attack TAM (advanced skill)

This skill allows the squad to make a sudden, fast movement that puts them within 10km of a target that was at a range greater than 50km. It is used to put close-range attack ships and tacklers within their optimal range of ewar and sniper ships. In practice exercises, we have been able to drop a blaster hyperion within 4.5km of the target ship.

1. The squad leader orders "[guide name], give us an attack TAM on [target]"
2. The guide proceeds away from the squad and makes a wide spiral movement, aiming to reach a position 100km past the target on a straight line from the target. The guide should avoid coming within effective weapon range of the target or being too obvious about their intentions.
3. Squad leader indicates if they will warp the squad, or if squad members will warp individually. Squad warps will provide greater concentration of force, individual warps will provide faster overall movement and spread the ships out slightly, potentially increasing the chance of a successful tackle.
4. Squad leader indicates if ships should align for the target (for faster arrival) or coldwarp (to conceal their intentions).
5. Pilots responsible for warping ships select and watch the guide on their main screen so they can monitor the range and alignment situation.
6. 1. The guide calls "TAM ready" when they believe they have correct range and alignment. They use 'keep at range' set to 100km to hold range and alignment until the squad has warped.
   2. When they believe the guide is at the correct position, pilots responsible for warping ships initiate a warp at 100km to the guide.
7. The squad cycles in flight, squad leader allocates weapons and ewar.

All of the concepts in this article were invented by Rells.