This post is for the benefit of those who are trying to assemble league teams, clans or other means of XMP organized play. XMP is highly strategic, and the team with the better strategy, communication and organization is the team that will win. Skills take you far, but solid tactics will take you farther.
If you have any questions about strategy, here is a little something I worked up for 7v7 team format to compete in the Jolt cup. I have no problems sharing, even though it is my little "playbook". Since the strategies change by the map as well, I'm not really giving too much up.
================THE TEAM===================
Defense (tech, gunner)
The gunner does the bulk of the fighting, while the tech provides shield packs, turrets and poison gas. The tech only engages the opponent directly when they are directly next to the node room. There must always be one defender in the node room at all times. Many games are lost because the defense abandons the node when an artifact is taken, leaving the node available for the other team to come in and control it. If we have no artifacts left, one of the defenders can go assist in retrieval... but we always need a safe zone for our offense runners to come back to. No artifact carrier should die at the node if it can be avoided.
- starts game by securing artifact node
- No deployables until first gen is hacked
- Turrets outside node room, mines inside node room
- Walls covering extra entrances/exits to prevent fast escapes
- Damage all vehicles to the point of flaming (do not destroy). If they respawn quickly, then have midfield/freelance remove them from the base area unless they are being used for defense. This makes it hazardous for the offense to use the vehicles to their advantage.
Midfield (tech, gunner)
The gunner provides cover for the tech while the tech hacks, and assists in hacks on active enemy deploy points where time is of the essence. Much as above, the tech provides shield packs, turrets and poison gas, switching to shotgun/assault rifle support if the ammo on the above runs dry. The tech closes in when the gunner is faced with only one opponent. When the midfielders are clearly outnumbered, they do as much damage as they can before falling back to a better position and calling in the freelancer for support. Midfielders do not engage the enemy unless they are paired up. Gunner clears out the long-range deployables, but leaves the close range deployables to the shotgun/emp of the tech.
- Starts game by hacking generators and deploy points, focus on deploys close to enemy base and skip any near our base (the enemy is gonna hack those anyhow, so why waste our time at the start?)
- Deploy points have priority over generators. Remove their ability to spawn nearby.
- Avoid conflict until unless we have control of at least 1 deploy point outside the base area.
- Take generators that can be covered by deployables with some degree of effectiveness.
- gunner covers tech, provides supplies
- no more than 4 turrets at each gen, 2 each deploy point
- establish a corridor of control, providing a friendly path for assault and freelance.
- establish fall-back areas for offense (walls, turrets) on high platforms
- Gunner may switch to tech if needed to perform a lot of fast hacking.
- Assist freelancer with interception and destruction of enemy artifact carrier.
Freelance (1 ranger)
The freelancer should die as little as possible. Their goal is not to kill, but harass/disrupt/delay the enemy and their strategies. Spend no more than a few seconds on any target before getting away or focusing on something else. The freelancer is responsible for providing information on everything the enemy is doing, by standing at a distance and scoping in on their deploy points and movements. Keeps distance from the midfielders so more of the map has team coverage.
- Starts game by speeding to the best vantage point of the enemy base and surrounding deploys and providing intelligence for midfield and defense. Long-range snipes on enemy hackers to slow the enemy's opening position.
- Harass enemy hacking/assault teams
- provide healing to friendly defense/midfield
- Hack generators and deploy points only when the opportunity arises
- Mercy Kill as much as possible to prevent enemy from being revived or providing information on our movements.
- Provide information regarding enemy locations and tactics
- support our artifact carrier until they are away from immediate harm.
- Keep moving, don't get too hung up on a single target. The enemy has to always wonder where you are and what you are doing.
- Intercept enemy artifact carrier and slow them down until midfield/offense support arrives.
- If you aren't certain if your shot is going to hit, take it in such a manner that the enemy sees the tracer line... this distracts them, and either has them running for cover or looking around to spot you. This costs them several seconds of game time while you are off to your next task.
Offense (2 ranger/gunners)
The offense should generally be rangers for speed, but may elect for gunners in the event the enemy defensive force is greater than 2 or has vehicles for artillery support. The offense needs to attack in a pair, but from different paths to split the defensive focus. Always make the enemy feel like they don't have enough D. If they fall back enough, we hack all the generators and deploys, throwing their strategies into confusion. If they don't fall back enough, wait for your opening and then clear their node out. If the defense is strong, one player needs to lure the defense away from the node... often a sacrifice play... while the other player grabs an artifact.
- Starts game with assault on enemy base. Don't bother hacking anything unless it stands between you and getting into their node.
- may switch to gunner if required for turret/vehicle clearing
- Maintain control of at least 1 enemy artifact at all times.
- Capture artifact only when base is confirmed as secure and return path is clear. Hold the artifact at midfield until the base is secure.
- If both have artifacts, leave on different paths if the opposition is strong.
- If one offense has an artifact, the other switches to midfield or freelance role and supports the carrier until it is captured.
- ambush the enemy artifact carrier before they reach home base.
- remove enemy vehicles if possible, as this will slow their pursuit of you.
-=General=-
- If you die, respawn unless there is a teammate nearby and he/she is fighting no more than one opponent. Then you can wait for revival.
- If your teammate died from sniper fire, do not revive unless the sniper is neutralized. Don't waste a lot of time on the sniper, since they mostly want to slow you down.
- Keep to your roles! If you break your position, the strategy falls apart.
- Use fewer rocket turrets, as they are less effective overall and are first to go when the energy chain starts collapsing.
- Harassment/attacks should always take place from the highest vantage point and/or from the enemy's flank.
- Do not destroy enemy deployables unless they are a clear threat/obstacle to you or the team. Leaving ineffective enemy deployables in place will leave their power load high.
- DO NOT PANIC WHEN THE ENEMY IS AHEAD. If anything, you need to slow down, regroup, establish a zone of control and then press forward.
We all know XMP is a game of shifting advantage. Its very difficult from anyone to retain the advantage for very long when both teams are skilled. Don't let enemy aggression break your focus; any opponents trying to run with an artifact in this strategy will have to face our entire team at one stage or another as they move through the field. If we communicate and play this game as it was meant to be played, the odds of an opponent making it back to their base with an artifact is VERY slim.
===========How it all works against enemy tactics (not taking skill into account)==============
Enemy breaks out into individuals, leaves 2 at the base.
The enemy will capture a lot of generators and deploy points in the early game, but run out of steam quickly as the freelancers and midfielders thin their ranks before they reach the node... making them easy pickings for the defense. The freelancer communicates the enemy's primary deploy point back to the midfielders, who reclaim it. With the pairing on midfield, we acquire enemy deploys quickly and the enemy has a hard time reclaiming. The enemy is eventually forced back into their base... assuming we didn't already cap their artifacts and win the game.
The offense dances around with defense, destroying their deployables and harassing them but never getting close. One eventually makes a sacrifice move to draw the defense's attention out of the node area while the other moves in and takes an artifact. This disorients their whole team and breaks their tactics.
Enemy pairs up, leaves 3 at base.
With the freelancer, we are able to out-hack the enemy mid-field. Their offense is reduced by trying to keep pace with our hacking manuvers, which makes it impossible to penetrate our defense. Their defense eventually is reduced to keep pace with our hacking, which allows our offense to work more effectively.
Enemy pairs up, 3 on offense.
The freelancer harasses the attacking team, distracting them and weakening them before they run into our defense.
Enemy pairs up, 3 on midfield.
Freelancer distracts and harasses the midfielders until our midfield can make it to the location. This is the most even matchup, so the outcome is uncertain and largely based on the skills of the midfielders. Pushing the midfielders back into their own base is the key concern, so out-hacking them is more important than killing them. If necessary, mid-fielders should both switch to tech. Freelancer must always remain a ranger.
Enemy leaves a single defender, 3 midfield and 3 offense.
Freelancer disrupts the enemy midfield. 1 midfielder holds a captured generator long enough to power up the node, the other midfielder drops back to a defensive role. Our offense makes short work of the enemy defense and races home with the artifacts, stopping along the way to hack deploy points to force the enemy into a single deploy point approach or all the way back to their base. This puts a lot of strain on the defense and midfield, so the offense needs to act quick.
If you have any questions about strategy, here is a little something I worked up for 7v7 team format to compete in the Jolt cup. I have no problems sharing, even though it is my little "playbook". Since the strategies change by the map as well, I'm not really giving too much up.
================THE TEAM===================
Defense (tech, gunner)
The gunner does the bulk of the fighting, while the tech provides shield packs, turrets and poison gas. The tech only engages the opponent directly when they are directly next to the node room. There must always be one defender in the node room at all times. Many games are lost because the defense abandons the node when an artifact is taken, leaving the node available for the other team to come in and control it. If we have no artifacts left, one of the defenders can go assist in retrieval... but we always need a safe zone for our offense runners to come back to. No artifact carrier should die at the node if it can be avoided.
- starts game by securing artifact node
- No deployables until first gen is hacked
- Turrets outside node room, mines inside node room
- Walls covering extra entrances/exits to prevent fast escapes
- Damage all vehicles to the point of flaming (do not destroy). If they respawn quickly, then have midfield/freelance remove them from the base area unless they are being used for defense. This makes it hazardous for the offense to use the vehicles to their advantage.
Midfield (tech, gunner)
The gunner provides cover for the tech while the tech hacks, and assists in hacks on active enemy deploy points where time is of the essence. Much as above, the tech provides shield packs, turrets and poison gas, switching to shotgun/assault rifle support if the ammo on the above runs dry. The tech closes in when the gunner is faced with only one opponent. When the midfielders are clearly outnumbered, they do as much damage as they can before falling back to a better position and calling in the freelancer for support. Midfielders do not engage the enemy unless they are paired up. Gunner clears out the long-range deployables, but leaves the close range deployables to the shotgun/emp of the tech.
- Starts game by hacking generators and deploy points, focus on deploys close to enemy base and skip any near our base (the enemy is gonna hack those anyhow, so why waste our time at the start?)
- Deploy points have priority over generators. Remove their ability to spawn nearby.
- Avoid conflict until unless we have control of at least 1 deploy point outside the base area.
- Take generators that can be covered by deployables with some degree of effectiveness.
- gunner covers tech, provides supplies
- no more than 4 turrets at each gen, 2 each deploy point
- establish a corridor of control, providing a friendly path for assault and freelance.
- establish fall-back areas for offense (walls, turrets) on high platforms
- Gunner may switch to tech if needed to perform a lot of fast hacking.
- Assist freelancer with interception and destruction of enemy artifact carrier.
Freelance (1 ranger)
The freelancer should die as little as possible. Their goal is not to kill, but harass/disrupt/delay the enemy and their strategies. Spend no more than a few seconds on any target before getting away or focusing on something else. The freelancer is responsible for providing information on everything the enemy is doing, by standing at a distance and scoping in on their deploy points and movements. Keeps distance from the midfielders so more of the map has team coverage.
- Starts game by speeding to the best vantage point of the enemy base and surrounding deploys and providing intelligence for midfield and defense. Long-range snipes on enemy hackers to slow the enemy's opening position.
- Harass enemy hacking/assault teams
- provide healing to friendly defense/midfield
- Hack generators and deploy points only when the opportunity arises
- Mercy Kill as much as possible to prevent enemy from being revived or providing information on our movements.
- Provide information regarding enemy locations and tactics
- support our artifact carrier until they are away from immediate harm.
- Keep moving, don't get too hung up on a single target. The enemy has to always wonder where you are and what you are doing.
- Intercept enemy artifact carrier and slow them down until midfield/offense support arrives.
- If you aren't certain if your shot is going to hit, take it in such a manner that the enemy sees the tracer line... this distracts them, and either has them running for cover or looking around to spot you. This costs them several seconds of game time while you are off to your next task.
Offense (2 ranger/gunners)
The offense should generally be rangers for speed, but may elect for gunners in the event the enemy defensive force is greater than 2 or has vehicles for artillery support. The offense needs to attack in a pair, but from different paths to split the defensive focus. Always make the enemy feel like they don't have enough D. If they fall back enough, we hack all the generators and deploys, throwing their strategies into confusion. If they don't fall back enough, wait for your opening and then clear their node out. If the defense is strong, one player needs to lure the defense away from the node... often a sacrifice play... while the other player grabs an artifact.
- Starts game with assault on enemy base. Don't bother hacking anything unless it stands between you and getting into their node.
- may switch to gunner if required for turret/vehicle clearing
- Maintain control of at least 1 enemy artifact at all times.
- Capture artifact only when base is confirmed as secure and return path is clear. Hold the artifact at midfield until the base is secure.
- If both have artifacts, leave on different paths if the opposition is strong.
- If one offense has an artifact, the other switches to midfield or freelance role and supports the carrier until it is captured.
- ambush the enemy artifact carrier before they reach home base.
- remove enemy vehicles if possible, as this will slow their pursuit of you.
-=General=-
- If you die, respawn unless there is a teammate nearby and he/she is fighting no more than one opponent. Then you can wait for revival.
- If your teammate died from sniper fire, do not revive unless the sniper is neutralized. Don't waste a lot of time on the sniper, since they mostly want to slow you down.
- Keep to your roles! If you break your position, the strategy falls apart.
- Use fewer rocket turrets, as they are less effective overall and are first to go when the energy chain starts collapsing.
- Harassment/attacks should always take place from the highest vantage point and/or from the enemy's flank.
- Do not destroy enemy deployables unless they are a clear threat/obstacle to you or the team. Leaving ineffective enemy deployables in place will leave their power load high.
- DO NOT PANIC WHEN THE ENEMY IS AHEAD. If anything, you need to slow down, regroup, establish a zone of control and then press forward.
We all know XMP is a game of shifting advantage. Its very difficult from anyone to retain the advantage for very long when both teams are skilled. Don't let enemy aggression break your focus; any opponents trying to run with an artifact in this strategy will have to face our entire team at one stage or another as they move through the field. If we communicate and play this game as it was meant to be played, the odds of an opponent making it back to their base with an artifact is VERY slim.
===========How it all works against enemy tactics (not taking skill into account)==============
Enemy breaks out into individuals, leaves 2 at the base.
The enemy will capture a lot of generators and deploy points in the early game, but run out of steam quickly as the freelancers and midfielders thin their ranks before they reach the node... making them easy pickings for the defense. The freelancer communicates the enemy's primary deploy point back to the midfielders, who reclaim it. With the pairing on midfield, we acquire enemy deploys quickly and the enemy has a hard time reclaiming. The enemy is eventually forced back into their base... assuming we didn't already cap their artifacts and win the game.
The offense dances around with defense, destroying their deployables and harassing them but never getting close. One eventually makes a sacrifice move to draw the defense's attention out of the node area while the other moves in and takes an artifact. This disorients their whole team and breaks their tactics.
Enemy pairs up, leaves 3 at base.
With the freelancer, we are able to out-hack the enemy mid-field. Their offense is reduced by trying to keep pace with our hacking manuvers, which makes it impossible to penetrate our defense. Their defense eventually is reduced to keep pace with our hacking, which allows our offense to work more effectively.
Enemy pairs up, 3 on offense.
The freelancer harasses the attacking team, distracting them and weakening them before they run into our defense.
Enemy pairs up, 3 on midfield.
Freelancer distracts and harasses the midfielders until our midfield can make it to the location. This is the most even matchup, so the outcome is uncertain and largely based on the skills of the midfielders. Pushing the midfielders back into their own base is the key concern, so out-hacking them is more important than killing them. If necessary, mid-fielders should both switch to tech. Freelancer must always remain a ranger.
Enemy leaves a single defender, 3 midfield and 3 offense.
Freelancer disrupts the enemy midfield. 1 midfielder holds a captured generator long enough to power up the node, the other midfielder drops back to a defensive role. Our offense makes short work of the enemy defense and races home with the artifacts, stopping along the way to hack deploy points to force the enemy into a single deploy point approach or all the way back to their base. This puts a lot of strain on the defense and midfield, so the offense needs to act quick.
