After the Great Rebalance, Spectre Pilots Cheat. I'm Shocked.

Pun intended.  

Here's the soundtrack - you don't have to watch it ... just click "play" and enjoy the post.  You're welcome.

Fellow Pilots,
On Friday, September 21, a news release from Pixonic described "rebalance goals" for then near-future update 4.3.  Gentlemen, a "re" balance implies a time in the past when the game was in balance.  Unfortunately, I can't recall such a time.  When I joined, top players ran full hangars of Ancilots.  A year later, it was "dashers," and by this fall, ALL the cool kids had four or five maxed out Spectres.*

At least 40% of the slots in the top hangars in September 2018 were Spectres.

The near future turned out to be Monday, September 24th.  Despite all the wailing, gnashing of teeth, and even a couple videos of people selling all their Spectres, Pixonic did the unthinkable.  The most overpowered robot ever to reach the live server was weakened.  Instead of four seconds of stealth on the ground it now had two.  The stealth ability became less frequent (every 22 seconds, previously 18).  Instead of the 55 KPH, it was reduced to 50 KPH.  The four medium weapons remain, unfortunately.

Look, Spectre pilots, first of all, you were warned.  From the moment we first saw this robot, everyone knew what was going to happen.  Pheonix knew it, Manni knew it, I knew it, the dogs knew.  Four medium weapons and "descend" = everybody forced to use the same robot.  Well, not quite everybody.  Even though I could have asked for Pixonic for a Spectre, I didn't.  It's just not sporting to run that ridiculous thing.  Yes, I have one - bought the component deals and leveled it to 12 myself - but it sucks and I hate it.  It sits in my long range hangar and makes coffee for my brawlers.  If you run five Spectres, you deserve WAY MORE than what you got in this rebalance.  It should have had a redesign to three weapons or two mediums and two lights - still a TON of firepower.  Just ask Lottie Rose, who routinely wipes the floor with champ-league Spectre pilots using far less firepower and no stealth at all.  She just makes you miss the old-fashioned way (by moving).

IN THE MEANTIME, Spectre victims have been busy.  They've been in the weight room:


They've been on the track:


They've been practicing their submission holds:


And they are ready to kick some Spectre ass.  In response, Spectre pilots, never known for their bravery, have been cheating.  They hang in the air wherever possible, unhittable unless you are able to blast the object they hang from with Orkans or Tulumbas.  If you want to quibble and equivocate about the word "cheat," "cheating," or "cheater," you can do it somewhere else.  I've heard "exploit," "bug abuse,"and other soft-pedaling doublespeak.  Listen up, apologists: THE DESCEND ABILITY IS INTENDED TO BE FINITE.  Making it infinite is cheating, and I have zero interest in a debate on that point.  If and when Pixonic closes the door, the game will be better off for the change.

On Yamantau, here's a cheater in a full squad of knowing perpetrators [BR*1]:


On Shenzhen:


On Moon (losing as fast as I've ever seen anyone lose, BTW):


Of course, on the structures of Carrier, which is perfect because they can control the center beacon:


Without landing, the stealth doesn't end, and they can fire at their victims with impunity - so long as they don't turn too much.  Turning makes the weapons lose their grip and fall back to earth, and vulnerability.  For the record, we know Inquisitors are capable of the same dirty trick, and we know this robot is being used in the same manner.

But guess what?  Don't worry!  Pixonic has shown us time and time again that they won't let one robot wear the crown forever.  Look for a simple countdown timer on the Descend ability in the very near future.  Until then, Tempests will hit a Spectre in stealth, as will most other weapons that are on the same horizontal plane.  We like Tempests for the range and recently increased damage.  Cheat away, because that's what cheaters do, until you can't cheat anymore and you get beat by people who have been getting better all the while.

(Bad) News
The much ballyhooed "workshop 2.0" is going away, as soon as tomorrow.  This is unfortunate, because getting new robots and weapons on the cheap was A) promised and B) an antidote to the ridiculous "new economy" upgrade times and costs.

Our advice(s): do what you can in the Workshop over the next days.  Try a Hover (faster and tougher) or Lancelot (tougher and faster) after the rebalance.  Level up some heavy weapons.  Most importantly, avoid going "all in" for the "next big thing."  It's a bad idea in the long term, and it doesn't make you better.  Hit the weights instead - you'll be glad you did.

Your humble servant,
Doc Yat

PS: Clan UA is cheating as a group.  We caught them on video in a time drop.  It doesn't work unless you get on both teams.  Here, the one "blue" has sabotaged his team successfully by hiding, not spawning, or even getting in the way.  Then, it's his turn to wipe out the reds for a massive silver payoff.

PPS: Clan France Pro is cheating as a group.  Here's the signature move, done as the battle opens - hang a Shocktrain Spectre from the ruins around ECHO (center beacon) on Dead City.

With position established, France Pro uses the Spectre, which can't be hit by any weapons except possibly Orkans against that wall, to bleed the blue team to death.

Still there. 

The cheater, Jean-Phi, slipped off the wall after a while (no one was able to kill him) and helped finish us off.  Lifetime ban for you, Jean-Phi, if they made me King of the Robots.  One year for the rest of the squad.

Faculty Notes

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