I played a match where I loaded a double merc prym. my team mates would close in while me and my crew would hang back and disable them or pound their hull into oblivion.
That works well with a brawler-sniper, where you're turning and using the side mounts to snipe. Your tactical mobility is reduced and your a static target, so having someone in the midfield controlling the closing phase is very useful. However, on Dunes having a pair of dual-sniper Pyras with their Mercs on the front mounts means that with both ships in full reverse they don't need a midfielder and can maintain the range long enough to deal with both targets in turn.
As the problem primarily affects the Pyra build far more than the other classes, any fix is going to need to have a bigger effect on that class. A suggestion:
- reduce the reverse engines speed of the Pyra to reduce it's ability to maintain range in this style of play; and
- increase the engine vibration and gun jitter for all ships when Moonshine/Kerosene/Phoenix Claw are in use.
If a Pyra can't reverse fast enough to maintain the range long enough, then Moonshine/Kerosene will be needed. There already is an engine vibration effect when tools are used that have a detrimental effect on the engine, if this was increased and it caused increased jitter to a weapons aim this would nerf the dual-sniper Pyra build that relies on reversing away from the target at the start. Given the narrow boresight of the Mercs scope, this weapon would be disproportionately affected.
I'm unsure whether any fix should be applied quickly or be delayed. The heralding of the mine launcher as a light weapon suggests that current strategies may require a rethink once it's released and tested. Depending on the range and durability of mines these may change the sniper meta for the worse (laying mines across the midfield to further discourage closing on a sniper), or may provide an opportunity for a counter (dropping mines over the sniper and behind him to discourage retreating-while-sniping).
