Mort Made Easier - Fighting borgs the right way
Ah, Mort, the ubiquitous hunting spot for clanners over 70. Eventually, all clanners will find themselves fighting Cyborgs at their factory stronghold in Mort at least once in their lifetime. And, more often than not, more than just a few times. This place can be very good experience, except when too many teams show up (which is often the case anymore). However, no matter how many people are there, this hunting spot can prove one of the most dangerous given the power of the ‘borgs found there and the sheer number of them. I often find myself operating as the “puller” for all the teams gathered at this location every time I show up there. And seeing both good tactics and bad, I thought I’d share them with everyone here to help ensure we all stay alive more than dead…which has been a problem of late. Both those who consider themselves “seasoned” at this place and those that are neophytes will both benefit from this information.
The first thing I suggest is that you do not even bother to come to Mort before you’re well into your 70’s. While you may be able to survive before that, you really wont do very much damage, you’ll have a hard time finding teams at that level, and if too low in level, you’ll be seen as an experience moocher from the teams that are doing damage. It is something that is noticed. The primary and best levels to fight there are between 80 and 110.
As anyone who’s been there before knows, the typical scenario includes approaching this square factory set on top of a ridge surrounding a radioactive crater from the east. Cyborgs found on the approach are dispatched and the teams set up shop at the south east corner of the stronghold to begin pulling from the building areas. I say more than on team, because unless the sole team there is comprised of individuals well over level 100 and have a doctor, it is impossible for one team to capture and hold the factory area without eventually being slaughtered. The best mix includes three teams averaging 80 to 100 in level. Two if higher level, four if lower. This keeps the necessary amount of firepower in place and keeps experience good. Less and your dead, more and the experience starts to stink.
At any rate, it is at this time, when the teams set up for pulling, that they always seem to run into trouble. Why? There are many reasons. These include, bad pulling, over-aggressive team members, crowding the area and ineffective communication. If we can eliminate these issues, Mort will be even more rewarding for those that fight there.
First, let’s address crowding and location. When all the teams arrive, they need to set up at the south east corner almost at the ridgeline. This keeps them from inadvertently tripping over ‘borgs as they respawn at the factory corner. Time after time, I see groups (especially when too many teams arrive) get closer and closer to the factory as they manage to kill the ‘borgs. This may seem safe at the time, but it never fails; eventually the borgs that were killed at the front corner respawn right when more borgs are pulled from deeper in the area. At this point, the teams end up getting slaughter, or at very least, scatter like leaves. Yes, it may take a few moments longer for borgs to be pulled back if the teams stay at their original spot, but it is MUCH safer. Besides, when you lose that 400k of experience you just got, you’ll be upset that you inched too far forward. So…rule number one..
1. Stay back away from the factory near the ridgeline to the south east and don’t move up. (Think of it as being 30 meters back from the front corner of the factory).
Now, pulling. When the teams get set at their “base” to the south east, someone then needs to go pull borgs to them. In theory, anyone can pull, but unless it is someone with speed, crowd control capability and a level head, it will often lead to trouble. As such, the best candidates for pullers are Fixers, Agents, Traders or NTs. Each of these professions has the ability to either root or mesmerize the borgs if they pull too many. If a profession that doesn’t have these abilities pulls and gets too many, they’ll train the whole lot back to the waiting teams, killing many people. Here is our second rule…
2. Select one and ONLY one person to pull that has the ability to crowd control mobs.
Once a puller is designated (and only ONE PULLER AT A TIME or everything goes to hell) that person should begin bringing borgs back. As a fixer, I always begin by pulling a single borg with a slowing nano. This does two things. First, it lets me get back to the waiting teams without getting hit too many times before I get there. Secondly, it does not create too much aggro on me. As a well outfitted fixer, I can tank a bit, but I don’t really have the HP to stand there being smacked around by a Brigadier General. Also, given that I can root, as long as the teams stay far enough away at first, if I pull more than one borg, I can root the extras and let one come back to the teams with me. This is something that it seems very few people fighting here pay attention to. If the puller pulls more than one mob, DO NOT SHOOT the mobs they root or mezz. If you shoot them, you will break the root or mezz and that mob will then come running in to cause headaches. Just back out of the range of the rooted mob and attack the one that is not rooted. A good puller will always bring his target mob far enough away from the one they root so you can attack it. So, we’ve got our third and possibly most important rule…
3. Do NOT shoot rooted or mezzed mobs when more than one is pulled.
In order to make this rooting and staying back tactic work, another issue comes into play. While it is nice to use “/assist” to help fight the right mob, pet professions can cause problems when doing this. The pets will run to the mob that the puller is pulling and not give them enough time to get the mob out of the way of possible respawns. Then, the borg will most times stop and fight the pet and any borg that wanders close will join the fight. As such, pet classes should not use /assist nor should they send their pets before the borg is brought all the way back to the group. This also holds true for anyone really and is the basis for the fourth rule.
4. Don’t send a pet after a borg or start attacking a borg that is being pulled until the puller brings it all the way out to the group.
Here is something to govern the actions of the puller themselves. If you are a puller, the success of the teams assemble relies on YOU. You have a responsibility to keep them alive through your actions. As such, if you make a bad pull (and this is easy to do, since it is hard to see the borgs hiding between buildings) be ready to deal with that bad pull. This seems to happen all the time when people try to pull from the west side of the factory where a lot of borgs pile up. More often than not, you will not be able to root or mezz more than 2, MAYBE 3 mobs and still bring one back to your groups safely. As such, if you pull a whole freaking train of borgs, lead them AWAY from the teams. Take one for the team and if you have to die…die. As a fixer, I’m lucky in this area. I can cast an area effect slow nano on a whole mess of borgs if I have a bad pull and then I can just run down over the ridge to the south and away from my teams, training the borgs after me….but they’ll never catch me. So, here’s another rule to help us…
5. If you, as a puller, make a bad pull, be prepared to deal with it and if necessary train them AWAY from the teams or be prepared to sacrifice yourself. Do not pull 3 and 4 mobs back to your teams.
The last and final rule is very simple. It is in place so that again, you don’t end up with more borgs than the teams can deal with. Pulling borgs when someone else has pulling duty will not make you a hero or make you popular. It will end up killing your teammates when you pull borgs and then the puller comes back with one or two more. So, the last rule…
6. If you are not the puller, stay the hell away from the borgs and let the puller bring them to you.
While I’ve called them rules, they are really just sound suggestions. If we all follow them, Mort will be a lot less chaotic than it has been lately and you’ll have a much better time. Remember, follow the rules!
The life you save may be your own.
Highjack
