Countering Jetpacks

TranquilChaos

<div class="IPBDescription">A simple, effective approach.</div> While this applies more to Combat than to regular NS, this is a commonsense approach to countering jetpacks. It seems very obvious to me, but many people seem to fail to understand it.

As we all know, the key to jetpack effectiveness is mobility, it provides no extra protection from damage, but increases the jetpacker's ability to avoid attacks. A jetpacker without freedom of movement is only slightly more effective than an LA. Rooms of significant importance are generally created in such a manner as to give jetpackers this freedom, in general, most hive areas are open enough for a jetpacker to successfully outmanuever the average alien player.

However, most hive rooms generally connect to hallways, and very rarely do these hive entrances have high ceilings. I'm hoping most of you have conceived a general idea of the point I'm trying to get across, for those who haven't, I'll spell it out in big bold letters.

<b> <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> Don't wait until the jetpacker gets inside the hive to engage him! </span></b>
Blocking the hallway leading into a hive as an onos or fade is an extremely effective way to deter jetpackers. Take away their mobility and they are no longer a problem.

Zaggy

Yep, but most of the time the aliens will notice their hive is being attacked and actually THEN they will try to get rid of it, but yes, small spaces kills JP'ers.

They're like flies with shotgun, VERY annoying...

Swift_Idiot

Blocking JPers with anything LESS than an onos is kind of hard. OCs are pretty good against JPers, and if you have web gorges, it's all over. This basically works the same way as a HW guy standing in a one-person doorway to block a Scout in Team Fortress Classic. Scouty boy just isn't going to get past the fatso with the vulcan cannon no matter how much he smacks on him with the crowbar.

TranquilChaos

Actually, on many maps, a fade can effectively block a jetpacker's entrance into the hive, or at least get two or three free swipes in. I expect a reasonable number of people to understand this already. I mainly wrote this out of the frustration of repeatedly watching onos and fades futilely run around the hive after a jetpacker instead of attacking them before they get into the hive.

Lucky

The whole point of being the jetpacker is the ability to pick where you have your fights - not to let aliens dictate that to you. Hence you'll only be able to engage a jetpacker on your terms if you either ambush him, or he just plain sucks. Any half-decent jetpacker will never let you choose the terms of engagement, so you will most likely have to hunt him around your hive room if he chooses that as his combat ground.

Fro5ty

The best counter for a JPer in any case is a room full of spores. The JPer will constantly be taking damage and eventually run out of armor. Unless the comm is god with med spamming like the autocomm, then when the armor is gone, you can kill him in two bites with a little spores if you're a lerk. For onos, gore him, not devour. Sure, he may get a medpack, but unless he has a team mate jper with a welder, two hits from most aliens and he's dead. A fade has to predict the direction the jper is going and intercept it with a quick blink/swipe combo. It's hard to do, but that one fade swipe will either allow him to be dispatched in two bites or force a retreat to a more prime area. Skulk, they HAVE to come down to the ground some time. When they're about to, leap to that spot and bite till they take off again or die. Gorge, just keep healing that hive or let him come after you and let your team mess him up when he has to land to get you.

Buggy

Lerks own jetpacks, assuming the jetpacks are shooting the hive. Not the lerk killing them left and right.

DC_Darkling

JP counters which work:
OCs
webs
lerk
fade
leapskulk
para
spit
acid
gore

All used to take down way to many Jpers. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

medqua

The best way to counter a JP is spore, spit and umbra for the gorges.
I miss the spikes <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> .... <!--emo&::lerk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/lerk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='lerk.gif' /><!--endemo-->

OGG-Wraith

I was always under the impression that Web was the primary counter to JP. With Lerks being the secondary counter

DC_Darkling

I did not rank them. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
and umbra, gas etc all goes under the thing called "lerk"

Marr

In combat, I find that JPs are the #1 threat to the hive (and thus alien domination).

I usually go one of these paths:

1) I'll go Leap->Save Point->Xeno and then save up any accrued points. If I ever hear a JPer I evolve to gorge and lay webs/heal hive (grabbing adren if possible). I keep the option of lerking with Primal open after that. Often this works so well, though, that I end up staying gorge with celerity, regen, and other upgrades. Then, as a speedy combat gorge I follow the fades to marine start and web 'em. Usually ends the game right then and there.

2) My other option is getting lerk at level 2. If it's a big game, spores are a great equalizer and the earliest area of effect attack the aliens get. Spores + Xeno = lots of dead marines. This isn't necessarily a JP counter, but it works well enough.

In classic NS, JPs are a threat, but two OCs and a lerk are usually enough. JPs in classic are a very specialized strategy now. (May the 1.04 JP HMG rushes stay dead forever!)

Cataclysmic_Desires

I usually find that it doesn't take much time until a JPer is under pursuit by several skulks. The JPer seems to manage to always be just out of reach. One strategy I've employed quite successfully is to sit up on one of the walls (typically in the crease where the ceiling meets the wall) and wait for my teammates to drive him towards me (unintentionally). Only then will I make a small, quick pursuit. Most JPers, as I suspect, don't pay too much attention to what they are flying towards but rather taking out the hive. They figure as long as they are constantly moving those trailing skulks won't catch up.

Plain and Simple... sit and wait until he flies up at you.

Wirhe

<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> JP counters which work:
OCs
webs
lerk
fade
leapskulk
para
spit
acid
gore<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
OC's = You'll need lots of them, and they are generally useless against bigger groups than 1.
Webs = 1 second hold, not much, and 3rd hive ability. When was the last time you saw 3 hives AND jet-pack rushes STILL coming?
Fade = 50 res, but IMO the only real counter.
Leapskulk = You're kidding, right? Every skulk has exactly 4 chances to leap at him, and even there would need to be several of them at a place like ventilation at ns_Tanith. Besides, 2nd hive ability.
Spit = Slow and relatively low damage, easy to avoid. Wouldn't even try.
Acid = Even less damage than spit, and 3rd hive ability. For fade, it would be easier just to blink at him and try to swipe him down.
Gore = Right. When onos is just a big, lumbering piece of stake at the hands of a few jets. In a bit more open place not-even-a-smallest-chance.

DC_Darkling

adapt. They work, never said they were perfect.

and if I am gorge I will spit. What do? sit around doing nothing?

Fro5ty

As a gorge in combat, when you see the JPer, you either die and see him again in the hive room, or see him only in the hive room. So your fat little gorge **** should be healing that hive till healspray is comming out of every orfice of your body.

NukeAJS

Webs work great. Most jet packers will touch down in a corner since their diection will usually push them into a wall. If you can notice the jpers start to descent look what direction he's flying in and leap, fly, or blink into that corner. Once he lands take your chance and hopefully he's low health and dies. It takes a little practice but I can usually get em 50% of the time. JPers that land on the hive just suck ...

DC_Darkling

true. healspray or spit.
yet if its just one I will consider spit. i mean, you are trying to keep him out the hiveroom yes? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

MistenTH

Leap/Bite works better than blink/swipe imo since you have more control and can predict more accurately. Not to mention it's a free hive2 ability and not 50 res.

Rushakra

The reason you won't see any Three Hive abilities mentioned here is because the solutions are all extremely obvious. Also, if you have three hives, why are you being bothered by a single jetpacker? >_>

Skulks:
Parasite. The chances of you getting bites when they're not on the hive is slim to none.

Gorges:
Drop an OC or.. Spit. Works long-range. Use Healspray when they land. It has a surprisingly good range and AoE damage.

Lerks:
Spore. Spore spore spore. Also, fly and bite. You're a skulk with a jetpack.
If you play 2.01, spikes are better than spores if you have decent aim. I want spikes back in 3.0. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Fades:
WTH are you doing chasing JPers?! GO KILL A NODE.

Onos:
Devour devour devour. It has an insane range (you can devour Marines standing on the ledge in Comp Core [ns_eclipse] from the floor) and I mean INSANE. Also, stomp when they land.
Wait a minute, why are you in your hive, again?

TOmekki

if the hive is viaduct, ns_nothing, fades are about the only ones who can really do the job of cleaning 5 jp'ers. one shotgun blast = dead lerk.

God_Killer

Scent of fear, leap.

waller

<!--QuoteBegin-D.C. Darkling+May 23 2004, 08:25 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (D.C. Darkling @ May 23 2004, 08:25 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> true. healspray or spit.
yet if its just one I will consider spit. i mean, you are trying to keep him out the hiveroom yes? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
No. Your trying to keep that hive on 100% <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Raptor091288

in my opinion, fades can counter just about anything, especially jpers if they have focus, 2 hits on anything but a server with self-weld and level 3 armor (i know this as its the server i mostly play on, 100 health and 110 armor + 2 focus swipes will leave the jper with EXACTLY 1 hp, kinda funny when he tries to run and you acid rocket him once and he dies), if not, then go onos or lerk, celerity is a must, especially for lerks who want to catchup to the marines, as jpers are faster than any non-celerity alien, as for onos, stand in the doorway he's trying to get through, for gorges well, if you're not in a hive or near some oc/dc, and can't web (for whatever reason, global limit hit by someone somewhere else, <3 hives) you're probably dead unless a teammate is there to save you (which i have done alot as onos/fade, even a few times as a skulk/lerk) for skulks, just like fades (only blink and swipe), leap and bite, either wait until he comes down (considering he has another target besides you) and leap to that spot and bite, or leap at him in the air, this takes some practice but is more than possible and i have killed my fair share of jpers as a skulk like this (even with regen/silence/cloaking i've done it, its especially easy when they're not paying any attention to you and are shooting at something else)

DC_Darkling

i must say I spit more in classic and heal more in combat. Dunno why, feels more usefull