Why do we kill radios before HABS?

[Ripz]

Noob here. Just wondering why we always hold off digging down an enemy HAB to first find and kill their radio? I assume the radio costs them more tickets or something? But couldnt we still kill it after the HAB to ensure they cant respawn if it fails? Or does the radio die if the HAB dies and cost them less tickets that way?

[Sgt. Osiris]

A radio allows a team to put down structures such as HABs and ammo crates. If you disable the radio the structures will be destroyed. They will never have to get another logi or helicopter out to their position if they want to build structures again. Taking down a HAB takes a long time unless you have explosives. That time would be better utilized finding the radio. I

[Chungal Grease]

Every change in this game a direct reaction to a meta. Back in the day before the HAB you'd sit there and farm the FOB for kills then they added the HAB to control this meta. Then you'd just sit there and farm the HAB instead with a squad so then they made it so if there was more than one person within a close distance it would disable spawning on the HAB. So then they added scaling proximity disabling as well. Past that they made the penalty for digging an enemy FOB double what it used to be. At this point the FOB/HAB meta is almost as important as the control points.

[Ripz]

Originally posted by Sgt. Osiris:

A radio allows a team to put down structures such as HABs and ammo crates. If you disable the radio the structures will be destroyed. They will never have to get another logi or helicopter out to their position if they want to build structures again. Taking down a HAB takes a long time unless you have explosives. That time would be better utilized finding the radio. I

In my experience taking down the HAB is faster than finding the radio A LOT of the time, even quicker to dig it down enough to at least stop spawns. Plus, if you prevent them from being able to spawn first, you'll have all the time in the world to find the radio. Every second spent looking for the radio instead is another second they can spawn on that very same hab and kill you. Plus if you fail to find the radio, they'll still have a HAB they can just build back up good as new. So I dont really understand why not kill the HAB first anyway. Seems much safer.

[Corgi 野蛮柯基犬]

Dig down the HAB halfway so they can't respawn, then go for the radio and eliminate the whole FOB. If you dig down the HAB the whole way, then an enemy SL can just put down another HAB somewhere else and respawn their entire team. If their HAB(s) are halfway dug down, they can't build anymore somewhere else.

[Baxter]

Also it only takes a couple digs on the radio to disable the hab.

[TardWrangler]

Originally posted by Auddity:

Noob here. Just wondering why we always hold off digging down an enemy HAB to first find and kill their radio? I assume the radio costs them more tickets or something? But couldnt we still kill it after the HAB to ensure they cant respawn if it fails? Or does the radio die if the HAB dies and cost them less tickets that way?

it sometimes comes down to just sabatoge. If you knock down the HAB, every blueberry in the area will rush you, and have time to deliver an effective attack.

If you sneak in, Prime into a charge on the radio, run 100m and set up to shoot anyone who tries to dig it, They will have 30 seconds to rush the radio and dig it back up

[KDM 16AAB]

No need to dig the hab down half way, just keep two people in close proximity to it to disable respawning from it. Also if you dig the radio down part way it will disable the hab any way so two birds with one stone.

Radio should always be your first choice to get down, and a smart squad leader will place the radio and build the hab well aways from the radio to make the radio that little bit harder to locate.

[Sgt. Osiris]

Originally posted by Auddity:

Originally posted by Sgt. Osiris:

A radio allows a team to put down structures such as HABs and ammo crates. If you disable the radio the structures will be destroyed. They will never have to get another logi or helicopter out to their position if they want to build structures again. Taking down a HAB takes a long time unless you have explosives. That time would be better utilized finding the radio. I

In my experience taking down the HAB is faster than finding the radio A LOT of the time, even quicker to dig it down enough to at least stop spawns. Plus, if you prevent them from being able to spawn first, you'll have all the time in the world to find the radio. Every second spent looking for the radio instead is another second they can spawn on that very same hab and kill you. Plus if you fail to find the radio, they'll still have a HAB they can just build back up good as new. So I dont really understand why not kill the HAB first anyway. Seems much safer.

I personally feel digging down a HAB is the most dangerous situation you can be in this game. If you're digging down a HAB the enemy knows you're there and if at least one of them has half a brain they are coming for you. Where as if you're in enemy territory you can sneak around until you find the radio. If you find a HAB tell your SL so he can mark it for the team or better yet request FTL to mark it. Then your squad and team will know where to push.

The optimal strategy is probably one person digging down the HAB, one acting as overwatch for you, and the rest of the squad looking for the radio. If you have had success digging down HABs I don't see why you should change it.

[Namdaets]

Originally posted by Zylfrax791:

At this point the FOB/HAB meta is almost as important as the control points.

Considering HABs are basically the only spawn points for your team, I'd say FOB/HAB meta is equally as important as the control points. No HABs = No capturing flags. The team that fails to build HABs loses.

[Corgi 野蛮柯基犬]

Originally posted by KDM 16AAB:

No need to dig the hab down half way, just keep two people in close proximity to it to disable respawning from it.

Yeah well okay, first of all good luck getting anyone to just sit next to a HAB like that. Second, might as well have them dig it halfway down if they're already next to it. Third, it's 3 people now, not 2.

Chances are you're gonna spot a HAB sooner than the smaller FOB radio. So better to get to work on that first, then find the radio. What happens so often is that everyone spreads out to find the radio, then the enemy HAB unproxies and you have enemies spawning left and right on the HAB that you "intelligently" didn't dig down halfway. It's so completely easy to just dig it down halfway, and not take that risk.

[Psycha]

Originally posted by Lethal Corgi:

Originally posted by KDM 16AAB:

No need to dig the hab down half way, just keep two people in close proximity to it to disable respawning from it.

Yeah well okay, first of all good luck getting anyone to just sit next to a HAB like that. Second, might as well have them dig it halfway down if they're already next to it. Third, it's 3 people now, not 2.

Chances are you're gonna spot a HAB sooner than the smaller FOB radio. So better to get to work on that first, then find the radio. What happens so often is that everyone spreads out to find the radio, then the enemy HAB unproxies and you have enemies spawning left and right on the HAB that you "intelligently" didn't dig down halfway. It's so completely easy to just dig it down halfway, and not take that risk.

It's still 2 if they are right next to it physically.. It's 3 if they are 15-20m away.

Second point, if they both start digging it halfway and 1 dies, enemies respawn instantly, logic not there I'm afraid.

[Corgi 野蛮柯基犬]

Originally posted by PsychaChi:

Second point, if they both start digging it halfway and 1 dies, enemies respawn instantly, logic not there I'm afraid.

That would happen regardless if both were digging down the radio instead of the HAB. That's why you have the second guy guarding you while you dig*. Chances are you're going to run across the HAB before the radio, since they're so easy to spot. If it was just you and 1-2 other guys, you shouldn't just ignore the HAB while you go searching for the radio, because then they WILL respawn instantly on the HAB.

First, they can respawn at any time while you're anywhere within 100m of the HAB. So if you and your 1-2 buddies run past the HAB without digging it down, it ain't proxied anymore. Second, as soon as the enemy team notices you started digging down the radio (their top left corner meter will obviously start to go down), they're going to continue to spawn as many people on the HAB you left open to stop you. So disable the spawn first and they won't have that option. Definitely logical to disable the HAB first before the radio.

[McPhil]

Dig a radio down to 75% health, it's disabled and so is the HAB.
Normaly you would only dig the HAB down if you haven't found the radio yet.
Digging down a HAB doesn't award any points or let the enemy loose points.