OTOH, if a group of Mantises are allowed to overtake an Aurora formation and penetrate their lines, they will get chewed up for sure. But in practice I find that without flanking (which implies superior numbers) Mantises rarely are able to overtake groups of properly managed Auroras, with predictable results.

Conceptually, it would make a big difference if there were enough auras to be able to actually kill mantises and eliminate guns before they were in range. Especially if only a few mantises came into range of several auras at a time (this happens a lot on ‘constrictive maps’ and less on ‘wide open’ maps). However, if both groups are swarming or both groups are in formation this effect is pretty negligible. In the former case, the groups behave more like a series of 1 vs. 1 match-ups and in the latter case, the extra shots on the dead mantises means some mantises will be coming in with full health (but they still will have fewer guns).

Regarding microing, a simple technique I often use, especially with homogeneous mantis groups, is to hold down shift and target enemies in series. The faster muzzle velocity and faster firing rate of the mantis means it has a slight edge when it comes to avoiding overkill. The movement randomness factor can come into play for a few shots on each target here.

I’ve never seen an aura ‘power slide’ backwards. This doesn’t mean it can’t happen but I’ve never seen it make a decisive difference.

My observations aren’t scientific at all; just what seems to make the biggest difference when I play. I guess the moral here is to vary your force composition no matter what your faction is.

Also I did some trigonometry and at the aura’s maximum range it’s only necessary to change the approach vector of the mantis by 7 degrees as the aura fires to completely avoid the shot. When the aura fires a second time, this increases to about 7.5 degrees (these calculations assume a circular mantis geometry which is a slight approximation).

Cyde, the 1:1 mix of Fervor/Aurora seems to work pretty well on maps with rugged terrain and chokepoints, and then there’s the fact that Fervors just build faster, allowing you to mass the same amount of units quicker than all Aurora or a 2:1 ratio. Also, let’s not forget that at the level I play at, people don’t micro their units much, so the Fervor does a good job at taking stuff out and supporting the Aurora. Their 2-second fire rate seems to make them much more usable against units than the other factions’ artillery.