The Brawler is a powerful medium/large ship that is one of the best (if not the best) close in fighters in the game. It is great at controlling and holding a point as well as providing close in firepower in a team push. The Brawler is good as a standalone and a monster with a good support.

Thumper: This is your primary weapon and damage dealer, it has a maximum range of 5400km and an optimal range of 1000-2000m. It fires 2x4 per volley every one second with a damage of 44ppd. This weapon has a massive range damage drop off and insane damage at close range. With the Thumper you will want to get as close as you can (remember that the guns can bug out if you ram someone so close but not touching) to get the maximum effect.

The two loadout options are Auto Thumper and Thumper Blast. Auto Thumper's continous stream of fire and after the last patch is too inaccurate to be a valid option. Thumper Blast fires all cannons at once giving you high burst with the downside that if you miss you miss everything. (2/29/2015)


Harpoon: This is your number 2 ability with your RMB being the actual pull. The harpoon is your most effective way to get close being as the Brawler is a fairly slow ship. When you fire the harpoon you need to remember that it has a range of 22000 m and a pull range of 15000m thus you do not want to fire it too early if you cannot get in range fast enough to pull your target. This weapon has a base cool down of 60 seconds. When you hit with a harpoon you will need to click the RMB and hold to pull the target too you so you can kill it (when it gets into harpoon range you can hit concuss for so your target does not go anywhere). The last thing to note about harpoon is that it can be used as a support ability to help pull allies to you (like a flagship), to speed them up or get them out of danger. This can also be used to pull enemies away from objectives.

Things to remember with the harpoon is that will miss if your target blinks, puts up a shroud or your target is moving away and hits PDS. Knowing this means that sometimes it is best to get into range of your target and hit Concuss First and then use the harpoon to keep your target in range if it has some sort of escape mechanism. Also remember how the harpoon tracks and that it comes from the front of your ship so you do not hit objects with it and waste your harpoon.


Concuss: Concuss is an ability that last ten seconds and radiates from the Brawler at 4-5 m (there have been several patches which have changed the range). Concuss hampers the flight systems slowing your target down and also disables (and Interrupts) utility. This allows you to keep targets from Blinking away or putting up a shield (Shroud or Screen) so you can kill it at close range. This in combo with using harpoon to either get your target in range or using concuss and harpoon to keep it in range is what allows the brawler to do its job. A good trick is to wait till you see your target starting to jump then use the interrupt if you have good reflexes (This will maximize his time close to you)


Fighters: The Brawler also has fighters which allow it to deal with drones of all types effectively. You can also use fighters to poke at long range targets or add extra damage but there are most effective at dealing with other drones, bombers, and fighters.

Standard Skin:
Type G Skin:
Taurus
Neptune

Flagship: The Flagship can be a pain at range being as it does outrange your optimal damage output but if you can get up close you can win. You need to remember that flack can kill your harpoon so do not waste it on the flagship unless its guns are turned elsewhere. Remember to watch out for disable and slow drones and to approach with care (remember to use cover). Fighters are useful for engage the flagships drones but will die to flack if you are close. Up close remember to turn your armor facings being as flack does break armor now (7/2/2015 patch). With good planning (and teamwork) you should come out ahead in this fight.

Ranger: The Ranger is going to be interesting matchup being as unlike its disrupter counterpart it does not have a get out of jail free card if you harpoon it. Still it can be annoying being as it does have a slow (for an already kind of slow ship) and if it uses PDS while flying away it can kill your harpoon. Overall your armor should make it only a nuisance until you can close in for the kill with harpoon and concuss combo. Still you will need to remember that mines hurt at close range but at that range you should be able to kill the Ranger fairly quickly.

Disruptor: The Disruptor is a very annoying craft to deal with but if it gets into your range it will die very quickly (and is at best an annoyance at range but due to its heal the Disruptor can be a vital target). You will need to note if the Disruptor has any allies nearby (20000km being as it can jump to them) or watch for it to jump to an ally (so it is on cool down) before you can risk using the harpoon (most of the time it is best to use the concuss then harpoon combo so it cannot jump to an ally). It is also important to note that the Disruptor can have either disarm or ability shutdown which you will need to take into account before engaging. The Brawlers fighters are useful for killing the Disruptors heal drones which can at least majorly gimp the Disruptor’s usefulness in a team fight. As with most Brawler matchups if you can get close you win.

Sniper: A good Sniper will be the bane of you existence being as it can drop your health as you go down a lane. As in all Sniper matchups the use of cover and constantly moving in three directions will help mitigate the damage you take as you go down a lane (depending on strategy all you may have to do is hold the mid-point from the advancing enemy which can negate the enemy Sniper by using the base as cover). The best way to kill a Sniper if you have to is use cover till you get in harpoon range, once tagged you can easily bag the Sniper by reeling him in. Having a corvette or other healer can make a lane with a sniper much more bearable.

Assassin: The Assassin matchup is an easy/difficult one for both ships depending on the skill level of the Assassin, his load out (rockets at range, especially heavy rockets, can outrange your ability to keep him de-cloaked and can hurt a lot) and when it chooses to engage you. To kill an Assassin it is best to listen up for the wining noise of its engines then hit concuss to reveal it (most good Assassins will wait for you to engage an enemy first and then hit you). Once in range if you can keep it visible you can kill it, the best time to harpoon (while harpooned the assassin cannot cloak) is after a concuss or when it is distracted by another ally. In this match up try at all times to keep your side armor facing the Assassin (your front, top and engine armor is the weakest, your side armor is some of the thickest armor in the game) being as if it can get the first volley off you can possibly die to it during the late game. Remember to use PDS being as that helps keep it de-cloaked and always keep firing on it to keep it visible (even if it is not in optimal range hitting it keeps it visible and gives you the advantage). Another good tip is to keep an eye out for decoys and prepare for the Assassin to jump away after his first volley.

Destroyer: The Destroyer can hurt a lot due to its good range and damage to large slow targets like Brawler. The best way to deal with a Destroyer is to use your fighters to kill its bombers, and approach using cover. Once in harpoon range you can reel him in and kill him. If you can keep moving from one side to the other side of the Destroyer can take a while for his guns to turn (8 seconds for a full rotation [360 degrees], thanks to R3493R). The Destroyers weakest firing arc and armor is at the bottom portion of its engine (the entire bottom part of the Destroyer has a bad firing arc but not as weak of an arc as bottom engine section). Overall it’s dangerous at range but easy enough to kill up close (if you can focus one armor section down).

Brawler: As far as mirror matchups go it’s a fairly strait forward matchup. Winning comes down to better positioning of armor as both ships try to hit their opponents weak spots while keeping their sides to their opponent. The key to winning this is using A. All of your abilities, Harpoon + Pull, Concuss to try to give you the maneuverability advantage (concuss will stop the pull of an opponent), use PDS and Fighters for the extra damage. B. Always move and counter your opponents move. If you can aim for the front or try to hit the engines of your opponent and always keep moving your armor around. Moving your ship to a slightly higher or lower position can help give you a slight angle to hit those targets while minimizing the exposer to your weak points. Again it is all about positioning and armor facings (as well as a lot of preplanning).

Pioneer: The Pioneer (mini-brawler) is overall a fairly easy matchup due to your armor, damage and hp vs its. It can outrange you and poke you from a far but it is fairly easy to harpoon and kill. The best way to take it down is to be under it and directly in front being as it has a 50% firing arc directly in the front lower area. Remember to PDS missiles and send fighters to the drones.

Displacer The Displacer is overall an easy matchup for you but it can be tricky if you get caught in this optimum range and held in its optimum range. Despite the Displacer's superior range if you can stay out of his optimum range (10-13km) through use of cover or harpoon (the Displacer's PDS is not usually good enough to kill the harpoon) you can easily win. Serveral things to remember you need to stay greater than or less than the optimum range or you will take massive damage. If you get displaced you will need to either move in the oposite direction as not to linger in its optimum range or you will need to harpoon him and move towards him (harpoon out pulls displace). Once you get into your weapon's range is able to do minimal damage and you can kill him.

Black Widow The Black Widow is can hurt but as long as you do not get distracted and use your PDS wisely you should not have much of a problem due to your high armor. Once it decloaks if you can try to harpoon it, keeping in mind it does have flak (harpoon keeps cloakers decloaked). Once harpooned or you get in range it should be an easy kill. Still it can be a big threat if it hits you when you are distracted or have no energy.

Hunter: The hunter is a dangerous ship at range for you being as it can poke you down at range all day. Once he gets close or you get him too you the Hunter is a dead. To win this one you will need to either get in range for a concuss and harpoon combo to counter its blink or wait for it to blink and harpoon it while blink is on cool down and concuss it to keep it nearby. If the Hunter can stay at range you are dead but if you can bring it near you have won. Remember that its weakest armor facings are the front, top, bottom and rear. Also note where the firing arcs of the Hunter are so he can only get one or two guns on you to increase your chances when he is at range. Good use of cover can also make the Hunter come to you so keep that in mind when preparing for the engagement.

Frigate: The Frigate is a fast and agile ship that has a very annoying screen but can be dealt with fairly easily once that goes down. The best way to deal with a Frigate is either making him come to you and concussing him before he can use screen then harpooning him in or waiting for screen to go down then reeling him in (or if he is distracted by another high DPS target you can sometimes snag him then). Once in range the Frigate is dead. Overall this matchup is usually a win but you do not underestimate the fact that he can, depending on load out, whittle you down slowly at a distance or do good damage close with multishot and mines if concuss is down (Skua torpedo also does massive damage to armor so you can lose an armor facing kind of fast). As of the 7/4/2015 patch concuss actually lowers the frigate screen thus making it way easier to kill (keep in mind if he is flying away from you and activates PDS the Frigate can destroy your harpoon).

Enforcer: This matchup is usually a win but it is very important to rotate your armor due to the Enforcer’s high alpha damage. With the Enforcer the harpoon concuss combo is very deadly due to its low armor and the fact that crowd control effects the Enforcer’s survivability a lot. Concuss also dramatically shortens the distance it can boost. When fighting the Enforcer you will need to keep in mind other tactical targets (such as supports) that the Enforcer can boost or go to being as they will usually avoid you if possible.

Infiltrator: This ship is hard to catch in a Brawler but when in concuss range you can kill it with relative ease. When fighting an Infiltrator use your fighters to help defend against Ion Drones which will be a nuisance due to the slow effect in your slow ship. You can also use the Ion stacks to your advantage if you can target and pull in the Infiltrator fast before it re-cloaks when it releases Ion Blast (When harpooned it cannot cloak). In in concuss range use your main weapon to keep it de-cloaked (PDS can help as well in this) and save concuss for when it uses area disarm. If you can hear the whining noise from the Infiltrator’s engines concuss can be used to de-cloak it. Like with most matchups you can win if you get in close range but remember to save concuss for when it uses disarm but this is a very annoying matchup.


Carrier: This is a fairly easy match up overall it is mainly important to use fighters and PDS to counter the small ships. Cover is your friend to keep you from being targeted and when in range you can use harpoon to pull it into range and kill it. Still do not underestimate the damage from bombers.

Venture The Venture is a fairly interesting fight being as it can break your armor, heal, sheild itself and do some decent damage. You will need to note when it has used its heal (The heal instantly fixes its armor) because concuss will stop it from being able to use it. The venture is overall easy to harpoon and when you are on the way in see if you can bait out the Rock Breaker to your front armor so you can then turn and take minimal damage to your stronger side armor. If the Venture drops its sheild kill the bouy quickly to do maximum damge to the Venture. When you get close it is fairly easy to kill being as concuss will negate its heal and sheild and you should be able to kill it in time. Also if you are almost touching it you can bug out its guns some. As in all fights remember PDS and armor facings and the venture should go down quickly.

Overseer The Overseer can be a major annoyance for you being as it does relyable damage to heavies. Being as it will be unlikely that you get in range to kill it and it can boost or sheild your harpoon you will most likely not be the one dealing with it. If you do get close remember that concuss will knock out its main gun's orientation and that it does have a secondary weapon and a backwards boost. The thing to remember when dodging it is to go in one direction then swapp to another direction as it starts to orient or fire. This way it will overshoot you and you will take less damage.

Gladiator The Gladiator can hurt if he is able to bare his guns on you and can be a tricky fight. The thing to remember is to stay above or below and try to attack from the behind or rear of the Gladiator (the guns have a fireing arc and those spots will leave you with taking less damage). If you can use cover effectively to close the distance or land a harpoon on him you should be able to kill him if you stay out of his main guns firing arcs. Also remember fighters for his bombers and that he has mines if you do not harpoon him out of them.

Corvette: The corvette is a fairly easy target to kill in the Brawler but can be a pain to get to through enemy lines. Harpoon is very useful in getting it into range and save concuss to keep its shield down and keep it from using disarm on you. It is very important to note (for this or any matchup that a Corvette is present in) that if it uses ability shutdown on you it will cancel the harpoons pull. Overall a fairly strait forward matchup.

Reaper: The Reaper will rip you apart at range unless you use cover so be very mindful of your cover. A lot of the Brawlers strength is from the armor on its sides so be mindful of Sythe Beam (sometimes it is best to let it sythe your weakest armor spots so the side armor remains intact during this engagement). When engaging the Reaper note when it uses its shroud being as this can block your harpoon. If the Reaper is facing you it sometimes is possible to harpoon it in the face and pull it in. Also if the Reaper is well above you, even with shroud up, you can often harpoon it in the unprotected belly. Once pulled in you can easily kill it. Concuss can be used to limit its mobility and allow you to get to its weak bottom and rear firing arc (you can also use concuss to make sure a Reaper does not pop its shroud on you).

Equalizer: For this very annoying engagement many an Equalizer has kited a Brawler to death. You will rarely want to tangle with an Equalizer due to the fact that it can kite you and purge field your harpoon (or one of its nearby allies if you harpoon them). So using cover and avoiding it is the best possible plan if that is an option (not always the case, but best to let the faster ships deal with it). The best way to deal with them is note when it used its purgefield and hit it with harpoon when purgefield is on cool down (or it is distracted). If it gets to close you can concuss it and harpoon it in (in which case the Equalizer made a big mistake and it is now dead).

Leviathan: This for this matchup you will need to use cover because of the massive damage that its beam can cause to you when you advance. The Leviathan is fairly easy to harpoon and kill when close but try to stay at its back half to avoid it being able to beam you to death (because of its large health pool it will still take you a good while to kill, thus it is possible for it to be able to fire its beam again in the fight).

Sentinel: The Sentinel is a fast and maneuverable ship with good range, decent damage and lots of slows. This is why when facing a Sentinel in a Brawler use of cover and not getting caught in the open is key being as it can poke you to death. As bad as this sounds you do have the overall advantage in this match up being as you have great DPS at close range, an Abiltiy Disable, and good armor which will allow you to hold points without it being able to do much if you use your cover wisely. The Sentinel is also one of the few ships you can outright harpoon before concussing to keep it near you thus wait till it gets into pull range (not just harpoon range) and snag, pull it in, concuss and kill.

Raven The Raven does outrange the Brawler and can do good damage with its beam but overall is just an annoyance (its allies are the real problem after a Raven has drained your engery). As long as you do not let the Raven kite you you should be good with the use of cover and the threat of your harpoon and concuss. Still it is important to not that your harpoon pull does take engergy and that the Raven can prevent your use of the harpoon pull and concuss in fights (also the lack of PDS is a killer). The biggest thing to remember is to keep an eye on your healer if you have one being as it will try to go for him.

Interceptor The Interceptor can be a pain to face being as it has good damage, poke and range. This being noted you will need to use cover and get close being as once in range you will out DPS the Interceptor being as it is not a close range fighter but rather a skirmisher. You will need to remember that the Interceptor does have a firing arc like the Reaper thus if you get behind, above, below or to the sides its damage is reduced. The Interceptor's primary poke can be a pain being as it is also AOE and can still hit you if it hits somewhere nearby. The last thing to not is targeting beam will effect the distance in which you can harpoon and your mini map. If you rotate your armor, use cover and take advantage of its firing arcs you will be able to win this fight.

Persecutor Overall this matchup is a win for you being as you will be able to out dps it in a fight as well as your concuss will keep it from blinking away. The Persecutor can do great damage and hurt quite alot but your concuss and harpoon will destroy its maneuverablity and in a long fight its dps will drop. It still is a threat so remember to rotate your armor and you should do fine.

Crew

1. Clara Reisette- She has the best damage reduction out of all the captains, 7.5%, which allows your ship to take more punishment and last longer in battle.

2. Mira Sharma- She gives you a major increase of 10% armor damage reduction which is key to surviving in fights with the Brawler's impressive side armor. She also brings extra armor strength and repair rate.

3. IX-209- He will give you 7.5% turn speed which really allows you to turn your armor more effectively. This dramatically increases your survivablility.

4. Cornelius Baptiste- The increased fireratef 10% is a must on the fast firing thumper cannons.

5. Elvyn Cooper- Her 10% base resistance will make the Brawler even tankier. When paired with Mira and Clara they make the uber tank build.

Upgrades

For your upgrades in battle it is recommended to go purely down the defense tree unless your team is in dire need for DPS. The reason to go down the defense tree is because you already do great damage at close range and the longer you live under enemy fire the more damage you can do. More defense also allows you to close the gap better when engaging the enemy.

1. Always be mindful of your armor and remember to rotate your armor. You should try to always have your sides to them and never your front, top, bottom or rear. This is the biggest difference between good and bad Brawlers.

2. Remember that on most ships the weakest armor facing is the engines so that is a good spot to try to focus fire on.

3. Always keep moving in three to four directions if possible (when using certain cover this might not be possible). This will make you harder to hit.

4. When in the Brawler cover and preplanning is key to doing well and surviving.

5. Keep in mind when it is best to Harpoon the Concuss or Concuss then Harpoon. Learning this is the key to doing well in many a matchup.

Brawler Tips, Tricks and Tactics

NA Finals He3 vs LEMU Match 1

Just some Bawler Gameplay

I hope this guide has been useful to your use of the Brawler and has provided useful information and tips. Feedback is greatly appreciated and will help this guide get better as I update it as the game’s development progresses.

He3.DaseinWasHere