Here are some observations on the Haechi, which is among the new Dash bots that have been introduced to War Robots!
Introduction
The Haechi, also known as the Dash MK2, is one of the Korean-themed bots that has just been released a couple of days ago. It has three medium hardpoints, similar to the Bulgasari (and one more than the Kumiho), thus allowing a good amount of flexibility in terms of its loadout.
Apart from the ability to store two Dash charges that have a cooldown of 12 seconds, the Haechi is notorious for having a minor Ancile on it, which means that rockets and projectile weaponry would need a lot of time before they can even get to the “not-so-shabby” HP of the Haechi.
Personal Gameplay
So, I expected to be clobbered by high-level hangars, considering that I was in High Gold (Gold I), where I see people from High Expert to Low Diamond along with 12/12 hangars and quite a number of Lancelots.
But then, I was actually the one bullying the enemy despite my Haechi’s low levels and shitty weapon levels (Bot is at 4, while 2 Tarans are at 6 and one Orkan is at 5).
I felt like the Grim Reaper, slashing through low-life enemies left and right, even killing Lancelots with their full shields up at point-blank range (to be fair, there was another allied bot targeting it though).
In other words, the Haechi punches way above its weight…and that’s putting it mildly.
These observations come after two to three hours of play with the Haechi, and in this extremely competitive event, I’m surprised that I win more than I lose!
Observed Builds
Here are three builds that I felt good using:
- Korean Death Button (KDB): 3 Tulumbas
Accustomed to the RDB? Want to last at least twice as long? Want to force the enemy to deploy their plasma bots against you? Finally, want to outdash enemy RDBs?
Then the Korean Death Button is for you! Players who are used to the damn RDB should have no problem sitting down and relaxing, especially on maps such as Springfield, Yamantau and even Canyon – if you know how to time your ducks, covers and salvos properly.
The KDB is not for the faint of heart: The player should have at least decent aim in order to keep the crosshair on the enemy while strafing.
But then, you’ll last forever on the bot, provided that the enemy does not use auto-aim energy weapons against you (Gekko, Trebuchets and Zeus).
Holy shit. Lazy build, but damn effective. If you saw a Fujin Tulumbas playing support, you’ll get what I mean.
- The Firetrucking Build (FB): 3 Tarans
This is intended to out-plasma those pesky plasma users as well as people hiding behind their own blue bubbles. After all, the Tarans and Magnums aren’t auto-aim weapons; they take time to re-acquire their targets.
In other words, say goodbye to bots without physical shields…and say goodbye even to your Britbots if you don’t act fast enough in a 1v1 or 1v2 situation.
The next thing you know is that you’re dead – I killed a ton of Galahads, Leos and even some Lancelots with a poor man’s build of this one.
You are sure to die. However, you will take down the enemy with you along the way.
- The Arsekicking Button (AB): 3 Orkans
If you know what a Death Button is, then it’s just another renamed version. Very good against everyone without Anciles; heck, even the ones who have them will melt as long as your teammate helps a bit.
Dash in, unload, dash out, rinse, repeat.
Or if your friends got you cover, dash twice into the fray, unload, easy kill. Dash out, wait, rinse, repeat.
Gamestyles for the Haechi
The Haechi is good as a first-capper, if that’s what you want to do with it. In old speak, imagine a Rog that can dash instead of jump, has an Ancile and has one more weapon slot. Same skill level? It’s obvious the Dash MK2 will come on top.
It’s also a good ambusher. People will think it’s a puny Carnage or Leo with Ancile…until it’s too late as you unload your ordnance into your unsuspecting enemy – and dash away.
It’s extremely good in skirmishes, especially if your allies are working together. The enemy tends to underestimate the strength of a Haechi in-game.
Counters to the Haechi
Hard counters: Auto-aim energy weapons (Trebuchet, Zeus, Gekko)
Soft counters: Plasma weapons (any platform/build except Stalkers), Thunder Carnage
Effects on the metagame?
On a personal scale, the Dash bots are huge. With the implementation of the RNG-based acquisition system by Pixonic, it is expected that the normal player population will take a longer period of time to adjust to the Dash bots. Hell, the Kumiho and Bulgasari were not even covered yet…
As I said, I felt like a neighborhood bully when I used the bot against crippled enemies as well as full-fledged Lancelots. It felt satisfying that a pest like me could kill the big tank in the game!
On a larger scale, the effects won’t be felt as much; however, it would certainly help in diversifying the metagame especially in higher levels of competitive play. Unless the pilot sucks at basic piloting skills or tanks/fades the game intentionally, I don’t see people losing with these kinds of bots in a straightforward way.
With that being said, the Dash will become a big game-changer once it reaches critical mass. By then, players will certainly adapt and find ways to end its reign.
