Nodens - best healer in the game - by Marko-San
The Nodens is a Titan with 4 Beta hardpoints. This titan can go around healing all your allies whilst having amazing firepower and staying safe.
Ability
This Titan has the Active Support ability, which allows it to establish a link with an ally and gradually repair the ally's durability. It is possible to repair multiple allies simultaneously with each additional link increasing the power of the Titan's Defence system. Each activation of the ability repairs 5% of Nodens's durability. The nodens can have a total of three abilities at any one time.
When maxed, every pulse of healing heals 5% of the healed bot.
The Nodens has a secondary ability called Disposal, which allows it to apply Suppression on a targeted enemy as well as other enemy robots in range of the ability, lowering the damage output of the affected robots by 50%. The ability also deals a starting 1000 damage to affected robots. The damage output of this ability increases the more you upgrade the Nodens.
What to upgrade first?
Hull - gives hit points and defence points,
Core - gives repair strength and defence mitigation or,
Engine - gives speed and ability damage.
Personally I would prioritise Hull over everything else because of the simple reason that more hp > staying alive longer > heal more. When I had 30/30/20 on a Titan I continued to invest in weapons to 10.
From that point on I was upgrading only premium modules that I’ve won from the event. I did buy one for dmg. They give immense boost to all weapons so I would rather have maxed premium modules on lvl 1 weapons than to have maxed weapons with lvl 1 module.
Once my dmg modules were maxed I continued to invest in Hull and Core. Engine gives only speed which is not really a priority for a healing bot that can do the work from 600 m away. I personally neglected it completely and will not be investing in it any further.
I do not have a healing module but this is recommended all over the community and I do agree it would be of great use.
When to spawn Nodens?
To properly use Nodens you have to get to the cover in time. Before all that laser AM can snipe you from 600 m range or Hawks with their lockdown weapons (every map is different and I’ll post pictures with cover spots later in this write up).
That’s why I spawn Nodens most often after my second bot. If there is a Hawk or a Loki near by then I’ll spawn my third bot that can get rid of them before I safely spawn Nodens.
Now, Nodens is not a brawler but it can be one. When well levelled, Nodens can go one on oneagainst any Titan but this is not something you should do unless you really have to.
Also, you should not rush beacons with Nodens unless it is your last possible option! You will contribute much more by healing others and keeping one beacon safe!
It’s best to stay in cover, again, covering one beacon and corner shoot from safety while
keeping an eye on your teammates and heal where healing is needed.
You will see, for me it is of most importance to hold onto MY! beacon and I have one on half the maps.
Who to heal?
Prioritise your heals! Don’t waste it on a bot that will die with the next shot.
Priority no 1.
If there is a another Nodens on your side he is your priority!!! Keep each other alive and try tostay in range so that you can heal him when he needs it. Only thing better than two Nodens healing each other are three Nodens healing each other.
Priority no 2.
Titans. Especially one that is next to you. He is your guardian and you are his. Titans have a lot of HP and Nodens’s healing is based on percentage, so by healing them you get most out of your healing. Also Titans tend to have more firepower than bots so by healing them you are keeping heavy artillery longer in the match.
Priority no 3.
Every bot that is going for a beacon! Keep him alive at least long enough to get that beacon.
Priority no 4.
Ares, Hades and NG can shield or heal you when needed.
Where to position yourself on maps?
When it comes to positioning the major role plays the range of your weapons. With Retaliators you have to keep in mind they have “only” 500 m. Stay in the cover from laser Mings but contribute with firepower.
Castle map
Castle map is one of my favourites and it gives plenty of cover.
This is where I go on both sides. From this point you can heal almost across the entire map without any problem and you can give backup fire where needed.
You can also position yourself behind lower towers but there, you are much more passive and can only heal without helping with shooting. Unless you are have 600 m weapons. In that case it’s ok but I would still go for this position because of how you can guard the upper side beacon while having a good view of the rest of the battlefield.
You can, by positioning yourself like this, keep the upper beacon safe by yourself, opening the possibility for the rest of the team to go for the bridge or even further if needed.
This is the same position but I lowered myself. From this position you are safe from enemy fire and can shoot away from three of your guns.
This is where I return if the enemy is pushing this beacon. From this point you are safe from everything and can easily shoot from all four weapons. I’ve had matches in which I’ve taken many enemies from this position before going down. The important thing is to calculate when to return to this position from the one on the upper photos. Try to go when the enemy is on a reload, keeping your face towards the enemy if you need to suppress them.
I also push this beacon if the push is needed and I aim to get to this position as fast as possible while suppressing and shooting during passing over the pipe. I never push the bridge unless there is a friendly Arthur that you can hide behind. It is too much open space there and you can go down quite fast.
Carrier map
This is the basic position for guarding the centre. You can easily corner shoot and then go full salvo when needed.
It is also a risky one if there is an enemy AM that knows what he is doing. I’ve had matches in which two AM went for each side over the sea and basically surrounded me giving me no place to hide.
This can also happen if you spawn too late in game. Again, spawning in time and positioning is very important to survival.
This is where I position myself on either side. Behind these pipes/cranes or whatever it is.
Keeping near beacon safe, and you can shoot with lower weapons to whoever is trying to go for
centre. At the same time you have a good overview of your allies to give healing where needed.
Here you are also safe from most of the fire from reds.
If I need to push I push on this side keeping myself close to cranes and fire forward. Aim to get to the enemy beacon on that side and “glue” yourself to it. There’s a plate there that will cover your body, similar to one on the picture below from Canyon map.
Canyon map
Again, spawning in time is of essence and to get to this position in my case is very much a must. On this open map this is where you are the safest from all those Hawks and laser Mings.
This is how to position yourself against a flying threat
And this is how to position yourself against everything on the land. These plates on the bridge crossing are covering most of Nodens’s Hull and blocking most of the incoming firepower.
From this position you can safely turn around to give healing where needed.
There are more spots where you can position yourself but this is the one where you contribute the most. Again you are in control of one very important beacon and give the option to your team to focus on getting other beacons.
Also, the enemy needs to come close to hurt you, where you can fight back and your
teammates can easily help.
Power plant map
Position yourself next to a power plant on either side. That way if an enemy wants to get to you they need to come close. From this position you can safely heal allies and shoot the enemy
From this side you can easily corner shoot and go full salvo when you have your suppression ready. You also guard that hill beacon on the left (from this position).
If needed to push, I push from this side, which is not the best option but I do it if the enemy is occupied with the right side so then I come from their side giving heals, suppressing and going full Rambo on them. This is something you should do only if there is no other options left.
Dreadnought map
There is not much philosophy on this map. It’s best to stay back and corner shoot. By back I mean close to this centre building so that you are covered from, well, by now you know from who.
Since my Nodens is well levelled I love to push from this side if needed. Most of the time, reds are occupied by guarding or getting the centre beacon, and from here you can easily catch them by surprise. Keeping cover behind this rock/building you can go out and shoot when the time is right or just corner shoot if it’s not safe to show yourself.
I do not try to get to that beacon on the left, but rather to take the enemy’s focus from the centre, opening a possibility for your teammates to grab other beacons.
Shenzhen map
Most of the time I go for this side of the map. This is where you can hide if needed and I usually tangle myself somewhere between those buildings. If needed, I push their home, staying in cover and keeping them distracted. Showing myself only when my weapons are full and I have my suppression ready.
I do sometimes go for this side, where you are nicely covered from most sides but on this side there tends to be more focus from the enemy and you can get yourself in a position where the only place to run is on an open space in the middle. That is why I prefer buildings as a hiding spot.
If I spawn later in a match and the enemy is rushing centre, then I just stay at home spawn and corner shoot, showing myself when I think it’s ok to go full salvo while waiting for an opportunity to go on either side.
Rome
In Rome, similar to a power plant, you want to keep close to the amphitheater and shoot on any side that needs to be covered. The closer you are to the amphitheater the more cover it gives.
Dead City
This is where I am in most of the games on this map. For more reasons. Keeping this beacon safe while you are also safe, you have a good overview of your teammates and it’s easy to go on any side that needs help. You can help push the centre by going where the Arthur is in this picture, or you can push straight if there is no other options.
Springfield map
I absolutely hate this map and you can contribute only on part of it. There are a couple of spots that I use as a cover and there’s a slight advantage if you spawn on the upper side where the dam is. From there you can be safely in the cover, but you are basically only guarding home beacon.
If we are spawning below the dam, then this is where I go. Here you have an ok cover and can help by healing on the other side while corner shoot everyone on their way here.
If you are spawning on this side then this is a good cover only from land attacks. If the AM goes into flight from this height, it will be high enough to hit Nodens directly.
Hawks on the other side do not go as high, and this can help against them. Considering more than a few Hawk pilots tend to have a jumping unit on their Hawks, they also can get high enough to hit you directly.
If I need to push I push on this side of the map, no matter on which side I am. From here I aim to get behind that silo looking building straight ahead. Then, using it as a cover, trying to take one enemy at a time.
Conclusion
After running Nodens since it came out, I learned that these are the spots that are giving you the most out of your Nodens.
Good overview of the battlefield, good cover, possibility to inflict a lot of damage and keeping one beacon locked which gives an opportunity for 5 other players to go for the third one (considering closest, home beacon is of course already ours).
In Nodens you are most of the time considered as a “prime target” so have this in mind. Do not let yourself be locked out in the open.
With Nodens you have to play tactically. Don’t brawl, don’t rush beacons. It’s not what it is for.
When you learn how to use it properly, it is the best asset in the battlefield by far. It suppresses, it heals (a lot) and it can hurt enemies like crazy.
For the very end, I would like to say something for the Ao Ming pilots.
Trying to put a healing target on an ally is sometimes extremely hard. The aiming system in this game is trash but the healing aiming is even worse. Try not to hover above the Nodens. When you do that it’s impossible to heal you. Always try to be slightly away from it so that we can lock onto you with the healing aim.
*ps when they bring back the rest of the maps I will update this write up.