| AirMech | Strategy | Quests | Variants |
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Description[]
The Osprey is a support AirMech. The Osprey has weaker guns than any other AirMech. However, it is tied with the Helix for both the third highest base carry capacity and third slowest air speed (after the Paladin and Angel). While not great at destroying units and AirMechs, it is extremely useful for providing support to units and keeping them alive. The Osprey can repair friendly AirMechs in addition to units, although they can only be repaired when the Osprey is grounded; the heal ability also differs depending on whether the Osprey is in Ground mode or Air mode. The Heal Beam ability also allows Osprey to deactivate enemy Mines and salvage dead units.
The good points of the Osprey are the high carry which enables those surprise attacks and the Heal Beam and Heal Nova abilities which can constantly keep units alive. Combined with a Booster and level one Carry Upgrade, it can carry three Longhorn tanks at a time and heal them afterwards, making for a decimating combo. While it is pretty much the weakest AirMech in terms of firepower, it's quite decent in the fighting department with around the same base air DPS as the Neo. The Osprey's guns are meant for defensive purposes; chasing someone with the second slowest ship in the game is not advisable. Ospreys are great for Survival as well, since they can keep units from dying to the relentless waves of units.
Loadout Builds[]
The Osprey is typically regarded as a "Carry Mech", meaning it can carry many heavier units around very quickly. Use the higher carry mass to your advantage, employ usage of tanks and turrets, and constantly move them around to minimize the damage your units take.
Another approach is to use a build focusing on low-armour and high-DPS units (like Rebel Tank or Gangster) capitalizing on Osprey's ability to heal and keep even frail units alive in a heated battle. Building these units throughout the match while keeping them on "follow" order can eventually snowball into a big mass of heavily damaging units that can make short work of even the most heavily armoured units and practically instantly destroy any enemy airmech that dares to draw close. If the Osprey is allowed to hang around and heal the attacking force, such push can be nigh impossible to stop once it grows big enough.
The Osprey can heal units by itself, so it is tempting to leave behind a healing unit. Unless you can manage your army very well, some additional Healing power is nice.
Make sure to pack some good AA units; Osprey has very weak weaponry itself, so you will need support from your units in order to take down enemy Mechs.
Since the Osprey is vulnerable to hit and run tactics (as it's most effective near its main attacking force), it is recommended to make use of turrets and the Lunchbox in order to mitigate the effectiveness of decoy attacks on the distant Outposts and the Fortress.
Ability Usage[]
Heal Beam[]
This ability's effect depends on the AirMech form. Whilst in air mode, hovering near the unit that needs to be healed and holding the ability button heals the unit via a repair beam. Whilst in robot mode, the way to heal is much like shooting, in that it needs to point in the direction of the units it wants to heal. The Osprey can also heal friendly AirMechs while grounded. It can also salvage destroyed units similar to how it heals units. When a unit is at full health, the Osprey can "super-charge" it. When Super-charged, a unit will not take any damage from for one shot, after which, the super-charge fades.
Counters[]
With its high energy efficiency and carry mass, the Osprey is also regarded as a "Micro Mech", as it can move around its units faster than your units can attack them. Take advantage of the Osprey's weak weaponry by engaging the Osprey directly with your Mech. The Osprey can heal a unit faster than you may be able to damage it, so it is important to ward off the Mech however you can before dealing with its units.
Warthog's Gun Spray and Bomber's Bombs are ideal for hitting the Osprey directly while it hides behind its units. You can also make heavy use of anti-air units to deny Osprey the ability to land in the area and support its units. Warthog in particular - with its devastating air-to-air damage output - can make short work of the Osprey in the air upon forcing it to retreat with Gun Spray.
While the Osprey has an ability to defuse mines, they can still be very useful, as Osprey has to stop for a while to defuse the mine, which can dramatically slow down its army's advance.
As you are likely to be dealing with large crowds while facing an Osprey opponent, Tesla Tower is usually the most effective defense option, being capable of hitting multiple units in the crowd and making it more difficult for the Osprey to repair the damage.
Since the Osprey is naturally most effective while surrounded by the units of its main army, you should force it to stay away from it as much as possible and go to inconvenient places. Hit and run tactics against its faraway Outposts and the Fortress are crippling for the Osprey attempting to go for a push. Make heavy use of the fort drop strategy (drop a few offensive units directly in front of the opponent's fortress). This will greatly slow down the approaching Osprey by forcing it to constantly go back to their base and defend it, potentially allowing you to deal crippling damage to their unattended army in the meantime.