Thrusters

Thrusters come equipped on all mechs and allow them to perform extended maneuvers, such as boosting forward, dodging, brief periods of flight, and 180 degree spins. Using thrusters requires fuel. Many thruster styles are available for purchase with MC to customize the appearance of one's mech.

Boost
For faster movement, mechs can boost forward across the battlefield. Boosting is essential for a mech’s effectiveness in battle and can be used to retreat quickly or to aggressively push through enemy lines. Despite its usefulness, pilots should be conservative with boosting as it not only drains fuel but alerts enemies on the radar. Frequently using thrusters to boost is notorious for getting new pilots ambushed.

A mech cannot shoot while boosting forwards, its weapons are lowered (a notable exception to this is the Raider's Blitz ability). There is a slight delay between the moment when the mech stops boosting and the moment when its weapons are raised and ready to shoot. Anticipating this before boosting into a confrontation is key to success.

Dodge
Similar to boosting, dodging quickly strafes the mech to the left or right. Although dodging moves a mech faster than boosting, thrusters can only sustain a dodge for a brief moment. After performing a dodge, there is a short cooldown before another dodge can be executed. This cooldown varies by mech class (Type-A mechs have a 1 second cooldown, Type-B mechs have a 1.2 second cooldown, and Type-C mechs have a 1.4 second cooldown). Dodges are primarily used to avoid taking damage and are effective at moving a mech in and out of cover. Dodging in combat to avoid missiles and flak shots is also very useful. Thoughtless use of dodges may result in death, as experienced enemy pilots can easily predict where a mech will be positioned after a dodge.

180 Degree Turn
Mechs are unable to boost backwards and instead use thrusters to perform a quick, 180 degree turn. This maneuver does not require fuel and has little to no delay between successive uses. Pilots can use the 180 degree turn in combination with boosting to retreat and still land successful hits on enemy pursuers. Inexperienced pilots often find themselves disorientated after executing a 180, losing sight of the enemy and exposing their mech’s back. Complex and hard-to-predict movement patterns can be achieved using the 180 degree turn.

Flight
Thrusters grant mechs short periods of flight. This can be useful for climbing up buildings, moving from rooftops, or preventing falling damage when activated before hitting the ground. Thrusters can be turned on and off within midair, but this consumes more fuel: activating thrust to fly costs a set sum of fuel. The effectiveness of thrusters deteriorates as a mech moves further away from the ground. Mechs have a max altitude, at which point thrusters only serve to slow a mech’s descent. Boosting while attempting to fly will allow for greater horizontal movement.