Here's some things to keep in mind when you're doing FSC. Keeping these things in mind will help the survivability of you and your team.
1. The DA trick doesn't work any more. You can still do the Rocket Room in D25, as long as someone spams Polaris shots at the Rocket Puppy. But ONLY shoot him if he's active. Let sleeping dogs lie.
2. In D24, when you're running up the corridor to destroy the wheel launchers, use your shield. I know, this is obvious, but far too many people assume they've positioned themselves just right, and then get smacked in the face. Any time a wheel gets close to you, shield if you can.
3. NEVER destroy heart boxes or Trojan corpses unless either you absolutely need them, or you're leaving the area and everyone is ready. This will allow everyone to heal up together for the next section. This will also allow generous party members to give you their heat before ending the level.
4. The Leviathan charge attack is a crowd control weapon, not a DPS weapon. The exception is on Vanaduke and on Trojans when there are no enemies around. Failure to remember this will cause you to knock attacking foes into your allies, which is bad.
5. Do not try to use Blitz Needle to kill a Trojan when there are other enemies around. You will get hit. Blitz Needle is best saved for right when the Trojans spawn, and for Vanaduke. In the middle of a hectic fight, it's worthless.
6. Dread Venom Striker is not for attacking Slags. It works wonders for picking off a Trojan while managing Slags, but don't actually attack Slags with it. You will get hit. Goad the Trojan into attacking, and bump the Slags away. Then you can circle around to get a few hits in before shielding again.
7. Leave the Cobalt at home. I'm sure you want to be unique and special, but wearing inappropriate gear in FSC can easily lead to your demise. Nobody wants to carry a teammate because they thought full Cobalt, Aegis, and Acheron were good to bring. Note that this can be mitigated by player skill, but until you have FSC dedicated to memory, bring appropriate gear. It doesn't have to be the cookie-cutter Vog, Grey Owlite, and DA, but make sure you've got fire defense on your armor and shield, and preferably bring Shadow defense and at least one Elemental weapon.
8. Mind the Trojan charge paths. When you're goading a Trojan into charging and attacking you, make sure that none of your allies are in his path. Nobody likes to get hit by a runaway Trojan.
9. If you see someone standing next to a gate, charging up Blitz Needle or a piercing sword, you should probably be the one to go kill that last Slag. However, be kind enough to wait for them to finish charging before killing it. You should also avoiding knocking said Slag into them. Your teammates will thank you when the Trojans that are about to spawn die instantly.
10. Shield Bump. SHIELD BUMP. If you don't know what it is yet, you're not qualified for FSC. Period. Use it often, just be careful not to bump attacking foes into other knights. It's far better to bump an attacking Slag away and have his swing miss, than to have your shield take the hit and temporarily reduce your blocking ability. Also, you CAN bump Trojans away, but only slightly. It's just enough room to allow you to squeeze out of a corner, not enough to push them completely away.
11. This is the most important rule of them all - Accidents happen. Sometimes one Trojan attacks, knocking the other Trojan into you. Sometimes, you have a lag spike and and accidentally shield bump an enemy into someone. Occasionally, you simply don't see the other player, or the enemy coming up from the bottom of the screen. These things happen, and it's important to remember that it's nobody's fault, so please don't rage at your teammates for the occasional error. You're not being pro, you're being a jerk, and nobody likes that. Show some consideration.
I approve this thread.