Rodeo
Rodeo is a powerful move performed by Pilots in Titanfall and Titanfall 2 to mount the rear of an enemy Titan.
In the first game, the Pilot removes a section of the exterior plating, exposing the internals. From here, they can bypass the Titan's shields and begin dealing direct damage to the exposed hull.
It is also possible to rodeo a friendly Titan and ride it, protecting that Titan from rodeo attacks and protecting the player with the Titan's shields.
In the second game, the Pilot extracts a Battery out of the enemy Titan, so that it can be given to a friendly Titan (or your own). If the Pilot is already carrying a Battery, then they'll instead drop a Frag Grenade down the empty Battery socket.
Tactics
Performing a Rodeo
The player should be cautious of Electric Smoke, which will quickly kill the player performing the rodeo. They should also be mindful of the fact that the Titan's operator can disembark from the Titan and attempt to kill the rodeoing player. Also, do not rodeo an enemy titan in their Dome Shield, as it will also result in the quick death of the Pilot.
The use of all Anti-Titan Weapons aside from the Charge Rifle during a rodeo will almost always result in the death of the Pilot, aside from the Archer Heavy Rocket, which will be unable to establish a lock on the Titan, leaving it unable to fire.
It is highly recommended that a Pilot approach a Titan from above or behind if out of cloak, as a Titan is fully capable of either swatting an approaching Pilot out of the air or simply stepping on them.
Fully automatic or high powered semi-auto weapons are recommended to destroy a Titan quickly.
Always be aware of what the Titan is doing. If the Titan stops moving and the hatch opens as the titan stands straight up (instead of being at a slight angle like normal), it is likely that the Pilot has disembarked from their Titan to attack you. If the Titan immediately bends down right when you rodeo, meaning even before you touch the hatch, the Titan is in AI-Mode and the Pilot should be wary of a clever Pilot who will wait to see if anyone takes the easy bait of an Auto-Titan and get an easy kill.
Avoiding a Rodeo
To avoid a rodeo, a player must always be aware of their surroundings (though easier said than done in the chaos of combat).
There is a distinctive sound that accompanies an enemy Pilot landing and moving around on your Titan's "head", accompanied by a notification on top of the HUD. When this happens, a Pilot should immediately either disembark their Titan and attack the boarder or deploy Electric Smoke to destroy the boarder; however running into a friendly's Dome Shield or firing a Cluster Missile at head level at a wall and going into it could also be effective.
Friendly Rodeo
It is also possible to ride on a friendly Titan. It can be done in the same way as an enemy Titan. This prevents the Titan you are riding from being rodeoed by an enemy Pilot, and you'll be protected by the Titan's shields.
Visibility is limited while riding a friendly Titan as the body of the Titan obscures the view. Aiming is also difficult as the rapid movements of the Titan make tracking an enemy near impossible.
Titanfall 2
Rodeoing is slightly different in Titanfall 2. Instead of an extended attack opportunity, the Pilot will instead climb up on top of the enemy Titan, pull out its Battery, and jump off. If the Pilot is already carrying a Battery, they will instead drop a Frag Grenade down the empty Battery socket. Both attacks do a fixed amount of damage to the Titan, and will destroy it if the Titan is in a Doomed state. The type of attack depends only on whether the Pilot is carrying a Battery or not, it doesn't matter if the enemy Titan has or hasn't been rodeoed before.
If a Pilot rodeos a friendly Titan while carrying a Battery, they will insert it into the Titan's socket. This will charge the Titan's shield, add 20% to the Core meter and restore a small amount of health (the same applies if the Pilot enters their own Titan). If the Titan is in a Doomed State, it will not restore health above the Doomed threshold, with the only exception being a Monarch with the Survival of the Fittest kit. Unlike a hostile Rodeo, the Pilot will remain atop the Titan afterward.
If the Pilot rodeoing a Titan is using the Low Profile kit, it will delay the appearance of the "Rodeo Alert" notification.