9 replies to this topic

[627]

After seeing lots of these recently (and after checking that horrid configuration) I thought I write a little help for that loadout. I’ll try to put as much advice in this without making a wall of text

This is more or less a little crash course and I hope I can help with the biggest problems on this loadout.

Sir, You are an LRM boat!



This mech has 4 LRM15 – Long range missile packs with 15 missiles each – so purpose is clear, stay back and let it rain.

You have 2 important tools for this, your R key and your TAG.
R key is for locking your target, if you see a red triangle, aim it and press R. Shortly after that you’ll see some circles around your crosshair. When it’s red you can shoot (see screen below).

Tag?

This is a targeting laser. If you can, fire this all the time, there’s no penalty for it.

If you “hit” someone with it, there’s a little crosshair above the mech (see picture down there., right below the "A"). When you see this, your LRMs are less spread out, doing “better” damage. On top, lock on times are smaller.

Minimum range - Maximum range

This seems to be a big problem. First minimum: LRMs have a min range of 180m. If you have a target, there’s always a range indicator on it. (top left, 577m here).



Don’t fire LRMs when it’s below 180m, you’ll do no damage.

Anyone still knows Top Gun? “Too close for missiles, I'm switching to guns” – use medium lasers here.

Max range for LRMs is 1000m but normally you don’t shoot at targets beyond 500-600m. Flight time is too long and the target has to much time to get in cover (If you fire LRMs at him, he gets a blinking message “incoming missiles”).
Beside that, you’ll likely lose the lock for it on those long ranges so save some ammo.

For the Lasers you have 270m for full damage. from 270m to 540m damage will drop off from 5 to 0.
You can see the max range on the bottom right display.


green means target is in optimal range, yellow means it is beyond optimal but you'll still do some damage.

Ghost heat

This is a nasty one.
1 LRM15 gives you 5 heat.
2 LRM15 give you 10 heat.
3 LRM15 give you 17,52 heat.
And all 4 LRM15 give you 26,72 heat!

Firing all LRMs will overheat you fast and eventually get you killed.

To use this mech and all its weapons you would need 5 weapon groups:

1 for the TAG
2 for 2x medium laser
3 for 2x medium laser
4 for 2x LRM15
5 for 2x LRM15

This is hard to pull off. You could of course fire all medium lasers at once, just watch the heat meter carefully, that would be one weapon group less(there's no ghost heat for 4x medium lasers).

And for the LRMs? Chainfire (activated with backspace for the selected weapon group) can help to avoid any ghost heat but it will take a while to get all LRMs out.

Instead I would suggest to just use keys on the keyboard for them – LRMs are still long range/autoaiming so you don’t necessarily have to use a mouse button for it.

You need a pause of half a second to avoid ghost heat.


The ugly detail on the end

This Is the biggest problem with this mech, you have an XL engine in it.

What does that mean?
A Standard engine fits into you center torso so you can lose your side torsos and still be alive.

The XL engine is so big it has parts in each side torso.

If you lose one side torso you’re dead.

The problem with this is, the stalker chassis has one of the biggest side torso hit box in this game, actually it’s hard to hit its center torso.

Always keep an eye on your paperdoll mech on the bottom left. If any of the internal side torso starts getting yellow or darker, turn that side away from your enemy.



Hope this helps and I hope I didn't forget anything vital... this is still a bad configuration, especially as you get matched with really good players (and maxed out meta builds) these days.

Maybe someone can write about the other trials like this (yes I mean you who is laughing about these basic advices )

Edited by 627, 05 February 2014 - 03:23 AM.

[luxebo]

Awesome guide on the Stalker, couldn't have summed it up better! I would also like to say on the other 3 trials:

Spider: This is a pure scout, you should use JJs (space bar by default), cap points and snipe at opponents from afar, use MGs as a crit seeker (but careful, the MGs are similar to lasers despite their animations, once you shoot with your MGs damage is inflicted, also try not to shoot your own team by accident, I've had a couple teamkills by accident with this), and watch for leg damage, these are your most vulnerable spots in this mech. I suggest grouping ER Large Laser with group 1 and all MGs group 2.

Cicada: Once again another pure scout, but this one depends on lasers. It goes the exact same speed as the Spider above, but loses JJs to trade for durability and damage dealing. Always torso twist to avoid damage and place into arms instead of a torso, and zig zag similarly to the Spider. Alpha only if you think the heat limit can sustain the heat and to do a killing blow (press \ for firing all med lasers), and I suggest grouping lasers in twos for each torso section.

Dragon: This is far different from the other two scouts and the missile boat. You should be sniping from afar with gauss and lasers. Put your gauss arm away from the enemy as if it blows up your torso near it might blow up soon as well, which results in a death. Gauss requires charging before firing, which you must hold it long enough until the marker turns green before firing. Holding it too short or too long results in the charge dissipating. Always torso twist to soak damage with your arms and avoid strikes to your torsos. Unlock your arms, you need this badly for this mech or your gonna have a tough time. And never be in the front of the line or you will end up being killed quickly.

So in short, the trials are not bad. I wanted to comment on the Stalker about BAP but I realized it didn't have it. Another awesome guide 627.

Edited by luxebo, 05 February 2014 - 04:26 PM.

[NextGame]

Good thread

I would like to suggest an alternative weapon grouping of 3 groups

1) All the medium lasers
2) LRMs on chain fire
3) LRMs on group fire

Forget the tag, it's an unnecessary complication.

Dont use group 3 unless you are certain to hit and you have low enough heat to do it, that is all. Happy hunting.

[Scurry]

May also want to include a little info about ECM and how TAG is necessary to counter it. Especially important since the loadout doesn't include BAP.

[sneeking]

the tag could be good if you wish to ignore the fleas and focus on getting out your lrms while not been distracted into scratching, if you start to scratch the fleas then the big guys may get inside your missile perimeter. you could tag on an open map while your fellow tribesmen pick your fleas and you rain a curtain on the perimeter. in a city or a canyon even amongst the rocks perhaps in a tunnel your dead lol.

either way if tag is there I wouldn't leave it unmapped.

I never equip it though ( when I missile boat I boat pure and take no backup systems ) all you need are your lrms and a stonking big engine lol

and some jj's

[Flyto]

I've quite enjoyed this trial, as I've never driven an assault-sized pure LRM mech before (but have LRMing mediums). Weapons groups for me:
1. TAG
2. 4x medium lasers
3. 4x LRM15s, as group
4. 4x LRM15s, chain fire

Use group 4 for targets without AMS, group 3 for targets with AMS or where the window of opportunity is short, and watch the heat. Although they still ripple-fire anyway, as the stalker doesn't have enough tubes.

After a couple of matches my thoughts are,
a) This is quite fun, and a very different style of play to anything I'm used to
Who builds an LRM boat without BAP? This thing gets shut down by a circling ECM spider.
c) Why do people use stalkers for this when Awesomes and Battlemasters (I think?) both have enough tubes to let you get off 60 LRMs in one salvo?

[NextGame]

Flyto, on 06 February 2014 - 03:15 AM, said:

c) Why do people use stalkers for this when Awesomes and Battlemasters (I think?) both have enough tubes to let you get off 60 LRMs in one salvo?

Because Awesomes and Battlemasters dont have 3 missile boat variants, and LRM chain fire is better at the moment because of ghost heat. Although I agree that those 2 missile mechs are a lot of fun.

[Flyto]

NextGame, on 06 February 2014 - 03:31 AM, said:

Because Awesomes and Battlemasters dont have 3 missile boat variants, and LRM chain fire is better at the moment because of ghost heat. Although I agree that those 2 missile mechs are a lot of fun.

Hmm. I don't really understand why you'd want three varients that you were going to do the same thing with... a chassis is more likely to hold my interest if the 3 varients can have *different* roles, or at least different loadouts... but I guess that if all people want to do is spam missles, then this is important ;-)

[NextGame]

Flyto, on 06 February 2014 - 03:36 AM, said:

Hmm. I don't really understand why you'd want three varients that you were going to do the same thing with... a chassis is more likely to hold my interest if the 3 varients can have *different* roles, or at least different loadouts... but I guess that if all people want to do is spam missles, then this is important ;-)

Some people are just like that! means they can swap the components around between variants at minimal cost.

[sneeking]

that's why real rocket men pilot a1c's

use xlengine's

and fire lrm20 either left right or both, they jj up walls they don't hide up the back and they shut bay doors whilst looking away under fire...

Edited by sneeking, 06 February 2014 - 04:30 AM.