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Cicada Any Good?

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#61 InRev

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 07:34 AM

View Post3rdworld, on 18 April 2014 - 09:10 AM, said:


Probably not, but if you are building a mech for a specific purpose, there is something that can do it better.

2ERLL + ECM cicada - Raven 3L is better



You would think, but for some reason my Cicada's stats are better (KDR of 4.12 vs 3.31 for the Raven). Perhaps because a cicada can fit a liiiittle extra firepower for those "oh shit" moments or a few more heat sinks for sustaining fire.

Either way, you shouldn't play it exactly the same way as a Raven. The 3Lcan operate solo better than the Cicada because it is smaller and usually faster, so I use my cicada as a screener/mobile ECM provider, sticking close-ish to the group but not so close that I am on the firing line.

Maybe its limitations turn into strengths because it is forced to be more of a team asset than the more independent Raven. I dunno. Either way, its far and away my best mech.

#62 Soulscour

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 03:43 AM

View PostCorbon Zackery, on 18 April 2014 - 08:48 AM, said:

No one but me really knows how to run a cicada successfully.

:rolleyes: Teach us o great one

Quote

Your job is to keep the pesky lights off the main force and you can do that very successfully with speeds up to 147kph with speed tweek.

151.5

#63 Vandul

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 04:07 AM

I really abhor lights (and face it, the CDA is a light with a weight issue), but I love my chicken leg Cicada's. And dont be hatin on the 3C. Throw 2 AC2's on it (with a ML) and about 500 rounds of ammo. Makes a great fire suppression wagon, and the assaults tend to disregard you as you peel away armor. Preferably from behind.

Try it. If anything, its a fun build.

#64 jper4

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 04:11 AM

one more for the 3C club- it's very hit or miss with me true (either end up around 100 dmg and not much else or 2+ kills and 350+ dmg)- just finished eliting it a couple weeks ago still not mastered yet. ML, 3MG, ac 5 w/ 3 tons of ammo and i always forget the engine just under 140kph w/tweak i think?

3C has 61 matches 35/25 W/L (1 tie) , 33/30 k/d
2A has 73 matches 32/41 W/L and 28/46 k/d
X5 has 63 matches 28/34 W/L (1 tie) and 40/41 k/d

not a huge sample size granted but numbers for all three chassis have been improving since the reset (yeah my early days in the 2A weren't pretty). and yeah i intentionally skipped the ecm varient while drawn to the one people hated (3C) since i seem to do better in the "bad" mechs than i ever do in the "good" ones

i think the cicada's main advantage when 3/3/3/3 comes in would be to sneak an extra light-like speed mech onto one side if a group wishes to wolf pack. since if they do move up to the 45t range to find something to match up with it the other side ends up with a blackjack (vindicator down the road if that's still in the pipeline?) generally moving at about 60% the cicada's speed (barring the 1X of course).

#65 ThatBum42

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 04:25 AM

View PostInRev, on 20 April 2014 - 07:34 AM, said:

Either way, you shouldn't play it exactly the same way as a Raven. The 3Lcan operate solo better than the Cicada because it is smaller and usually faster, so I use my cicada as a screener/mobile ECM provider, sticking close-ish to the group but not so close that I am on the firing line.

Maybe its limitations turn into strengths because it is forced to be more of a team asset than the more independent Raven. I dunno. Either way, its far and away my best mech.


That's how I play my CDA-3M as well. I use my mobility to provide ECM cover to my team where it's needed. I poke at enemies that think they're safe, beating them further back and sometimes scoring a component destruction. The TAG brings the c-bills in from all the spotting assists. On occasion I get ~600 damage with it, but even without high damage, the ECM cover, TAG, and psychological advantage of disrupting enemy formations/concentration with laser fire makes it a great asset for the team.

I usually play the 3M first when I sit down to play for the day. It's good to warm up with because there isn't any intense skirmishing or brawling involved with it. <3 Cicadas.

Edited by ThatBum42, 21 April 2014 - 04:26 AM.


#66 Dracol

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 06:13 AM

My cicada 3M has been my favorite mech since its release. I run it like a IS version of the Puma (god I loved that one from MW2 days). Dual PPC and ecm......

Great to do a little scouting if I'm the lightest on the team.
Pin point shots to shoot past the big boys while I provide em with ECM coverage (always get my lasers walked into on other mechs)
And if it comes down to me and 4 or 5 injured enemies, its a great time trying to land shots without being seen

#67 Abaddonis

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 04:46 PM

Just in case the OP is still on the fence, had my best game ever this weekend in my 3M. A nasty little mech.

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#68 Whompity

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Posted 22 April 2014 - 08:21 AM

I love my Cicada's too. I ran my 3M and especially X-5 for a while before a long haitus, but when I came back and was working on my Battlemasters, I kept seeing 3M's with daul PPC or dual ERLLs and decided to try it as playing assaults feels like too much work, for me. ;) The 2xERLL is quite fun. Harass them from range while moving around a lot, then draw them to your group when they get ticked at you.

I've since switched to a 4xMPL configuration and played the backstabber game. It's even more fun, though much higher risk. Nothing like flanking and sneaking up on the LRM-boats then unloading a few alphas into their backs. I like that "rogue" play-style, myself. The drawbacks are miscalculating and running into multiple heavies (dead) or skirting too far and ending up disengaged for too long.

I do some scouting and targetting with the 3M, but if you run into a pair of lights you're in big trouble. A single can go either way. It's kind of like a dog-fight... whoever breaks off first probably is going to get killed as they run, since while a Cicada can't keep up to the faster mechs in general, given enough open terrain, you will likely kill or leg them before they get out of sight with your heavier weapons.

#69 Pyrrho

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Posted 22 April 2014 - 09:00 AM

View PostOlivia Maybach, on 22 April 2014 - 08:21 AM, said:

I do some scouting and targetting with the 3M, but if you run into a pair of lights you're in big trouble. A single can go either way. It's kind of like a dog-fight... whoever breaks off first probably is going to get killed as they run, since while a Cicada can't keep up to the faster mechs in general, given enough open terrain, you will likely kill or leg them before they get out of sight with your heavier weapons.


This is why I equip my CDA-3C with an ER-PPC. Enemy lights are usually full of lasers so dodging and weaving gives good damage spread. Paired with the Cicada's amazing torso twist I am able to, in full zig-zaging flight, look back and pop that Jenner/Spider/Raven right in the face for a full 15 points while they are spreading their shots all over my armor. Of course it is tricky when there are multiple pursuers, but if I am too far away from my main force to get back in time that is my fault for over-extending my position.

#70 Whompity

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 07:19 AM

I haven't tried the ERPPC setup yet, but I might. I kinda like the excitement of using the stealth more heavily, though. I almost felt bad for the poor catapult missile boat I caught well behind his group the night before last. I think he managed a few glimpses of me out of the corner of his cockpit window as he tried to weave back to his group but I was right on his tail pumping MPL alphas into him and he didn't have a chance. :P

A fun part of the art is figuring out how to stay mostly behind someone when they know you are there. Anticipating the precise moment they will stop twisting in one direction and begin rotating the other way so you can jam on the brakes and reverse, staying behind them.

Edited by Olivia Maybach, 23 April 2014 - 07:21 AM.


#71 Rear Admiral Tier 6

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 11:07 AM

I just bought the X-5 and use it with 2 lpls and xl300.awesome rig





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