38 replies to this topic

[marshrover]

Hello, I just want to ask for a couple of suggestions for a long range burst(lots of dmg in one shot) mech, preferably with ballistic weapons. ECM would also be nice but not neccesary.
Thanks for your help!

[Koniving]

Note: This is including ballistic-type weapons (both real ballistics and energy-based ballistics).

Inner Sphere:
Hill humpers... (Easy to use.)
Jagermech (any)
Hunchback 4G.
Shadowhawk (Any).
Thunderbolts (with energy in right torso).
Battlemasters.

Corner-shots...
Don't recommend these for new players. Requires knowledge of independent arm controls.
Dragons (any).
Quickdraw hero mech.
Wolverine 6K and 6R.
Griffin 1N and 1S.
Thunderbolts (with ballistic in left arm).
Battlemasters.

Open field tankers:
Banshee (3E; other variants can but aren't as good).
Atlas.
Stalker.

Clans:
Hill humpers:
Summoner. (Note: I'm not counting poptarts just hill humpers).

Corner shooters:
...All except Adder.

Open-field tankers:
Dire Wolf.
Warhawk.
Timber Wolf.

More detailed list: Any mech tier meta list's "A" or top tier mechs.

(Example using JM6-DD with 2 Gauss Rifles, 2 Tags and 4 MGs. Not the best match but demonstrates the basic idea. In the style that I used it, open-field tanker. I'm not a fan of hill humping).

As can be seen in the video, the Jagermech's arms are high-risen and eye level.

Though this one was played more to a hit and run style, it's got a PPC and AC/5 (for a burst damage of 15 when in sync). They're mounted for corner shooting more than hill humping. Still pretty good action considering how isolated we were from much of the team.

Edited by Koniving, 27 July 2014 - 06:14 AM.

[marshrover]

I have so far been shooting from beside a hill and then moving behind the hill.
Also what weapons would you reccomend?

Edited by marshrover, 23 July 2014 - 03:26 PM.

[Koniving]

marshrover, on 23 July 2014 - 03:19 PM, said:

I have so far been shooting from beside a hill and then moving behind the hill.
Also what weapons would you recommend?

Given the desire for high burst damage, any combination of the following:

Gauss Rifles.
PPCs.
ER PPCs (if you prefer to stay even further back at the cost of firing less frequently).
AC/5s (combines well with PPCs and ER PPCs).

Typical burst damages:
2x Gauss Rifles: 30.
2x (Inner Sphere) PPC or ER PPC: 20.
3x (warning this comes with a penalty) PPCs: 30.
2x PPC + AC/5: 25.
2x PPC + AC/10: 30.
2x PPC + 2x AC/5: 30.
2x PPC + 3 AC/5: 45 (Banshee 3E only; doable with Muromets but difficult to be cool with ammo).
4x AC/5: 20 damage (Jagermechs, fast firing rate makes this very dangerous and at decent ranges).
3x AC/2: 6 damage (but you'll nail in 36 in the time it takes most PPC weapons to recharge because of how fast it refires).

[Koniving]

Some examples (without poptarting). These are time skipped when necessary.
Anti-poptart Awesome 8Q.

Open-field tanker: Stalker (Misery) (alternating assault cover method).

Open-field tanker: Stalker (Misery) (Dukes of Hazard brawling method).

[B L O O D W I T C H]

Koniving, on 23 July 2014 - 03:55 PM, said:

4x AC/5: 20 damage (Jagermechs, fast firing rate makes this very dangerous and at decent ranges).

Also works with the Cataphract-4X (lower ballistic hardpoints then a jager but better arm-movement)

[Koniving]

LOADED, on 23 July 2014 - 04:08 PM, said:

Also works with the Cataphract-4X (lower ballistic hardpoints then a jager but better arm-movement)

Very true. I consider the 4X to be an open-field tanker. Didn't list it though (or the 3D).

3D only fits in poptarting (could be open-field but the way people will focus-fire it means it's screwed). So I didn't throw it up there.

[marshrover]

What about the LB 10x AC? It does 10 dmg per shot and has longer maxrange than AC 5.
PS. What about the Cicada loadout from my other thread?

Edited by marshrover, 24 July 2014 - 12:06 AM.

[IraqiWalker]

The LBX fires a burst of pellets, so buckshot, and max range means you'll spread them even more. Each pellet deals 1 point of damage. An AC 10 will fire one bullet that deals the full 10 to one location. While the LBX will spread it's 10 points ALL OVER the place, especially if you fire beyond 180 Meters.


EDIT: Some of the pellets may even miss the enemy mech completely.

Edited by IraqiWalker, 24 July 2014 - 12:17 AM.

[Koniving]

marshrover, on 24 July 2014 - 12:03 AM, said:

What about the LB 10x AC? It does 10 dmg per shot and has longer maxrange than AC 5.
PS. What about the Cicada loadout from my other thread?

The LB-x series is a lineup of shotguns. Yes its good damage (in fact it gets a high likelihood of destroying internal equipment such as weapons, ammo and heatsinks) but it spreads out as it goes over distance. Shots have a better effective range before they lose their damage potential -- but the spread gets out there.

This vid follows a Muromets build dubbed by Lordred and me as the Illya Killya Balls of Steelya (aka the IK-BoSy). It's relevant because it uses an Ultra AC/5, twin LB-10x and twin flamers (to blind people).


Cicada loadout would be 15 damage from the one Gauss Rifle (but made worthwhile by the ECM hiding you at long ranges).
You can also use the PPC or even twin PPCs. Very common design. Your burst damages would be 15 or 10 or 20 depending on the route you chose there. If you use a single PPC it's better to use an ER PPC.
Here's my own Cicada rig.

Skip to 4:18 for the PPC rig. Even includes a PPC Cicada versus PPC Cicada fight and chase. The particular build here (ER PPC + LRMs) is easy to recreate with 55 tonners to much better effect (even if they are much larger and easier to hit than this Cicada).

Attacked by PPC Cicadas at the beginning. Throughout the Terra Therma match with the scary music, there's some damn stealth sniper attacking me periodically.


Which btw using the same premise (of a Gauss Rifle sniper), this is the Hollander (35 ton Firestarter with ballistic hardpoint). Hollander is the name of a mech dedicated specifically to this but is not available in the game. Two vids so spoilered.

Spoiler

[Satan n stuff]

Koniving, on 23 July 2014 - 04:10 PM, said:

Very true. I consider the 4X to be an open-field tanker. Didn't list it though (or the 3D).

3D only fits in poptarting (could be open-field but the way people will focus-fire it means it's screwed). So I didn't throw it up there.

Phracts are too wide to corner camp effectively and they have very low slung arms, so yeah that's basically how you use them if you're not poptarting. Stand well back from any piece of cover but make sure you're out of line of sight, and try to nail the enemy whenever they appear. A Cataphract charging over or around cover is usually dead before it's weapons clear the terrain.

[War Kitten]

Greetings All,

Am using a 'Phracht w/4 a/c 2s + ERLL (LL is button 2, have to watch the heat), but can put good dam with good RoF on target, but does heat (ghost?) faster than norm but if you watch it can do well.

War Kitten

"Liberty is kept by using the Ballot-Box, the Jury-Box and the Cartridge-Box!
-----Fredrick Douglass

[IraqiWalker]

I'd recommend making your AC2s either into two groups each on their own button. Or chain firing them. (You can make a weapon group switch to chain fire by hilighting it while in game, and pressing backspace[<---]. That would allow you to control your heat a bit better.

Also I assume your mech isn't elited yet. When you purchase all 4 elite skills for it, the mech will become extremely cooler.

[Koniving]

A neat idea is to run 3 AC/2s and an AC/5, or twin AC/2s and twin AC/5s.
Back when Cataphracts came out my first 4X build was 2 UAC/5s and 2 AC/2s. Tear the typical Atlas apart at point blank in 6 seconds.

[marshrover]

What 'bout this: CDA-3M Energy Loadout
I've found playing trial Blackjack that energy weapons are pretty useful too, even if they heat up more.

Edited by marshrover, 24 July 2014 - 01:46 PM.

[Davegt27]

don't get a Jager that thing is a death trap

Quote

JAGERMECH JM6-DD 740 332 399 0.83 204 566 0.36 110,426 268,544 3 days 01:08:06

I died 566 time in one month

[Koniving]

marshrover, on 24 July 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:

What 'bout this: CDA-3M Energy Loadout
I've found playing trial Blackjack that energy weapons are pretty useful too, even if they heat up more.

I admire your courage, but you are seeing how low the armor is right?
You can improve the armor.

Endo Steel structure can give you an extra 2 tons for 400,000 more. Though the price range of that Cicada is obscene because you are replacing that engine. And it's 13 million.. O_O;

This is almost the exact same build but with the stock engine, saving you nearly 5 million cbills. Not to mention it's loads faster with that stock engine. But it also has that 128 armor. So lets see what we can do to improve that. (I do see it did drop 1 ER Large, and actually it doesn't matter which spot you put it in. But build in stages; build up to your dream unit).

Endo steel (it's just a lighter metal alloy; would be more expensive to repair if there was a repair and rearm but that got removed 2 years ago) and ferro fibrous armor (to get the armor up for less tonnage) and... for 8,897,444 here is that same build.

That was just 600,000 cbills more to replace the structure (skeleton) with lighter materials, the armor with lighter materials, and beef it up to 215 (from 128). Your 13 million (mainly due to buying a new smaller engine) still had 128 armor.

Edited by Koniving, 24 July 2014 - 02:30 PM.

[Koniving]

Once you have the starter build with 1 PPC and 1 ER LL, ECM, the stock engine, etc., you can use it to make more money.. Then get the engine and add that extra ER LL.
Then you'll have this. Your exact build + 215 armor (instead of 128).

(And a little extra speed thanks to the 255 weighing the same as the 250).

Other than the lack of armor your build is actually a pretty cool idea. I've already installed it on my 3M for a spin.

Edited by Koniving, 24 July 2014 - 02:36 PM.

[marshrover]

Thanks for the help! Might get that as first mech. What do you think?
PS: Wouldn't the head armour on your build be a weakness?

Edited by marshrover, 24 July 2014 - 02:47 PM.

[Koniving]

(Last edit. Onward to playing! *Jumps on MWO.*)
I think it'll make a fun first mech. It'll teach you three of the most important things in the game: Positioning (where you are matters), aiming (very crucial), and finally awareness (which is great to learn in a Cicada. Using the left CTRL key you can look left and right and see out the windows with ease).

The head armor is, but.. in addition to the head armor you have 15 structure health protecting the pilot. 3 + 15 = 18. And that area is too tiny for anything short of two Gauss rifles to converge on. Even if it did, well that'd just say you're moving too slow or too stationary.

They have to hit the middle 3 windows.
This is 200 meters away from my X-5 (Cicada) See if you can find the windows. That's at a super resolution that about 70%+ of players can't play at. And it's a pretty tough thing to find on a stationary mech. This mech easily goes 103 kph with your smaller engine design. The stock engine pumps it even faster at 129 kph. Know how hard lights mechs are to even hit? Try going for the headshot.

That's a pretty damn tiny thing to hit when it's going 100+.


To even draw that I had to zoom in 16 times on paint.

(Truth be told I actually run only 2 armor on the head and the only reason I do that is to not draw attention to it; people can see if you have zero armor. They can't see if you have only 2.)

Edited by Koniving, 24 July 2014 - 03:14 PM.