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Most Effective Dakka Mech Builds?


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#1 Quxudica

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 09:22 PM

I've been having an itch to use ballistics but it's been so long I'm not sure what's viable anymore. I've got a very old JM6-S with dual UAC-5, some cataphracts and some shadowhawks available. that said if anyone has any non-clan/non-hero chassis reccomendations I've loved to see them. Mostly looking for something that can be reasonably effective in pugs with a bit of speed.

Thoughts? Ideas? Flames?

#2 Coleman Rendar

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 09:52 PM

jager6-s with xl260 can mount twin AC2 and twin AC5 for super dakka. (or swap the ac5 for uac5 for more clicky clicky dakka dakka). I still use it in pugs and have a good success rate with it. Even jammed in twin med lasers for when ammo runs out.

back in closed beta i somehow jammed in triple AC2 on a hunchback with stock engine.

#3 Quxudica

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 10:00 PM

View PostColeman Rendar, on 13 September 2014 - 09:52 PM, said:

jager6-s with xl260 can mount twin AC2 and twin AC5 for super dakka. (or swap the ac5 for uac5 for more clicky clicky dakka dakka). I still use it in pugs and have a good success rate with it. Even jammed in twin med lasers for when ammo runs out.

back in closed beta i somehow jammed in triple AC2 on a hunchback with stock engine.


I may give this a shot, just concerned about ammo limits with split acs

#4 ProfessorD

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 10:05 PM

I guess this implies you haven't played the game much in a while? How long?

JM6-S is a good place to start. Do you have your JM6 mastered?

Basic Triple Ultra Jager. You'll get a lot of mileage out of this one. Just don't get shot back. Feel free to move the ammo around if you have your own strong opinions on ammo placement (I'm not sure there's a "best" ammo arrangement when you're carrying that much). The XL engine is expensive, so mess around in Smurfy with ammo and armor levels to settle on which one you want before you buy. I very strongly recommend group firing all three cannons together whenever possible for maximum effect. Make sure to double click for double tap shots anytime you're reasonably confident you're going to hit.

"Old" meta Cataphract. With Clan mechs out, lots of people seem to have moved on from the optimized IS direct fire builds, but I'm not sure this one is done being awesome yet. Lock the arms, look for nice vertical cover to hug, and pop out to alpha strike when they least expect it. If they don't promptly reply with return fire, double tap the ultras until they move to cover. As a bonus, you can use that same XL 295 from your Triple Ultra Jager. Heavies and assaults jump a lot more sluggishly than they used to, so jump sniping is quite a bit harder, but not impossible for your 60 to 80 tonners.

Note that some folks will argue, with some merit, that putting an XL engine in Cataphracts is a bad idea. I'd argue that this one is fast enough that if you do die from side torsos, you're probably timing your engagements poorly and standing in the line of fire too long, but if you do have problems like this, you can use an option with AC5s like this. You basically trade speed and double tap DPS for a strong shield shoulder.

#5 Quxudica

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 10:18 PM

View PostProfessorD, on 13 September 2014 - 10:05 PM, said:

I guess this implies you haven't played the game much in a while? How long?

JM6-S is a good place to start. Do you have your JM6 mastered?

Basic Triple Ultra Jager. You'll get a lot of mileage out of this one. Just don't get shot back. Feel free to move the ammo around if you have your own strong opinions on ammo placement (I'm not sure there's a "best" ammo arrangement when you're carrying that much). The XL engine is expensive, so mess around in Smurfy with ammo and armor levels to settle on which one you want before you buy. I very strongly recommend group firing all three cannons together whenever possible for maximum effect. Make sure to double click for double tap shots anytime you're reasonably confident you're going to hit.

"Old" meta Cataphract. With Clan mechs out, lots of people seem to have moved on from the optimized IS direct fire builds, but I'm not sure this one is done being awesome yet. Lock the arms, look for nice vertical cover to hug, and pop out to alpha strike when they least expect it. If they don't promptly reply with return fire, double tap the ultras until they move to cover. As a bonus, you can use that same XL 295 from your Triple Ultra Jager. Heavies and assaults jump a lot more sluggishly than they used to, so jump sniping is quite a bit harder, but not impossible for your 60 to 80 tonners.

Note that some folks will argue, with some merit, that putting an XL engine in Cataphracts is a bad idea. I'd argue that this one is fast enough that if you do die from side torsos, you're probably timing your engagements poorly and standing in the line of fire too long, but if you do have problems like this, you can use an option with AC5s like this. You basically trade speed and double tap DPS for a strong shield shoulder.


I've dabbled a lot the last few months, but haven't played seriously in probably a year. I have quite a lot of equipment lying around, including many engines of both flavors. My Jagers, Phracts and Shadows are all mastered.

#6 Quxudica

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 05:45 AM

View PostProfessorD, on 13 September 2014 - 10:05 PM, said:

I guess this implies you haven't played the game much in a while? How long?

JM6-S is a good place to start. Do you have your JM6 mastered?

Basic Triple Ultra Jager. You'll get a lot of mileage out of this one. Just don't get shot back. Feel free to move the ammo around if you have your own strong opinions on ammo placement (I'm not sure there's a "best" ammo arrangement when you're carrying that much). The XL engine is expensive, so mess around in Smurfy with ammo and armor levels to settle on which one you want before you buy. I very strongly recommend group firing all three cannons together whenever possible for maximum effect. Make sure to double click for double tap shots anytime you're reasonably confident you're going to hit.


Given the Jager build quite a few runs. It's a lot of fun when it works, done ~900 damage and 4-6 kills a few times, but it only seems to work once in awhile. Seems entirely dependent on the team being both together to distract targets and playing aggressive enough to keep attention (both of which are rare in pugs which usually both scatter and play very timidly). Since MWO places emphasis on Alpha size above almost anything else it just doesn't have the damage to survive an engagement with meta builds if they decide to attack you. The game just seems to really punish builds designed around sustained damage, at least those that aren't LRM based.

#7 Elizander

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 09:28 AM

I don't know about effective but if I want to Dakka I do this:

CTF-4X

#8 The Trumpet of Gabriel

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 05:41 PM

Another good dakka mech is the Banshee 3E. 2 ac5's, 2 ac2's +ml's or 3 ac5's 4 ml, or 2 UAC 5 2 ac 2's + ml's or ac5's + ppc's. Any way you build it you've got 13 tons of armor and lots of dakka.

#9 Lanessar

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Posted 19 September 2014 - 08:20 AM

View PostElizander, on 14 September 2014 - 09:28 AM, said:

I don't know about effective but if I want to Dakka I do this:

CTF-4X


This is a good build, I just ran with this today (after a long, long hiatus). Put those AC/5s and UAC/5s on chainfire, and watch the dakka. Pretty much anything I faced started running once the dakka started.

I named mine "Boomstick".

#10 kingalbertII

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Posted 20 September 2014 - 02:38 PM

would this be dakka enough?
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7e1e7016d29a49e

#11 CygnusX7

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Posted 30 September 2014 - 11:24 AM

SHD-2H

#12 Kaptain

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Posted 30 September 2014 - 11:33 AM

Phract 4x with 2xUAC5 and 2xAC2.

#13 Gadrean

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Posted 30 September 2014 - 12:07 PM

Im actually currently running my Dakkaphract 4x like this

2 x AC5
2 x AC2
2 x ML (backup)
XL 255
Double H/S
Endo-Steel

After 16 games it has a K/D of 3.67, bare in mind I havn't even finished basic mastery on it. Its a bit ponderous but absolutely melts face when it gets somebody in its sights. Beware without double heat sinks it will melt your face instead of your enemy.

#14 Rear Admiral Tier 6

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Posted 30 September 2014 - 06:20 PM

AC5 cooldown module tier 5 paired with Banshee 3E with 3 AC5:s or Cataphract 4X with 4 AC5:s,the DPS is just silly.

#15 Maverick27

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Posted 30 September 2014 - 07:06 PM

If you don't mind spending a little money, my favorite dakka mech is the Ilya with 3xUAC5 and MLs for backup. Great offensive fire power and I find more sturdy than the Jager (though with lower hardpoints).

#16 Haydin

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Posted 01 October 2014 - 03:55 PM

Couple builds. First, here's a version of a build I used to pretty good effect on my Ilya. It only uses 2E and 2B, so a CTF-3D can run the same setup just fine:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b8f5e83dfb4f386

The dual UAC/5s provide your dakka, and the mech has fantastic DPS through the LPL and UACs, as well as what is basically a 40 damage non-pinpoint (but EXTREMELY accurate) alpha with a double tap on the autocannons. The high mounted lasers also help you peek and do some damage if you can't just stand and blast away. The setup works on Jagers too.



The classic 3xUAC and 2xAC5/2xAC2 jagers have been posted, but if you consider Machine Guns dakka, there's this build:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e3146fd9c4466c4

PPCs also work for the energy slots. This thing is a BEAST when someone's armor opens up and is really survivable. B33f did a great video on it too. Drop a heat sink for more ammo if you like.

I don't really run shadowhawks (I know, I'm nuts), but here's a variant of my dakka hunchback:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b551d456c345dfe

Also, you can change the engine to XL and do a UAC5/AC5 combo:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...09e32bc174b679b

Or if you want to just blast someone, the AC20 shadowhawk is always solid:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...99f921a72a24a7f




If you like bigger guns, the Boomjager should treat you well, too:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...bfaba9644410f93

Works on multiple Jaegers, and it does an absolutely MONSTROUS amount of precise burst damage. You can cut the lasers for more ammo, or switch to dual gauss. Dual gauss jagers are fantastic snipers, if that appeals to you. The gauss build also works on the CTF-3D if you want to try it on something with jumpjets.


Those are the kinds of balistic builds (dakka or otherwise) you'll generally run into or might want to give a try. I'll also say that LBX10/AC10 builds can be a lot of fun (It's not what you're looking for but I LOVE my 2AC10, 2 MPL, 1 UAC5 ilya), but I really feel those NEED cooldown reduction modules even more than some of the other builds. Exactly why I'm not sure, but they just feel more important on 10s for some reason. LBXs are fragile and you generally want these weapons in pairs (and that's a lot of tonnage, but feel free to try them as an alternative to Ultras

Edited by Haydin, 01 October 2014 - 03:58 PM.


#17 Roadbuster

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Posted 03 October 2014 - 03:22 AM

Whatever you use, always equip some backup lasers.
I've seen so many matches which were won/lost because the last survivor ran out of ammo and could do nothing till the legged half dead opponent with 1 remaining SL or ML killed him.

#18 FearNotDeath

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Posted 03 October 2014 - 03:47 AM

View PostkingalbertII, on 20 September 2014 - 02:38 PM, said:

would this be dakka enough?
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7e1e7016d29a49e

I was thinking that's the worst thing ever then realized you're joking, good one had me going.





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