13 replies to this topic

[Chaos Strike]

What skills are recommended for new pilots and their first mechs?

I am driving a Nova-S and have unlocked/bought the following:

Unlocked all the Basics towards Elite/Mastery
Clan-MPL Range Increase 5
Clan-MPL Cooldown 5
Advanced Zoom

These all seemed to be a good idea for me and my playstyle.
The modules for the last three can be moved to my next Mech with a few changes in it's loadout.

But now I wonder, should I have focused on something else at first?

Perhaps other new pilots can learn from my mistakes(?).

Thank you all for your input.

[Phobic Wraith]

I would get general module GXP unlocks quickly. Take a look at this guide to get some info.
http://metamechs.com...ot-skill-guide/

[Koniving]

Quite the unlocks there.

The very first mech skills I unlock on every mech are the B.S. skills: Heat Containment (to fire more at once) and Cool Run (to cool faster than true tabletop double heatsinks -- or so will be the case after reaching elites).

Now for pilot skills, I confess I unlocked them in the order they were released.
I would suggest "Radar Deprivation" for those having trouble with LRM users, or "Seismic Sensor" for those who have no situational awareness. (Note you need to unlock access to them through the pilot skill tree; then acquire them in the modules section of your mech -- and yes they are kind of ungodly expensive). Keep in mind pilot skills are considered 'high end' content, and are not made with the idea of immediately acquiring them.

[Barkem Squirrel]

Go for radar deprivation.

Using terrain helps, but that instant no radar lock will save more damage than AMS. Advance zoom I bought early on and I still only have one, due to so infrequent and the ability to hit 'z' for zoom.

[Koniving]

Phobic Wraith, on 10 March 2015 - 09:42 AM, said:

Also totally unrelated: Wraith, do you play Megamek? Some of us got invited to a campaign and on my practice run, I scored some crappy erroneous intel that led to an incorrect drop location, that's led to all sorts of fun. You should tag along sometime.

Spoiler

My team's status is R.D.D., with two of three dropships taken down by enemy fire along the way. Lost a vehicle and several infantry and three of my four mechs survived but one is in bad shape. Gotta love it when the intel is completely wrong!

Edited by Koniving, 10 March 2015 - 09:47 AM.

[Phobic Wraith]

Koniving, on 10 March 2015 - 09:44 AM, said:

Also totally unrelated: Wraith, do you play Megamek? Some of us got invited to a campaign and on my practice run, I scored some crappy erroneous intel that led to an incorrect drop location, that's led to all sorts of fun. You should tag along sometime.

Spoiler

My team's status is R.D.D., with two of three dropships taken down by enemy fire along the way. Lost a vehicle and several infantry and three of my four mechs survived but one is in bad shape. Gotta love it when the intel is completely wrong!

I would absolutely love to. I don't know when I'll have time this week... maybe the weekend. I'll drop by ZhiZhu and figure something out.

[Mirumoto Izanami]

Radar Derpivation has some uses beyond making it harder for LRMs to find you. Assuming good players press r when they see you on your radar, if you're playing a shoot and scoot mech, it will have you drop off their radar faster, so it gives the enemy less of an idea of where you are headed.

[JC Daxion]

I used to buy mechs... and never got into the modules, Now i am in a forever grind of filling up modules on a fleet of mechs. so good for you with getting modules sooner than later..

This is my rule of thumb i use, take it for what it is worth..

Radar dep, for anything above a medium with out ECM or Dual AMS.. Not really played with it enough on lights to know if i want to use the spot or not. But basically almost every mech i own gets this one. in PUG land, it is a great module, CW or 12 mans? not sure if it is as high on the list.

seismic, automatic for a medium or above with ECM or DUAL AMS, as i typically don't have the radar dep added, so this gets the first slot., or mechs that even stopping for a moment is something i will do, boats, snipers, or even park and look scouts (i consider mediums and fast heavies in this group) i find it worth while. Pretty much anything of a certain playstyle above a light, Some mechs i use radar dep and seismic.

hill climb, Non-JJ faster moving mechs, typically lights/mediums, or maybe fast heavies.

info gathering, I use this on many pin-point damage mechs.


So i basically combo these on my mechs for the most part and this is my order of need. mechs that have 2 standard mech modules, i will sometimes use a third mech module, or go with a 3rd weapon module depending.

[Metafox]

Radar deprivation is also great because it gives you a tone when someone loses target on you. You'll know exactly when the LRM boats have broken their lock. If you step behind cover but you don't hear the target-break tone, you'll know to look for a spotter or a UAV somewhere.

[Big Tin Man]

1. Arty upgrade. 4 shell arty's are a complete waste.
2. UAV upgrades (there are two, and the xp you get from well placed uav's can be very good if they don't notice it)
3. Radar Derp. You will move this module everywhere
4. Seismic sensor
5. Coolshot 9x9 (I'm ok with heat management, but you're running a nova, may be higher on the list)

Then weapons.

As for the mech leveling, it depends a bit. On lights and ballistic builds, anchor turn, twist, and accel/brake may be more important. Normally 1st are the two heat related unlocks, then anchor turn, added twist, accelerate/brake, arm stuff

For elite: Speed tweak is always first, then fast fire, then fast start. Pinpoint doesn't function in the game, and it may not ever.

Edited by Big Tin Man, 10 March 2015 - 11:07 AM.

[Chaos Strike]

Thank you all.

Thinking I should have asked this before I started unlocking skills. Had I done that, I would be close to unlocking Radar Dep and almost enough C-bills to buy the second Nova.

Since I am still pretty new and unskilled, I have not even looked at the Arty/Air Strike. Calling for either of those right now would about wipe out anything I made from the match. Sometimes I do not make enough to cover the cost to call them, but that is getting to be the exception rather than the rule it was 10 days ago.

My Nova-S is as leveled as I can get it until I level 2 more varients. It runs cooler than the -Prime I got to run as Trial, but I still grabbed all the heat reduction available as my first Mech unlocks.

I hope some other new or returning pilots can learn from my errors.

[TheCaptainJZ]

Consumables are too expensive to use every match all the time if you are trying to save cbills this is not the way to go. Uav can off set it's own cost if you use it right. But you need the discipline not to use it all the time. Sometimes I realize I'm more likely to use my consumables when we are losing in the hopes of turning the game around but it never makes the difference.

[ThirtyOughtSix]

Pulse laser modules are good for weapon skills +1 that.

I'd work on radar deprivation. We want to keep you alive long. Also, zoom isn't bad if your in a LR mech, which technically the nova does not excell at. I would look for an improved gyros I find they help a ton when under fire.

[JC Daxion]

if you are still saving for other nova's then with out a doubt go with Radar Dep over arty.. Arty doesn't win matches, but it can help break up groups, or possibly turn the tide if many people use um, but in PUG play, it is mostly a Noobie group strike.. aka, they are all huddled up at a choke point and you make um all run like chickens. Though, perhaps i say that cause i still have not unlocked the darn thing.. I have used plenty of those full MC arty strikes, but in a match it is hard to notice a real difference on the surface.. but hey i am just 2.5k xp away! then it is time for UAV upgrades and i am done unlocking stuff outside of maybe some ranged modules like small laser if i ever get a light that uses um.

But yea, unlock radar dep, and pick up the module, and start on your next two nova's sounds like a good next step.. though, it might be hard to go against getting your next 2 nova's first, unlock the radar dep, and then grab it when you can.. unlocking elites might be higher on the order over getting that module, But for sure, unlock it next.