19 replies to this topic

[Dfeeds]

It's been a while since I've played (I role with clan). Last I did, pulse lasers were kind of the thing, or so I was told. I had been running with SSRMs but the hit registration with those seemed real inconsistent. Anything I should really know?

[xMintaka]

Guass + Large Lasers
Guass + Large Pulse Lasers
Gauss + (ER)Medium Lasers
Guass + All of the above
Guass
Lasers


There's a trend there, if you can work it out...

[Chrysato Bahrudin]

They've gotten it fairly balanced except for a few mech's IMO. Raw damage meta at this point is still a daka dire wolf with quad UAC-5's or something of the like. It's impossible to shoot back due to the screen shake. Firestarter's and Arctic Cheetah's are still able to take way more damage than they should and can pack SERIOUS short range firepower (6 CSPL for the cheetah and 8 SPL's on the firestarter) but other than that if you're running a "meta" there's usually a viable strategy to counter it. Get behind the slow ass dire whale / take his arms off or go for crits on his ammo. As for the fast lights just don't get caught alone and call the target to the team even if you can't get a lock.

All in all i feel like each player has their own meta mech or two. Personally I run a Hunchback 4P(C) with an XL 275, 3LPL's and 1 MD on the head and I consistently do 300 plus damage and have done over a thousand. This game is about finding a role you like and getting REALLY good at it. I'm a mobile striker it's what i do for my unit and it's gotten us out of many a sticky situation. Just find your own meta is my advice man =)

See you in the field Mechwarrior o7

[Dfeeds]

o7 Thanks guys. I was mainly worried about something getting unfairly nerfed to the point where it wasn't worth using at all. Any word on if the SSRMs work any better? I loved using those, just not when half the damage tapered off. Maybe I'm just too accustomed to my days playing league of legends haha.

[Chrysato Bahrudin]

Dfeeds, on 01 October 2015 - 10:45 AM, said:

o7 Thanks guys. I was mainly worried about something getting unfairly nerfed to the point where it wasn't worth using at all. Any word on if the SSRMs work any better? I loved using those, just not when half the damage tapered off. Maybe I'm just too accustomed to my days playing league of legends haha.

There is a Streak stormcrow build that is absolutely brutal but then again that build uses like 5 or 6 streak sixes so its hard to miss lol. I don't usually use them I'm more of a direct fire guy. PGI did say they were working on the hit reg problems all I know is the damage I'm doing should take an arctic cheetah's leg off instead of turning his armor yellow haha not sure about the streak hit reg though.

[Dfeeds]

Chrysato Bahrudin, on 01 October 2015 - 10:53 AM, said:

There is a Streak stormcrow build that is absolutely brutal but then again that build uses like 5 or 6 streak sixes so its hard to miss lol. I don't usually use them I'm more of a direct fire guy. PGI did say they were working on the hit reg problems all I know is the damage I'm doing should take an arctic cheetah's leg off instead of turning his armor yellow haha not sure about the streak hit reg though.

Yeah that was the problem I was experiencing. I switched to 4 SRMs instead of the SSRMs with 2 CLPLs on my TBR-D to see if it was an aiming thing and it didn't change much damage wise. It's as you said, a full volley should do more to some mechs than just dent the armor. One round I would achieve 1000+ damage, the next had me below 300. It seemed like firing more than two at a time would still result in only 2 of the streaks causing any damage. I suppose I could just yank two off, but... meh. I suppose I'll just have to hop in the cockpit and see for myself!

[xMintaka]

Dfeeds, on 01 October 2015 - 11:18 AM, said:

Yeah that was the problem I was experiencing. I switched to 4 SRMs instead of the SSRMs with 2 CLPLs on my TBR-D to see if it was an aiming thing and it didn't change much damage wise. It's as you said, a full volley should do more to some mechs than just dent the armor. One round I would achieve 1000+ damage, the next had me below 300. It seemed like firing more than two at a time would still result in only 2 of the streaks causing any damage. I suppose I could just yank two off, but... meh. I suppose I'll just have to hop in the cockpit and see for myself!

I can't believe I'm about to give advice on boating streaks...

Chainfire them. or fire two and two. Hit detection is much better now than it used to be, as evidenced by getting oneshot by Skillcrows more often, but it can still be kind of shaky when it comes to missiles.

It also depends a lot on your ping and what server you're on. I know I can usually molest streakboats on Oceanic (~300 ping) with far less effort than on European servers, purely due to latency.

[bad arcade kitty]

so, the meta in short, most of clan mechs pick 1 gauss and a few medium lasers (or 1 gauss and something like 2 lpl as an option), or (the older meta, but it's still very powerful and much easier to play (also can be run even on kit fox) so it's still pretty popular) 1-2 lpl and 2-5 medium lasers
some clan mechs should be built around a few spls/mls (ach, ice ferret, mlx) or double gauss with ppc or lpls/heavy dakka like 5 uac5 or 4 uac10 (dire wolf)

is mechs are built around their quirks and don't really have a universal build recipe

Edited by bad arcade kitty, 01 October 2015 - 02:29 PM.

[Archangel Dino]

Lunatech, on 01 October 2015 - 10:10 AM, said:

Guass + Large Lasers
Guass + Large Pulse Lasers
Gauss + (ER)Medium Lasers
Guass + All of the above
Guass
Lasers


There's a trend there, if you can work it out...

Gauss is not spelt "Guass"! Remember that!

Aside from that, this is the best and most simple explanation for the current meta. *claps*

[Tarogato]

Archangel Dino, on 04 October 2015 - 07:21 AM, said:

Gauss is not spelt "Guass"! Remember that!

Aside from that, this is the best and most simple explanation for the current meta. *claps*

Nah, it's "goose". =P

[InspectorG]

Chrysato Bahrudin, on 01 October 2015 - 10:53 AM, said:

There is a Streak stormcrow build that is absolutely brutal but then again that build uses like 5 or 6 streak sixes so its hard to miss lol. I don't usually use them I'm more of a direct fire guy. PGI did say they were working on the hit reg problems all I know is the damage I'm doing should take an arctic cheetah's leg off instead of turning his armor yellow haha not sure about the streak hit reg though.

Hard to miss, hard to concentrate damage. Good vs Lights in CW. Lols in Puglandia.

[InspectorG]

Dfeeds, on 01 October 2015 - 10:04 AM, said:

It's been a while since I've played (I role with clan). Last I did, pulse lasers were kind of the thing, or so I was told. I had been running with SSRMs but the hit registration with those seemed real inconsistent. Anything I should really know?

Arctic Cheetah is the 1st fast viable Clan light...its real and its spectacular.

Ebon Jaguar has high mounts...for good or ill. Hellbringer has ECM and is decent.

Timby/SCRO are still King/Queen. Dire is the Pope. AC is the Angel. Hellbie is the Bishop. Executioner attends Mass daily with Warhawk.

Gargles, Slummoner, Shad Cat, Missed Lynx, KitFox, Adder, Ice Box are all Clan B-Team riding the pine. Still better than IS mechs due to tech.

Meta is Lazor+Gauss or just Lazor. Small Lazor/Wub boating is a thing. LPL being king.
LRMs are meh.
SRMs are reliant on Ping and player comfort with connection.
Clan AC were improved - fewer shells with tighter firing rate. UAC 10 is decent. 4UAC10 Dire is a thing. 5UAC5 is kinda dead.
LBX is very specialty and usually lols.

[The Great Unwashed]

Try it from a different point of view. The meta does not include ERPPCs, LRMs, any LBX or (U)AC with the exception of some DWFs that run as UAC5/10 boats... The ERLL is a bit in between: not recommended for PUG but still useful as a stand-off weapon.

Edited by The Great Unwashed, 04 October 2015 - 07:41 AM.

[JigglyMoobs]

The Great Unwashed, on 04 October 2015 - 07:40 AM, said:

Try it from a different point of view. The meta does not include ERPPCs, LRMs, any LBX or (U)AC with the exception of some DWFs that run as UAC5/10 boats... The ERLL is a bit in between: not recommended for PUG but still useful as a stand-off weapon.

Gauss ER PPC Timber is still fun for PUGs.

LBX was never viable in any context.

Clan UACs were fundamentally flawed. They were basically implemented as lasers except with need to lead the target, and store ammo. IE strictly worse. The only reason they are viable on the Dire is that you can take OMG so many of them.

Maybe they should rethink the whole UAC thing. There isn't a good, non-LRM, indirect fire weapon in MWO. Maybe they should rework the ACs to do that.

Edited by JigglyMoobs, 05 October 2015 - 01:53 PM.

[Torezu]

JigglyMoobs, on 05 October 2015 - 01:52 PM, said:

Maybe they should rethink the whole UAC thing. There isn't a good, non-LRM, indirect fire weapon in MWO. Maybe they should rework the ACs to do that.

FTFY. I don't count Streaks - they might as well be direct fire.

[Cupid and Psyche _]

http://metamechs.com/

This is a good place to start. GMan does an amazing job of cataloging all of the popular builds.

What others have said is fairly correct: laser stacking and gauss are the two biggest things. It all really depends on the 'mech though. Streaks are very common on some chassis (Stormcrow and Mad Dog), but not on others. The meta is a bit different across all of the chassis. Experienced players tend to do a good job of building stuff for the quirks.

[JigglyMoobs]

Tranquil Winds, on 05 October 2015 - 02:42 PM, said:

http://metamechs.com/

This is a good place to start. GMan does an amazing job of cataloging all of the popular builds.

What others have said is fairly correct: laser stacking and gauss are the two biggest things. It all really depends on the 'mech though. Streaks are very common on some chassis (Stormcrow and Mad Dog), but not on others. The meta is a bit different across all of the chassis. Experienced players tend to do a good job of building stuff for the quirks.

My least favorite thing about streaks in the game right now is closing in on a LRM boat Mad Dog only to find that it's actually a streak boat.

[Void Angel]

My least favorite thing about streakboats is spelled "Pirates' Bane."

[Evil Ash]

Run fun gimmicky builds so meta builds never have to run your life.

[Audacious Aubergine]

Evil Ash, on 06 October 2015 - 06:13 AM, said:

Run fun gimmicky builds so meta builds never have to run your life.

I like this bit of advice. For a couple days I ran a Gargoyle with an LB-2X on one arm, UAC2 on the other and ERPPC in the chest. I called it "Iron Man" and it was horrible but rather amusing. Switched the ERPPC for a MPL and upsized the cannons to 5 and now it's actually somewhat effective-ish