44 replies to this topic

[Leded]

Well I’ve been working with the Awesome last couple weeks and decided to add it to my “how to's”
http://mwomercs.com/...w-atlas-pilots/
http://mwomercs.com/...nchback-pilots/


first off: I really REALLY tried to make the seemingly “built as intended” PPC loaded Awesome work, with … mixed results. Larger slower targets it was pretty effective, smaller ones even Medium mechs they didn't “feel” like they carried much punch.

1) Your biggest enemy is HEAT. I've found on the variants I've tried that the Awesome is a good candidate for using Double Heat Sinks. It ends up freeing up some tonnage for a stronger engine, (with possible extra heat sink slots) which will make you faster than an Atlas (that is a good thing). If you can squeeze about 20 DHSs on it, it can be equivalent to 28 standard ones. Leaving weight allowance for heavier weapons.

2) The Awesome is the small fry of the Assault Mechs, a paltry 80 tons that will make an Atlas's big skulled head laugh in your direction. I've noticed in a 1v1 fight, inexperienced Atlas pilots don't take you seriously. Make them regret it. The Awesome can front load an immense amount of damage in the right situations. Not enough core out an Atlas before he rips big gaping holes in your armor, but enough to take it's Right Torso out of action in short order. Cut it's nuts off by taking out it's Auto-cannon mount and arm weapons and you take out at least half of its fire power.

3) Stay cool (can't emphasize heat build up enough). Even with a heavy heat sink build you can ramp up a lot of heat real quick. Where possible try to make “strike and retreat” shots. Poke your head out, rail into your target with everything you've got and back out behind cover. This works best with a friend. If your on the same page, first one of you sticks his gun out, shoots and backs out as you move up, doing this can also keep enemies from rushing your position and can have some pretty devastating effects.

4) Armor... your the most lightly armored Assault Mech out there. I'm sorry you have to hear it, but you have an armor problem and it's not going to get any better until you admit it. Firstly if you find yourself staring at 3-4 well armed Mechs and you have no cover, no back up and no way out, you're gonna die... a lot. In other cases where you have a little more control over your own life and are in a running fight and your front is taking a lot of damage, remember you still have back armor that can take a few hits. Very few pilots can resist a good back shot. Show your back, let it take a couple hits while you cool off, turn back and finish him off. At that time “his” heat will be rockin' pretty high.

hope that can help out a few newer folks checkin out the pretty awesome Awesome

As of now my favored Awesome is the AWS-8V, Std 290 Engine (with speed tweak runs about 63kph), 20 Double Heat Sinks, 3 Medium Pulses and a 3 pack of SRM6s for some close range punch and a Large Laser on the arm for some long range hitting ability. The speed allows it to close range with enemies quicker without the added the glass jaw of a XL engine and allows you to keep pace with most mediums and heavies. A similar build worked very with the AWS-8Q as well for some Awesome BBQ time.
6/23/13 edit new AWS-8V build, nice hefty ER PPC, 3 Meds for backups and the triple pack of SRM6s that i like to call "the can opener"
also with patches that happened well after i wrote this the PPCs do feel a little more viable now

Edited by Leded, 23 June 2013 - 05:35 PM.

[Jaded Jasper]

20 DHS is equal to 34 standard sinks -- the engine sinks count for 2x, and only the added sinks count for 1.4x. If you're going the lots of Medium or Medium Pulse Lasers single heatsinks can work, but anything else pretty much demands DHS (as with most any mech).

I actually like the Awesome when matched up against an Atlas. The trick is to use your extra maneuverability to get into a position where you get the first shot off, or better yet can alpha once or twice then hide behind cover to cool down. Definitely get a big engine, as it gives you much more influence over initiative, tempo, and battleground.

Builds I've had good success with:
Awesome R with 4xSRM6, 3xML, and a 285 engine. Most terrifying mech to run into when you round a corner!
Awesome Q with 4xLL, 3xML, and a 285 engine. The MLs are too hot for constant use, but the punch comes in handy.
Awesome Q with 4xPPC, and I forget what size engine. Definitely a different play style, but effective. 80 damage in one spot over 3.5s.
Awesome M with 3xPPC, 3xStreak, and a 300XL engine. A bit tricky now with ECM.

I've also been comtemplating:
Awesome M with 4xLL and a 350XL engine, or maybe 370XL.
Awesome T with 4xLL, 2xSRM6 and a 285? engine.

[Leded]

dam there you are again Jaded (i'm still working the kinks out of my light mech piloting btw,). yeah the AWS-8R i had a similar build, those 4 SRM6s really back a wallop if you run head first into a big guy. i guess the double heat sink thing you mentioned was why it "felt" like they worked better than that +40% from the added ones.

i had to mention the Atlas vs Awesome thing tho, because way too many time while in my Atlas an enemy Awesome will just stand right in front of me and try to core me out head on. not smart if i happen to be a good shot with an AC20

i'll have to revisit the PPCs in the future tho, i heard they could be getting a tweak in the future.

[Jaded Jasper]

I actually like the PPCs as they are now, though it's a finesse weapon as you have to really be on the ball with your engagement time/angle. Very satisfying though to stick someone with 8 PPCs and have them wonder how they died so fast! With some practice you can tag light mechs at midrange about 25% of the time too, which is great since one shot is often enough to leg or core them.

I'm definitely looking forward to PPC velocity jumping from 1200 to 2000, and whatever "EMP" effect they're adding will just be gravy.

[Leded]

well as far as the EMP affect, i remember in MW4 when you got hit by one your HUD kinda tweaked and flickered out for some disorientating effects.

the velocity going up seems fair tho... its essentially a bolt of lightning. lightning tends to move very fast

[The Amazing Atomic Spaniel]

Jaded Jasper, on 15 December 2012 - 04:33 PM, said:

Awesome T with 4xLL, 2xSRM6 and a 285? engine.

As a professional ********* I have a hangar full of Awesomes. I've mastered all but the 9M and 8T, but have played a few games with an 8T with 4LL and 2SSRM2. It's actually a bit harder to use than I had expected. Having all the LL in the arms is great for swinging the beams around, but I've been surprised by how often I get the arms shot off, leaving me with an underwhelming firepower. The torso-mounted lasers in other versions are harder to aim, but by the time they are destroyed the mech is just about finished anyway.

Edit - can't believe that "m a s o c h i s t " is on the filter list. But it is.

Edited by RocketDog, 16 December 2012 - 02:23 PM.

[Jaded Jasper]

Wouldn't want to get any S&M into our MWO now, would we? ;-)

I've been considering the 4LL, 2Streak build too, depending on how easy it is to fit SRM6s. I really do like the punch of SRM6s against lights though, and then I don't have to rely upon someone else on my team countering ECM.

[Frostbeast]

I have alot of fun with my 9m with 2 ppc, 4mid laser and 1 srm6. xl 365 (80 kph with elite) and 22 dhs. I use normal ppc because u cant hurt your friends when they run in front of you and the heat of cause.
Double shooting the 2 ppc is no problem. Even in the desert you can fire more than 7 times in a row

[Knox]

Having tons of fun with my 385 XL 9M. 5 MPL and an SSRM-2 with enough sinks to fire forever. Nobody ever expects an assault mech that can outrun a Dragon.

[Leded]

Knox, on 16 December 2012 - 06:17 PM, said:

Having tons of fun with my 385 XL 9M. 5 MPL and an SSRM-2 with enough sinks to fire forever. Nobody ever expects an assault mech that can outrun a Dragon.

dam man, how fast can you run with that thing?

[Cpt Jason McCarthy]

Knox, on 16 December 2012 - 06:17 PM, said:

Having tons of fun with my 385 XL 9M. 5 MPL and an SSRM-2 with enough sinks to fire forever. Nobody ever expects an assault mech that can outrun a Dragon.

Easy prey !

[Stingz]

Leded, on 16 December 2012 - 06:28 PM, said:

dam man, how fast can you run with that thing?

Apparently 83.8 k/ph with speed tweak, it can outrun stock Dragons(81), but not customs built for speed(97.2).

I might try that loadout when DHS is worth using on assault mechs boating lasers. Though it's kinda a 80t Swayback.

Edited by Stingz, 16 December 2012 - 06:58 PM.

[GalaxyBluestar]

as an pilot of awesomes i can thouroughly recommend both jaded and leded's advice, IT WORKS! be mindfull yes you are the lowley assault but you are the biggest of the heavies, for classification purposes you're only 5 ton's over from being classified a heavy so treat your mech as such, trading some speed for extra armour and firepower. always play the support role if you can unless you can fit 70% or more of your armament with closerange weapons.

i've seen the 8r splatter awesome in 3 versions, the one mentioned here with extra speed/bigger engine, the one i have with many more heat sink and 2 mlasers so you can throw extra srm volleys in without the heat worries {can make all the difference in knife fights} or an 4Xsrm6 with ppc version. not sure how that one plays so keep it in mind when you experiement. have fun!

[Budor]

Knox, on 16 December 2012 - 06:17 PM, said:

Having tons of fun with my 385 XL 9M. 5 MPL and an SSRM-2 with enough sinks to fire forever. Nobody ever expects an assault mech that can outrun a Dragon.

I run a 375xl (smallest with 5 sink slots) 23x DHS, 6x MPL +1x SRM6 or 4x MPL + 2x SRM6. Does ~83km/h with elite skills. SRM is much better dmg and i dont need streaks because lights run off after 1-2 alphas. Awesome mech...

Edit: 1x LL, 5x ML, 1x SRM6 is nice to.

Edited by Budor, 16 December 2012 - 07:45 PM.

[Dugra Dugrasson]

I'm quite liking my 6MPL 9M. I use the XL '85 and Speed Tweak for roughly 86 km/h. I typically stay out of the brawling, I go for fire support 'Mechs and loners, usually legging or hitting the back. Great success since I started using it about a month ago. I'll go back to using a PPC/Missile boat when EMP effects are thrown in or the damage on the PPCs is seriously buffed. However, in the meantime I'll have to experiment with different kinds of laser boats.

[Artifex 28]

9M with XL380, advanced brawler build/setup here.

http://mwomercs.com/...vanced-brawler/

Edited by Artifex 28, 19 December 2012 - 02:51 AM.

[Pugastrius]

I hate perpetuating or encourage people to buy an Awesome since I really think they are just worse versions of the Stalker now... but:

There is a lot of bad advice in this thread:

Quote

Having tons of fun with my 385 XL 9M

Don't ever... ever equip an XL engine in an awesome. The torso is large enough to hit as is, don't make killing your mech even easier.

The question I have to those people that are using it... is where the heck are you putting your weight?

You should be able to outfit an 9M with a 350 std: Energy weapons are light, and there is virtually nothing else to put your weight into anyway.

Quote

4xPPC

I know that the awesome has a history with using PPCs, but outside of role-play reasons using PPCs on an Awesome helps your team lose. Moving any assault mech from the front lines to a "support" role is simply not beneficial. In every case your team is better off taking a Cataphract with 2xGause.

Why? Because your job as a pilot is to use the smallest mech possible to accomplish the role you want to fill. Now currently "smallest mech" is not necessarily by tonnage but rather by class (light, medium, heavy, assault). So if you can do the exact same thing with equal success using a lower teir your team will be better off for it.

Quote

SRM6s

The Awesome already runs hot and the SRM 6s generate more heat aand eat up space / weight that could be used for more DHS. Moreover, you need 1/3 the ammo to supply SSRMs as SRM6s... even more space. Leave the SRM6s to mechs that don't live and die by heat generation. Unless of course you have no assurance that an ECM is going to be available.

More Advice for the Awesome Pilots:

Quote

1) Always get DHS
2) Always get an engine that is a multiple of 25
3) Largest Laser goes in the arm.
4) Your legs are really tiny compared to your torso So most people won't even bother with your legs making it safe for you to chop a lot of armor off of them in exchange for more DHS.

Edited by Pugastrius, 19 December 2012 - 03:35 PM.

[Jaded Jasper]

Pugastrius, on 19 December 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

I hate perpetuating or encourage people to buy an Awesome since I really think they are just worse versions of the Stalker now... but:

You're wrong about that. The Stalker is better on paper and has better hardpoints, but:
- poor turning speed and acceleration
- poor twist speed
- terrible twist range -- only about 60 degrees!
- no extra sinks or space, which limits the 3 extra hardpoints.
- Using Streaks in the extra hardpoints would be great... except the poor agility makes them hard to use.

It gets destroyed in any sort of close range brawl as it can't fire while circling, and can't block with it's arms in a long range firefight. It's also harder to position for tactical advantage.

Quote

There is a lot of bad advice in this thread:

Don't ever... ever equip an XL engine in an awesome. The torso is large enough to hit as is, don't make killing your mech even easier.

The question I have to those people that are using it... is where the heck are you putting your weight?

Yeah, it's a different style of play, and most of my Awesomes don't use XLs. Some of them benefit from the combination of speed and firepower though, especially at long range. Sure, it makes them more vulnerable at close range -- but they're hosed there anyway.

Your problem here is that you only know how to play one style of Assault mech.

Quote

I know that the awesome has a history with using PPCs, but outside of role-play reasons using PPCs on an Awesome helps your team lose. Moving any assault mech from the front lines to a "support" role is simply not beneficial. In every case your team is better off taking a Cataphract with 2xGause.

This is a myth. PPC sniping is brutal, and more specifically just dominates the 2xGauss builds you mention:
- 2000 vs 1200 velocity, so more accurate
- 3s vs 4s refire, so you can fire twice to their once before you step behind cover
- using cover offsets the heat problem
- You can mount more damage in PPCs

You're frankly just wrong that the only place for an Assault mech is as a front line brawler. After maybe some 2000 matches I would say the 4 PPC Awesome is one of the best mechs I've seen, even if it is somewhat tricky to pilot well -- opponents just don't expect to be smoked so quickly at mid-long range. I too was skeptical of it at first as it looks bad on paper, but the difference between 80 and 60 damage is crucial.

Quote

The Awesome already runs hot and the SRM 6s generate more heat aand eat up space / weight that could be used for more DHS. Moreover, you need 1/3 the ammo to supply SSRMs as SRM6s... even more space. Leave the SRM6s to mechs that don't live and die by heat generation. Unless of course you have no assurance that an ECM is going to be available.

And... you're wrong here too. A 4xSRM6 Awesome is one of the most fearsome things to face at point blank range (well, now that they shrunk the head hitbox!), and you have enough heat sinks to use them for a fair length of time. Sure, you have one or two less sinks than if you went pure lasers -- but the SRMs are more heat efficient than the lasers you're suggesting so that's more than offset. The space used by ammo is moot, because it comes from places you can't fit DHS.

More specifically, a SRM Awesome destroys the Laser Awesomes you're suggesting if you can get it into SRM range. Which one does better depends on who can set the range.

Streaks can be a good approach too if you want to put the tonnage saved into Large Lasers or PPCs, but this is a different build seeking to take advantage of range.


The hilarious thing to me is that you're boldly stating that Awesomes should only be used up close and personal, and then suggesting arming them with mid to long range weaponry!

Also, if you're going to be so bold as to trash talk everyone else's builds, maybe you should be so bold as to post what you use, oh perfect master.

[Jaded Jasper]

Pugastrius, on 19 December 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

More Advice for the Awesome Pilots:
1) Always get DHS

2) Always get an engine that is a multiple of 25
3) Largest Laser goes in the arm.
4) Your legs are really tiny compared to your torso So most people won't even bother with your legs making it safe for you to chop a lot of armor off of them in exchange for more DHS.

1) DHS is almost always the way to go, but a medium laser awesome is one of the few places you're better off with normal sinks.

2) Depends. Sometimes you have extra tonnage you can't put into sinks or weapons and want the bit of extra speed, especially as you approach the cap. This is why 285 standard works, though I don't like 290 as it's a full extra ton over 285.

3) Maybe. This is useful for circle brawling, but can give convergence problems. Generally I prefer to mount all my main lasers/ppcs in the torso so they'll hit the same spot.

4) Terrible advice, only good against poor opponents. I leg Awesomes all the time, and it's so much easier when they graciously trim their leg armor. It's generally more effective to leg them than backshot them with a light-medium mech, as they won't die from your initial rear torso salvo and will afterwards be able to hide thier rear -- but they can't hide their legs. And the nice fat legs on an Awesome are easy to hit.

[WVAnonymous]

Jaded Jasper, on 19 December 2012 - 04:46 PM, said:

Also, if you're going to be so bold as to trash talk everyone else's builds, maybe you should be so bold as to post what you use, oh perfect master.

oh *snap*!