27 replies to this topic

[Garfuncle]

I've been getting into the Light class with a Commando lately and have seen some good results in terms of getting kills, capping points, and overall winning games. But I'm curious: given the small loadout of Lights, what's a good value of damage you should be getting out per game? I've had some really great games where I've been pushing around 500+ damage. Is that pretty good for a midget?

[Hex Pallett]

Despite your attempt to conceal the fact that you're bragging around, 500+ is pretty good. Generally my Spider 5D get's 300+ damage per match, but it's not impossible to go over 700 with some luck (and good aim).

[Garfuncle]

Quote

Despite your attempt to conceal the fact that you're bragging around, 500+ is pretty good.

As I've just been using the class recently, I was not bragging and was merely curious. I know that when I don't do 500+ in my Awesome it's sub-par. Nevertheless, thanks for the answer.

[NotEnoughDakkaDakka]

The thing with Commandos is that you don't want to actually be a scout too much; contrary, you want to hang towards the back of your team, wait till the fighting starts, THEN go out. Circle around and pester the LRM boats and such, **** off and find weakened enemies, finish them off, etc... be a distraction, and kill anyone who refuses to turn around to face you.

Get 804 damage with a TDK in the end if you do it right.

[StalaggtIKE]

Don't get too caught up in the damage. A LRM boat can easily get 750+ damage. That however means nothing if he isn't making any kills. It takes less than 40 damage for a headshot kill. That's 320 damage for 8 kills. So, the more damage you're producing without kills, the more inefficient you are. Just something to consider.

Edited by StalaggtIKE, 02 March 2013 - 08:53 PM.

[Hex Pallett]

StalaggtIKE, on 02 March 2013 - 08:52 PM, said:

Don't get too caught up in the damage. A LRM boat can easily get 750+ damage. That however means nothing if he isn't making any kills. It takes less than 40 damage for a headshot kill. That's 320 damage for 8 kills. So, the more damage you're producing without kills, the more inefficient you are. Just something to consider.

So he's basically saying sitting around and killsteal/finishing off is the best way to show you're being efficient and useful.

Oh I dare differ.

Edited by Helmstif, 02 March 2013 - 09:11 PM.

[n0e]

Helmstif, on 02 March 2013 - 09:11 PM, said:

So he's basically saying sitting around and killsteal/finishing off is the best way to show you're being efficient and useful.

Oh I dare differ.

No he is basically saying that a lot of damage is wasted damage and won't contribute for a kill.

[ICEFANG13]

As a light, you want to try and "kill steal" not that you want to look for nearly dead targets and focus them to take them, but you should try to find weak targets (engaged or not engaged with teammates), and kill them. Damage, assists, kills, these are just numbers. You should be concerned on how you do with your team.

However, to answer your question. I consider 500 to be a little high in a game where your team preforms well in a light, 400 is more common, 300 is average, and anything less should be considered room for improvement (less than 50 and lived the match? Get over here and fight! Unless you are capping I guess). 600 is well done, and 700 is the start of excellent. At 800, you would have trouble getting past that. But I don't think I've ever passed 1100 damage in a light before, its harder to do unless you are a bad Jenner-F (spraying everywhere).

The worse your team does, the more damage you will do if you are excelling, but when everyone does well, it will usually be more equal. I consider my effectiveness to be:

Did I kill one mech? If so, my potential death is hopefully nullified.
If not, or in addition to, did my actions in someway prevent or reduce the chance of loss? (Keeping targets busy, capture of bases etc).

[Kaeb Odellas]

Yeah, 500 is nothing special. Especially if you're piloting a Raven 3L, because those are some hot bullcrap. [REDACTED]

Edited by Viterbi, 03 March 2013 - 10:21 AM.
Removed directed statement

[Menthro Kerensky]

As many others have said, lights should be played as a jackal, go for the weak ones, maim them i.e. legs and arms. You may not put up impressive numbers, but it is a good habit to build if you want to play lights and cicadas. Team atlas and an enemy duking it out? Pepper the *******, distract him, hurt him, make him bleed. Be such a ********* pain in his *** that he wastes shots on you instead of your teammate, because if you are dodging right, those shots WILL be wasted. I can't count the number of atlases that like to take potshots at the cicada circling them while other more important targets are there.

I know these sound contradictory, but in my example you should still be hitting that atlas' weak spots, anything that is stripped of armor really, and if nothing is, ankle bite him, atlas' love to have their ankles bitten!

Edited by Menthro, 03 March 2013 - 01:17 AM.

[One Medic Army]

It depends on your weapons.
For Missiles, go by pure damage, but also pay attention to how many backs you strip.
For lasers I tend to measure by how many bits I blow off of other mechs (component destruction).
Nothing is quite so sweet as coming up behind an LRM atlas, and blowing his missile torso off from behind before he can respond.
Playing a light mech (apart from a 3L *grumble grumble grumble*) is all about being a back stabber, find someone open, and give them a drive-by. Find someone in a fight and open them up. Change targets as soon as someone starts targeting you, but always come back eventually.

[Parappaman]

Guys, I'll be as straight as possible on this.

1) Damage means almost nothing. It's fun to look at, and satisfying if you get the odd match with triple the amount you normally deal, but that's it.

2) Kills can not be "stolen". No mech has the "right" to finish the enemy he started leveling. Letting the team win by reducing as quickly as possible the enemy force is always the better thing.

A good example of this is the AC20 Hunchback: low on weapons and ammo, but a few shots in the right parts destroy things like there's no tomorrow. And if you finish a match with 200 damage and 4 kills in it, it doesn't mean you did too little damage to effectively help your team, or that you were a stealkill *****: it simply meant you did your job.

[Kmieciu]

Damage done is meaningless.
If you killed 1 enemy, did not die and won the mach, you contributed enough.

[dbnator]

Helmstif, on 02 March 2013 - 08:31 PM, said:

Despite your attempt to conceal the fact that you're bragging around, 500+ is pretty good. Generally my Spider 5D get's 300+ damage per match, but it's not impossible to go over 700 with some luck (and good aim).

My best DmG output with spider 5D is now 891 but i go oftern over the 700 Mark.

Spoiler

[Revorn]

I personaly would like to get regulary over the 500 in my Cent. But oki iam a terrible Pilot. 500 dmg for a ligth, looks more than oki in my Eys.

[Mazzyplz]

i pilot an awesome and now i can top the charts with 380 damage, people don't seem to be doing as much as before, i am rarely seeing or doing anything above 800 since elo introduction

btw: OP, 500 is what you must aim to be doing, anything over 500 is a fluke on the other team's part when you pilot a light

Edited by Mazzyplz, 03 March 2013 - 03:34 AM.

[loliza]

Kaeb Odellas, on 02 March 2013 - 09:34 PM, said:

Yeah, 500 is nothing special. Especially if you're piloting a Raven 3L, because those are some hot bullcrap. Seriously, if you're piloting one of those things, I hope your house burns down.

This i think should be the start of the new raven3L legit trend
basicly if you drop with a raven in your team, JUST LEG IT u will be doing everyone a favor and hopefully this will get viral and we wont see a raven with intact legs before the lagshield is fixed

[Jestun]

With ECM high damage in lights is easy, without it it's more of an achievement.

StalaggtIKE, on 02 March 2013 - 08:52 PM, said:

Don't get too caught up in the damage. A LRM boat can easily get 750+ damage. That however means nothing if he isn't making any kills. It takes less than 40 damage for a headshot kill. That's 320 damage for 8 kills. So, the more damage you're producing without kills, the more inefficient you are. Just something to consider.

While a fair point, is it "inefficient" to shoot off a SplatCat's ears? Is it "inefficient" to legshot the pesky light running through your team?

Popping the CT is not the only thing that people should be aiming to do, different situations require different things.

[StalaggtIKE]

Jestun, on 03 March 2013 - 04:26 AM, said:

While a fair point, is it "inefficient" to shoot off a SplatCat's ears? Is it "inefficient" to legshot the pesky light running through your team?

Popping the CT is not the only thing that people should be aiming to do, different situations require different things.

Not at all. Shooting the CT always results in inefficient damage. That's the whole point of my statement. As I stated above all it takes is a headshot to kill in this game. Also in a lot of cases it is more efficient to go for the legs, as most cutback on armor there. Take out both legs and another efficient kill.

Helmstif, on 02 March 2013 - 09:11 PM, said:

So he's basically saying sitting around and killsteal/finishing off is the best way to show you're being efficient and useful.

Oh I dare differ.

Umm, no. Seems to me you have personal limitations, if you feel you must deal a bunch of damage for a legitimate kill. First off, you should focus fire with your team. So just as there is no 'I' in team, nor is there kill stealing in teamwork. Secondly, they're plenty of ways to score efficient kills. Go for RT/LT on mechs with XL engines or the rear. I'm surprised this isn't common knowledge.

Edited by StalaggtIKE, 03 March 2013 - 06:19 AM.

[The Warspite]

500 dmg is respectable