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I bought the CTF-4X shortly after discovering how powerful the AC2 can be. The 4X is the only Heavy/Assault mech with 4 ballistic hardpoints and I thought, surely, mounting 4 AC2s was a strategy that couldn't go wrong.
But in practice it proved not strong enough. 4 AC2s does less damage than 2 AC5s, duh, you say, but I just had to try out my 4 AC2 build. Oh well.
As I learned more about the game I realized the CTF-4X is generally a poor platform if Min-maxing is your game. You can stick two gausses on it, but there are other platforms that's true of that give you bettter options. You can go with 2 AC 5s and 2 AC2s, but that's not the greatest either. 4 AC5s is probably the "best" build for this mech, but I just didn't enjoy it.
Fortunately, Min-Maxing isn't my game. I like having fun with wacky builds, and boy oh boy have I found one.
Ladies and Gentlemen: CTF-4X Metal Salad
Start with a STD 255. There might be a more efficient option, but I wanted more speed than the stock STD 215, and it was the one engine that was feasible that I had laying around.
Load up Endo and DHS to save some weight. Also strip one point of armor from each leg, you'll need it in a bit.
Now drop 2 MLs in the center and a SRM 4 in the head. These are your backup weapons and they'll give your Alpha a little boost when you get in close.
Now for the fun part:
Each arm gets an LB-10 X AC and a Machine gun.
You have seven tons left, which gives you 4 tons of LB-10 Ammo, a ton each of SRM and MG ammo and an extra DHS.
I set the LB-10 X ACs to weapon group 1, the Machine Guns to group 2 and the lasers+SRM to group 3.
Your job is to loiter around the Atlases and be a support brawler. There's very little you can do at range, but once you get in close you can more or less hold down all of your fire buttons without fear of overheating.
I admit it's a bit selfish, but between the MGs and the LB-10 X ACs you are going to rack up component destruction like nobody's business. Granted, the energy slots could go to flamers, but this thing already has enough trouble punching through armor considering focus fire is almost non-existant you need something to pump your DPS. 2 MLs and an SRM4 isn't much, but land that grouping 3 or 4 times as you hold down the fire buttons and you'll be in a much better position .
I'm not sure if it's worth dropping 1.5 tons of armor, or 0.5 and one ton of LB-10 ammo off to add an AMS and AMS Ammo. I generally feel if you spend so much time out of cover as you try to get into position that LRMs become a serious problem, you're not going to last long anyway, but Alpine Peaks is a different beast.
You need to land on the right team, but I've had multiple 4 kill 3 assist matches with 600+ damage with this thing, which is absurd. It doesn't always work, but when it does it's more fun to pilot than any other mech I've tried.
Edited by Stonecutter, 01 March 2013 - 07:44 AM.
