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- They all have at most 3 weapon groups. Left mouse, right mouse, thumb. Keeps things simple, and lets you focus on the fight.
- Within a variant they all use the same upgrades. No spending millions adding/removing endosteel and whatnot. Artemis isn't on all options, but you don't have to remove it for the ones that don't use it.
- Don't buy the K. Yes you can build it to where it's essentially equivalent to other variants, but you've still paid too much for too little mech, and you only need 3 to elite/master.
AS7-D: the D is for Direct fire
3 Large Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle, 3 tons ammo
2 Streak SRM2s, 1 ton ammo
Engine: Std 300
Armor: 560
Heatsinks: 20 DHS
Upgrades: DHS
AS7-D - Direct Fire
The D has several strengths, most notably the energy hardpoints in the CT. These points are positioned higher than its arm hardpoints, allowing it to shoot some targets that your arms otherwise cannot. Still, having the same kind of laser between the arms and torso allows for ease of targeting and weapons group management.
The Gauss in the RT is a bit of a risk, and while I'll be the first to say the CASE is unnecessary for an Atlas to contain 20point explosion, given the crits and the tonnage no harm in having it. Gauss ammo is spread between free crits to protect other components - weapons in either torso, and the streak ammo in the leg.
Streak2's are of limited use given the prevalence of ECM, but these are more to chase off fast mediums or lights if you have an ECM advantage. Against bigger enemies your lasers and Gauss will be doing most of the work. Not really a brawler, but can hold its own in brawls if you've managed to work them a bit at range.
While PPCs have been hogging most of the glory in the direct fire world, Large Lasers still pack a respectable punch, and seem to have a bit better hit detection. Between that and the Gauss, you can hold your own at all but the longest or shortest of ranges.
AS7-D: the D is for Direct fire 2
3 Large Lasers
2 AC5s, 4 tons ammo
2 Streak SRM2s, 1 ton ammo
Engine: XL 360
Armor: 560
Heatsinks: 20 DHS
Upgrades: DHS
AS7-D - Direct Fire 2
This version replaces the Std 300 engine with a riskier but more potent XL360. The biggest engine you can pack, taking advantage of that extra speed, acceleration, and turn rate will help you protect those side torsos. Admittedly more dangerous, but it can pay off in the right setting.
Because of the XL engine, the Gauss is replaced by a pair of AC5s. Fired together they essentially act as an AC10 but with ~1.5x the DPS for a 1.3x the tonnage and 1 extra crit. Not a bad tradeoff if you have the tonnage, and handily out-DPS's the Gauss, though with 5 less front-loaded damage.
Otherwise it's pretty similar to the above build, with a lot more maneuverability in exchange for having to watch that XL engine.
AS7-D: the D is for Dakka
4 Medium Lasers
2 UAC5s, 6 tons ammo
2 SRM6s, 3 tons ammo
Engine: Std 300
Armor: 576
Heatsinks: 18 DHS
Upgrades: DHS, Artemis
AS7-D - Dakka
A brawler build, taking advantage of the D's two ballistic hardpoints. Again, energy weapons are one type for ease of weapon grouping. It's hard to beat the raw damage output of multiple UAC5s when you get a run without jamming, but the other weapons are hardly negligible either.
The main weakness is that you're both slow and fairly short ranged. The UAC5s give you some ranged firepower, but they'll eat through ammo quickly if you try to plink targets at range. Still, a brawler with the firepower to stand up to stalkers and DDC atlases, depending on the whims of the weapon jamming gods.
AS7-RS: the RS is for, uh, Ranged Sniper?
4 PPCs
1 Gauss Rifle, 2 tons ammo
Engine: Std 300
Armor: 608
Heatsinks: 16 DHS
Upgrades: DHS, Endo-Steel
AS7-RS - Ranged Sniper
Sort of a gimmicky build, this thing can potentially core a target at range. 4 PPCs and a Gauss mean up to 55 damage to a single component, which is a one-shot kill against many smaller mechs. While the build runs hot, it's not meant to slug out for extended durations. Alpha, reposition, repeat.
Up close though, because these are regular PPCs and not ER (ERs are a bit too hot if you're packing 4 and a Gauss), you're pretty vulnerable. The Gauss is fragile, has limited ammo, and is a poor close range weapon. Even at medium ranges, beyond the PPC's 90m minimum, hit detection on PPCs can be inconsistent, and the wide spread and low height of the Atlas's arms and subsequent convergence concerns only complicate the issue.
Not my favorite, but in the right team with the right battle plan, going all-in on the ranged battle can be deadly.
AS7-RS: the RS is for, uh, Raking Sniper!
4 Large Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle, 3 tons ammo
Engine: Std 325
Armor: 592
Heatsinks: 18 DHS
Upgrades: DHS, Endo-Steel
AS7-RS - Raking Sniper
A much more versatile build, this was the tried and true RS prior to the PPC heat buff. Even without the Gauss, the 4 Large Lasers do enough pinpoint damage to cockpit a mech in one alpha if you're a respectable shot. The lasers give you more reliable firepower up close, though you're not quite the sniper as the PPC version. Running noticeably cooler than the PPC version is also nice, though you'll still run hot in extended engagements.
Another primarily long range build, with more ranged punch than the D and DDC can pack, with the versatility of arm mounts. Again, low and wide mounts do make positioning more challenging than with, for example, sniper build Stalkers.
AS7-RS: the RS is for Random Something
3 Medium Lasers
1 AC10, 2 tons ammo
2 LRM15s, 6 tons ammo
1 AMS, 1 ton ammo
1 TAG
Engine: Std 325
Armor: 592
Heatsinks: 18 DHS
Upgrades: DHS, Endo-Steel, Artemis
AS7-RS - Random Something
Ok, I ran out of things to make RS stand for. Anyways, with the new Artemis, LRMs seem to be the rage. So here's an LRM boat, sort of. Sadly the RS makes for one of the worst LRM boats among atlases given its limited tubes, but quite frankly it would be a waste to use the D or DDC for LRMs. Really though if you want LRMs in an assault you should be driving a Stalker.
The RS does provide an advantage in that it allows for an arm-mount TAG without taking away half of your arm mount energy hardpoints (only a quarter), which are all the more useful for scratching those harassing lights. The TAG goes in the left arm, so that if you lose your LT you only lose 1 Medium Laser, and you no longer need the TAG anyways. Side note, get the always-on TAG setup to keep it to 3 weapons groups.
Between the AC10 and 3 medium lasers, you pack enough of a bite to contribute to your own close range defense. You won't fight off a fresh DDC or splatcat obviously, and success against a 3L will depend largely on your aim with the AC10. An otherwise under-appreciated weapon, the AC10 gives you a nice overlap between LRM targets and Medium Laser targets. While you can fit a UAC5 instead, a single UAC5 simply isn't consistent enough given the jam chance. At least when you have 2, one can keep going while the other is jammed.
Regardless, this is probably one of the more rounded builds that may become more important as our map selection diversifies. Ultimately the point of this mech is to be an LRM boat with a bit more defensive power than most.
AS7-D-DC: blah blah blah
I won't belabor the standard builds. As the ECM variant, the DDC is the most popular, and builds for it are everywhere. Some of my personal inclinations though. Artemis is a waste. If you're taking a DDC, you're likely playing super serious mode, and ECM is everywhere. I'd rather have the 3 tons and 3 crits for better heat management in a pinch, especially since many DDC brawls inevitably turns to facehugging. After the legs, ammo in torsos with CASE protects CT, but ammo in the arms protects the torso as well. People are generally good enough shots that any damage you take to arms will be when you twist to shield, and even twisting back and forth, rarely do people get through atlas arm armor. Same with cockpit ammo. And while the DDC can be one of the better LRM Atlases, it seems a waste of the mech to outfit it so.
Anyways, my take on common builds:
AS7-D-DC - Fast Brawler
5 tons AC20 ammo is usually more than you'll need, but I'm pugging more and more so you never know when you'll be asked to do >50% of the team's damage
AS7-D-DC - Slow Brawler
Dakka dakka. OK, the one exception to when I said no going back and forth between upgrades like Endo-Steel
AS7-D-DC - Poptart Support
Not a huge fan of streaks on the DDC, but you're mainly there to help the ranged fight, and the PPCs disabling ECM can help you land streaks on harassing lights.
