49 replies to this topic

[Harabeck]

Never be afraid of an XL on the K2. Your side torsos are tiny.

You have insane torso twist, which a skilled pilot can make use of.

Other than that? Nothing truly unique. I used to be a huge fan of the K2...until I tried a Cataphract. They seem to do energy and ballistic builds better.

[Escef]

I prefer to run a stock engine. Several have espoused the myth that the Catapult has near invisible side torsos. I will tell you right now that this is straight up untrue. I run 2 LLs in the arms and 2 AC5 in the torsos, and I cannot count the number of times I've had a torso cannon critted out while the laser on that side was fine. If you are rolling your torso to spread damage around you will last a bit longer. But in the end, you are the one that has to decide if the extra fragility is worth the extra speed/weapons payload.

[wngsprd]

Between CAT-K2, C1, and A1, you get to level up your pilot skill and check out a good amount of builds that are out there. From cheese builds like 4xPPC (K2), 2xAC20 (K2), 2xGauss (K2), 6xSRM6 (A1) to other more interesting K2 builds like:
- 2xUAC5 and 2xLL (or swap out 2xLL for 4xML)
- 2x(ER)PPC, 2ML, 1xAC/2 (AC/2 share the same speed as PPCs)

Come to think of it, it's the only chassis that allows you to put 2 of any weapons available currently (plus supplemental weapons). It's hard to tell how good a weapon is when you trying out firing just one of them, UAC/5, for example.

I'm having fun trying out different combinations of weapons between the K2 and C1.

[Capt Jester]

One great thing about Cats is the side torsos are pretty hard to focus, so going for an XL engine is a good option.

[zztophat]

I've run both Dual Gauss, Dual AC/20 and Dual UAC/5.

Gauss felt like I was always waiting for the right situation to use them best (A large open area that was not currently being dominated by LRMs).

AC/20 just didn't put enough damage on target fast enough to dissuade someone from a frontal attack against me.

The UAC/5 is by far my favorite, tried it with dual large lasers but switched to quad mediums, 300XL engine is a given. When someone bigger and scarier gets in your face the constant slaps from those cannons will often scare them back to cover, the impacts are constant, jarring, loud and very hard to see past if you are punching around their canopy. The UAC/5 is also good at range and close in, so you are never at a loss for combat options.

[Training Instructor]

I don't see why 4xPPC is a cheese build, as it can be done on many other mechs.

[Cid F]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a0b5b4e878e0221

This is funny

[Ewigan]

Ok, so i caved in an went for the Boomcat.
I only got to play a few games in it, but yeah.... it works quite well against all those noobs. It's my first heavy, so i am on entry level Elo. CATAPULT CPLT-K2 5 3 2 1.50 5 0 5.00 1,236 2,587 00:29:12

I didn't die once in those 5 games....
The thing is though, that my build uses the 225 Std, this one to be exact: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d8a44154ddd931c

I like being able to use backup weapons, but that build REALLY limits my ammo.

So i am thinking about doing that: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...178e6460eeaaf80

So keeping the 2 med lasers, more ammo, but less speed.

Thoughts?

[Hex Pallett]

In a week Jagermech is coming out, and will out perform Boomcat in every way. (The torso twist degree is not revealed yet, but I doubt it would be any less than 90+ since JM is meant to be an AA platform)

My recommendation for the beefed up stock build still stands.

[Shiftypete]

Between the decent speed and impressive torso twist, this "gimped Stalker", can stay behind one has it desperately tries to target you.

[Tremendous Upside]

Well... I'd do the first build and scrap the MLs. I know, I know - you like backup weapons, but hear me out on the reasoning. First, those two MLs are on the arms. If your AC20s are down those will be done as well unless its due to running out of ammo. Now to run those two MLs, you're trading 2 tons of ammo out. That's 14 shots at 20 damage per hit - 280 pts of potential damage. Even if you figure a hit percentage of 60-70%, the chances that you're going to do that much damage with a pair of MLs in each game? Probably not gonna happen - and you can even look at the avg you do to confirm that in your stats now . I'd bet most people put up a lot more damage "per game" with an AC20 (or two) than they average from builds with "at least" 2 MLs.

[EvangelionUnit]

Banky, on 13 March 2013 - 11:18 AM, said:

Well... I'd do the first build and scrap the MLs. I know, I know - you like backup weapons, but hear me out on the reasoning. First, those two MLs are on the arms. If your AC20s are down those will be done as well unless its due to running out of ammo. Now to run those two MLs, you're trading 2 tons of ammo out. That's 14 shots at 20 damage per hit - 280 pts of potential damage. Even if you figure a hit percentage of 60-70%, the chances that you're going to do that much damage with a pair of MLs in each game? Probably not gonna happen - and you can even look at the avg you do to confirm that in your stats now . I'd bet most people put up a lot more damage "per game" with an AC20 (or two) than they average from builds with "at least" 2 MLs.

maybe those "average" builds use the medium lasers as they are intended to be used, as backup and weapon of opportunity, enemy shows you his armorless CT? but 'main' guns are on reload, or heat level is to high for your hardhitter energie weapon group ?

and coring someone who has allready red internals in the CT with an AC20 is overkill and maybe 18 damage wasted

oh and you can use arm mounted lasers to show others that they shouldn't feel to save with a height advantage or when they shoot you with their arm mounted guns from below ...

[chenkTheTank]

2x ac20, but dont try to core mechs, go for extremities, arms,legs. Also its gonna be slow so be fire support for a big guy.

[Rustiax]

My favorite builds are :

- 2x ERPCC 2x LB10-X-AC (heat management is sometimes a problem but packs a nice punch when cornered)
- 2x ERLL 2xLL (long range support, very good sustained dps using chainfire)
- 2x UAC5 4xML (haven't tried it enough yet, depends if you can stand the UAC jamming or not)

[mariomanz28]

I started playing MWO when the K2 was a trial mech, stock it was the only one I liked so I bought one. I came up with this setup and have used it ever since, just recently swapping out for an XL280 which made a HUGE difference over the motor I was using outweighing (imo) the cons of having an XL. Not as much punch as an AC/20 Cat but I usually get 300-600 damage per match with it.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...32686ae86307afa

[Golfin Man]

chenkTheTank, on 14 March 2013 - 08:31 PM, said:

2x ac20, but dont try to core mechs, go for extremities, arms,legs. Also its gonna be slow so be fire support for a big guy.

Headshots too, probably the most fun use of the Boomcat. Makes you feel less cheesy when youre headshotting people.

[El Death Smurf]

Ewigan, on 11 March 2013 - 11:46 PM, said:

Ok, so i caved in an went for the Boomcat.
I only got to play a few games in it, but yeah.... it works quite well against all those noobs. It's my first heavy, so i am on entry level Elo. CATAPULT CPLT-K2 5 3 2 1.50 5 0 5.00 1,236 2,587 00:29:12

I didn't die once in those 5 games....
The thing is though, that my build uses the 225 Std, this one to be exact: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d8a44154ddd931c

I like being able to use backup weapons, but that build REALLY limits my ammo.

So i am thinking about doing that: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...178e6460eeaaf80

So keeping the 2 med lasers, more ammo, but less speed.

Thoughts?

you done good. once you get 3 varrients unlocked and mastered, the 200 is much more managable as a slower engine slows up the mechs as well as its twist rate. with those 2 AC20, you need to twist to get targets, especially lights, which it destroys.

personally, i put the 2 Medium lasers in the torsos, and skimp off some more arm armor for 1 more ton of ammo, another heat sink, or what have you ... also spread outthe ac20 rounds into the R and L torso, if someone does legg you that's a 280 damage explosion. all my oppinion.

Edited by El Death Smurf, 15 March 2013 - 05:04 PM.

[Nate O]

The only thing that makes it unique is that it's the only mech that can sport two AC/20's. The only heavy I have out of the 9 mechs I own is the cataphract 2x. Hopefully the Jagermech will make me more interested in heavies. I don't even see the reason for the A1 since a 5m can pretty much outclass it by a mile. I try to make each of my mechs unique on their own.

[RLBell]

mariomanz28, on 15 March 2013 - 04:32 PM, said:

I started playing MWO when the K2 was a trial mech, stock it was the only one I liked so I bought one. I came up with this setup and have used it ever since, just recently swapping out for an XL280 which made a HUGE difference over the motor I was using outweighing (imo) the cons of having an XL. Not as much punch as an AC/20 Cat but I usually get 300-600 damage per match with it.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...32686ae86307afa

I started playing with the Stalker-3F trial mech. I followed that up with two other Stalkers. When the Cat-K2 rotated into the trial mech group, I tried it, and liked it so much that I started grinding for one. It is a mech that I would not feel nervous about fielding in its stock form, although, I would pull the MG's and MG ammo to upgrade the ML's to MPL's.

It currently hobbles around with a 210XL, two ERPPC's and two LB-10X's. I may try the 300XL and twin AC/2's and two ERPPC build. I just have to grind for more engines (right now, I only have as many engines as mechs and I like each mech to be in a serviceable condition [ fielding a 67t STK-5S with only two ERPPC's and an SRM4 was only funny once, but it did have an engine]).

[TwentyOne]

your all WRONG. 4PPC 16DHS 300XL MAX armor. Is like a 4ppc stalker just 4 less DHS. Very effective. My favorite mech