29 replies to this topic

[Oppresor]

So how would you configure your Atlas as a Sniper?

I use:
1 x ER Large Laser
1 x ERPPC
1 x LRM 15

1 x LBX10 Scattershot (Self defence)
1 x MG Array (Self defence)

[Armored Yokai]

1 mgun will not do much
try replacing it with a small laser and replace that mgun ammo with lbx or lrm ammo

[One Medic Army]

I use fewer than 5 weapon groups.
Additionally for sniping it's generally preferred to front-load the damage as much as possible, meaning no Lasers which need to hold on target, and no LRMs which fly amazingly slow.

If I was to make an atlas into a sniper, despite both the Cataphract and Stalker being superior for the role, I would fit PPCs, ERPPCs, and either Gauss or AC/2s.

The common atlas snipers are: quad-PPC RS, and 2xERPPC+Gauss.

[Allister Rathe]

Which Atlas are you talking about? D? D-DC? RS? That makes a pretty big difference in terms of what weapons you can drop in.

[Thoummim]

Oppresor, on 16 March 2013 - 02:52 PM, said:

1 x LBX10 Scattershot (Self defence)
1 x MG Array (Self defence)

You're joking right ? Sniper atlas is bad enough and you want to put a MG/LBX on it ?

[Acenan]

Oppresor, on 16 March 2013 - 02:52 PM, said:

1 x LBX10 Scattershot (Self defence)
1 x MG Array (Self defence)

Drop them, take AC/10 and don't bother with the MG...

Infact drop all of it, and take a gauss and large lasers insted. And LRMs(and dependednt on the model: tag)

Edited by Acenan, 16 March 2013 - 03:00 PM.

[Culler]

This post would probably be better off in the battlemechs section rather than general http://mwomercs.com/...96-battlemechs/

Also keep in mind that being a sniper in this game is all about linked weapons hitting hard at range. 1 large laser and 1 PPC do not a sniper make. The pinnacle of Atlas sniping (and by that I mean the one that is the most sniper-y) is an RS with 4 PPCs and a gauss rifle for a 55 damage alpha.

[Oppresor]

Thoummim, on 16 March 2013 - 02:58 PM, said:

You're joking right ? Sniper atlas is bad enough and you want to put a MG/LBX on it ?

No, this is the best combination that I have come up with so far to deal with close in circle of death situations when my backs against the wall. Yes it's desperate, but the LBX makes a real mess of a Commando if you manage to get a few shots into it before the LBX breaks or jams. The MG Array fills in the gaps between LBX reloads or cool down from the long range stuff.

[Culler]

Do yourself a favor; drop the machine gun and its ammo and spend the time between shots of real weapons torso twisting to protect your vulnerable components and spread damage around. There is no good reason to let an enemy take whatever shot they want so your atlas can tickle them for almost entirely unnoticeable damage.

[MischiefSC]

Crazy as it sounds but I'd go with 4x ERLLs. WIth State Rewind and splitting each arm into a separate weapon groups to help with heat management. They work great on Ravens up close; aim high on the leg and you'll pop one off pretty quickly. It's a 36 pt sniper hit, enough to pop a Catapults cockpit and best of all it'll do it at stupid long ranges.

PPCs and Gauss have issues up close, are fragile, and are otherwise have their own problems.

Do a UAC5 and SRMs plus a 325std and enough HS to keep her going. about 6 total tons of ammo depending on what you like to use. An LB10X is a waste of weight - it's only 1pt per projectile, you're doing about the same damage as a ML sprayed over a mechs surface for 11 times the weight plus ammo weight. The current LB10X is a bad idea that identifies easy targets. Don't carry it.

[Serapth]

As was said earlier, the Atlas isn't well suited towards being a sniper, the Catapract, Stalker and even Awesome outclass it heavily.

I tried the above mentioned Gauss + 2xERPPC build and trust me, when you run into a brawler D-DC, he will eat you for lunch, as will most lights under the current ballistic hit code.

My prefered build is 2xLL or 2xERLL + Gauss, then either LRMs or SRMs to fill it out. ( I am currently running 2xLRM15, 2xLL + AC20 ), but this can be made a bit of a sniper by swapping the LL for ER variety, swapping the AC20 for a gauss and swapping out the missiles for a smaller calibre.

MischiefSC, on 16 March 2013 - 03:17 PM, said:

Crazy as it sounds but I'd go with 4x ERLLs. WIth State Rewind and splitting each arm into a separate weapon groups to help with heat management. They work great on Ravens up close; aim high on the leg and you'll pop one off pretty quickly. It's a 36 pt sniper hit, enough to pop a Catapults cockpit and best of all it'll do it at stupid long ranges.

PPCs and Gauss have issues up close, are fragile, and are otherwise have their own problems.

Do a UAC5 and SRMs plus a 325std and enough HS to keep her going. about 6 total tons of ammo depending on what you like to use. An LB10X is a waste of weight - it's only 1pt per projectile, you're doing about the same damage as a ML sprayed over a mechs surface for 11 times the weight plus ammo weight. The current LB10X is a bad idea that identifies easy targets. Don't carry it.

I regret selling my RS, there are a number of builds I would like to try now that I have more Atlas experience.

I've seen a number of pilots top the damage charts with 4xLPL and tons of heat sinks, which seems like a terrible build, but ends up being really effective.

Granted, Alpine gimped that build heavily.

[employee24601]

I.. I don't understand. Fight from a distance in my Atlas you say? How am I supposed to chew their faces off??

[Oppresor]

employee24601, on 16 March 2013 - 03:34 PM, said:

I.. I don't understand. Fight from a distance in my Atlas you say? How am I supposed to chew their faces off??

I like it, spoken like a true warrior, please don't change. It's just my preferred tactic, use something really heavy because it can look really cool even from a distance and it can take incoming reasonably well (The AMS helps). Ideally, I would use an Omega; but we don't have those yet.

[Serapth]

employee24601, on 16 March 2013 - 03:34 PM, said:

I.. I don't understand. Fight from a distance in my Atlas you say? How am I supposed to chew their faces off??

"Employee24601, watch out for that splatcat!"

Employee24601 has been killed by YetAnotherFuckingSplatcat.

"Too late"

[Kodiak Jorgensson]

for a sniper atlas, when i have some time to play, i will probably try one of these 2...

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ab5656eca5b71b7

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d81931425e91e41

[Royalewithcheese]

I'm currently messing around with the RS 1xGauss/4xLLaser, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone who isn't scary good with lasers. I suck at lasers, so part of this may be a function of that, but I really don't like a sniper config on the Atlas. Guns are in the wrong place and it's too slow.

[Major Derps]

Please don't snipe with an Atlas. They have the armor and prowess for frontline combat. Save the sniping/long range fire for awesomes and stalkers.

[Oppresor]

Kodiak Jorgensson, on 16 March 2013 - 03:47 PM, said:

for a sniper atlas, when i have some time to play, i will probably try one of these 2...

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ab5656eca5b71b7

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d81931425e91e41

Both are good. I tried the twin ERPPC route early on but had to abandon it due to heat build-up. I am tempted to fit the Gauss, but have sacrificed it for the LBX, I need something for close up defence and in theory the LBX should be perfect.

At the moment the only thing that I am experimenting with is the LRM's. I have just ditched the Streak 2 so that I could take the LRM from 10 to 15 again; based on tonight's performance it seems to have been a good move, definitely hitting harder.

[Serapth]

Mokey Mot, on 16 March 2013 - 03:56 PM, said:

Please don't snipe with an Atlas. They have the armor and prowess for frontline combat. Save the sniping/long range fire for awesomes and stalkers.

Mokey Mot, on 16 March 2013 - 03:56 PM, said:

Please don't snipe with an Atlas. They have the armor and prowess for frontline combat. Save the sniping/long range fire for awesomes and stalkers.

This is a myth.

In the high alpha game nobody has the armor to "take a hit or two".

2xAlphas from a 6xPPC or 6xSplat takes any mech out of the game. Considering just about every match has one of these two builds in it, and the Atlas in the open cant do a damned thing to defend against either, wading in to frontline combat is just stupid.

[One Medic Army]

If you just want an all-range atlas loadout (long range plus close defense) I'll suggest this:
300std
Endo/DHS/Artemis
2x AC/2
2x LRM10
2x LPL (Arms)
TAG (CT)

3 weapon groups, plus TAG on a 4th which remains on.
Arm LPLs scare off lights better than an LBX ever could, and are good against larger targets as well.
TAG+Artemis LRMs function quite well from 750m down to 200m.
Chain-fired AC2s are functional everywhere from pt blank to well over 1000m.

Arm lasers and SRMs make the best close-range weapons unless you've got good enough aim to hit light mechs with an AC/20.

Edited by One Medic Army, 16 March 2013 - 04:23 PM.