125 replies to this topic

[AceTimberwolf]

This is an old thread from when i was at E3. We should probably update our thoughts on the Dragon. I main a 1N but Slepy Mains a 5N i believe. Just depends on how you play

Edited by AceTimberwolf, 15 December 2012 - 12:35 PM.

[PaidtoKill]

Seem like if we could get maybe one with ecm would make this mech worth wile over a K2 or even a Catap I love this mech it seems super sturdy but when it comes to doping with it you would be better off with something else until we can get some Electronics on one of the models

[AceTimberwolf]

The dragon 1N seems the natural fit for an electronics package. We will see what happens on the coming months

[SpookShow]

Dragons used to be a terror in closed beta. Dragon bowling was the only thing that made a dragon useful now its mediocre at best.

[CredibleHulk]

sorry necro-ing a thread but there was almost no discussion about dragons at all. Please take it with a grain of salt, as I am super new. But if you're new you may find this useful.

Overall Dragon DRG-5N are 'okay' if you spend the $ to upgrade them. If you ditch the engine for one slightly slower (72kph) or switch to ferro-fibrous and endo structure (sp?) and can manage to fit 1 LRM10, 2 Large Lasers, and 1 LB 10x. Or keep the Ultra AC if you like. But it takes serious bucks.

I've tried two builds (I dont know the MWO jargon but I'll try):
2 med laser, 1 SRM6, 1 UltraAC, CASE, AMS, extra armor, Ferro
2 med laser, 1 LRM10, 1 UltraAC, CASE, AMS, extra armor, Ferro

Currently I am regretting the choice of DRG-5N as my first mech. Both the builds I've tried really lack any real firepower to just slug it out and are on par with a raven or so for punch. I don't have the manuverability of a raven so my speed (81k) can be a disadvantage if I'm fighting something speedy with lots of cover. Especially if youre new like me and you run into buildings and dead ends

Best use for this mech is a skirmisher. I can zip to a high place and plink with LRM and the AC. I'm fast enough to run back to a base (although rarely can i win a 1:1 fight) if its getting capped. I can scoot quickly to flank. I can draw some enemies into the open while I run behind a building. If I'm good I can close on mechs which lack manuverability and close range power (catapults) and hit them in the back. Sadly, even though I can get behind some mechs it takes about 30 seconds and lots of ammo to kill anything.

The best map is something which favors lots of little hills spaced 400 meters apart. You can bob and weave in here, moving fast enough to duck and cover from missiles and use the terrain to flank.

You will not get high # of kills in a dragon but you may get high assists.

[Thanos]

What the Dragon lacks, in some people's opinions in "firepower", it more than makes up for in terms of speed, armor, and heat efficiencies. I mean come on, a 60 ton mech that's heavily armored and runs 106 kph easily destroying lights and harassing heavy and assault class mechs...it's just devastating.

[CredibleHulk]

I've decided my next build will use an AC10. I am hoping this will give a bit more punch and I can live with the slower shots.

The 5N at least goes 81kph, not 106. It goes fast but doest turn fast so its like driving a 70's caddilac. Its got armor, but has a weak punch. Sometimes that's not a good tradeoff.

[sirflukesalot]

Johnathan Twattenhiem, on 14 December 2012 - 08:37 AM, said:

I must admit that the dragon may lack in firepower, but in my opinion, a UAC-5 really boosts its hitting power (if you don't mind the jamming). I swear I've killed a few Awesomes just by shooting them in the gut a whole bunch with that thing.

i like the uac/5 however dont use the standard chassis with it switch out the regular AC/5 for the Uac/5
as the variant with the standard AC has a extra hardpoint

[Elizander]

I've done over 500 damage in some games where I brought nothing more than 1 large laser, 2 medium lasers, and 2 machine guns so your ability to contribute to a team with a fast, lightly armed mech isn't completely based on your maximum alpha strike. Light mechs are also capable of doing good damage and even more as long as they stay in the thick of things and keep shooting.

If you have less weapons you should be running cooler, therefore you should be mashing your fire key on cooldown and laying it on the enemy most of the time.

[Thanos]

Elizander, on 21 December 2012 - 01:05 AM, said:

I've done over 500 damage in some games where I brought nothing more than 1 large laser, 2 medium lasers, and 2 machine guns so your ability to contribute to a team with a fast, lightly armed mech isn't completely based on your maximum alpha strike. Light mechs are also capable of doing good damage and even more as long as they stay in the thick of things and keep shooting.

If you have less weapons you should be running cooler, therefore you should be mashing your fire key on cooldown and laying it on the enemy most of the time.

Winner...I don't know why people don't get this. Yes you have to tweak it a bit till you find the right build for yourself but Dragons are nasty mechs. I'm absolutely loving mine! Currently running a 1N with a 320 XL, 1 ll, 1 mpl, 2 SRM4's, and an LBX and I'm just devastating. High kills and high damage. My buddy runs a 5N with triple machine guns and he runs just as high. Dragons a monsters worthy of their myth!

[DegeneratePervert]

The speeds you can reach with this mech are just.... hideous. It's frightening to see a Dragon keeping up with my Commando. Makes me void my bowels in terror.

[Thanos]

CredibleHulk, on 21 December 2012 - 12:46 AM, said:

I've decided my next build will use an AC10. I am hoping this will give a bit more punch and I can live with the slower shots.

The 5N at least goes 81kph, not 106. It goes fast but doest turn fast so its like driving a 70's caddilac. Its got armor, but has a weak punch. Sometimes that's not a good tradeoff.

5N with top engine (360 xl) has a base speed of 97.2 and with speed tweak currently runs 106. I won't say it turns on a dime but you can easily hang long enough with a light to trash them and heavies have a tough time with it for the same reasons as they do light mechs (albeit not as bad as lights).

[UnseenFury]

1C with Gauss and 4 MLas + xl300 is BEAST if in the hands of a skilled MechWarrior that knows how to keep RIGHT distance.

There is the fact about these 'this mech is bad' whiners. That all they can do is go close range under 90m.

That is not how you should be playing all the time.

[OneEleven]

I'm running a 1N with a 300Xl and i really fell good about my speed which is 81kph (dont have the speed tweek)
As for the loadout, i'm using double AC/5, 2 SRM4, 2 ML, and i must say i enjoy it very much. You have a decent speed, you have a reliable mid-range damage and a great damage output on a short distance. It's kinda hard to get used to aiming a cannon in your arm, you wont be able to hit precicely on a close range. But if you keep your distance in a fight and will be able to concentrate all your firepower on a certain point, you will dish out heavy damage. Also, your armor combined with your maneauverability allows you to brawl very effectively (i've put about 0.5 tonns more in armor, but i dont think it matters much).
So if Dragons have problems, its not about firepower. CT is a pretty huge hitbox, though it allows to use XL with almost no danger. Its tricky to get used to, but Dragon can be effectively used in many roles. But you have to spend a lot of money for XL engine, so its not a great first mech (i've spent all of my cadet bonus plus some more on mine).
P.S. Looking forward to gettin 5N and mounting triple AC/2 on it, looks great on paper.

[Grotonomus]

Lancelot

[Buzzkillin]

I have two Dragon builds, the 1N and the 1C and both play different from each other. I like the Dragon for it's speed and armor, and it is not a boating mech, so you must rely on hit and runs and concentrated fire.

My 1C has a XL300, 4 medium pulse lasers, 2 in the arm, 2 in the left shoulder in two groups, and a LBX 10 with 3 tons of ammo. I use the speed to flank and out run shots while brawling. And with the Dragon's high armor, and speed I can outlast a Cataphract with a 1v1 fight. My heat efficiency is also very good with 16 DHS at a 1.22 heat efficiency, so can alpha strike 3-4 times.

My 1N also has a XL300, an ER PPC, Gauss Rifle, 3 tons of ammo, and a medium pulse laser . This is my long range dragon. I take shots with the ER PPC any time I want but when I know for sure I will have a hit I will use the Gauss Rifle. But just like my other Dragon, I depend on the speed to get around and dodge shots.

I chose the XL300 for four reasons, more weight of course, the ability to put two heatsinks in the engine, this helps save room, as my 1C has no extra room at all for anything. Good amount of speed running at 81kph. And last the design of the Dragon itself. With the large CT, It absorbs most of the shots, and I want this, since the CT has a lot of armor so I rather take damage to my CT and protect my LT and RT, making it less likely I will be killed due to RT and LT torsos. My KDR has shot to the positives ever since I started piloting Dragons. And I used them since beta, I was determined to make them good mechs, and I have the found the loadout that worked for them.

I'm hoping for the Grand Dragon and rather use that variant to get Elite status then a 5N. I've liked playing around with the Dragon builds and would like to try something a little different for the third time. Dragon is a good mech, you just have to work with it's advantages.

[MahKraah]

i run two variants of the 1c:
gauss 2 large lasers endo xl280
4 large lasers xl320
both with endo and dhs.
i snipe out of cover vs a aproaching foe and do flank and rear hit and runs vs a defending foe with the same mech and the same setup. its versatile
the pure laser variant is also useable to clean ravens out of the back of my heavyer teammates.
both setups can effectivly dish out dammage over good distance and they dont lose anything if forced into verry closerange.
the dragon with its hugh ct better stays out of srmrange to survive and he do it well with his speed and is still a usefull dammage dealer with the gauss and/or the large lasers.
a good alrounder mech that can work in all roles and positions on the flield with a easy to handle armament( 1 or 2 weapongroupes only)
the lrm is of limmited use in a ecm heavy enviroiment and it is useless at distances below 180, one lrm10 is easy defeated by ams anyway, thats why i opted to not use them and went for the direct firesupport weapons only.

downsides? it is badly missing twistangle if it has to defend himselfe against streak-scouts.
it NEEDS expensive upgrades to work as intended.

[Fergrim]

A flame with an XL300, 4 larges, 2 in each arm. 1.37 heat efficiency (15 double heatsinks), 36 firepower, 89kph top speed and 400/402 armor.

I feel like this is generally an overpowering mech, being so much faster than the other heavies and able to deal just as much damage at all ranges.

I also have it up to master and use adv sensor boost, faster target data and adv target decay.

Edited by Fergrim, 24 January 2013 - 11:40 AM.

[JohnoBurr]

I run many different loadouts on various dragons. Here are some of my favorites:

Flame with AC/20, SRM6 and 4 SL with a standard 260. Max armor. 77kph top speed with speed tweak. 47 damage alpha. It's a heavy hitter brawler.

Flame with AC/10, SRM6 and 4 ML with an XL300. Max armor. 89kph with speed tweak. 45 damage alpha. Another great brawler. (You can run this same exact loadout on a 1C, however I prefer having the AC in the torso with the Flame.)

Dragon 1N- AC/10, 2x SRM4, 2 MPL with an XL300. Max armor. 89kph with speed tweak. 42 damage alpha. Yet another excellent fast brawler.

Dragon 1C- AC/5, SRM6, LL, 3 ML with an XL280. 83kph with speed tweak. 44 damage alpha. Great for medium to long range as well as close range.

Dragon 1C- AC/10, SRM6, ERPPC with an XL280. Not super high damage with a 30 point alpha. However it's great for hitting at range before getting up close with the AC and SRM combo.

[Lord Perversor]

Also alway remember the Dragon it's 5Kp/h Slower than Tabletop, so if PGI sets the number right we should be faster...

Anyway i fell in love with my 1C

lbx-10, Srm 6, 4x Med lasers
300 xl, endo and DHS (still enough place for ams and Bap)