54 replies to this topic

[0I0]

Solomon Ward, on 05 April 2013 - 02:57 PM, said:

I will give this a try.
Didn´t want to cut the number of jump jets so far - but i will see how 3 JJ feel.

From what I saw 3 JJ's were the minimum, if you want to do any run side jump poptarting, you could still swing it. 4 JJ's was the optimal number though.

[Skadi]

Solomon Ward, on 05 April 2013 - 02:57 PM, said:

I will give this a try.
Didn´t want to cut the number of jump jets so far - but i will see how 3 JJ feel.

pssst go with 2 streaks, there better

[TruePoindexter]

Effectz, on 05 April 2013 - 02:36 PM, said:

I use that build but with 2xSRM2's,Been having much success with it.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...24ef7f864cb06d8

I ran something similar to that for awhile. It works well.

Oloccorb, on 05 April 2013 - 03:07 PM, said:

From what I saw 3 JJ's were the minimum, if you want to do any run side jump poptarting, you could still swing it. 4 JJ's was the optimal number though.

Experimenting with it I've come to the conclusion that I prefer 5 JJ or none - partial flight feels too weak but that's my taste.

[Wintersdark]

Yeah, the Gauss/3LL/2SSRM2 with 4/5 JJ's and a 325-330xl build is, IMHO, the optimal loadout and most flexible overall.

A pure brawler needs a 300std, but with a 300std and JJ's it's going to be either purely short ranged (and slow!) or lean on firepower. It can be done successfully, of course, but is less than ideal(and outright sucks on big maps). And, as I and others have noted, if you don't bring jump jets, why aren't you in an Atlas?

The (ER)PPC variant, with an extra ton of Gauss ammo and 2 (ER)PPC's instead of the LL's pops cockpits like mad, but either runs very hot (ER version) or has limited range and is hampered in close quarters with standard PPC's. It's a fun build, but the LL version is a better build overall.

[NRP]

Holy crap you guys were right about 5 JJs! Just ran a few matches with XL330 + gauss + 3 LLs. Murder incorporated.

I thought I would get tired of the kill music, but I'm kinda liking it. Nice way to finish an opponent. I wish it was louder and the entire enemy team was forced to listen to it. Feast your ears a-holes!

[Harlock1980]

my Highlander Max Armor Max. Std.Engine and Max JJ. HEAVY METAL

[Cold Cash]

yeh i was using the gauss 3 LL 2x srm4 and have switched to the streaks, so many kills from the streaks its quite funny.
Last night my combined fire of lasers slipped onto the head of a retreating cataphract(ridge sniping) as he started to disappear behind the ridge my streaks hit his only part still showing, his head and boom i was loling for a long time.

Excellent for following up the kill after you strip and core them with the lasers and gauss.
I only run 1 ton of ammo and it seems perfect for nearly every game type and length.

I use the 3 jj version, streaks also excellent to finish off lights after a few good LL shots.

My k:d ratio is sky rocketing with this build.

[meteorol]

Been trying to create a highlander i like in online mechlab for like 2 hours. I simply can't do it.

Use 3-5 JJ? Either forced to use a xl engine or be a totally underarmed 90t mech.

Use xl engine? I don't really like xl engines on assaults. If you are fighting against a good pilot he will realize you can only run your loadout with a xl engine within a second. From this point on you will basically have 20 armor less because he won't even think of shooting your ct.

Don't use JJ? You basically have a very bad atlas.

[One Medic Army]

I ran a 325 XL and 5/5 Jumps on my Highlander all night.
Nobody killed me via side torso.
Closest I got was going into battle with an orange side torso (internals) and the Phract I was fighting still stripped the armor off my front and other side torso instead of aiming at the open one...
It's a bit like an Awesome, sure you can target the side torso, but hardly anyone does.

As to my loadout:
3x LL
2x AC/5

All arm weapons, all have good range, AC/5s are reliable and low heat (and a pair of Ultras wouldn't fit in the arm).

I did kill someone else's Heavy metal via side torso though. In a single alpha strike from one of my Pults to his rear side torso. Be ware of people behind you if you run an XL.

Edited by One Medic Army, 07 April 2013 - 01:10 AM.

[Valentyn]

I haven't ran dual AC/5's in a while. Lately I stick with my Gauss, then switch between 2x SRM4+A, or SSRM2's, with either dual PPC's or 3xLL.

Depends on my mood, and I do well with both. It's a pity ERPPC's generate so much damn heat, otherwise I'd be running two of them, and those lights wouldn't stand a chance. As such I bring my SRM4's to bear on them with the gauss.


I've also had a lot of success with Guass, 3xLL, along with SRM4 and SRM6, without Artemis. I haven't used it in a while because of the cost associated in upgraded and downgraded Artemis the entire time. I want to try and same up enough c-bills to buy at least two new Highlanders when they're out.

[Benyamin]

LyskTrevise, on 05 April 2013 - 11:05 AM, said:

You should try this instead.

or this

On your second build, if you put FF armor on it, you can add another ton of ammo, plus increase the leg armor to 74/76.
Or, if you felt adventurous, shave the leg armor to 56, and add either 2 tons of ammo, or 1 ton ammo and 1 DHS. Plus you get the added benefit of FF armor.

[Chavette]

Wintersdark, on 05 April 2013 - 08:48 AM, said:

I'm extremely fond of my HEAVY METAL Mk2-PPC. It can poptart very well, but isn't just a poptart.

It's perfectly capable of brawling effectively, and has SSRM's as support against lights - though I'm a huge fan of simply blasting lights with the Gauss Rifle/PPC's.

It's all about the 35 damage strike with the Gauss/PPC's. A headshot is an instant kill vs. anything, and missing the head just means a tremendous smack of damage to whatever you do hit (generally the torso). It's still sporting a near-full suite of armor, so while you don't want to stand and duke it out with an Atlas, it's in no trouble in a fight.

Oh lord, I just tried it... its like a 3D on steroids... but not any steroids, its laboratory grade HGH+Dana+Deca+Hormone steroids...

Any tips for setting weapon groups? I like to fire the ppcs independantly on chain fire if I dare get close to overheating.

Edited by Chavette, 07 April 2013 - 07:26 AM.

[TheFlyingScotsman]

Currently enjoying this build, though for some reason the only maps that don't currently give me only 8fps are Alpine and Tourmaline. (Everything else is nearly unplayable, with RCN and Caust being the worst.)

XL300
FP - 48
HE 1.5 w/ 16DHS
558 STD (Full armor, 0.06 tons float. Full leg armor is key to my playstyle.)
5/5JJ

Gauss rifle (3T)
2ASRM6 (3T)
3ML

[Voidstalker]

Ive been enjoying
stock XL275

Dual AC 5's (3T)
Dual Large Laser
Dual Streak (2T)
AMS (1T)

Armour max apart from both legs at 61
5/5 JJ

I will mess around more when im less poor.

[NRP]

@meteorol
Don't be afraid of XL engines. The Highlander is still pretty hard to kill with an XL, and the best loadouts are medium/long range so you don't brawl too often. But if you do get into brawling range, the JJs give you 3 degrees of freedom with which to fight. Bottom line, it's easier to make enemies miss you.

[Wintersdark]

Chavette, on 07 April 2013 - 07:24 AM, said:

Oh lord, I just tried it... its like a 3D on steroids... but not any steroids, its laboratory grade HGH+Dana+Deca+Hormone steroids...

Any tips for setting weapon groups? I like to fire the ppcs independantly on chain fire if I dare get close to overheating.

Honestly, I don't find heat to be a problem at all with regular PPC's. I just bind the PPC's to left mouse (left arm), the gauss to right mouse (right arm), the seems to left shift (my left pinky rests there anyways, it's easy to press without affecting movement.

If I were to do that though, I'd chain fire the PPC's on middle-mouse/scroll wheel. Could use thumb buttons too, but I find I can't hold aim well when pressing those buttons with my thumb. Also, I make use of the coolant modules. In a giant assault hero, even if you burn both in a match (very rare for me, I almost never use them) you easily make enough money to cover it with the hero bonus alone.

In use here:



Overheated once, but I wasn't concerned as I wasn't under fire. Essentially, the PPC's are your only heat source most of the time, as the gauss doesn't generate any, and while with only 14dhs you can't fire them endlessly you can fire them with a little bit of spacing pretty much freely.

Only really need to be careful once you start letting loose with the ssrm2's, and you should be being cautious with the PPC's up close anyways - hold fire, only take shots that are more likely to hit and do good damage.

Edited by Wintersdark, 07 April 2013 - 09:38 AM.

[Wintersdark]

NRP, on 07 April 2013 - 09:17 AM, said:

@meteorol
Don't be afraid of XL engines. The Highlander is still pretty hard to kill with an XL, and the best loadouts are medium/long range so you don't brawl too often. But if you do get into brawling range, the JJs give you 3 degrees of freedom with which to fight. Bottom line, it's easier to make enemies miss you.

This. Unless you're running an explicitly short range brawler, you need an xl. It's not bad, though, just torso twist to spread damage if needed. If you're staying medium range, you negate a lot of short range brawler firepower, and jump jets make maintaining that gap much easier.

If your running a build like mine above, none of your firepower relies on torso facing, so you can simply turn the damaged torso away and rely on your arms and guided ssrms.

[One Medic Army]

Benyamin, on 07 April 2013 - 05:25 AM, said:

On your second build, if you put FF armor on it, you can add another ton of ammo, plus increase the leg armor to 74/76.
Or, if you felt adventurous, shave the leg armor to 56, and add either 2 tons of ammo, or 1 ton ammo and 1 DHS. Plus you get the added benefit of FF armor.

No No No No No No NO NO NO NO.
Just say NO to Ferro anywhere except light mechs (and some mediums/dragons).

Ferro does nothing except provide weight reduction, that's it, it does nothing else, there is no "added benefit of FF armor".
Endo provides better weight savings on every single mech.

Therefore you should NEVER equip Ferro onto anything that doesn't already have endosteel, and I have yet to see an assault loadout that could fit both.

Edited by One Medic Army, 07 April 2013 - 04:12 PM.

[brock0]

I've got best results ditching missles all together. LRM are totally useless atm, 2x SRM6 is OK (but needs artemis, IMO), and ECM still knocks down the usefulness of 2x SSRM2. Any space on missles can be better spent on JJs or more heatsinks I think.

I've run a 300std "brawler" build with Gauss and 3xLL and I like that because you can pull quite a few alphas before overheating.

I'm running an XL engine with Gauss and 2x ERPPC and 5 JJ's that I'm having a blast with. I was hesitant because I'd never used JJs before but they are incredible. I would suggest the largest XL engine the HM can fit to run this build for the 3rd engine heatsink slot as this tends to run quite hot with continuous poptart alphas and space is tight using endo and DHS.

Either build is consistently in the 400-600 damage range, with "good" games pushing 700-900 although I do find that the brawler build is consistently higher damage, probably because I spend too much time goofing around with the JJs.

This is purely lone wolf pub dropping, so situationally ymmv.

Edited by brock0, 08 April 2013 - 09:11 AM.

[blacklp]

This is my current build
This appears to be as close to optimal to me.

Edited by blacklp, 08 April 2013 - 09:52 AM.