7 replies to this topic

[Vorkoz]

Right. This is probably at least in part due to my own noobery but don't the arms on 'phracts seem just too low-set? There can be almost no curvature of ground in front of you when you fire or you will hit the ground instead. This especially seems harmful for the 4X since all other phracts can load heavy-hitting weapons on their torsos instead of being totally dependent on the arms.

The 4X is exceedingly slow, just doesnt have the armor to stand up to assaults without using cover, and due to ground hits it can do little with it's ballistics vs all the beamers in the game recently. Do other players consider their arm position to be a bit too much of a hindrance? If not, it'd be nice to know how to use them more effectively, in constructive terms.

[Ocilfa]

As the late Steve Job's famously said, "You're holding it wrong!".

[Postumus]

The 4X has been recently overshadowed by the Jagermech line for most of the reasons you just described (the Jager isn't a brawler either, and any decent assault pilot will take it apart if it tries). However, it is not a useless mech - you just have to accept its limitations and play to its strengths. First, it isn't a brawler, no matter what you load on it. Its armor to speed ratio is just too low, meaning it cannot stand and take it, nor can it run away if its in trouble. This automatically makes it a direct fire support mech, which means you stay back and use your long range ballistic weapons to your advantage. I would recommend sticking to UAC/5, AC/5, AC/2 or gauss. Unlike the other cataphracts, it can mount ballistics in both arms, which means it can do dual ballistic setups without the same convergence issues. An unlike jagermechs, it has two degrees of arm motion, allowing for faster, more fluid aiming, and giving you a better chance at lining up a shot if a fast mech closes on you. For the remaining energy slots, I would recommend a PPC, large lasers, or if nothing else medium lasers as a holdout, depending on what you can fit.

Edited by Postumus, 21 April 2013 - 12:16 PM.

[Zordicron]

Postumus, on 21 April 2013 - 12:16 PM, said:

The 4X has been recently overshadowed by the Jagermech line for most of the reasons you just described (the Jager isn't a brawler either, and any decent assault pilot will take it apart if it tries). However, it is not a useless mech - you just have to accept its limitations and play to its strengths. First, it isn't a brawler, no matter what you load on it. Its armor to speed ratio is just too low, meaning it cannot stand and take it, nor can it run away if its in trouble. This automatically makes it a direct fire support mech, which means you stay back and use your long range ballistic weapons to your advantage. I would recommend sticking to UAC/5, AC/5, AC/2 or gauss. Unlike the other cataphracts, it can mount ballistics in both arms, which means it can do dual ballistic setups without the same convergence issues. An unlike jagermechs, it has two degrees of arm motion, allowing for faster, more fluid aiming, and giving you a better chance at lining up a shot if a fast mech closes on you. For the remaining energy slots, I would recommend a PPC, large lasers, or if nothing else medium lasers as a holdout, depending on what you can fit.

Tactics correct.
The lasers is not. No PPC, only one LL or you can do two ML or MPL if you want. Normally it is 2 ML, because mounting 4 ballistics takes up all the tonnage.

OP, the arms is one of the drawbacks of the chassis. It really is a fire support mech, pick an atlas or stalker and follow them, and shoot what they shoot, or turn to pick off that hunchie or cent. moving in to assist whatever the atlas is shooting.
I have tried like every combination possible for the 4x. what i liked:
2x AC10(convergence issues at closer range though) but I havent tried this lately with the rewind
2x UAC5 and 2x AC2 one in each arm, trigger one and two, set to chain fire. Will never jam the ultras, good dps and range.

Stick 2 ML in the torso. Always use a standard engine with a 4x, the top speed is so slow the XL is a liability.

best use for this mech is for focus fire on more open maps, like alpine or even the tourmaline. follow a few hundred M behind an assault buddy, and when they engage slide out at an angle and unload into a foe.

[Robobrob]

Tried it, sold it, the Jager is better (for the reasons you decsribed).

Jag's have better mounts, more armor and (correct me if I'm wrong) are actually faster. Not to mention, the Cat cockpit makes it the easiest mech to headshot in my experience.

[John MatriX82]

Robobrob, on 22 April 2013 - 04:59 AM, said:

Tried it, sold it, the Jager is better (for the reasons you decsribed).

Jag's have better mounts, more armor and (correct me if I'm wrong) are actually faster. Not to mention, the Cat cockpit makes it the easiest mech to headshot in my experience.

They ain't that faster (it depends on the builds), and they have less armor (4 points less in the CT and the arms), since they weight 5 tons less. They are just better at direct fire thanks to the very high arms, that allow to expose less parts of the mech compared to the 4X.

I advice this build to all those unfortunate mates that need the third CTF to exp and they miss the Ilya: CTF-4X

A variant can be to slap a SSRM2 instead of the SRM4 skimping legs to 43 and add a 7th ton of GR ammo that sometimes may turn useful. A Jager can go dual gauss like this build, but armor skimping is higher if you want to bring the same supply of ammunitions and you'll end up with less backup weapons and virtually the same engine, so the speed loss is within 5 km/h.

[Vorkoz]

First match with dual gauss cata seemed to go rather well!
imageshack.us/f/15/firstmatchdualgausscata.jpg/

[Ngamok]

You have just described every low hanging arm mounted mech in the game, not just the 4X.