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The build: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=67&l=57a49a4b7c66cf6b3973acc73dc7ecce35e1037a
The breakdown:
1.) The Engine
I've used a lot of engines in this 'Mech. STD 225, STD 250, XL 300, and XL 280. I've settled on the XL 280 for the following reasons:
a.) Tonnage. At 14 tons, it gives me enough room to fit my primary and secondary weapon systems
b.) Speed. This is a relatively close range mech. This is as slow as it can go without being impossible to use.
Yes, it is more vulnerable to dying. I typically die to side torsos being taken out, and I usually die between 35-45% of my matches. This is okay.
2.) The Weapons
I've tried a lot of things with the jager. Quad AC/2s, quad AC/5s, tri UAC/5s, dual AC/20s, AC/20 with dual AC/5s...etc. A load out of 2 AC/20s and 3 MLAS has consistently given me the highest match scores and allows me to take on distracted Assault 'Mechs without fear. The AC/20s are obviously the primary weapons. They generate little enough heat that they can be fired until ammunition is depleted at maximum rate even on maps like Tourmaline, and they alpha high enough to quickly rip out key components of Assault 'Mechs and to cockpit pretty anything with an easy enough cockpit to hit.
The Medium Lasers are for emergencies - an Atlas suddenly cresting over a hill, for example. In that case, I fire all of my weapons in the direction of the cockpit. If I hit the cockpit, the fight's over. If I miss the cockpit, I hit the center torso instead, which is what I want to do 90% of the time.
The lasers also make a good weapon for killing lights and as a way of continuing the fight after all ammo is gone/both arms are destroyed.
I've found that quad ac/2s just don't do enough of anything to be worth running. Quad AC/5s are good, especially at range. Tri UAC/5s aren't as good as the quad AC/5s. Dual AC/20s are awesome no matter how you support them.
3.) The Armor/ammo distribution
There's very little armor on the legs, because nobody legs heavies. 67% of the ammo being in the legs is for the same reason. The rest is in the cockpit, because that gets used first and quite quickly, and in the center torso, because if they core your center torso you're going to die anyway.
Most of the armor is concentrated on the front. I've played around with protecting my back more and honestly it just isn't worth it. I found myself dying too often in fights I would've otherwise won.
4.) Why not a JM6-A or JM6-DD
The DD has superfluous ballistics hardpoints. I've never seen anybody make use of any more than 4 hardpoints and still have a viable build.
The JM6-A is interesting, but one cannot use both AC/20s and the missile hardpoints. It's outclassed by the Catapult in most usages.
5.) General strategy
This is not a brawler. This is not a scout 'Mech. This is absolutely not a sniper. It's not a dragon, or a catapult, or a cataphract. This is it's own breed of strange. This is the support gank.
What does that mean? That means not charging into a fight with your bros. This means letting your team lead the way into a fight, and then once the fight as started, using your good mobility and high burst damage to do terrible, terrible things to people.
Look at fights in progress. If you see an assault with a weakened torso/arm, explode it. The burst damage here is high enough that you can generally take away most of an assault's weapons if you time your shot properly.
Look for anything that's an easy shot. I love finding catapult snipers because I can generally get within 700m and cockpit them out of existence. I find Ravens, Hunchbacks, Catapults, Cataphracts, and Atlases to have really easy cockpits to hit.
If you see someone isolated from their group, attack them. This 'Mech wins 1v1 with almost everything. Assault 'Mechs are tricky, but if a key component of theirs has taken a modest amount of damage, the Jager will win almost every time. Stalkers are hardest, because they're impossible to cockpit. Atlases are easiest for the reverse reason.
When in an emergency, first determine whether or not you can shoot your way out. If yes, fire everything at whatever is about to kill you. If no, run. 70 kph before speed tweak means you can usually **** in an emergency.
DO NOT EXPOSE YOURSELF. You NEVER want to be the focus of their fire. The XL engine makes you extremely fragile. You are a VERY easy kill when you're the only target for multiple enemies, especially at long range.
6.) Why should you use a JM6-S?
Damage. I average between 450 and 700 damage per game, and 2-5 kills as well. I may die in a fair amount of my games, but it's very rare for me to do less than 400 damage to my enemies before I die. I typically do damage on par with the Assaults on my teams.
7.) Why shouldn't you use a JM6-S?
If you like range versatility, durability, or the ability to brawl...look elsewhere. This is not that 'Mech. This is a very, very specialized build that plays to the most compelling reasons to playing a Jager.
Any critique of the build is welcome, as are questions.
Edited by Brynjolf Heimskarr, 24 April 2013 - 05:02 PM.
