34 replies to this topic

[Ravingdork]

I bought a Flame a while back.

How does one even make it work? Seems like every time I take it into a match I get cored faster than a shut down Spider being pummeled by an AC/20.

I've put 80 points of armor on its front torso, never turn my back on an opponent, and it still might as well be tissue paper!

What's the big deal? Why does it seem SO damn fragile? I have several Hunchbacks, a Centurian, and a Spider--all of which seem FAR more durable during play. I have an Awesome too, but he's nearly as bad as the Dragon.

Why is it that the bigger the mech gets, the more fragile he seems? It just doesn't make sense!

- Veteran of a thousand battles

Edited by Ravingdork, 12 June 2013 - 04:00 PM.

[Buzzkillin]

Use speed to your advantage, hit and run,flank the enemy.Take a few shots at someone that hasn't notice you and when they start to turn around,,go around them or hit someone else. Try to confuse the enemy.

[EyeOne]

Are you rocking an XL? In Dragons you might as well and you can pack more weapons.

[One Medic Army]

Use your arms as shields.
Only charge at people looking the other way.
Always be willing to run if it's even a remotely fair fight.

[DarkDevilDancer]

Dragons take a fortune to make work far more than other heavies, I sold mine and bought a cataphract instead and never looked back.

[Sephlock]

Pretty much this:

Edited by Sephlock, 12 June 2013 - 05:24 PM.

[Yoshiro Kurita]

The Flame is an awesome mech. The biggest problem with the dragon is its higher percentage of CT hits (much the same with the Awesome). With the higher likelyhood of CT hits/criticals its that much easier to take down. Yes its bloody expensive to fit out nicely with FF/Endo/XL.

OneMedicArmy pretty much hit the nail on the head though with an xl350 or larger and the speed tweek I can run rings around alot of mechs.

Pick your fights carefully and stick with an ECM lancemate.. LRMS can be brutal with so many CT hits. AMS couldn't hurt either if you've slots and tonnage to spare.

[p8ragon]

I loaded mine up with an XL 330, 4 medium lasers, and a gauss with 4 tons of ammo. (Double HS, Endosteel, FF)-,maxed out armor

I was considering lowering the amount of ammo so that I could fit in an AMS or another double heatsink, but you'd be surprised at how often you burn through 25+ rounds O.O

[Narcissistic Martyr]

You know that free look mode you can use to look at your cockpit? Use that to fire your arm mounted weapons at targets while making it much much harder to hit your big honking snoz. If you do it right you'll only die due to CT coring 1/3 matches or so.

P.S. This works best with 4XLL or 3XPPC type builds on the flame.

Edited by Narcissistic Martyr, 12 June 2013 - 08:52 PM.

[Sephlock]

Honestly, I only just recently started piloting Dragons again after a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG period of not using them AT ALL.

I do just fine when I can stay patient... but as soon as I forget that I'm in a Dragon:

[Lucy Cameron]

I use a 280XL engine with 2 LL and a gauss rifle. I snipe, move to a flank, *** at them some more, and keep hitting and fading until I'm (1) out of gauss ammo, (2) need to finish the kill, (3) or run out of friendly mechs and am forced to brawl. Seismic will help immensely with your situational awareness and keeping distance.

[Lord Perversor]

The big points as other as said:

1 move, move, move Dragons should always try to flank opponents and divert fire/ distract them.

2 Speed it,s needed never fit smaller than a 300 engine (325 some will say) unless you know what you doing and have enough exp with the chassis

3 XL are a must, your side torsos are almost unnoticed your CT has a Shoot me! Painted all over it, so use extra weight for more weapons

4 Always rely on teammates and never try to go 1v1 unless you can finish your opponent very quick

5 Master the chassis you need al advantage you can get


And finally there is a couple of common Flame builds as the 4xLL or the Gauss and 4x ML with a 340-360 engine.

Edited by Lord Perversor, 13 June 2013 - 12:08 AM.

[El Bandito]

Dragons and Jagers are my favorite heavy... ...prey.

[DarkDevilDancer]

I have never had a problem hitting a Dragon no matter how fast they run, that big nose is just too easy to locate for every shot and since state rewind came in even running at 90+ won't save you.

[One Medic Army]

DarkDevilDancer, on 13 June 2013 - 02:47 AM, said:

I have never had a problem hitting a Dragon no matter how fast they run, that big nose is just too easy to locate for every shot and since state rewind came in even running at 90+ won't save you.

Exactly. The speed isn't for avoiding being hit (not even much smaller lights at 150kph are all that hard to hit), the speed is for only engaging people who have other mechs to worry about and aren't even going to shoot at you.

[Fooooo]

My fav builds for the flame are

(obv all use endo-steel)

2ERPPC+1PPC
XL300
17-20 DHS depending on what you do with armor (you run out of crits with endo so cant fit more than 18 i think unless you up engine and put them in there)

3LL+1ML
XL350
17-20 DHS (you run out of tons instead of crits here because of engine sinks.)

4LL
XL325/XL300
17-20 DHS

Then the somewhat useless, but nevertheless fun

AC/20+4ML or AC/20+4SML
STD285 STD300

17 or 18 DHS i think.

Everyones tips of dont stand still is generally sound for most mechs.

Stay away from 1v1's if possible (lights/meds wont trouble a 3/4LL build, or the PPC build if you can aim)

Be smart.

Ive been playing the PPC build almost exclusively lately, its just better with instant dmg compared to lasers. You end up with less dmg overall generally, but better placed dmg / more kills......also having the ppcs in the arms is really good. You can pretty much fire behind you.

Doesn't stop that CT being a huge target tho....

Edited by Fooooo, 13 June 2013 - 09:40 AM.

[General Taskeen]

Except Dragon pilots in canon charged at people balls out crazy like and destroyed their opponents. I imagine they didn't get hit very much in the CT since the CT is less pronounced with huge, awesome torso shields in canon. And since this is CT warrior online alpha strike, Mechs with huge CT's suffer.

Edited by General Taskeen, 13 June 2013 - 09:37 AM.

[Cerlin]

I would say you need to first off master firing on the move. All mechs need this but the dragon needs it more than the average heavy or assault. If you stop your CT will be cored.

Also as others said, an XL is also important. The smallest I would put is a 300 XL. At the same time, too much speed and you may as well just drive a centurion since it has about the same loadout. The perfect place for my flame is a 320XL, full armor, 2 large lasers, 2 medium pulses, and an SRM 6. This build is really fun for me, and while it doesnt have an autocannon it does take advantage of the arm mounted weapons which is why you would drive this mech.

In general as well, I say stick with your strengths. You are a hybrid weapons platform so boating will not work. Pick your range and stick to it. I elited my dragons going with a mid/short range strategy with all of the non hero variants having a big engine, medium lasers, as many SRMS as possible, and the biggest AC I can do.

I do not think dragons are the "best" heavy but they are very fun and often underestimated as a chassis. The second one gives you a big advantage.

[One Medic Army]

General Taskeen, on 13 June 2013 - 09:32 AM, said:

Except Dragon pilots in canon charged at people balls out crazy like and destroyed their opponents. I imagine they didn't get hit very much in the CT since the CT is less pronounced with huge, awesome torso shields in canon. And since this is CT warrior online alpha strike, Mechs with huge CT's suffer.

There's canon and lore, then there's the actual balance of TT, in actual TT I've found the dragon to be fast, tough, and massively undergunned. About the only way to get decent damage out of it (excepting grand dragon) is to either remain at range using its long-range arsenal, or to charge in and punch/kick people.

[General Taskeen]

One Medic Army, on 13 June 2013 - 10:59 AM, said:

There's canon and lore, then there's the actual balance of TT, in actual TT I've found the dragon to be fast, tough, and massively undergunned. About the only way to get decent damage out of it (excepting grand dragon) is to either remain at range using its long-range arsenal, or to charge in and punch/kick people.

Melee would immensely help undergunned Mechs. Punch those Min/Maxers right in the Mech Face with Super 9000 Dragon Fist Attack!

I still think they modeled the dragon backwards though. Instead of making it into a Zombie heavy with torso shields.

Edited by General Taskeen, 13 June 2013 - 11:05 AM.