21 replies to this topic

[Atlantean]

I just got back into the game and I am getting ready to purchase my first modules and I was wondering what are the best ones for light mechs? I mostly pilot Jenners currently but I will expand to another chassis that has access to ECM soon.

[xMintaka]

Seismic if you use jumpjets/snipe.
Target Info Gathering (find weak spots quicker)
Cap Accelerator if you enjoy Conquest

Coolshot 9x9, for literally everything except the Trollmando and possibly a streak equipped RVN-3L.


I tend to go with Target Info on all of them, plus Coolshot(s). Adding Seismic for the PPC Spider/ERLL 3L. Cap Accelerator when playing with a group of lights.


Generally, consumables are the most worthwhile. Arty, Coolshot and UAV all work wonders.

[William Mountbank]

Target Info is very good, as it helps you pick out the weak and the sick. Seismic is never a bad choice, but gives the most benefit for sniper builds that are often stationary. Target Decay gives you and your team some useful info benefits, mostly to your LRM boats. Sensor Range is also useful for the same reasons.

Personally I don't think Cap Accelerator is worth is for the 15% difference. I don't use coolshots or the other consumables, so can't comment beyond pointing to the current glut of Arty Strikes in PUG.

Avoid Advanced Gyros, Hill Clilmb and 360 Target Retention, as they're all useless cash sinks.

[DONTOR]

If its a non JJ capable light would suggest investing in the Hillclimb module, it is a savior. Have had many circumstances where I evaded certain death running out of steep valleys on canyon network. Not to mention other maps terra therma and Alpine come to mind.

William Mountbank, on 31 December 2013 - 07:57 AM, said:

Target Info is very good, as it helps you pick out the weak and the sick. Seismic is never a bad choice, but gives the most benefit for sniper builds that are often stationary. Target Decay gives you and your team some useful info benefits, mostly to your LRM boats. Sensor Range is also useful for the same reasons.

Personally I don't think Cap Accelerator is worth is for the 15% difference. I don't use coolshots or the other consumables, so can't comment beyond pointing to the current glut of Arty Strikes in PUG.

Avoid Advanced Gyros, Hill Clilmb and 360 Target Retention, as they're all useless cash sinks.

your wrong

[NRP]

Dontor,
So you think the Hill Climb module is worth it? Preliminary reports were not positive, but those were likely theory crafted reports and not actual field use reports.

I thought about trying one on my Atlases and Battlemaster, both of which seem to really slow down on the slightest of inclines.

[jper4]

i use 360 target retention for my streakboats that way those pesky lights don't break lock by getting behind you, target decay works for this too to a degree but more useful for spotting. cap accelerator i use a lot and sensor range for my more scout devoted mechs. most of my mechs run around lots so seismic post nerf hasn;t been getting much use now

[William Mountbank]

Tanar, on 31 December 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

I use 360 target retention for my streakboats that way those pesky lights don't break lock by getting behind you, target decay works for this too to a degree but more useful for spotting.

360 Target Retention does not do anything to locks, only the targeting selection. That means that if you have a missile lock on a light, and he runs behind you out of view, you will lose your lock whether you have 360 or not, but with 360 your target selection will remain if he stays within 200m. It's useful for spotting for LRM boats, but won't affect your own missile locks. Unless you plan to spend a lot of time within 200m of the enemy, then Target Decay is vastly more useful, as it affects targets at any range.

DONTOR, on 31 December 2013 - 09:14 AM, said:

you're wrong (Re: Hill Climb)

Hill Climb reduces your deceleration by 10% when you hit a slope that would slow your mech. So for the Locust, which only starts to slow down at 40° and stops at 45°, or for the other lights which only start to slow down at 35° - the hill climb module amounts to allowing you to move a few centimetres further up a steep slope. You will still stop, and still start to stop at the same angle slope. You will just be a few pixels worth of game space further forward. In fact, the difference is so small on lights as to be below the human ability to observe. If you put Hill Climb on an Atlas, it'll give you a few extra metres up a hill, maybe enough to crest a low hill that is normally off limits - put it on a light and you'll notice the loss of a module slot, but nothing else.

Edited by William Mountbank, 01 January 2014 - 08:11 AM.

[jper4]

hmm ok i never noticed any problem with having to reaquire locks when a light got behind me for my streaks with 360 retention. maybe i just didn't lose sight on them long enough for it to break (or i had decay on that mech as well- i forget sometimes because i swap them off all the time). and with streaks being involved staying up close is a good thing

[Bront]

Unless you're all skirmish, Cap Accelerator is awesome. 15% cap rate is a group increase, and stacks with other cap accelerators. If you need it in Assault, it can make a huge difference. In Conquest, it's even more important.

[Dayuhan]

One that everyone seems to forget is the UAV. If you are playing a light scout then the UAV, especially the Improved UAV, can really be a game changer. It is very easy to use your speed to get within 200 metres of the enemy and then pop out the UAV right in front of them. Suddenly your whole team knows exactly where the enemy is, and if your teammates are carrying LRMs they can get locks to begin softening them up and you do not have to risk your butt trying to maintain a TAG lock on a target - the UAV is truly a hit-and-run consumable.

[Bront]

Yes,UAVs are very useful, particularly when playing missile scout for LRM boats.

[Lord Letto]

For Me, It's UAV and Air/Arty Strike. Just run in and Pop Them!

[Israel Finklestein]

UAV is probably the best consumable but lights make pretty good use of all consumables. Adv. Sensor range and target decay are good for recon mechs, seismic sensor is good for snipers. 360 retention and info gathering are good for light hunters. Cap accelerator is great all around unless you play skirmish.

I'd say that the UAV is pretty much the 'mandatory' module, the recon it gives your team results in more damage than an upgraded air/arty strike nine times out of ten, gives more info than any of the targeting/sensor upgrades as well. Also gives good XP, great way to elite lights.

[Vanguard319]

My Raven 3L modules:

Adv. Sensor Range
Cap Accelerator (swapped with either Adv. Target Decay or 360 Target Retention in skirmish)
Adv. Seismic Sensor
Improved UAV

Combined with the BAP on my mech, this Raven is an absolute beast at recon, having a 50% greater sensor range than normal, the Seismic only works when you are stationary, but is a very useful tool for both fighting and scouting. Find a bunch of enemies on seismic, and you can deploy a UAV to pinpoint their location for your team. (You should definitely try to do this if your team has a number of missile boats.) When using the UAV, be aware that it can be shot down, so try to place it in a manner that will maximize it's duration.

[IraqiWalker]

As a light mech specialist (Played almost nothing but lights since march of 2013) this is my experience with modules so far:

{This is my opinion formed from personal experience and working within a lance. The ratings I have given to these modules range from Specialist, being the lowest tier for a versatile light (high tier for one trick ponies), to Universal, being the best for a versatile light mech that can help the team in multiple ways and compliment the entire formation throughout all 15 minutes of the drop.}

Spoiler

1-Cap Accel: worth it's weight in plutonium. If you are in assault or conquest it will win you entire battles (not talking about a cap race here, but rather cap feints that make them think there are 2 or more mechs on the base when they see it move that fast. It also helps to secure a cap win if your team goes belly up)

Rating: Universal (works great on all light mechs regardless of role, remember to remove during Skirmish)

Adv. Sensor Range: One of the best modules on a light mech, you're a scout, you run fast and cover more ground, you WANT to see the enemy and identify them faster, plus it helps you get locks for LRMs.

Rating: Universal (works great on all light mechs regardless of role.)

Target Info Gathering: useful on some builds, especially assassins and pin point builds as it allows for quick destruction of enemies, it also helps your allies because if they lock onto a target you're locked onto, they get the info faster too.

Rating: inflexible (works great on specific builds and roles optimized for one or two tasks)

360 Target Retention: Great for use as a spotter for LRMs while wading through the enemy team, otherwise get adv. sensor range and spot them from 2 miles away. Completely useless if there are no LRM mechs on your team.

Rating: Specialist (Works for exactly one task and is useless otherwise)

Target Decay: Works wonders on your SSRM mechs and again helps for spotting for LRMs as you give them a longer lock. I absolutely recommend it on LRM boats more than lights, but it can definitely work on lights well. Almost useless on mechs without SSRMs (can be useful if LRMs are present)

Rating: Specialist (Works for exactly one task and is useless otherwise)

Advanced Zoom: For your long range needs and snipey builds, though i disagree with long range weapons on lights, I have used them and tried that playstyle, it has it's virtues and failures, advanced zoom can be a great addition for a sniper light. I do advise against it as it is a waste of a light mech and a module slot in this case.

Rating: Specialist (Works for exactly one task and is useless otherwise)

Hill Climb: No Data, heard some good things about it when combined with Jumpjets

Improved Gyros: No Data, but if you get hit with ballistics as a light, you have bigger problems than screen
shake when going 130+ Kph

Seismic Sensor: Over-rated, a great module though. If you are stationary (which is rare for a light, you will be able to spot all enemy movement within 180 meters (at first level) can be extremely useful for determining how to approach enemies behind a corner.

Rating: Universal (works great on all light mechs regardless of role.)


Consumables:

I don't need to get into detail about these as they are rather straightforward, cool shot is great on your hot mechs, although if you are doing your job right as a light pilot you should never over-heat. Artillery and airstrike each drop a bunch of AC40 (that's right, 40!) shells in a circular area, and a line respectively.

UAV is a curious one though.
In my opinion it is the most powerful module in the game right now as far as information gathering (it can also be used to drop artillery and airstrikes btw) Gives uninterrupted visual contact for all enemy mechs under it's vision range for near a minute (on basic un-upgraded module) and is useful regardless of team comp. However, you will reap the most benefit from it in the presence of LRM boats as they will rain uninterrupted for 40+ seconds on the enemy team.

I am not exaggerating when I say I have won battles by simply launching a UAV right above the enemy's main formation.

Rating: Universal (works great on all light mechs regardless of role.)

Edited by IraqiWalker, 12 January 2014 - 09:13 AM.

[Wispsy]

In solo play:
coolshot
artillery
airstrike
uav

in team play:
uav
artillery
airstrike
coolshot

[Flak Kannon]

Modules are situational.

I have been playing conquest alot lately. So enjoy the Cap asst. module. It does make a difference.

I also like advanced target decay. It helps the LRM boats alot.

And Arty strike is great when a PUG decides to ball up.

Seismic is no longer super upber. I do not run it anymore. The nerfed that one to high hell.

Advanced sensor range is kinda like a old standby, not great, but can be helpful.

Target gathering is good, but I do such a bad job of situational awareness at times, that I even when I lock up a target I am not focusing on where its is most damaged. I need to get better at that.


By, and by... Modules are small little perks, nothing game changing.

My favorite 2 right now are Cap Asst, and Arty shot.



I

[levitas]

Target info gathering is a game changer. It's really an amazing module. I can't endorse it enough.

[Victor Morson]

Atlantean, on 31 December 2013 - 07:21 AM, said:

I just got back into the game and I am getting ready to purchase my first modules and I was wondering what are the best ones for light mechs? I mostly pilot Jenners currently but I will expand to another chassis that has access to ECM soon.

Improved UAV - This is extremely worth it for light 'mech pilots. While it costs 40,000 cbills to purchase, you not only get the ability to counter ECM and light up enemy positions that can make massive differences to the flow of a game, but also just rake in XP. UAV will let you level up the very worst of 'mechs rather quickly if you drop them on the enemy main body; you'll get an XP explosion for the detection followed by huge bonuses from C-ECM, LRM Assists, etc. following shortly thereafter. A super good module that is every bit worth the upgrades; it'll be your best friend when grinding variants to master.

EDIT: True story - One of the pilots in my unit had a very good run with a UAV, LRM boats, and also some direct damage and it netted him 8600 XP in a single drop on the 2x first drop of the day bonus. UAVs are a SERIOUS XP farming tool that's also extremely useful at competitive levels. I can't endorse them enough.

Airstrike/Artillery - Another set of consumables that do not provide direct XP rewards, but can net you huge amounts of damage with a well placed shot that make up for it. The basic models are useless, but the improved models - for 40k a pop - can allow your single light 'mech to splash up to hundreds of points of damage on an unsuspecting enemy formation. Everyone can benefit from strikes, but lights can often get into the best positions to use them. These can outright make or break a game sometimes! WARNING: Do not buy the Accuracy upgrade module. Not only is it a downgrade (You WANT a large blast radius, not a narrow one; the focus damage is too unreliable), but it eats an entire module slot to slightly "improve" a single strike attack. Avoid this "upgrade" at all costs.

Cool Shot 9 by 9 - Another consumable, this one without the XP rewards, is none the less a major game changer if you're driving hot lights like the Jenner 5x ML or 6x SPL setup. This can give you a real shot in the arm when you need it the most, or boost your initial staying power. It will cut into your profits though and again, doesn't provide you the XP rewards of UAVs.

Capture Accelerator - Highly recommended if you're playing any game mode other than Skirmish. They're making a dent in the LONG, LONG cap timers - enough of one that can make or break some tight games. Totally free of course, too.

Adv. Seismic Sensor - This is mostly useful for lights in organized play, so they can park and watch areas like the cave on Forest Colony or the pass on Frozen City safely. Since they don't work when moving, they're not super vital.

Adv. Zoom - I never use this in serious drops since it's too much of a sacrifice, but it's been fixed and is super fun in casual drops. One touch 4x zoom that's no longer the blurry mess it once was (if you remember the old days). Check it out.

--

While some people like it, I dislike Target Info Gathering as all it does is get more detailed information about the target faster. While that's nice - it really is - it's very hard to sacrifice a vital module slot for it.

Edited by Victor Morson, 03 February 2014 - 11:55 PM.

[Devil Fox]

The 2 modules I run in any mech are Adv. Sensor Range and Adv. Seismic Sensor as they allow a mech to spot any target out to 975m (1125m roughly with BAP) so you can see, identify and paint target movements at range, but also allow you to periodically stop before corners or ridges to get info on movement via seismic (even counter flanks).

After those two if the machine I run is only 3 modules max then it will either include the UAV or Adv. Airstrike consumables depending on what role I'm filling in and luck of the night in pug matches. For 12's it will always be a strike of some variety, and if I'm feeling cheap then just Target Info Gathering, mostly to aid in the identification of threats and their weakness on the field.

If the mech I run has 4 modules, as one Jenner and Raven variant do, then I will either include a second consumable module, Capture Accelerator, or Target Info Gathering. But it all depends on circumstances, my teams drop deck in 4man or 12's, and the general feeling of how the modules are holding up under my current gameplay style at the time.

I'm not a player that uses coolshots alot, I just feel like their a waste of module and space when you have the ability to disengage and cool-down which is how I try to blend speed with firepower in the majority of my mechs. Just take the time and find out what you like and can use to improve your game and the experience of your teams.