24 replies to this topic

[Coldshot]

With the current state of most pug matches being heavy and assault snipe-fests I'd like to create a build with a fast light or medium mech to harass them. Any recommendations on mechs/loadouts that can put the hurt on those big slow heavies and assaults?

[One Medic Army]

Fast.
Can hurt assaults.
Medium
Light

[Lefty Lucy]

Coldshot, on 08 July 2013 - 11:09 AM, said:

With the current state of most pug matches being heavy and assault snipe-fests I'd like to create a build with a fast light or medium mech to harass them. Any recommendations on mechs/loadouts that can put the hurt on those big slow heavies and assaults?

The problem with this concept is that no matter how fast you are someone who is good/lucky is still going to remove half your mech with a single shot.

[Reverendk]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d67a4af642117c1

I use this BJ1X. It's also pretty good at hunting any lights that aren't turbo boosted like Vin Diesel.

As an anecdote, I've 1 v 2'd an Atlas and a Stalker post movement changes by trapping them on a slope. They couldn't turn fast enough to prevent me from stripping their back armor.

It was like that scene form Kelly's Heroes but with more zap zap and less "THAT"S PAINT!!!"

[Angel of Annihilation]

Bump up a little bit of weight and go with a Quickdraw.

QD-4G
2 LL
2 ML
2 Streaks (100)
5 JJs
330XL engine
98 kph w/speedtweek
368 Armor

I solo Assaults all the time with this but it does take more than a bit of practice and quite possibly skill as well.

Light mechs doing it is 100% skill and almost zero build (aside from the basic common sense stuff of course).

Mediums have it rough in regards to doing anything but support. You can pull excellent numbers with a medium, even get a significant amount of kills but your not doing it alone. They are support mechs and/or hit and run harrassers and rely on the enemy mostly being distracted to survive. Rarely will they be able to stand toe-to-toe and beat an Assault/Heavy unless it was significantly damaged prior or you can manuver them into a disadvantage like the guy who pinned them on a slope. Even fast builds have issues because they just don't have enough armor.

Edited by Viktor Drake, 08 July 2013 - 12:46 PM.

[Dreamslave]

Viktor Drake, on 08 July 2013 - 12:46 PM, said:

Bump up a little bit of weight and go with a Quickdraw.

QD-4G
2 LL
2 ML
2 Streaks (100)
5 JJs
330XL engine
98 kph w/speedtweek
368 Armor

I solo Assaults all the time with this but it does take more than a bit of practice and quite possibly skill as well.

Light mechs doing it is 100% skill and almost zero build (aside from the basic common sense stuff of course).

Mediums have it rough in regards to doing anything but support. You can pull excellent numbers with a medium, even get a significant amount of kills but your not doing it alone. They are support mechs and/or hit and run harrassers and rely on the enemy mostly being distracted to survive. Rarely will they be able to stand toe-to-toe and beat an Assault/Heavy unless it was significantly damaged prior or you can manuver them into a disadvantage like the guy who pinned them on a slope. Even fast builds have issues because they just don't have enough armor.

XL in a quickdraw with close range weapons is GG from the start. You may have only been fighting against extremely low tier assault pilots, but any pilot worth his salt, let alone an Assault pilot, will take out a Quickdraws side torso in a few shots with no problem. The Quickdraw is huge for a medium mech and extremely squishy with an XL, ESPECIALLY at close range going against Assaults.

OP don't ever try what this guy says he does. It's literally a death trap.

Edited by Dreamslave, 08 July 2013 - 12:53 PM.

[One Medic Army]

Dreamslave, on 08 July 2013 - 12:53 PM, said:

XL in a quickdraw with close range weapons is GG from the start. You may have only been fighting against extremely low tier assault pilots, but any pilot worth his salt, let alone an Assault pilot, will take out a Quickdraws side torso in a few shots with no problem. The Quickdraw is huge for a medium mech and extremely squishy with an XL, ESPECIALLY at close range going against Assaults.

OP don't ever try what this guy says he does. It's literally a death trap.

Are you perhaps thinking of the hunchback?
Quickdraw has relatively small side torsos and is a 60ton heavy mech.

[Inveramsay]

the Jenny-D I hope can make a comeback if they sort out the SRMs a little, otherwise the Jenny-F or even Raven 3L will do a pretty good job though the Jenner is certainly better at it if you can aim

[LauLiao]

Viktor Drake, on 08 July 2013 - 12:46 PM, said:

They are support mechs and/or hit and run harrassers and rely on the enemy mostly being distracted to survive.

Isn't that exactly what the OP was asking for?

I'd say BJ-1X. Crank it up to top speed, slap a couple of PPC/ERPPCs on it and you're good to go. You have plenty of speed to get around behind the enemy and pop off a few shots then get back to cover, and the dual PPCs is usually more than enough to core a heavy from behind in just a few well placed shots. Especially if you go with ERs, you're rarely caught at range where you can't return fire, and you can still brawl with them if need be.

And what you're looking for is exactly what Viktor mentioned: a distracted enemy. Heavies/assaults, even when they do see you coming, will often ignore you for what they perceive is a greater threat. Should give you plenty of time to get aquainted with that rear armor.

[Lyoncet]

While it's kind of a meta and playstyle call, you can also get good results with a BJ-1 with double AC/2 and double MLAS. Like such: BJ-1

Like LauLiao's recommendation, you can snipe, but you're more of a counter-sniper. Your alpha's a lot lower than a pair of ERPPCs, but in return you get huge DPS in a short amount of time. That's 10.5 damage per second as opposed to 7.5 with the PPCs/ERPPCs (assuming both are backed up with 2 MLAS). That kind of damage square in the back can core a heavy or assault surprisingly quickly. And AC/2s are just over twice the heat efficiency of ERPPCs. Also note that you're slower, but you gain jump jets which I've found for ambushing and then getting back to cover works just as well or even better. And you're still hitting 93 km/h with speed tweak.

So if you're going for a dedicated distracted-dude-killer, that's my recommendation. But the BJ-1X is also great in this role, and most people are loading down with as many ERPPCs as they can cram into their 'Mech anyways. That's a good playstyle too; it's just not the only one and not for everyone. And from the sound of it not quite what you're looking for.

Edited by Lyoncet, 08 July 2013 - 01:45 PM.

[Angel of Annihilation]

Dreamslave, on 08 July 2013 - 12:53 PM, said:

XL in a quickdraw with close range weapons is GG from the start. You may have only been fighting against extremely low tier assault pilots, but any pilot worth his salt, let alone an Assault pilot, will take out a Quickdraws side torso in a few shots with no problem. The Quickdraw is huge for a medium mech and extremely squishy with an XL, ESPECIALLY at close range going against Assaults.

OP don't ever try what this guy says he does. It's literally a death trap.

Or I have more skill than you.

Seriously, no reason to knock my advice when I am clearly not having an issue with taking on Assault mechs and winning fairly often. I also have a 2.50 K/D ratio on my top Quickdraw and took 20th place in the Heavy vs the World tournament with that mech. I think I do know what I am doing with it and what works.

[Narcissistic Martyr]

The key to hunting assaults and heavies who are not yet damaged is to either backstab them or shoot them in the face. To this end you need to be quick, accurate, and able to put a lot of damage in one spot.

My favorite (because it's fun, not because it's a good match for the current meta) is AC 20 Raven.

3 or 4 AC20 rounds will core most heavies and an extra round or two will end most assaults so long as you get them from behind. When forced to face the enemy from the front, the flamer both reduces their available firepower and more importantly if you shoot it at their cockpit makes you harder to hit. However, if one prefers a JJ, medium laser, or extra ton of ammo can be substituted for the medium laser. In addition, two rounds to the face will kill anything.

[Thundercles]

I've always liked the ERPCC Spider 5D. Not because it's super effective (but it can be), but because it makes me feel like this:

[James Warren]

I've been enjoying a BJ-1 with an AC20 in one arm, two/three medium lasers, max engine and jump-jets. If you can get the jump on an AC40 Jager (no pun intended) you can really ruin their day - it always surprises me how many people forget to look up.

For fighting assaults and heavies, IMO it boils down to strategy more often than mech build.

You need to use terrain to your advantage. Sticking close to a friendly assault or heavy works wonders. The enemy will typically view them as a greater threat and neglect you, giving you the opportunity to dish out some substantial damage. If they decide they want an easy kill (ie you), take cover and flee while your larger teammate does his/her thing.

Flanking works well too. Come in from the side so that they can't shoot you without exposing their rear to the rest of your team. This also means you won't be blocking your team's line of fire.

[Skyfaller]

Thundercles, on 08 July 2013 - 03:32 PM, said:

I've always liked the ERPCC Spider 5D. Not because it's super effective (but it can be), but because it makes me feel like this:

I agree. The Spider 5D with an ER PPC, small laser and TAG just cant be beat. Its not a jenner in damage but hell, with BAP, ECM its a monster.

But personally I prefer the Spider 5D with an ER laser, a med laser, a tag, BAP, ECM, sensor rangex2, seismic x2, XL195 with 10 DHS, endo steel and almost full armor (empty arm minimal armor).

The ER laser may have slightly shorter range than the ERPPC and it may not shut down ecm at range but the med and ER laser in arm when you have no arm lock is just magic. put the TAG in the arm and its a perfect aim assist for the ER LL in the arm.

It makes me feel like this:



Just came from a map where I took down a hunchback (he was hurt but I put in the finishing 3 ER LL shots into his gut from 1km away when he thought he was behind cover bwahahah), a jager (from full health to dead I solo'd him) and leg-killed a blackjack.

Edited by Skyfaller, 09 July 2013 - 05:55 PM.

[aniviron]

For a light, I'd say the ideal is either the JR7-F build posted earlier or this JR7-D: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f3ba02dc8e86a4f I personally feel like the D is a better build most of the time, but SRMs are so bad right now that it's hard to recommend it. If Paul's balance changes go through soon though, there will be a lot to recommend about the D. Because I lack the mechbays for a jenner, I run http://mwo.smurfy-ne...bed0f2323fdc003 as a heavy/assault skirmisher, and have had a lot of success with it (3k/d ratio, ish). It's not as fast, doesn't hit as hard, and is a bigger target, but the heat management is easier, and the mech isn't mostly CT.

For a medium assault hunter, I would be remiss to recommend anything but http://mwo.smurfy-ne...3df741467ea87ea On cold maps it's a terrifying brawler, and on hot ones it's an excellent skirmisher. If you can hold your aim steady, you're dealing 40 damage per shot in two or three quick strikes to one component, and if that atlas thinks you're less of a threat than the stalker near you, 80-120 damage to his back ct will quickly convince him otherwise.

[Unnatural Growth]

For a fast harasser in a light, I'd run a Jenner. Either an -F with XL300, 5 ML's, BAP and AMS, or a -D with same XL300, 3 ML's, twin SSRM's, 2 tons of streak ammo, BAP and AMS. I run 3 JJ's, near max FF armor, plus Endo Steel and 10 or 11 DHS's on either one. You do have to watch your heat in the 5 ML build.

The XL300 gets you 152 kph with speed tweaks. Hit and run tactics, keep the throttle wide open, use cover to approach from behind, alpha strike them as soon as your in range, and with the streak build you can usually get off 2 or 3 salvos before you disappear again around the next corner. That 5 ML alpha strike shouldn't be taken lightly. I've surprised a few enemies with that one that decided I was "easy prey".

For a fast medium harasser, I've been playing with the Cicada X-5. I dropped it down to the XL300 engine, running one ERPPC, 2 ML's, and currently 2 SSRM's with 2 tons of ammo. Speed on this one is only 121 kph, but I think it goes to 130-135 with speed tweak? This one is more of an annoyer than a true harasser. The ERPPC is just there to ping at the LRM boats and snipers that try and sit somewhere behind enemy lines and think they're safe. The downsides are no JJ's, and no AMS on this one.

I have both the Hunchback 4P, and the 4G also, Neither one is really a "fast anything", coming from a light pilot as myself, they are both dreadfully slow. They make a good support mech to follow the assaults around, but not fast enough to run off on their own, in my opinion. They can both pack a serious punch to be sure, but if you get caught alone in one, you'll be toast before you can make it back to your lancemates.

Edited by OldOrgandonor, 08 July 2013 - 08:14 PM.

[Tennex]

pretty much jenners ravens.. cicadas maybe(a bit big)

Swaybacks, BJ-1x

[Johnny Reb]

A fast medium should(not) look last to mess with an assault! Unless you go med in this: http://mwomercs.com/...y-night-league/
Then you are own your own since its bring whatever.

edit: opps

Edited by Johnny Reb, 09 July 2013 - 09:42 PM.

[Hyperlynx]

I like the HBP-4P with all medium lasers, since I saw it in Koreanese's vids. Something like 90kph when mastered, with an alpha of 45. You have to pick your shots and your positioning very carefully or you'll get your hump blown off, but when it pays off you cut mechs in half.