26 replies to this topic

[Squiggy McPew]

Well with the ebb and flow of the endless tide of balance it seems lrm are in fashion again.

After reading up on the new mechanics(been away since end of closed beta) I decided to play around in the mechlab a bit till I tinkered this up.

Seems to be quite lethal if your lance stays together and you also stay within easy support range.

Ripple fire on the fast movers to shed the legs and alpha strike everything else for coreific lulz.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e5803ac761b9e3f

Thoughts on improvements? Pilot skills atm are only the basics but all are unlocked but no mods are unlocked yet as I only have about 30 games in so far.

Edited by 120mm, 15 July 2013 - 02:30 PM.

[Ragnar Darkmane]

A build like this http://mwo.smurfy-ne...40f5bc517355ce8 seems far better to me. Same number of LRMs, 4 Streaks with 2 tons of ammo and BAP for short range defence and farming kills against lights, 8 kph faster. Better ammo distribution to prevent explosions. 6 tons of LRM ammo is enough to keep shooting for a long time (if you make your shots count, if you can't you shouldn't even try to play a LRM boat). Runs slightly hotter but that doesn't matter for LRMs and 4 SSRMs alpha for ages before overheating. I'd still try to squeeze a single Jump Jet in for LRM jump tarding and firing above obstacles.

11 tons of LRM ammo are a waste of tonnage because you will NEVER be able to fire all of that even if fire at any lock that pops up right away (no matter if it disappears 1 second later). No back up weapons AND being slow will kill you 90% of the time in PUGs except on Alpine and Tourmaline (and even then you have to pray the other team has no lights with half a brain) because most people will try to get within 180m of you to farm an easy kill (and LRM 30 without TAG is not enough to kill them before they get into range). Of course this won't be a problem if your team mates steamroll the enemy (8:0 or 8:1 matches) and carry you along to victory but if the teams are balanced, your team sucks or the match turns out to be a war of atttrition with equal casualties you will get blown to bits.

Edited by Ragnar Darkmane, 15 July 2013 - 02:21 PM.

[Squiggy McPew]

Ragnar Darkmane, on 15 July 2013 - 02:17 PM, said:

A build like this http://mwo.smurfy-ne...40f5bc517355ce8 seems far better to me. Same number of LRMs, 4 Streaks with 2 tons of ammo and BAP for short range defence and farming kills against lights, 8 kph faster. Better ammo distribution to prevent explosions. 6 tons of LRM ammo is enough to keep shooting for a long time (if you make your shots count, if you can't you shouldn't even try to play a LRM boat). Runs slightly hotter but that doesn't matter for LRMs and 4 SSRMs alpha for ages before overheating. I'd still try to squeeze a single Jump Jet in for LRM jump tarding and firing above obstacles.

11 tons of LRM ammo are a waste of tonnage because you will NEVER be able to fire all of that even if fire at any lock that pops up right away (no matter if it disappears 1 second later). No back up weapons AND being slow will kill you 90% of the time in PUGs except on Alpine and Tourmaline (and even then you have to pray the other team has no lights with half a brain) because most people will try to get within 180m of you to farm an easy kill (and LRM 30 without TAG is not enough to kill them before they get into range). Of course this won't be a problem if your team mates steamroll the enemy (8:0 or 8:1 matches) and carry you along to victory but if the teams are balanced, your team sucks or the match turns out to be a war of atttrition with equal casualties you will get blown to bits.

Hrmm, none of those grisly ends seems to be happening to me as I stick with my lance or at the very least stay close to the most competent looking group around. Focus fire on what they flush out and don't stray too far away so if a flanker finds you just head back into the group so they can fry him. This is winning me tons of matches as my current stats are 19W/9L and getting better.

Been plenty of endgames where it was just me and another mech or so against the same or even more and we won because I used the extended range of the beagle to identify my threats and core them quick with alpha salvos as I ran away(cats extreme torso twist is handy for chases ).

Lost a few games horribly too but srm would not have helped me there.

As to the ammo amount I either run down to around 25% or even empty on most matches as I'm always pushing with the front and have tons of solid locks to drop the steel rain on. Results are good too with multiple kills, assists and damage done. Hell, I wish I could cram a few more tons in but I can't take out any more heatsinks and expect to core a full health atlas before I overheat.

Also your posted fit is too jack of all trade for a lrm boat as the proper defense should be your lance and not a backup srm loadout taking up precious heatsink and ammo space. Plus your fit is just as explosion prone due to the xl engine. Any shot coring your side will take you out ammo or not.

Now if you want to do a proper cat of all trades try this on for size. Acceptable lrm support and a good brace of medium lasers to melt faces along with plenty of ams ammo for the lrm/srm spam that falls on any brawl.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...2967492a2927428

[Wintersdark]

Meh, artemis is wasted with LRM5's, which have a tight grouping to start with. Further, with 6xLRM5's, Artemis is costing you 6 tons and 6 slots. Those 30 LRM racks, with 2 15's would weigh less and take less space, maintaining a tight group.

Or, to keep with a fairly similar build, but more of everything:

CPLT-A1 2 Artemis LRM20's (20 artemis guided missiles instead of 30!), 12 DHS (one less), 1620 ammo (less than you had, but seriously 1800 ammo for 30 tubes is grossly excessive), and an XL255 engine allowing you to get into position and to support when harassed at a reasonable speed and an extra jump jet for better repositioning.

If it were me, though, I'd do this:

CPLT-A1 2 ARLM15's, matching your 30 tubes; supported by 4 SSRM2 launchers for self defense vs. those pesky lights. Keeping with the XL255 maintains sufficient maneuverability to let you easily take on any light one on one and splatter him all over the terrain. Not a lot of SSRM ammo, but enough for your needs - you're only using the SSRM's when necessary after all, either for self defense or if you should actually happen to run out of LRM ammo. Still with 2 jump jets for better jumping: Get high, rain guided missiles down on people.

[Squiggy McPew]

Tbh haven't really had a time when a srm backup was needed or would have mattered because by the time I have enemy focusing on me everyone else is usually dead or on the other side of the map playing tourist whilst our lance got stomped by both the other sides lances.

Also neither of those builds have the ability to ripple fire which is death to lights as they can't outrun a literal constant stream of missiles. Again not having these survival issues with no close in weapons as my speed is more than sufficient to stay in mutual support range of the push.

Remember this is an lrm spam build not a jack of all trades build. One last thing artemis does help with lrm5 spread as I can very very quickly core persuing mechs by keeping my sight on their ct as this line of sight bumps up accuracy to 90%. 30 lrm all striking your ct is a very evil thing especially when you do it again and again.

[Kitane]

I don't like slow Catapults, especially LRM boats. By being slow they lose their main advantage over Stalker while providing less firepower and less survivability. A gimmick with 6 LRM5 isn't enough to make up for it.

A pure LRM boat with no ability to control distance gives up too much initiative and control to external elements. It is viable, but its success is more in hands of its teammates than that of a faster build.

I agree with little value of a secondary weaponry. Neither A1 nor C4 can put together a good LRM build with good enough secondary option to give a decent chance in close combat, so there's a no reason to waste tonnage on it beyond a token MLAS on C4.

Edited by Kitane, 15 July 2013 - 03:59 PM.

[Squiggy McPew]

I could drop a heatsink and a few tons of ammo for a bigger engine to get nearer the top speed but for me personally its fast enough as long as I'm keeping up my sit rep which the beagle helps out with tremendously.

I'll take the tradeoff of being more dependent on my team over less ammo but faster which isn't to say your way is wrong it's just not right for me.

My stats in it so far shows its working so I suppose its down to what works for your personal playstyle. As to the 'gimmick' of lrm5 spam welp you need to go yell at paul for making it viable again as I had nearly this same build in closed beta and it was trolltastic.

[Escef]

If you drop 3 points of armor from each leg and the Beagle Probe you can upgrade to a 225 engine. But I seriously hate your design. It has no ability to defend itself at close range, and isn't fast enough to run away. It's a death trap.

[Kyynele]

I have friends who have PUGged very succesfully with 6x LRM5 pults. 6x LRM5 has nice fast recycle, and as a side effect, if your target doesn't have AMS, you can chain fire them and continuously hammer them with missiles for great annoyance.

But really. Dropping 1 ton of ammo, switching to endo structure and getting a 300XL would give you the same build with slightly better heat efficiency, and would go almost 30 kph faster. Take into account that engines smaller than 250 have less than 10 heatsinks built in, and that the built-in double heat sinks are more effective than heatsinks in other parts of the mech.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d0bddfcf7e4e37a

[Zordicron]

meh, catapult is a little light for the real LULZ.

Awesome 8R, 4x LRM15+ artemis. i put 2 MPL on mine, but 2ML and more ammo is fine too if you want. normal stuff, DHS, endo. Not really speedy, like mid 50's after tweak. Doesnt need to be, just dont lead the pack, follow them at a bit of a distance. Wait for someone to pick a fight, splat the enemy.

66 dmg, comes out in one giant death blob. makes this cool sound when it hits someone, sort of like SPANK.

Trigger one, whatever lasers. Trigger two, chanfire LRM, so you can pop just one off if you want at a light, or at something with red internals. Trigger three, LURMPOCKOLYPSE(thats what i named my mech).

A lot of how stupid it is depends on hit detection. When it is spot on, it will core an assault in a smidge over two shots(like a single 15 or maybe 2 for an atlas). Stuff 50 tons or lower can be one shot if they are at optimal range and face eat it. stuff up to 65 tons will eat it in two, pharacts can tend to spread dmg out a lot so they might need more.

when detection doesnt work, it still does ok dmg because of volley size. But it isnt as potent when 50%
of dmg is gone with the wind.

I mastered my 8R and quit playing it, it is just too stupid. Lock, blob launch, watch the sun fall out of the sky over and behind some hill on top of a spotted foe.

SPANK

Eldagore has killed xxxxxxx


Or at worst, I just made it go to red armor, and now whoever got splatted has to play super careful for the rest of the match. Stupid effective on a decent, or even coherent team. All they gotta do is push R when they go to fight something. SPANK.

[Squiggy McPew]

Kyynele, on 15 July 2013 - 04:15 PM, said:

I have friends who have PUGged very succesfully with 6x LRM5 pults. 6x LRM5 has nice fast recycle, and as a side effect, if your target doesn't have AMS, you can chain fire them and continuously hammer them with missiles for great annoyance.

But really. Dropping 1 ton of ammo, switching to endo structure and getting a 300XL would give you the same build with slightly better heat efficiency, and would go almost 30 kph faster. Take into account that engines smaller than 250 have less than 10 heatsinks built in, and that the built-in double heat sinks are more effective than heatsinks in other parts of the mech.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d0bddfcf7e4e37a

Ahh now that's more like it. Was trying to figure out how to get endo in the mix and fogot about the greater heat efficiency of the larger xl engines.

Kudos!

Eldagore, on 15 July 2013 - 04:15 PM, said:

SPANK

I see. Will have to try that out when I finish getting the basics done with my c1 and k2 that I still have to buy. Good thing I never activated my founders premium time as I think I'm going to need it with all the xp I will have to earn.

Edited by 120mm, 15 July 2013 - 04:23 PM.

[Kitane]

120mm, on 15 July 2013 - 04:10 PM, said:

I could drop a heatsink and a few tons of ammo for a bigger engine to get nearer the top speed but for me personally its fast enough as long as I'm keeping up my sit rep which the beagle helps out with tremendously.

I'll take the tradeoff of being more dependent on my team over less ammo but faster which isn't to say your way is wrong it's just not right for me.

My stats in it so far shows its working so I suppose its down to what works for your personal playstyle. As to the 'gimmick' of lrm5 spam welp you need to go yell at paul for making it viable again as I had nearly this same build in closed beta and it was trolltastic.

I agree it's more about playstyle, but it is at the opposite spectrum of my Cats

And I remember this missile behavior from CB, thats why I downgraded launchers to LRM5s and LRM10s on my Cats right after the change went in. I used to have a huge respect for Atlas RS as the most dangerous LRM Assault back in CB because his low tube limit squeezed out a very tight endless stream of morbidly accurate missiles.

[Ragnar Darkmane]

Quote

Remember this is an lrm spam build not a jack of all trades build.

Fact is you are wasting 3 tons by playing 6x LRM 5s instead of 2x LRM 15. You also have far too much armor on the legs, even with 40 armor on the legs you will almost NEVER get legged (because people simply focus on your CT and kill you), that's another 1.5 tons right there. For that weight you can EASILY get some streaks and ammo for them. It's not about not wanting to be a "jack of all trades", it's simply a waste of resources (which could be better spend on some actual close defence weapons/a bigger engine without reducing performance anywhere else).

Edited by Ragnar Darkmane, 15 July 2013 - 04:45 PM.

[Squiggy McPew]

Ragnar Darkmane, on 15 July 2013 - 04:44 PM, said:

Fact is you are wasting 3 tons by playing 6x LRM 5s instead of 2x LRM 15. You also have far too much armor on the legs, even with 40 armor on the legs you will almost NEVER get legged (because people simply focus on your CT and kill you), that's another 1.5 tons right there. For that weight you can EASILY get some streaks and ammo for them. It's not about not wanting to be a "jack of all trades", it's simply a waste of resources (which could be better spend on some actual close defence weapons/a bigger engine without reducing performance anywhere else).

Thanks for your opinion!

[Warge]

120mm, on 15 July 2013 - 01:51 PM, said:

Thoughts on improvements? Pilot skills atm are only the basics but all are unlocked but no mods are unlocked yet as I only have about 30 games in so far.

"Fast fire" build. Good one. I killed alot with it.
But I prefer this one:
2*SRM6 + 2*SRM4 + 2*LRM10.

Edited by Warge, 15 July 2013 - 04:47 PM.

[Squiggy McPew]

Warge, on 15 July 2013 - 04:47 PM, said:

"Fast fire" build. Good one. I killed alot with it.
But I prefer this one:
2*SRM6 + 2*SRM4 + 2*LRM10.

But that has no lrm spam!

[Warge]

120mm, on 15 July 2013 - 04:48 PM, said:

But that has no lrm spam!

But has K/D ratio 3.

[Squiggy McPew]

Warge, on 15 July 2013 - 04:51 PM, said:

But has K/D ratio 3.

I'm about to break 2 so give me a few more games to get used to this avalanche of new mechanics since I quit playing.

[Warge]

120mm, on 15 July 2013 - 04:54 PM, said:

since I quit playing.

Have fear it'll happen more than once with all of us.

[627]

hmm, what about tighter spread of LRM5? i read in another post that you'll hit (CT) with more missiles from 6xLRM5 than 2xLRM15... and you can shoot a second faster.