At the time of this writing, this list is still pretty much completely accurate (MGs got re-nerf'ed, Ultras got brought up, Streaks got untrashed - maybe) and there's several conversations going, so I will leave the thread open and check in from time to time none the less.
---
There's plenty of guides out there, but after seeing a massive decline in build quality even amongst pugs lately, I figure this is worth repeating - the list of what not to do. [BUT WHAT IF...] No, not even then! NEVER!
1: Mount a Large Pulse Laser, AC/5, AC/10, LBX/10, Machine Gun, Flamer, ER Large Laser, Medium Pulse Laser, NARC, or less LRMs (per volley) than 20. These guns are horrendous and you're already gimping your build right out of the gate with them! Try better guns.
2: Assume people won't cap you because of "honor." They're going to cap you. If you're getting in a light/medium 'mech, and you see someone going for your base, it's your role to try to stop them. Stop just waltzing by and assuming the heavies will go back for it!
3: Freezing like a deer in headlights at LRM boats. In particular in casual PUG games, LRM boats are very very easy to counter. You just have to rush up on them so they cannot defend themselves up close, or stay at a distance popping shots out of their range near steep cover. Don't just ignore them or wander around in circles. I've seen LRM boats take out teams that could smash them 50 times over! Next time you see an LRM 'mech, try to figure out how to exploit it's blind spots!
4: Storing your ammo in your XL Engine side. More 'mechs die to this than anything. Jam it in your arms, head, legs.. but stop sticking it in the side that will cause you to die if it blows up! I kill more 'mechs to that..
5: Taking horrendously mismatched weaponry. Don't take a fast firing gun, a slow firing gun, a long firing gun, a fast firing gun and then configure them in a way you need to fire a little at a time. You're making your build a mess. You either want to go sustained damage of burst damage, but mounting both is a one way ticket to failure.
-
In the interest of reminding everyone to "stay calm" after the SRM buff / heat nerf, I'd like to recommend you all:
- PPC, ER PPC, and Gauss still are top tier and work well in tandem. Consider them!
- AC/20s and SRMs work reasonably well together, allowing for an infighter build.
- Large Lasers are terrible now. You need more than 2 to be effective, which ruins your heat.
- Streaks are terrible now. Swap them for regular SRMs for a big boost in damage!
- Medium lasers are still a reliable backup and are far better than MPL or SPL.
- I cannot stress again how bad the guns in #1 point are, be it for the ER Large's long discharge (making it awful at sniping), the LPL's horrendous heat-to-damage or small LRM clusters inability to pierce AMS. Stop trying to make it work, it just won't!
Edited by Victor Morson, 23 August 2013 - 05:11 AM.