27 replies to this topic

[Pastor Priest]

I currently have the RS and DDC, which are both fine mechs. Now, I have to choose my third; the K or the D. I hear a lot of bad things about the K, and could see why. However, is it really that bad? The D looks OM, but I can do much of the same with the DDC. So, what are your thoughts?

[Mechteric]

I don't think you can go wrong either way, the K does have the ability to do 2 ams though the D has much better hardpoints for weapons

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 15 August 2013 - 06:57 AM.

[Dawnstealer]

D. Especially if you already have a DDC; the D handles very similarly. You lose the ECM, but you gain the ability to zombie up. The K...dunno. Dual AMS, especially with the current effectiveness of LRMs, isn't bad, but...

Depends on your play style. I have a real simple, real effective D build that I use, with two A-LRM 20s and three LLs. I'll eventually pick up a K, but the D just seems like the better option.

Also, K (because of the XL engine, which you WILL want to pull), is WAAAAAAYYYYYY more expensive.

Edited by Dawnstealer, 15 August 2013 - 07:16 AM.

[Appogee]

For some reason, my D has scored far more damage and kills than my K ever did. So I sold the K.

D-DC still scores highest of all because it avoids much of the highly-skilled indirectly-fired LRM spam that dominates some matches.

[Modo44]

The Atlas K is great if you accept the fact that you do not have missiles. Make it fast (350 engine highly recommended), use it like a heavy. Double AMS allows you to laugh at LRM boats that use chain fire. My standard build takes 3xLLAS+AC20.

The D will do what the DDC does, only worse. Most people like it better than the K, but it is boring.

Edited by Modo44, 15 August 2013 - 07:04 AM.

[Nehkrosis]

I dont play atlas's (atlai)

but if i did have the K, i'd give this a PoliWhirl;

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f9e5f6911ce9272

Speed's ok, STD Engine for longer brawling, Nice Alpha, decent range, armours ok, yeah, and the 2 AMS looks fun.
i might buy this for the crack!

Edited by Nehkrosis, 15 August 2013 - 07:14 AM.

[DONTOR]

I would suggest the D, similar to the DDC but you can focus a little more on lasers and ballistics. A few builds i have used with my founders are as follows. 2 SRM6, 2 AC5, 2 medium pulse.(very reliable firepower, Good heat) another one i did just for fun that turned out well, had 4 medium lasers and an AC20

[Zordicron]

I have both. I built them differently. The K is a more rounded loadout, and better suited to hang out with your team providing heavy support and a focus point if the enemy comes running so your mediums and lights can back off and not get blown away. Dual AMS is superb for team defense, it wont stop a real LRM boat, but anyone trying to hit your team with one of those LRM5 spam catapults, or anything that can only carry a single 20 or even a 15 and a 10 or something will mostly just fail. I did 2 LL, 2 ML, AC20, and a LRM15. Endo, DHS, and the engine was.....gah I would have to look, at least a 300. Doesnt have too much ammo for the LRM15, that weapon is mostly to engage while you move into place to keep the enemy honest.

The D, i tried a few different things on it, but decided in the end on 2 LL, 2 ML, AC20, 2x SRM6+artemis. Not really a long range loadout lol, but man, pity the poor ******* that comes around the corner in front of you. Runs hot if you try to alpha non stop, but you usually dont have to- even other assaults will say F that noise and back away. Only the fools so far have tried to outbrawl in this thing, and they lose. Downside- If you are pinned by LRM, well, hopefully your team doesnt play peek-a-boo and get blown away before you can bring the smash to the enemy. If you need to cross a fireing lane for snipers- dont lol. The real bottom line is you are only good when something is within 300M. At that point, you can roll out and engage and ruinate them.

If it was me in your shoes, I would plan to buy both and load them out differently. I do that on all my mechs, gives me a reason not to sell them and variety is the spice of life and so forth.

[Jez]

D is a better brawler because of the 2 laser hard points in the center torso. As you start to master the art of torso twisting, you'll find that that the 2 CT lasers become critical to your survival as inevitably one side of your Atlas is going to be destroyed.

[Yelland]

I enjoy the K - though I gave up the XL engine, too much of a liability on Atlas. I play with either a 3xLLas 1xAC/10 or a build pretty much the same as suggestion by Nehkrosis. Except I only have a STD340.

AS7-K 2xLLas 1xAC/20 1xSRM6+A

AS7-K 3xLLas 1xAC/10 AC/10 build gives a bit more ranged punch.

I would recommend AS7-K over the D, especially if you already have a D-DC. Dual AMS is a nice support tool.

[DegeneratePervert]

AS7-RS: Kinda garbage right now, or at least not as good as other variants, since it is nearly impossible to get heat efficiency out of him.
AS7-D-DC: ECM is great, but he can't zombie at all. No CT weapon slots.
AS7-D: Best variant out there, imo. Can grab the most balanced weapon loadout.
AS7-K: A very fun variant. My buddy runs his with an ALRM10, 2x LL, 2x ML, and an AC/20 with dual AMS. Pretty cool that when he and I team up, the enemy LRM fire is irrelevant.

[MiG77]

Eldagore, on 15 August 2013 - 07:36 AM, said:

The D, i tried a few different things on it, but decided in the end on 2 LL, 2 ML, AC20, 2x SRM6+artemis. Not really a long range loadout lol, but man, pity the poor ******* that comes around the corner in front of you. Runs hot if you try to alpha non stop, but you usually dont have to- even other assaults will say F that noise and back away. Only the fools so far have tried to outbrawl in this thing, and they lose. Downside- If you are pinned by LRM, well, hopefully your team doesnt play peek-a-boo and get blown away before you can bring the smash to the enemy. If you need to cross a fireing lane for snipers- dont lol. The real bottom line is you are only good when something is within 300M. At that point, you can roll out and engage and ruinate them.

I use same build also. It can destroy or severly criple even other assault with two alphas. Sometimes I just trade 1 ML and little armor for AMS+ ammo. CT weapons are used mainly only on alpha strikes or if I lose AC20/SRMs

[SJ Osiris]

Grind the AS7-D, sell it or whatever and switch back to the DDC. Or just do whatever you can to try and have fun.

[JigglyMoobs]

I agree on the 3xLLAS AC/20 STD 340 build. I run it on my RS and it should be just as effective on the K. It's actually enough to face down almost any single mech large or small if you are a good aim.

There are some situations you are not going to win on your own:

You're not going to win against an LRM boat from across the map.
You're not going to win against a brawler Atlas from 200 m away.
You're not going to win against 2 or 3 well piloted circling lights.

But with 47 points of point damage, you are in a position to make the other team pay dearly for every tactical error.

For example in a pick up game last night I killed 4 weakened mechs in a row in the land of Mordor to the team come back from a 5 mech kill deficit. At least 2 of the enemy mechs died in one shot to a weakened rear CT.

[ScottChocolate]

I was in your same position and I got rid of the K. The K forces you to lay back a little whereas the D is more inline with the other Atlai.

[oldradagast]

Generally, the D is better than the K, and the K costs more and yet has an XL engine, which is terrible on an Atlas. That being said, once properly out-fitted, the K is an acceptable mech, and if you can use the XL engine on another mech and don't already own it, you would be buying that engine at a discount (though you would then need to buy a replacement Standard engine for the Atlas K...)

Long story short, the D is better overall - better hardpoints across the board. The only real use for the K is the discount on the engine and the second AMS... but it is still an Atlas, and thus terrifying when properly equipped (No XL engine!) and played.

Edited by oldradagast, 16 August 2013 - 08:24 AM.

[Pastor Priest]

I'll probably go with the D for cost reasons. Plus, the K has a much more niche role, and I just love face-melting brawls too much.

I looked at the 2x LL, 2x ML, AC20, 2x SRM6 builds, and while that 72 point alpha looks awesome, heat looks like it could be an issue, as well as speed. What are your takes?

I'm also considering a twin UAC5 build because, who doesn't love dakka?

[Sir Wulfrick]

I'm exclusively an Atlas pilot since way back in closed beta, and prior to that an Atlas pilot since around 1987. There are few Atlas pilots with more experience in the old girl that me. Better pilots, yes, but few with more experience.

The K variant is severely deficient for a number of reasons. The Atlas as a chassis is hard-point deficient compared to similar weight mechs, and this problem is exacerbated with the K variants' single missile hard point and single ballistic hard point. The layout of the energy hard points in no way sufficiently compensates.

Compared to the other variants the K is severely poor as a brawler due to its inability to mount sufficient numbers of SRM launchers or dual ballistic weapons and is incapable of mounting ECM and is thus additionally vulnerable, making it inferior to both the D and D-DC. The RS variant is superior for both brawling and long-range loadouts due to the far superior layout of energy hard points.

I've tried for quite some time to produce a decent K build. I thought I'd developed a quite unusual but effective build at one point before realising that the same build could be replicated with additional benefits on both the D and D-DC variants. I've come to the conclusion that no build exists - none at all - that cannot be replicated on any of the other variants with additional features such as ECM, larger engine, additional heat sinks etc. The K is currently enjoying a very slight benefit due to the effectiveness of its dual AMS against chain-fire LRM5 barages, but as the LRM meta further develops I fully expect this momentary and small advantage to be overcome.

Unless you're in desperate need of an XL 300 engine the K variant Atlas is a waste of time and C-Bills. The D is far more versatile in any role in which you want to use it.

[MiG77]

Totally agree with Sir Wulfrick. IMO any Atlas K build without dual AMS is stupid, because you could build better one with other models. In other words dual AMS is must for K. IIRC I used to drive K with only 2 ERPCC, gauss and dual AMS and (lots of heatsinks and ammo for gauss/AMS).

[Pastor Priest]

OK, D it is. What do you think of these two builds?

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...21b55688ac55b9a

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4461f3f51bb8ddb