Posted 03 September 2013 - 06:01 PM
I love Jenners, they are my favorite light mech. I'm sure I'm biased though, from the old MW, MW2 days that little Jenner was my meat and potatoes mech. It put food on my table, and other mechs in my garage.
The Jenners were the first chassis I elited when I started MWO.
Your build looks good. About the only thing I would change would be to drop a heat sink and add a couple more jump jets. Or trade out one ML instead. You really shouldn't be running super hot with that build unless you are constantly alpha striking, which I would advise against.
Your mobility is more important than your total strike damage, imo. You've got the best possible engine in that Jenner, the XL 300 is perfect. Now just work on unlocking your basic and elite skills. That Jenner will really "come alive" in your hands when all that is unlocked.
Also, just personal opinion, personal choice, I would avoid the pulse lasers in Jenners. The MPL's are way too hot and too heavy, and the SPL's are much too limited in range. I prefer an "all around" weapons build, and it's just hard to beat the good old ML's in the Jenner.
Once you unlock Master, you'll get a second module slot. The two most valuable modules for a scout, in order are:
1. Seismic/Advanced Seismic Sensor
2. Sensor/Advanced Sensor Range
If you play Conquest, maybe swap #2 for Capture Accelerator. I don't play Conquest, strictly Assault mode. Here are some scouting tips I put in another thread earlier, in case they can help you some. Once again, this advice is strictly for Assault Mode:
For Jenners specifically, run them fast, do not directly engage the enemy, learn to "JJ turn" while evading fire. and never, ever run straight at or straight away from the enemy. Put the biggest engine you can (XL300), as speed is your best armor. A slow Jenner is a dead Jenner.
Scouting is one of those (usually) thankless jobs that can either help or hurt a team. Good scouting can give an organized team the win. The best scout cannot help an unorganized team. I've seen both while PUG'ing.
I only play Assault Mode, so this "advice" is only for Assault.
You will have to develop you're own playstyle as a scout. Not all scouts do it the same way, and that isn't really a bad thing.
For instance,
PHASE 1 of scouting:
I do take off at full speed right from the drop. I want to get as far across the map as possible, towards the enemy lines of travel as I can, as quickly as I can. I circumvent the map at it's widest perimeter normally. Your team needs to know which lanes of travel the enemy is taking, and whether they are split, turtled up tight, camping their base, or rushing yours.
You don't need to get target lock for this phase.
Use team chat to tell your team with GRID NUMBERS, none of this "2 at Theta" {Scrap}, because most newer players have no idea where "Theta" is. But, "Three enemy heavies B3", "2 Atlas at F5", "2 Spiders headed to base along the F line", "main force all on G4 sitting in the bowl", is what they need to hear.
PHASE 2
Your team has not yet fully engaged the enemy, but are moving into position.
Now you've laid out the movements of the enemy units, it's time to make yourself useful once again. This will depend on your situation, as each match can be different. If the enemy formation is turtled up tight, and you've done your job of getting around behind them unnoticed, now it's time to start locking targets for your LRM boats. Start with the more important targets first, like the Assault mechs. Targeting an Atlas is better for your team than targeting a Blackjack. If no assault mechs are in target range, then second would be enemy LRM boats. Then down to heavies, then med's, etc.
I do NOT run TAG, and don't recommend it for light scouts. You have to be within 750 meters to "hit" them with it, and you have to hold relatively still. At the same time you are pointing a laser pointer at an enemy mech that really doesn't WANT a laser pointer pointed at him. Sooner or later, you'll get noticed, and they'll visually follow that red light back to it's owner, you. At 750 meters or less, you are in range of a LOT of weapons. Bad things will happen to you pretty quickly after that.
If you have enemy lights headed to your base to cap rush, and you are the only light, it is your job to go intercept. Hopefully you will get some help from fast mediums or (I wish) other lights on your team. If you run into a full on lance or enemy formation when you get to base, break off to call for help BEFORE you engage them. It will take your slower team mates time to get to you, so the SOONER the call for help goes out, the better your chances are.
PHASE 3
The main forces of the 2 teams are now joined in battle and fully committed.
Now is when you change roles to become a "harasser". Your job now is to cause as much disruption as possible within the enemy ranks. Come around to their rear and run full speed towards their rear units. This is usually where the LRM boats and snipers hang out, and your job is to disrupt their concentration by hitting each one quickly as you fly by. Remember, these cowards are shooting at YOUR team mates. Make a big circle pass at full speed. Fly in, hit a few, and fly back out without dropping your speed.
This often creates pandemonium as the enemy team will turn and fire wildly at you, often hitting each other in the process. You will get kill assists for every enemy you hit, that later gets killed by a bigger team mate. Do NOT make the mistake of staying in there and brawling. You are not a brawler. A brawling Jenner is a dead Jenner. Hit and run tactics. You are there to disrupt their "plan". Find cover, turn and line up your next pass through the enemy formation.
If you have big "brass ones", one of the most dangerous tactics you can use, is to launch a UAV. To properly do it, you must chat your team first to make sure your LRM boats are ready, then you literally have to run straight through the middle of the enemy formation. I recommend starting your run from their rear, run full speed through their line, and launch your UAV right as you hit their center point. You will light up every enemy mech in a 250 meter radius, whether they have ECM or not, whether they are powered down or not. Your LRM boats can now "bring the rain", and you will get spotting credits for every one they hit. Once again, this is highly dangerous for you, but it is an absolute joy to behold when done correctly. Most effective if the enemy is tightly formed together.
Your last, but not least responsibility is to help your team drive away enemy lights. If you see, or hear one of your team mates getting attacked by one or more enemy lights, you need to get in there and help drive them away. Get right up on top of them and put as many hits on them as you can. Lights love to swarm heavies and assaults, but lights DON'T like to be attacked by other lights.
If your team is in good shape, no one is calling for aide, you can try and pick off any stragglers that you see. Find an enemy heavy or assault that foolishly wandered off by itself and stay behind them and keep firing at them until you core them out. This takes time, unless they're already stripped of armor, so your time may be better spent elsewhere, unless you're just keeping them occupied until larger help arrives.
Those are my tactics, I hope they help you somewhat.