79 replies to this topic

[tib3r]

This is going to sound crazy...

But I am starting to realize that the new mechs are causing me to think more outside the box when it comes to builds.

TDR-9SE

This is the idea I have been kicking around for two of them, it will work with the SE and the S variants.

[tib3r]

What I started to realize was the following about this mech:

1. It's an energy boat, as such its going to need a lot of heat sinks, and using endo steel ate up a lot of room in the mech that would be needed for those heat sinks. Running both an XL and the endo steel ate up EVEN more of that valuable space.
2. Using endo steel only gives you three tons with this thing, however, you actually free up more weight using the XL and still retain the majority of the slots with the mech allowing you to run those heat sinks.
3. I think while running an XL engine is risk, it almost seems as though the thunderbolt was made to make you take the chance with stuff like that.

Edited by tib3r, 16 October 2013 - 07:43 PM.

[Lennex]

this is my fav TDR build so far. Love it

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...bd34d61dd34ac9d

its a bit toasty if you use the PPC when you should be using the pulses though.

[tib3r]

Something like that would work well on a battlemaster.
The battlemaster and the thunderbolt are the most annoying mechs I have ever tried to configure.
The shadowhawk though... that thing is a thing of beauty.

[Calon]

I think you'd be served better by running some more like this;
TDR-9SE


Personally I think if you should remove the LLs and chuck in all MLs and a faster engine.
TDR-9SE

[tib3r]

Well...

Three kills 650 damage in my first match in a pug with a few over heats. Sure it was a pain in the neck but it worked.

[MingTheMerciless]

tib3r, on 16 October 2013 - 08:08 PM, said:

Something like that would work well on a battlemaster.
The battlemaster and the thunderbolt are the most annoying mechs I have ever tried to configure.
The shadowhawk though... that thing is a thing of beauty.

Yes indeed but the sheer challenge and delight of tinkering with the Battlemaster and thunderbolt means my work hours zip by!

[August55]

Lennex, on 16 October 2013 - 07:59 PM, said:

this is my fav TDR build so far. Love it

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...bd34d61dd34ac9d

its a bit toasty if you use the PPC when you should be using the pulses though.

TDR-5SS

You should try the ppcs on the shoulder. It looks silly awesome.

[Bront]

Not complete yet, but I'm aiming for this 9SE build. Currently have it with a few less HS, the stock 260, and no Endo, and it's brutally effective.

[tib3r]

Agreed, however I am not a big fan of PPC.

[Eumenes]

An urban / rough terrain brawler SE:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...859f8dd4b203781

I've enjoyed the dual PPC / 5ML TDR-5SS so far as well. It's a bit hot but that's what Thuds are all about. Why else have so many hardpoints?

[Vulkan]

Eumenes, on 19 October 2013 - 05:42 AM, said:

An urban / rough terrain brawler SE:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...859f8dd4b203781

I've enjoyed the dual PPC / 5ML TDR-5SS so far as well. It's a bit hot but that's what Thuds are all about. Why else have so many hardpoints?

I like it.

[NRP]

So far, I've only run a hand full of matches in the 5SS. I've tried a bunch of loadouts, but quite frankly none work that well. Probably the most consistent build was 2 PPCs and 2 LLs.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that the majority of these Phoenix project mechs are just pieces of crapola. The only good one is the Shadowhawk.

[Jiraf]

TDR-5SS (PPC-sniper) (with 275XL from SHD-5M )
or
TDR-5SS (PPC-sniper-2) (more DHS, less med. lasers)

Edited by Jiraf, 19 October 2013 - 09:02 PM.

[Bront]

What are your oppinions of running an XL in the TBolt? I'm finding I'm mostly getting cored, but have lost a torso enough to think there's some potential benefit in running a standard.

[Agent Pires]

I'm using an XL 300 in it and think it suits very well. Generally lose my arms first and then get cored. Very rarely have lost a side torso on this mech.

[Zanathan]

Re XL, I will say it depends on how well your enemy plays which I would generally say your elo. I mean sub-optimal players (being political correct here) will just shot randomly at your torso given it's huge width. Good players will go for the side torso if they can - I mean what better way to disable the majority of the weapon equiped?

Just let me put it this way, when you're coming up against an Atlas for example and you have to face it, what would you be shooting at? And I would say the TBolt's side torso width are on par with an Atlas or even greater.

Edited by Zanathan, 20 October 2013 - 04:00 PM.

[IllCaesar]

Do yourself a favour and only by XLs by every increment of 25, unless you don't mind spending millions and millions of C-Bills for an engine that are harder to work around than increments of 25, ie go 275 instead of 280. Unless you got like hundreds of millions of spare C-Bills, anyways.

Bront, on 20 October 2013 - 10:27 AM, said:

What are your oppinions of running an XL in the TBolt? I'm finding I'm mostly getting cored, but have lost a torso enough to think there's some potential benefit in running a standard.

Depends on the role. The CT is big enough that it'll take most of the damage at range, but up close, the ST will get hit a bunch as well. If you're playing the long game, I'd say try out the Shawk's XL275. Anything CQ, don't bother.

[anubis969]

Bront, on 20 October 2013 - 10:27 AM, said:

What are your oppinions of running an XL in the TBolt? I'm finding I'm mostly getting cored, but have lost a torso enough to think there's some potential benefit in running a standard.

I'm in agreement with Agent Pires on this. In my experience the THUD runs a XL very well. So well I'd actually argue that it's one of the few 'mechs that suffers little to no downside in running a XL. Thanks to its design and hitboxes if you make sure to torso twist and use the arms as shields, you can spread damage so well that by the time you lose a torso section you should have lost both arms and the other two torso sections should be red. So providing you're playing well a STD will only let you survive one extra hit at most but you're giving up a lot of damage/speed in the process.

However with that said, your experience will differ depending on your individual skill level as well as the skill level of your opponents. The best advice I can give is to go with what works for you. So with that in mind, rip the XL 275 out of your SHD-5M, stick it in your Thunderbolt and see how you get on .

Zanathan, on 20 October 2013 - 03:59 PM, said:

Re XL, I will say it depends on how well your enemy plays which I would generally say your elo. I mean sub-optimal players (being political correct here) will just shot randomly at your torso given it's huge width. Good players will go for the side torso if they can - I mean what better way to disable the majority of the weapon equiped?

Just let me put it this way, when you're coming up against an Atlas for example and you have to face it, what would you be shooting at? And I would say the TBolt's side torso width are on par with an Atlas or even greater.

If it's a full health Atlas, then the head or crotch unless I can tell that it's running a XL and even then it depends on the skill of my opponent.

It's average players that will aim for a ST. Good players will aim the for the crotch or head (if the 'mech has one). This is because good opponents won't just stand there and let you shoot them where you want too making targeting a specific torso section difficult. The crotch and head however are a lot harder to protect and count as CT. Plus when shooting the head you can potentially hit the cockpit. At the end of the day a dead opponent is much better than an alive one with no guns.

Edited by anubis969, 20 October 2013 - 05:46 PM.

[Asyres]

MarsAtlas, on 20 October 2013 - 04:19 PM, said:

Do yourself a favour and only by XLs by every increment of 25, unless you don't mind spending millions and millions of C-Bills for an engine that are harder to work around than increments of 25, ie go 275 instead of 280. Unless you got like hundreds of millions of spare C-Bills, anyways.

280xl weighs the same as a 275, and 255 weighs the same as a 250. Doesn't happen with ratings over 300, but it's increasingly common as the engine rating goes down.

I mean, it's only a small speed increase, but every advantage helps, right?