10 replies to this topic

[Phlinger]

After gaining Elite on all the Shadowhawk Chasis, and now working on mastering them, SHD-2D2 currently, I have found some, simply put, amazing builds. I know each one varies depending on the player, but these are the ones that work best for me.

The Shadowhawk feels awkward when it's going below 90KPH, maybe it's just me, but unless I'm going really fast it just feels, well, sluggish. My best game so far with one of these was a Match Score of 104 with 5 kills and, I think, around 800 damage done, with the SplatHawk.

SHD-2D2

I used to run this with just the streaks and 2 Large lasers, works very well. However, I purchased a 315XL for my jumpy Thunderbolt SE and decided to try it out, it works amazing, 102KPH with speedtweak, and hits like a truck. I run it with Seismic Sensor and Zoom modules for large maps.

There is also the SplatHawk I was messing around with for awhile, works amazingly well.

SHD-2D2-SplatHawk

I wanted to get more SRM ammo in there, because, well you fly through it, but traded in the 2 heatsinks so I would stop overheating mid fly-by-SRM-Face-Smash.

This is my favorite version of the SHD-2H

SHD-2H

Works like the Splathawk, but also runs a tad slower but hits just as hard, best paired with a nice heavy Assault mech, so you can keep the lights off him and break through the armor and then crit anything you two pair up against.

SHD-2H

This is my Streak version, works well and the AC/10 allows for some nice pinpoint aiming.

The SHD-5M is the oddball of the bunch, the 2/2/2 loadout just cries out to me Zombie mech, well, not really zombie, but you really don't mind using the arms for shields in this one, so that's what I used for my AC/20 builds. I have two of them and both are really effective.

SHD-5M

It's slow, sluggish and hits like a truck. In the other one, I remove the SSRM's and upgraded the engine to a standard 260, that's works better, but still it just 'feels' slow in this chasis, but that's the one I used to unlock all the elites with. I also tried just removing the lasers and just running AC/20 with Streaks, but found I ran out of ammo with the streaks and AC/20 about 2/3rds of the way through most matches.

Well, there's my favorite builds, lets see which are your guys' favorite builds. If you find ways of improving these builds, let me know.

[Rorvik]

Ronyn, on 19 October 2013 - 12:08 PM, said:

SHD-2H

This is my Streak version, works well and the AC/10 allows for some nice pinpoint aiming.

I made this almost exact same build, though I used an LB 10-X w/AMS instead of an AC/10.

I have to say...it's a giant piece of ****.

I can't do anything with it on the vast majority of the maps due it being such an extreme close range build. I just finished a round on Canyon Network, a map I usually do very well on, and wasn't able to do much with it. If I got a LoS on any enemy unit, I'd get plinked by a ton of PPCs and ACs, then as soon as I backed up, LRMs would rain hell down upon me. I tried sticking with my team, but there's little I can do when 90% of my team is hiding being rocks long-range sniping the enemy and vice versa. And the Streaks take so long to get a taret lock (no ECM on the other team and no modules other than BAP on my mech) that peeking over a ridge and waiting the hours and hours and hours and hours for a target lock was just asking to get cored.

I'm thinking the best thing to do at this point is to retool and do a long range build. Something with LRMs and a LL or ERPPC. Or use a bigger engine or something.

Either way, I strongly recommend people stay away from the above Streak build, unless you like hiding behing rocks and feeling useless.

Or, at the very least, make an instructional video showing how to use it effectively on maps like Alpine and Tourmaline.

Edited by Rorvik, 20 October 2013 - 01:09 PM.

[Phlinger]

Seems our play styles are different. I play my SDH's as strikers and support. Not long Ranged support, but support that can quickly manuever to answer the enemies flanking manuever. When the enemies get in close to the assaults and heavies, that's when I really go to work. When the lights start harrassing the LRM dudes, I move fast enough to waste them or at least chase them off, and I never follow a light unless I know he's going into a decoy pattern, and will just circle around to strike again. My job as a medium, is to make sure the heavies and assaults have the freedom to melt faces and to strike surgically when the situation calls for it, or to cover the scout when he limps back toward friends.

Or when an enemy LRM carrier sticks his nose out too far and strays from the herd, I can hit him hard and fast then speed back to the safety of my lance.

I don't do videos, sorry guys, maybe one day I will, but not now. The best way I can give some advice on these builds, is don't be a hero, if you play smart and watch your enemies movements, you can strategically decide where to strike hard and fast, not just charging in all guns blazing. Not saying that's what you did Rorvik, and sorry you didn't enjoy the build man. If you play, not just these builds, but every build this way, you can just do your thing and marvel at the 500-800 dmg, 2-4 kill scoreboard after most matches. Not always though, I do tend to get gung ho on some of my matches and end up getting caught in a bad place, dying with about 200 dmg done and a few assists, or when I round the corner into an AC/40 jager.

If you post what you role you like, I can try out a few builds and then post them. Sniper, Flanker, Support, Hunter.

[Inflatable Fish]

Ronyn, on 19 October 2013 - 12:08 PM, said:

SHD-2H

This is my Streak version, works well and the AC/10 allows for some nice pinpoint aiming.

I use a similar build, but instead of the AC/10 I run two AC/2s, and a medium laser instead of medium pulse in exchange for one more ton of SSRM ammo.

[Rorvik]

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

Seems our play styles are different.

I don't see how; we use the same build.

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

I play my SDH's as strikers and support. Not long Ranged support,

Obviously. The AC/10 / LB 10-X has the furthest reach with 450/540 m; everything else is useless beyond 270 m, so you're practically forced to close in, else you're useless.

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

but support that can quickly manuever to answer the enemies flanking manuever. When the enemies get in close to the assaults and heavies, that's when I really go to work. When the lights start harrassing the LRM dudes, I move fast enough to waste them or at least chase them off, and I never follow a light unless I know he's going into a decoy pattern, and will just circle around to strike again. My job as a medium, is to make sure the heavies and assaults have the freedom to melt faces and to strike surgically when the situation calls for it, or to cover the scout when he limps back toward friends.

Yes, yes, this all sounds nice and good, but this strategy ONLY works when, as you say, "the enemies get in close". What happens when they don't? What happens when all the lights do is hide behind a few rocks so as to spot your team for the LRM boats, and any attempt to engage either the Lights or flank the LRM boats puts you within LoS of about 5-7 of their Gauss / PPC snipers?

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

Or when an enemy LRM carrier sticks his nose out too far and strays from the herd,

Yeah, no, that doesn't happen often. You really cannot build a mech around someone else being a poor player.

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

The best way I can give some advice on these builds, is don't be a hero,

Yes, I know. I do very well with my 2xLL + LB 10-X HBK-4G and AC/20 + 2ML YLW, and can do fairly ok with my 4xML + 2xSRM6 HBK-4SP. I've learned over many battles how trying to be the hero gets you killed more often than not.

Maybe the issue is an ELO bracket thing, where, becaues the SHD-2H is still fairly new, I'm being put with certain types of players who play certain types of builds, which makes the short range SHD-2H pretty useless.

I swapped out to this build and had much more success with it on Tourmaline Desert (I was actually able to take us from 6-8 to 8-8 by getting two kills; we ended up winning 12-10).

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

If you post what you role you like, I can try out a few builds and then post them. Sniper, Flanker, Support, Hunter.

Well, snipers aren't my thing, since my vision isn't the greatest. That isn't to say I can't see properly, but I've seen some crazy sniping in this game (and others, like Battlefield and CoD) where I have to marvel at the players ability to distinguish a handful of pixels as being an enemy unit.

I've tried flanking several times, but I don't tend to find it a very useful tactic, especially if done alone. I take far too much damage from even minor flanking and I frequently find myself limping back to friendlies so as not to get destroyed outright. If I was in a Light, which is hard to hit, or a Heavy, which has a lot more armor, it'd probably wouldn't be so bad, but Mediums...

As a general rule of thumb, if I find I HAVE to flank the enemy team, it's pretty much always because our team is playing poorly and the enemy team is set up in a very good, defensive position, which means any attempt at a flank is practically useless.

I guess that means I run Support and Hunter builds (the 2xLL + LB 10-X HBK-4G build is one such hunter build -- great at shooting down Lights, but can still harass the Assaults).

I tend to run Mediums and Heavies. I have my YLW mastered, as well as the 4G and 4SP of the HBK mastered, and have found all three to be fun, so long as you build and play them right. I also have my CTF-3D, -2X, and -4X mastered, and I can do relatively well with them. I also have a DGN-5N that I can do very well with, but limit funds have forced me to put off getting any more mechs (and thus Elite / Mastering them) for the time being...

[Phlinger]

Rorvik, on 20 October 2013 - 03:54 PM, said:

I swapped out to this build and had much more success with it on Tourmaline Desert (I was actually able to take us from 6-8 to 8-8 by getting two kills; we ended up winning 12-10).

Looks like a good build. I was thinking of trying out a 4 LRM5 2D2, with maybe a 280XL, a really fast missle boat. Hmmm... maybe I'll try this one out.

There are many ways of playing the game and I know there are FAR better players than I am, I just prefer a more 'in your face' playstyle I guess.

Oh, also remember, weapon ranges aren't as cut and dry as 270m and that's it, 'nuff said. Lasers go x2 that range with diminished damage and ballistics are x3, I don't rely on this when building mechs though.

Edited by Ronyn, 20 October 2013 - 04:11 PM.

[Rorvik]

Ronyn, on 20 October 2013 - 04:09 PM, said:

Oh, also remember, weapon ranges aren't as cut and dry as 270m and that's it, 'nuff said. Lasers go x2 that range with diminished damage and ballistics are x3, I don't rely on this when building mechs though.

Actually, they are pretty cut and dry on your 2H build. The SSRMs will not do any damage outside of their optimal range; just watch them explode when they reach 270 m.

The MPL has an optimal 180 m range, it's max range being 360 m, at which point it's damn near useless.

So, basically, the MPL and SSRM have roughly the same range, and if you're not within that close range, you're going to be relying exclusively on the AC/10 / LB 10-X, which has rather limit ammo...

Edited by Rorvik, 20 October 2013 - 04:23 PM.

[xengk]

Ronyn, on 19 October 2013 - 12:08 PM, said:

SHD-2H
Works like the Splathawk, but also runs a tad slower but hits just as hard, best paired with a nice heavy Assault mech, so you can keep the lights off him and break through the armor and then crit anything you two pair up against.

SHD-2H
This is my 2H, it have almost the same weapon loadout except replacing the LPLaz with an ERPPC for better reach and dropping the SRM4 to have Artermis on the 2 SRM6.

[Cato Phoenix]

Just rolled the streak/LBX10 build.

582 damage first time out of the gates.

[Katotonic]

Rorvik, on 20 October 2013 - 01:06 PM, said:

I made this almost exact same build, though I used an LB 10-X w/AMS instead of an AC/10.

I have to say...it's a giant piece of ****.

I can't do anything with it on the vast majority of the maps due it being such an extreme close range build. I just finished a round on Canyon Network, a map I usually do very well on, and wasn't able to do much with it. If I got a LoS on any enemy unit, I'd get plinked by a ton of PPCs and ACs, then as soon as I backed up, LRMs would rain hell down upon me. I tried sticking with my team, but there's little I can do when 90% of my team is hiding being rocks long-range sniping the enemy and vice versa. And the Streaks take so long to get a taret lock (no ECM on the other team and no modules other than BAP on my mech) that peeking over a ridge and waiting the hours and hours and hours and hours for a target lock was just asking to get cored.

I'm thinking the best thing to do at this point is to retool and do a long range build. Something with LRMs and a LL or ERPPC. Or use a bigger engine or something.

Either way, I strongly recommend people stay away from the above Streak build, unless you like hiding behing rocks and feeling useless.

Or, at the very least, make an instructional video showing how to use it effectively on maps like Alpine and Tourmaline.

I run a similar SHD-2H but with an ERLL in the arm as the long range support you were missing

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...408daa8f2f37e95

[StillRadioactive]

The -2D2 and -5M make great miniature Thugs.
SHD-2D2
SHD-5M

I've been doing fantastic work with these two. The -2D2 is performing better than the -5M, but it's all a matter of play style. Either way, the streaks keep the lights from coming inside your PPCs' 90m minimum range, and you can light up the heavies and assaults all day long.