47 replies to this topic

[AncientRaig]

Alright, so I'm relatively new Atlas owner. Just got the AS7-D model. Only thing I've changed is replacing the LRM 20 with an LRM 15 and getting a STD 315 engine, as well as maxing out all the armor that wasn't already maxed. Everything else is still the AC20, four Med Lasers, and SRM 6. In the past five battles I've run, only the first one has had me feeling like a useful part of my team, and not a 100 ton pile of scrap metal. The fifth match was the last straw for me. I ambushed a Thunderbolt that was armed with two PPC's and two medium lasers at nearly point-blank range(About 150m), and emptied everything I had into his CT. I'd say about 5 AC-20 shots, two or three pulses of med laser fire, and three or four barrages of SRM 6. I barely moved his armor into the orange. He fires his PPC's twice each, blasts his lasers twice, and cores me. If I'm not mistaken, the Atlas is supposed to be a tough mech. However, I'm being consistantly anihilated whenever I engage anything. Am I doing something horribly wrong, or is something wrong with the Atlas?

[Krivvan]

You can't ever be alone in an Atlas.

You need to constantly protect your vulnerable torsos and spread damage by twisting. You cannot just stare at an enemy shooting especially when your entire body is visible.

The build isn't the worst build you could have. Make sure you have Double Heat Sinks.

[Gozer]

Hard to tell without seeing how you play. One thing I've noticed with Assaults when you first get them is they FEEL horrible. They just don't move anywhere near how I think they should. Another thing you need to learn as a high priority target is how to stick with the group and torso twist like mad!

[Rowanas]

Fast mechs can get close. For an assault mech, I prefer a longer range package, because that'll tend to keep you surrounded by friends.

[Benden]

Same as other posters.
About your fight, it seems weird that this thunderbolt outdamaged you. Maybe you could have came closer to get under 90m and render his ppc useless. Anyway, unless hitbox detection bug you should have killed him first.
I suspect he was helped by some teammates you did not see. (always read what killed you in that death screen in those cases).
The problem with the Atlas is that you feel invulnerable at start but in fact, it takes a couple light mechs to ruin your day.
Also your size and speed makes you vulnerable from any distance. So use your cover and think about your next moves.
You can be the spearheading mech, hence your "assault" class but BE SURE not to charge alone and that you're outgunning your opposition.

[CheeseThief]

The Atlas is an advanced mech, it's slow, all guns are waist height, 3-5 different weapon groups depending on the variant, so easy to shoot that it's toughness is almost completely dependent on your ability to torso twist, handles like a cow with a broken leg until doubled basic, at which point it just handles like a cow. The Atlas is not a mech that you can jump into and instantly do well in, and trust me, I'm at a low enough Elo that I see so many bad Atlas pilots that it makes me die a little on the inside.

Your example with the Thunderbolt sounds like a pure net code issue, Thuds don't take 200~ damage to the face and live to tell about it unless the net code is playing silly buggers. The return fire is also equally implausible because the Atlas has enough health in the central torso internals alone to eat that 60 damage and still live, so you were either already heavily damaged, or he cooked off the ammo that comes stock in the side torsos.


First thing you should always do on a new Atlas is move the ammo to the legs, having your most shot at sections filled with high explosives is not good for your survivability. Once you've done that, standardise your missile hardpoints so you have less weapon groups to manage and start saving for DHS.


The two rules for piloting an Atlas are:
1. Never go over a hill when you can go around it.
2. Never be first in a charge against the enemy team.

Edited by CheeseThief, 01 November 2013 - 02:13 AM.

[ROJ]

I love the Atlas but you need to take alot fo considerations when using it.
First of all, you are a priority target when the enemy sees you and they will always go for your side torsos so they can blow up your main weapons. Mobility and torso twisting and using your arms as shields is important.
You also need to stay moving with an Atlas because everybody wants to shoot you down and the more you move the less chances they get to hit you.
Needless to say you cannot push alone, an Atlas leading a push without other mechs' reacting immediately by moving in and supporting is pretty much dead..
Also, putting ammo in your side torsos and CT I would not recommend in this mech, personally speaking. Put it all in the legs, head and arms.. As soon as you get cored, all it takes is some critical hits and your ammo will blow up taking out your main weapons at times.

Edited by ROJ, 01 November 2013 - 02:30 AM.

[Joey Tankblaster]

I am not piloting atlai. In addition to the points mentioned by others and from what I experience in regular PUG matches:

1. Atlai are bullet magnets - everybody wants to make the kill and you are easy to hit (size!). That is also true for many other assaults.
2. Atlai are slow and without support they can be easily outflanked by faster mechs and backstabbed.
3. Many atlai are build as a kind of "jack of all trades" with LRMs, SRMs, ballistics and lasers, which I feel is wrong. Either you are a good brawler or a good LRM boat/sniper but not both.
4. Atlai are tanks - you absorb the damage and your supporters get the kills. Never go alone (e.g. on a cap or ambush).
5. You made a substantial tactical error not to move in his 90m perimeter, where his PPC would have done zero damage.
6. More or less all mechs all mechs are nice to ride once you have all basics unlocked plus elite (2x basics).
7. Despite of all these drawbacks: the atlas is the king of the battlefield once he gets mutual support.

[SgtMagor]

Atlas is a tough mech to pilot, its to slow with a 300

1-you want a at least a 325, 350 seems to work well for some peeps.
2-Ams is a must for a big mech that can be spotted easily across a map
3-srm's and med lasers are good in case you get into a brawl, and when your being attacked by light mechs they recycle pretty fast cause enough damage to force mechs to back off.
3-gauss, Ac20, Ac10, a BFG is your friend, since your a big mech that still moves slower than a other weight classes (heavy, med, light) you want something that hits hard so you can torso twist and protect your center torso until the weapon recycles. I find the smaller Ac's work better for lighter mechs since their more mobile.
4-with a faster engine, a good load out you wont be feeling like a huge target anymore, go out and start smacking down some mechs.

[Wintersdark]

Its not bad netcode or something fishy. A thud or other heavy can absolutely go toe to toe with an atlas and win. Eat 200 damage? Ill take a thud and absorb way more than that and still be fighting. Catch over 100 damage on your arms alone, then side torsos. Most rookie Atlas pilots just stare at their opponents and fire center mass, so the Thud in this case was either just hitting CT because the OP was just holding his guns on target.

The Atlas is one of the premiere brawlers in the game, but it requires skill to use effectively. It's really a poor choice for newer players, as it is harshly unforgiving of mistakes,

Edited by Wintersdark, 01 November 2013 - 04:15 AM.

[Charons Little Helper]

There are generally 2 types of successful atlas pilots. I enjoy doing both myself.

1. Long range atlas. This is the more common type. Usually with LRMs & a big AC (I have a buddy who uses 2 AC5s) - it can do solid damage at middling long range. Stay with buddies. Your armor is effective - because every shot you take is one not aimed at your squishier buddies.

2. Surprise Atlas. My personal favorite. Load up on close range weapons. AC20 - maybe 2 LBXs - SRMs etc. (my personal build is 2 large lasers / 2 LBXs / 3 SSRMs) Hug cover. You see someone 600-700 meters away across an open field? Ignore them. Hug cover. Wait. Stay on your team's flank. And wait. Hug cover. Then - when your team is attacked from that side? Surprise! They have to deal with a 100 ton untouched mech loaded for bear. (or maybe godzilla)

Edited by Charons Little Helper, 01 November 2013 - 04:35 AM.

[IceCase88]

I run a DDC with 2 LLs, AC10, and 3 ASRM6s and have pretty good results.

[tigerija]

I got Atlas long time ago. I hated it. Now I play mostly with it.

I started with Awesome. Still good mech (before that ghost heat).

Then I moved to Stalker.

Tried few others like Catapract.

But now I am mostly using 3 different Atlases.

You just cant play as one man Tank. Coz once you get into battle its really hard to get out. So you either win or lose at that point.

They are very good in group combats tho.

[Arctourus]

Mostly this has been covered, but I'll try to sum it up.

adjust your loadout to remove the lrms. creating a mech that can hit from all distances is great, but LRMS, while nice, are usually not that effective unless you build specifically to specialize in them. For an atlas, focus on making your direct fire weaponry better. My as7-d has a large pulse in each arm, two mlas in the center torso for zombie mode and a pair of ac5 in the (left?) torso. I built this with the intent of using the ac5s to hit from a distance as I closed and them smear what's left with the combination of laser and ballistics. works pretty good for me.

My DDC has a loadout more like yours. The difference is I put erllas in the arms to strike from afar while I advance. I can then finish the target off with an ac20 and batteries of SRMs. You can do something like this with your D variant. Make the arms erllas instead of medium and then you can pound them with the short ranged weaponry when you get close. The LRMS seem like a good idea, but really aren't.

The beauty of an atlas is how quick it can mop up the wounded enemy. Typically, when a match starts, everyone runs as fast as they can towards the enemy. This usually means that slow mechs like the atlas show up when everyone is engaged and damaged. Use this to your advantage. While the enemy is locked in combat with your teammates, stride up and shred them before they can shift attention to you. Never walk onto the field of battle expecting to take down those three mechs coming your way...you will get pummeled without getting off too many shots.

I'd better stop before I create a book, but you get the gist of it.

[Death Mallet]

AC-20
2x ASRM 6
4x ML
AMS

Stay grouped up.

Slaughter your enemies at will.

[Corpsecandle]

Atlas is not for everyone...I SUCK in an Atlas. I either find myself utterly alone and surrounded, or never able to get to the battle.

I've determined that any mech that moves under 70kph is not for me, unless I'm entirely in a sniper role and sniping with an Atlas makes me feel dirty. I leave the Atlas to pilots other than myself. (except in the case when I feel I must master EVERY mech I own, then I apologize profusely in my head to the team that got saddled with me).

Edited by Corpsecandle, 01 November 2013 - 07:46 AM.

[CDLord HHGD]

Check your armor. Stock != max. The D is also a tough one with the DDC and BH out there. I keep mine with the STD300 engine. Your loadout is your own. DHS are important. Everyone else is spot on. Stay with your pack. You're the mother hen, not the lone hunter.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Sidefire, on 01 November 2013 - 12:20 AM, said:

I ambushed a Thunderbolt that was armed with two PPC's and two medium lasers at nearly point-blank range(About 150m), and emptied everything I had into his CT. I'd say about 5 AC-20 shots, two or three pulses of med laser fire, and three or four barrages of SRM 6. I barely moved his armor into the orange. He fires his PPC's twice each, blasts his lasers twice, and cores me.

It's a little hard to judge your playstyle if the battlefield reports are somewhat exaggerated...

5 AC/20 shots + 16 MLs + 3 SRM6s would deal about 200 dmg... which would bring any Mech to it's knees if delivered to the CT (especially something smaller than a fully-armored 100t Assault mech), whereas 4 PPC bolts and a few MLs (60-70 dmg pts) would not even strip the CT armor off an Atlas, let alone damage it's internals.

Atlas Mechs are supposed to be part of a group for 2 reasons - 1. Too vulnerable to flanking maneuvers by multiple enemy Mechs, and 2. Cannot shoot over hills and terrain well due to the low-slung weapons. I would suggest trying to use your Atlas as part of a group where you can draw the enemies' attention away from your more fragile-yet-firepower-oriented teammates (glass cannons) while also delivering similar damage as a Heavy Mech that chose to sacrifice armor for increased firepower. I personally don't use Atlas Mechs for 1-on-1 brawling because most foes can run away if they find the situation disadvantageous, but an Atlas can never run away from a bad situation... they have to deal with it. It's always better to deal with a bad situation in a group than alone.

[blacklp]

The single most important thing you can do as an Atlas is torso twist. ALWAYS.
I cannot stress this enough really.
Learn to shoot as you twist.

Get used to getting hit, with everything, by everyone.

[Spheroid]

A single LRM15 is not good on the Atlas-D owing to changes in the missile tube system. I recommend the original LRM20 or LRM20+LRM10.