81 replies to this topic

[zazz0000]

I've noticed an emergence of a new, highly annoying, and seemingly effective build cropping up.
For lack of, or just not knowing the term, I'll call the LRM flooders.

The build is pretty straight-forward. While I don't know the exact specs, it seems to be a high number of low-capacity LRM packs, LRM-5 from what I guessed, either chain fired or macro'd to fire off in rapid succession, 0.6 sec or so.

It creates a non-stop stream of LRM's, with a reasonable destructive power, but most importantly, a non-stop screen shake, aparently stronger than that from an AC-2 fire.

A single AMS seems to have limited to no effect. ~10DPS, and indirect fire ability, makes this build pretty damn hard to work against.

Wondering if anyone has seen these builds crop up, and any ideas to deal with them?

[OuttaAmmo NoWai]

They're not FOTM, they're not that common, and they're trash unless you're on alpine

You never see them at a competitive ELO

[FupDup]

If there is any FoTM, it's probably PPC + (U)AC/5 poptarts.

[Shaftronics]

FupDup, on 01 November 2013 - 07:13 PM, said:

If there is any FoTM, it's probably PPC + (U)AC/5 poptarts.

This. And I'm guilty for playing my Shadow Hawks as such noticing how effective they are.

And me and a pal had a field day when our combined AMS's were stopping your so-called LRM-flooding builds as they repeatedly chain fired. We just watched the fireworks above us.

[zazz0000]

Good point Outta Ammo, I can see how outside of Alpine, and maybe some other maps, they can be trash.
Plus I wouldn't know anything about this "competitive ELO bracket" lol

[Corvus Antaka]

lol?

[Prezimonto]

A single AMS cuts the dps roughly in half. More than one shuts the entire build down. It runs hots, even with a few extra double heat sinks, so you can't keep a permanent stream up with an A1.

It works, and can be annoying, but it's certainly not without severe limitations and it's certainly not better than quite a few other long range builds.

It's most effective when paired with someone else's LRM15 barrages. The ams in the area get overwhelmed and the LRM5's core most mechs pretty quickly if they're mostly all getting through.

They need to implement the bone targeting for LRM5 packs (so an LRM20 targets 4 mech bones) and increase the damage of LRM's a touch.

That being said they need to get rid of ECM's ability to shut down an entire weapon system against an entire team. I don't mind if the bubble could cover a tightly grouped lance (at most), but the fact that one can cover a whole team with no down side is awful.

Edited by Prezimonto, 01 November 2013 - 07:48 PM.

[Otto Cannon]

Nice to know those old A1 trollboats are still finding nubs to grief.

[KharnZor]

Colonel Pada Vinson, on 01 November 2013 - 07:29 PM, said:

lol?

This is lol appropriate so go right ahead, lol away

[Nothing Whatsoever]

What to do now?

Nothing?

[KharnZor]

Praetor Shepard, on 01 November 2013 - 09:02 PM, said:

What to do now?

Nothing?

We lol, like so :

[Nothing Whatsoever]

KharnZor, on 01 November 2013 - 09:07 PM, said:

We lol, like so :

Hmm...

[Deathlike]

When lurms blot out the sun, it's because everyone can see you.

[Roosterfish]

It's just a troll build.

[Agent 0 Fortune]

OuttaAmmo NoWai, on 01 November 2013 - 07:12 PM, said:

They're not FOTM, they're not that common, and they're trash unless you're on alpine
You never see them at a competitive ELO

Actually LRM usage has increased significantly recently; likely thanks to the introduction of Project Phoenix mechs with their multitude of missile pods and distinct lack of ECM. The fact that LRMs aren’t seen in competitive Elo bracket is inconsequential, as it constitutes a small segment of the playerbase and doesn’t apply to the OPs question about how to defend against them.

Back on topic, the simple solution to chain fired LRMs is AMS, it destroyed 3-4 missiles per second at a range of 200m, meaning it will almost completely destroy an LRM5 before it hits you. However a better solution and one that will protect you from larger LRM pods is keep close to cover. That rule applies whether the enemy has LRMs or not, you almost always want to keep solid cover nearby, it will protect you from incoming fire while your weapons cooldown, and it will allow you to screen your opponents so they cannot attack you 2 v 1.

[Alistair Winter]

Unfortunately, if the rest of your team doesn't know how to deal with LRM boats, it doesn't really help very much that you, as a pugger, do know how. It's not a problem in competitive matches, apparently, but you choke on your condescending laughter real fast when 5 guys on your PUG team just got wiped out by a 12-year-old in a Stalker.

It's very rare that this is a problem for me, it's certainly not a FOTM. But I do sometimes end up with teammates who think they are invulnerable to LRMs and engage in long range duels with their triple AC2, no cover and no AMS.

inb4 elo gutter and carry harder.

[Navy Sixes]

Those A1 spam-cats are a risky proposition running solo in the PUG. If everything goes well and one or two teammates dedicate themselves to keeping the lights off you, you can really rack-up the dmg. On the other hand, if you're on your own (especially near the end of the match when everything breaks down) and an enemy gets inside 180m...

It's a gimmick build that's working well right now because people in the forums have been saying LRMs are {Scrap} for so long that many are running without AMS. So I don't think the problem is that spam-cats are a FOTM. The problem is that forgoing AMS is the FOTM, when it used to be considered mandatory gear.

It's good to see lots of LRMs on the field; they keep the snipers' heads down, force players to consider terrain when moving across the battlefield, and make the ballistic mechs forgo an extra ton of ammo and some armor for that AMS.

Edited by Tycho von Gagern, 02 November 2013 - 01:14 AM.

[ColourfulConfetti]

Oh lord I WISH that lrm 5 chain build was FOTM, but sadly it's still poptarting dual ppcs and dual ac5, and highlanders are still king, with catahpracts still in a close second, rather sad, but true. Half my rounds devolved into mass poptarting the other day. I honestly would much prefer mass lrm 5 boats to a mass of poptarts with dual ppc and ac5s, at least there would be more variety then.

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

[Duncan Aravain]

Had a twelve man drop against a team with 11 Highlanders or Cat. 3Ds and one Spider. Cheese was plentiful.

[Tahribator]

I've been doing this in my A1 LRM kitty extensively during the last days in EU TZ. 6 ALRM5's of non-stop suppression. Maybe you've seen me? A few reasons for this trollage;

• I got sick of the poptarts. I hate them, I find poptarting an easy and destructive(for gameplay) way to play this game. I found out that with Target Decay and Target Acquisition modules you get enough time to hit a poptart even he went behind cover at long range. This annoys them to no end, screws up their aim and forces them to relocate everytime they pop. Since I do this with my own locks, they also get the Artemis groupings. Mind that HGN CT sucks in all the damage in this case.
  
• Poptarts also get the "unending LRM chain" treatment if they are caught in the open. Since none of them sports AMS', they essentially get stunned by constant cockpit shake and explosions. They also melt very slowly. If they try to jumpjet their way out of it, they get legged quickly. If they try to run, they lose arms and sides quickly.
  
• I found out that by suppressing everything that pops out of cover(just one LRM5 shot and sometimes alpha), I can force the enemy team into a "passive mode". Slow hill humpers like Stalkers, Atlases(lol), Jagers get punished by sticking out. They see all the missiles and non-stop clatter of their AMS' and think "****, they have lots of LRM's. I better stick to cover". Soon, they get afraid of getting hit. With this kind of suppression, my team won games against overwhelming enemy tonnage. This allows my team to move unhindered across the map.
  
• When the enemy is forced into submission, I close in and do "poplurming". Jump, acquire lock, alpha, watch as the crosshair turns red as the enemy gets hit by 33 alpha. There's nothing the enemy can do about it, as I only need to go high enough to get locks, unlike poptarts who also have to aim during this time.
  
• It's immensely fun and a good way to extract tears from enemy team. "LRM's take no skill!", "Autoaiming piece of ****!" and so on.

So, how do I survive without close range weaponry? I just stay with the main group, that's all. Sometimes the enemy gets mad and the whole lance comes for me, but they get picked off on the way by my teammates and more LRM's. Lights cannot attack you when you're with the pack and if you're really in trouble, use jumpjets to get on high objects while you wait for backup. My Cat with XL300 also has a respectable speed, so you can pull to LRM range from pretty much every Heavy and Assault mech.

As far as the effectiveness go, I currently have 89 kills and 19 deaths with this mech; giving me a respectable 4.68 K/D ratio. Most of the deaths are from other sub-optimal builds. I consider my Elo to be high, I play with top players all the time. It works.

What can you do about it? Get AMS. Seriously. It won't help much against alpha, but If I'm chaining you get to take out %80 of the missiles. If you stand near a teammate with AMS, you completely rip the LRM's. You'll still be suppressed by odd missiles escaping AMS' though.

I suggest more people to try it, to make PUGs more interesting for the elite CoD 360 poptarters.

Edited by Tahribator, 02 November 2013 - 02:20 AM.