90 replies to this topic

[Dicerson]

As stated by title, what mech chassis provides the best stats for LRM Boating? I do not mean like PURE LRM or any such, just a very good LRM.

To be more specific, i want to be primarily LRM Boat focused ,but have the maneuverability and versatility to deal with mechs at close-medium range with reasonable efficiency.

[Mycrus]

Medium - treb 5N or 3C / hunchie 4J
Heavy - tbolt / pult
Assault - aws 8R / battlemaster S

Some highlander with massive tubes, but I haven't tried one of those..

[Not A Real RAbbi]

The Unicorn.

Oh, you're not joking?

Catapult is still the big PWNZOR of LRM mechs. Any other than K2/JESTER would be great. Most have some hard points for something other than missiles, so make the free tonnage and stuff a LL or two in there.

I've seen the LRM75 Stalker before. VICIOUS.

There's a BLR variant out there with room for 4 LRM15s, and leftover space for 4 more energy weapons. Not a bad idea.

Or, grab a missile hunchie (4SP will also work), and work a LL or two into the arms.

JM6-A has potential, with the extra ballistic and energy slots.

Oh, if only we had the Crusader! Leg-mounted missile slots, stock with an LRM10 in each. Weird.

Seriously, though. If a Catapult isn't good enough for you, you must want a Unicorn. It's the best LRM boat in the game right now, and there are plenty with something more than JUST LRMs on them...

[ManaValkyrie]

Cat-C1/C4
KTO-18 are also usefull missile platforms

[Koniving]

Credentials (ignore the mech's tiny size, field of view 100 so I can feel like I'm leaning back in my mech; instead pay attention to the number of mechs owned).



That said...

Lights:
The Jenner 7D is a good LRM user, slap in 2 LRM-5s. Remain at high speed.
Any Raven could play the role but doing so is ill advised. Too easy to get legged and no jumpjets proves to be a problem. 4X can get around this, but eh. Better off with an AC/20 there.

Mediums:

• The Hunchback 4J and Centurion A can both make modest LRM boats. The 4J would be better due to its smaller size.
  
• ~Most~ Kintaros provide excellent high speed LRM boats.
  
• Shadowhawk 2D2 ~can~ be used as LRM support and works well for the role. Mine carries almost exclusively LRMs and regularly pulls in 300 to 700 damage.

Trebuchets are designed to be LRM boats but until their debut on the upcoming fixes it is best to avoid them.



Heavies:

• The Quickdraw 4H with 3 LRM-5s can make a good high speed LRM harasser.
  
• Thunderbolts 5S and 9SE both provide interesting LRM boats but play surprisingly different (5S = RT LRMs, 9SE = LT LRMs).
  
• Catapults C1, C4, and A1. C1 for efficiency and close range fighting. C4 for reasonable missile power and slight laser backup. A1 for truly devastating LRMs.
  
• All Orions have good LRM potential.

Note: Despite their tabletop nature as running LRM-spammers with lasers and cannons, Dragons make awful LRM users. Don't even bother to use them for LRMs unless something changes with their hardpoint art overhaul.

Jager A can use LRMs but it doesn't have a good track record. Seriously, a Dragon is more satisfying as an LRM boat and it's awful. Don't know what it is.

Assaults:

• The Awesomes 8R (for more missiles) and 8T (for large missiles + lots of direct fire weapons) as well as the 8V make good LRM users.
  
• Victor 9S doesn't have good "zomg LRM" potential, but it has great "trollurms" potential. People hate the spam it can do with 3 LRM-15s.
  
• Many stalkers are good with LRMs. Currently the 3H is the best suited if you want your volleys powerful and fast.
  
• The Highlander 733 is the best for LRM-boating.

Mine uses a 15 and 3 10s with an AC/2, ML, and tag. It sports 6 tons LRM ammo and 4 tons AC/2 ammo and the maximum XL engine for high speed and spam.
(It is a relentlessly bombarding LRM + AC/2 rig. If you're a medium or up, fighting against this rig is like going through an earthquake while standing in a hurricane with a wrestler holding you by the shirt and punching you repeatedly in the face. Try to get a shot in on it, I dare ya. This was built to charge against 4 and 6 PPC stalkers when Ghost Heat didn't exist and frequently succeeded in taking out more than one back to back).

• Battlemaster 1SR is an excellent LRM boat. Warning: Currently only "15 tube" launchers appear on the arms regardless of what you attach.
  
• Of the Atlases, despite how LRMs are actually the K's stock specialty, the DDC is the superior LRM user (gets 3 separate launchers and better tube counts).

Edited by Koniving, 17 November 2013 - 06:00 PM.

[Orbit Rain]

For a effective lrm boat, you have to go with a tag an one ML as backup with the lower weights. When you get to heavier stuff like an HGN, you can fit in more energy firepower to your arsenal. Depends on the cbill sink you wanna get yourself into. I'd recommend KTO's like the KTO-18 with 5 lrm 5's for new peeps at this point, along with a big XL to move fast enough to get yourself outta trouble and back to the main body for cover.

[Koniving]

Since it is on topic:
(A 'slow' Kintaro with Orbit Rain's build suggestion).

Recorded by Lordred. (Camera mostly follows my Golden Boy).

[Arnold J Rimmer]

TheRAbbi, on 17 November 2013 - 05:15 PM, said:

The Unicorn.

The what?

[Redshift2k5]

Koniving, on 17 November 2013 - 05:50 PM, said:

Leprechaun Battlemaster?

[Koniving]

Well gosh darn it.

I'll be waitin' on the other side of the yellow rainbow with the white missiles.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

Arnold J Rimmer, on 17 November 2013 - 06:26 PM, said:

The what?

Mythical, magical creature.

Or Shelby GT 500.

Whichever.

[Arnold J Rimmer]

TheRAbbi, on 17 November 2013 - 07:33 PM, said:

Mythical, magical creature.

Or Shelby GT 500.

Whichever.

Okay, for a moment there I thought one of the mechs had actually earned that nickname and I'd managed to be completely unaware.

I suppose maybe the Misery could qualify?

[Koniving]

Arnold J Rimmer, on 17 November 2013 - 07:58 PM, said:

I suppose maybe the Misery could qualify?

As an avid Misery user, I will say that the answer is no. You get 1 launcher, 6 tubes. Nothing effective can come from it. That'd be like turning the Cataphract 4x into an LRM boat with that single slot head launcher. I'm quite serious when I say you'd have an easier time packing an LRM-20 onto a Locust or turning a Locust into an LRM boat of some sort.

Edited by Koniving, 17 November 2013 - 08:33 PM.

[Arnold J Rimmer]

I meant for the name 'Unicorn', ha. The ballistic 'horn' and a vaguely equine-head torso.

For an LRM boat I'd say the Catapult or Stalker, but not a Misery.

[Lordred]

My personal LRM config for the Stalker 3F
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...123900f06f15235


Quite effective.


Stock C1 also works very well.

Edited by Lordred, 17 November 2013 - 09:47 PM.

[Eaerie]

Ilike catapults and the Battlemaster for LRM's

The cats have great mobility with a decent XL engine and JJ's, a lot of times you can use terrian to put distance between you and bigger, slower mechs coming for you.
The battlemaster is BIG, pack in 4 decent LRM's and still have room for 4 energy weapons and good armor

Just remember to put in the artemis and tag laser. I also put a BAP in my Battlemaster just so a light ECM mech can't shut me down, BAP is good on a Cat -A1 or -C4 if you arent going all out LRM's (I like to stick a couple SSRM's on them for light protection)

[Victor Morson]

Shadowcrusnik, on 17 November 2013 - 05:06 PM, said:

As stated by title, what mech chassis provides the best stats for LRM Boating? I do not mean like PURE LRM or any such, just a very good LRM.

There are no good non-pure LRM 'mechs. Anything with LRMs is more or less dedicated to LRMs, or inferior. This is largely due to the number of missiles required to break AMS systems.

Second, any 'mech with AMS is going to need a BAP, TAG and Artemis. Across the board. No exceptions. The A1 is a gimmick and it's a bad one.

My recommended LRM boat?

Centurion 9D
2x LRM15
1x TAG
1x XL 280

Why that over a Highlander, Catapult or any of the others? [ A Shadowhawk can also fills this role well ]

Because what matters with LRMs isn't just sheer missiles, but the ability to use them at the ranges you need. They have a wide minimum (180) and at maximum, they will not reach targets in time; so you need mobility to keep targets in the <750m sweet spot, using your TAG to guide them in, break ECM bubbles, etc.

Again, backup weapons are just going to get in the way. NOBODY has ever run off because a 'mech has a couple medium lasers. Your defense is running for your team with a fairly sizable engine, nothing more; you'll be fast enough to stay ahead of anything but lights if you are careful to turn back in time.

It's stick profile combined with that speed and ability to range game means a Centurion 9D will cream a Stalker or Highlander pilot every single time in a one on one fight, and ultimately be far more valuable (and less a liability) to your team.

EDIT: If you like LRMs, pick up Adv. Target Decay ASAP. It's a very, very good module for them.

Eaerie, on 17 November 2013 - 10:21 PM, said:

Ilike catapults and the Battlemaster for LRM's

The Battlemaster is the only assault I'd consider for PUG LRM'ing, because it can up into the mid 80s with 50 missiles if I recall. So the Battlemaster is the way to go if you really want to run an assault.

PS: Make sure to look into Ghost Heat when designing your LRM mech! 2x LRM20 2x LRM5 = Fine, 1x LRM20 3x LRM10 = Critical burnout and shutdown.

Edited by Victor Morson, 18 November 2013 - 12:53 AM.

[Arnold J Rimmer]

2 missile hardpoints with 10 tubes between them does not an LRM30 boat make.

Your point about kiting is a good one, however.

[Victor Morson]

Arnold J Rimmer, on 18 November 2013 - 01:00 AM, said:

2 missile hardpoints with 10 tubes between them does not an LRM30 boat make.

Your point about kiting is a good one, however.

The Centurion upscales to a 15 tube when you put an LRM/15 in it, which lets both launches fire simultaneously. It's exceptional at chucking huge balls of death, not streams.

[Arnold J Rimmer]

Victor Morson, on 18 November 2013 - 01:09 AM, said:

The Centurion upscales to a 15 tube when you put an LRM/15 in it, which lets both launches fire simultaneously. It's exceptional at chucking huge balls of death, not streams.

That... is not my experience, with the CN9-D or other variants. I'll go and test it though, I won't outright call you wrong as I'm unsure now