112 replies to this topic

[101011]

Quickdraw Crobat, on 19 July 2014 - 12:06 PM, said:

Untrue. Both the Protector and the V, as I noted in http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__3435320 have two ballistic hardpoints on the right torso. With a standard engine, you can thus mount two LB10-X autocannon there (as each occupies six critical hit slots, totaling twelve- the exact number of CHS in a side torso).

Thank you, for some reason I had it in my head that the LBX-10 took up 7 slots.

[IraqiWalker]

Desertshark, on 19 July 2014 - 12:08 PM, said:

Even that there is no good Variant which variant can take a gaus rifle and support with Srms or Medium pulse? I thought of buying the M or K.

I just want to have some fun with it dealing 200 dmg during match it dont have to be a Meta build.

Oh cool! Then it will be the V!

Thank you!

All Orions with a ballistic hardpoint in the side torso can mount Gauss

[Tiamat of the Sea]

IraqiWalker, on 19 July 2014 - 07:12 PM, said:

All Orions with a ballistic hardpoint in the side torso can mount Gauss

Every Orion has at least one ballistic hardpoint.

[Son of the Flood]

Quickdraw Crobat, on 05 June 2014 - 02:22 AM, said:

or the ON1-VA Quarterback with its high mobility and LB10-X/2ML combination for mashing lights and hunting pre-crippled 'mechs,

thanks for this Quickdraw Crobat! I've been having some great matches in essentially this build on my VA. I use a 350XL instead of a 360 since that's what I had in my inventory. The LRM5 chain fire is good for putting a panic in your target or can be used as an LRM20. You still have the LB-10 and 2 ML for close in mechs and the speed with the big XL is nice.

[UrsusMorologus]

Orion is perfect for typical pug matches--at open you hang back and fire long-range weapons on the enemy to soften them up and/or make them move out of their dug-in positions, then you walk in and mop up whatever is left at your discretion. It's not for going sniper-v-sniper or missile-v-missile, it's for digging them out and killing them on your own terms. Nor is it for going toe-to-toe against a lance of undamaged assault mechs, it's for breaking them down and then coring them out when they are exposed. In that regard, Orion will spoil you with the full-game potential, while most other mechs feel like they are stuck to specific roles.

You also need to play to the strength. Its not a sniper mech for peeking over hills. Instead set your right arm to an individual weapon group, turn your torso sideways, and peek from around the side of a structure, then dump your right laser+ballistic while backtracking into cover. Meanwhile the high position and angle of the missile hard-point lets you use indirect fire over buildings and berms easily if you managed to lock target. After a couple minutes of that, the enemy will definitely seek better opportunities elsewhere. Then you go in close-combat mode, activate the weapon group with both arms enabled and beat them down with high energy damage while still using your ballistic and missile hard-points, while they are in unfavored position. The arms unlock for high range of motion, so you can keep engaged if the target jumps above/below your torso. And you can use the arms for torso shielding as well. Very few mechs have this kind of setup.

I have a K and a V that I change around depending on how many ballistics I want to mount at a given time (I also bought an -M but I found it redundant so I sold it after leveling). ON1-V All-Range does optimal damage in the 200-600m range but is +60% effective inside and outside of that, and all weapons can reach targets up to 1k distance effectively.

As a different build, ON1-K Close Support gives up the torpedo for additional energy weapons, which makes it more effective for close-range combat at the expense of being able to spam out LRMs. Optimal damage is in the 0-400m range but it can go beyond that if needed (up to 1k, but poorly). You can also slot an XL360 with 4 internal heatsinks on this build and be very mobile, can switch the MLs for SRMs, etc.

Overall they are very enjoyable, solid performers.

edited for mass typos and clumsy thoughts

Edited by UrsusMorologus, 16 September 2014 - 10:46 AM.

[The Trumpet of Gabriel]

I run all of my orions with the stock std 300 engine with the exception of the protecter. That said, I use them as brawlers to great effect.

My protector has ac20, 2mL, 1 LPL and a std 320. It can tank fairly well and is maneuverable enough to dance around atlases. It can also throw some solid punches and when not firing an alpha can shoot almost continuously without overheating.

My K has 4 mL, an ac20, and srm 10. This thing is also very effective with the srms, and ac as the hard punch and the mL's as the scalpel to finish the job.

My VA is pretty much only good at smacking another mech's face... up close... and hard. I run it with 2 mL's, an ac20, and srm 20. 2 or 3 alpha strikes will either kill or cripple just about anything. You just have to live long enough to get close...

Edited by Sword of Morning, 17 September 2014 - 08:05 AM.

[JunkyardJack]

I've been having a hard time deciding what mech to buy next, and this thread has def turned my head back towards the Orion. One of my all time favorite units from my Battletech days. Any suggestions on which model to grab first?

Edited by Wormrot, 20 September 2014 - 09:54 AM.

[Dawnstealer]

"good but not great" sums up most Heavies: that's their purpose.

[Tiamat of the Sea]

Son of the Flood, on 14 September 2014 - 04:07 AM, said:

thanks for this Quickdraw Crobat! I've been having some great matches in essentially this build on my VA. I use a 350XL instead of a 360 since that's what I had in my inventory. The LRM5 chain fire is good for putting a panic in your target or can be used as an LRM20. You still have the LB-10 and 2 ML for close in mechs and the speed with the big XL is nice.

You are very welcome. I like to use the chain LRM-5s to core out assaults and the occasional heavy, or at least soften up their CT armor so that allies can finish them off- get a lot of assists that way. It's worth noting that you can time your firing with LRM-5s to keep a steady stream with just the four, if you have good internal rhythm. I actually never fire them in unison for just this reason. I really favor this build- I tried SRM builds with the VA and it just didn't work as well for me.

Wormrot, on 20 September 2014 - 09:54 AM, said:

I've been having a hard time deciding what mech to buy next, and this thread has def turned my head back towards the Orion. One of my all time favorite units from my Battletech days. Any suggestions on which model to grab first?

It depends on what you want to do. My original post in this thread, http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__3435320, covers all the Orion variants well enough and things they can do, so you should probably refer to that and consider what you would prefer doing with your Orion(s).

[Zordicron]

So, current day opinions of XL Orions? I only have protector right now, ran a brawl loadout with std. 300, but havent played it since like march. Lots of changes to game since then.

For the 25 tons, I could go to XL350 and have 3 more tons leftover. that is tempting. But, if the thing is really that much tougher with a STD, OR, if the clans now require the speed of XL, or maybe the toughness of STD to survive the big DPS they put out?

i am thinking of snapping up the rest of this chassis as it is the only one besides quickdraw I havent mastered completely(a little to go on clans) in heavy class. Just wondering what the consensus is on XL vs Std. if there is a bunch of each, well then I will try both to see how I like it i guess.

[IraqiWalker]

Eldagore, on 22 September 2014 - 09:14 PM, said:

So, current day opinions of XL Orions? I only have protector right now, ran a brawl loadout with std. 300, but havent played it since like march. Lots of changes to game since then.

For the 25 tons, I could go to XL350 and have 3 more tons leftover. that is tempting. But, if the thing is really that much tougher with a STD, OR, if the clans now require the speed of XL, or maybe the toughness of STD to survive the big DPS they put out?

i am thinking of snapping up the rest of this chassis as it is the only one besides quickdraw I havent mastered completely(a little to go on clans) in heavy class. Just wondering what the consensus is on XL vs Std. if there is a bunch of each, well then I will try both to see how I like it i guess.

XLs can work on them.

The thing to remember about XL engines is that they will let you move your mech faster, not just movement speed, but torso twisting, which allows you to spread damage better.

[UrsusMorologus]

Top of their weight class and beefy arms to sponge up damage. I would continue to play them from cover however.

[Tiamat of the Sea]

Eldagore, on 22 September 2014 - 09:14 PM, said:

So, current day opinions of XL Orions? I only have protector right now, ran a brawl loadout with std. 300, but havent played it since like march. Lots of changes to game since then.

For the 25 tons, I could go to XL350 and have 3 more tons leftover. that is tempting. But, if the thing is really that much tougher with a STD, OR, if the clans now require the speed of XL, or maybe the toughness of STD to survive the big DPS they put out?

i am thinking of snapping up the rest of this chassis as it is the only one besides quickdraw I havent mastered completely(a little to go on clans) in heavy class. Just wondering what the consensus is on XL vs Std. if there is a bunch of each, well then I will try both to see how I like it i guess.

I would say not to run an XL engine in an Orion you're deliberately taking into close combat. The arms are decent-sized, but I can't recall more than a few times- even when frantically/regularly twisting- where I've lost an arm before I lose the accompanying torso. That said, if you're using a weapons load-out meant for long-range support (or in some cases, mid-range support), an XL engine is just fine- you lose a little durability, but more than make up for it in ability to get out of Dodge when things go bad. An XL Orion with a good enough engine (320+~ish) can usually handle itself in the event that a light or quick medium jumps it, and still escape really dangerous heavy weapons platforms, which is not something that can be said of most fire-support oriented 'mechs. Combining this with a couple of medium lasers and the capacity to mount long-range missiles- or a couple of ER Large Lasers- lets the Orion be a relatively flexible LRM-chucker that can still get itself out of trouble.

If you're gearing for close combat, though, it's unlikely you'll be able to turn entirely away from incoming fire, and the Orion has a very boxy torso shape, particularly the big fat left shoulder, which doesn't lend itself well to keeping an XL intact under heavy fire.