4831 replies to this topic

[Average Pilot]

Thanks to IraqiWalker for starting this thread. I would like to just add that the Locust is the chassis I enjoy playing the most, and I use the 1E variant with 6 x SPL's and XL190 engine. Lots of people complain about Locusts, but for me, I get the most bang for the buck out of them. I do have the occasional moments when I get hosed, don't see someone with a big gun around a corner and get slammed; it happens. For the most part though, I get very good results with it. (4 kills or better + 400 dmg or better). My two best outings so far resulted in 8K / 530D and 6K / 745D, both of which are very respectable results for almost any chassis.

Point is, with a good build and a good pilot (though I am average), you can make the most out of a Locust.

[IraqiWalker]

Average Pilot, on 21 May 2015 - 09:55 AM, said:

Thanks to IraqiWalker for starting this thread. I would like to just add that the Locust is the chassis I enjoy playing the most, and I use the 1E variant with 6 x SPL's and XL190 engine. Lots of people complain about Locusts, but for me, I get the most bang for the buck out of them. I do have the occasional moments when I get hosed, don't see someone with a big gun around a corner and get slammed; it happens. For the most part though, I get very good results with it. (4 kills or better + 400 dmg or better). My two best outings so far resulted in 8K / 530D and 6K / 745D, both of which are very respectable results for almost any chassis.

Point is, with a good build and a good pilot (though I am average), you can make the most out of a Locust.

One of my last matches during this last challenge I decided to chase this enemy Misery. He lost an ST, and both ears. Had only his ballistic left, an AC 20, and even though he was in close range with a couple other mechs on my team, I didn't see him use it. So I thought he was out of ammo. I run straight at him, and next thing I know, my locust is doing cartwheels backwards. Cored out my CT, and killed me with one shot. Probably his last bullet.

I felt like an idiot. XD

[Average Pilot]

IraqiWalker, on 21 May 2015 - 11:19 AM, said:

One of my last matches during this last challenge I decided to chase this enemy Misery. He lost an ST, and both ears. Had only his ballistic left, an AC 20, and even though he was in close range with a couple other mechs on my team, I didn't see him use it. So I thought he was out of ammo. I run straight at him, and next thing I know, my locust is doing cartwheels backwards. Cored out my CT, and killed me with one shot. Probably his last bullet.

I felt like an idiot. XD

Yeah, I've had those moments... Came around a corner on the bog earlier today in fact and happened to run into Victor that alpha'd at me before I could react. Needless to say, Locusts can't stand up to that kind of punishment. My fault in retrospect for not paying enough attention to the mini-map. As they say, experience is the gift you're given for screwing up... and I'd say that experience is never run at a mech in a straight line whose torso is facing you and never retreat in a straight line from a mech whose torso is facing you. Good way to get dead, and that second bit works for any chassis. I watch lots of guys die backing up in a straight line from one or more bandits and making it easier for them to pour fire at them... Death usually follows in short order.

Edited by Average Pilot, 21 May 2015 - 11:53 AM.

[HimseIf]

Last night i could not sleep, i was so excited thinking about driving around real fast and zooming through gaps with a hail of LRMs and cannon fire behind me.

[kosmos1214]

Dino Might, on 20 May 2015 - 10:49 PM, said:

If they ever K-Town us, there will be riots.

DarthHias, on 21 May 2015 - 12:52 AM, said:

If they ever K-Town us, we will saddle our favourite Locust rides and there will be no tomorrow.

IraqiWalker, on 21 May 2015 - 01:27 AM, said:

Honestly, with the 1V, and 3V locusts running ERLLs we can make sure there is no tomorrow.

-WHAT'S THAT? I CAN'T HEAR OVER THE SOUND OF BURNING YOUR FACE FROM ACROSS 2 MAPS!

i will screem and take head if they ever k town this join i will make them regret it

[loopala]

if they ever Ktown us i will be posting from Ktown.

it will be rise up mighty locusts and kill the infidels that dare mock the mighty locusts

or some such nonsense due to lack of sleep and way too much caffeine

[omessiaho]

My best game with the locust so far. They were all most damage dealt and the last two were against a dire wolf and timberwolf with a kitfox distracting them. I was already pretty damaged and if they had gotten a decent shot on me I would have been hosed. I usually hate bog but those vines and tree stumps saved my ass!

Of course the next game I ran up a ramp in mining collective to see an Atlas on the other side. One ac20 to the face and it was gg.

[Dawnstealer]

Had a fun drop last night, even though it ended in a 6-12 loss. It wasn't my best game in a Locust, especially not the beast that is my 1E, but I was still tops of the leaderboard for either team.

Of course it was a PUG drop, so there was the usual dude spouting off how their team sucked and how they had to carry the whole team and how awful...you get the idea.

I probably should have ignored them, but I responded with "I accounted for 33% of the kills on our team. In a Locust."

And it was true: I solo'd a King Crab and a Warhawk and damn near cored out a Gargoyle before someone swiped that kill from me. Then I rounded a corner into a Streakcrow and that was the end of that match for me.

Their response?

"Vulture kills" and their friend piped up with "Totally."

The game ends, the totals pop up: I had more damage, kills, and assists than both of them.

....combined.

I love my Locusts.

Edited by Dawnstealer, 22 May 2015 - 10:58 AM.

[Dino Might]

Dawnstealer, on 22 May 2015 - 10:57 AM, said:

Had a fun drop last night, even though it ended in a 6-12 loss. It wasn't my best game in a Locust, especially not the beast that is my 1E, but I was still tops of the leaderboard for either team.

Of course it was a PUG drop, so there was the usual dude spouting off how their team sucked and how they had to carry the whole team and how awful...you get the idea.

I probably should have ignored them, but I responded with "I accounted for 33% of the kills on our team. In a Locust."

And it was true: I solo'd a King Crab and a Warhawk and damn near cored out a Gargoyle before someone swiped that kill from me. Then I rounded a corner into a Streakcrow and that was the end of that match for me.

Their response?

"Vulture kills" and their friend piped up with "Totally."

The game ends, the totals pop up: I had more damage, kills, and assists than both of them.

....combined.

I love my Locusts.

Bwhahahaah, I love it when the numbers shut 'em up. Putting out 600-800 damage when the Dires do 200 just cracks me up. I never say a darn thing until one of them gets mouthy mid match. Then I can't help but type, "scoreboard" as I continue buzzsawing the enemy team.

Of course, I've had plenty of matches where I've gotten killed with sub 100 damage, so.......I only get uppity when it's one of those "blame the team" types.

[Palor]

Maybe one of you locust pilots can explain why some of you tend to run your locust very light on armor. I thought it was just the one guy I one shot with my 4x6Streaks, but now it has happened several times. Normally it takes 2-3 burts of streaks to drop a locust, but every now and then I hit one and it dies, just dies. Also most of them were Pirates Bane's. I don't mind seeing 2-3 component destruction from 1 burst of streaks though, the extra creds are nice.

[IraqiWalker]

Palor, on 22 May 2015 - 11:33 AM, said:

Maybe one of you locust pilots can explain why some of you tend to run your locust very light on armor. I thought it was just the one guy I one shot with my 4x6Streaks, but now it has happened several times. Normally it takes 2-3 burts of streaks to drop a locust, but every now and then I hit one and it dies, just dies. Also most of them were Pirates Bane's. I don't mind seeing 2-3 component destruction from 1 burst of streaks though, the extra creds are nice.

Usually because the pilot needed that extra half ton or so for other equipment. If you really think about it. 10 points of armor instead of 19 isn't that big of a difference. Compared to slapping an extra DHS, or ton of ammo.

[kchunter104]

I sort of want to try the locust. Not too big an investment either, and I love my lights.

[Selene Lunaris]

I got the Locust-3V. I literally spent my last $2 on it.

[Dino Might]

IraqiWalker, on 22 May 2015 - 11:48 AM, said:

Usually because the pilot needed that extra half ton or so for other equipment. If you really think about it. 10 points of armor instead of 19 isn't that big of a difference. Compared to slapping an extra DHS, or ton of ammo.

Most times we die to streaks, it was going to happen whether we were full armor or no armor. Same with dual gauss. The only time that the light armor makes that much of a difference is on the amount of laser grazes you can take. Usually I run full armor, but half armor isn't too bad when you have pretty much none of it anyways.

[Ovion]

Palor, on 22 May 2015 - 11:33 AM, said:

Maybe one of you locust pilots can explain why some of you tend to run your locust very light on armor. I thought it was just the one guy I one shot with my 4x6Streaks, but now it has happened several times. Normally it takes 2-3 burts of streaks to drop a locust, but every now and then I hit one and it dies, just dies. Also most of them were Pirates Bane's. I don't mind seeing 2-3 component destruction from 1 burst of streaks though, the extra creds are nice.

Weight, pure and simple.
We're a 20T mech, speed is our life, so we require max engine.
With min heatsinks, that's 9T, plus the structure for 10T base.
'optimal' armour uses 3T, leaving 7T for weapons / gear.

This leads to the following 'stock' builds for Locusts (shown by the 1V) and the 'alt' for the PB:
Base LCT-1V

Base PIRATES' BANE
- Base PIRATES' BANE w/ ECM
- Alt Base 0/0/0 PIRATES' BANE
- Alt Base 0/0/0 w/ ECM PIRATES' BANE

If you max armour, most Locusts lose a ton with 6T free, and the PB loses 1.5-2T
Being 1T is 5% of the mech, or 10% of the usable space, that's a lot.
So with the exceptionally small hitboxes of the head, armour is normally fine.
With the incredibly small arm hit boxes (and now structure / armour bonuses), 5 is generally more than enough.

Getting hit with an auto locking/tracking 48 damage, when we normally rely on our speed to dodge and avoid missiles, is indeed going to hurt.

(That said, a lot of people do try for vaguely balanced armour, meaning there's not enough armour anywhere to protect anything, or it breaks their mind to run so little armour on the head and arms regardless, so they lose something else, such as gear or speed)

[Nullmancer]

I maximize armor with reduced cockpit armor to bring it to the closest .5 ton for maximum survivabiliteh on all locusts I play.

Armor and speed is life

[Dawnstealer]

Palor, on 22 May 2015 - 11:33 AM, said:

Maybe one of you locust pilots can explain why some of you tend to run your locust very light on armor. I thought it was just the one guy I one shot with my 4x6Streaks, but now it has happened several times. Normally it takes 2-3 burts of streaks to drop a locust, but every now and then I hit one and it dies, just dies. Also most of them were Pirates Bane's. I don't mind seeing 2-3 component destruction from 1 burst of streaks though, the extra creds are nice.

I bring full armor, but one salvo from a SSRM30 will kill a Locust outright, especially if you hit it from the side. Max armor on a Locust is 138, two alphas and there's zero armor left.

[3xnihilo]

Palor, on 22 May 2015 - 11:33 AM, said:

Maybe one of you locust pilots can explain why some of you tend to run your locust very light on armor. I thought it was just the one guy I one shot with my 4x6Streaks, but now it has happened several times. Normally it takes 2-3 burts of streaks to drop a locust, but every now and then I hit one and it dies, just dies. Also most of them were Pirates Bane's. I don't mind seeing 2-3 component destruction from 1 burst of streaks though, the extra creds are nice.

Armor? I don't need no stinkin' armor!

[loopala]

Armor is over rated. That typed I tend to run max armor. I am a coward hiding behind 138 points of armor. There are a few builds (ac2 pb or some of the ac5 builds) that there is no room for armor and a few crazies running them. But let's be honest here almost any good alpha, or ac20 to the back, is going to take you down if it hits only one component. Hence the need for speed. If they can't hit you, you don't need armor.

Edited by loopala, 23 May 2015 - 06:31 AM.

[Ovion]

You can run ac2 with near max armour actually.
You need to bump it to an AC 5 before you can't.

That said, I kind of want SRM 24 suicide locust...