56 replies to this topic

[Monky]

Think of the QKD like the Cicada of the heavies. It's got most of the weaknesses of a medium without many of the advantages, except slightly higher armor.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Just for some raw comparison.

My spider SDR-5D with a 200xl engine
Moves 14kph faster
JJets cost half as much so I can default at 4, doing 23 meter jumps.
Doesn't suffer from terrain penalties that would cripple mediums and heavy movement over similar terrain.
I can put 1 ERLL + 2Medlas on.
With or without ECM, I can dodge missles with ease.

I average 400-500 dmg. in a 30 ton mech, my average in the QD (pick your variant) averages between 150-275 in similar combat.

Now granted, my spider is less than half the size of my QD, and hitreg on lights is pretty bad.

It would be great if they would adjust the QD to have all the default heat and movement penalties of the rest of the medium mechs.
That in theory could bring balance to the force.

It needs something.. for gameplay sake.

QD doesn't feel like it belongs in the Heavy bracket.

[FireSlade]

I think that you doing 200+ damage in a Quickdraw is pretty good but that is because it cannot mount Ballistic weapons and Missile hit reg is off (although 2 tons SSRM ammo and 3 launchers can do 500 damage easily). Unfortunately you cannot treat the QKD like a Spider. Because the Spider has half the mass it turns, stops, and accelerates much faster even though it is only 14kph faster. The QKD also has a large mech profile so bumps and hills will slow you down much faster. You can treat it like a Medium mech though and it shines when done so. 90-100kph is plenty of speed, use the JJs to turn (using JJs my Heavy Metal can out turn a Spider running around me), shoot 1-2 times then run before the enemy can react and you can cool of some to prepare for the next few volleys, and do not expect it to soak damage like a Spider. Try to fit 2 LLs on it since they can do a lot of damage.

[Cyborne Elemental]

I just noticed that the mech itself is as tall as the Atlas, and has as big of a front profile.. LOL.

[badaa]

try this build it works for me

[Snowhawk]

A well played Qkd-5k can be like a Centurion with jump jets. The majority of the Firepower is located in the Torso, so you can use the arms like shilds. Additionally the hardpoints are high mounted, perfect for some shots over ridges, buildings or whatever... never underestimate a Qkd....

[Sug]

Do you often see Quickdraws in matches?

Can you guess why?


****. I had forgotten they were in the game.

Edited by Sug, 17 January 2014 - 02:30 AM.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Too big, too clumsy, too underpowered for its weight class.

[Slashmckill]

Yeah quickdraws suffer about as much as dragons do in this game, their proportions are massive compared to even assaults and the engine size you have to use to get them going a decent speed leaves them with d&%k for weapon tonnage. The only reason the quickdraw would be driven at all at this point is for the jumpjets, but as more and more mechs come out that have jumpjets it's just going to be left in the trash. (which is a shame because i like my quickdraws, i just wish pgi wouldn't force feed them twinkies till they are the size of highlanders)

[Cyborne Elemental]

Yeah but the dragon brings a big stick, possible for 1 AC-20 or Gauss, and 2 ERLL or even PPC if you balance it right.
Dragon can take a beating too, even with its fat chest sticking out.

Quickdraw's punch should be in the SRM's you can pack, 2 SRM6 and 1 SRM4 should bring the pain, but the missiles just don't connect.
and you're left with minimal laser weaponry because of heat spikes from the SRM.

Best config for face smashing brawler, was 3xSRM4, a LL and 2 medium lasers, was feeling pretty good about how much damage I was doing, and average got up to 300 ish.

1 game, I was against a Jenner with 6 medlas, and a Griffin behind him that popped around a blind corner, I counted to 1, left leg gone, and within fraction of a second my right leg behind it was gone.
Soon as I got to the mechlab, BAM! sold that *&@#ing POS.


Never experienced anything like that ever, except in a locust.

Got 2 ShadowHawks unlocked now, and neither one gets legged like I did in the QD, not even close.

In fact, in my shadowhawk I haven't been legged yet in 30 games. Always torso and arms ripped off before legs go.

QD needs a good looking over, I still think its bugged in the legs.

Edited by Mister D, 20 January 2014 - 04:01 AM.

[Fang01]

Quickdraw outclassing dragon. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha omg...

[McBond]

The quickdraw variant with 7 jumpjets is superior to the shadowhawk if you load it out right.

[Lucy Cameron]

It's a good mech as long as long as you don't forget to use it as a flanker and not as a brawler. I've been using 2 ER LL, 2 ML, and 3 ssrm-2s as of late.



EDIT: Format was jacked

Edited by Crypt0Kn1ght, 20 January 2014 - 09:01 PM.

[Lucy Cameron]

Edited by Crypt0Kn1ght, 20 January 2014 - 09:13 PM.

[Kubernetes]

Khajja nar Jatargk, on 20 January 2014 - 11:07 AM, said:

Quickdraw outclassing dragon. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha omg...

A 5K with 2PPCs and 4MLs will eat a Dragon for lunch. JJs make a big difference, and a jumpjetting 60 tonner that runs 90kph and can smack you with PPCs?

Yeah, it's a big chassis, but it seems like half the mechs available are oversized (the Shadowhawk is huge compared to a Cataphract, despite weighing 15 tons less). Size isn't a big deal as long as you're not charging into close brawls. In 52 matches my 5K has 61/28 kdr, and I'm by no means a great pilot. I think if you're competent at JJ mechs, the QKD can be an effective machine. Just play it like a fragile Highlander 733P and you'll be fine.

[Tiamat of the Sea]

Mister D, on 16 January 2014 - 01:39 AM, said:

Sure feels like it.
I've tried 2 variants of the QD, and I've never been destroyed so fast as I have in this mech.

I seem to get instantly legged as soon as any fighting starts. 56 armor max FFibrous, vs anything, and both legs just blow away like burnt paper, and standard armor I blink and a leg is gone.

Is there a bug that deals double damage to the QD's legs or something? or are the hitboxes enormous, as it seems I'm taking leg damage still while I'm behind cover, shooting over hills with my shoulder ERLL's..

I'm going to assume that everyone has tried it at least once and came to the same conclusion, because I never see another one on the field, and if I do its dead so fast that its not even funny.

Feels like a big mistake even taking this mech out, as it suffers all the penalties of the Heavy Class such as heat and maneuverability drops, jumpjets cost twice the weight for same heights as medium mechs get.

I've tried 1 ERLL, 2 LL, setups, can't cool the mech.
Tried 1ERLL, 2 Medlas, 2/3 SRM of choice, doesn't seem to deal much damage.
Tried 4 Medlas, 2 SRM6, overheats, and poor hitreg with srm means weak brawling.
Tried 4 MedPulse, 2 srm4 /or 2 SSRM2, can't keep cool.

I'm guessing that this is an urban brawler, suited to the same role as the Shadowhawk and other JJ equiped medium class mechs, but I get beat down by everything except locusts.

Wolverines, Griffins, and Shadowhawks all seem to do the job better with much more maneuverability and firepower.

and at 5 more tons, I can roll in a Jagermech and just pound things.
I'm out of ideas, selling this POS.

I can actually address a lot of your issues here, presuming the examples you've given are accurate representation of your play in Quickdraws. QKDs were my second 'mech, and I've found that I like them quite a bit- but they don't cater to the same playstyles and build layouts as many other 'mechs.

Generally speaking, if you're trying to peek over hills with your shoulder weapons or jump-snipe with your Quickdraw, you're doing it wrong. This is because even the high shoulder mounts are well below the tops of your arms, and your entire head sticks up way over the top of your shoulders, meaning that you spend a lot more time vulnerable. It doesn't help that the front of the Quickdraw is among the tallest 'mech fronts in the game, approaching the height of an Atlas while being broader than nearly everything short of an Awesome.

The first step, really, towards making your Quickdraw work, is abusing the tiny tiny size of its side torsos. You see those side torso weapon mounts? Those are the entirety of the QKD's side torsos- the space underneath them is center torso. This makes the Quickdraw a natural and good choice for XL engines- you want that ****** moving at or above 100 kph, and you want to keep doing that constantly, unless you're doing a corner-case build that uses the left torso missile slot(s) to commit LRM bombardment. As a side benefit, having a higher-rating XL engine means having way more heat sinks at maximum, saving your thermal regulation.

The second step is to practice the right kind of movement. Mount all the jump jets, get used to doing partial burns and then firing the jets again while halfway through dropping back to ground. Practice running at high speed and piloting while looking away from where your legs are pointing. Swing your massive torso-shielding arms into the line of fire as often as you can and expect to lose your arms a lot. Learn to notice when your legs are damaged on your paperdoll and don't jump when under fire if the armor's stripped. Things of that nature.

Third is to practice restraint with your trigger finger(s). Quickdraws mount missiles and lasers, and the missiles are much lower heat to damage dealt. This means that you should make your missiles your primary weapon in combat and fire your lasers as spare weapons when you're about to lose your field of targets or need a burst of extra damage, so long as you're using medium lasers and SRMs. Additionally, nearly all of the existing hitreg issues that I see people experience in battle and then complain about come from trying to 'shotgun' all their SRMs at once and not dealing full damage. Be aware: The primary hitreg issue with SRMs at the moment is that the more SRMs are hitting the target, the more likely each missile is to get 'lost' and do nothing. Chain-firing SRMs is a better way to deal damage- only 'shotgun' if you're not sure you're going to hit your target. Quickdraws can mount a lot of weapons by number, but you -will- overheat if you don't restrain yourself from a constant-fire mentality.

Fourth, and last, is to get into a brawler-ambusher mindset. Learn your speed, how fast LRMs travel, and how quickly other players draw a bead on you with their long range weapons. You will have the most success with a brawl-loaded QKD if you leap at people from cover, and you will be best at jumping people from behind obstacles if you know how to go unseen or at the least unshot until you're in your optimum range bracket. Keep to low ground until you're ready to attack if you're on the canyon map or Tourmaline Desert. Hide behind rocks a lot. Don't worry so much about dealing constant damage- you're about getting into a brawl, dishing out a few volleys, and then running and hiding for a few seconds while you cool down- especially if you can reposition while you cool down in order to attack your enemies from a different direction than you left the fight in.

Jump jets are a huge deal, and those and more missile points are the main differentiation between the Quickdraw and the Dragon. Jump practice is hard to overestimate in importance for a QKD pilot- you need to be able to float by overhead while dropping SRMs into things, scramble full-speed off of long drops and land safely, and come flying in from over the top of obstacles other 'mechs can't get past (particularly in the 7-jet QKD-4G). Keep in mind that the less jump jets you mount, the less thrust you get from your jets and so you get less hang time, less vertical, and less deceleration while falling.

Quickdraws take some work, yeah, but really every 'mech takes some work. Most of that work is on your mentality and method of playing the chunky thing, much as with nearly any 'mech, but if you've gotten into the swing right you can terrify enemies by flying through their formation from behind, landing safely amongst your own folk who are shooting at that confused Stalker who's turning to look where you were when you started to leap over him.

-QKD-CR0

Edited by Elli Gujar, 21 January 2014 - 12:10 PM.

[DEMAX51]

Mister D, on 16 January 2014 - 01:39 AM, said:

I seem to get instantly legged as soon as any fighting starts. 56 armor max FFibrous, vs anything, and both legs just blow away like burnt paper, and standard armor I blink and a leg is gone.

I just want to point out that Standard Armor and Ferro Fibrous Armor offer the exact same amount of protection - Ferro just weighs less.

So, for instance, 5 points of Ferro and 5 points of Standard are both going to absorb a single AC5 hit, but the 5 points of ferro only weighs like .25 tons while the 5 points of standard weighs like .75 tons (numbers are made up and just for example).

[AaronWolf]

Everyone keeps saying the Quickdraw is hard to master and is much harder then the other mechs around its weightclass to play...

Hm. It's probably easier then the Locust!

I know what mech-chassis I am investing into next, thanks guys!



Long live the quick-drawer.

[Lucy Cameron]

The legs DO go quickly, especially if you're jumping a lot during engagements. Get good at twisting to spread damage. I often finish a match with no arms and 1 leg.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Since I've switched over to ShadowHawks, I've just flat out beat the {Scrap} out of Quickdraws in every fight.

2 instances.

The big arctic hills map, I start heading towards the enemy and get a nice solo engagement on a QD-4h, he has heavy lasers starting to work at me, and misses alot as I zigzag towards him, and I finally get in range with an Ac5 and my 2 Medlas, I target only his right leg and go to town, and as usual, it just pretty much vaporized, I leap over his head and hack off his other leg within seconds, then his Jag buddy pops over the hill and cracks off some Ac20 in my back as I finished up the QD and I die pretty quick.

2nd one was in the Crimson map with the tunnel and big crane dock, it was conquest so I went solo to Theta in my SHD-5m to lure off some lights.

This time I packed an AC-10, 2medlas and a SRM2.
I headed in from behind the Mountain Island as fast as I could.
To my surprise the first guy that comes in is in a Quickdraw, and he just flies over a building to charge straight at me, so I let off an Alpha on his leg, and it just goes poof. Chopping off the other was just as easy after fall damage + being crippled.
As I expected, I get caught by 2 jenner and a Raven and get shredded pretty fast.

There have been alot of odd occurences facing off against QD's though, and from my personal experience as well.
Their legs really do seem to be taking more damage than they should be, what I can't really tell is if its a damage bug where they're taking double damage or armor isn't working right, or if the hitbox is just so enormous that even a visual miss is landing damage.

Thing is, I can never wipe out legs that fast on any other mech, even Jags which quite often have reduced armor because well.. nobody shoots at a Jagermech's legs.

Edited by Mister D, 22 January 2014 - 03:49 AM.