11 replies to this topic

[Spinning Burr]

The Kitano-18 model specifically loaded with 5 streak srm2 launchers, one medium laser in each arm, max rated XL engine 360, and speed tweak, tops out at over 115 kph, faster than a Dragon or a Centurion on the ground. I think this mech takes over where the classic streakcat A1 left off. I don't see either streakcats or Kitanos much on the field, even though the streak ssrms are as powerful now as they've ever been, while all other missiles are still in some state of nerf. IMO Kitano-18 streak kitty fills a niche a weight class above streak Jenner or streak Locust with great maneuverability and none of the vulnerabilities of the A1 cats. It is underutilized. Thoughts?

[FupDup]

It seems underutilized because pinpoint weapons tend to be more effective than spread weapons like the SSRM.

Edited by FupDup, 31 January 2014 - 10:32 PM.

[Spinning Burr]

I'm currently alternating between the streak kitano and the streak shadowhawk R2D2 model, both have 360xls with speed tweak and identical top speed, with med lasers, AMS, BAP, sensors, and target decay. R2D2 has a machinegun and jump jets but 4 streak launchers compared to Kitano's 5. Trying to figure out which build has the edge. Both feel cheesy. But I have no guilt in killing locusts, jenners, or spiders.

[Roadkill]

Shadowhawk feels a little more durable to me overall, but it's only a slight difference. I think the real question is whether or not you want jump jets, as either 4 or 5 streaks is plenty to kill lights.

[Deathlike]

The KTO is a larger target than the similar kind of streakboats at its tonnage (Griffin/Shadowhawk) and tends to have a rather weak loadout otherwise.

You would probably find more of these mechs in Conquest, than in Assault or Skirmish due to how Streaks work within its rather limited role (you could repurpose it for an LRM boat though...)

[SerratedBlaze]

I wonder if the either configuration for either the Kit Fox or Puma will have a larger than prime (97.7kmph > 107.5 tweaked) engine. So even though 2CSSRM6 will have more misiles in just two hardpoints than a Kintaro streakboat it might not be as fast, and will not be as armored. All in all I think the streaktaro might last through the invasion as long as the clan lights other hardpoints don't wildly overcompensate for their squishyness (kind of the point of them right?).

I have considered using a Shawk streakboat but currrently do 3srm6+1ERLL. Have you had much fun with steaking instead? I tried breifly but was generally range limited. Could a Griffin pull off a similar niche? I wanted one and settled for R2D2 in the meanwhile.

[LORD TSARKON]

Spinning Burr, on 31 January 2014 - 10:15 PM, said:

, even though the streak ssrms are as powerful now as they've ever been, while all other missiles are still in some state of nerf. IMO Kitano-18 streak kitty fills a niche a weight class above streak Jenner or streak Locust with great maneuverability and none of the vulnerabilities of the A1 cats. It is underutilized. Thoughts?

Streaks used to Center Torso you fast... especially if you were in a Light Mech.... They were nerfed last year...

The RAven 3L ECM with 2 SSRM 2 could kill any Light Mech in 20 seconds a year ago... when ECM was super buffed and so was Streak Missiles..

So they are not as powerful as they have ever Been.....

[RickySpanish]

It's KintaRo OP, which may throw a spanner in the works regarding your naming of the builds. Now that I've got that off my back ima do a 360 and walk outa here.

[Spinning Burr]

Killing spiders, jenners, cicadas, and ravens with a medium mech loaded with streaks is my new mission for this game.

[Nicholas Carlyle]

I gave up some speed and just went XL275 (90kph with speed tweak) on my 2D2. Still have 4 Streaks and 2 MLas, but I packed in an AC/5 too.

The AC/5 just adds another dimension and gives me some surefire damage to put into bigger mechs. It also gives me range, so I can supress on maps like Alpine. It may only be 5 damage, but if you put a couple into someone's center torso they tend to back up.

Relying fully on Streaks seems to be much too random for my tastes.

[Mawai]

Streaks are not as powerful as they have ever been.

1) Streaks used to aim for the center of the mech, The only way it hit other components is if the mech was facing away from the direction of the missiles when they hit - if fired straight on they hit the CT AND did splash damage.

2) Streaks (as well as SRM and LRM) used to do splash damage. This was implemented in a brain dead way in which the missiles did FULL damage to all components within the splash radius (which was significant). As a result, missiles did several times their rated damage on average. (The only reason this wasn't immediately obvious at the time was the terrible hit detection prior to HSR).

They nerfed streaks by having each pair target one of the "bones" of the mech with a probability distribution weighted for each component.

In addition, they nerfed splash damage by reducing the explosion radius on most missiles to zero ... so it would only do damage to the mech section it actually hit.

As a result, although streaks can be still effective today, they are MASSIVELY less effective than they were in the days when the streak cat dominated the field. (The streak cat was followed by the splat cat until they nerfed SRMs).

At the moment though, the game seems to be having some significant hit detection issues again (I have no idea whether PGI is aware of this or not since they don't communicate with the game's fans anymore on any sort of regular basis) ... which are affecting all weapons systems.

Edited by Mawai, 02 February 2014 - 07:44 AM.

[Kingkilla]

I used to run and still have my 18 with that load out. but you have to run an XL. I have found, to my personal preference, that a 4H quickdraw with 4 med lasers and 3 streaks, 89.1 kph with standard engine, full armor and 13 m jump is far superior to that kintaro. Yes, you give up the 2 streak racks, but you get 2 meds lasers in return. yes you give up speed with the standard engine but you gain durability and you have the jump jets to get you over and around stuff. No I can not keep up with a light for long, but I don't need a long time with that build. And when I do stumble on a heavier mech I still have the 4 meds to brawl with and the staying power of the standard engine. The kintaro can chain those streaks and really be annoying, but it's not enuff to overcome the quickdraw's advantages in a fight. Though I would not remove my kintaro from my inventory as I still like to run my 5 lrm5 2 med laser kintaro from time to time. also an 18 btw.