25 replies to this topic

[Buckminster]

So, with the recent Firebrand sale, I decided to jump into the world of more dakka.

I set it up like an old Rifleman, and I've loved it - I quickly reached the point where I needed to look at buying two more so that I could get my skill unlocks.

Next bought the -DD, because it's 6 hard points seemed like the most dakka variant. I know using all 6 is tricky, but it allows for the standard builds (2xGauss, 2xAC20, 4xAC5) as well as some nice mixed ballistic builds (3xAC2+UAC5, Gauss+AC/10+4MGs, 2xLBX+4MG). I'm currently running a Gauss+AC/10+2MG build while I get some C-bills for DHS.

But I've started to look ahead at what my third chassis will be, and I'm not really sure which way to go. It seems that anything the -S can do, the -DD can do better, but in the same sense anything the -A can do one of my Catapults can do better.

I don't know if I'm just not seeing the possibilities of the -A. If I'm going to get it I want to use those missile hard points. LRMs seem to be better served by a Catapult. SRMs or SSRMs have promise - but would really require a STD engine if I'm going to get in and brawl, and with the weight of that engine I can't seem to make it work.

Thoughts? Advice? Help?

Part of me is thinking that I should just grab the -S and go basic dakka (4xAC5 or 2xAC20), but I can't help but think that there's a good -A build out there. Here's the best -A build I've thought of yet. I'm not really sold on it though. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...6e31e0ccc235217

[oldradagast]

The Jager-A variant is the "red-headed stepchild" of the Jager series, but it is not a bad mech. It lacks the ability to mount piles of autocannons, true, though you can still mount a pair and it is the only version of the chassis that can use missiles.

That's a decent build you have for it. If SRM's work well for you, that build should work fine.

I admit to using the S and DD versions, but the A is a fine mech, though it is harder to find an easy, obvious build for it.

[Dark Horse X]

Here's a build for the JM6-A that I consistently get over 500+ points with the occasional 700+.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...bdc2de3258cb355

Give it a run, you can still brawl with the XL and pretty much need to for the SSRM's to be effective.

[Davers]

Jager A (2B 2E 4M) has better hard points that the Catapult C1 (2M 4E) or the C4 (4M 2E). It is a good LRM mech, but suffers from 1. no JJ and 2. Limited arm range- less than the S or DD (so not that great for brawling). I enjoy mine a lot. 2 AC/5, 4 LRM5, and 2 Mlasers.

[NRP]

I hated the A. Sold it immediately upon mastering it. I recommend the S, the DD, and the Firebrand as the three Jagers to take to mastery.

[YaKillinMeSmalls]

Shoulda gotten the S instead of the DD since it's more flexible, imo. But you already have it so the question is do you want something similiar, which would be the S, or do you want something different, which would be the A?
Given that you already have the DD, I'd go with the A.

[AlmightyAeng]

Between the A and the S...I'd say get both! (I have a love affair with Jagers).

Honestly, though, unless you WANT a 4th Jager just for setting up another similar, but slightly different loadout, there's nothing the S can do that the Firebrand (energy heavy) or DD (dakka heavy) can't do better. I'd suggest getting the A, since with it's unique and varied hardpoints you can run a WIDE array of builds, and figure out what you like. Some examples:

LRM-boat
SRM-boat
Streak-boat
2AC5/2PPC meta
"shotgun" (srms and LBX)

The JM6-A is the mech I recommend to a lot of new players...for the price of one 'mech you can get a feel for what a LOT of others feel like, even if some others have slightly better 'placement' of hardpoints. It's a damn fine mech.

Edited by Ghost Badger, 26 February 2014 - 12:46 PM.

[Zeede]

I set up my JM6-A with 2x UAC/5 and 4x SSRM2, along with a BAP. It works great, especially since there are a lot of lights around these days. I had a Cicada come after me thinking a Jagermech would be easy prey for him but he really didn't like the Dakka Dakka and the streaks. I sent him away with no armor left on either leg, hehe.

My Jagermechs are set up as follows:

S - 2x Gauss, 3x Medium Laser
DD - 1x LBX-10, 2x ER Large Laser, 5x Machine Gun
A - Mentioned above

I find each one fun to play and different in their own way!

[Buckminster]

So it seems the Streak Jager brawler is the popular go-to. I may just go ahead and give that a try, I wasn't really sold on the idea of buying a "slightly less dakka" version with the -S.

[Alaskan Nobody]

I really really love my -A (havent bought the -S yet, it is on my eventually list though)

I will link the exact build later (should I remember ) as I don't have it built on smurfy yet.

I do remember the weaponry though:
2x AC/5
4 LRM/5 (two groups, one for chain-fire, one for group-fire)
2 ML

I rarely do less than 3-400 damage with it.

[Bazni]

I also love the -A. I am a recent convert to the joys of the Jagermech, as I prefer mobility and jumpjets. But I've found that the -A can brawl pretty well even with an XL engine, as long as you keep the fights short. The beauty of the -A is that the 2 ballistics, unless they have a "2" somewhere in the name, don't generate a lot of heat. This means you can keep firing them, and keep firing them, and keep firing them, when the other mech in front of you either overheats or needs to start managing its heat.

I use 2 AC/5s, 4 SSRMs, and 2 MLs. The AC/5s are great at any range, the ssrms shoo away lights and finish off opponents missing armor, and the mls work when everything else is either destroyed or out of ammunition. It's a good support mech that can take care of itself.

I chose the -S over the -DD b/c I didn't see the point in having 6 ballistic hardpoints; 4 was plenty. I may buy a -DD soon.

[Buckminster]

The biggest reason I grabbed the -DD was to play around with asymmetrical ballistic builds. 3AC2+AC something, where all three AC2 are in the same arm for crazy pinpoint shooting. It wound up being way too hot (still no DHS yet ), so I've instead settled with a AC/10+2MGs in one arm, and a Gauss+2MGs in the other. It's a really interesting build - snipe with the gauss, the AC/10 provides some good up close damage, and all those machine guns help steal crits, which is absolutely great when you hit ammo.

I've also been tempted to do a 2LBX+4MGs, but with two LBXs running more than that DHS upgrade, it's low on my shopping list.

Edit: because this looks like it could be fun: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...916621d080581a3 and I know, the ammo placement is bad. I just slapped it in there.

Edited by Buckminster, 26 February 2014 - 07:00 PM.

[munsonator]

I run all the Jagers and personally the A is my least favorite. Boating missiles is doable, but not what the Jag is best suited to with it's shape and hardpoint placement. The S is probably my favorite because it has a good balance of the primary (daka) and secondary weapons (4 medium lasers is nothing to sniffle at). I see many pilots running the DD, but 6 ballistic hardpoints is just overly ammo dependent and you end up having to use anything past 4 of those hardpoints for machine guns anyway, i'll trade 2 machine guns for 2 medium lasers any day.

That being said, a 6 machine gun DD with some heavy energy in the torso and a big engine make for a really fun destroyer of already damaged mechs.

I've yet to find a loadout that really works for me with the A, and maybe that's why i don't like it as much, but i've also spent more time with it than any other mech to try to find that loadout.

I tried the AC 40 with my S and it takes to many sacrifices and gets taken out way too fast. Here's my S as i run it and it does well:

JM6-S

[Buckminster]

So a bit of an update - I did go ahead and get the -A. And at first I hated it. I tried the AC/2 and LRM combination, and just didn't like it. I tried UACs and LRMs, didn't like it. I ended up playing with the AC40, and that was just okay.

So what I ended up doing was basically turning it into a Catapult - twin ALRM15s, twin Streaks and twin large lasers. It's actually been reasonably effective. The large lasers and streaks are a fun touch - I've surprised a few lights that thought they could just come pick on the LRM boat.

[munsonator]

I'll drop an update as well...currently my A is my favorite mech, i guess i just hadn't found the right loadout for it, but the skinny of it is a 300 STD engine, 2 MG's, 2 MPL's, and 4 SSRM's. It's fast (for a heavy), and with how light all those weapons are, allows a big non-XL engine, and a lot of heatsinks, which translates to being able to sustain maximum fire rates for all weapons at once for a few minutes at a time. I've beat out much heavier and higher alpha mechs from being able to continually fire and not shutdown. If i don't get jumped i usually end a match with 600-700 dmg.

It's also great fun to hunt lights/mediums with, they usually see Jagers as easy targets (rightfully so), but with the STD engine and SSRM's, i can usually at least scare off a couple lights at a time if not destroy them outright.

[InkiePie]

I like my -A varinat, 2 AC5s , 4 SSRMs and 2 MLaser are for me the effective way to kill nearly anything. Since I used it to get my Master skill in the heavy line I can run it with a smaller STD engine while still walking with 60 K/mh. Double heat sinks, Endo steel and 400 armor points makes it the perfect brawler.

I called it Mammoth, because the twin barrels and misslelauncher somehow reminds me to the "Mammoth Tank" from C & C ^^

Edited by InkiePie, 26 March 2014 - 08:25 AM.

[CygnusX7]

Collect them all!

[Buckminster]

Honestly, I'm not far off of doing that. I have the FB, the -DD and the -A, and I keep thinking that I should grab the -S so I can so the quad AC/5 on it. Sure, I could technically do that on the -DD, but then I wouldn't have my MG monster!

[Radi Jeager]

having bought all 3 of them, I use A as a missile boat to surprisingly decent effect, and DD/S as quad AC/5 builds. I just put the S as a massive frontal armor juggernaut and the DD more of a sniper.

But, my builds constantly change =P Maybe I'll jsut sextuple up some AC/2s on the DD

[AlmightyAeng]

Buckminster, on 26 March 2014 - 01:35 PM, said:

Honestly, I'm not far off of doing that. I have the FB, the -DD and the -A, and I keep thinking that I should grab the -S so I can so the quad AC/5 on it. Sure, I could technically do that on the -DD, but then I wouldn't have my MG monster!

Honestly, the quad-jager isn't all it's cracked up to be. The quad Cataphract 4X is already pretty fragile and SLOW...with 5 extra tons to work with. The quad-AC5 Jager is pretty bare-bones. Take the DD and throw 3 AC5, 3 MG and 2 ML on it...THAT is a helluva build. The Jm6S has 4 energy and 4 ballistic...use those to your advantage