26 replies to this topic

[Steel Claws]

This has got to be the most non manuverable mech ever. I put a Standard 325 in it and I still can't even get it up the big hill on Alpine. It gets hung up on every little rock or pebble and turns like a mack truck without power steering. Any Atlas drives 10 times better. This really needs a bit of a tweak.

The torso hitboxes seem enormous as well. Even with full armor it doesn't seem to take the beating it should be able to take.
There has been a few times you pop out and take one hit from one guy and all your armor is gone.

Edited by Steel Claws, 22 March 2014 - 09:46 AM.

[SgtMagor]

I have a 400xl on my 3E, and a 380xl on the Malinche. there is a big difference in speed and mobility plus if you master the mech, all those little bonuses works wonders!
plus even though I put large engines in my mechs (XL) still can max out my armor with no problems...

Edited by SgtMagor, 22 March 2014 - 09:59 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

I have yet to unlock mine, but must say, locked, they are even less maneuverable than my locked Stalkers were. The 3E, 3M and La Malinche all can mount a large engine, which does indeed help. But the 3S even with a 345 make my Atlas with a 300 seem agile.

[MischiefSC]

You know what? I'm doing alright in my 3S. Playing her like an Atlas with more firepower and better hardpoint placement. AC20, 3LL, 3ML, the LLs split into a group of 2 and a single. No weapons in the arms, use them like shields. the CT is pretty fat on it but she does decent damage, I just need to swing more.

I'm not that depressed with her. Was expecting to buy her up with GXP, but she's alright. Fun.

[Bishop Steiner]

MischiefSC, on 22 March 2014 - 10:09 AM, said:

You know what? I'm doing alright in my 3S. Playing her like an Atlas with more firepower and better hardpoint placement. AC20, 3LL, 3ML, the LLs split into a group of 2 and a single. No weapons in the arms, use them like shields. the CT is pretty fat on it but she does decent damage, I just need to swing more.

I'm not that depressed with her. Was expecting to buy her up with GXP, but she's alright. Fun.

I PUG too much for ignoring the arm weapon. Any light gets on me in my 3E and it's pretty well curtains because I can't depress angle of fire enough.

[MischiefSC]

I'm only pugging anymore.

Honestly, it's like piloting an atlas. I'm keeping just above a 1 KDR without basics unlocked. I've drawn some truly terrible teams and has such have a 0.4 win/loss with it, but for a 95 tonner without basics?

She's alright. Better than a 1G battlemaster, but then again what isn't.

[Bishop Steiner]

MischiefSC, on 22 March 2014 - 12:29 PM, said:

I'm only pugging anymore.

Honestly, it's like piloting an atlas. I'm keeping just above a 1 KDR without basics unlocked. I've drawn some truly terrible teams and has such have a 0.4 win/loss with it, but for a 95 tonner without basics?

She's alright. Better than a 1G battlemaster, but then again what isn't.

I actually do fine in my BLR-1G, because it's still a heck of a lot more agile than the BNC. Not as well as my 1D, but well.

OH.... I forgot I was gonna try a lrm build on my 1S. Still wont use the torso launchers, but LRM15s or 20 in the arms.

hmmmmmmmm

[MischiefSC]

I play brawlers so I guess it's right up my alley. It's doing alright. The maneuverability is terrible but it's alright. I'm going to avoid GXPing it up and try to get my basics standard. We'll see how it goes. I'm eager for the 3E, but I'll do it last.

[MischiefSC]

The more I play it the more I like it. her CT is a damage magnet but when I get something with more ballistic slots I'll throw an XL in and really do some damage. She's a feisty girl, slow but she puts out a stupid amount of damage. Maybe I'll drop the AC20 and just pack in an XL and energy. See where that gets me.

Edited to add -

Now that I've got basics unlocked I'm averaging a little over 2 kills per match. I admit - I'm very pleasantly surprised. I've got a 57 point alpha that I can pop off twice without overheat. If I stagger the 2LLs with the 1 LL by 0.5 seconds I can almost get a 3rd alpha off. With no weapons in the arm and using them to shield (especially against LRMs) I'm normally dying at less than 30% of my mech left. Taking more abuse than my Atlas does with more pinpoint firepower (my D-DC has to use SRMs to get over 38 alpha) she's turning into a real beast. Especially against LRM boats.

Admittedly I used to run boomcats, then boomjags. I'm very familiar with the ambush predator approach of patience and carefully planning my approach but honestly? I like the 3S. She's out-performing my boomjag now that the hitboxes on jags have been significantly nerfed (fast dying arms, just easier to hit in general, plus AC20 speed nerf).

This is HER exactly.

Anyone else have any successful 3S builds?

Edited by MischiefSC, 22 March 2014 - 02:46 PM.

[Wintersdark]

Not really. I've been trying - bought, GXP basic'd and sold the 3M, got enough XP to master my 3E, figured I'd grind out the 3S... But I'm having a really hard time with it. Really hard. It's tough to come up with loadouts that are usable and not too hot. Really tough. Thing is a pig, so tough to maneuver. I may break my own rules and go XL on it just to get usable speed until I can Tweak it and 2x my basics.

[MischiefSC]

I take it there is no useful solution for the 3M?

[Bishop Steiner]

MischiefSC, on 22 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:

The more I play it the more I like it. her CT is a damage magnet but when I get something with more ballistic slots I'll throw an XL in and really do some damage. She's a feisty girl, slow but she puts out a stupid amount of damage. Maybe I'll drop the AC20 and just pack in an XL and energy. See where that gets me.

Edited to add -

Now that I've got basics unlocked I'm averaging a little over 2 kills per match. I admit - I'm very pleasantly surprised. I've got a 57 point alpha that I can pop off twice without overheat. If I stagger the 2LLs with the 1 LL by 0.5 seconds I can almost get a 3rd alpha off. With no weapons in the arm and using them to shield (especially against LRMs) I'm normally dying at less than 30% of my mech left. Taking more abuse than my Atlas does with more pinpoint firepower (my D-DC has to use SRMs to get over 38 alpha) she's turning into a real beast. Especially against LRM boats.

Admittedly I used to run boomcats, then boomjags. I'm very familiar with the ambush predator approach of patience and carefully planning my approach but honestly? I like the 3S. She's out-performing my boomjag now that the hitboxes on jags have been significantly nerfed (fast dying arms, just easier to hit in general, plus AC20 speed nerf).

This is HER exactly.

Anyone else have any successful 3S builds?

I might try this version
BNC-3S but maybe on my 3E chassis.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 22 March 2014 - 05:10 PM.

[Reitrix]

I haven't mastered mine yet, my 3E it runs a STD300 Engine, barely goes faster than an Atlas, has turn speed issues, but by jeebus does it tank damage like a boss. I don't think i've ever ended a match without losing both arms before either ST, and always the sides blow before the CT does. It has amazing shield arms, abuse them!
Don't strip all the armor because theres no weapons in there, max it out and its like having an extra 100 points of armor for your side torsos.

[Wintersdark]

Bishop Steiner, on 22 March 2014 - 05:09 PM, said:

I might try this version
BNC-3S but maybe on my 3E chassis.

This is basically a poor man's AS7-RS, though, no? Without arm precision, and with slightly less armor?

=/

I kind of regret having invested cbills in upgrading the 3S, personally. It's a pig, with no real redeeming qualities I can find.

[Steel Claws]

Wintersdark, on 22 March 2014 - 05:45 PM, said:

I kind of regret having invested cbills in upgrading the 3S, personally. It's a pig, with no real redeeming qualities I can find.

I've found a couple fairly good builds for the 3S but as we both agree it handles horribily. Whats worst is that it won't climb hills to save it's soul. The back side of the big hill on Alpine for example it can't climb at all even with a 325. As others have said it also gets hung up on every little rock and bump in the ground. The best that varient can do is a 345 and even that isn't enough to help it much. I left the stock 380 standards in the other two and at least they move now about like an Altas with a 350.

As for the 3M - I'm ditching it now that I have the basics on it so I can unlock elites on the others. There is nothing it can do that you can't do better on a Battlemaster.

[Wintersdark]

See, that's my problem with the 3S and the 3M: it seems there's other mechs that can do what they do, except much better.

The movement on the banshee is the worst, too. It gets hung up on every tiny pebble, much worse than my Atlas does. It's just... Bad. The 3E at least can bring crazy dakka...though it still has all the banshee flaws, its at least unique.

The 3S and 3M would be more interesting if Ghost Heat didn't wreck multiple energy hard point assaults so severely.

[SgtMagor]

just unlocked 2x skills on the 3S seems to handle much better. have a 330xl gonna give it a go, see how it does.

[Bishop Steiner]

Wintersdark, on 22 March 2014 - 05:45 PM, said:

This is basically a poor man's AS7-RS, though, no? Without arm precision, and with slightly less armor?

=/

I kind of regret having invested cbills in upgrading the 3S, personally. It's a pig, with no real redeeming qualities I can find.

indeed it is. For whatever reason I can make La Malinche work OK, but all the cbill versions are horrible. And singularly unable to respond to fast ankle biters, unless the squirrels are stupid. But if they leg hump you, you are toast.

SgtMagor, on 22 March 2014 - 06:27 PM, said:

just unlocked 2x skills on the 3S seems to handle much better. have a 330xl gonna give it a go, see how it does.

even with a 345 mine makes my Misery feel like a ballerina.

[Wintersdark]

Bishop Steiner, on 22 March 2014 - 06:31 PM, said:

even with a 345 mine makes my Misery feel like a ballerina.

This. My Highlanders with std300's feel positively nimble in comparison, my Misery as well has similar build options and is miles better... My DDC (only basics, as I've never got a third Atlas) feels comparable, but its got arm weapons and optionally multiple ssrms to deal with anklebiters.

Biggest waste of chills I've ever made.

[SgtMagor]

the interesting thing is the 3E even without the 2x unlocked in the skill tree, its specs appear to be better than the other variants with 2x skills.