90 replies to this topic

[Mecheart]

While a fairly new player, I primarily run my three mastered Dragons and I've dropped with them in over 600 matches. Speaking directly to the XL engine question, what I've found is that no matter the loadout, mobility is always important in a Dragon--thus the across the board usefulness of the XL for raw speed, torso twisting, etc. I do run slower builds with 300 XL engines (slow for me being 89 kph), but my preference of late is the 340 XL (101 kph with the speed tweak) which provides a nice balance between velocity and firepower. In my experience the Side Torso is really of little concern in most matches, as either my CT gets popped first, or my legs.

My biggest issue at the moment with my Dragons--or any mech for that matter without JJ--is getting stuck on terrain or architecture like all the duct and piping on Caustic. However, a larger XL engine can aid the Dragon pilot in slipping over and around obstacles as well--even grant some hill/cliff climbing ability on Canyon.

Speaking to Tarriss' post, it's great to meet another dedicated Dragon pilot and I firmly second the Dragon's extreme usefulness and capabilities on the MWO battlefield. Myself, I run three primary builds on my Dragons. Each build serves what I like to think of as an important role, and serves it well. Build one is a suppressive fire specialist which while not quite as well armed as a Jager, is much more mobile. I must also admit I learned positioning and tactics for this build from shadowing Jagermech pilots. Build two is a fast 30+ point Alpha striker who roves close behind the front lines and adds firepower wherever needed. And, build three is an excellent armor stripper/finisher who happens to also carry four medium pulse lasers which in conjunction with either an LBX or AC/10, is amazingly good at getting light mechs off assaults and heavies and melting their tiny legs and torsos. All builds use XL engines.

A final thought: encountered a fellow Dragon pilot a few days ago who was running at 65 kph. Not only did he survive the match, he took several enemy heads. Hope I run into that guy again so I can pick his brain a bit.

[BOWMANGR]

Although the Dragon's survivability with an XL took a hit after the hitbox change, I actually discovered that I can now go lower speed, more firepower with my Dragons which was almost impossible before. After a few changes here and there and actually learning to PRESENT that CT to protect a damaged ST, I can safely say that the Dragon still works. Almost all the old tricks of the Dragon work too.

What I also discovered is that people who are reading the forums are SO conditioned to believe that a Dragon is an easy kill that they are willing to follow it everywhere just to get that easy kill.

Yesterday, I got my fast Dragon out and tried luring opponents into my own teammates fire lanes to see if people still go berserk when they see a Dragon. Well, they still do.
In one instance in Caustic I had 7 mechs chasing me around the crater in one direction while my teammates {PUG no less} where circling them from the other side. When they caught up with them most of them had their backs turned because they were still trying to get to me at the opposite side of the map. They even mentioned that in chat. I never fired any good shots at that match as my mech was battered from enemy fire while escaping but it was hilarious to watch the little red triangles on the radar trying to turn around in a chaotic fashion to face the little blue triangles which were at their back. The match went 12-3 I believe, I scored nothing, I killed nothing, I shot at essentially nothing but I felt that I won the match. Because I was in an easy kill Dragon. Hilarious.

Then I went and did the same thing in Tourmaline with lights capping Epsilon. They tried to chase me, I dropped from the cliff, they dropped along with me and they fell into the fire of 4 other friendly mechs.

I call this effect "in the zone" or "Dragon vision". Enemies see only your Dragon and the easy kill it supposedly represents and they forget about tactics, battlefield awareness and all that. They just want to get the easy kill. Take advantage of that, it has hilarious results.

[Verrue]

So very true.

Did the same thing in a push in alpine Peaks: . I start running around the other team ; nobody targeted the 2 atlas and stalker cresting the hill rigth after me. Ended the game with no arms and all CT peeled off, but we got a 4 kills tally in that push.

[BaconCouch]

I actually find a somewhat different experience.
I run the "triple-duece" 5N, and Hang back as a 2nd line Fire Support, and Rack up some absurd damage because nobody pays attention to me...because I'm in a Dragon. Lets me circle, hit vulnerable components, and get away before i take any return fire I can't absorb. Honestly, the speed at 89.1 kph is juuuust fine for me
"Kingmaker"

[BOWMANGR]

BaconCouch, on 15 May 2014 - 05:57 AM, said:

I actually find a somewhat different experience.
I run the "triple-duece" 5N, and Hang back as a 2nd line Fire Support, and Rack up some absurd damage because nobody pays attention to me...because I'm in a Dragon. Lets me circle, hit vulnerable components, and get away before i take any return fire I can't absorb. Honestly, the speed at 89.1 kph is juuuust fine for me
"Kingmaker"

If you are far back then it's natural that they are ignoring you. Try to get in there and see for yourself. They WILL try to get you.

Just 2 hours ago I was playing in a match and faced a Yen-Lo-Wang which has gone too far upfront. We exchanged some fire and I tried to find cover. My teammates were right behind me. He managed to open up my left ST and went berserk. He followed me EVERYWHERE even at impossible odds for survival for him.

My teammates arrived, started firing at him and instead of backing up into cover he charged to get at me. He literally ignored 3 other mechs that were shooting at him just to get the kill. I presented him my other ST and he never got it. He died instead under heavy fire. What did he accomplish? Nothing.

Sometimes, information on these forums is like brain washing. "Dragons are bad", "Dragons suck", "Dragons die easily". Tell a thing time after time after time and people will actually think its true even without proof.

[Bromineberry]

Koniving, on 14 May 2014 - 08:12 AM, said:

Surprisingly it's the CTs that are easy to hit. The STs are rather difficult, given the way the Dragon "bounces" when it walks and runs (though not so much run). Keep in mind those angles are bad, looking straight on at you the "shoulders" that count as STs are barely the size of the center torso vertically. It's not until the arms are gone that you can really hit the from the side.

Most aim for the CT, which you can hit from the side, front, top, bottom, etc. STs mostly from the front and top unless you remove an arm.

The problem is not so much where the people aim at, but where the shots will hit you. The ST get hit a lot simply by chance because the're much bigger. And if one lucky (or unlucky, depending on the POV) shots hits a CT, it goes down to orange. If a pilot, that has at least some amount of skill finds out about this, he will go for your ST.

BOWMANGR, on 15 May 2014 - 12:08 AM, said:

After a few changes here and there and actually learning to PRESENT that CT to protect a damaged ST, I can safely say that the Dragon still works. Almost all the old tricks of the Dragon work too.

Yep, I never thought I would try to get hit in the CT with a Dragon. lol. This tactic does work...but I still prefer the old ST hitboxes.

[Name140704]

BaconCouch, on 15 May 2014 - 05:57 AM, said:

I actually find a somewhat different experience.
I run the "triple-duece" 5N, and Hang back as a 2nd line Fire Support, and Rack up some absurd damage because nobody pays attention to me...because I'm in a Dragon. Lets me circle, hit vulnerable components, and get away before i take any return fire I can't absorb. Honestly, the speed at 89.1 kph is juuuust fine for me
"Kingmaker"

[VIPER2207]

Vellinious, on 13 April 2014 - 06:22 AM, said:

Question: Why would anyone want to use the dragon, when there are other mechs out there that are far more capable?

because they can kick ass if you know how to use them, and because not everyone wants to play the uber-meta-mechs just because of the stats, some players want a challenge...

[Koniving]

While true, I've only died a very few set of times since after closed beta from ST with almost 2 years of dragons (on and off). All of them before the expansion of the STs. Twice by ammunition explosion.
It's almost always CT, headshot, or legs for kill shots. Though you gotta be careful around smart AC/40 Jagers. I tend to fight at range, however. So it's safer than it sounds.

Some CT deaths. Yay!



The two ammo explosions.

[Voivode]

Red Line Pilot, on 23 April 2014 - 12:58 PM, said:

mmm, i was under the impression that there was some absolute weight balancing coming on top of the weightclass. Maybe some others can clarify?

This is correct. When 3/3/3/3 goes back in (next patch I believe) it will feature a "loose" weight balance along with weight class balancing. It will attempt to match your 60 ton dragon with another 60 ton mech (while matching other metrics still) and if it doesn't find one in a certain time it broadens the search to 65 tons, etc.

[Reported for Inappropriate Name]

if you are capable of manual angling your weak side torsos away and using free look to aim your arm weapons, you can get away with an xl engine because the center torso is so large its usually the first to go anyway