9 replies to this topic

[SethAbercromby]

"This is my 'Mech. There are many like it but this one is mine."

'Mech loadouts are like pairs of shoes. The Meta acts as a one size fits all design but to some that might a few numbers too small, too large, or they just happen to not like the way they fit their feet.

This thread is to share all those build specifications you came up with to fit you and your intended play style best. There are a lot of one of a kind designs to explore and share and I would like this thread to stay fairly clear of Meta builds. We all know they work well, that's why they are the Meta, so let's celebrate the roads less traveled, shall we?

Things I'd like to know:
- 'Mech Chassis and Variant
- Weapons configuration
- Engine rating and upgrades (optional, but appreciated)
- Smurfy link (optional)
- Intended role (Brawler/Striker/Skirmisher/etc.)
- Weapon groups with short explanation (optional)
- A summary of the 'Mechs play style, combat behavior and weapon usage. Explain why the 'Mech fits you and how you can make it work best.


I'll of course go ahead and start with an example of my own and my current favorite 'Mech.

STK-M Misery

Current paint job:

_{^{I was too lazy to crop the image to hide the UI. Oh well...}}

1x LB 10-X AC
1x SRM6
1x PPC
4x Medium Laser

STD 300 Engine, Endo Steel Structure, Artemis IV, 16 Double Heat Sinks (12 Internal, 4 external)

Smurfy link

Intended Role: Brawler/Front Line Support

Weapon Groups:
Group 1: LB 10-X AC + SRM6, Chain fire
Group 2: 4x Medium Laser, Chain fire
Group 3: PPC
Group 4: PPC + LB 10-X AC

The reason I chain fire my LB and SRM6 is to prevent them from firing simultaneously at any time. The offset of the weapons makes twisting away difficult and will cause substantial damage over time spread over the entire torso area with the CT being in the main focus due to the narrow spread. The Medium lasers are being chain fired for a similar reason. 4 MLs chain fired will generate continuous damage, similar to MGs, but without the need of ammunition at the trade-off of generating solid 4 heat per second in return. On most maps, using only the LB and SRM6 will be cool enough to continuously fire them until the 'Mech has cooled down enough to use its secondary weapons again.

The PPC makes up for the lack of long-range firepower and replaced the CT-mounted Large Pulse Laser of the previous iteration of the design and is the only source of instantaneous pinpoint damage in this build. It is perfect for cracking large pieces of armor to weaken potential targets before engaging them with the two primary groups. Group 4 is for targets at 600-700m range, making use of the high range and speed of the two weapons, group 3 is for anything beyond that range or when needed to deliver a short range pinpoint blast to an enemy.

This design has proven to be a vicious brawler due to its ability to keep an enemy occupied with continuous damage over a long period of time (according to Weapons lab, without the PPC, the 'Mech has a heat efficiency of 56% and can fire for up to 27 seconds (23 with basics only) without overheating). Its killing potential doesn't come from using large weaponry but in very high staying power it demonstrates by being hard to kill, pouring out consistent damage and keeping enemy attention firmly focused on itself which allows its teammates to move up from behind it to take out any opposition. While it is somewhat lacking in single fights, it can perform extremely well in a group effort by taking the lead and focusing fire on itself while providing suppressive fire.

One of the tasks this build also excels at is choke point dominance. When enemies try to force themselves through a choke point, the Misery can immediately punish the individual 'Mechs with constant damage as they try to step out, draining them of momentum and potentially force them to retreat, blocking the choke point for their teammates. It can also do some harassing to discourage pushes through the choke point, but since it lacks high instantaneous damage, this tactic should be used with some moderation and not as a primary means of attacking.

Why is this build perfect for me?
I'm someone that likes taking the initiative and I prefer acting in a supportive role rather than taking the direct offense, but I'm also quite straight-forward. This build combines the aggressive play style of a spearhead 'Mech with the abilities of a front line fire-supporter. It is quite simple-minded but what it can do, it can do surprisingly well.

Now I'd like you to share you own unique configurations. Don't worry, there are no "bad" builds here. We're all crazy people after all

Happy posting.

[Zigeunerskat]

Dont wanna leave you hanging, so here I go:

Highlander HM Heavy Metal



2x Large Laser
2x AC5
2x LRM 10

(nicknamed the three-double)

XL Engine 325, Endo Steel Structure, Artemis IV, 13 Double Heatsinks (all internal)


Intended role: Damage dealer/supressive fire

Weapon groups:

Group 1: 2x Large Laser
Group 2: 2x AC5
Group 3: 2x LRM 10
Group 4: 2x LRM 10 chain fired


This Mech is designed to lay fire onto anything and everyone in range as quick and with as much precision as possible. A big engine allows to seize favorable position, quickly align your weapons with the target and minimize exposure time. The increased vulnerablity caused by the XL engine can be offset by careful maneuvering and getting as much protection out of cover as possible. Sensor boosting modules allow for great battlefield awareness to avoid nasty surprises and guide your shots to their designated locations.

During the opening phase of the Match, this Mech participates in whittling down the enemy via long ranged indirect fire, either with the spotting help ouf your allies or via your own amplified sensors. Weapon group 4 is used to fire single LRM 10s if a lock seems unreliable to save amunition. However given that this Mech is not the best front line brawler armor should be saved for later stages of the battle when enemies are occupied and focus fire is less likely to occur.

Maneuvering around cover is crucial to maximize the effectiveness of this build. Basically, no matter which part of your Mech stands exposed, you will basiclly always be able to open or return fire with a symmetrical weapon group. Either come around the right and open fire with the ballistics in your right arm, come around the left to open fire with the lasers or shoot over the cover with LRMs. A good heat balance allows you to lay down fire for quite an amount of time while still having valuable pinpoint damage. The psychological effect should also not be underestimated, as flashing LRM warnings and cockpit shake via AC hits can cause enemies to keep their heads down and thus take them out of firefight with your team. Since you can move your main weapons quite fast you can change targets with relative ease and even get fast new lock-ons thanks to Artemis IV, allowing for quick adaptation to changing battlefield situations.

The weapon loadout was chosen to give you the right tool to hit no matter what target you are facing. The hit scan lasers are ideal to damage even fast moving targets and can be used as twitch reaction weapon as you dont have to worry about wasting ammunition. The AC5s dish out a constant stream of dps with good range to pinpoint locations of medium Mechs and heavier. Since those weapons are arm mounted you get the best angles of fire possible, shooting left, right, up and down while your enemy´s torso armament will often be unable to return fire due to movement restrictions.

Once your brawlers made contact with the enemy and enemy fire is split, feel free to close in as well. Your heavy, relatively undamaged armor lets you absorb some hits as long as your side torsos dont get focus fire. Use your agility to twist and spread damage if needed, otherwise stay on target and dont let off the AC trigger. Given that you can just keep firing the ACs and cool down while doing so they are valubale in a brawl as well as when taking down an exposed enemy far away since you never need to stop firing. Amplify your fire power with the lasers as needed. Ideally shoot during the 1,5 sec AC5 reload because the laser needs to be directly on the target while AC5s may require leading your shots. If allies block your shots or enemies retreat behind cover use the remaining LRMs.
Even firing all your weapon systems at once for maximum shock and awe is viable with this build.


The drawbacks are that you lack the staying power of other assaults, especially regarding component loss. Losing a component either outright kills you (torsos), heavily reduces your firepower (arms) or robs you of your ability to seize favorable positions (legs). Facing a skilled, fresh brawler can be quite a challenge and leading a push against a fresh enemy team is unfavorable. You need good timing to not close in too early when the enemy could easily focus you down but also not too late so your team doesnt get overpowered before you can make a difference.



Why is this build perfect for me?

This build lets me contribute to every phase of the battle without requiring me to charge in head first. I can use a calm, tactical approach in the first minutes of a match, observing the field, analysing enemy movement while still contributing with long range fire. However I am not doomed to sit in the back of the pack. When an opportunity arises, this Mech lets me close in and face down the enemies which I picked out before to either destroy them or shush them back into cover. The arm weapons respond super quick to help maximize my hit rate on all targets with little regards to their size, speed or elevation. All the while I have options to stick close to cover but still contriute if the situation gets hairy or retreat and reform thanks to the decent engine rating. Though it lacks jumpjets, I was never able to really utilize those as effective as extra armament so I dont feel like that is a great loss.

Also, this Mech simply looks and sounds bloody awesome.

And finally, the damage dealing nature of this build is a great contrast to the damage soaking playstyle of my Atlas.

Edited by Zigeunerskat, 19 May 2014 - 01:55 PM.

[mkapraly]

I'll start off by saying your mechs look sick. Excellent paint jobs. I don't have a pic of my mech, but it just has the basic blue and red paint jobs that I bought with c-bills. I look forward to putting some of the clan paint jobs on my mech.

I'm driving a STK-5M at the moment. I use an XL-270, and while I know that XL engines aren't great on Stalkers, it works for me. It allows me to pack on 2x ERPPCs, and 3x LPLs.

Intended Role: Support

Weapon Groups:
Group 1: 2x ERPPCs, chainfire
Group 2: 3x LPLs, chainfire
Group 3: 3x LPLs groupfire

I chose these weapons because LPLs just seem to do more damage than regular lasers, probably because they don't share damage with other components as much. I went with ERPPCs instead of standard PPCs because you can pretty much shoot anyone that is within visual range (with the exception of alpine peaks). For my ERPPCs I use the advanced zoom module.

I used chainfire in my weapons groups because obviously the heat buildup is substantial. I put all three LPLs in the last group in case I can finish off a mech quickly. Any mech besides an atlas that has a yellow core usually goes down after a hit from the 3 LPLs. Surprisingly, group firing the 3 LPLs only takes you up to about 60% heat. Not a whole lot of people use ERPPC, so the ERPPCs let me outrange most of the mechs I encounter. They also serve as a good deterrent to keep people from peeking out from behind cover. I have Elited out the Stalker chassis, which allows me to dissipate heat better, as well as move faster. The speed tweak efficiency allows me to move around 56 kph, which I feel is pretty fast for a STK.

When piloting my STK, it's vital that you try and go unnoticed. Because of the XL engine, you're an easy target if you start taking fire. I like to hang back with a couple of other mechs, preferably larger ones that I can keep up with if the group decides to move. I also felt that because half the weapons are in the arms, losing a torso would pretty much cripple me, so I wasn't too worried about the XL.

Why is this build perfect for me?
This build lets me engage at any range. All energy weapons lets me stay fighting longer without worrying about running out of ammo. On a side note, the wub-wub-wub of the LPLs is a beautiful sound. It isn't a conventional build, with the XL and LPLs and ERPPCs, but its my highest K/D ratio, sitting at a 1.79. It does the trick for me.

[TercieI]

Cool topic!

"Lucky"
Mech Chassis and Variant
CDA-3M
Weapons configuration
2PPC, 2SL
Engine rating and upgrades (optional, but appreciated)
XL285, ES, FF, DHS
Intended role (Brawler/Striker/Skirmisher/etc.)
Sniper/ECM protection
Weapon groups with short explanation (optional)
1: Both PPCs
2: Both SLs
3: Both PPCs (chainfire)
Main role is group 1, point-defense is group 2, and heat-managment is group 3
A summary of the 'Mechs play style, combat behavior and weapon usage. Explain why the 'Mech fits you and how you can make it work best.
For me, this mech is the perfect intersection of speed, stealth and power. It can reposition fast enough to bring its good-range 20-point strike to bear repeatedly and frequently. It also brings the cool, numbing glow of ECM to its teammates. One of the things I like best about it is that the ideal tactic actually varies depending on the team's composition.

I have two RVN-3Ls (see sig, but they're both absolutely conventional builds, this one is fine-tuned to me, complete with oddball engine)

Two quick things on the camo: That's Ransom's Corsairs unit scheme and I long for custom geometry on the CDA (and the CTF, and complete on the RVN)

Edited by Terciel1976, 28 May 2014 - 01:25 PM.

[Kassatsu]

CPLT-K2

I've made poptarts run in a 'fair' (no cover for them to... poptart over?) 1v1 fight using that thing. It's got a good combination of range and firepower, doesn't cause much heat on an alpha (for upwards of 40 damage to a single component... That laser is just sort of 'there' though because I had the extra armored hardpoint and ton of space) when needed and can spam the AC5 for a bit without running out of ammo. It's more of an all-around build so there's no specific playstyle I use with it, though getting within AC20 range is ideal.

HBK-4SP

It's... a HBK-4SP, what do you expect...? Not much more min/maxing you can do to it, you could lower the speed and get 2 large lasers or something I guess. I also used to run it with a 260 engine and would randomly swap out one or both of the SRM-6 for 1-2 LRM-10s at one point. Kind of worked, but ultimately I stuck with the SRMs.

JM6-DD

Nothing but a troll build I made for lulz one day. I find it really sad I'm consistently one of the top 2 scorers on my team in what should be a waste of a slot.

Any mech I plan on piloting often already has elites unlocked (or at the very least speed tweak). Also I'm a scrublord supreme that has exactly zero modules.

Edited by Kassatsu, 29 May 2014 - 07:52 PM.

[SethAbercromby]

Thread revival: Clan Edition



These are the two Kit Fox builds I'm currently running. I'll be covering them one at a time.

Configuration A (Left)
Base: Prime
STs: S
RA: C
LA: Prime
Legs: S

1x ERMLas
2x SPL
2x MG
3x AMS

ECM, Targeting Computer MK 1, 6 Jump Jets

Smurfy:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e8c5e96f118a68d

Role: ECM/AMS Cover

Group 1: ERMLas
Group 2: Everything else

This one won't win any prizes for creativity, but it does its job quite well. I use it to stick with the big guys to keep them alive and the MGs + SPLs combo can be used to target exposed components to cripple enemies or to chase off Light harassers.

I originally used 3 SPLs, but I decided to give this build a little more reach to not be completely useless outside of 300 meters.


Configuration B (Right)
Base: S
STs: S
Arms: Prime
Legs: Prime

1x LB-5-X AC
2x MG
2x SPL
1x SRM2

2 Jump Jets

Smurfy:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e2fa19dc6bb66aa

Role: Skirmisher, Harasser

Group 1: LB-5-X
Group 2: Everything else

This is by far the most fun I had with the chassis. This build is in a lot of ways a Medium that forgot to eat its lunch and being a Medium and Assault pilot, that mindset helped me a lot in figuring out the kinks of the chassis. Since using the LB on the right arm locks the lower arm actuator to off, putting it into the RT mount make the most sense from a logistics perspective. It is slighly better protected and being mounted higher than the cockpit, you can usually hit everything you can see. While this one also sticks rather close to the pack, it plays much more agressive. It can pick its targets and destroy exposed components in a very short time. This makes it become especially dangerous in the later stage of combat when most enemies have at least one exposed component. It is rather ineffective against heatlhy enemies though.


I'm not really a Light pilot, so I was actually not expecting much of the Kit Fox. However, with the broad variety of options and low tonnage Clan weapons, I was able to get surprisingly comfortable with the chassis.

[Gwydion Ward]

SethAbercromby, on 18 May 2014 - 06:26 PM, said:

"This is my 'Mech. There are many like it but this one is mine."

- 'Mech Chassis and Variant

Timber Wolf Prime base with "S" left and right torso's.

- Weapons configuration

2x CLRM10+A
2x CLPL
3X CSPL
3x CMG

- Intended role (Brawler/Striker/Skirmisher/etc.)

Hmm.. a 'role'. Well, I'd have to say either "Striker" or "Skirmisher".

- Weapon groups with short explanation (optional)

LRM's on 1 group.
LPL's on 1 group.
SPL's and MG's on a shared group. (used only when stuff gets close)

- A summary of the 'Mechs play style, combat behavior and weapon usage. Explain why the 'Mech fits you and how you can make it work best.

I specifically built this partly in response to the CERLL nerf (The Heat + duration nerf that ended up making CLPL's do more damage per time, + have LESS heat to use than the CERLL's) and as an attempt to fully make use of the "Artemis" package for LRM's (this after i finally discovered just 'what' the bonus is and 'when' that bonus is applied).

Rather than 'volley fire' my LRM's (and waist the Artemis upgrade benefit) I hold them in their tubes until im engaging enemies i can physically 'see' + hit with my LPL's (from 600-200m). Once things get below 200m, I switch over to the SPL's and MG's, while using the LPL's whenever heat build-up lets me.

People can knock SPL's all they want, but ive killed plenty of people who have charged my Timber with them to prove their effectiveness when used in combination with MG's.

And while it is a Clan Mech, and i know plenty of people will immediately say "its overpowered! of course your doing good in it!". I'd like to point out that the build i use.. is anything but 'overpowered', compared to some of the builds ive seen people complain about meeting. And i have taken down some of those 'meta-builds' as well.

[SethAbercromby]

ShadowWard, on 04 September 2014 - 03:10 PM, said:

People can knock SPL's all they want, but ive killed plenty of people who have charged my Timber with them to prove their effectiveness when used in combination with MG's.

SPLs and MGs do mix very well. High crit chances, high rate of fire and people tent to not take them seriously untill they find themselves stripped of one ST. However - no offense - one usually expects such a combination on a Medium 'Mech, not a Heavy. Considering that you have the option to mount 4 missile-weapons, I'd suggest using 2 SRM6s in tandem with the MGs. Of course I had to shift some weight around to see what might work and ended up with this. I think this might hit a little harder as a Heavy Skirmisher. Not that it's a bad 'Mech and if you're comfortable with what you have, I reccomend you to stick with it.

Speaking of hitting hard, I've got a DWF build I experimented for a while with on the PTS:

Dire Wolf

Configuration:
Base: B
STs: A
Arms: Prime
Legs: B

Weapons Loadout:
1x ER Large Laser
2x LRM 10
2x LB10-X Ac
6x ER Medium Laser
1x AMS



Weapon Groups:
Group 1: Left arm (LB10X + 3 ERML)
Group 2: Right Arm (LB10X + 3 ERML)
Group 3: ERLL
Group 4: 2x LB10X, Chain fire
Group 5: 2x LRM10

Role: Front line Fire Support

Smurfy:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a5d27a3a1e1b253

Two Words: Damn Hot! You can Alpha both arms into your target, which will leave them with severe damage in whatever component you aimed for, but that put you into a lot of heat trouble and it's very easy to overshoot that mark. Firing only the LBs for a while after an alpha can help a lot, as you will dispers a lot of heat very quickly and you can even fire the ERLL at the same time and remain completely heat neutral. The LRMs provide you with some idirect fire options, while the AMS helps you survive the inevetable missile rain by every other enemy 'Mech the instant a scout finds you.

I tried to play it like a Stalker on Steroids and while I messed up quite a bit due to my inexperience and the massive heat buildup from 6 ERMLs, the design is overall quite effective and I had quite some fun. Now to saving up 17 mil to buy it on release

Edited by SethAbercromby, 06 September 2014 - 05:43 AM.

[Metus regem]

it's taken me a bit to find a build that I think works well with my chosen mech, and a lot of head vs. wall to understand what she was trying to tell me, but here she is.

Timber Wolf Alt. D

Built using S Torso pods and Energy arms.

TBR-S

- Weapons configuration

The ERPPC's are in one group on chain fire, and the SRM vomit is linked in one slavo.

- Intended role (Brawler/Striker/Skirmisher/etc.)

Opportunistic hunter/killer mech, if I can't out-run it, I can usualy kill it in one or two salvos at close range, or cripple it bad enough to not want to fallow me around. I find that she works best in a city or canyon setting, where I have cover from things like LRM's and limited visability. The SRM packs, help keep my profile as low as possible for a Timber Wolf, and with radar depr. I'm a nasty suprise to anything coming around a bend or building, with pusing about 78 damage alpha.

I'm not sure how meta or good of a build she is, but I normaly end up in the 200 to 400 damage range, with 3 to 4 kills and 2 to 3 assists. And I'm still relitivly new to the game, with less than 160 drops to my name, so I think she does alright.

EDIT:

Thanks for the tips Seth, I've made the adjustment to the linky.

I've also not really had an issue with the hit rec. with the SRM vomit, as I'm usualy fireing those after 2 or three PPC salvos, so even at over-heat something is usualy dead at that point.

Edited by Metus regem, 10 September 2014 - 09:29 AM.

[SethAbercromby]

Metus regem, on 10 September 2014 - 09:00 AM, said:

<a href="http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=165&l=f0ffa8509f4a030f57c10ebd0a0c514b2e0a395a">TBR-S</a>

You'll need BBCode for links. Most forums disable html for posts because it can sometimes do messy things to the structure.

For a link in BBCode you'll need to write it like this:

[url= LINK] TEXT [/url]

(you won't need to put the link in quotation marks)

Quote

Opportunistic hunter/killer mech, if I can't out-run it, I can usualy kill it in one or two salvos at close range, or cripple it bad enough to not want to fallow me around. I find that she works best in a city or canyon setting, where I have cover from things like LRM's and limited visability. The SRM packs, help keep my profile as low as possible for a Timber Wolf, and with radar depr. I'm a nasty suprise to anything coming around a bend or building, with pusing about 78 damage alpha.

I'm not sure how meta or good of a build she is, but I normaly end up in the 200 to 400 damage range, with 3 to 4 kills and 2 to 3 assists. And I'm still relitivly new to the game, with less than 160 drops to my name, so I think she does alright.

You might what to avoid full alphas with the SRMs as hits will sometimes not be registered properly with that many missiles. firing them in pairs or full chain fire can get you more consistent hits which might raise your damage numbers to some degree. To answer your question, she's not exactly Meta, but has some Meta-esque traits, not that there's anyhing wrong with that. I defenitly like her, she uses the speed of the chassis well and I would not want to run into her in a dark alleyway