bluepiglet, on 19 July 2014 - 08:41 AM, said:
Right, bringing your skill into the mech comparison is totally scientific and smart, the later part could be true and intended.
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with the way ELO works, my skill is in theory relative to everyone elses that I'm facing down or playing with. Over a large enough sample size (is 100 enough? hard to say) Trends will start to emerge.
One thing I've noticed, is the people that die early to clan mechs, are guys used to taking one solid slug of damage, and not used to facing down lasers. (which that is all clan Acs are, are just glorified lasers)
Mechs that can either move, in hit and fade attacks (like the Dragon) or are very good at Spreading damage (like the TDR, with it's even sized rounded torsos, and thick arms) have tended to fair better than mechs like my Cataphract which is honestly just a big broadside of a barn with long flat torsos, and tiny arms, and a general lack of mobility.
Of all my heavies, the Cataphract is the one that noticed the Clan Release the most, because of it's relatively poor speed (I favored sheer firepower on mine), skinny arms, and long flat torsos that can still be hit as the mech twists away.
Also, I tend to not run XLs in anything but a Dragon or Catapult, which is probably another reason why I've not taken dips in overall performance save the phract. So I can more safely use internal structure at times to shield more vital components and sides when my over all armor is running low.
Tips for Ending Clan Mechs:
1 don't stare at them, unless you KNOW they are on weapon CD, or are not targeting you. Fire off your own duration weapons while they are on cool down.
2: do not put XLs in anything that doesn't have a Gigantic Easy to Pop CT and relatively hard to hit STs. (this is a good rule of thumb regardless)
3: out flank their assaults. The fastest Assault mech they have is the warhawk, which moves at a respectible 71 kph, but for it's speed it lacks in firepower. An IS heavy can actually be more heavily armed than a warhawk and be just as agile. The Direwhale once you get on his ST, you can pretty much stay there. Whats even worse for him, is while you stay out of the reach of the lionshare of his firepower, you can still blow out his CT. Even more devastating though, is to hit them from behind. If you think Stalkers are Turkey Shoots from behind, a DW is an even Easier target, since the mech is physically larger in width and height with larger hit boxes for the rear CT. It's also so balls slow that as long as you move 55 kph or better (I've done this to them in Atlases), he can't actually out turn you to get you off his rear CT, and if he does, he just exposed what should be Internals to the rest of your team.
4: Their lights Suck. The only ECM they have, is in the Kitfox, which is honestly only marginally not as terrible as a Locust. It's large, easy to hit, and pitifully slow for a light mech. I have Dragons that move faster. (which also carry bigger and badder guns) Pop off their lights first thing since that's the only credible defense other than the stormcrow that clan mechs have to protecting the DW in a clan heavy team. Their timbers can and should be out doing flanking and brawling duty or sniping duty if it's carrying GR+PPCs.
Wipe even just a couple of light mechs off the board, and then the direwhales and a clan based team will fall to pieces in short order. The loss of firepower from losing a DW is staggering and devastating in the worst way, and worse yet the mech isn't very good at self defense.