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The Grid Iron is an ok mech, but I was having trouble taking advantage of the ballistic hardpoint and missle hardpoint at the same time. After many different loadouts, I found a design that works pretty well. The Narcback!
Smurfy: Narcback
Features
- Narc everything!
- Dig in and harass with high mounted hardpoints
- Cripple and kill damaged enemy mechs with lb10x cluster rounds
- Call in artillery and offset the cost with the hero mech cbill bonus
- TAG for friendly LRMs
- Earn lots of extra cbills due to bonuses from narc, tag and component destruction. This is multiplied by the hero mech bonus.
Overview:
- LB10x + 3 tons ammo
- Narc Missle Beacon + 3 tons ammo
- High mounted TAG (positioned above the head)
- 2 Medium lasers (1 per arm)
- AMS + 1 ton ammo
- 260 xl Engine
- Modules: Radar deprivation, Improved artillery strike
The Narcback is designed to aid your allies on the frontline with a combination of totally obnoxious support features. Its primary attack mode is a linked weapon group with an LB10x and a narc beacon. The two weapons have somewhat similiar ranges, recharge times and speeds, so its fairly easy to land both weapons at the same time. I give both systems 3 tons of ammo which is sufficient for all but the longest matches. The nicest part is that you dont even have to think about narcing. Just blast mechs with your LB10x as you normally would and you will find the Narc will land more often than not.
In combat you want to find a hill close to the front line and hide behind it. Use your speed to pop your head out of cover, hit a target with a narc and LB10x on the same attack, then dive back into cover. The enemy will try to dig you out with indirect LRM fire so I equip it with AMS and a radar deprivation module. These two defense systems extend the life of the Narcback in a very noticable way.
Its secondary role is a spotter for LRMs and Artillery. By mounting a TAG in the head slot you can spot for your comrades by just barely peeking over a hill. This makes the Narcback incredibly hard to target and allows you to TAG and drop artillery relatively safely.
By virtue of being a hero mech you will earn extra cbills which adds up quickly due to the fact you are narcing, tagging and critting with the LB. The extra money you earn can easily offset the cost of the artillery module.
The XL engine is not as big of liability as you would think. The extra speed lets you climb a hill, attack and get back into cover pretty quick, reducing the amount of attacks you would recieve with a slower standard engine. Just remember that the speed is for getting in and out of combat quickly. I would not recommend running around in the open.
2 medium lasers are equipped, but they are pretty much for point defense. Generally it is not worth exposing yourself to get their meager damage in, but they are there in case someone gets in your face and you need just a little more punch.
The narcback has a lot of synergy in its different systems. If you are bored with your Grid Iron then try refitting it into a Narcback. Its a different type of support platform, but one that is definitely fun to play.
Edited by Fokker07, 19 July 2014 - 01:54 PM.
