60 replies to this topic

[Rando Slim]

So I built something insanely weird today for a 2d:

XL-190 engine, ECM, endo-steel structure, ferro-fibrous armor, standard heat sinks, 3 srm 4s, one small laser, two tons of ammo, and 160 armor (strip most of it from the head maybe a point or two from each leg or left arm, whatever you feel is best). Basically, you need the small laser for when you invariably run out of ammo, you need standard heat sinks so you have the crit slots to put ferro fibrous armor on AND get the laser plus the 2 tons of ammo. With double-heat sinks AND ferro, you run out of crit slots thanks to the 3 useless heatsinks it forces you to put on there to get to the minimum of 10. Believe it or not the heat isn't as horrendous as it will read in the mechlab (ok well it blows on the hot maps but like hey theres only like a 25 percent chance of that happening lol), you shouldn't ever get into a protracted fight or be dueling firestarters in a commando anyway, but when the time comes where you have an opportunity or are forced to fight, you need to be able to hurt them a little. This build does that. Before today I would have never driven such a thing......but those srm4s are mean now that they fire so quick and with a IS srm 4 range mod level 5 on there, your srms now go out to about 340 meters!.

Now granted, you could drop one srm 4 rack, go max armor, upgrade to a medium laser, and fit another ton of ammo on but you'll have to ditch ferro and maybe a half ton of ammo, and go double heat sinks.......but it depends on your mentality, if you don't expect to live long and you want a higher alpha my weird build works, if you look at it as maximum damage you can put out based on your ammo limitations, then you might as well do the latter build. I just wanted to prove you can still do crazy **** with the new quirk system supposedly "locking" you into certain things for each mech. Typically with the standard heat sink build in the group queue I averaged a kill and between 150-350 damage.

Edited by Scrotacus 42, 05 November 2014 - 12:18 AM.

[eFTy]

Yeah, that's what I'm using on my 2B: COM-2D - I had XL170 (needed it for 3A, for weapons) and XL180 from locusts, and X200 from the Grid Iron (that went into the 1B). It'll be a while before I can buy another XL, and that will probably be XL225 for the Death's Knell.

So far my best performer has been the 3A. 2D is essentially an undergunned 3A with ECM (which I'm starting to think is not really worth it, especially now with the BAP changes). I've yet to get the hang of the 1B, but I just slapped double heat sinks on it last night...

[Brizna]

K0M3D14N, on 04 November 2014 - 05:00 PM, said:

TBH I don't really like the ERLL on the 1B. I've always preferred to use it as a NARC spotter that can provide some extra firepower on top of that. XL210, NARC, 2 tons NARC ammo, 3 MLAS, 160 armor.

I said the range is almost that of ERLL refering to regular LL not that I used ERLL or advised that, just that LL gets a huge range and much better beam duration and heat ratio than ERLL.

Edited by Brizna, 05 November 2014 - 08:08 AM.

[TripleEhBeef]

Finishing off the COM-1D right now. I'm toying with energy only builds to take advantage of the 20% general energy range bonus. Right now I've got an ERLL, MPL, and XL240 build set up. The ERLL has something like an 800 meter effective range, and the 40% MPL quirk gives it pretty much the same range profile as a stock medium laser. Sort of like a COM-1A+.

Ran an LPL only build with surprising success. Maybe I'll try an ERPPC next.

[SilentScreamer]

eFTy, on 05 November 2014 - 02:03 AM, said:

So far my best performer has been the 3A. 2D is essentially an undergunned 3A with ECM (which I'm starting to think is not really worth it, especially now with the BAP changes). I've yet to get the hang of the 1B, but I just slapped double heat sinks on it last night...

I prefer my 1B over my 2D, and I have been tempted to rip the ECM out of the 2D, don't do it! Rely on speed to keep you alive like your other commandos. This frees up your ECM to cancel out ECM on your opponents while you are at close range firing SRMs. DDCs and the new Lokis (edit -Hellbringers) go down much faster if you are behind them canceling ECM while your teamates brawl with them.

Edited by SilentScreamer, 11 December 2014 - 08:34 AM.

[eFTy]

I did strip the ECM, actually, and I'm doing considerably better. If I ever put it back on, I'll probably use LRMs or a PPC. If I use up my tonnage with ECM, I want to get the most, and in PUGs that means hanging back. If I'm to go brawl, I want as much weaponry as I can carry, and ECM won't help me so it's dead weight (better to mount another SRM4). I know I could be getting LRM support and whatnot, but I never rely on my team to help out, as that's just asking for frustration and disappointment.

[Mergatroid Skittle]

You guys seriously run these things with something less than the max engine? That seems pretty absurd... Having piloted mostly light mechs, I can say that speed is your best friend.

[Tim East]

I've run Commandos with stock engine before. For that matter, I mastered my first three of those before changing engines on any of them. I still run the 2D with a 175XL sometimes, which while not exactly stock, isn't anywhere near max either.

[Mergatroid Skittle]

Tim East, on 13 December 2014 - 07:11 AM, said:

I've run Commandos with stock engine before. For that matter, I mastered my first three of those before changing engines on any of them. I still run the 2D with a 175XL sometimes, which while not exactly stock, isn't anywhere near max either.

Do you feel like you have enough speed with that size engine? That puts you at 124 kph with speed tweak? That's pretty slow for the second lightest armored mech in the game. There quite a few medium mechs that weigh twice as much with the same speed.

[Bows3r]

That's as fast as a Myst Linx. So if you can run one of those, you can certainly run a Commando with a 175.

Edited by Bows3r, 13 December 2014 - 02:38 PM.

[Mergatroid Skittle]

Bows3r, on 13 December 2014 - 02:37 PM, said:

That's as fast as a Myst Linx. So if you can run one of those, you can certainly run a Commando with a 175.

Anyone can run a Myst Linx, its just that they aren't as effective as an IS light. I guess we can agree to disagree

[InspectorG]

Mergatroid Skittle, on 12 December 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

You guys seriously run these things with something less than the max engine? That seems pretty absurd... Having piloted mostly light mechs, I can say that speed is your best friend.

XL200 is the lowest i go, for more DHS in my TDK.

May have to try a Wub-Mando

[Tim East]

Mergatroid Skittle, on 13 December 2014 - 01:09 PM, said:

Do you feel like you have enough speed with that size engine? That puts you at 124 kph with speed tweak? That's pretty slow for the second lightest armored mech in the game. There quite a few medium mechs that weigh twice as much with the same speed.

It's enough to get me where I need to be when I need to be there. It's fast enough to run from anything heavy, and punchy enough to scare off anything light. A lot of mechwarriors recoil from an SRM 12 Commando for some reason. My TDK only goes like 150-something for that matter, and it's still plenty fast enough to do strafing runs. Don't have the MLX though. Probably alright. At least if it can mount missiles. Clan SRM/SSRM feel pretty good to me.

[IraqiWalker]

Mergatroid Skittle, on 12 December 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

You guys seriously run these things with something less than the max engine? That seems pretty absurd... Having piloted mostly light mechs, I can say that speed is your best friend.

In all fairness. I run the 2D with an XL 195 (need 1.5 tons for ECM). Clocking in at 139Kph, with ECM, and Radar Dep, I'm just peachy. Most of the others should be running no less than a 200, or 210.

[eFTy]

Frankly, I don't understand how a Commando with missiles can run an XL200 or bigger engine. You either have no ammo, or very few tubes.

TDK and the 1D are ok with XL200 or XL225.

P.S. TDK with pulses is great fun but not as efficient as 4ML & bigger engine/more heat sinks.

[Mergatroid Skittle]

eFTy, on 15 December 2014 - 04:34 AM, said:

Frankly, I don't understand how a Commando with missiles can run an XL200 or bigger engine. You either have no ammo, or very few tubes.

I've been running a 1B, 1D, and 3A with a XL240 and do pretty well, but I will say that I run out of ammo about 75% of the time. It looks like a lot of people run these things with smaller engines. Maybe I'll give it a shot.

[eFTy]

XL240 on a commando leaves 6 tons for weapons. That means 2 lasers and one SRM6 launcher with a single ton of ammo. At that point, may as well play a locust.

[TripleEhBeef]

eFTy, on 16 December 2014 - 04:03 AM, said:

XL240 on a commando leaves 6 tons for weapons. That means 2 lasers and one SRM6 launcher with a single ton of ammo. At that point, may as well play a locust.

Yeah, for the SRM versions, that isn't enough. My COM 3A carries 2 SRM 6s and three tons of ammo with the XL 200, and can still run dry. I used to run a 2 SRM4 version with the XL240 before Quirks and it did OK, but now SRM 6s are the way to go. After adding MPLs on the 1D, you've got room for 2 SRM2s and a ton of ammo, which isn't really earth shattering firepower. Dropping down to the XL200 lets you up your launchers to SRM 4s.

The Knell and the 1B are fine with the XL240 if you don't have trouble with the heat. But it can pay to go lower with the missile boats since they have a much different playstyle.

[DivineTomatoes]

I got a 2D today because I love light mechs but never really bothered with commandos.

Everything was going fine even though it's mostly stock I came up with a fitting that will work for the time being, put some camo on it, dropped into a game and gorked at the cockpit but suddenly it all went down hill from there.

The second I started moving I thought to myself WTF is that noise, where's the can of WD40, seriously what is that noise.

[Tim East]

Love that noise...