24 replies to this topic

[Topshot Tiger]

Any good builds for him? My current build is:

6 ml
1 UAC 5 (two tons ammo)
Narc (one ton ammo)
1 LL
8 DHS.

[Tesunie]

The 1G was the only Battlemaster I kept (and would have sold had it not been the Phoenix version). At first I hated the mech and couldn't get it to work for quite some time. it wasn't until I truly started to treat it as the proper Assault class mech it was did I start to have decent results. Now, it's one of my favored mechs to use.

My 1G is set up like this. So far, we seem fairly close, besides number of heat sinks and my added LRM system. (LRMs are there as a "while I move into line of sight" weapon, so I can still assist my team. It's come in very handy.) (PS: Was using this build long before any of the quirks went on the mech.)


I have to ask, what engine size/type are you using? Cause, for that amount of weapons on your mech, I would have thought you would have had more heat sinks. Must be a larger engine. I found that a fast Battlemaster did not work well in my hands, and that if you are having trouble with your Battlemaster, maybe slowing it down a bit might be more beneficial.

Edited by Tesunie, 02 January 2015 - 01:26 PM.

[Topshot Tiger]

Sorry i forgot to mention I run a standard 300. And i also run with 3 tons of ultra ac 5 ammo, not 2.

[Tesunie]

Just because I have it all saved, this is the path my Battlemaster grew from. I started out with no direction or purpose for this mech:
MWO:Mechlab - BLR-1G - Was an experimental platform to test someone's theory about LRM behavior and TAG + Artemis. Lets just say, even with Tag+Artemis, not ALL of your LRMs will land CT. I also started to notice a pattern here that I didn't fuly grasp until much later: Missiles and XL engines on the Battlemaster do NOT go together. It increases your side torso hitbox, which means you often die from side torso destruction.
Over the time I've had my Battlemaster, I have to point out that I've used a lot of different builds.
MWO:Mechlab - BLR-1G - Was designed to be a sniper platform with the ERLLs placed up high. Still had some remnants of a previous design where I had placed SSRMs onto the mech. This is about when I discovered the XL weakness with the missile hardpoints in use. When things got up close, people just aimed for the missile launcher and I died real fast. Incoming LRMs also tend to hit that side torso more often, resulting in a lot of XL deaths.
MWO:Mechlab - BLR-1G - Was suppose to be a fast sniper plateform, using high mounted energy points to best advantage. It worked... alright. But wasn't exactly my style of play, and that XL engine ended up being more of a problem for me than it was worth. Was also testing how the (at the time) "new" command console worked.
MWO:Mechlab - BLR-1G - An adjustment of the build above. Worked about as well as the above build.
MWO:Mechlab - BLR-1G - Designed to be a "peel the armor and crit them to death" machine. Might work better now with the quirks the mech received, but that XL was still being a problem for me. The extra speed wasn't helpful to me as I found the mech to unresponsive and clumsy to utilize that speed properly. (Basically, it was fast enough to get into trouble, not fast enough to get back out.)

My Battlemaster has had a very long path before it arrived to where it is now. Use anything you see here as you wish.

[Tesunie]

TopshotTiger, on 02 January 2015 - 01:10 PM, said:

Sorry i forgot to mention I run a standard 300. And i also run with 3 tons of ultra ac 5 ammo, not 2.

You mean something like this?
I always found I rarely ran out of UAC5 ammo before death or victory with more than 2 tons, mostly because of how often it seems to jam after only a single shot...

From what I'm seeing, it looks like a decent enough build to me. Is it giving you problems or under performing for you?

Edited by Tesunie, 02 January 2015 - 01:33 PM.

[K0M3D14N]

I run a modified version of TheB33f's "Wubmaster" with the Wubmaster-1G. 6 MPLs, a single LPL, a STD 340 engine and however many heat sinks you can fit in it. With this build, you can get off 2-3 back-to-back alpha strikes on a heat neutral map without worrying about time to cool off. After that third one, though, you're going to be riding a VERY fine heat line and are going to have to manage heat very effectively in a drawn out engagement.

For this very reason, the Wubmaster wants to avoid drawn out engagements at all costs. With a STD340, this thing cooks along at a very respectable 71.4 kph after Speed Tweak and can take quite a beating before it goes down. If you have to sacrifice a torso, though, make sure it's the left side- the LPL is a big, big boost to your firepower. Get in, dump your alpha(s), get the hell back out. You can run with most of the heavies and even some of the slower mediums without sacrificing a good deal of durability.

Cool shot is a must, obviously.

[Tesunie]

K0M3D14N, on 02 January 2015 - 01:39 PM, said:

I run a modified version of TheB33f's "Wubmaster" with the Wubmaster-1G. 6 MPLs, a single LPL, a STD 340 engine and however many heat sinks you can fit in it. With this build, you can get off 2-3 back-to-back alpha strikes on a heat neutral map without worrying about time to cool off. After that third one, though, you're going to be riding a VERY fine heat line and are going to have to manage heat very effectively in a drawn out engagement.

For this very reason, the Wubmaster wants to avoid drawn out engagements at all costs. With a STD340, this thing cooks along at a very respectable 71.4 kph after Speed Tweak and can take quite a beating before it goes down. If you have to sacrifice a torso, though, make sure it's the left side- the LPL is a big, big boost to your firepower. Get in, dump your alpha(s), get the hell back out. You can run with most of the heavies and even some of the slower mediums without sacrificing a good deal of durability.

Cool shot is a must, obviously.

Wouldn't this be more effective?

[Topshot Tiger]

Tesunie, on 02 January 2015 - 01:33 PM, said:

You mean something like this?
I always found I rarely ran out of UAC5 ammo before death or victory with more than 2 tons, mostly because of how often it seems to jam after only a single shot...

From what I'm seeing, it looks like a decent enough build to me. Is it giving you problems or under performing for you?

It wasnt performing as well as I'd like. I tried swapping the UAC 5 for a LBX 10, and it worked pretty well got 500 first game.

[Tesunie]

TopshotTiger, on 02 January 2015 - 03:34 PM, said:

It wasnt performing as well as I'd like. I tried swapping the UAC 5 for a LBX 10, and it worked pretty well got 500 first game.

Good. Whatever you feel works best for you.
I can't recall without booting up my game, but I believed I ended up changing out the UAC5 for a normal AC5 and 3 tons of ammo... More reliable. Can't recall if I changed it back or not though...

[theta123]

I have 3 battlemasters up and running at the moment (big fan of them)
BLR-1G
(Also possible with STD 300 and 22 DHS)

BLR-1G
This build was made for its medium laser quirks. Very durable and effective

BLR-1G
This one is made in honour of the original BLR-1G. Quite fun to use

[LordBraxton]

I'm weird and run all my mechs in the same fashion

Quickly

throw an XL380 in there with 6mlas + lrm15 + erppc

Stays true to the lore, and if you stick with your slower assaults, it can maneuver amongst the team quickly enough to be an amazing support mech.

If youre with the team people wont assume you have an XL either

[Escef]

In my experience, the Battlemaster needs double basic skills unlocked and a large XL engine (375+) to really shine. I run my BLR-1G(P) as the Light Show. As an assault, it accelerates, turns, and breaks like a truck, but with a 400XL and Speed Tweak, it tops out at 83.9 kph. If necessary, you are fast enough to run down Inner Sphere heavies. The key is that you need to dash from cover to cover and try to maintain a little range, you aren't made to facetank people. Also, the mech makes an excellent diversionary unit. Something that big, moving that fast, spraying lasers everywhere gets people's attention.

[theta123]

Simular to the warhawk, the battlemaster has infact weak side torsos if people know where to aim. my behind has been saved MANY times by equipping 7/11 of my BLR's with STD engines. But you can go XL engine just fine tough. Its alot safer then other IS assaults like banshee, highlander and atlas

[Escef]

theta123, on 03 January 2015 - 11:02 AM, said:

Simular to the warhawk, the battlemaster has infact weak side torsos if people know where to aim. my behind has been saved MANY times by equipping 7/11 of my BLR's with STD engines. But you can go XL engine just fine tough. Its alot safer then other IS assaults like banshee, highlander and atlas

Part of the reason why XL isn't too much of a big deal deal in the BLR is because it isn't very meta. Most players don't know to expect an XL, so they default to aiming center mass. Also, with some torso twist and a little turn of the legs you can bring those huge shoulders in line to block shots. Which also goes hand in hand with the fact that most BLR builds neglect one of the arms.

[Zeriniel]

I stick with my BLR-1G(P), and I love it.
It isn't the hardiest assault mech with XL but with a STD, I don't like sacrificing the speed or firepower. Once you lose a side torso, chances are you're losing a lot of firepower anyway.

My go-to builds, throughout the numerous varieties I've experimented with, are pretty simple.

XL380, Endo, 6xML, 2xAC5, 1xLPL (or ER-PPC), 5xDHS
Or
STD 340, Endo, 6xML, 1xAC10/LBX10, 1x(LPL/ER-PPC/LL),6xDHS

Provides a relatively quick striker that can put out some good destruction if you can keep all of your weapons on target. It tears through side torsos, but does heat up relatively fast.

Ideally, you want to use your speed to get in, hit the enemy, and then get back to cover. Your armor will provide decent defense in a head on fight, but won't win in a fight of attrition.

They only thing I really hate with the 1G is its gimped torso turning radius.

Edited by Zeriniel, 03 January 2015 - 12:21 PM.

[Saint Scarlett Johan]

BLR-1G

The BLR-1G is not as well suited as the others because it has a smaller torso twist range and it's side torsos can still be hit while fully twisted away unless the pilot uses footwork to fully protect the torsos.

The build above with it's quirks:
-6.3 heat, 401.5m range, 0.607 second beam, duration LPLs (assuming no modules, 438m with modules)
-3.2 heat, 324m range, 0.72 second beam duration MLs (assuming no modules, 351m with modules)

The way it plays out is to poke with the LPLs early on, then when things begin to get within range of the Medium Lasers you just peek up and loose an alpha and duck back down. When you start getting heat capped, you start relying on the Large Pulses (22 damage for 12.6 heat) until you cool off enough to start using the Medium Lasers again.



If you prefer more poke:
BLR-1G 3xLL
-6.3 heat, 495m range, 0.9 second beam, duration Large Lasers (assuming no modules, 594m with modules)

BLR-1G ERLL
-7.2 heat, 742.5m range, 1.08 second beam, duration ER Larges (assuming no modules, 810m with modules)

Those two builds are more pokey, and a bit faster so it's good as a skirmisher where it's high mounted hardpoints are put to best use and it's terrible torso twist is made a bit more irrelevant.

[K0M3D14N]

Tesunie, on 02 January 2015 - 01:48 PM, said:

Wouldn't this be more effective?

A little, yeah, but I had a STD 340 lying around that I used.

[Tesunie]

K0M3D14N, on 04 January 2015 - 07:53 PM, said:

A little, yeah, but I had a STD 340 lying around that I used.

Then this maybe instead? (MAX THAT ARMOR OUT! )

[theta123]

Tesunie, on 04 January 2015 - 08:10 PM, said:

Then this maybe instead? (MAX THAT ARMOR OUT! )

I have been barely legged in my BLR's. 41 on each leg is enough

[Tesunie]

theta123, on 05 January 2015 - 03:31 AM, said:

I have been barely legged in my BLR's. 41 on each leg is enough

Well, after endo and two additional heat sinks, I had the tonnage left over. And you'd be amazed how many people will aim for an assaults legs (despite it having as much or more armor than a side torso). If someone probed and found it is weak down there... could be trouble. Then again... I wasn't adding the armor specifically to the leg. I had 1.5 tons left over and only one crit left... so I tossed it into armor.

Merely trying to help. 2 double heat sinks isn't a lot of extra cooling, but on an all energy mech it can be a help still.