26 replies to this topic

[Red October911]

Seriously, I've play MWO (on and off) since beta and have yet to pull a head shot. How do you other guys fair? Are there some prolific head hunters out there? If there are, what's the weapon of choice? Is there a certain strategy to it? (other than the obvious aim for the head...)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to become a said head shooter, I'm just curious as to how others do it. I'll gladly stick to shooting huge hitboxes ty very much

[YueFei]

Usually requires PPFLD weapons that you can alpha for 33+ damage.

PPFLD stands for Pin-Point Front-Loaded-Damage.

Lasers are Pin-Point, but not Front-Loaded because they have a burn duration.

SRMs are Front-Loaded because all the missiles fire at once (assuming you have the tubes for it), but they are not Pin-Point because they spread all over the place.

An AC20 is both Pin-Point and Front-Loaded.

Headshots are easiest on stationary mechs or mechs that have shut down, but even then the head hitbox is usually tiny. In general it's one of the "panes" of glass of the cockpit "window", rather than the entire "head" area.

[Mirenheart]

For most people, it's just a matter of luck, and enough pinpoint damage to strip that head armor and internals.

There aren't any specific weapons, generally large IS Autocannons, PPCs/ERPPCs, or Pulse Lasers.
Clan ACs aren't quite as effective because they spread their damage over several bullets per shot, about as effective as an IS laser, whereas IS autocannons are just one big bullet.
Clan lasers aren't very effective either because of the long burn time, so they spread the damage around the CT and STs.

For Clans, ERPPCS and Guass rifles are your best bet.

For IS, PPCs/ERPPCs, Guass, AC20s, AC10s, multiple AC5s and pulse lasers work well for it.

As well, find some of the threads around here that have the Hitboxes for each mech shown, and figure out where the head hitbox is on each mech, and then begin aiming there as you play. Perhaps launch in Training grounds a few times, trying it out on the non moving targets, until you find that sweet spot.

Otherwise, just using a lot of big, pinpoint damage will eventually get you a couple lucky headcaps.
I remember Artillery Strikes used to be pretty good at ehadcapping, but I'm not sure if that's changed or not.

[Keira RAVEN McKenna]

For my 53 headshots I use ER LL and LPLs.
My mouse speed or sensitivity is slowed right down and I then place the cross hairs thing right on the centre of the window on the target and fire. 4ERLLs are brilliant for 700m plus Headshots. Pulse lasers for the closer one.

I use Advanced Zoom and range mods on the weapons. The easiest to try it on are the Atlas, Highlander (stupidly easy) and the Cataphract.
Some mechs have odd window hitboxes like catapults, Stormcrows, Timberwolves etc... its the second pane of glass from the bottom.
The Atlas its the Right eye as you look at it.
Hellbringer its the tiny light in the box below the centre pan of glass... stupidly small but doable.
Shutdown mechs are easiest of all as the tilt forward when the shutdown, presenting the pane of glass straight on. But 700m shots are easy too on LRM and Sniper mechs, even from 30deg angle off to one side. They never see it coming too!

Currently the best place to get a headshot it actually in CW! I've gotten 8 so far but the system doesnt count those achievements in CW! Its because everyone is more interested in unloading on everyone that comes through the gates than actually moving around. Its a headshotters paradise!


Drop me a PM if you need help.

Edited by Keira RAVEN McKenna, 18 December 2014 - 12:34 AM.

[HlynkaCG]

First off, study this thread, to learn where the the head hitboxes actually are on the most common mechs.

http://mwomercs.com/...x-localization/

My preferred weapons for head hunting are my dual-guass Jagermech and the AC20 on my HBK-4G. Mainly the trick is just to know where to aim, and to keep an eye out for the optimal targets. You see that missile-boat with the 1000m stare standing stationary on some hillside? Ruin his day with a tungsten slug to the dome. Likewise if some poor sap is foolish enough to shutdown in front of you, administer a coup de'grace and move on to the next fight.

I've been playing since closed beta and just recently earned my 100th Headshot achievement. I would say about half of those were against shut down or DCed mechs and most of the others were picked up while sniping/counter-sniping. Only a small fraction were picked up "on the move" as it were and most of those were luck.

[ArchSight]

I've been Doing the trick them into a false security by using ECM and camouflage that matches the area I'm waiting at. As soon as they stand still I send 33 pin point damage to the cockpit. When I started getting headshots with 3 Clan er large lasers on my kit fox I ended up being called a hacker. It's impossible to head shot them in one shot while they're moving with those weapons but it isn't impossible if they stand nice and comfy still for you.

Edited by ArchSight, 19 December 2014 - 01:06 AM.

[Martin Oberhofer]

2 so far
one on a disco...
and the second on tourmaline in a AC40-Jager coming uphill staring at a going backwards downhill centurion.
Placed 2 shots and luckly hitten his head

Usualy i dont see many headshots happaning, maybe something to try...

[NovaFury]

Aim for head (study the chassis' hitboxes ahead of time to know where it is), shoot. Enemy pretty much must be standing still. Surprisingly a lot of people do that at very long range which makes head-shots at extreme distances much easier.

I pull them off semi-occasionally against newer players in CW. Even when sniping never stand still, do a tiny wobble to stay safe.

Edited by NovaFury, 21 December 2014 - 01:02 PM.

[The Red Priest]

I once got two headshots in a row just by sheer luck. One on a daishi, and one on a centurion immediately after I killed the daishi. I was the only one left, so I just charge in my Orion-VA and fired my AC/20 twice. It was fun, and I saved my team from complete humiliation, because we lost 2-12. I got the two kills. xD

[oldradagast]

NovaFury, on 21 December 2014 - 01:00 PM, said:

Aim for head (study the chassis' hitboxes ahead of time to know where it is), shoot. Enemy pretty much must be standing still. Surprisingly a lot of people do that at very long range which makes head-shots at extreme distances much easier.

I pull them off semi-occasionally against newer players in CW. Even when sniping never stand still, do a tiny wobble to stay safe.

This.

Always keep moving, if only a little - a small shuffle back and forth, a bit of torso movement... something. Stand perfectly still and - if you're lucky - you'll just lose some part of your mech you were fond of, such as a torso. Unlucky? Off with your head!

Most of my head shots have been a mix of dumb luck and aiming for about the right spot in a brawl.

[RiotHero]

The easiest by far is the atlas, it is slow and all you have to do is hit the eye.

I really wish they would update the training grounds to have ALL mechs. There are so many new IS mechs and ofc all of the Clan mechs that aren't even in there. I have no clue where to aim on most of them. I just look for center glass and hope for the best.

[RazarG]

Guass rifles are my headshot of choice weps. Very hard on a moving target, some mechs are even harder.

[IraqiWalker]

Red October911, on 17 December 2014 - 10:55 PM, said:

Seriously, I've play MWO (on and off) since beta and have yet to pull a head shot. How do you other guys fair? Are there some prolific head hunters out there? If there are, what's the weapon of choice? Is there a certain strategy to it? (other than the obvious aim for the head...)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to become a said head shooter, I'm just curious as to how others do it. I'll gladly stick to shooting huge hitboxes ty very much

Dual Gauss with an extra weapon. (The head has a total of 33 hp). One of my first headshots was with my DWF-Prime with 2xGauss2xERLL6xERML. There was enough beams flying around, and the dual gauss that I just killed the cockpit on my target as soon as he saw me.

My latest headshot (third) was a few nights ago in a King Crab with dual Gauss dual ERPPCs. Stationary Spider 5V.

[Keira RAVEN McKenna]

Got an awesome one last night on the last standing Hunchback in a CW game. He or she was backing away from me and I just walked up and snap shot them in the face with 4 ERLL. Pop went the head.

[Remarius]

When they heat shut down in a brawl...

[NUJRSYDEVIL]

How are you firing 3 ERLLs on a Kit Fox w/ ECM?

[ShinVector]

Red October911, on 17 December 2014 - 10:55 PM, said:

Seriously, I've play MWO (on and off) since beta and have yet to pull a head shot. How do you other guys fair? Are there some prolific head hunters out there? If there are, what's the weapon of choice? Is there a certain strategy to it? (other than the obvious aim for the head...)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to become a said head shooter, I'm just curious as to how others do it. I'll gladly stick to shooting huge hitboxes ty very much

There is a trick to and it depends on how fast you able to pick up on their and capitalist.
1. Some people just stay stilll for far, far tooo long... Especially people in big hulking assaults.
2. Every mech has the same MAX armour + Structure for the cockpit. Actually I believe exactly 32 damage will be enough to cockpit someone.

Anyway... If some stays still for too long.. You can easily cockpit them... Eg. Try AC40 Jager at close range. Dual gauss can do it at long range if, you are lucky enough to get a critical hit.

[101011]

It's simple: just don't go for the head. The occasional lucky shot will be far outweighed by the number of times you miss and waste the damage. Once you get to the higher brackets, you just don't come up against people who stand still while you shoot their cockpits with lasers, nor is it very common to find a 'Mech which overheats. Just my $0.02

[DaddyP1G]

wait for the idiot in the Hunchback or Nova that shuts down in front of you.... AiM and pull the trigger.

[cranect]

You can practice on the trial mechs as well. Also a degree of luck and ridiculous twitch skills cant hurt either. I played with one kid in my unit and he would just ask where is the head on... And when one of the more experienced guys answered he would fir and try for it. He was running dual gauss and I think he got 10-15 in 5-6 games... It was crazy... So many people accusing him of hacking too...