59 replies to this topic

[InspectorG]

EX S, on 14 February 2015 - 10:50 AM, said:

How in the world do you get above 200 damage with these things, let alone the 4MG+ laser builds?

I would ditch the MG's myself. At best they are, for me, late match clean up weapons when my pug is winning...which is very random criteria.

Essentially, as everyone else stated: BE A COWARD

You have 20 tons and no extra lives. This means they should never see you.

Early match hang with the heavies and wait for battle lines to form. Running out to scout is kinda pointless unless we get bigger maps...

You wanna look for flanking opportunities and also, if staying with the fat guys, i call it 'being a Gradius/Lifeforce Option'
That little ball that hovers near your ship that fires when you do.
When enemies are being stared down by a Whale or Stalker/whatever, they tend not to care about the Locust next to them.
One 'could' use this opportunity to killsteal...but that is semantics.

Also, remember, terrain has unlimited HP, you do not. Why would you ever stray from terrain? Think about that. Lag shields aint what they used to be...unless you have Time Warner?

Mid match look for engagements and try to disrupt an enemy shooting at a teammate. It is a GOOD thing when 100 tons is shooting at 20 tons instead of the 55 and 80 ton mechs on your team. Be the strong cookie.

EVENTS = LRMs = EASY KILLS...if you is sneaky. Wait till battle lines form, look for rain from the back of the enemy blob, work your way back there. DONT RUSH THE PROCESS!!! Look for his teammates, they nearby? Do drive-by's at his legs. LRM boats have a habit of storing ammo in their legs.
Sure you are all alone? Good. Get right behind them and decide to quickly rear-core or take the time to leg them. Each has value, leg if you think friendlies are incoming...so you can move onto the next LuRMer...


Speed keeps you alive so late match, you get to vulture. Clean up. You can be a little more brave but remember this:
If its a fair fight(engagement), you are doing it wrong.
Thats the only way a Locust can fight.

Beginner mistakes are shooting the first mech they see. When vulturing, you need to split up the enemy and look for the cripple. Be sure they dont see you and dont rely on ECM. ECM can give you away. Get a lock and look for cores/XL side torso. Those would be the quickest kills. Also, one leg mechs.
You donw want to just run up to 3 enemies and let them gang bang you, you have to be sneaky.
From a safe distance, poke on of them and get them to chase you. Double back around to the slow guy and finish him.
Obviously, if the remaining enemies are all fast mechs, you will be in trouble. Skill will determine the outcome there.

Hope this helps

[MechWarrior3671771]

"...don't be shooting anybody who's looking at you. Pick on engaged enemies, back shoot, move, never fire from the same place twice and never, ever stop."

Just wanted to repeat this so I could like it again. Should be engraved around the cockpit in neon letters.

[Repasy Cooper]

Shar Wolf, on 14 February 2015 - 11:34 AM, said:

I actually found it easier with the MG.

MG do bonus damage to internal structure and components (such as ammo bins...)

Put that and the bit in () together = BIG BOOM
(Sans-CASE, which all Clan mechs come with )

Ya I just threw on 4 MG and 5000 rounds of ammo on one of my Locusts, with a TAG for spotting my allies lrms. That's a great build, zero worries about heat so you'll never accidentally shut down and get picked off by dual gauss etc.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Repasy, on 15 February 2015 - 09:54 AM, said:

Ya I just threw on 4 MG and 5000 rounds of ammo on one of my Locusts, with a TAG for spotting my allies lrms. That's a great build, zero worries about heat so you'll never accidentally shut down and get picked off by dual gauss etc.

Gotta be REAL careful with that though - cause you have at best a 0.24 alpha strike (with COF at that!)

[MechWarrior3671771]

"I died because I fixated too much on one target, so I definitely need to work on knowing when to disengage."

Your motto should be "I can get 2 good shots from this position, but will only take one and then scoot".

Edited by Fenrisulvyn, 15 February 2015 - 10:06 AM.

[Repasy Cooper]

Generally I have all my locusts set up as harassers, dealing high damage is secondary priority.

The 4 MG 1 TAG variant (1V) spots and deals constant MG dmg, I go after individual targets (usually assaults) with great success, so long as one or two of my allies supports me.

I convert the 3S variant into 4x srm2. Chain fire helps my ammo last for a while AND also lets me deal constant damage.

I take all the small lasers off the 3M and replace with 2x Flamers. Usually stick with allies to provide ams support and fire off my single measly laser, but when that bad Dire Wolf pilot gets too close and overheats I run in and attempt to keep him hot while my allies finish it off.

I got rid of my 3S and 3M variants now though, the 1V is best for my play style.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Repasy, on 15 February 2015 - 10:04 AM, said:

I take all the small lasers off the 3M and replace with 2x Flamers. Usually stick with allies to provide ams support and fire off my single measly laser, but when that bad Dire Wolf pilot gets too close and overheats I run in and attempt to keep him hot while my allies finish it off.

Sadly - flamers are actually generating more heat to you than to the other guy.

Having said that - they are also great at blinding the target (aim for their face! - even from behind!)

[TercieI]

Fenrisulvyn, on 15 February 2015 - 10:02 AM, said:

"I died because I fixated too much on one target, so I definitely need to work on knowing when to disengage."

Your motto should be "I can get 2 good shots from this position, but will only take one and then scoot".

Quoted for Great Justice.

[Tim East]

Fenrisulvyn, on 15 February 2015 - 10:02 AM, said:

"I died because I fixated too much on one target, so I definitely need to work on knowing when to disengage."

This is like...the story of my existence.

[3xnihilo]

Fenrisulvyn, on 15 February 2015 - 10:02 AM, said:

"I died because I fixated too much on one target, so I definitely need to work on knowing when to disengage."

Your motto should be "I can get 2 good shots from this position, but will only take one and then scoot".

All the locust pilots nod their heads.

[Satan n stuff]

Shar Wolf, on 15 February 2015 - 09:28 AM, said:

I rarely see Adders (unless I am driving them)
When I do, they are usually carrying ballistics.
(Mine went for the PPC or LRM builds )

So that did not even occur to me.

The streak builds are dangerous to lights, but they are merely annoying to anything else. I've had a lot more success with quad Artemis SRM6. That amount of firepower leaves you about 6 tons for ammo and I still manage to run out on occasion, forcing me to use the flamer as a backup weapon.
By that point most of the enemy team is usually dead so the result is one player desperately trying to fight off my teammates while I keep his heat up with the flamer.

I also had a surprising amount of success running an Adder with two torso mounted ER large lasers and two arm mounted small pulse lasers, the first time I ran that I somehow got over 800 damage. The torso hardpoints are great for sniping and they make it a lot easier to get the full duration of the lasers on target at range, and the arm hardpoints are great for close range snapshots. Just be sure to take off the hand actuators or you'll lose those arms a lot.

[Koniving]

Skip to 6 minutes.


Or here, skip to 5:39


Playing "Ninja Re Bang Bang" in the background will increase your life expectancy triple-fold.

On a more serious note, it's been a while since I uploaded a video due to college reasons. I think some Locust vids are in order.

[mad kat]

The trick to being a successful locust pilot is to be like a Ghost. There one second gone the next, it doesn't take much at all to kill a locust so you need to be the Grey man. In other words wait for your team to get into a brawl and support the big guy on your team getting all the hate from the enemy team.

If they see an atlas or battlemaster closing in for a brawl wait till they inevitably start throwing punches then you dive in while the enemy is distracted and rear core them by firing at the red teams backs which means the poor red guy is being shot from opposite ends with any luck he'll be daft enough to turn around to see who's stabbing him in the back at which point your friendly heavies should tear him apart.

Most importantly be unpredictable never circle an enemy as someone will learn your pattern and lead shoot you in no time. Never hill hump from exactly the same spot always move somewhere else for each shot. If your caught in the open don't just hold the throttle open and run (unless of course cover is in easy reach) You have to fluctuate that throttle as much as you change direction making it very difficult for someone to lead shoot you or predict your movement.

Be erratic and crazy and it's possible to get five kills in a match just try and be everywhere at once and you'll get lucky.

Edited by mad kat, 17 February 2015 - 01:20 AM.

[Macksheen]

Terciel1976, on 15 February 2015 - 10:07 AM, said:

Quoted for Great Justice.

Indeed.

I also like "the key is to move faster than the opponent's PC can render". Served me well in my 'mandos.

[John Mechlane]

A lot of good advice in this thread. Two things I would like to add:

1. MGs are no good on a locust (they are no good in anything IMHO, but that's another story) You'll want to attack the enemy from behind, and be on the other side of the map before he turns around. With MGs you need to constantly aim at the target, which means you are probably out in the open - exposed.

...Also It's pretty hard to keep anyone perfectly targeted, when you are zooming around with 170kph. That bonus crit against internals is sh*t. You can do the same ammount of damage with laser boating, but without the need to constantly pound the enemy. (Yes, I've heard the MG stories too... and it's not impossible to do good with a MG build, it's just too situational)


2. Play in packs if you can. What's better than a locust behind enemy lines? Two of them! Hell, throw in an ECM PB or a spidey as thrid, and you can pretty much go anywhere without being spotted. This changes a few things, most notably, you can become more bold. Make sure to sync the attacks. Get behind an enemy, and target the same component. (mostly rear CT or legs....rear LT or RT if you suspect an XL engine) If he's already engaged (or not the best pilot) you may get a second free alpha....that should kill pretty much anything if all of you know what you are doing.

Edited by JaniTheWeedman, 16 February 2015 - 07:14 AM.

[EX S]

Koniving, on 15 February 2015 - 02:42 PM, said:

Playing "Ninja Re Bang Bang" in the background will increase your life expectancy triple-fold.

Fenrisulvyn, on 15 February 2015 - 10:02 AM, said:

"I died because I fixated too much on one target, so I definitely need to work on knowing when to disengage."

Your motto should be "I can get 2 good shots from this position, but will only take one and then scoot".

Duly noted.

Also, this thread has really helped me become more comfortable with the Locust. I'm still not great, or even good, but I think I know how to approach it now and what to improve in.

[Bleary]

Is your Throttle Decay on? It should be set to 'on' by default; but if it isn't, turn it on.

Be patient. Locusts work easiest when bigger 'Mechs get stuck in a furball. Then you're free to run around while everyone shoots at higher-profile targets. You might have to spend the first half of the match waiting, especially on more open maps.

Don't be afraid to stop. I know this seems counterintuitive, but Locusts accelerate and decelerate so fast that you can do things other lights can't. You can stop near a corner, then bounce around to snap a shot off and duck back again before anyone knows you're there. You can stop behind enemy 'Mechs (if there aren't others shooting at you) and take careful aim at their rear torso. If they start to turn to catch you, you can dash around and stop again to fire.

Edited by Bleary, 16 February 2015 - 07:37 PM.

[3xnihilo]

Bleary, on 16 February 2015 - 07:35 PM, said:

Is your Throttle Decay on? It should be set to 'on' by default; but if it isn't, turn it on.

Be patient. Locusts work easiest when bigger 'Mechs get stuck in a furball. Then you're free to run around while everyone shoots at higher-profile targets. You might have to spend the first half of the match waiting, especially on more open maps.

Don't be afraid to stop. I know this seems counterintuitive, but Locusts accelerate and decelerate so fast that you can do things other lights can't. You can stop near a corner, then bounce around to snap a shot off and duck back again before anyone knows you're there. You can stop behind enemy 'Mechs (if there aren't others shooting at you) and take careful aim at their rear torso. If they start to turn to catch you, you can dash around and stop again to fire.

Yes, locusts stop and start quickly and run fast in reverse. Exploit this all the time. . . But if you run locusts all the time you will have to unlearn a lot of that in other mechs. (I am looking at you cicadas).

[Neutron IX]

I had to go through and "like" every post in this thread, first, because Locusts, and second because so many of my fellow T.U.L. thread compatriots are up in here dropping knowledge like Socrates on a Bungee jumping trip...

Drop on by The Underrated Locust thread that 3xnihilo linked, and hang out with the rest of us Los Locos Locust people!

[Bleary]

3xnihilo, on 16 February 2015 - 07:40 PM, said:

Yes, locusts stop and start quickly and run fast in reverse. Exploit this all the time. . . But if you run locusts all the time you will have to unlearn a lot of that in other mechs. (I am looking at you cicadas).

I hate switching to my Firestarters after a few matches in the Mayfly (my Locust 3M).

. . .I have mostly solved this by not driving Firestarters anymore.

Edited by Bleary, 17 February 2015 - 12:12 AM.