93 replies to this topic

[Insects]

Been running the 10K with 2 x ERPPC, 250XL engine.
520 was my best damage round in it so its ok.

Runs too hot really, though 20dmg has its advantages. If you are going to hang back and snipe might as well hit with max power.

Probably finish basics with it like that then play with the other variants before considering another configuration.

[AzureDragoon]

I'm not really a fan of the Dual PPC builds. And, I can't believe I'm about to say what I'm about to, because I am a follower of the Church of MORE DAKKA!!! (neva 'enuff dakka!) and Robet Downey Jr/Tony Stark view that the best weapon is the weapon you only have to fire once. But, in this case. Dual ERPPCs on any IS light (unlike Clan Lights which has reduced weight and critical slots, thus allowing for more Heat Sinks, and really, still not by much difference) is a bit Excessive.

It's kinda like handing a small kid an elephant gun/.50 caliber and praying nothing bad's going to happen. But the 10K with say, an ERLL and that ERPPC, with a 250 XL, and some Heat sinks? Now we're talking. You get a large laser that can keep shooting for almost as long as you need, and the ERPPC for Alphas/Pinpoint damage.

Alternatively, here's a much more Close range build that uses SRM 4s and MPLs.
PNT-10K

[Der Hesse]

Did a Testdrive with the 9R with 4 MPL. I like it so far. 4 Kills and close to 600 Damage.

[Insects]

The nice thing about ERPPC is that you can fire then hide before it even impacts the target.

ERLL forces you to be exposed for a long time, time for any long ranged enemy to get their own hit in, usually straight in the all important arm. An ECM sniper can get away with a lot more, but no ECM on lolcat means your triangle lights up as soon as you pop out and fire will be incoming in one second.

Duel ERPPC is excessively hot and you spend a lot of time unable to shoot when a sitting duck is in the crosshairs. But when following the "never shoot twice from the same position in a light" rule it will do that well.

The sniper thing gets a bit boring though, saw someone running a 4 MPL on one of the others and that looked more exciting.

[NRP]

I ran into a few Panthers last night. They seemed pretty tough to kill. Has that been the experience of panther pilots, or am i just experiencing hit registration issues?

[DaveRatters]

I discovered to my cost that the Panther doesn't fit under the "arches" in HPG...

Edited by DaveRatters, 18 February 2015 - 07:11 AM.

[shidageki]

So, I am working with a "break the meta" or a "clan buster" type idea. Not as a hard thought, but just "If I can't run it like other lights, I will run it the opposite".

SOooo....the 10k I switched to a Pack Hunter motif, with a single er ppc and as much speed and jj as I could. It does well when I play it right, i.e. outside the range of being shot back at, as a true support/sniper mech.

The 8z I ran as a Kit Fox Killer using multiple weapons and a standard engine. It has not been tested as much, but it DOES kill kit foxes, and to a lesser extent most clan lights. swapping the streaks for standard srm2's was the best choice I made.

Would love some feed back, just due to the uncertain nature of the game.

[The Mech behind you]

My impressions of the Panther after a few matches with this thing: PNT-8Z

- Commando like arms No really, you can shoot at wiiide angles.
- Feels like playing a medium. But without the armor.
- Actually pretty good at mid-long ranges (LLs reaching 609m on my Panther)

Tommorow I'm going to test these:
PNT-9R
PNT-10K

I'm still undecided on the 10K. Either this build or I'll drop the ML, a DHS and all JJs for a second ERPPC, but that cooling efficiency is scaring me.

[Bigbacon]

i am trying 2ml + 2ssrm on my 10k
STD250

kind of want a SSRM lvl 5 cooldown+range.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

NRP, on 18 February 2015 - 07:09 AM, said:

I ran into a few Panthers last night. They seemed pretty tough to kill. Has that been the experience of panther pilots, or am i just experiencing hit registration issues?

They're definitely tankier than I was expecting. I think a lot of that has to do with the shield arm and the left torso... it's got the same thing going on as the Centurions do- if not moreso because the Panther doesn't carry any weaponry in its left torso. Even with an XL, it can take a pretty big punch.

What surprises me the most though is how well mixed loadouts seem to work in these. In almost every other light it's boat or suffer... you hardly ever see anything with more than two weapon systems loaded, and even then the boats are way, way more successful. So far, I've been having my best Panther games in the 10K ERPPC+MPL+2SRM2 config I posted... which is something you'd never expect to be particularly great outside of TT. In practice, the arm reacts fast enough across a wide enough arc that the ERPPC can effectively pair with a laser, and you can follow up with SRMs if your reflexes are up to it... and because of all those little adjustments, your torso is jiggling around spreading damage the whole time. It also stays cooler (even with the ERPPC!) longer than other configs I tried because it simply does not work with alphas- all three weapons have different mechanics, so if you alpha you're going to spray fire everywhere but the target.

[HARDKOR]

The key to this mech is to do backwards diagonal jump sniping on hills that slope downward to the right OR use assault mechs as cover and just pop out from behind them.

I got my 3 LL PNT-Z up to 1.21 heat efficiency and I expect it will settle out at 1.3 once it's elited.

Good mech, in fact, I think I'll be sitting out CW for the next few days so I can master it and use it in CW.

I put 1 ER PPC, 3 ML, and a SRM 6 on the K and I dunno yet... pretty hefty alpha but it's a frankenderp...

Edited by HARDKOR, 18 February 2015 - 01:24 PM.

[Bigbacon]

HARDKOR, on 18 February 2015 - 01:21 PM, said:

I got my 3 LL PNT-Z up to 1.21 heat efficiency and I expect it will settle out at 1.3 once it's elited.

how did you do this?

[HARDKOR]

3 LL + endo + 4 DHS + 195xl(from my pirates bane) + I took a cheese grater to some armour

[Tordin]

I just tinkered a bit with the Panther 10K. Great mech along with its cousins. But, whyyyyy are there TWO missile hardpoints in the center torso? Cant use em both. If, you have to remove the engine.

Quite the oversight, or am Im missing something? I dont think putting in an XL solves this. The one missile hardpoint should be relocated elsewere. How about the left torso?

Edited by Tordin, 18 February 2015 - 01:53 PM.

[Bigbacon]

HARDKOR, on 18 February 2015 - 01:40 PM, said:

3 LL + endo + 4 DHS + 195xl(from my pirates bane) + I took a cheese grater to some armour

you could totally overheat as well
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...760683b3376c31f

[HARDKOR]

Bigbacon, on 18 February 2015 - 02:03 PM, said:

you could totally overheat as well
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...760683b3376c31f

Mine has 2 JJ and doesn't overheat, and I never run in the open, so 90 kph is just dandy.

The mech is clearly supposed to be for careful snipers, not for actually remaining engaged with the enemy.

[Galdar777]

DaveRatters, on 18 February 2015 - 07:11 AM, said:

I discovered to my cost that the Panther doesn't fit under the "arches" in HPG...

It does you just have to cram harder. It is slow but you can do it.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

Revised configs...

PNT-8Z: 3MPL 2SRM4

PNT-9R: 4MPL 1SRM4

I take back anything I might've said about Panthers not making good brawlers. They can't do the magic turbodance the way other lights can, but the damage output on these guys is simply astounding. Still not quite as murderstabby as the Dread Partystarter, but... what is?

Except those few times when I derped into situations even a Stormcrow couldn't have fought its way out of, I was consistently pulling down multiple kills where I did most of the damage. Best of the night was team MVP in the 8Z on Caustic with a score of 117 - 4 - 3 - 594.

Perhaps folks just haven't learned how to best kill Panthers yet. If that's the case I'm gonna enjoy the wubs and splats as long as I can before circumstances force me to play more conservatively with the puddycats.

Edited by PS WrathOfDeadguy, 19 February 2015 - 02:17 AM.

[The Mech behind you]

After a full day for Panther gameplay I decided to change my ranged builds which are the 8Z and 10K. I did something that I never thought I'd do with light mechs. Dropping the JJs and downgrading the engines, but after realising the 8Z has the worst KDR of all my lights I felt like I had to do that for more firepower.

My 8Z runs with a XL225 now, a total of 11 DHS, NO JJs and I put a third LL on it. My damage and kills per match is on par with my other lights now.
My 10K runs with a XL200 now, a total of 13 DHS, NO JJs, dropped that ML and put a second ERPPC on it.

[HelBound]

Played the 10K for a bit last night, had fun. Not sure on the role for this mech, I tried the sniper thing but didnt care for it.
I ran TAG and 1x ERPPC 1x SRM4A JJ to taste and found some use as a spotter/direct fire support mech had a lot of fun in urban CC with this mech. In and out of buildings jumping/in/out of water and buildings (river city). Never got above 400DMG though and just a hand full of kills, I'll take my 4xMPL TDK any day of the week over the 10K.

Thinking about swapping TAG for 1x ML

Edited by HelBound, 19 February 2015 - 12:24 PM.