66 replies to this topic

[Lightning0861]

Its what I did in the military (I was a Forward Observer) and I would like to play this roll in MWO. It just seems like the learning curve is very high and that it doesn't work well in PUGS this is pure speculation on my part. Can any veterans lead me in the right direction? What light/scout Mech is best suited and what is your load out like. How do you actually pilot your mechs in order to be effective?

[M X Striker]

Lightning, go Raven 3L. 2xERLL, ECM+Speed. There's your spotter scout+sniper too! These little mechs kick much a$$!

[Lightning0861]

Thank you for the quick reply good sir. Can every light mech make room for a target designator (painting targets for my team). Keep the suggestions coming I am going to really need the help. I know serious pain will be coming my way.

[990Dreams]

Spotter Jenner JR7-D "Bait"

[Tarogato]

I spent most of my learning experience in this game trying to play a spotter mech. Specifically, a Narc Jenner.

I felt like I was doing good and helping the team at the time...

but looking back on it it was terrible. I wholeheartedly do NOT recommend going the scouting/spotter route as a new player. There's simply not much use for that role in this game - you end up being a liability to your team because you can't pull damage numbers and secure kills. In group queue with a group of friends you might be able to use a spotting mech, but in solo queue your teammates just won't consistently take advantage of your assets and you'll find yourself very frequently limited by the amount of damage you can't do.

You can try a Raven, but keep it mind the only ECM variant (you'll want ECM if you're doing scouting and spotting) doesn't have jumpjets, so it can't access a lot of good spots very easily. On the bright side, Raven's are capable of dishing out a lot of hurt if you build and play them right, so if the whole scouting thing doesn't work, you can go other directions with them. =]

Oh... and another thing about scouting and spotting: you don't deal damage, so you don't make very much money, so buying mechs and equipment becomes an insurmountable grind if you don't have a solid money-making mech laying around.

Edited by Tarogato, 13 March 2015 - 09:34 AM.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

Lightning0861, on 13 March 2015 - 09:12 AM, said:

Its what I did in the military (I was a Forward Observer) and I would like to play this roll in MWO. It just seems like the learning curve is very high and that it doesn't work well in PUGS this is pure speculation on my part. Can any veterans lead me in the right direction? What light/scout Mech is best suited and what is your load out like. How do you actually pilot your mechs in order to be effective?

First off all mechs can serve as a Spotter and Scout at any time. The main thing is simply sharing info to your team.

For example, one thing I have done is reassign my targeting key from "R" to "L-Alt" so that I can use my thumb and be able to cycle across multiple targets as I keep moving.

The other is getting familiar with the maps and provide an enemy count and grid square, such as "4 in D4" or "Assaults in C7" and so on.

So the main thing is how do you rather play? Do you want speed and strike on the move, or would you rather carry more firepower?

Using cover is important for any mech, and flanking can at least prove to be a good distraction, depending on the flow of a match and what your team is doing.

And in general the slower the mech, once you push you are often committed, due to not having the speed to disengage with the enemy.

Edited by Praetor Knight, 13 March 2015 - 09:36 AM.

[Lightning0861]

Taro, thanks for the information I was looking for that too and Praetor you are correct as long as I am feeding info to my team any mech can be a scout really. I just thought it would be cool to designate targets for my buddies like I used to do for real!

[Voivode]

Any light with ECM will be a good choice. TAG is a "weapon" that provides targetting for friendlies and is capable of penetrating enemy ECM. It fits in an energy hardpoint.

The ECM lights are as follows:

INNER SPHERE:
Raven 3L
Spider 5D
Commando 2D
Locust PB

CLAN: (all variants of the below chassis' can equip ECM due to swappable omnipods on clan mechs)
Mist Lynx
Kit Fox

EDIT: Clarified some statements

Smurfy is a great resource to help you figure out which mech you'd like to choose.

Edited by Voivode, 13 March 2015 - 09:54 AM.

[Flak Kannon]

The Raven 3L is a solid choice. It can pack two weapons, ERLLx2, that can hit from a sizable distance, and has ecm, but you give away your position if you fire those weapons. Also, your max speed is less than several other smaller lighter mechs.. they can catch you...

If you want to be a true spotter only, though I wouldn't recommend it, you will want to max out your speed. You want ecm. You will want Tag. You will modules that support target range and target decay speed.

Your best bet might be served with a Hero Mech called Pirates Bane, its uber fast, and has ECM and a Laser hard point for a Tag.

Another option might be Commander 2D. It also has ecm and a hardpoint for a Tag and can match the max speed of the Locust Pirates Bane.

Both of these come with a challenge. To get the MAX speed out of each of these mechs you need to unlock the second tier of mech chassis perks. Its called Speed Tweak. To do that you need to also unlock the basic level fully on a total of 3 chassis of the same type. Example.

Locust 1V
Locust Pirates
Locust 3M

These light mechs are uber fast... can hide with ecm, and can tag.

Their damage output iis low, so if you want to deal damage these really aren't it. But can do the spotter roll the best.

Edited by Flak Kannon, 13 March 2015 - 09:58 AM.

[Macksheen]

As in most games, bringing special skills or abilities are great - but ultimately EVERYONE's job is to kill the other team.

Spotters are nice, and snipers can be awesome ... if they are putting damage down range. Don't neglect that side (though it is fair to work into it - there is a learning curve).

I come from a few other MMO backgrounds, and in one in particular that was something we always had to stress with folks when doing a raid or big event. Yeah, you might be bringing the bard, but that better be "damage + songs" and not just "sit in the back singing".

[Nothing Whatsoever]

Lightning0861, on 13 March 2015 - 09:46 AM, said:

Taro, thanks for the information I was looking for that too and Praetor you are correct as long as I am feeding info to my team any mech can be a scout really. I just thought it would be cool to designate targets for my buddies like I used to do for real!

Yeah, with how Targeting works once you press "R" to Target as long as you maintain the enemy in sight they stay highlighted for the rest of the team, and any teammate with LRMs can then lock on as long as it stays in your teams' sights.

And ECM can break Locks and Targeting, which is why TAG is good to keep and consider along with BAP, to counter ECM when carried without ECM.

ECM has two modes Disrupt and Counter, so note, on a stock Raven 3L, if you have both ECM and BAP you would still need to toggle the modes since BAP loses that ability when both are on the same mech.

---

So Lights can target on the move and you can carry TAG and UAV to provide more info also and cut through ECM. PPCs are another way to disrupt ECM for a short period after hitting an enemy with one.

ECM helps stay hidden longer if you are mid to long range, so the Raven 3L has all of the gear stock, it would just need to upgrade to Double Heat Sinks due to how heat works in MWO.

Firestarters with their high number of energy hardpoints can easily add a TAG and not diminish their firepower as another Light mech to consider, for example.

Active Probe can be mounted and some mechs have it stock, then you can unlock Target Info Gathering also, both of which increase the speed of the paperdoll update in the top right corner when a mech is targeted.


Edit: trying to clean up post

Edited by Praetor Knight, 13 March 2015 - 10:04 AM.

[Zen Idiot]

OP, be aware that enemies will see your TAG and know where you are at. it's not a bad idea to TAG mechs but that is a downside.

[luigi256]

A long time ago I wanted a scout mech and asked about it. Specifically I wanted one with both jump jets and ECM and the only mech with both is the Spider 5D.

Specifically for scouting I think this is the mech to pick. It does not have the firepower a Raven or every other light almost for that matter, but is can get to places easier and can stay "invisible" with the ECM.

I would suggest trying it out if you mainly want to scout and spot. Other than the lack of firepower the main drawback is that if you want to elite them you have to get the Spider 5V too and very few people like that one. It has even less firepower than the 5D.

[TercieI]

First: Welcome to MWO!

Second: The sad fact is that scouting/spotting is largely pointless in MWO, especially as you climb the skill ladder. Every mech must be first and foremost an effective fighter. Anything else is somewhere between secondary and irrelevant. Also, what scouting is useful requires a deep understanding of the maps and the various possible movement patterns that each one allows and that's exactly something a new player doesn't know. If you want to be an effective scout, make it an "eventual" goal and learn how to fight in a light mech first and come to understand the flows of the various maps.

[Voivode]

Terciel1976, on 13 March 2015 - 10:02 AM, said:

First: Welcome to MWO!

Second: The sad fact is that scouting/spotting is largely pointless in MWO, especially as you climb the skill ladder. Every mech must be first and foremost an effective fighter. Anything else is somewhere between secondary and irrelevant. Also, what scouting is useful requires a deep understanding of the maps and the various possible movement patterns that each one allows and that's exactly something a new player doesn't know. If you want to be an effective scout, make it an "eventual" goal and learn how to fight in a light mech first and come to understand the flows of the various maps.

Completely disagree with this.

Well...in public queue this is largely true, but in group queue spotting can be amazingly effective.

Had a four man team. Two guys in scouts (one scout with NARC beacon, the other with TAG, both ECM type mechs) and two guys with LRM boats. Our scouts got behind the enemy team and got the two of us targets without firing a shot from any actual damage producing weapons.

Match after match, the enemy didn't figure out it was happening until we'd dropped enough damage on them that they fought the rest of the match at a disadvantage. The vast majority of those matches were victories for team blue.

Scouting can make a difference as long as there is someone there to take advantage of it. In public queue, scouting will likely go unappreciated.

[Rogue Jedi]

here is my favorite for the scout/sniper role:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...fe2e317efa11ab8

At current the SDR-5D is the only fast jumping Mech with ECM, this allows you to get around on the maps and evade enemy far better than the other ECM Mechs, the mobility also allows you to get into positions most other Mechs cannot.

the Spider is great at evading damage and is at current the most mobile Mech in the game (especially the 5V with only 2 lasers but upto 169kph + 12 Jumpjets, the most any Mech can fit) but Spiders can only take a few hits so try to avoid being seen

[Lightning0861]

Heh! Opinions and experiences seem to vary. I guess is there a middle ground? A light with good punch that can tag. Like you guys said the raven variant. or maybe a medium with good mobility and good enough firepower for those pug matches?

[Modo44]

You can always build a 6xML Firestarter or Jenner, and replace one laser with a TAG. ECM from a Raven 3L would be nice, but the mech is generally weaker in a fight.

[Voivode]

As far as mediums with mobility go, the Cicada is best of the bunch. It also has an ECM variant (the 3M). Here's a fairly mobile build that carries TAG. The PPCs make it interesting because that's something you can't really do on a light mech.

[John80sk]

The scout role doesn't really exist in MWO unfortunately. The maps are mostly smaller, and mostly funnels, so it would be like trying to find and enemy that you already know is on a designated path about 2km long. Not to mention they're probably going to stop in the middle of that path.

Scouts are still kindof important (in that they can pinpoint where they are exactly), but any light can accomplish this with the way target sharing works.

Anybody can point and click arty/air, and again target sharing makes LRM locks super simple, so calling in IDF doesn't require anyone special. You can play a narc light, but that's basically a roll of the dice with PUGs.

Simply put, playing a scout means playing a light, it doesn't matter which. You have to have another purpose though, whether that's mixing it up once the fight starts (or picking off stragglers) with a firestarter, or ER Large sniping with a spider/raven.

Edited by John80sk, 13 March 2015 - 10:30 AM.