147 replies to this topic

[Toadkillerdog]

Cabusha, on 17 March 2015 - 09:41 PM, said:

I'm cruising around with Standard 350, Endo, DHS, 2xAC5 + 4 tons ammo, 4xML, AMS, Heatsinks and armor to taste. Very tanky and mobile enough to be a threat. Weapons payload is a tad light but it works. You can use the RA and RT to shield this way. Just had a 1K game and unlocked the Ace of Spades, so I can't complain!

For people comparing this to the Awesome...the Awesome is my favorite bad mech. It's got huge hitboxes, low weapon mounts, and a belly that juts. But I can make that damn mech sing, and it's HARD to do it. So far the Zeus is way easier to run and much more forgiving. It just doesn't have any super-sized quirks for weapons, but the general buffs are quite nice and the extra armor to the torsos is very noticeable.

Don't have the Zues myself, but it seems perfect for my old BLR4G build: 2 AC5s, 3 ER LLs (or LPulse), and a huge as **** XL engine. Use it like a really hard-hitting Medium.

[Something Wrong]

Honestly, I've been trying a few builds. Gauss+2ERPPC, LRM20, ERPPC, 2 AC5+3LL but none of those really did much for me personally.

So far the best build I've found to work with is the AMS + 1t ammo with XL350 and 4 Large Pulse Laser build with the rest double heatsinks and plenty of armor. Better news is all variants of the Zeus can accommodate this build without any modification. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...01c7c2d0714bb07

Fast assault with lots of armor, good heat management and the ability to pop around a corner, issue a lot of damage and vanish again. I've found it especially devistating when I dropped in a pug with 2 others running the same build, we all agreed to run around behind the enemy while the team held their attention and the three of us proceeded to mow them down. Ended up with 2 kills, 750 damage, 6 assists (3 of which were "most damage dealt").

Honestly, this seems to be one of the first assaults chassis that seemed to be purpose built with the XL engine in mind for all variants.

Edited by Sum Ting Wong, 17 March 2015 - 10:03 PM.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

I tried dual AC5 on my 6S and got melted. IMO, low-rating ACs require too much facetime to be effective; this is not a good dakka 'Mech. I tried again and twisted more; I lived longer but my damage output was still pathetic (putting the SRM ammo in the arm was also not my brightest idea... but it didn't explode, so that's not what got me killed). Tomorrow I'm going to try Gauss. The Zeus definitely seems like a fire-and-swing 'Mech.

Of course, I'm just not all that great in heavies and assaults. It could just be me.

It does have the slots for UAC5/AC5, so that's a possibility too. Or I could be sensible and strip the missiles to use the RA/RT as a pure shield, but IMO it's just not a Zeus without the missile arm. Perhaps I could try the Gauss config, but with only 1/2 ton of SRM ammo (expecting it to get blown off, but to get a few shots in before that happens?) and 5 full tons of Gauss instead? Or... this? Maybe with a LRM10 instead? It's just gotta have some missiles. Even if they're disposable. I don't mind losing it early, but it's gotta be there or it just doesn't feel right.

Edited by PS WrathOfDeadguy, 17 March 2015 - 10:19 PM.

[Revis Volek]

Cabusha, on 17 March 2015 - 09:41 PM, said:

I'm cruising around with Standard 350, Endo, DHS, 2xAC5 + 4 tons ammo, 4xML, AMS, Heatsinks and armor to taste. Very tanky and mobile enough to be a threat. Weapons payload is a tad light but it works. You can use the RA and RT to shield this way. Just had a 1K game and unlocked the Ace of Spades, so I can't complain!

For people comparing this to the Awesome...the Awesome is my favorite bad mech. It's got huge hitboxes, low weapon mounts, and a belly that juts. But I can make that damn mech sing, and it's HARD to do it. So far the Zeus is way easier to run and much more forgiving. It just doesn't have any super-sized quirks for weapons, but the general buffs are quite nice and the extra armor to the torsos is very noticeable.

I was running a similar build... It does a pretty nice sword and board, i did switch out the dual ac5's for a ac10 though and one medium for a large laser and found it to work much better.

4x Lrg Pulse like Sum tin Wong stated seems to be pretty nasty....

Edited by DarthRevis, 17 March 2015 - 10:38 PM.

[Warblood]

Zeus Leonidas aka : ]the soon to be hero mech ZEU-LEO(H)
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c1f9586547a6889

Edited by Warblood, 17 March 2015 - 10:38 PM.

[Johnny Z]

Sum Ting Wong, on 17 March 2015 - 09:59 PM, said:

Honestly, I've been trying a few builds. Gauss+2ERPPC, LRM20, ERPPC, 2 AC5+3LL but none of those really did much for me personally.

So far the best build I've found to work with is the AMS + 1t ammo with XL350 and 4 Large Pulse Laser build with the rest double heatsinks and plenty of armor. Better news is all variants of the Zeus can accommodate this build without any modification. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...01c7c2d0714bb07

Fast assault with lots of armor, good heat management and the ability to pop around a corner, issue a lot of damage and vanish again. I've found it especially devistating when I dropped in a pug with 2 others running the same build, we all agreed to run around behind the enemy while the team held their attention and the three of us proceeded to mow them down. Ended up with 2 kills, 750 damage, 6 assists (3 of which were "most damage dealt").

Honestly, this seems to be one of the first assaults chassis that seemed to be purpose built with the XL engine in mind for all variants.

If it can run 4 LPL then do it. I am running 3 LPL on my Protector and its doing fairly well. Filled to the max with heat sinks runs cool.

No one will know how good these are until they are mastered and full modules. Even then if its not OP not everyone will be great Zues pilots. That takes a while with the same chassis.

Edited by Johnny Z, 17 March 2015 - 10:50 PM.

[Karl Streiger]

Toyed around - with the Zeus - only a couple of moments before it was time to go to bed.

You have two options:
make it a STD engine -one sided zombie pure energy Zeus-9S - Bruiser Zombie (you can't miss the side torso from the flank)
(for example 3 Large Laser - mount them in the arm - better field of fire) - some toy guns for the torso

make it fast.
i got a good feeling for the ZEUS-6T - with 380XL - 3 ASRM4, 3 MLAS and of course the PPC. Enough heatsinks that the PPC is almost heat neutral on CausticValley

i'm indifferent about the ZEUS-6S.
Could be used as one sided beast or fast hit n run - for the last i think my current loadout ALRM20, Gauss, ERLARGE, TAG - with a XL engine does not have superior firepower - but i should be able to stay out of the thickest fights for a while.
While BAP and TAG turn that thing into a "pure scout"

[Roadbuster]

Sorbic, on 17 March 2015 - 09:05 PM, said:

Today I've had a few times where I went from barely scratched yellow to dead from firepower which shouldn't have dropped me. Seen a couple others complain about the same thing. I wonder if some of these instances of the CT feeling like paper can be attributed to what seems to be a bug.

I noticed this too.
Was on HPG and my front CT armor was barely scratched when we pushed. Then a Mad Dog and Timber shot at me with lasers and suddely my CT had no armor and was deep red.
I was a bit surprised how fragile the Zeus felt compared to a Victor or Awesome.

Besides that, I like the Zeus.
The hardpoints on the ® variant are nice and all 3 of them are different enough to be interesting.
I'm running mine with STD engines.
2x AC5, 4x ML, 1x LRM15
3x SRM4, 2x LL, 1x MPL
1x LPL, 5x ML, 1x LRM15

LRMs feel kinda useless though, given the ammount of ECM and Radar Deprivation modules.

[Kjudoon]

process, on 17 March 2015 - 09:18 PM, said:

3xLRM15

That is the sunflower all right.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

Fubl, on 17 March 2015 - 06:44 PM, said:

Im going standard and playing kinda towards the quirks.... The only issue i am having is that the 6 and the 9 both have the same problem almost all the weapons are on the one side of the mech.... so if you lose that side you have what ever you have in the center torso and thats it.... The lrm boat i just equipped 3 lrm 10s with artemis a few pulses and ammo with a tag center line....

Play it like a really big CN9. use the lighter weaponry side as a shield, while you twist out of the way of incomming fire. Then twist back and fire your good payload.

I'm loving the Zeus so far, running the R variant with a 3025 inspired loadout.

[Creovex]

Lynx7725, on 17 March 2015 - 09:21 PM, said:

Huh. One thing I noticed that if you pack the arm with SRMs, their lower point of origin usually means hitting the enemy mech in the crotch... might be a good thing, especially for mechs with bigger packages, since torso twisting won't mitigate crotch hits.

3x SRM+A should be called Co ck Knocker from Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back

Edited by Creovex, 18 March 2015 - 03:24 AM.

[SgtMagor]

Sunflower Zeus! make it official , anyway its a kewl new desktop for me, The mech looks sweet.

[Karl Streiger]

I did fear for the weapon visuals on the StarFire Missile system - but in this special occassion my fear was not necessary-
Vote Zeus Missile Launchers for the best weapon visual

[Ens]

Kjudoon, on 18 March 2015 - 12:53 AM, said:

That is the sunflower all right.

Man that´s what I call a Bludgeon!

[Finn McShae]

I only got a handful of drops as my wife was working and the puppy was being particularly naughty last night. Hopefully this week I'll get a few more drops in. Mostly ran the 6S with a AC/10 swapped for the five, and a PPC over the LLAS. Seemed OK, kinda more sluggish than I'd prefer, but I've been piloting mostly mediums of late, so that's perspective.

Gotta run it like you do in TT, a support, mid-long range assault that isn't great mixing it up, but does OK. So far I'm not loving it more than my Thud, but I haven't done much experimenting with builds yet.

Next I might try the dual ac/5 and an XL engine, kinda like a 10 ton heavier Illya.

[Kjudoon]

Flowah Powah!

[Father Tork]

I have found maxing out the non-leg armor is spectacular. It's got the max armor values of a 100 ton assault, so it's VERY tanky.

[Johnny Z]

Father Tork, on 18 March 2015 - 04:37 AM, said:

I have found maxing out the non-leg armor is spectacular. It's got the max armor values of a 100 ton assault, so it's VERY tanky.

Yep front load the armor to the extreme. Hope you dont get jumped from behind.

[spottiedogman]

The Zeus is for me just as horrible as the Gargoyle, even after maxing the armor it is nothing but a glass house. Two of the variants have all their weapons on the left and once that goes you are done, I am very disappointed with the resistance pack, whats it supposed to resist the Clans weakest mechs? Does not even do that well!

[ThirtyOughtSix]

Johnny Z, on 17 March 2015 - 10:45 PM, said:

If it can run 4 LPL then do it. I am running 3 LPL on my Protector and its doing fairly well. Filled to the max with heat sinks runs cool.

No one will know how good these are until they are mastered and full modules. Even then if its not OP not everyone will be great Zues pilots. That takes a while with the same chassis.

Agreed. It's too early to tell IMO. But from what I found last night leveling my battlemasters was the Zeus to be rather squishy. I'm not sure why they just didn't strike me as having any teeth - and large enough to easily focus on one component. I'm interested to see how they turn out though!