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How to become a pro LRM-Boat pilot

LRM guide

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#21 Tesunie

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Posted 02 May 2015 - 05:14 PM

View PostJagdFlanker, on 02 May 2015 - 04:55 PM, said:


the sweet spot for being able to turn with lights (usually in reverse since you turn tighter in reverse) is 75kph+ so the arm mounts are essential under 75kph, but not over. can't pilot mechs under 75kph myself since i'm a position player so the stalker is out for me : )


Though I see your point, I find that the Stalker 3F's twist rate is equal to the Battlemaster's twist and arm rate. As the Battlemaster has chest mounted energy weapons, the less torso twist rates for just the torso makes it less likely to wield those weapons against a light. I also find that my Stalker can keep decent enough track of an enemy light mech, by doing a "dance" between forwards with a torso twist in one direction, combined with a quick reverse and snap twisting my torso in the opposite direction.

I think in the end, "best chassis for LRMs" will devolve into personal skill, chassis familiarity, preference and personal experience. The 1S is a great mech, I just found that the 3F was a better ride for me, dealing more damage on average per match statistically.

The builds I used:
Stalker 3F
Battlemaster 1S
Virtually identical. (Did not use TAG as I did not have a 3rd weapon group firing button for a while. I have since turned left shift in to another weapon group button, just for the added group of TAG.)

Identical builds, but I saw personally better results in the 3F. (Before quirks of course.) However, each are still very good mechs, depending upon what you are seeking for your mech to do. In my case, the 3F just seemed to work better. (Then again, I find strange configurations that work well for me, and can even get decent results from pure stock (single heat sink) mechs in public matches. So, you can call me crazy if you wish. :P )

#22 Shalune

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Posted 03 May 2015 - 02:31 PM

As a successful and long-time LRM player, this is an excellent guide.

This speaks to my own preferred play style, but I would also emphasize the advantages of mobility on an LRM mech. It confers at least 3 huge advantages over heavier LRM boats:

- Higher up-time. When terrain conspires against your firing lanes, you can always correct it. This can be a huge deal for securing kills when an enemy flees behind cover.

- Ability to flee, kite, and maintain range. Hunchbacks, Cats and SCRs in particular are amazing at this thanks to their huge twist.

- In-combat maneuvering. Assault LRMs are scary for the unaware, but getting in their face is pretty much a free kill. With speed and backup lasers, many faster LRM mechs are competent at 1v1.


I'll also warn newer players to not get too infatuated with the big numbers of LRMs. Damage numbers in MWO are highly misleading, and in fact if you are doing above a certain amount of damage per kill it's generally a bad sign (not that you'll have a ton of control over this ratio in LRM mechs.)

Since death is reliant on specific components being destroyed, dealing less but more accurate damage is generally preferable to more less accurate damage. LRMs fall into the second category. On paper they look great, but they spread their damage all over the enemy mech. Probably a majority of the damage you deal is not directly contributing to a kill.

This is one of many reasons LRMs have historically been overrated, and even nerfed when they were already subpar.

So enjoy LRMs, take pride in what you're able to do. But don't get headstrong. That 900 damage doesn't always mean you were carrying the team and they let you down.

#23 Crotch RockIt

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Posted 04 May 2015 - 07:41 AM

View PostCatalina Steiner, on 29 April 2015 - 09:48 AM, said:

VI. Approved LRM-Boat builds

IS medium mechs

"Medium LRM harasser" - Vindicator with LRM's. VND-1X

"Medium LRM support on sight" - one of the first and best "long range missile brawlers", Hunchback with 2xLRM10+Artemis. HBK-4SP

"Medium LRM support on sight" - perfect Trebuchet build, the best you can do with 50 tons. TBT-3C

"LRM5 spammer" - Griffin "Hellcat", already a legend. GRF-3M

"LRM5 spammer" - Kintaro 18, even with LRM5 quirks, a must have. KTO-18

"Medium LRM support on sight" - 2xLRM10+Artemis Kintaro. KTO-20

"Medium LRM-Boat" - Shadowhawk. SHD-2H

"Medium LRM support on sight" - 2xLRM10+Artemis Wolverine. WVR-7K



I've only glanced through the guide so far, but how on earth could you recommend the Huncback 4SP instead of the 4J, or the Treb 3C instead of the 5M? You completely ignored the variants with the best LRM quirks. Terrible advice.

#24 Mad Ox

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Posted 04 May 2015 - 10:01 AM

Not having a build for the Awesome 8R is rather surprising. Other then 5 tons less then Battlemaster 1S Its arguably a superior Boater. I use same LRM setup 2 15's and 2 10's Think you need to go try out the Awesome some.

AWS-8R (Spitting Cobra)

Armor is default do what you wish with it forget my exact setup.

I have the Cobra camo on my Awesome hence Spitting Cobra seemed justified.

Can swap to Artemis I go back and forth, this mech in direct fire mode with Art is a monster.

Add in quirks 25% Cooldown for LRM15 12.5% for other LRM's. Ends up LRM 15 and 10 cooldown at about same time. Battlemaster only has 12.5%.

Has slightly better Missile Heat gen with 15% vs 12.5%

Cant get as big an engine so little slower but means I can upgrade ML to MPL and get more Ammo.

Tag in head high enough to make a difference. Though it is in head so can be touch dangerous.

Laser quirks each has some decent ones but these Mechs are about missiles not lasers.

Highly recommend this mech start in support out of Line of sight then as things get heated up poke over for some direct fire love.

Edited by Mad Ox, 04 May 2015 - 10:03 AM.


#25 Catalina Steiner

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Posted 05 May 2015 - 02:21 AM

View PostLunatech, on 02 May 2015 - 12:51 PM, said:

...But you absolutely cannot base an entire team around them. That will fail, massively.


I guess that's totally my opinion. I don't expect my team to be built around me. A good LRM pilot expoits the available support. If there is none, you need to hunt for yourself (maybe with TAG or UAV).

Thanks for your compliment. The only part of your post I don't like is posting results. I deal 1000-1500 damage with my two LRM mechs in every CW match. These are my results. When I'm doing less than that, I am very disappointed. But it's just statistics. There are good LRM pilots and there are bad LRM pilots - that's all what matters.


View PostCrotch RockIt, on 04 May 2015 - 07:41 AM, said:

I've only glanced through the guide so far, but how on earth could you recommend the Huncback 4SP instead of the 4J, or the Treb 3C instead of the 5M? You completely ignored the variants with the best LRM quirks. Terrible advice.


I need to admit that some mechs were built before the quirks came out.
But building a mech isn't only about the quirks. I have this "quirk part" in my thread but it's only a bonus! Calling this a "terrible advice" is crossing the line.


View PostMad Ox, on 04 May 2015 - 10:01 AM, said:

Not having a build for the Awesome 8R is rather surprising.


This thread is open for constructive feedback and additions. A friend of mine is driving a very dangerous Awesome LRM-Boat and the only reason why I did not post it is because I don't own one single Awesome right now.
So thanks for the build. It's a really useful addition.

#26 DeathlyEyes

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 05:37 PM

You should only ever use LRMs on stuff that are fast and you should be up with your team spreading damage. If you are using indirect fire, there's a serious problem.

#27 Tesunie

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 05:45 PM

View PostDeathlyEyes, on 13 May 2015 - 05:37 PM, said:

You should only ever use LRMs on stuff that are fast and you should be up with your team spreading damage. If you are using indirect fire, there's a serious problem.


Indirect does have it's place. If my team is holding locks and killing faster than I can gain direct fire lanes, I'm shooting LRMs indirectly only at that point. I've also been known to go "I've taken enough damage (read as "on deaths door"), I'm going to survive and deal as much damage indirectly as possible". Rather stay alive and dealing damage still, than dead and not able to help anymore. (Though trust me, I do get your point as well. I'm sure my above examples were not included in your statement.)

#28 DeathlyEyes

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 07:33 PM

View PostTesunie, on 13 May 2015 - 05:45 PM, said:


Indirect does have it's place. If my team is holding locks and killing faster than I can gain direct fire lanes, I'm shooting LRMs indirectly only at that point. I've also been known to go "I've taken enough damage (read as "on deaths door"), I'm going to survive and deal as much damage indirectly as possible". Rather stay alive and dealing damage still, than dead and not able to help anymore. (Though trust me, I do get your point as well. I'm sure my above examples were not included in your statement.)

When you form a firing line the idea is to continually rotate players from front to back while your whole team shares damage keeping as many weapons online as possible. It is how all the top comp teams play.

#29 Tesunie

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 07:59 PM

View PostDeathlyEyes, on 13 May 2015 - 07:33 PM, said:

When you form a firing line the idea is to continually rotate players from front to back while your whole team shares damage keeping as many weapons online as possible. It is how all the top comp teams play.


A. Yes. Rotating mechs as they overheat and get damaged helps to spread damage around the team, maximizing the effectiveness of the team's armor. Just as a similar example of rotating your mech when you are being shot at to redirect damage to a healthier location to take full advantage of as much of your own armor as possible. LRMs actually can remain in action even on their "off" rotation. (As I said, I believe we were in agreeance anyway. We each have problems with people expecting (or planing even) to fire only indirectly for the whole match.)

B. Getting locks is helpful to your team, even without LRMs. Spots help LRM users out, but I also always suggest an LRM user try to get their own locks as much as they can anyway. (There are always going to be situations and circumstances counter to this, and times when firing indirectly will be better. But that goes for anything. Always some exception to the rules.)

C. No offense to you, but I'm tired of hearing "This is what the top comp teams do...." line. Most of the players don't play competitively (at least not in the sense of "competitive" players as in doing everything to win. They do still tend to aim to win their matches, but do it their own way) so making any point involving how competitive players do it are... meh at best. (As I said. No offense. I'm just getting tired of hearing that line. Of particular note when used in conjunction with LRMs. The line I'm really tired of hearing is "The comp teams don't use LRMs because they are bad. You shouldn't ever use them either".) Just realize that most people don't overly care what the comp teams do or do not do. We wish to do what we enjoy. It is a game after all. ;)

D. Sorry for that vent. I think I have it out of me now. I know and understand what you meant here, as it's a valid point. Keeping as many mechs and weapons around for the match as long as possible is a good strategy. So is concentrated fire power. B)

#30 overwraith

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 12:51 PM

View PostTesunie, on 02 May 2015 - 07:51 AM, said:


Not to detract from the thread, but I disagree about LRM boating being the only perceived way of using LRMs. Boating does have it's place within the game, but I find that boating LRMs is asking for trouble.

Contradictory to the above quote, I have found LRMs to make great secondary weapons, and work well when paired with other weapons within the mix. His statement works for all weapons in the game, if you desire to make a build that is best in a focused role, but weak in all other roles in the game. (Stack nothing but Large Lasers and you just as easily increase your power in the roles a LL can preform, but are weakened in areas where LLs are not as good at. Same can be said for SRMs or any weapon in the game.)

I've created many mixed weapon platforms, and they have worked very well for me. From my Stalker 3F, to my Battlemaster 1G. My Griffin 3M, Hunchback 4J (and 4SP) and even Raven 4X (and 3L). All these builds have worked very well for me, and many of them have some of my best stats on them (such as the Stalker 3F).

There are strengths to boating, and there are weaknesses to it as well. I'm saying nothing against boating as a general principal; I'm just advising that there are other ways to create loadouts that can have a more balanced approach that can still work very effectively in the game. I discuss my balanced mech loadouts in more depth in my own guide, so as to not detract this guide with my own principals any farther.

(Have only skimmed this thread so far. Besides the emphasis on boating, the rest looks about right. I'll be reading it in more depth in a moment.)


I would have to agree that the "Do not mix your loadouts" rule is a bad rule. There are a few mechs which can tolerate having some secondary or brawling weapons to back up their LRM armament. The ON1-M is a good example of this, the stock version packs 2 medium lasers, and an LBX-10 which I pair together, in addition to a respectable LRM loadout. This mech essentially has a can of mace to go with it's LRM armament. I have mine tweaked a lot, for instance I removed my NARC, it was a fun build, especially if I could come around a corner, NARC somebody, and then retreat and fire missiles at them until it wore off. I replaced it with TAG, because I was having problems with facing ECM atlases. By the time the NARC was within range the ATLAS was really too close to engage effectively, so the TAG extends my range. This tweak has helped with the problem. Having my LBX-10 and medium lasers allows me to really clean house twoard the end of the game sometimes provided my mech stays out of the line of direct fire. Orions are support mechs, their armor isn't very good (The XL engine could also be contributing to this, but I need the tonage). Another trick I use is putting as much ammo on my legs as I can without CASE. It hasn't been a problem as I get cored before my legs suffer any damage. Unless somebody specifically hunts me down based on this post I will have no problems because people are too busy aiming twoard center of mass to be bothered with my legs. I can also usually prevent them from having time to focus on my legs by beating on their cockpit with my LBX-10 if they get too close, destabilizing them. I have 6 LRM ammo bins on my mech with my current build, it lasts forever. I only have 2 LBX-10 ammo bins, that is about 30 rounds or so, it seems to last long enough. I do mount a single CASE on one of my torsos so that I have room for the remaining ammo. You also have to take into account that sometimes you can break up your LRM missiles into smaller LRM platforms, and essentially get more damage and missile tubes for less tonage. This doesn't always work, but I have seen it work on multiple occasions as I have tweaked my loadout. I have 1 LRM 5 and 2 LRM 15's. With this build I have managed to boost the firepower of my mech from 48.6 to 55. I deplore using a purpose built boat, as I have seen, and have even taken part in dismembering a boat with a Wolverine WVR-7K. It is hilarious when the boat tries to launch missiles at you while you are inside the 100 meter cutoff. Another thing you should do as a boat is stick with your team mates, boats don't typically have that much armor, so your team mates need to keep the enemy off you. Always ask for spotting/holding targets at the beginning of the game. On big mechs I have always been told to equip the standard armor. I also equp the Endo Steel structure to free up tonage. My Orion also has double heat sinks, and Artemis. Anymore going without artemis means letting enumerable opportunities for you to lock up your targets go away because the missiles did not have time to lock them up. Let your team mates know you have missiles so they don't do something dumb like "Let's go in the tunnel!".

#31 Tesunie

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 01:22 PM

View Postoverwraith, on 15 May 2015 - 12:51 PM, said:

I do mount a single CASE on one of my torsos so that I have room for the remaining ammo.


First. Paragraphs man! Paragraphs! :P

Besides that, if you have an XL engine, then CASE is useless to you. CASE is only useful if you have a Std engine in this game. So if you have CASE on that XL equipped Orion you've mentioned, remove it for 0.5 tons of more ammo (probably LBx ammo from the sounds of it.)

Just a minor point, the minimum range of LRMs are 180m. You mentioned within the 100m minimum range, so I just want to make sure you have the right information here yourself is all.

Mixed weapon builds can have their uses. It's all in how you play the mech. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a mixed/boated build, and so neither point is incorrect. It's a matter of playing to your strengths, or playing to your enemies weaknesses. A mix build has few specific weaknesses, but trades it off with fewer specific strengths. A mix build seeks to force other builds out of their strength and into their weaknesses, where the balanced build becomes stronger than the focused/boated build.

#32 Tiamat of the Sea

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:01 PM

I think the term 'LRM boat' warrants a great deal of caution, particularly in terms of what the person saying/typing it actually means.

Every time I hear or read the term 'LRM boat', I think of the http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Viking or something similar- a 'mech that might have a couple of very small backup weapons but has virtually all of its equipment weight dedicated to LRMs.

'Mechs like this are essentially wasteful in MWO. Dedicating yourself to LRMs to this degree is not only exceptionally dangerous if you happen to get jumped, but also hazardous for your team's ability to win. I cannot count the number of times the last 'mech on the field has been a Hunchback, Stalker, Timber Wolf, or Mad Dog with only small lasers for close combat (one energy hardpoint filled with TAG just to reduce the weapons load even further). I've even seen such insanity as an Atlas whose entire weapons loadout was two medium lasers and an LRM-20.

The result of a build like this is a completely ally-dependent 'mech, which is a bad thing- it means your allies cannot depend on you in turn. It's a team game and your allies should be able to look to you for support that you are capable of independently.

I'm even wary of such things as LRM assaults with four medium lasers or less overall weapons power for backup- assault 'mechs are too slow to acquire good firing angles all that often in many cases, which means you need to be able to pump in a vital amount of damage while you have your one shot.

It's because of this that I only have two 'mechs that really qualifies as an LRM boat by the definition I recognize. I used to have three or four, but everything that was an LRM boat simply flat-out got better when I diverted some tonnage from launcher size and/or ammo to put it into secondary weapons. I rarely if ever even take out my remaining LRM boats (A Shadow Hawk 2D2 and a Catapult C4), and the smaller one is even only still an LRM boat because I'm a terrible match for Shadow Hawks and can't be bothered to try and find something else to try with it that I haven't already failed to do well with the variant. The C4 only qualifies because it only has the two energy hardpoints anyways.

What I'm really trying to get at here is that some people hear or read 'LRM Boat' and think of things like the Viking, and others write or say 'LRM Boat' and think of a Stalker with two LRM-10s, two LRM-5s, four medium lasers, and an ER large laser. Which often results in new players thinking that it's a good idea to take just LRMs and/or that 'secondary weaponry' doesn't need to be enough to score serious damage on its own.

I think it's a term that really needs to be standardized amongst players just for the sake of making sure everyone means the same thing- particularly with the degree to which opinions vary on the value of LRMs as a whole.



In other notes, I don't think large amounts of LRMs are necessary to make the weapons system valuable, nevermind viable. Claiming that LRMs should only be boated is essentially a less drastic version of the 'LRMs are worthless' opinion, because all it's doing is tacking on a phrase; 'LRMs are worthless unless you bring a whole lot of them and dedicate the 'mech to them above all else'.

On assault 'mechs and slower heavies, LRMs are exceptionally useful for allowing the pilot to have a 'footprint' on the battlefield even when they cannot connect with direct fire weapons contributing further damage to allies' targets with indirect fire. On lighter 'mechs, they allow what would otherwise be just a spotter to contribute fire as well, particularly if other allies have LRMs as well- a 'mech under LRM fire is unlikely to be able to pick out that 5 out of every 25 or so LRMs are coming from a different direction so they can go hunt down the spotter. And on all 'mechs they can be used in an indirect tactical sense, as a method of making otherwise viable areas untraversable or at least uncomfortable to traverse.

Virtually every 'mech I have that has missile hardpoints, I've tried LRMs as at least part of the missile loadout, and most of them I've kept- they're just too useful, as long as the pilot understands the limitations (absolute range, minimum range, flight arc). For me, at least, they get more useful all the time as I learn more about things like how close I should be to hit with LRMs under certain ceilings, or which hardpoint on a given 'mech is mounted high enough to launch over this or that bit of terrain.

I have no idea how to end this post, so here's a pair of robotic pants.
Posted Image

#33 Mazzyplz

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:07 PM

View PostLunatech, on 02 May 2015 - 12:51 PM, said:

Very well written guide, and certainly useful if you plan to run LRM's. That said, they are still subpar. Even with the best will in the world and ALL your time spent in LRM boats, you will be less effective than a direct fire mech. There are just too many counters.

Case in point:

Posted Image


Other than lights, I counted 5 or 6 direct fire mechs on the enemy team. The rest were lurms. We had ECM, radar derp and cover. As you can see, that caused 7 or the enemy players to score less than 1000 damage over four mechs. As a 12 man against pugs. Even with the NARC raven they had.




Not trying to detract from your guide, Catalina. It's highly informative and covers everything you need to know about running LRM's, and then some.
I feel you really did hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that they are support weapons. In a typical match, one or two LRM mediums (I disdain the use of assault LRM boats that refuse to use their armour to support the team) providing added pressure to already engaged targets is a great help. But you absolutely cannot base an entire team around them. That will fail, massively.


that picture you show has nothing to do with lrm, that's a common davion 12 man xD doing it's thing

#34 overwraith

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:19 PM

View PostTesunie, on 15 May 2015 - 01:22 PM, said:


Besides that, if you have an XL engine, then CASE is useless to you. CASE is only useful if you have a Std engine in this game. So if you have CASE on that XL equipped Orion you've mentioned, remove it for 0.5 tons of more ammo (probably LBx ammo from the sounds of it.)

Just a minor point, the minimum range of LRMs are 180m. You mentioned within the 100m minimum range, so I just want to make sure you have the right information here yourself is all.



Well, the case isn't useless if there is an ammo explosion in the side torso, which is where all the enemy fire is going to, but I will try it out, and see if I get too many ammo explosions.

Also, you're right about the minimum range, 180 meters always gets truncated to 100 meters in my head.

Just saying, when I get jumped I have a little something to fight back with.

#35 Nightshade24

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:37 PM

View PostTesunie, on 02 May 2015 - 07:51 AM, said:


Not to detract from the thread, but I disagree about LRM boating being the only perceived way of using LRMs. Boating does have it's place within the game, but I find that boating LRMs is asking for trouble.

Contradictory to the above quote, I have found LRMs to make great secondary weapons, and work well when paired with other weapons within the mix. His statement works for all weapons in the game, if you desire to make a build that is best in a focused role, but weak in all other roles in the game. (Stack nothing but Large Lasers and you just as easily increase your power in the roles a LL can preform, but are weakened in areas where LLs are not as good at. Same can be said for SRMs or any weapon in the game.)

I've created many mixed weapon platforms, and they have worked very well for me. From my Stalker 3F, to my Battlemaster 1G. My Griffin 3M, Hunchback 4J (and 4SP) and even Raven 4X (and 3L). All these builds have worked very well for me, and many of them have some of my best stats on them (such as the Stalker 3F).

There are strengths to boating, and there are weaknesses to it as well. I'm saying nothing against boating as a general principal; I'm just advising that there are other ways to create loadouts that can have a more balanced approach that can still work very effectively in the game. I discuss my balanced mech loadouts in more depth in my own guide, so as to not detract this guide with my own principals any farther.

(Have only skimmed this thread so far. Besides the emphasis on boating, the rest looks about right. I'll be reading it in more depth in a moment.)


I agree with this guy. I found LRM count over 15 is really good for support.

In my atlas and king crabs I got an LRM 15, LRM 20, or 3-4 LRM 5's.
My stalker got 2 x LRM 10 on most.
My Highlander got an LRM 20 on two of them.

I have a few other heavies with some LRM's and I do have a centurion with a single LRM 10 or 3 5's. can't remember clearly.

I also got a locust with 2 LRM 5's but I do not think that one counts as that's the majority of it's weapons.

All do quite well (besides Locust, it needs to use the speed to get to better position)

#36 Tesunie

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:39 PM

View PostQuickdraw Crobat, on 15 May 2015 - 02:01 PM, said:

On assault 'mechs and slower heavies, LRMs are exceptionally useful for allowing the pilot to have a 'footprint' on the battlefield even when they cannot connect with direct fire weapons contributing further damage to allies' targets with indirect fire.


I'm in agreeance. As far as LRMs on assaults, I find them useful to deal damage while I wade into direct line of sight combat.

View Postoverwraith, on 15 May 2015 - 02:19 PM, said:


Well, the case isn't useless if there is an ammo explosion in the side torso, which is where all the enemy fire is going to, but I will try it out, and see if I get too many ammo explosions.

Also, you're right about the minimum range, 180 meters always gets truncated to 100 meters in my head.

Just saying, when I get jumped I have a little something to fight back with.


What CASE does is keeps an ammo explosion (or Gauss rifle explosion) from traveling beyond the component CASEed. What this means is, if you store your ammo in your arm for example, and you suffer an ammo explosion that deals enough damage (which it often times will) to blow out your side and center torso, that CASE (placed in the side torso for IS mechs) will contain that explosion and keep it from passing into the Center Torso. You will still lose the side torso that CASE is located in. With an IS XL engine, that means you've lost at least three engine crits, and your engine is destroyed, which means so are you.

CASE stops ammo explosions from passing through that location. It doesn't contain it outside that location. You will find CASE to be of limited use most times, often you are able to find something better to do with 0.5 tons. Unless you have a standard engine with CASE, it isn't going to help keep you alive. (CASE doesn't prevent ammo explosions either. Just an FYI.)

So, my example build would be my Battlemaster 1G. With this design, I maintained a standard engine. All my ammo was also on the left side. So I placed CASE on my left torso. Now, if my ammo does happen to explode, it will only take out my left torso and left arm, but I'll survive with the other half (or at that point what's left of that half) of my mech still functional as well as my Center Torso. If my Battlemaster example did have an XL engine, then as soon as I suffered an ammo explosion then my mech would cease to function with the destruction of the left side torso.

Clan CASE is the same, but different. If you desire me to explain clan CASE, just ask...

EDIT: Forgot to mention, personally I tend to round LRM ranges to 200m. This is in part because it's often easy for people to close in that last 20 meters as your missiles are in the air. I prefer to keep LRM targets between 500-200m away, for best results.

Edited by Tesunie, 15 May 2015 - 02:41 PM.


#37 Tesunie

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:43 PM

View PostNightshade24, on 15 May 2015 - 02:37 PM, said:

I also got a locust with 2 LRM 5's but I do not think that one counts as that's the majority of it's weapons.

All do quite well (besides Locust, it needs to use the speed to get to better position)


My "Super Locust". It works strangely well, somehow. Still don't know why people can't seem to kill it, considering it only has a std 100 engine... :ph34r:

#38 overwraith

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 02:44 PM

View PostTesunie, on 15 May 2015 - 02:39 PM, said:


I'm in agreeance. As far as LRMs on assaults, I find them useful to deal damage while I wade into direct line of sight combat.



What CASE does is keeps an ammo explosion (or Gauss rifle explosion) from traveling beyond the component CASEed. What this means is, if you store your ammo in your arm for example, and you suffer an ammo explosion that deals enough damage (which it often times will) to blow out your side and center torso, that CASE (placed in the side torso for IS mechs) will contain that explosion and keep it from passing into the Center Torso. You will still lose the side torso that CASE is located in. With an IS XL engine, that means you've lost at least three engine crits, and your engine is destroyed, which means so are you.

CASE stops ammo explosions from passing through that location. It doesn't contain it outside that location. You will find CASE to be of limited use most times, often you are able to find something better to do with 0.5 tons. Unless you have a standard engine with CASE, it isn't going to help keep you alive. (CASE doesn't prevent ammo explosions either. Just an FYI.)

So, my example build would be my Battlemaster 1G. With this design, I maintained a standard engine. All my ammo was also on the left side. So I placed CASE on my left torso. Now, if my ammo does happen to explode, it will only take out my left torso and left arm, but I'll survive with the other half (or at that point what's left of that half) of my mech still functional as well as my Center Torso. If my Battlemaster example did have an XL engine, then as soon as I suffered an ammo explosion then my mech would cease to function with the destruction of the left side torso.

Clan CASE is the same, but different. If you desire me to explain clan CASE, just ask...

EDIT: Forgot to mention, personally I tend to round LRM ranges to 200m. This is in part because it's often easy for people to close in that last 20 meters as your missiles are in the air. I prefer to keep LRM targets between 500-200m away, for best results.


This is a very good explanation, thanks. So if I understand correctly, since I have an XL engine, it wraps over to both side torsos, so if I loose a side torso my engine will explode, or if I have an ammo explosion the entire side torso will be destroyed, and therefore my engine will be destroyed.

#39 Nightshade24

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 03:06 PM

View PostTesunie, on 15 May 2015 - 02:43 PM, said:


My "Super Locust". It works strangely well, somehow. Still don't know why people can't seem to kill it, considering it only has a std 100 engine... :ph34r:

This thing makes me more happier then seeing a 2 AC 2 locust.

#40 Tesunie

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 03:12 PM

View PostNightshade24, on 15 May 2015 - 03:06 PM, said:

This thing makes me more happier then seeing a 2 AC 2 locust.


It's kinda funny, considering it has survived long enough to expend not only all it's LRM ammo, but also it's SRM ammo, many times. People seem to take it out piecemeal, like they can't hit a slow moving Locust for some reason. Oops. There goes an arm. That was the other side torso (weaponless now). I didn't need that leg. Oh no. Not the other side torso. Can you just... Ummm... kill me now? <_<

I think people are so use to hitting faster Locusts (because it is apparently a sin to go slow in a light mech or something), so they over lead and lose track on the slow locust. (Let me just say, my fast locust, one hit, and it seems to be dead right there.)

Edited by Tesunie, 15 May 2015 - 03:13 PM.






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