http://raksarmory.bl...-lrm-boats.html
What are LRMs? You should probably know this but they are a direct or indirect fire long range missile system allowing fire at extreme distances. LRM volleys do 1 damage per missile. They come in 5/10/15/20 volley launchers. Volleys can be dictated by mech 'tube amount' - some mechs only have 6 tubes so a LRM20 salvo will be broken into 4 separate launches. They can be fired without a lock, but function better when locking. Their ability to fire indirectly and lock on firing make them favored often by new players.
The reality is LRMs serve a need and can be difficult to use. They are an asymmetric weapon in that they allow trading where you can deal damage without taking any (ideally). This makes them overwhelmingly popular for new players and easy to control/use for new players. It reduces the skill curve for a lot of people.
That said, LRMs are not an end all be all weapons system. They function best as part of a coordinated lance-based or company-based effort.
There are two conditions where LRMs are very ineffective:
1) You're the lone LRM boat and you can't really do much with it. A few LRM 10 racks won't make the difference in most cases so you better either have a volume-fire capability (HBK-4J) or a lot of LRM10's (stalker w/ 4 of them). If you are the lone LRM boat with a moderate rate of fire/amount of LRMs outbound then you will simply be an annoyance, nothing more.
2) Too damn many LRM boats. Entire teams of LRM boats frequently lose because there's simply no solution for when the enemy closes the distance. Very few LRM boats bother with secondary weapons (medium lasers, usually) because they eschew them in favor of more ammo.
Optimal use of LRMs:
The prime condition in which LRMs are very effective are when you have 2-3 of them on an entire team and their volume all ranges from 'moderate' to 'high'. This puts a high number of LRMs in flight every time someone breaks cover without your team being forced to rely on just the LRMs.
LRMs have a few really great uses. The first of which, of course, is damage. You're never going to outdamage a direct fire weapons platform of symmetrical power in a straight shooting contest. However if you're dealing with gauss/ppc snipers, there's really nothing better than raining steel on their heads. While you will rarely score huge amounts of kills but will generally damage them or soften them up significantly before your team makes its push.
The second great use is suppression. No one likes hearing 'incoming missile' every time they stick their head around a corner to take a shot or go to move up. Properly positioned, you can ensure that the enemy is stuck in one place, effectively giving a huge boost to your team's ability to maneuver and flank.
The third great use is cockpit shake. An LRM5 boat(a boat is a mech carrying a lot of a single weapon type), such as the Kintaro-18, Catapult A1 or Trebuchet-LG can be a nightmare to deal with because of their higher than average maneuverability coupled with chain fired LRM5 spam which will shake your fillings loose. It makes direct fire targeting difficult at best and impossible at worst.
There are several in game items which help with LRM usage:
- The Target decay module (levels 1 and 2): This module is a must have for LRM usage. It allows you to continue to fire against targets who are out of line of sight by 2.75 and 3.5 seconds respectively.
- Artemis "upgrade": This upgrade can be pricey, requiring new launchers and ammo be purchased that also take up an additional critical slot per unit and weigh one ton more per launcher. That said, it tightens up groups by 30% and improves lock on speed. This makes it worthwhile because your damage will be more focused and you will get locks faster.
- Beagle Active Probe: This module, while not necessary, is useful equipment. It allows a few very important benefits. First, it will identify targets 25% faster for you. This allows you to pick and choose more damaged targets to spread your pain onto. Second, it will extend your sensor range by a whopping 25%. And lastly it will shut down an ECM mech's ECM when they are within range and targeted. This will restore your ability to fire upon your enemy.
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) consumables. These consumables are considered must haves by the competitive crowd and for good reason. A small vehicle will fly up and basically target every enemy within a radius of it as a sort of remote spotter. It works great when the enemy has a ton of ECM and you effectively can't get a lock.
- Narc beacons. Narc missiles are a special missile which when they hit an enemy, allow unrestricted targeting on that enemy for up to 45 seconds (depending on the mechs quirks). They cannot be destroyed for that time. It also speeds up lock time on that target.
- The TAG (target acquisition gear) laser. This is a direct fire laser that makes a perfect complement to most LRM boats. It speeds up lock time, tightens missile spread, and also allows you to disable ECM from a distance.
Counters to LRMs:
Getting under 180m. While Inner Sphere mechs do 0 damage under 180 meters, Clan mechs do increasingly reduced damage as well. So in both cases when fighting against an LRM boat you want to close the distance intelligently and force them to use their underpowered defensive secondary weapons. As an LRM boat your goal is to not get caught alone in such a way, so stay with your unit. Do not stay isolated in the back by yourself or you will die a sad, lonely death.
Radar Deprivation module - cuts their ability to target you as soon as you get out of LOS.
ECM - Prevents targeting within a 180m bubble, disrupts targeting for LRM boat if they are affected by said ECM.
Playing with LRMs:
LRMs require you target an enemy with the R (default targeting) key and fire missiles. Seems simple, right?
There's more to it than that. You need to keep your targeting ON that enemy - they are not fire and forget. They retain their own targeting so long as you are there actively maintaining a lock. If not, they will simply continue along whatever course they were on, usually into bare earth instead of your opponents.
Your goal, as an LRM platform is to play your role - indirect fire support. You *CAN* act in a direct fire mode as well. I generally find that the 400-600m range works best for LRMs. It minimizes 'escape time' for the enemy to crawl behind a rock and evade. Firing at 1000m is almost always a waste given the length of time the missiles are in flight.
Another enemy you are going to face are rapidly dwindling ammo supplies. I've seen guys shoot through 2500 rounds like it's going out of style only to end up with 300 damage for the whole match. That means they're basically pushing a 10% or less hit rate. With a higher hit rate, they could carry less ammo and perhaps better secondaries or heatsinks. I generally find 25%-35% hit rate is about right for LRMs. People aren't stupid - they will hear 'incoming missile' and hide. Your job is to land those missiles before they get a chance to.
Another place people shoot themselves in the foot is when they don't use a mech which is dedicated to LRMs. Specifically chassis with heavy LRM quirks such as the TBT-7M or HBK-4J. These chassis are simply put as purpose built to inflict a lot of pain with LRMs.
On secondaries: I recommend at least two medium lasers, preferably three. Realize if you're doing your job as an LRM boat you will do a good 300-1200 damage to the enemy team and have survived to the end of the match. At this point, a meager 3 medium lasers can be more than enough to finish battered dire wolves or king crabs. Bottom line here is REMAIN useful.
On that note: I remember one game where we were down 2-3 mechs and my wife had exhausted 1600 rounds of ammo on her Stalker. She didn't carry secondaries at that time and instead opted to simply run through the enemy's rear ranks to get their attention. As they all swung around to try to get her wildly weaving around their assaults we pushed an attack from the rear, crushing them handily. She even survived the match, interestingly enough.
So your real course here is:
Pick a mech built for LRM usage.
Position yourself close enough to allies to help and get within 400-600m of the enemy.
Target the enemy
Lock your target
Fire a volley (usually chain fired for maximum shake) often continuously or until you realize you're not hitting.
Hold your own lock until the cursor turns red. To ensure they're hitting. If they are not hitting, cease your fire.
Exhaust your ammo (intelligently) and then move in to engage with secondaries or act as a meat shield. Simply put - remain useful.
Remember - despite the bad rap the LRMs have as an 'easy' weapon - it's up to the user to know how to most effectively get those missiles from point A (your launcher) to point B (the enemy).
Edited by Gevurah, 05 May 2015 - 10:55 AM.