117 replies to this topic

[Alistair Winter]

Yeah, sorry, I'm starting another LRM thread. I know there's one on the front page already, but it's specifically about hostility towards the "gief target locks plz" players, and that's a separate discussion.

This thread is about you.

I want to know if you have played an LRM boat lately. Not just a match here and there. Have you tried playing 10 or 20 or 30 matches with an LRM boat in the last month or so? If so, what was your experience? I'm eager to hear from people who actually tried playing with an LRM boat in pub matches during the last month or so.

• If you haven't played an LRM boat lately, I'm not really that interested. If you have all sorts of arguments about why LRMs are bad, that's cool, but I know what you're going to say.
  
• If you have played an LRM boat lately and done well, I want to hear from you.
  
• If you have played an LRM boat lately and been smashed and humiliated, I want to hear from you.

I'm asking, of course, because I have tried an LRM boat lately. On a quest to buy the last missing mechs in my collection, I went back to my AWS-8R to farm C-bills. And let me tell you, this mech basically prints money. Forget hero mechs for farming C-bills. TAG + LRMs = mucho dineros.

But more than making money, I was struck by just how devastating my AWS-8R has been in puglandia. Maybe my Elo has been dragged through the mud when I was levelling my Highlanders, but I don't think I've fallen all the way to the steering wheel underhive, because I do keep seeing a lot of you guys in my matches. Names I recognize.

And I'm not just spreading damage and wasting an assault slot, before you ask. I'm consistently getting more kills and doing more damage than other assault mechs, while my win lose ratio is steadily improving. I don't think I'm getting paid at the expense of my teammates, I think my LRM boat is a pretty significant positive factor for our team.

I do consider it likely that LRM boats are bad against the best players in the game. Or at least, very difficult to use. But the best players in the game are a very small minority, in this regard. I do think most teams in the pug queue struggle real hard against good LRM boats. Maybe if I keep playing, I will eventually meet better teams who have no problems against my LRMs. But so far... well, I'll spare you the screenshots, but I'm rippin and tearin'.

TL;DR - If you have tried playing with an LRM boat lately, I want to hear from you. Did you perform poorly, average or above average?

[Richard Hazen]

I have, I tried it with my stalker 5M. I didn't do well with it, considering the amount of hit markers I was getting I wasn't do any where near the damage I thought I was doing. I've tried it with tag and I didn't get into a good enough position a lot of the time, perhaps it's just that my stalker isn't the best boat for me.

[Bishop Steiner]

I have. I don't care for "true" boats myself, as more than LRM45 are just too one dimensional for my tastes. My only "boat" being a 6xLRM5 MDD. But yeah, TAG and LRM combo makes good cash.

One thing I have noticed though, is with everything but Clan Assaults packing ECM these days, even with TAG, it's getting tougher to be effective, since too often I get stuck on passive teams and thus to get in position to use TAG often means being isolated and getting focused fire.

[nehebkau]

Yes I have played LRM boats lately -- they are a true feast or famine weapon.

IF the enemy has limited ECM OR you have a NARCer OR you have a TAGer they are good
and IF you have team-mates who assist you they are good
and IF you stay within 400M of your target they are good
( as an aside and IF they are your secondary weapon systems they are good)

IF you have none of the above -- they are a waste of drop tonnage.

( the play was in CW and It was while pugging -- i was doing it just because I rarely use them)

Edited by nehebkau, 29 May 2015 - 12:54 PM.

[Flutterguy]

Define "LRM boat" because I have a raven with 2x LRM 5s that I love to use but I'm not sure it qualifies as a boat.

[Nightmare1]

Yep, did it like a boss with my BLR-1S.

...It's still like clubbing baby seals and I still feel dirty doing it.

[Xetelian]

I have 2 mechs setup with LRMs out of 40, the one I used last and most recently is a SCR -D with 3 LRM 15s and 5 Medlasers

I chain fire the LRMs and obviously use the lasers as backup.

So far I've had little luck with this mech, just doesn't wreck as easily as my brawlers.

Maybe I'm just bad at LRMs.

[CDLord HHGD]

The only "boat" I own is my Founders Catapult and even it isn't a "boat". When I play with my unit, it does just fine. When I PUG, I suck (nature of the queue). Our unit complements each other. Where there's LRMs, there is at least one NARC and tons of UAVs.

EDIT: My Timberwolf and Mad Dog have heavy LRM loadouts too with the same results as above.

Edited by cdlord, 29 May 2015 - 01:02 PM.

[mogs01gt]

I tried,,,it was horrible. **** missiles as a whole suck. 3 ******* ECM mechs vs my 1 bap,,,it sucks!

[Alistair Winter]

Flutterguy, on 29 May 2015 - 12:55 PM, said:

Define "LRM boat" because I have a raven with 2x LRM 5s that I love to use but I'm not sure it qualifies as a boat.

I have a 2xLRM5 Locust.

This thread is primarily about heavy and assault mechs with all or almost all weapons being LRMs. Not a Timber Wolf with 2xLRM15, for example. Summoners, Mad Dogs, Stalkers, even the dreaded, infamous LRM King Crab. Or worse yet, the LRM Atlas.

[Zodal]

Sure I'll give my oppinion

Running a stalker 3H with 3 lrm 20's + artemis + tag

I still think its the easy mode way to play, as long as you:

1. Stick with your group, yes you are a long range missile platform that doesn't need to be close to the target, but you are cannon fodder for smart lights

2. Remember the range of IS LRMS. Only shoot when they are 180m+ from you or your missiles are not gonna do jack.

3. Don't fire at every target you see. Use common sense on commiting to firing on targets. No, asking for "hold locks please" will most likely not help the situation.

Additional thing to do to help your team:

1. Most likely you won't be taking much damage, so late game it is INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for your team to lead a push to use your fresh armor to tank while your team finishes off the stragglers. Announce in chat or voip of what you plan to do first of course.



LRM's are in a good place right now. They are punishing to players who don't choose to use cover wisely.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

I was grinding through Stormcrows and got the one with the two LRM 20s, and due to the recent Tourney that gave the choice of the Warhawk, I got the Warhawk B as another that I needed. I also got some Mad Dogs recently where I've mostly used LRMs in CW.

And one build I goofed around with was this LuRMinator build since I wanted to see how the 20s performed before considering to sell them off or getting Arti in there. With the large amount of locked DHS it is cool running, and can rack up a good amount of very inefficient damage with no need to chain fire those LRMs.

My experience with that particular build was mostly average, and it can be a good suppressor build that can reroute mechs when they see that warning and start getting hit if they do not push to where I'm at, and you can knock out generators pretty quickly if you know how to dead fire them, and if you get a lock on a gen, then even better.

Edited by Praetor Knight, 29 May 2015 - 01:07 PM.

[Lyoto Machida]

Flutterguy, on 29 May 2015 - 12:55 PM, said:

Define "LRM boat" because I have a raven with 2x LRM 5s that I love to use but I'm not sure it qualifies as a boat.

To most LRM haters, more than one LRM system on a mech is boating, so...

[The Mech behind you]

I have played different medium LRM boats the last months. But I'm staying mobile, repostitioning a lot and getting my own locks. I'm also not afraid of getting damaged and I can say that if you play more risky you get better stats at the end of a match. That's my experience.

I have to say that every time I play an LRM boat and I pass by a friendly LRM Atlas that is hanging back behind the team I have to roll my eyes!

However the LRM gameplay is very dependant on the team and the number of ECM mechs on the other side

Edited by Norman Kosh, 29 May 2015 - 01:11 PM.

[Alistair Winter]

Praetor Knight, on 29 May 2015 - 01:06 PM, said:

My experience with that particular build was mostly average, and it can be a good suppressor build that can reroute mechs when they see that warning and start getting hit if they do not push to where I'm at, and you can knock out generators pretty quickly if you know how to dead fire them, and if you get a lock on a gen, then even better.

It's been a long time since I had one of my Warhawks rigged up as an LRM boat, but I think Inner Sphere assault mechs are a lot scarier just because of the sheer amount of instant destruction from multiple LRM15/LRM20 Artemis launchers converging on the opponent's torso. People can torso twist against Clan LRMs and they have more time to get to cover. But against a Highlander, Battlemaster or Awesome LRM boat, it's often just a big "KABLAM!" and you've taken 80 damage to your CT and STs.

[masCh]

I've dismissed LRM's for years because I don't like getting no kills.

With the Founder's Catapult tournament I mounted LRMs again after years and found them to be very effective, even more effective than some other weapon platforms.

However I don't boat LRM's because it is not my playstyle. The only missile boat I have is the Streakcrow so that wouldn't count here.

So I belong to this category :

• If you have played an LRM boat lately and been smashed and humiliated, I want to hear from you.

[Madcap72]

Welcome to the party pal.


6x (5 for CW and up the ammo) LRM 5 Catapult, all the sensor doodads, mucho ammo.
Tons of kills, kill assists, can influence the momentum of the match, LRM's take away the Clan direct fire range advantage.
It gets even better when you partner up with a dedicated spotter.

Plus, running LRMS lets you learn the maps in absurd detail and you find every spot you can peek missiles through.

[Roadkill]

Alistair Winter, on 29 May 2015 - 12:44 PM, said:

I'm asking, of course, because I have tried an LRM boat lately. On a quest to buy the last missing mechs in my collection, I went back to my AWS-8R to farm C-bills. And let me tell you, this mech basically prints money. Forget hero mechs for farming C-bills. TAG + LRMs = mucho dineros.

I use LRMs regularly, though not as much over the last couple of weeks due to the challenges in question. My main c-bill farming ride is a Stormcrow Prime, and yes it prints money like your Awesome 8R.

In my case I guess I'm not really boating, but rather serving as a highly mobile harasser and fire support platform. I can volley 20 LRMs at once if needed, or chain fire them 5 at a time to support someone in a duel. I have sufficient lasers to fight on my own if I need to as well.

I used to run it with 2 CERLL, but found that replacing one with the 4 CSPL gives me better overall results.

Sometimes you have to be patient. Sometimes there's a lot of ECM on the other side, so you have to play lasers until the ECM starts to die off. Eventually you're going to get targets, and when you do you can wreck face and rake in the c-bills.

Of course, I'd probably earn just as much with a proper laser vomit build. I use 2 CLPL and 4 CSPL on mine for CW and it seems to be pretty strong. It just seems like the LRM version makes more money in Puglandia, probably because so many of the pilots are so bad (which makes them easy targets for LRMs).

[Bishop Steiner]

Alistair Winter, on 29 May 2015 - 01:03 PM, said:

I have a 2xLRM5 Locust.

This thread is primarily about heavy and assault mechs with all or almost all weapons being LRMs. Not a Timber Wolf with 2xLRM15, for example. Summoners, Mad Dogs, Stalkers, even the dreaded, infamous LRM King Crab. Or worse yet, the LRM Atlas.

Boat:


still a boat:

[Zordicron]

IMO, they are still way to binary.

Had a match today, alpine. NOT ONE SINGLE ECM on my team. Two LRM Awesomes on thier team and a dual LRM20 Mad Dog too. My team jsut got whittled down trying to take peeks to attempt to knock the boats down.

Then you get the multi ECm teams, and LRM are moot compared. IMO, the inderect fire should get removed and LRMs buffed to compensate. But thats another thread.

I ran my lulz QKD with triple LRM10 for several matches here and there over the last month. It does just fine, usually 500+ dmg, I also run 3x MPL on it so it isnt a slouch if pressed, and it can contribute late after ammo is gone, when needed to add close range firepower and use my armor. I tend to run with my front line, but just behind them(I do that on most LRM mechs thuogh) so I can actually use the MPL earlier and it makes getting LOS on targets easy, and dumbfire really easy. Also, if a target at 220M backs down and I lose lock, odds are pretty high my missiles traveled fast enough to catch him anyway behind his hidey-hole rock.

I ran a LRM Stalker....once. hated it. IMO the best LRM boats are 50-70 tons, with some oddball like the one battlemaster and Awesome 8R(because tube count)above that. You need speed enough to keep up with your team, and enough tonnage to mount enough launcher/ammo to be useful witha few backup weapons. My fav is the Trebuchet with the LRM15 quirks, that thing is a menace.

My QKD controls the field with LRM10's. Biggest peek a boo threarts get chainfire LRM to keep them pinned and not ganking my team mates. The dmg is nice too, but mostly the biggest help is keeping somethig like a dual gauss mech from sniping my team while they advance. Then when we are in position its just "add dmg" to whatever makes sense until ammo is spent.

I dunno, the system is totally noob friendly and overly complicated at the same time if that makes sense. Any noob can lob giant blobs of missiles over a rock blind and end up with OK dmg, if not anything actually good. but at the same time you have to have a good understanding of targets and position etc on maps to actually put LRM to solid use. I actually strongly dislike this, and would rather lose the "bottom" of nose pickers fireing 60 point blobs blindly over hills and add some to the top with better LRM function.