I have been playing for just over 4 months now and while I have 2 mastered mechs, a cn9-a with a loadout of 1x 5 AC, 2x med lasers and 1x LRM 10 launcher) as well as a astered Hunchback 4J with a loadout of 2 large lasers and 2x LRM 10 launchers, plus a RVN-3L (2x Large lasers , 1 medium laser and 1x LRM launcher + BAP as well as 2 Vindicatiors (the VND-1R) one just started working on the elite tier, with a loadout of 1x large laser, 3x medium lasers and jump jets that has just finished completing the basic tier level, plus one Vindicator 11-AA with 2x large lasers and a Hunchback- 4J + RVN-3L 1x medium laser equipped with Guardian, but while ost of the tie these loadouts work alright for e with my playing style, but I was wondering (since i d not like to really change loadouts, and definitely not put SRMs or SSRMs on any of them since I suck at using the SRMs/SSRMs) I find that whie they work well for me, I do find myself dying a lot, so i was wondering if anyone had any tops for me on the best way to use 'Mechs with those loadouts?
I was just just converting, if anyone has any good idea on how to use those 'Mech variants and loadouts better than I seem to be doing lately.
If anyone has any tips or advice that would let me last longer and be able to use those mechs and theur loadouts much ore effectively, I would be forever in your debt.
Thank you kindly, if anyone can help.
I have checked smurfy already but none of the loadouts on those 'Mechs rally appeals to me, with my playstyle :-(
Sorry to take up everyone's time and now I return you to your dodrums.
(L.T.) Leif Tanner
1
4 replies to this topic
#2
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- The Solitary
- 695 posts
Member
- LocationIn your base, killing your dudes
Posted 15 June 2015 - 03:56 PM
Since you say your loadouts are okay, I'd recommend you spend sometime working with mech controls. Begin with torso twisting. When taking fire, turn your torso so the incoming fire lands on your arm instead of your core. Next make sure to stay near cover. The list mechs are on the smaller size so be sure to stay with the group. Let a large mech get the enemy's attention, then engage the same target as your large ally. I'd also recommend looking a including TAG as you seem to like LRM builds.
Also here is a video I make for some brawling advice. It may give you some ideas.....
Also here is a video I make for some brawling advice. It may give you some ideas.....
#3
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- Big Daddy
- 2,033 posts
Member
- LocationWisconsin, USA
Posted 15 June 2015 - 04:16 PM
On the 3L as long as you have ECM, I'd lose the BAP.
Edited by mailin, 15 June 2015 - 04:39 PM.
#4
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- The Pest
- 1,951 posts
Member
Posted 15 June 2015 - 05:13 PM
Unfortunately, you may need to do a little bit of rebuilding to get the best performance out of your 'Mechs.
A single LRM10 will not serve you as well as a pair of LRM5s, since for the same number of tubes and slots the pair of LRM5s will cost you a ton less (leaving more room for ammo and other hardware). The LRM5s will also fire faster, letting you put more missiles on target before you lose your lock. Your CN9-A has the slots to take more launchers, and it is in your best interests to do so- the HBK-4J, on the other hand, only has two missile hardpoints and is thus best served with the LRM10 launchers you already have mounted (although most folks would trade the large lasers for a battery of medium lasers)- one option would be to upgrade the launchers to Artemis IV, and any LRM 'mech can benefit from TAG and BAP.
If you want to stick with longer ranges, you could try this on your CN9-A for an increase in firepower over what you're currently using (it's a bit short on the LRM ammo, but you can trade some for UAC5 ammo if you prefer indirect fire over what I've set up here). Alternately, this config gives you the ability to cut through ECM and achieve missile locks more easily (and also spot for teammates). Another possibility would be to use an AC10 for your 'big punch' as the CN9-A has great quirks for it. I would really recommend practicing with SRM launchers at some point, though- the Centurion really shines as a brawler because of its empty shield arm.
For the Raven, 2xERLL would seem to be your sweet spot- none of the Ravens make particularly good LRM platforms, but they all have high-mounted energy hardpoints that make them superb peek-shooters. Since the 3L can use ECM, there's no reason not to take it as it's currently the single best piece of support equipment in the game. Max engine size is usually the way to go with a light 'mech.
I don't know how you feel about jump-sniping, but the VND-1AA is perfect for it. Vindicators tend to do better with PPCs because they aren't all that tanky- the PPFLD lets them pop out, take a shot, and get back to cover before the enemy can respond. The VND-1R does make a decent laserboat, though, and if you don't like PPCs you can run ERLL on your 1AA with BAP and an additional medium laser.
For the Centurions, when you're under fire, rotate your torso 90 degrees to the right so that you are facing perpendicular to the direction the enemy is shooting you from. This will interpose your shield arm bewteen your torso and the incoming fire; even after you lose that arm, it will continue to protect you by reducing any damage that strikes it by 50% before transferring it inward. Centurions are among the tankiest 'mechs, and certainly the most durable in the medium class apart from the Stormcrow if played well.
Your Hunchback should be hanging well back from the brawl, but should stay within ~200m of your team so that you're protected if someone comes gunning for you. Remember that you're in a 'mech focused on providing support fire- you should never, ever be at the front of a push; your safest bet is to pick an assault to buddy up with and lurk in their shadow, firing at whatever they attack.
The Vindicators and the Raven are most emphatically not for direct combat. They do their best work when the enemy doesn't even know where they are (one reason the RVN-3L should always carry ECM). Your MO with these guys should be to find somewhere the enemy is not focusing their attention on (carrying UAVs and / or the Seismic Sensor module can help greatly with positioning) and pop off a shot or two, then get back under cover and relocate before firing again so that you remain unpredictable. If an enemy closes with you, fall back towards the bulk of your team as quickly as you can while twisting your torso to prevent shots on your rear armor. If you can attack the enemy from behind your own team without risking friendly fire, do that- most enemies will shoot at the closest target they can see rather than the "mere" light or medium sniper hanging out in the back ranks.
*edit* There's certainly no pressure to make drastic changes if you like the loadouts you have now- but you can make them better, and should work on doing so as you accumulate cbills even if you do it one component at a time. I tried to stick to the spirit of your playstyle based on the info you provided- but never by shy about tweaking things until they fit just right. Often the difference between a successful config and a stinker can be as little as a half ton of ammo or armor, and only you know which you'll need more of.
A single LRM10 will not serve you as well as a pair of LRM5s, since for the same number of tubes and slots the pair of LRM5s will cost you a ton less (leaving more room for ammo and other hardware). The LRM5s will also fire faster, letting you put more missiles on target before you lose your lock. Your CN9-A has the slots to take more launchers, and it is in your best interests to do so- the HBK-4J, on the other hand, only has two missile hardpoints and is thus best served with the LRM10 launchers you already have mounted (although most folks would trade the large lasers for a battery of medium lasers)- one option would be to upgrade the launchers to Artemis IV, and any LRM 'mech can benefit from TAG and BAP.
If you want to stick with longer ranges, you could try this on your CN9-A for an increase in firepower over what you're currently using (it's a bit short on the LRM ammo, but you can trade some for UAC5 ammo if you prefer indirect fire over what I've set up here). Alternately, this config gives you the ability to cut through ECM and achieve missile locks more easily (and also spot for teammates). Another possibility would be to use an AC10 for your 'big punch' as the CN9-A has great quirks for it. I would really recommend practicing with SRM launchers at some point, though- the Centurion really shines as a brawler because of its empty shield arm.
For the Raven, 2xERLL would seem to be your sweet spot- none of the Ravens make particularly good LRM platforms, but they all have high-mounted energy hardpoints that make them superb peek-shooters. Since the 3L can use ECM, there's no reason not to take it as it's currently the single best piece of support equipment in the game. Max engine size is usually the way to go with a light 'mech.
I don't know how you feel about jump-sniping, but the VND-1AA is perfect for it. Vindicators tend to do better with PPCs because they aren't all that tanky- the PPFLD lets them pop out, take a shot, and get back to cover before the enemy can respond. The VND-1R does make a decent laserboat, though, and if you don't like PPCs you can run ERLL on your 1AA with BAP and an additional medium laser.
For the Centurions, when you're under fire, rotate your torso 90 degrees to the right so that you are facing perpendicular to the direction the enemy is shooting you from. This will interpose your shield arm bewteen your torso and the incoming fire; even after you lose that arm, it will continue to protect you by reducing any damage that strikes it by 50% before transferring it inward. Centurions are among the tankiest 'mechs, and certainly the most durable in the medium class apart from the Stormcrow if played well.
Your Hunchback should be hanging well back from the brawl, but should stay within ~200m of your team so that you're protected if someone comes gunning for you. Remember that you're in a 'mech focused on providing support fire- you should never, ever be at the front of a push; your safest bet is to pick an assault to buddy up with and lurk in their shadow, firing at whatever they attack.
The Vindicators and the Raven are most emphatically not for direct combat. They do their best work when the enemy doesn't even know where they are (one reason the RVN-3L should always carry ECM). Your MO with these guys should be to find somewhere the enemy is not focusing their attention on (carrying UAVs and / or the Seismic Sensor module can help greatly with positioning) and pop off a shot or two, then get back under cover and relocate before firing again so that you remain unpredictable. If an enemy closes with you, fall back towards the bulk of your team as quickly as you can while twisting your torso to prevent shots on your rear armor. If you can attack the enemy from behind your own team without risking friendly fire, do that- most enemies will shoot at the closest target they can see rather than the "mere" light or medium sniper hanging out in the back ranks.
*edit* There's certainly no pressure to make drastic changes if you like the loadouts you have now- but you can make them better, and should work on doing so as you accumulate cbills even if you do it one component at a time. I tried to stick to the spirit of your playstyle based on the info you provided- but never by shy about tweaking things until they fit just right. Often the difference between a successful config and a stinker can be as little as a half ton of ammo or armor, and only you know which you'll need more of.
Edited by PS WrathOfDeadguy, 15 June 2015 - 05:21 PM.
#5
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- Legendary Founder
- 7,540 posts
Member
- LocationPhilippines
Posted 16 June 2015 - 04:23 AM
The main survival tactic when deathballing is to see your team mates as moving cover. Move to the side, get a firing lane for yourself, but don't be the guy in front. Have solid cover nearby if you can in case your teammates drop too fast. It's a change in how you play and how you think more than the loadout of your mech. Of course if you are short-ranged your life-expectancy isn't all that great either.
To simplify things, the process goes:
Am I in a bad situation? Can I get shot at?
Yes - Find cover
No - Pewpew at enemy
* The more advanced part of this is pewpew accurately to make your enemy back off while finding cover.
Repeat as needed. The weapons don't matter as much as long as you know when and how to use them. Here are screenshots of me using my incredibly overpowered heavy-Meta dual AC/5 XL300 Shadowhawk with no other weapons. All it has are 3 JJs, 2 AC5s and 8 tons of AC5 ammo. Fought the fight at all ranges and I wasn't just hiding behind a rock all game. I have brawler and solo kills because when the time was right I went out and slugged it with the enemy.
The point of this is not to brag, but people look at loadout and such when all it really is about is learning the maps, knowing where to be and spamming that map button to keep tabs on where your team is at all times. Even if you just bring 1-2 large lasers with the right experience and awareness even two regular plain old weapons on a minimally quirked IS mech can make it to the end of a fight with good damage and scores.
Learn where you keep dying, learn where you get good firing angles, learn where cover is no matter how you run around the map. Know where to be when you're a brawler, know where to be when you're a sniper, learn regular enemy movement patterns and know when you can flank. Learn how many times you can peek-and-shoot before it gets too dangerous. Learn where to reposition.
Better players can probably nail 600-800 damage games with just 2 AC5s or 2 LLs without using arty. The max alpha strike for my Shadowhawk was 10 damage. I had a vulnerable IS XL engine. It was more than enough to make a difference in the match I played.
Edit:
Admittedly I'm still pretty bad at Tourmaline and Viridian Bog and I can easily derp a 100 or less damage match there if I make the wrong call.
To simplify things, the process goes:
Am I in a bad situation? Can I get shot at?
Yes - Find cover
No - Pewpew at enemy
* The more advanced part of this is pewpew accurately to make your enemy back off while finding cover.
Repeat as needed. The weapons don't matter as much as long as you know when and how to use them. Here are screenshots of me using my incredibly overpowered heavy-Meta dual AC/5 XL300 Shadowhawk with no other weapons. All it has are 3 JJs, 2 AC5s and 8 tons of AC5 ammo. Fought the fight at all ranges and I wasn't just hiding behind a rock all game. I have brawler and solo kills because when the time was right I went out and slugged it with the enemy.
The point of this is not to brag, but people look at loadout and such when all it really is about is learning the maps, knowing where to be and spamming that map button to keep tabs on where your team is at all times. Even if you just bring 1-2 large lasers with the right experience and awareness even two regular plain old weapons on a minimally quirked IS mech can make it to the end of a fight with good damage and scores.
Learn where you keep dying, learn where you get good firing angles, learn where cover is no matter how you run around the map. Know where to be when you're a brawler, know where to be when you're a sniper, learn regular enemy movement patterns and know when you can flank. Learn how many times you can peek-and-shoot before it gets too dangerous. Learn where to reposition.
Better players can probably nail 600-800 damage games with just 2 AC5s or 2 LLs without using arty. The max alpha strike for my Shadowhawk was 10 damage. I had a vulnerable IS XL engine. It was more than enough to make a difference in the match I played.
Edit:
Admittedly I'm still pretty bad at Tourmaline and Viridian Bog and I can easily derp a 100 or less damage match there if I make the wrong call.
Edited by Elizander, 16 June 2015 - 04:29 AM.
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