18 replies to this topic

[Timicon]

I now I asked this last night, but it was in the middle of game, but since I am medium and light 'Mech pilot, I was wondering what the best Cicada to buy first, since I am looking into expanding my different class types.
Does anyone have ay recommendation the best to get? Preferrably omeone with 1x lrm 5 or 2x lfrm 5 would be good if possible?

[JC Daxion]

no cicada can do LRM's.. The 3M with an AC-5 and 4 ML's, the 2B with 5 medium pulse, and round it of with the 3C, 4 machine guns, and a quirked to the moon ERPPC. the 2A runs 6 ML's is like a fat Jenner with out jumpjets.


for a fast LRM medium, the trebuchet, is probably your best bet but they run larger Racks, they also run XL's well.

the kintaro 18 is the goto LRM5 medium, and are also quirked for them.

griffins, also have generic missile quirks, the hero is all energy, and one version has ECM.

HBK-4j is a dual 5 or 10 mech, and a pretty good one at that, the others 4P all energy and 4SP SRM_ energy, or ballistics with energy back up in the 4G, 4H and grid iron .

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/


Scroll down to find weapon locations, and then further to the bottom to read the individual mech's quirks

Edited by JC Daxion, 23 June 2015 - 06:24 PM.

[Darwins Dog]

JC Daxion, on 23 June 2015 - 06:22 PM, said:

no cicada can do LRM's..

Well the X-5 can do LRMs, but it only has two tubes for each launcher so it fires like clan LRMs. It also costs real money.

The 2A is the classic, and really good with 6xML.
The 3M is decent and has ECM.
X-5 is probably my favorite, but with SRMs, not LRMs.
2B is on par with the 2A.
3C is my least favorite just because MG's and the ERPPC are an odd combination.

[TercieI]

Darwins Dog, on 23 June 2015 - 06:31 PM, said:

Well the X-5 can do LRMs, but it only has two tubes for each launcher so it fires like clan LRMs. It also costs real money.

The 2A is the classic, and really good with 6xML.
The 3M is decent and has ECM.
X-5 is probably my favorite, but with SRMs, not LRMs.
2B is on par with the 2A.
3C is my least favorite just because MG's and the ERPPC are an odd combination.

I generally agree, but...

The 2B with 5MPL and XL300 is easily the best CDA now IMO, The fact that 4 are in the arms vs. all 6 of the 2A's MLs being in the torsos makes a world of difference.

After that, the 3M is still good, the 2A is OK, the X-5 is underrated and the 3C is for devotees only.

(It's my favorite and "home" chassis, FWIW and the 2B is my current favorite ride)

[Tarogato]

If you fancy yourself a light pilot, then why are you looking for LRM builds? LRMs and light mechs don't mesh.

Cicada is a light mech. It plays like a light mech, it looks like a light mech, it's armed with weaponry like a light mech, it just happens to be in the medium mech category because it weighs 40 tons instead of 35. Treat it like an oversized Jenner or Locust.

There are four variants to choose from, and the 3C is the least attractive of the bunch (read: bad), so you'll be buying all three variants to Elite the chassis anyways (unless you go with the X-5 hero variant which costs MC)

3C: has really good quirks, but the hardpoints are just gosh darn awful.

2B: the best striker and knife fighter of the bunch. It only has one build option, really: medium pulses. So it strikes hard, fast, but at very short range.

2A: the most versatile on the battlefiend. It also has only one build option: medium lasers. It deals the same damage as the 2B, but at longer range, so it's not entirely restricted to close-quarters combat.

3M: has the most build options. It brings ECM, but weak armament. It can bring UAC/5 and medium lasers, dual large lasers + medium lasers, dual PPCs/ERPPCs, or dual LPLs. I prefer the latter personally.

X-5: It's a JR7-D on steriods. Not much else more to say about it.

[Dino Might]

3C - Dual Gauss or Dual AC 20. Have some fun with it

[Rogue Jedi]

Dino Might, on 23 June 2015 - 08:13 PM, said:

3C - Dual Gauss or Dual AC 20. Have some fun with it

but only if you are prepared to go realy slow, carry a single ton of ammo and almost no armor.

I strongly recommend against dual Gauss or dual AC20 on a Cicada

[Koniving]

Leif Tanner, on 23 June 2015 - 05:16 PM, said:

I now I asked this last night, but it was in the middle of game, but since I am medium and light 'Mech pilot, I was wondering what the best Cicada to buy first, since I am looking into expanding my different class types.
Does anyone have ay recommendation the best to get? Preferrably omeone with 1x lrm 5 or 2x lfrm 5 would be good if possible?

JC Daxion, on 23 June 2015 - 06:22 PM, said:

no cicada can do LRM's..

LRM Cicada Prototype X-5. LRM Cicada for the win!

Must be the X-5, it is the only one to feature missile hardpoints.

At the moment Smurfy's site seems to be broken (I keep returning a bad gateway), but I recommend looking at their quirks and finding out which ones are the most compatible with the ~other~ weapons you want to use.

[Darwins Dog]

Terciel1976, on 23 June 2015 - 06:40 PM, said:

...the X-5 is underrated...

I keep watching the geometry updates (the dynamic missile tube counts) on other mechs with hope. If the X-5 could fire 12 SRMs at once...

[TercieI]

Darwins Dog, on 24 June 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

I keep watching the geometry updates (the dynamic missile tube counts) on other mechs with hope. If the X-5 could fire 12 SRMs at once...

We'll find out next month...

[jper4]

actually you can get away with a single AC20, ML and 4 tons of ammo (or was it 3.5 I forget) and pretty much max armor on the 3C and nudge yourself over 70kph post speed tweak. stick with the big guys and you can usually get a kill a match with it.

I remember one match where I just followed behind an enemy hunchy ac20ing it's rear armor. he kept turning around looking past me trying to see who was shooting him, then turned back and i'd shoot him again. he died and wanted to know who was shooting ac20s at him afterwards.

it's about the only cicada that I dust of from time to time.

[Flagrant]

Cicada 2b is a definite buy. 1 PPC and 3x MPLs. Very effective harasser.

[Koniving]

Darwins Dog, on 24 June 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

I keep watching the geometry updates (the dynamic missile tube counts) on other mechs with hope. If the X-5 could fire 12 SRMs at once...

I'll be perfectly honest, I hope it never gets to more than 5 tubes per launcher. One, increases in hitbox size. Two, currently the twin bullet firing rate makes it incredibly accurate. Rather than missile shotguns, I have missile rifles that hit where I aim.

I'm pretty content with twin tubes. Then again I wish you could choose how many tubes it'd get.

[JC Daxion]

Koniving, on 24 June 2015 - 04:05 AM, said:

LRM Cicada Prototype X-5. LRM Cicada for the win!

Must be the X-5, it is the only one to feature missile hardpoints.

At the moment Smurfy's site seems to be broken (I keep returning a bad gateway), but I recommend looking at their quirks and finding out which ones are the most compatible with the ~other~ weapons you want to use.

While true,., I don't think i would recommend to anyone, to run any LRM with only 2 tubes.. AMS would eat if for lunch, and even if not, it's far from ideal.. Go with a pair of SRM2's, or streaks.. Maybe someone could get some mileage outta a cicada with a pair of LRM's, but a new player asking about them,, i think saying it is not a good idea is not to far off..

Darwins Dog, on 24 June 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

I keep watching the geometry updates (the dynamic missile tube counts) on other mechs with hope. If the X-5 could fire 12 SRMs at once...

If they did that, sure.. a pair of LRM's or 4's or 6's, this mech would really waken up.. Honestly i have not played it, just fought it, and it seems to do pretty well with it's pair of 2's though.

Edited by JC Daxion, 24 June 2015 - 11:23 AM.

[Koniving]

JC Daxion, on 24 June 2015 - 11:22 AM, said:

While true,., I don't think i would recommend to anyone, to run any LRM with only 2 tubes.. AMS would eat if for lunch, and even if not, it's far from ideal.. Go with a pair of SRM2's, or streaks.. Maybe someone could get some mileage outta a cicada with a pair of LRM's, but a new player asking about them,, i think saying it is not a good idea is not to far off..

Agreed and true.

Video gives you an idea of how well it works. Strangely AMS often isn't a problem under normal circumstances. It's when there's an LRM apocalypse that you have an issue (as otherwise most people don't use AMS even though AMS ~Does~ protect you from SRMs too!).

Yes, the AMS will eat them, but so much AMS ammo will be wasted on every set of 2 missiles that with a single ton of ammo you'll have effectively drained 2,000 rounds from a normal AMS user. Strangely about 3,000 rounds from a twin AMS or an AMS overload, and about 2,200 from an extended range AMS. And you'll completely ruin an AMS user's day if they have both overload + extended range + twin AMS, as you can easily use a single ton of ammo (180 missiles) to drain roughly 3,800 rounds (almost 2 tons of AMS ammo).

It's frightening what you can do with slower string-fired missiles. Not to mention the ammo and heat conservation of how they are fired.

At the same time, I'd personally suggest Streaks to start with and an anti-light strategy.

[JC Daxion]

never thought about that with AMS.... perhaps, so maybe, an LRM mech, should lauch a 5 before their salvo of 30-50? Hmmm....

[Virlutris]

Terciel1976, on 24 June 2015 - 07:58 AM, said:

We'll find out next month...

I think Russ tweeted that the tube counts on the X5 would be updated to be dynamic.

[Unnatural Growth]

About the only good thing you can do with LRM 5's on an X-5 is farm assists, and maybe keep enemy mechs hiding in cover while your team moves in. Since they can't tell how many missiles are inbound. I played mine early on with twin LRM 5's, and found it lacking.

I switched mine to anti-light role long ago with max XL engine, max FF, Endo, 3 ML's, 2 streaks and BAP. It runs very heat neutral with that build. If you don't want to spare the tonnage for the BAP, then don't run streaks, switch to SRM's. It's a support role mech. I tuck in behind my assault lance and keep the enemy lights off of them. I also trade shots with whatever the assaults are shooting at.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

X-5 is the best LRM Cicada option I can think of, and I'd say it's actually terrible. I prefer my X-5 with SRM4s. X-5, perhaps.