69 replies to this topic

[zudukai]

here is another really stellar one, regularly score 5-700 dmg.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...14831821a0d5bf1

fill your heat gauge then continue to work that UAC/10, since it's 192% neutral. no ECM however, so stay light on your feet.

[dragnier1]

loopala, on 10 August 2015 - 10:28 PM, said:

after playing all through elite, i have decided that that the stock builds are very good. except for the P it drove me nuts. snipe till out of gauss ammo and then play clean up never really worked for me. tried an UAC20 not too bad but way too short on ammo. finally went with an UAC10. seems to run well with the the MGs, 3 tons of UAC10 ammo is a bit light but not too bad. the duel UAC5 build was ok but you gave up having 6 MGs to do it. I mean what is the point of the P if you can't run 6 MGs?!

have yet to do any mix matching yet. hmm UAC20 and SRM6 not much ammo but what a nasty back stab....

The uac10 really works well for it. I run my P with one and it does alright. The gauss prime, is another story...

Btw, someone mentioned srms going well with the scat. Gave it a try with 2 streak 6 and 2 med pulse. 1.9 kdr on it, despite the look of the build it tears lights and mediums apart.

[Cato Phoenix]

^ I think the UAC10 meshes pretty well with this mech. I have one on my P (with 6 MG backing it up.)

I run pretty simple but fun builds with mine.
A - 2xCLPLAS
B - 2xCLERPPC
Prime - 2xCMLAS, 1xCLGAUSS
P - 1xCUAC10, 6xCMG

[adamts01]

I've had incredible luck with 3xssrm6 & 2xml. Make sure to equip artemis for lock on time bonuses with no weight or space penalty, it's still broken in code. Also, drop the head armor to 1 and legs to 33 to free up weight. I just finished basicing with that armor and I've never lost a leg or head. It's almost always ct unless I twist like a crazy and end up losing both side torsos. I used a decent 2xLRM10 1xLRM5 2xML build and the 2xLPL build but the streaks were way better for the team. This is hands down my favorite mech to play, and I normally play lights, own the Arctic Cheetah and have a general disdain for streaks as I'm a pretty good shot.

[adamts01]

Also... Sadly.... what others have said. This mech just isn't competitive when you could be taking a Stormcrow or quirked out IS medium. So just have fun with it.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

So, I doubled down on this one, because I generally like to play recon and long-range harasser. I fell in love.

2x cERLL, cERML, ECM, TCompI, 5x cDHS. LOTSA fun. Use the PRIME LA omnipod with the hand actuator. Gets the extra 5% ER laser cooldown quirk (I think), and the hand adds to its shielding value. B LT omni for the ECM, also gets a structure buff quirk. cERLL cooldown module, cERML range module. Pretty good for the role, then.

Above build, but the B LA omni (I think?) with cASRM-4 and cSPL and 1t cASRM ammo, for some ridiculous punch up close. Sacrifices a few cDHS, unfortunately, so heat management is a bit more important. With the cSPL range module, the LA weapons sync up fairly well. Still primarily a L/R recon harasser, but can back it up a little in the close-range game. Got a 700+ DMG 2K match out of that earlier tonight. Had my first 5K game in the former build a week or two back.

Yeah, I went ahead and ELITEd all three (don't have the SHC-P yet), and am over halfway to MASTER on at least two of them. Coming around to the usefulness of MASC. Know how you lose a little speed at the end of a jump, when your feet hit the ground? I hit the MASC key right before that, and have the throttle pegged. Accelerates back up to 117-ish IMMEDIATELY. Kill the MASC, drive on. Both the cERLLs on the right side, so I do a bit of hill humping and corner peeking on that side. Shield with the LA. I like this mech.

And since the public queue has been 40-50% or more HEAVY for two solid weeks, I can't go leveling my TBRs anyhow. May as well MASTER these sweet SHCs...

[Rando Slim]

I've had success with 2 medium pulse and one large pulse......

If you can handle the heat 2 large pulse and one medium laser is fine if you skirmish enough and dont get in situations where you need sustained DPS.

An interesting build I have found is 2 medium lasers and 3 streak 6s. The extra range on the streaks is great so you dont have to be right in someones face and you dont have to worry about arm and torso srms not hitting same spots. They pair well with the mediums because all your firepower is essentially at the same range.

[Masterbagger]

2 med pulse lasers and 3 SRM6 is fun when you have cover to work with. Not so much when you don't.

[Bassie]

Justly want to chime in and say that this is my favourite mech ever. I run 3 builds on 3 mechs and love them.

My view, if you are not using masc, ecm, and your jump jets every game, pilot something else. Someone called this the ninja-mech, and that is how I see it. The other, often overlooked advantage the shadow cat has over storm row is that you can take 2 weapon modules, which when combined with the lack of negative quirks is significant.

Build 1- light killer - 3 x ssrm6 and 2 er med laser. I have both the range and cool down modules on the ssrms and they are really important. Ecm is prob more important for the counter than the disrupt. The spread on the ssrms means it will take 4-5 salvos to kill a light mech, but after 2-3 it will have lost some weapons. Use masc to accelerate and you'll be surprised at how hard you are to hit with pulse lasers etc, and how well you can keep up with lights. Target retention is also helpful. This mech also shines supporting heavies in a brawl. Ecm to disrupt so you protect allies from lrms as well as not appearing in the en radar. You can use jump jets to pop-tart, including over your team mates. The spread of the ssrm means you have a good chance of critting any exposed parts of enemy mechs.
I find that with the ssrm modules this guy really shines.

Build 2 - lrms. 2 lrm 15 and 3 Erml. Dont't use lrms from too far away. Remember that they are clan lrm do you can shoot from any range, and that the shadow at has lots of tubes and reduced spread so they can be used for kinda brawling with reasonable effect. This guy is a pop tart and heaps is of fun. Heavies and assaults are target priorities as they move slowly enough that even if you lose your lock after pushing fire, they won't move far. Artemis reduces spread, and synergises well with the minor quirks in the arms. It runs a little hot, but I use the lrms and lasers together as an alpha. Ecm and masc help me to get to a flank, fire and disappear again. Modules: advanced sensor range?


Build 3 - direct damage. Any mix of uac10, Erml and lpl that you like. Assymetrical is better. I was run in 2 lpl and 3 mg for a bit and concluded that I never really use the my and the Erml or an addion heat sink (even a targeting computer) is better use of tonnage. I also found the pinpoint damage or lpl better than the burst of the ac but whatever suits. Look for a flank. If you are found, use masc and jj's to get away. Very much shoot, scoot, shoot. Maximise damage by trying to kill components and mid- game ecm can help in finding the rear of mechs. The alpha is t big enough to destroy rear ct on a heavy or assault, but if it is already damaged, it can kill. If it's healthy, go for a side torso (hope for xl engine). Means that if they do turn around and find you, they'll have less to shoot at you with. Can be a good finisher mech as well, using masc and high speed to be harder to hit, you can kinda brawl in the latter stages where one shot is likely to kill mechs.
If using 2 lpl, have a group set up for chain fire, and consider the cool down module.

Edited by Bassie, 19 January 2016 - 06:53 PM.

[LowSubmarino]

Bassie, on 19 January 2016 - 06:15 PM, said:

Justly want to chime in and say that this is my favourite mech ever. I run 3 builds on 3 mechs and love them.

My view, if you are not using masc, ecm, and your jump jets every game, pilot something else. Someone called this the ninja-mech, and that is how I see it. The other, often overlooked advantage the shadow cat has over storm row is that you can take 2 weapon modules, which when combined with the lack of negative quirks is significant.

Build 1- light killer - 3 x ssrm6 and 2 er med laser. I have both the range and cool down modules on the ssrms and they are really important. Ecm is prob more important for the counter than the disrupt. The spread on the ssrms means it will take 4-5 salvos to kill a light mech, but after 2-3 it will have lost some weapons. Use masc to accelerate and you'll be surprised at how hard you are to hit with pulse lasers etc, and how well you can keep up with lights. Target retention is also helpful. This mech also shines supporting heavies in a brawl. Ecm to disrupt so you protect allies from lrms as well as not appearing in the en radar. You can use jump jets to pop-tart, including over your team mates. The spread of the ssrm means you have a good chance of critting any exposed parts of enemy mechs.
I find that with the ssrm modules this guy really shines.

Build 2 - lrms. 2 lrm 15 and 3 Erml. Dont't use lrms from too far away. Remember that they are clan lrm do you can shoot from any range, and that the shadow at has lots of tubes and reduced spread so they can be used for kinda brawling with reasonable effect. This guy is a pop tart and heaps is of fun. Heavies and assaults are target priorities as they move slowly enough that even if you lose your lock after pushing fire, they won't move far. Artemis reduces spread, and synergises well with the minor quirks in the arms. It runs a little hot, but I use the lrms and lasers together as an alpha. Ecm and masc help me to get to a flank, fire and disappear again. Modules: advanced sensor range?


Build 3 - direct damage. Any mix of uac10, Erml and lpl that you like. Assymetrical is better. I was run in 2 lpl and 3 mg for a bit and concluded that I never really use the my and the Erml or an addion heat sink (even a targeting computer) is better use of tonnage. I also found the pinpoint damage or lpl better than the burst of the ac but whatever suits. Look for a flank. If you are found, use masc and jj's to get away. Very much shoot, scoot, shoot. Maximise damage by trying to kill components and mid- game ecm can help in finding the rear of mechs. The alpha is t big enough to destroy rear ct on a heavy or assault, but if it is already damaged, it can kill. If it's healthy, go for a side torso (hope for xl engine). Means that if they do turn around and find you, they'll have less to shoot at you with. Can be a good finisher mech as well, using masc and high speed to be harder to hit, you can kinda brawl in the latter stages where one shot is likely to kill mechs.
If using 2 lpl, have a group set up for chain fire, and consider the cool down module.

Haha....I couldnt agree more.

This really is a ninja mech.

Its a fantastic mech. Its prolly one of the most agile mechs there are. You can cut corners with masc or get out of bad situations better than any other mech. Youre super quick in terms of changing direction or generally making it hard for others to hit you.

Is prolly the single best mech for hit and run. Srms work fantastic. Ssrms work fantastic too. Laser builds or lrms work s well. The things you can do with this mech hehe.

A real pleasure to run them. If Id ever be in a real mechbattle Id immediatly ask for a shadow cat or hunchback iic.

What they can do they can do really really well. And they can a lot.

Not everything....but so much that they are definitely tier 1. They cant take dmg but the hunchback iic and shadowcat are some of the best snipers and skirmishers there are.

Hunchback iic - prolly my best sniper or more precisely anti tank gunner. Super high/perfect hardpoints, decently fast, can jump to any advantageous position or is more than fast enough to reposition and stay in the middle of the team. And you can dish out some serious dmg.

If you're tired of brawling....those two mechs offer alternatives. Bot a lot of fun. Sniper and agile hunter.

Shadowcat is prolly one of the most fun mechs to pilot.

And I really would ask for a shadowcat if I had to go into mech battle. Perfect mech.

The better you get with the mech, the more you'll realize how great it is.

Shadowcat - a real skirmisher but also works as a sniper. That mobility is so awesome.