25 replies to this topic

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Is being the inferior clan medium making you a sad panda? no I'm not talking to you Ice Fridge, I don't think I can help you, I'm sorry.

Well have I got a build for you ladies and gentlemen.

NVA-MIDAS

Not only does it outperform your average cERSL Nova in terms of versatility, but the AutoCannon also makes you a more heat efficient brawler. I've got stories with this build, from chasing down and murdering a Hellbringer while a heavy lance chased behind me, to out damage racing a Banshee face to face.

I don't have time for a big speech today, but if your looking to fight on even ground with SCRs and TBRs, or even if you're just looking to spice up your Nova's life, give this build a spin, it will do wonders for ya.

Edited by Jack Shayu Walker, 10 September 2015 - 12:00 PM.

[Night Thastus]

Not bad, but here's how I'd change it a little:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a28a694b4f7cb3d

Change the SPL's to ERSML's for better range and consistent weaponry, add more armor to the shield arm and MAX on the legs, and change the BAP to a Targeting Computer. Lasers + Ballistics are what they're made for.

Personally, I prefer the 12x Small + 4x MG build. c:

Edited by Night Thastus, 10 September 2015 - 12:16 PM.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Night Thastus, on 10 September 2015 - 12:15 PM, said:

Not bad, but here's how I'd change it a little:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a28a694b4f7cb3d

Change the SPL's to ERSML's for better range and consistent weaponry, add more armor to the shield arm and MAX on the legs, and change the BAP to a Targeting Computer. Lasers + Ballistics are what they're made for.

Personally, I prefer the 12x Small + 4x MG build. c:

Glad you mentioned the 6x cERSL idea. The build I proposed above is actually version 2 of my build c: , version 1 is nearly Identical to what you've proposed. The only difference is I took a half ton of extra ammo over that arm armor; the NVA-B arm comes with an armor quirk anyway.

Now about those pulse lasers on Version 2. They are a result of fine tuning the mech; on paper I agreed with your analyses, I didn't want to lose range or desync the weapons, but after continuous testing I found that the boost to impulse damage was worth the small loss in range. In addition, if you equip an cERSL cooldown module, and a cSPL range module, the desync is almost non-exsistant. The two weapons sync up almost perfectly in fire rate and the cSPLs range holds up fairly well.

Lastly, I used to run that TC1, but I just found ECM countering more helpful on a mech that can pick damaged components and pull them off so easily, TC1 is good on MIDAS, but I just find cAP more helpful.

Edited by Jack Shayu Walker, 10 September 2015 - 12:31 PM.

[Lily from animove]

2 tons of ammo seeems a but short, also mixing short pulses and short er's seems not to have much purpose.

make the pulses be ER smalls, you get 1,5 tons free, put one more ton of AC ammo, or a half ton and a DHS. or some more armor instead of that DHS. or just use the TC1 instead of the 3 short pulses.
Further think about it, you currently waste 2 weapon module slots for synchronising 2 weapons.
if you use only one, you can additionally get soemthing better form, it like CERSL CD + range affecting 6 weapons. Or simply CD for CERSL and your CUAC10.

and get those damn ammo out of the CT and put it in the head.

Edited by Lily from animove, 21 September 2015 - 05:29 AM.

[Kira Onime]

Crow does this build better and won't suffer from the nova syndrome.
Crow can also equip a UAC20 instead of a 10 as well as running faster.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Lily from animove, on 21 September 2015 - 05:23 AM, said:

2 tons of ammo seeems a but short, also mixing short pulses and short er's seems not to have much purpose.

Yes yes Lily, I know to you it doesn't seem like their is much purpose, here's the thing to me. You are running these calculations on paper. I started out with 6 ERSLs and then decided to try the ERSL SPL blend; I have done EXTENSIVE testing in the tier 1 group queue and have gotten better results with The Blend than with 6 ERSL.

Lily from animove, on 21 September 2015 - 05:23 AM, said:

make the pulses be ER smalls, you get 1,5 tons free, put one more ton of AC ammo, or a half ton and a DHS. or some more armor instead of that DHS. or just use the TC1 instead of the 3 short pulses.
Further think about it, you currently waste 2 weapon module slots for synchronising 2 weapons.
if you use only one, you can additionally get soemthing better form, it like CERSL CD + range affecting 6 weapons. Or simply CD for CERSL and your CUAC10.

I really don't find myself saying "boy i wish I had more UAC/10 ammo" that often. By the time my ammo is depleted, if it even gets depleted, the match is nearly over and the laser blend will make very short work of injured mechs. The DHS could be helpful but I find the extra firepower to be more helpful in battle. If I'm in a pinch I've got a 9x9. With armor, the only places that need it are the head and the legs and I don't typically have problems losing those, so I see no reason to sacrifice armament for more armor.

Slapping the range module on the ERSL makes a difference, but it isn't very significant, the same goes doubly so for the TC1s range boost. Furthermore the UAC/10 does not benefit significantly from either module. So I feel optimizing The Blend is the best use of my modules.

Lily from animove, on 21 September 2015 - 05:23 AM, said:

and get those damn ammo out of the CT and put it in the head.

I dun wanna, I use the ammo before my CT becomes exposed : p

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 05:56 AM, said:

Crow does this build better and won't suffer from the nova syndrome.
Crow can also equip a UAC20 instead of a 10 as well as running faster.

What is this Nova Syndrome you speak of? The crow can run this build going 20 KPH faster, with 3 more DHS, and a spot of extra armor. Maybe I'm a loon, but I'd rather have my UAC Jam quirk and JJs over all that stuff : p .

PS: using a UAC/20 makes it an entirely different build, you lose range and your dakka generates significant heat. UAC/10 is good because you can use it while your lasers cool.

[DarthHias]

Hey cool, I didn´t know there is a seperate Tier 1 queue. But since the legs don´t get shot there I would like to join.

But on a serious note: I love the Nova and I have tried all sorts of builds on it, but the Nova is no Autocannon Mech.
If you can make it work well there are cases where a certain build is perfect for a certain player. But I honestly wouldn´t recommend such builds for others.

[Kira Onime]

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 07:19 AM, said:

What is this Nova Syndrome you speak of?

Big as **** side torsos, something the crow doesn't have.
Nova is rather infamous for being unable to keep said torsos in one piece.

Also gotta keep in mind the nova is a cleanup mech more than it is a DPS mech. Really should only be poking with it and coming in with mechs are about to die.

PS: the UAC20 crow can have better heat management than the UAC10 nova as well as being able to carry more tons of ammo. Sure you lose out on the jam chance but still.
Your build would also be better with 6SL.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

DarthHias, on 21 September 2015 - 07:38 AM, said:

Hey cool, I didn´t know there is a seperate Tier 1 queue. But since the legs don´t get shot there I would like to join.

But on a serious note: I love the Nova and I have tried all sorts of builds on it, but the Nova is no Autocannon Mech.
If you can make it work well there are cases where a certain build is perfect for a certain player. But I honestly wouldn´t recommend such builds for others.

Lol, by tier one I mean I run into Heimdelight and his Empyrals often.

I dunno man it's not too hard of a build to grasp, maybe it's not the most newb friendly, but I posted it up on mechspecs and the few pilots who tried it had nothing but great things to say about it. Yeah, I honestly wouldn't call the Nova an auto-cannon mech simply because this is the ONLY dakka Nova I've seen play competitively, but it does do just that if you know how to pilot it.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

Big as **** side torsos, something the crow doesn't have.
Nova is rather infamous for being unable to keep said torsos in one piece.

It is difficult but certainly manageable with good positioning and twisting.

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

Also gotta keep in mind the nova is a cleanup mech more than it is a DPS mech. Really should only be poking with it and coming in with mechs are about to die.

I beg to differ, this build DPSs pretty well in my experience. Sure you have to be a little more picky and choosy about your battles but I still get top damage plenty of the time and I've got screen shots and vids to prove it. I also 1 v 1 Timber wolves regularly and win; this build is really great for going out in a blaze of glory and bringing one guy down before he and his 4 buddies kill you.

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

PS: the UAC20 crow can have better heat management than the UAC10 nova as well as being able to carry more tons of ammo. Sure you lose out on the jam chance but still.

I have a very hard time believing the UAC/20 Small Laser Crow runs cooler than the UAC/10 Nova. That UAC/20 also gets a lot less ammo per ton than the 10.

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 07:42 AM, said:

Your build would also be better with 6SL.

Testing says otherwise, I'm 90% sure that your claim is based only on how you've looked at it on paper friend.

Edited by Jack Shayu Walker, 21 September 2015 - 08:07 AM.

[Kira Onime]

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 08:04 AM, said:

I have a very hard time believing the UAC/20 Small Laser Crow runs cooler than the UAC/10 Nova. That UAC/20 also gets a lot less ammo per ton than the 10.

My confusion on that one. Had multiple tabs opened and mixed up the UAC20 crow with the UAC10.
UAC10 crow still runs much cooler.
NOVA 1.17 vs 1.27 CROW

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 08:04 AM, said:

Testing says otherwise, I'm 90% sure what you are arguing is backed only by how you've looked at it on paper friend.

My arguments come from my own tests on the field so you're wrong on that account.

The crow as a mech just has less overall problems and outside of the ballistic only in the arm, the lasers can be spread much more across the mech making it much less reliant on keeping its arms up.
I mean, there's a reason the crow is much more valued than a nova when looking at clan mediums.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 08:24 AM, said:

My arguments come from my own tests on the field so you're wrong on that account.

Okay so you have tested this exact Nova build, and the variant with 6 ERSL then? If so how extensively have you tested them and how often do you use the Nova?

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 08:24 AM, said:

The crow as a mech just has less overall problems and outside of the ballistic only in the arm, the lasers can be spread much more across the mech making it much less reliant on keeping its arms up.
I mean, there's a reason the crow is much more valued than a nova when looking at clan mediums.

I would definitely argue that keeping all 6 lasers in one arm is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. I would hate to have to spread my lasers around with this build. Although you can destroy them all just by pulling of the arm, they make up for it by allowing you to side-peak exceptionally well and by allowing you to make full use of the Nova's incredibly flexible arms (another advantage over the crow version that I forgot to mention).

[Kira Onime]

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 08:43 AM, said:

Okay so you have tested this exact Nova build, and the variant with 6 ERSL then? If so how extensively have you tested them and how often do you use the Nova?

Between 50 and 75 games. I settled on the 6SL variant as 2 tons of ammo is cutting it close.

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 08:43 AM, said:

I would definitely argue that keeping all 6 lasers in one arm is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. I would hate to have to spread my lasers around with this build. Although you can destroy them all just by pulling of the arm, they make up for it by allowing you to side-peak exceptionally well and by allowing you to make full use of the Nova's incredibly flexible arms (another advantage over the crow version that I forgot to mention).

But again it falls back on the problem that a nova is very easy to disarm, hue, due to it's incredibly large side torsos.
The stormcrow is the overall better medium mech, there's not much to argue on that.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 09:14 AM, said:

Between 50 and 75 games. I settled on the 6SL variant as 2 tons of ammo is cutting it close.





But again it falls back on the problem that a nova is very easy to disarm, hue, due to it's incredibly large side torsos.
The stormcrow is the overall better medium mech, there's not much to argue on that.

I guess is your word against mine, I've played about 350 games. IT's worked well in my experience. The SCR is better overall sure, but i believe this build in PARTICULAR is a contender,

[Lily from animove]

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 07:13 AM, said:

Yes yes Lily, I know to you it doesn't seem like their is much purpose, here's the thing to me. You are running these calculations on paper. I started out with 6 ERSLs and then decided to try the ERSL SPL blend; I have done EXTENSIVE testing in the tier 1 group queue and have gotten better results with The Blend than with 6 ERSL.



I really don't find myself saying "boy i wish I had more UAC/10 ammo" that often. By the time my ammo is depleted, if it even gets depleted, the match is nearly over and the laser blend will make very short work of injured mechs. The DHS could be helpful but I find the extra firepower to be more helpful in battle. If I'm in a pinch I've got a 9x9. With armor, the only places that need it are the head and the legs and I don't typically have problems losing those, so I see no reason to sacrifice armament for more armor.

Slapping the range module on the ERSL makes a difference, but it isn't very significant, the same goes doubly so for the TC1s range boost. Furthermore the UAC/10 does not benefit significantly from either module. So I feel optimizing The Blend is the best use of my modules.



I dun wanna, I use the ammo before my CT becomes exposed : p

unless you ahve not run 100 games in both loadouts the entire "tier 1 group queue" tests are not even comparable, because they are not identical scenarios.

Kira_Onime, on 21 September 2015 - 08:24 AM, said:

My confusion on that one. Had multiple tabs opened and mixed up the UAC20 crow with the UAC10.
UAC10 crow still runs much cooler.
NOVA 1.17 vs 1.27 CROW


My arguments come from my own tests on the field so you're wrong on that account.

The crow as a mech just has less overall problems and outside of the ballistic only in the arm, the lasers can be spread much more across the mech making it much less reliant on keeping its arms up.
I mean, there's a reason the crow is much more valued than a nova when looking at clan mediums.

crow killer agrument: its fugly, Nova isn't. there is no build that both mechs can equip, that the SCR can do with more style than the NVA, becase ugly stays ugly.

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 08:43 AM, said:

Okay so you have tested this exact Nova build, and the variant with 6 ERSL then? If so how extensively have you tested them and how often do you use the Nova?



I would definitely argue that keeping all 6 lasers in one arm is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. I would hate to have to spread my lasers around with this build. Although you can destroy them all just by pulling of the arm, they make up for it by allowing you to side-peak exceptionally well and by allowing you to make full use of the Nova's incredibly flexible arms (another advantage over the crow version that I forgot to mention).

this is not entirely true, with the correct SCR arms, you can sidepeek better especially due to SCR mobility and lower profile. NVA even when sidepeeking needs to expose a lot more mech, since 1/2 NVA is so much more to hit than 1/2 SCR. Arm laods for sidepeeking doesn't really differs much when you have to to draw a line of sight as well. Unelss you reallydistribute the lasers on ALL components on the SCR. then you have of course to expose the entire mech. But for the crow you could use 1 laser in the head, ST and the rest in the arm. it works equally well for sidepeeking bu is not that heavily arm dependend.

Jack Shayu Walker, on 21 September 2015 - 09:56 AM, said:

I guess is your word against mine, I've played about 350 games. IT's worked well in my experience. The SCR is better overall sure, but i believe this build in PARTICULAR is a contender,

depends in what te JJ'S can add to your favour, on mining colony getting a good spot ontop of some areas is giving a big +, but that is always a bit randomness added by map rotation.

Edited by Lily from animove, 22 September 2015 - 03:27 AM.

[Jack Shayu Walker]

Lily from animove, on 22 September 2015 - 03:26 AM, said:

unless you ahve not run 100 games in both loadouts the entire "tier 1 group queue" tests are not even comparable, because they are not identical scenarios.


crow killer agrument: its fugly, Nova isn't. there is no build that both mechs can equip, that the SCR can do with more style than the NVA, becase ugly stays ugly.


this is not entirely true, with the correct SCR arms, you can sidepeek better especially due to SCR mobility and lower profile. NVA even when sidepeeking needs to expose a lot more mech, since 1/2 NVA is so much more to hit than 1/2 SCR. Arm laods for sidepeeking doesn't really differs much when you have to to draw a line of sight as well. Unelss you reallydistribute the lasers on ALL components on the SCR. then you have of course to expose the entire mech. But for the crow you could use 1 laser in the head, ST and the rest in the arm. it works equally well for sidepeeking bu is not that heavily arm dependend.



depends in what te JJ'S can add to your favour, on mining colony getting a good spot ontop of some areas is giving a big +, but that is always a bit randomness added by map rotation.

I have run over 100 games in both builds, NVA is my main mech.

Um, I wasn't aware we were talking about style Lily, if I wanted style id be running a shadow cat.

Nova runs this build with more flexible arms, period, I want to take full advantage of that flexibility.

JJs pair well with flexible arms, and the right JJ maneuvers can increase your survivability in combat.

[Lily from animove]

Jack Shayu Walker, on 22 September 2015 - 05:37 PM, said:

JJs pair well with flexible arms, and the right JJ maneuvers can increase your survivability in combat.

Not with this CT vs peopel with aim.

[Scout Derek]

Lily from animove, on 24 September 2015 - 06:40 AM, said:

Not with this CT vs peopel with aim.

Just do what Tuesday does: Show them your rear!

On a side note, Nova is mostly a support mech, and should only be on the attack if it has at least another mech with it attacking.

Otherwise it falls apart... I've had experience with them before.

But now that we're getting a Nova with a missile arm I can equip streak 12 and have a good amount of lasers to eat those lights easier...

[3CLIPZ3]

I will definitely try this out, my current fav is 6ERSL 6SPL 4MG and I run 2 of them for CW. I take this over SCR personally because of the JJ and quirks. Let's see how this build matches up.