120 replies to this topic

[Dawnstealer]

The earlier mechs from PGI, there were definite no-goes for XLs. It seems like the more recent mechs, R1 and beyond, have done a pretty good job of balancing that out.

You'll live longer in a STD, but that's balanced against being slower - which will also get you killed. So if you build with an XL, build it with a BIG one: don't plop in an XL 220 just to save weight: go for a 300+ to make it count.

Another way to put it: if you're sacrificing survivability for maneuverability and speed, you better make sure you're fast and nimble enough to make it worth it.

[Knightshadowsong]

Crabs don't XL well. I managed to kill 36 of them yesterday, it looks like the hype for the Crab has already died. Though I will say non XL crabs are a pain because they are small and hard to hit.

[Wildstreak]

Crab, I am so underwhelmed. Best games so far are 200-250 damage, hot as heck, I do better with the Cicada and I suck at Cicadas.

[stealthraccoon]

I haven't been able to drop many games, but I had some very entertaining games with the 27b loaded with a STD300 and 5 or 6 medium lasers. Real easy to soak damage by turning your side torso to the enemy.

It's amazing how easy it is to find cover when you are already so close to the ground (anything to stay out of line-of-sight)!

Edited by stealthraccoon, 07 October 2015 - 10:34 PM.

[Inflatable Fish]

STD 275 looks like the optimal choice for all non-jumpy Crabs.

[Hastur Azargo]

I. Love. Everything. About. This. Mech. ^.^

It looks like it came straight outta the Jets'n'Gunz, and that antenna dish... My God, it's so cute, I wanna hug it. I expected it to be huge and unwieldy like a Dragon, but it's tiny and I couldn't have been happier about it. <3 And it combines 2 things I love in this game - 50 tonners and lasers. I'm hyped as a mountain of trains, and I wasn't this hyped about anything in MWO since Phoenix was first announced.

Next payday, little crustacean, we get together and head downtown.
*shots fired*
*faces melted*
*chairs burned*

[Nightshade24]

PlasmonDawn, on 04 October 2015 - 12:34 PM, said:

Yea, I don't know who's idea it was to scale it so small... But I'm delighted! Can't wait to rampage in the new ultra heavy light mech

as mentioned earlier, it isn't small.

It's just long and short. It's bigger then some 55 ton mechs in this game. So yea. I guess it could be shorter/ smaller I guess.

[Inflatable Fish]

Nightshade24, on 08 October 2015 - 01:35 AM, said:

as mentioned earlier, it isn't small.

It's just long and short. It's bigger then some 55 ton mechs in this game. So yea. I guess it could be shorter/ smaller I guess.

length isn't as much of a factor as height unless you're surrounded. and if you are, you're f'd regardless.

Edited by Inflatable Fish, 08 October 2015 - 02:55 AM.

[PeeWrinkle]

After a second day of playing the Crab, I actually had a couple more side torso deaths with an XL. So I can see them being deemed not XL friendly, but I also have to add that if you run an XL you are doing it for mobility and speed, not for bigger weapons. If you do that, and have at least an XL300 (preferably bigger) you are able to twist and distribute damage very well. Last evening I had several matches where I finished in the 30% range and still had not lost an arm.

That said you kind of have to play it like a light and never stand still. If you stand still and get a 40pt alpha to your side torso you're definitely dead. Sadly that was my mistake at least once in my couple deaths.

One thing I will add, is you can easily fit a STD 300 or even bigger if you use less weighty weapons. Any variety of Small and Medium (and Pulse) Lasers make this very easy, with very manageable heat. If you go with Small Lasers and keep your engine between a STD 275-300 you can also fit one or two of the Large Lasers, or even PPC's if you want to have some range capability.

So in short you can build pretty fast and mobile STD engine builds as well.

Ultimately I am liking this mech. It does require you to move and manage heat, but those are two things that fit my play style.

Also here are some stats, that are probably meaningless at this point because I have not played enough matches, and lets face it individual stats IMO are at least 75% based on how well your team plays.
So far I have only played the 27SL and 27B:
In my XL Engine Build (CRB-27SL) I have a KDR of 3.5 (7 kills / 2 Deaths). Ironically my Win/Loss Ratio is 6.0
In my STD Engine Build (CRB-27B) I have a KDR of 0.5 (2 kills / 4 Deaths).

Ironically my Win/Loss Ratio in the 27SL is 6.0 and in my 27B is 1.0. So the KDR's are probably meaningless and can be explained away by the fact that I most likely got on better teams when I dropped with the 27SL. Still I have half the dealths in my XL engine variant than I do in my STD engine variant.

[Inflatable Fish]

PeeWrinkle, on 08 October 2015 - 05:03 AM, said:

Also here are some stats, that are probably meaningless at this point because I have not played enough matches, and lets face it individual stats IMO are at least 75% based on how well your team plays.
So far I have only played the 27SL and 27B:
In my XL Engine Build (CRB-27SL) I have a KDR of 3.5 (7 kills / 2 Deaths). Ironically my Win/Loss Ratio is 6.0
In my STD Engine Build (CRB-27B) I have a KDR of 0.5 (2 kills / 4 Deaths).

Ironically my Win/Loss Ratio in the 27SL is 6.0 and in my 27B is 1.0. So the KDR's are probably meaningless and can be explained away by the fact that I most likely got on better teams when I dropped with the 27SL. Still I have half the dealths in my XL engine variant than I do in my STD engine variant.

it's not the engine type that makes the difference, it's jump jets and pulse lasers.

[Tesunie]

I think I've taken a massively different approach to my Crabs than most other people have.

First, they are no XL friendly. Unless you have some specialty build that you can either play carefully or need great speed, an XL isn't worth taking. But, the mech does spread damage very well.

Second, twist. They spread damage very well, and I've been able to have a red CT internals and still survive by twisting damage to the sides. I've been brought down to just a walking red CT before. Very tanky (at least for the moment till people figure out the hit boxes better I guess.)

Third, don't overload your hardpoints. You probably shouldn't and don't need to fill every hard point. It's a striker mech, made for raiding. Get in, hit them, then vanish. With it's short stature and relatively high hard points (but not the highest, I know), it can do this well with proper use of terrain.


As for my builds, the best build I've created so far has been a triple ERLL and a single head ML with it's stock engine. 81 KPH isn't that bad. The 27B does this the coolest, by a little bit. I have my 27B with ERLL cooldown module on it (saving for the range module now). Get Radar deprivation (I hate this module), poke and longer ranges, and beam into someone. The 27 can do the same thing, but do it at even greater ranges. With a ERLL Range module, it can punch up to 793 meters for maximum damage, or 1586 meters away maximum. I believe that should be "competing with clan weapon ranges", doesn't it?

Meanwhile, my 27SL is a rare XL Crab for me. Maximum engine size with jump. Unlike many people, I placed dual PPCs on this mech and ignored the quirks. It is supported for those messy close range moments by 3 SmLs. It's a jump sniper and it seems to work well (would work better if my aim was a bit more accurate). The jumping is what lets it use that XL engine, as most people don't have the time to lock, get data, and see where I may be weak. They often times have to just shoot me, and not hit a dedicated location. The speed is needed for faster relocation. Best not to jump/snipe from the same location too often...

The 20 is a "I don't know what to do with it yet" mech, but I also ran out of C-bills. I'm thinking a 250 XL engine (and making it a walking coffin) and filling it out with MPLs. The speed should help it, but I worry about the Dragon problem. Being fast enough to get into trouble, but being too slow to get out of trouble. And that XL engine may end up costing too much in a match.


Overall, I feel it's been a great mech. I've getting some really good results from it so far. Lots of fun with the 3 I've been using.

Wildstreak, on 07 October 2015 - 08:46 PM, said:

Crab, I am so underwhelmed. Best games so far are 200-250 damage, hot as heck, I do better with the Cicada and I suck at Cicadas.

I've had much higher matches than that. Might you be placing too many of the same weapon on it? It doesn't seem to like the concept of boating lots of small weapons, and seems to like mixing larger ones in. Particularly LLs with maybe a couple of MLs at best. I find it's been great as a ranged combatant. (Not much of a brawler here, so I try to avoid that.)

So far, my 27B (which I used the triple ERLL build mentioned above from the start, fully kitted out) has been doing a match average of 362 damage a match (though out of 7 matches so far). The 27 hasn't really had enough matches yet to determine (but it's lower due to build experimentation). The 27SL has done 207 damage per match average, over 8 matches. (Probably due to me being less accurate with my PPCs than I'd like, and it runs hotter than my other Crabs. It also doesn't like all maps equally, but loves city maps and maps it can jump and hide on.)

The Crab may just not be a mech for you. Not all mechs work for everyone.

[Rattler85]

I have so far had a lot of success with my CRB-20, my 27R is the same build.

Here are my builds so far. I even pulled the XL out of the 27SL.

CRB-20:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b20a6a5ee6a7bc9


CRB-27®:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b20a6a5ee6a7bc9


CRB-27B:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...935c3325beb39e9


CRB-27SL:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...9d5aada7bb8f583

[PeeWrinkle]

Inflatable Fish, on 08 October 2015 - 05:13 AM, said:

it's not the engine type that makes the difference, it's jump jets and pulse lasers.

I concede, that makes a lot of sense. Jump Jets are awesome for helping you mitigate damage.

[Dazzer]

I am liking this one a lot. Fast real nice A-strike and you can chain fire them LL for ever. This makes me big time

[smurfy]http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e999f9647ce346e[/smurfy]

[Iain Black]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...2c9d0dca1e24544 - ideas i am messing with

[Corka]

Does anyone else find it that when you see a Crab in a match, you can't help but get "Crab people, crab people, taste like crab, talk like people" stuck in your head ?

[Tesunie]

Rattler85, on 08 October 2015 - 09:05 AM, said:

CRB-20:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b20a6a5ee6a7bc9


CRB-27®:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b20a6a5ee6a7bc9

Don't these two run a little too hot? I tried the same basic build on my 27( R ) and found it was very warm to use. (I mean, if you can get it to work, by all means use it.)

Iain Black, on 08 October 2015 - 03:43 PM, said:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...2c9d0dca1e24544 - ideas i am messing with

Not a bad concept, but just a warning: XL engines and Crabs are not exactly the best of friends. Be careful. You can lose side torsos very easily...

[Nightshade24]

Inflatable Fish, on 08 October 2015 - 02:55 AM, said:

length isn't as much of a factor as height unless you're surrounded. and if you are, you're f'd regardless.

yes, but Height doesn't mean Size.

[Ironclaw Buzzardier]

Just got done with basics on each, I love the chassis! XL vs STD doesnt seem to have major influence over survivability in my experience:

20 (XL340, AMS, 2LL, 3SPl) - 7/7 KDR (1.0)
27 (STD..., 2AMS, 3ML, 2MPL) - 11/9 KDR (1.22)
27b (XL, messed with a lot of builds) - 9/14 KDR (0.64)
27sl (XL, 2jj, 1ERPPC, 4MPl) 10/8 KDR (1.25)

The 27sl, which had my best results, I was messing with a bit before i settled into the 1 ppc 4mpl set up that I liked a lot. When I saw other crabs, I definitely focused down on side torsi and picked up some kills there. I think that once you are up past 300 engine rating, XL is pretty safe.

Had a few bad games, but overall in the 350-500 dmg range, a few up around 800.

the 27B seems like a trap, with its hardpoint that allowing up to 5 bigger scale energy weapons.

[Wildstreak]

Well I can safely say this so far.

Some players complained about the heat from Clan Lasers when they were changed to nerf that meta play. I have used Clan Laser boats and learned to manage heat real well despite the nerfs. There Laser Crabs are WORSE than Clan Mechs even in the Medium category. Even worse is when you get those 35 tonners like Jenners and Firestarters that have the same or more Energy weapons as you and they do better and beat you.

Size advantage doesn't matter. It walks funny, usually shorter Mechs feel like they are running when traveling at the same speed as taller Mechs in the same weight. Case in point, Hunchbacks feel like they are running when going the same speed as Centurions or Enforcers. Crabs should feel like they are running due to height but do not.

Using STD engines is better, if getting shot or LRM'd, you can twist and tank on side torsos, XL engines deny this. Getting shot from the side is too easy given the long profile like a Stalker. Not a single XL engine will ever get used by me thus.

CRB-20 - Discovered what the Cooldown quirk does. Mixed LL and ML version, if you alpha all the Lasers, the MLs usually come back sooner. Here the Cooldown modifier without modules makes the LLs come back at the same time as the MLs so you can alpha again. I tried a 3LL build but in actual combat it heated too much so I switched to this, still not putting out well. I even try sitting at range, doesn't help either. Worst one of 3 I have run so far.

CRB-27 - Not tried yet, going with ML brawler. Yes if I have 2 AMS slots, I am using both. Yes it has a Beagle, I have a fast enough engine and spare Beagles plus the room.

CRB-27B - Given the Heat Generation quirk, I was going to try a 3ERLL build but after the failure of the 3LL CRB-20, I went with this instead. Really only good for poking at range and forcing enemies standing in the open to move, get in a scrap even with a Light is a problem.

CRB-27SL - So far the only semi-decent one. JJs help a lot with maneuvering, MPL alpha is good and can also chaing fire MPLs if getting ignored while riding high heat. Chain fired MPLs even with nothing unlocked have a rhythm, after the 5th MPL fires there is a less than 1 second period until the 1st fires again, after some efficiency unlocks and possibly a Cooldown module, that space between the 5th and 1st MPL may go away leading to non-stop chain firing of MPLs.