80 replies to this topic

[stocky0904]

i only died 2 times (both ct) out of 8 matches. Im running a 320 or 325xl. cant see a problem with xls until now.

... but you have to stay in motion

[L3mming2]

Bishop Steiner, on 06 October 2015 - 05:27 PM, said:

I was answering Triordinant. I was shocked by this knowledge.

Like yourself I was referring to its combat capabilities

i realy dont have a clue if u'r being sarcastic ore not... but with you its kind a hard to tell ...

[KharnZor]

Bishop Steiner, on 06 October 2015 - 02:04 PM, said:

title says it all

It sure does

[Queen of England]

I have 8 drops, and it seems like it rolls damage pretty well, so long as you're facing the enemy head on and wiggling your nose. Don't get flanked!

[Bishop Steiner]

L3mming2, on 06 October 2015 - 06:04 PM, said:

i realy dont have a clue if u'r being sarcastic ore not... but with you its kind a hard to tell ...

that's OK, neither do I.

[Aggravated Assault Mech]

If it were as large as the Centurion, I'd say it's STD mandatory, but being as small and potentially fast as it is, I think there is a place for Crabs with 325XL and 350XL engines respectively.

I mean it is really small for a 50t mech. With really good stock torso twist characteristics.

[Bishop Steiner]

vnlk65n, on 06 October 2015 - 06:57 PM, said:

If it were as large as the Centurion, I'd say it's STD mandatory, but being as small and potentially fast as it is, I think there is a place for Crabs with 325XL and 350XL engines respectively.

I mean it is really small for a 50t mech. With really good stock torso twist characteristics.

they die easy, have been feasting on crab legs all night

[pbiggz]

I've had success with an xl 295. As long as you go at least 90 before speed tweak an xl is safe, the mech seems to have good hit boxes (torso twisting spreads damage well) and it's actually proper medium mech size. I'm really happy with it.

[Bishop Steiner]

so far best success has been my CRB-27b.

250std, 1 LPL, 5 ML.

[pbiggz]

Triple large pulse is the way to go bishop.

[Bishop Steiner]

pbiggz, on 06 October 2015 - 08:50 PM, said:

Triple large pulse is the way to go bishop.

BORING

[MrEdweird]

Actually, Bishop, I found the Crab's hitboxes to be quite amazing and well suited to XL.

I've also dumfoundedly found that it's best to just look at the enemy and control damage with small movements, it has Stalker-like hitboxes.

The side torsos on the front are actually very small, i estimate them to start under the cockpit and end at the arms.
The problem is the rear extension - the sides of it count as forward side torso armor so you have to be very careful when torso twisting - and I got double gaussed in one and instapopped when they had my side because they shot me in the back.

As long as you can reasonably keep yourself facing the enemy, you will do well, I think.
Remember, this is a SKIRMISHER, this means not a sniper and not a brawler, it circles just around the front line and uses positioning to lay down laser alphas to melt things.

So if you're doing it right, you should not be getting shot at, much less getting hit.
Think Quickdraw with same type of loadouts and speed (XL350 on Quickdraw is luls), but an absolutely tiny package.
Just walk next to something relatively petite like a EBJ and you'll know how tiny this mech is in terms of height.

I recommend at least a XL300 on this machine. I'm still working on a XL350 build because GOTTA GO FAST but I've found that there is easily more than a few decent builds with XL300s on all models. The onyl one I've considered going less than XL300 on is the JJ one.

[Bishop Steiner]

Edweird, on 06 October 2015 - 09:38 PM, said:

Actually, Bishop, I found the Crab's hitboxes to be quite amazing and well suited to XL.

I've also dumfoundedly found that it's best to just look at the enemy and control damage with small movements, it has Stalker-like hitboxes.

The side torsos on the front are actually very small, i estimate them to start under the cockpit and end at the arms.
The problem is the rear extension - the sides of it count as forward side torso armor so you have to be very careful when torso twisting - and I got double gaussed in one and instapopped when they had my side because they shot me in the back.

As long as you can reasonably keep yourself facing the enemy, you will do well, I think.
Remember, this is a SKIRMISHER, this means not a sniper and not a brawler, it circles just around the front line and uses positioning to lay down laser alphas to melt things.

So if you're doing it right, you should not be getting shot at, much less getting hit.
Think Quickdraw with same type of loadouts and speed (XL350 on Quickdraw is luls), but an absolutely tiny package.
Just walk next to something relatively petite like a EBJ and you'll know how tiny this mech is in terms of height.

I recommend at least a XL300 on this machine. I'm still working on a XL350 build because GOTTA GO FAST but I've found that there is easily more than a few decent builds with XL300s on all models. The onyl one I've considered going less than XL300 on is the JJ one.

well. my go to, as noted is the 250std with lpl, mlx5. Been solid. I can directly swap out to a 325xl. Will try again, and maybe with speed tweak it will work. Right now, finding myself flanked by faster units tooeasy, when I use a 300-325-

[STEF_]

Bishop, as I hoped, I'm having a lot of fun with my crabs.

I died 4 (2 for ST, 2 for CT), and it seems to me it's tanky enough to mount XL, with extra-speed and lezors; or STD (engine) for even more durability.
So, a lot of possible builds, each with instant-convergence, so easy-mode.

Edited by Stefka Kerensky, 06 October 2015 - 09:49 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Stefka Kerensky, on 06 October 2015 - 09:48 PM, said:

Bishop, as I hoped, I'm having a lot of fun with my crabs.

I died 4 (2 for ST, 2 for CT), and it seems to me it's tanky enough to mount XL, with extra-speed and lezors; or STD (engine) for even more durability.
So, a lot of possible builds, each with instant-convergence, so easy-mode.

Issue I'm having might be the "how" to tank with. With CN9s and HBKs, I'm used to twisting like a maniac to spread damage all over the mech. Moment I do that, STs eat massive dmg on these, so it might be a matter of retraining myself, to micro-twists, like Edweird says.

But considering that might bleed over and impact my HBKs, I might be better off just running STDs than trying to tune in too many micro playstyles. I just don't play enough anymore for it to be second nature.

Honestly, once Battletech Closed Beta starts, this acct is probably gonna collect a LOT of dust.

[STEF_]

Bishop Steiner, on 06 October 2015 - 09:53 PM, said:

Issue I'm having might be the "how" to tank with. With CN9s and HBKs, I'm used to twisting like a maniac to spread damage all over the mech. Moment I do that, STs eat massive dmg on these, so it might be a matter of retraining myself, to micro-twists, like Edweird says.

But considering that might bleed over and impact my HBKs, I might be better off just running STDs than trying to tune in too many micro playstyles. I just don't play enough anymore for it to be second nature.

Honestly, once Battletech Closed Beta starts, this acct is probably gonna collect a LOT of dust.

Crab is a different mech than cent and Huncie, indeed.
Tiny frontal profile let you to side peek, release and hide, and it has the speed to do that.

Anyway, about the BT affair....we are in the same

One year and a half is a very long time...

[Bishop Steiner]

Stefka Kerensky, on 06 October 2015 - 09:58 PM, said:

Crab is a different mech than cent and Huncie, indeed.
Tiny frontal profile let you to side peek, release and hide, and it has the speed to do that.

Anyway, about the BT affair....we are in the same

One year and a half is a very long time...

my money is that CB invites will be out in 6 months time.

[MrEdweird]

I melted more than one mech by having them chase me around and popping LPLs in their CTs while they were trying to hit my CT from the back, which is funny. I'll enjoy it while it lasts and then maybe people will figure out that there is a reason that half the engine is located in a block behind the center of mass...and shoot me there.

This thing is basically a 5 tons lighter Bushwacker with just energy hardpoints.
I have no clue why they had trouble designing the engine stuff for it when they've obviously already done it 300+ years ago on the Crab.

Also, I found the idea of different claw types on the different models /lovely/.
Maybe one day we'll get the hinted external customization.

I mean, they sort of did a preview of it with the Founder's mechs and the package exclusive geometries.
I guess it's just too hard to design a system that adds stuff to the mech as opposed to it being hard-modeled like we have now. But they did it with weapons visualization and those work fine so I don't see why not.

Edited by Edweird, 06 October 2015 - 10:05 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Edweird, on 06 October 2015 - 09:59 PM, said:

I melted more than one mech by having them chase me around and popping LPLs in their CTs while they were trying to hit my CT from the back, which is funny. I'll enjoy it while it lasts and then maybe people will figure out that there is a reason that half teh engine is located in a block behind the center of mass...and shoot me there.

will say, that when I dropped a few in my HBK-4G, no Crab left my sights alive. But I'm pretty deliberate where I place that ac20.

Still, having more fun with the Crab than expected...and not with the model I expected. Though I'd be running the 27SL, but it's the 27B that is getting all the funsies. Might be the first LaserVomit Medium I like.

[MrEdweird]

I thought that it was either the 350XL or 6E hardpoint models that were going to be the best.
I mean, yeah, JJs are nice and this mech needs all the mobility and positioning it can get (think Sparky and Quickdraw again...) but JJs are often more of a gimmick than a necessary thing.