42 replies to this topic

[Funky Bacon]

LBX is like a "long range" SRM or MRM I guess. They work, but a proper AC for the same caliber is always better. (makes me wonder how proper MRM would work in this game... )

It does have a nice sound and look tho.

[Trauglodyte]

I still don't get why people don't understand this. If you're going to kill a mech, the most damage you should do to that mech is 33 points straight to the head (18 external, 15 internal). If you can't head shot gib every mech, then you need to either bore through the CTs, in the case of a standard engine IS mech or standard/XL Clan mech, or take out one of the two side torsos for an IS XL mech. Anything more is a complete and total waste of damage and does nothing but make you feel good about what you just did. In truth, that number just tells you that you did a great job of wasting time. Spread damage might look cool but it is extremely inefficient. At the end of the day, the longer it takes you to kill a mech means that more time that your target mech has to kill you, said mech's friends have to kill you and your teammates, and the greater risk that you put your team in going forward. Don't be that guy!

[Malachy Karrde]

The weapons with spread damage are designed for team combat..something that most players in this game don't understand. It's the same reason a shotgun is used in real life. It might not kill outright but will certainly mess up a lot of real estate so to speak. Ideally, an lbx mech is a team player who softens up the enemy for the team. Since its usually every man for himself, these weapons aren't seen as very useful. In a proper team, they could be very useful... I am actually recruiting a couple of friends so we can drop together as a lance and might test put this hypothesis when I have a proper group that fights together instead of the every man for himself mentality.

[Bishop Steiner]

In general, LBX are..... Less than optimal.

That said in some combos they seem to click. My JM6-DD runs a 295xl, 2x LB-10X, 4x MG, 2x MLasers.... And if I get within 300 meters it cores thru even Assault Mechs like a Tweeking Beaver thru a pile of balsa wood.

Don't claim to one why. Just seems to work.

But in most other instances? Meh. Even the CN9-D only lises 10% cool down by going to an AC10, and it's a much better killer with the normal AC.

[Bud Crue]

Good or bad, is irrelevant. Can it be effective in certain circumstances? Yes. Just like any other weapon. Are some weapons better? Sure. But sometimes it is the weapon that fits and it does its job just fine.

Trick to being "most" efffective: Ignore the LBX possible range and treat it like an AC/20. I assure you if you get in close with it, especially if you equip cool down mod, it can be quite lethal.

[Khobai]

LBX sucks because crits dont matter AT ALL in this game

LBX is supposed to be a crit seeking weapon but pinpoint damage makes it so easy to destroy an entire location that crits almost never happen

If you wanna fix LBX you have to make crit seeking a thing. That means either cracking down on pinpoint damage or significantly buffing internal structure across the board.

Edited by Khobai, 20 February 2016 - 10:25 AM.

[Trauglodyte]

The LB series would be better IF you were guaranteed that some of the pellets would go to where you're aiming. For example, I was testing out the Clan LB 2-X earlier this morning because I was curious as to what it sounded like (we all know how sexy sounding the IS LB 10-X is so yeah). In testing it against the Commando that was 76m in front of me in Frozen City Night, everything went to where I pointed which is obvious. But, having not moved, I targeted the Cicada some 400m behind the Mando and started firing. As everyone knows, the pellets went everywhere. I actually only equipped a single ton of ammo but I ran out before I could kill the Cicada. How is it a good thing that the LB 2-X can core a stock Mando but then can't kill a stock Cicada with a single ton of ammo?

The answer to fixing the LBs lies in one of 2 answers: 1) Make the weapon a single project like the normal AC and, upon impact, have the damage spread similarly to the Clan PPC but in 1 point increments or 2) keep the "shotgun" design but have half of the pellets fired go to where you're pointing and the rest spread as they currently do.

[Alistair Winter]

FupDup, on 19 February 2016 - 09:11 PM, said:

Obligatory:

Amazing how this is still valid, many years later. Crazy how nature do dat.

On a funny note though, I'm so used to ignoring mechs with LBX, I sometimes stumble into 90 meter range of a Mauler troll build with 4xLBX10 or an LBX-boating Dire Wolf. At point blank, I grant you that they are pretty deadly. (Unless I'm in my 12xSPL Nova, in which case, ggclose 4 u)

[Amsro]

I've always liked the LB10X if you can get in close. If you are playing a range game... good luck.

LBX30 Mauler works wonderfully.

[wanderer]

The only reason mass boating LB-Xs has some effectiveness is the same reason we boat LRMs.

It somewhat compensates for the fact that some damage just isn't gonna matter even when you hit. (Oddly enough, LB-Xs share the same fact that just because they still do damage at longer ranges doesn't mean they're worth shooting there.)

[Wild Pegasus]

Amsro, on 20 February 2016 - 11:23 AM, said:

I've always liked the LB10X if you can get in close. If you are playing a range game... good luck.

LBX30 Mauler works wonderfully.

LBX's are actually pretty good for dealing with brawling lights like the ACH, because when they inevitably start running circles around you they'll be close enough for the spread to catch both of their legs at once, something a regular autocannon can't do. A couple volleys from dual LBX's can strip the leg armor from most lights pretty handily once you get the timing right.

Combine them with a heavy 'mech that's guaranteed to attract lights looking for easy kills, like a Catapult K2, and you've got a nice walking flyswatter.

[Damia Savon]

wanderer, on 19 February 2016 - 11:01 PM, said:

It's not how much damage you do, but how much damage you do to a killing location that matters in the end.

Spraying people across the full body isn't nearly as effective as the same damage-range AC firing solid shots into the same location. Same reason LRMs are a third-class weapon vs. direct fire weaponry. It takes more damage inflicted via spread to equal a lesser amount of direct damage.

LRMS really are not supposed to kill the enemy. They make it easier for others to kill the enemy.

[Random Carnage]

Make the LBX fire sabot rounds. Hits a single location with full damage to punch through armor, then breaks apart into 2/5/10/20 component projectiles to wreck internals.

[LordNothing]

at least on the is side you kind of have a reason to use lb10s, like if you want to save a ton over an ac10. i know i use them on some mediums where i needed an extra ton for something else (like a back up laser or more ammo). on the clan side the lb has no tonnage advantage. if they were dropped a ton across the board it would make the weapon more appealing. lights could equip lb2s much easier than the other cannons since they would only be 4 tons. its always better to go ultra the way it is now. ultras instantly obsolete every other clan ballistic option.

Edited by LordNothing, 20 February 2016 - 03:54 PM.

[Malachy Karrde]

The LBX weapons are similar to LRMs...make it easier to kill the enemy. I consider them support cannons... but in a big enough mech, they can be part of afire solution. Right now, I fire my weapons in groups based upon range to target. I open up with a salvo or two of LRMs, then when they hit 500 meters, I go o continuous fire on my autocannons, when they hit 200 meters, I open up with 6 ER small lasers....assuming that the target is alive long enough to reach close range. I just got enough cbills to outfit my Dire with 4 LBX 5's... I know what I average with UACs... Ill see how much different it is with LBX5s.

[Tordin]

LRM and missiles are the second least useful weapons some say above flamers and mg. Gosh, well then.
The Lbx 10, spreading 10 pellets and lrm having 5, 10, 15, 20 missile tubes. They should have done it so each of those 10 pellets do like, 1.5 points of damage or 2 maybe (the lbx 20 would become and lbx 20 if all pellets hit in theory) each missile should do more damage too and even better velocity.

[LordNothing]

the weapon could be improved a lot with a non-linear spread. a large majority of the pellets would be grouped close to the center line, with a small number of outliers at the edge of the arc.

[Trauglodyte]

Just make a small portion go to where you're targeted: LB 2 would get 1, LB 5 would get 2, LB 10 would get 3, LB 20 would get 4. Then, you pump up the damage per pellet to 1.2, like SRMs, and you run with it. If you need to tighten the pattern globally after a while, you do it. This isn't rocket science.

[GrimRiver]

LBX's are pretty fun to run, just treat them like shotguns in a sense because of grouping spread over range.

[SkaerKrow]

So, the LBXs get passed over for damage spread, but SRMs don't seem to get griped about that much. Is the spread on the SRM just tight enough that the splash isn't such a big deal, or is it more that the SRMs are designed to fire at targets at point blank range, where there's little chance to spread?

I run a LBX-40 Mauler, which is excellent at softening up targets, but admittedly doesn't gun down many Assaults (or even Heavies) on its own, even at close range.