13 replies to this topic

[Ritual Hammer]

So when building the best brawler, what kind of weapons work the best. I imagine missiles.

Lasers provide the highest damage to weight ratio but require tons of heat sinks (pun intended) to compensate. The most likely to leave you shut down mid combat in close quarters. Probably best suited for hit and run styles or backup weapons.

Ballistics are a strong contender because they provide that on point damage for close and ranged fighting but are the heaviest weapons to carry leaving little room for speed, armor or suitability (STD vs XL engines) . Two AC/2's push out 5.56 DPS at 12 tons. Not the one hit punch of the AC/20 at 5 DPS, the next highest ballistic DPS at a higher weight of 14 tons or the AC/10's similar 12 ton weight at 4 DPS.

However, while the dual AC/2's push out the highest DPS, one ton of ammo only carries the potential damage of 150, tied for lowest with the AC/5. While the AC/10 carries the highest promise of damage at 200 per ton. Ballistics also confer a level of versatility to combat via range, even if building a brawler for close quarters.

To compare that to missile ammo, each ton of SRM ammo offers 215 damage potential and just 3 SRM6's + ARTEMIS IV also weight 12 tons pushing out 9.68 DPS and 4 SRM6's push out 12 DPS. Sloppier, more resource demanding damage but also higher compared to 3 SRM6 or an AC/10's 4 DPS.

This almost makes me think a Catapult rocking 6 SRM6's + ARTEMIS IV at 19.35 DPS is the strongest contender. I am a noob so I could be wrong.

None for these DPS figure included bonus mech quirks.

Lets talk about that.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

strongest dps-"brawler" used to be DRG-1N with srm4:s and dual ac5:s.

18.5 DPS with the autocannon arm + srms

generally you would want a AC20/or 10 and 3-4 racks of srms in a successful and cool running brawler build.

[Leone]

Anything that can carry an AC20 can make a few sacrifices an carry dual uac 5s. That is what I love brawling with, Yeah, they can jam, but when you get a good strech their just vicious. Small lasers aint half bad, far as laser weaponry goes. Small pulse or er smalls for Clan mechs.

I 'unno, srms were suppose't've gotten better since I made most of my brawlers. Maybe I'll give em another go. Mostly I use em for srm2 spam.

~Leone.

Edited by Leone, 20 February 2016 - 05:54 PM.

[Ritual Hammer]

Rear Admiral Tier 6, on 20 February 2016 - 05:29 PM, said:

strongest dps-"brawler" used to be DRG-1N with srm4:s and dual ac5:s.

18.5 DPS with the autocannon arm + srms

generally you would want a AC20/or 10 and 3-4 racks of srms in a successful and cool running brawler build.

Could you show the build on smurfy? I just loaded that dual ac5 and the 2 srm4 it could fit which was only 11.76 DPS.

Leone, on 20 February 2016 - 05:33 PM, said:

Anything that can carry an AC20 can make a few sacrifices an carry dual uac 5s. That is what I love brawling with, Yeah, they can jam, but when you get a good strech their just vicious. Small lasers aint half bad, far as laser weaponry goes. Small pulse or er smalls for Clan mechs.

I 'unno, srms were suppose't've gotten better since I made most of my brawlers. Maybe I'll Give em another go.

~Leone.

I'd like to stay away from lasers and UAC's for my brawler. I prefer to know my damage is gonna be rock solid through out the fight, even if I have to go from one fight to another.

[invernomuto]

Leone, on 20 February 2016 - 05:33 PM, said:

Anything that can carry an AC20 can make a few sacrifices an carry dual uac 5s. That is what I love brawling with, Yeah, they can jam, but when you get a good strech their just vicious. Small lasers aint half bad, far as laser weaponry goes. Small pulse or er smalls for Clan mechs.

Agreed. I have my CTF-3D configured that way: Dual AC5 and a nice quirk that reduces the probability of jamming.
Very fun to play with, I usually forgot that I also have lasers

D.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

Austiclyse, on 20 February 2016 - 05:55 PM, said:

Could you show the build on smurfy? I just loaded that dual ac5 and the 2 srm4 it could fit which was only 11.76 DPS.

it was with the 50 % cooldown quirk + cd-module back when the quirks hit.

[BaconCouch]

The timberwolf with SRMs makes a very strong candidate running x4 CSRM6 packs, small pulse lasers.
Can take full armor, jump jets, and moves at very high speed for its size, with decent hitboxes.

[Flak Kannon]

It's a matter of playstyle.

I used to brawl really well with UAc5's and a couple Medium Lasers.



recently, as I leveled the Wolverines, Shadow Hawks, and Griffins, I realized my best brawler build was a Jump Jet capable, SRM(6) loaded mech. throw in a big XL Engine, 340, 350 or so, a couple medium lasers, and you have massive burst damge, great agility, great mobility, and decent cooling.


I love dumping srm24 in the center torso of a Direwolf as I fly over it.....

Rinse, wash, repeat.

[Gray Ace]

Don't over look the inner spheres large pulse laser, if you have two of them its like having a faster AC20 without having to worry about ammo. They pair up well with multiple AC 5 builds because the ACs are very low heat, then the LPL deliver that extra punch.

[Roughneck45]

If were talking about pure brawlers I'd say that SRMs, AC20's, medium and small lasers are the only acceptable weapons. Not that the other things can't, but they aren't forced to brawl.

Flak Kannon, on 03 March 2016 - 05:27 PM, said:

recently, as I leveled the Wolverines, Shadow Hawks, and Griffins, I realized my best brawler build was a Jump Jet capable, SRM(6) loaded mech. throw in a big XL Engine, 340, 350 or so, a couple medium lasers, and you have massive burst damge, great agility, great mobility, and decent cooling.


I love dumping srm24 in the center torso of a Direwolf as I fly over it.....

Rinse, wash, repeat.

SO. MUCH. THIS.

I've been having a blast with Griffins and maxed out JJ's. No one is ever expecting that kind of jump height.

[InspectorG]

If you Solo a lot.

If you like to be sneaky.

If you like to dance around a slow enemy assault in a Heavy...
Splat Summoner. Is it OP? Not likely. But it can move for a heavy and is fun.

[MekStorm]

I really dont get why people love the AC20 so much, its slow, equiping 2 of them is ridiculously hot and if your target isnt dead after you fired them both (along with your other weapons) your going to shutdown.......the range is so low that you would never even manage to hit them with an optimal shot until your half dead........

i have 2 brawling mech builds for you.....both assualts (i have never tried a Timberwolf or Warhawk but i doubt they will loadout as well as these next 2)

KingCrab (0000 i think, the one with 2 ballistic points) 2LBX10 (my preferred but AC10 is fine i guess) 4 Med Laser, 4 SRM6 (artemis may fit on too, im still building this one so not sure)

DireWolf (6 Ballistic Points) 6 X UAC5's Targetting computer4/5 OR (4BallisticPoints) 4X UAC10's

BTW my personal dmg scores with these dire builds are (AC5)900 Dmg, (AC10)1100 dmg
with the crab, its not as high but i average 500-600 dmg per round

these 2 assualts are the only mechs i had success with, nothing else compares to my brawling style play.

[Akhri Mala]

Novas.

The Nova-Prime with 12 Clan Small Pulse Lasers.

Nova-S with 6 Clan Small Pulse Lasers and 4 Machine guns.

Addicting.

[The Schwartz]

dps isn't so much a factor with brawlers.. it's burst damage.. an ac/10 is better if the gun is on point than an ac/20 but put those mechs toe to toe and figure in torso twisting and damage mitigation that ac/10 is more than likely going to deal 10 damage to an arm and 10 damage to a torso where the 20 will damage all 20 at the impact spot. The whole thing with brawlers is decently protected hard points so.. arm mounted guns tend to fail quickly at close range but torso guns tend to last much longer. lasers do have a considerable drawback that many fail to see... it doesn't just add a little heat, but it prevents cooling down during the duration of the laser fire.. that extra 10 damage off a couple ML's could have been 24 damage of srms or in the case of my atlas, could be 36 damage in srms and an ac/20 shot.. that second or two of cooldown from the laser interruption is costly.
There's always exceptions to the rule, the small laser nova, sheer dps with headsinks and jumpjets give it a neat little close range striker style... the CN9-AH with the ac/20 quirks and missle quirks (in my case i use the srm2 cd module + ac/20 cd module) you have enough speed to dance around an assualt while machine gunning srms usually providing time to get a well placed ac/20 shot.
i've also toyed with ERPPC brawler builds and the shadowhawk can make an amusing one if you cut down the srms, up the heatsinks and use the ERPPC as part of the burst damage.. still really hot and not worth the heat generation but.. meh...

I'll post something more useful when i take a look at some of my more favored brawlers... got a thunderbolt with a LPL AC/10 and 3x ML.. that runs suprizingly cool but takes a bit of skill to use the arm shots while swinging around the torso for "volly 2"... really with brawlers you want to not use armlock.