19 replies to this topic

[4ries]

Greetings and salutations folks.

I wanted to show my current heavy loadout for my (only) heavy mech I own, the Quickdraw-5K.

This is actually the second heavy mech that I bought with C-Bills; the previous one being the Dragon-1N. I actually didnt like the Dragon because I couldnt afford an XL engine that time and as such I was running around with a practical standard loadout; 2 medium lasers, 1 ac5 and an lrm10.
But it wasnt the loadout that bothered me, but the fact that the dragon is squishy (atleast, for me personally it was...) so I decided to bite the bullet and sell the goddamn thing. I was dying all the time and getting perhaps only 1 or 2 kills in it.
So I didnt like it; I sold it but not before stripping all the equipment off of it; lasers, ac5 and lrm10 plus heatsinks etc.
I then went ahead and play further with my hunchbacks I have bought (the 4J, 4H and 4P - the lrm hunch, the ac10 hunch and the laser hunch).
So, I saved up enough to buy me a second heavy mech and I decided upon the Quickdraw. Its not bad looking, 6 energy hardpoints seemed nice and also the quirks showed some promise (atleast to me... ). I dont use its missile hardpoint because you just cant put anything of value there. i tried an lrm10 but the tubecount gets me; only 4 tubes that are fixed. So the lrm10 launches 4-4-2. Not good. I also tried the standard 6 medium lasers and an srm6 I believe; not a fan either. I didnt kill nothing with that; too close range and not much damage in return.

So, a few tries at building this Quickdraw-5K (2x LPL and 4 medium lasers or 2 ER LL and 2 LL or 6 medium lasers and SRM6 or 1 LPL and 5 medium lasers <- only the 2 LPL and 4 medium lasers was somewhat decent at killing things.).
So I kept looking and I came up with this: 3 ER LL and 3 medium pulse lasers. I also have the ER LL cooldown module (only level 3 so far; I dont earn enough exp to fully upgrade it yet...)

Here is my smurfy link: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b9bf4759d07bf69

Summary: 3 ER LL in the side torso's (2 in my right and 1 in the left)
3 medium pulse lasers ( 1 in the right arm, 1 left torso, 1 in the left arm)
7 double heatsinks (one in the engine, the rest spread over the mech)
XL 295 I had in my inventory (speed is 79,6 or something)
Ferro Fibrous almost maxed (only 52 of 56 on the legs)
No jumpjets
Standard structure (EndoSteel didnt give me the wanted free space.)
The alpha on this thing is 45. Heat is 1.14. As long as I only fire my ER LL or my pulse lasers I am fine. Firing them both at the same time gives me heat problems (can only fire them twice or so...).

Yes, I know its not build to standards, but I dont like that anyway so I try and come up with things on my own. And please stay friendly. We are mostly adults, only kiddies scream and have anger issues...
Also c-bills are an issue... I currently have 8 million C-Bills...

So, what do you think...? To be honest I can already imagine the suggestions coming my way. xD

4ries

[Rogue Jedi]

here is my feedback,

if you alpha strike it will run hot, but that will not be a problem if you use the ERLLs for long range and the MPLs for short.

you have Fero Fibrus armor but not Endo Steel Internals, Endo offers more weight saving than Fero for the same slots, so take endo instead.
here are my proposed upgrades for your design.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7637880354f7851
what I have done is used the extra tonage from endo to up the engine to a 300, which gives a second heatsink slot in the engine which I have used, so my redesign is slightly faster and runs cooler.

if I was to build it for me I would go for something more like this:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...02153b08329d663
but then I love getting close and going fast, that is more of a harrasser and verry mobile for a Heavy Mech, 6 MPL will quickly strip armor from anything weighting more than 45 tons, but plenty of the lighter Mechs are fast enough to spread that damage

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 07 April 2016 - 07:00 AM.

[Karl the Plumber]

I agree with Jedi that you're going to run a little hot; the only thing I would add is that you're going to want to spend those C-bills on two more Quickdraw chassis so you can unlock the Master skill tier and then get your mech double-basiced. Getting all your skills unlocked is essential to being able to play a mech to its full potential.

[Rogue Jedi]

Karl the Plumber, on 07 April 2016 - 07:06 AM, said:

I agree with Jedi that you're going to run a little hot; the only thing I would add is that you're going to want to spend those C-bills on two more Quickdraw chassis so you can unlock the Master skill tier and then get your mech double-basiced. Getting all your skills unlocked is essential to being able to play a mech to its full potential.

minor amendment, getting all the elite skills unlocked does far more for your Mechs perfmrmance than getting the master level extra module slot, which is what most players assume you mean if you say mastered.

[ImperialKnight]

go back to the 2 LPL/ 4 MLas build.

medium pulse are not really worth it due to the weight that can be used for cooling.

you have to bite the bullet and swap out the ferro and take endo. ferro is a waste of crit slots if you haven't taken endo.

always take at least 1 JJ if the mech can equip it. it will help immensely with maps that has corridors, like Canyon.

If you want to play a non-jump-capable laserdrill Heavy IS mech, take the Black Knight.

[Bud Crue]

OP,

On the one hand: Dude! Its a Quickdraw! By all that is pure and sacred, it must have jump jets! No jets on a Quickdraw is, is...blasphemy!

On the other hand: To each his own. I run a similar build with 3LL and only 2MP. XL300, 3-4JJ, rest heatsinks. I find I don't snipe at extreme range with ERLL that much in my QDs so the loss of range dropping down to the LL didn't hurt me.

[Spheroid]

Downgrade to 2x mlas, remove ferro and install jumpjets.

[Vlad Striker]

QKD-5K

[S 0 L E N Y A]

I give it a C+.

The build is not non-sense, but it is a mixed purpose build, which IMO is not suited for most mechs under 75t.

If I were in your shoes, I would keep the build as is and ask myself: which is performing better for me, the ERLL or MPL?
Then optimize on that.

Also consider the classic LPL and ML combo, they work very well together.

[Repasy Cooper]

As others have stated this is a mixed range build. That's not necessarily a bad thing, so if you enjoy the build I would keep it as is.

Having said that, if you feel like specializing your role a bit, you could try focusing on long range or short range.

Long Range Build: QKD-5K Ranger
I recommend this build if you want to get the most out of your long range weaponry. Though some would view the addition of Long Range Missiles as a bad choice, it is still better suited for a dedicated long-range mech. 1 ton of ammo is sufficient to soften enemies up, as you should use it up quickly before it becomes an ammo detonation risk. Less laser weaponry gives your trio of ER Large Lasers more heat mitigation, allowing you to keep focused fire up for longer. DPS is just on the cusp of 4, up from 3.6, and heat efficiency is increased by 14%. Your alpha is down by 8 pts, but those MPL will not help unless you intend to be flanked by lights. This build requires range discipline, ie. you can't take the forward charge, you will support from the second line. Ideal range is 975-675m, and all engagements should be at least +600m when possible. This will keep you out of the range of a lot of weaponry, including IS AC20.

Short Range Build: QKD-5K Brawler
I propose this build as an alternative to some other's builds. It retains Jump Jets and upgrades the engine for an edge in urban combat, and while it still runs hot, careful heat management ensures you can dish out 4.6pts of damage per second. One and a half tons of ammo give you 25 shots with the SRM6, plenty for an engagement.

If you want to increase your survivability, you can try QKD-5K Zombie. It's a big downgrade in mobility, but dishes out about the same damage, and you can keep fighting down to your CT. Just don't go run blindly into the fray if you think you may end up isolated, because you don't have the speed to retreat.

There's also the classic LPL MPL combo too, as others have pointed out. Great for short-to-mid range.

Edited by Repasy Cooper, 07 April 2016 - 03:16 PM.

[Wedge Red Leader]

I get you man, new means being low on C-bills. And ultra tweaked mechs get expensive fast.

I read most of what the other have posted so far, and I didn't see anything I necessary disagree with. That said, here is what build I would run in your situation.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...3c0e4927a0c1302

Reasons (not necessarily in order of importance
1) uses an engine you have already (XL295)
2) uses the "stock" upgrade options (FF and DS)
3) uses a current meta weapon combo (LPL and ML)
4) the weapon placement makes it a left side poker (you can change it to a right side poker np, I just use left as a preference)
5) the LPL in the arm makes it better able to shoot down UAVs
6) has 1 jump jet for maneuvering (this is nice, if I'm able I always bring at least 1, 1-3 usually)

Yes the above build isn't at maximum tweaked, but I feel it would be competitive at nearly any game play level. Give it a try for a while, and if you like it, tweak it later.

And maybe have this as a long term goal.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f7e38ff5a29644b

Good luck.

[4ries]

Greetings people;

After I wrote my first post, I already changed my mech once more in its loadout because I wasnt that happy with my 3 ERLL and 3 medpulse lasers. It seemed like it was taking forever to deliver damage with the 3 ERLL... Even with the ERLL cooldown module.
At this time I have installed on my mech this (dont have a smurfy link yet...):
* 4 medium lasers in my side torso's
* 2 large pulse lasers in the arms (when I jumpjet on something I would like my biggest hitters to be able to aim down...)
PS: I also have the range module for the Large Pulse laser fully unlocked.
* max. jumpjets (5)
* Ferro fibrous armor

Cant remember the exact config...
Also the reason why I didnt use endosteel was this; it doesnt always allow you to install certain weapons and the heatsinks needed before you run out of spare room when you still have 3 tons left but no room anymore to install stuff in. So I stick with standard structure for the time being.

I was not aware that I was using a 'meta' build... There I was stating I will not be part of this... xD

And also, I already tried a lrm10 on this qck-5k and wasnt impressed by it... Since it fired the missiles in 2 or 3 salvo's...

Since I never tried jumjets on a mech before (not even in Mechwarrior 4/Mercs) I decided I wanted to try those things out. So now I have 5 jumpjets on my mech. But they deplete rather quickly I have noticed.

I think I still have a lot to learn about this game. And the lack of weapons also bothers me somewhat... In MW4/mercs you had a wide range of weapons you could use.
I was a fond user of combining 2 different weapontypes with eachother that had the same range like an AC20 with a medium laser or a clan gauss rifle with an ER Large laser. Or the lbx 5 AC with the large X-pulse laser on my Warlord Atlas... Fun times, fun times... xD

Anyway, I would like to thank you for your input. Now its time to play some more with my current loadout and see if it works for me. If not, there are some options here I could try out.

Fly my Quickdraw mech, Fly!

Edited by 4ries, 08 April 2016 - 04:46 AM.

[Bud Crue]

4ries,

Good luck and have fun with your build.

One last thing to consider: One of the big benefits of the QD 5k is the four high torso mounts. I get what you are saying with wanting to point down when you jump up on something and thus why you put your LPLs in your arms. But I think you will find that actually taking advantage of this arrangement will be a rarity, particularly when compared to the frequency of circumstances where you will need to poke over a ridge, or simply shoot across uneven terrain. By having your LPLs in your arms, you will find that often, even slight rises, will cause you to hit the terrain that is closer to you than the mech beyond. Moreover if you are spreading damage via twisting (which you better be if you want to live long) your arms are going to act as shields. If you are doing it right you will lose one or both arms before anything else, and with those arms go your primary weapons. Anyway, something to consider.

[Rogue Jedi]

4ries, on 08 April 2016 - 04:42 AM, said:

Since I never tried jumjets on a mech before (not even in Mechwarrior 4/Mercs) I decided I wanted to try those things out. So now I have 5 jumpjets on my mech. But they deplete rather quickly I have noticed.

Jumpjets have limited "fuel" no matter how many you take you get the same burn duration, but each extra jet gives you more thrust.
some people will just put 1-2 jets on a Mech, that makes no sence to me as it bairley allows you to clear small rocks, I much prefer 4+ JJs, because they allow you to jump high enough to clear serious obstructions. if you jump high and run out of fuel you will take damage to your legs on landing, I usualy let go at about 25% fuel, and feather the jumpjets to give me a soft landing.

if you find yourself enjoying jumping try the Spider sometime, the 5V can mount 12 jets, enough to get twice as high as most other Mechs

[4ries]

Bud Crue, on 08 April 2016 - 05:37 AM, said:

4ries,

Good luck and have fun with your build.

One last thing to consider: One of the big benefits of the QD 5k is the four high torso mounts. I get what you are saying with wanting to point down when you jump up on something and thus why you put your LPLs in your arms. But I think you will find that actually taking advantage of this arrangement will be a rarity, particularly when compared to the frequency of circumstances where you will need to poke over a ridge, or simply shoot across uneven terrain. By having your LPLs in your arms, you will find that often, even slight rises, will cause you to hit the terrain that is closer to you than the mech beyond. Moreover if you are spreading damage via twisting (which you better be if you want to live long) your arms are going to act as shields. If you are doing it right you will lose one or both arms before anything else, and with those arms go your primary weapons. Anyway, something to consider.

I tried to pick something out of your post, but I couldnt so I put the whole thing as a quote in my answer here...

Yes, I realize this. I have found that with the large pulse lasers in my torso's and the mediums in my torso and arms that I couldnt focus the damage enough to well uh focus that damage on a certain point, but rather swiping over the target with my arm mounted mediums. Thus wasting 10 points of damage.
I think I have still to get used to how the lasers work in this game... I am used to the lasers in MW4/mercs with instant hit/damage.
But in MWO the lasers have a 'burn' duration, and that is what I have to get used at... And I dont know when I deliver the full damage and when not.

I still have to get used to this game... I have the mech under control no problems, but the weapons sometimes give me problems...

PS: @Rogue Jedi: Uhm, I never liked light mechs in MW4/Mercs, not because they are light and cant hold much weaponry but just because they are that fast and snappy. You zip past and fire your lasers but if you miss thats troubles for you... I couldnt handle the speed of light mechs, thats my point. I would like to try them out but my favourite light mech isnt in this game... The Owens IS light missile carrier with 2 lrm15 and 2 medium lasers I think. Also its an IS omnimech thats not developed in 3050 I believe... I cant say why that mech appeals to me.
Other light mechs that I also like are 2 clan lights; the adder (cougar) and the kit fox. But I swore 'allegiance' to the InnerSphere so I will only pilot IS mechs.

I could go on and on, but I will end it here...

Appreciate the reply's.

4ries

Edited by 4ries, 08 April 2016 - 11:35 AM.

[Tickdoff Tank]

Most important thing you need tot do is change out the Ferro-Fibrous for EndoSteel. Endo takes the same number of spaces as the Ferro, but gives better weight savings. The ONLY time you should use Ferro is when you already have Endo, have all the weapons you really want, still have a lot of space left, and can make use of another free ton (possibly up to 2 tons). That typically means a light mech, though there are some exceptions.

Long story short: Endo before Ferro, ALWAYS

Edit: I do not own any QuickDraws, but I played around on Smurphy for a bit and designed this:

QKD-5K

2 LPL, 4 ML. 300XL, 4 JJ, 10+7 DHS. This would fit my playstyle well. I like the punch of the 2 LPL and would use the ML in 2 groups (one group for the arms and 1 group for the torso) for a little extra heat control.

The other option would be 3 LPL with as many DHS as you can fit in.

Edited by Tickdoff Tank, 08 April 2016 - 04:16 PM.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

4ries:

Love what you're doing here. Do what works for YOU. And if you're not sure what that is, then trial-and-error is your friend! Keep that up!

THAT said, if you get nothing at all else from the swap from Ferro to Endo, if you have no use for that extra tonnage for more gear due to SPACE restrictions, then just run a BIGGER ENGINE!

If you roll back to your original build, and swap the ERLLs for LLs, and the MPLs for MLs, and the Ferro for Endo, then you can swap in an XL 330 engine to go 89.1 km/h, AND you can add a single JJ. You lose 3 points of alpha, but you also drop some duration on the BLUE lasers (0.25 seconds). Sure, you lose RANGE too, but you also ditch some HEAT as well, and you're gaining 10% to range just on the mech's quirks. Add the LL range and cooldown modules, and you're gonna be able to SPAM those LLs until next week! And that's running at almost 10 km/h faster than you do now, with a few (like six?) extra points of armor on those legs, and being able to use those JJs to maneuver. Just a thought. HERE it is. AND, that's a hair more heat-efficient than was your ERLL/MPL layout.

Honestly, I might even consider swapping to put ALL the LLs on one side, and all the MLs on the other. With one LL in an arm, you can use that in its own fire group to shoot at UAVs overhead that your torso pitch range won't let you shoot right now. And I wouldn't worry much about shooting DOWN on enemies from mid-jump, as that's not really an effective tactic--your trajectory in a long jump is VERY predictable, you're begging for unnecessary leg damage, and the extra jump jets are really just hogging weight and space. 1-2 JJs is all you need on any mech that isn't a poptart (which is the real shame of the ACH, SHC, and forthcoming Viper).

GL/HF!

[mailin]

To get Endo on, you'll need to take a bunch of things off your mech, remove FF, add endo and then put the things back on your mech. Both endo an FF are ways to save weight at the expense of space inside your mech. That is all that they do. FF does not increase the amount of armor on your mech, so get rid of it for the increased weight savings that endo offers for the same amount of internal space.

I believe this is different than MW4 which allowed more armor to be taken with FF, but I could be mistaken. But, this is how MWO works it.

Edited by mailin, 08 April 2016 - 11:35 PM.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

mailin, on 08 April 2016 - 11:34 PM, said:

To get Endo on, you'll need to take a bunch of things off your mech, remove FF, add endo and then put the things back on your mech. Both endo an FF are ways to save weight at the expense of space inside your mech. That is all that they do. FF does not increase the amount of armor on your mech, so get rid of it for the increased weight savings that endo offers for the same amount of internal space.

I believe this is different than MW4 which allowed more armor to be taken with FF, but I could be mistaken. But, this is how MWO works it.

Not sure how other MW games have done it, but IIRC it IS in keeping with old BT rules. There's a MAX armor that each weight class can have on each component, limited by POINTS of armor and not TONS.

ACTUALLY, let me quote from a newer .pdf edition of the BattleTech Technical Manual's rules for battlemech construction:

"The maximum amount of armor a BattleMech may mount is based on the number of points of internal structure it has. For all locations but the head, the BattleMech may mount twice as many armor points as it has internal structure in that location—for example, if an arm has 9 points of internal structure, it may carry up to 18 points of armor. The head of all BattleMechs (regardless of size) may support up to 9 armor points. Torso locations divide this maximum between their front and rear sides."

Important to note (I'm certain that mailin knows this already) that:

a.) Internal structure is limited in each component by battlemech weight (except the HEAD, which always got 9)
b.) MWO armor values per ton, and per location, are DOUBLED from BT.

Otherwise, seems to be the same rules at work here.

That doesn't take into account the various structure and armor quirks, however. Those are above and beyond the construction rules.

ANYHOW, EndoSteel internal structure is ALWAYS the better choice for freeing up weight. If you can't do BOTH, then just do Endo. Sadly, Ferro is a more common modification on mech variants in MWO than is Endo. And even MORE sadly, it costs money to change BACK from Ferro to standard armor, and from Endo to standard internals, and from ARtemis IV FCS to non-Artemis, and from Double Heat Sinks to Single Heat Sinks (though WHY would you ever want to do THAT?!).

[Spheroid]

Another cheap option is to run a dual large setup in one side of the chest only and use the free tonnage for secondary weapons. Since you stay under cover more you often have higher total damage by the end of the match.

Quickdraw builds using standard engines can sometimes utilize both ferro and endo, but it depends on the build.

Edited by Spheroid, 09 April 2016 - 01:26 PM.