18 replies to this topic

[Chryckan]

I've recently invested in a BJ-1 and are having lots of fun running around shooting things with my 2xAC2s. (Best moment so far; when I managed to get a mauler to turn around and run in Alpine.)

But to elite it I need 2 more and I'm not sure what builds to pick.

As for the BJ-3 I kind of tempted of using the MPL version from the metamechs site. BJ-3
But I don't really understand the comment on the speed being a drawback. (Isn't it at max speed?)

For the third version I'm leaning towards a BJ-1X mostly because I can't think of a viable ballistic build for the -1DC that isn't a copy of the AC2 build for the BJ-1 or uses an AC20 which I'm already have Cents that do.

I managed to make a 4LL build in smurfy with a xl255 engine that looked interesting. But it'll probably be both slow and toasty.

So what blackjack builds should I use to elite the mech. any suggestions?

[Mark of Caine]

I suggest the variant with 8 energy hardpoints on it. Forget which one... been so long since I've played my BJs. 6 Medium lasers in the arms with the weapon modules that go with it (range/cooldown) can make this thing a beast on the battlefield. Even works well on hot maps if you're good at managing your heat.

[Palfatreos]

BJ-1X (6 x ML, 2 x MPL, XK295)
BJ-1X
Best BJ to play brawler laser medium mech.


BJ-3 with the JJ and quirck is made for ppc or erppc poptarting. If you want lasers BJ-1X is quircked better in evrything BJ-3.

[ProfessorD]

Regarding speed:

Most of the Blackjack variants have low engine caps for a 45 ton chassis. You could put a bunch of MPL on other chassis with higher engine caps and end up with a mech with similar offensive capability and much higher speed.

Blackjack: 90.9 kph with speed tweak

Cicada: 148.0 kph
Wolfhound: 141.8 kph

For your 35 ton options (Jenner, Firestarter), if you switch to a set of 6 regular Medium Lasers, you can add extra heat sinks, jump jets, and other goodies in addition to carrying a big engine and going way faster than a Blackjack.

[Chryckan]

Palfatreos, on 11 April 2016 - 06:18 AM, said:

BJ-1X (6 x ML, 2 x MPL, XK295)
BJ-1X
Best BJ to play brawler laser medium mech.


BJ-3 with the JJ and quirck is made for ppc or erppc poptarting. If you want lasers BJ-1X is quircked better in evrything BJ-3.

So in other words switch things around. Put the long lazors on the BJ-3 and the lazor vomit on the BJ-1X.

Is it possible to get a build that doesn't overheat as soon as you think angry thoughts?

[WANTED]

Palfatreos, on 11 April 2016 - 06:18 AM, said:

BJ-1X (6 x ML, 2 x MPL, XK295)
BJ-1X
Best BJ to play brawler laser medium mech.


BJ-3 with the JJ and quirck is made for ppc or erppc poptarting. If you want lasers BJ-1X is quircked better in evrything BJ-3.

This.
It goes 114kph with speedtweak. Plus you have all those lasers. I run with target info module so I can pin point weaknesses quickly and remove those parts in an alpha. Either way it can alpha core even the larger mechs quicker than you think. Don't forget at least 1 cool down module or 2 if you don't need target info. Best mech for me even after armor quirk nerf.

[Shadey99]

The BJ-1X is usually used as a fast short range brawler with it's higher engine cap giving it speeds above 100 kph. It's not quite as tough as it used to be, but it's still very solid.

Personally, I like my 2xPPC+6xSPL BJ-3. Not as fast, but it can hit at long range or short... or best of all someone in the 100-150m range can get a face full of both for a nasty 60 damage alpha... It's slower, but jumpy which can be useful.

[Chryckan]

Shadey99, on 11 April 2016 - 09:03 AM, said:

The BJ-1X is usually used as a fast short range brawler with it's higher engine cap giving it speeds above 100 kph. It's not quite as tough as it used to be, but it's still very solid.

Personally, I like my 2xPPC+6xSPL BJ-3. Not as fast, but it can hit at long range or short... or best of all someone in the 100-150m range can get a face full of both for a nasty 60 damage alpha... It's slower, but jumpy which can be useful.

How do you get 2xPPC+6xSPLs on a BJ-3? It only have 6 energy hardpoints total.

But if not use the BJ-3 for lazor spam. What is a good build for it?

[Palfatreos]

BJ-3 (2 x PPC, 2 x ML, 4 x JJ, XL225)
BJ-3

BJ-3 (2 x ERPPC, 4 x JJ, XL225)
BJ-3

[Chryckan]

So poptarting then?

I've never had any luck with PPCs as I for some reason can't get any damaged with them. Even matches where I've clearly seen my PPCs hit a mech centre mass several times I've barely broken double digits when it comes to damage. Not to mention that it seems to spread its damage more the SRMs judging from how many components starts flashing when I shot a mech with them. So I try to stay away from PPC if I can.

[Palfatreos]

You can do a laser build on it if you want it just BJ-3 is quircked for poptart. Anything you build on a BJ-3 a BJ-1X can do it better because of better quirck and bigger engine. So there practicly no reason to use the laser BJ-3 after you master it.

[Shadey99]

Chryckan, on 11 April 2016 - 12:20 PM, said:

How do you get 2xPPC+6xSPLs on a BJ-3? It only have 6 energy hardpoints total.

My bad. I seem to recall having 6 SPLs, but I guess it was 4. Either way while not quite as powerful as my BJ-1X, I had more fun with it... In case your curious my PUG stats for both are:
BJ-1X: W:L of 1.25, K:D of 1.5, Damage per Match of 403, Damage per Ton of 8.97, & Per Match Damage per Ton of 16.82
BJ-3: W:L of 1, K:D of 1.44, D:M of 358, D:T of 7.96, Match D:T of 11.5

So not a big difference really and I'm not a poptarter (my middle aged reflexes are not terribly useful for that).

[Chryckan]

Well, played around in smurfy and came up with these two variants for the BJ-3.

BJ-3 LPLs+MLs

BJ-3 3xLPLs

The first is hotter but packs quite the punch. The other is fairly similar to the metamechs build.
I kind of prefer the the LPLs+MLs build mostly because my OCD hates asymetrical build. But I think the other is actually better and more fun.

Was also playing around with LPLs and SPLs but saw a with about weapon synergies that recommended LPLs and MLs so I went with that.

Any opinions.

[Aerei]

Chryckan, on 12 April 2016 - 09:16 AM, said:

Well, played around in smurfy and came up with these two variants for the BJ-3.

BJ-3 LPLs+MLs

BJ-3 3xLPLs

The first is hotter but packs quite the punch. The other is fairly similar to the metamechs build.
I kind of prefer the the LPLs+MLs build mostly because my OCD hates asymetrical build. But I think the other is actually better and more fun.

Was also playing around with LPLs and SPLs but saw a with about weapon synergies that recommended LPLs and MLs so I went with that.

Any opinions.

I actually made a build almost identical to the first one the other day, and it's crazy. I prefer it to the triple LPL for a few reasons--one of the big ones being that you can fire two LPLs relatively efficiently heat wise, whereas three will cook you up fairly fast with the low amount of heat sinks. Unlike some people, I actually like the burn time for lasers in certain situations, and I think the greater versatility and basically being a smaller Black Knight is really efficient. I did forgo some armor on the head and left arm to fit a third jumpjet. Think of that what you will.

The mech can also be pretty brutal in Scouting. In one round it nearly racked up 500.

[DTR4iN91]

I just finished eliting the blackjack my symmetric build is:
-ERLL in each arm
-2ML in each side torso
-STD180 motor
-AMS with 1 ton of ammo
-Full armor
-As many double heatsinks as you can fit

I average ~350 damage per match with my high almost 800. Snipe/suppress with the ERLL, you can continually fire them and not overheat. I have dominated many a hilltops by poking effectively. The ML are for those pesky lights and finishing off tlmechs you have been poking at all game. The full armor allows you to take substantial damage in the event you get caught off guard.

[PeeWrinkle]

Truth is you really can't go wrong with any of them. That said most lean towards the BJ-3 and the 1X. Quirks and JJ availability are what really make the difference between the variants. And the 1X's higher engine cap.
1X: High Engine Cap, No JJ's, ML Boating. Quirks to enhance ML Boating.
If that fits how you want to play, go with the 1X.
3: Nice energy quirks, but PPC quirks are out of this world. This is the one build I try to stick with quirks as PPCs really shine here.
If you want to jump around shooting plasma balls at people this is your best bet.
1DC: Very similar to the 1. It does not have JJ's it is not quite as mobile. This is why the 1 is usually chosen over this variant. However its great generic balistic and energy quirks make it great for running around with an AC20. I have actually found it to be more effective than my 1, since I run the 1 with an AC20. This one can shoot that AC20 much more often (especially with modules) and much cooler.

Hope that helps.

[Starbomber109]

Your initial thoughts are right, the 1X and the 3 are the 'best' blackjacks. Typically you will want to run max (or nearly max) XL engines on those. The 1X is a decent brawler/skirmisher and the BJ-3 is a sniper, using either PPCs or LPLs. I wanna try out PPCs on it again actually, I swapped over to LPLs due to the STORMTROOPER FRR thing, but sometime I will give the PPC another shot. BJ-3 is the true 'poptart' of the bunch.

[Steel Claws]

The pop sniping BJ-3 with 2 ERPPCs and 2 ML is a mech I play frequently. I've had as many as 6 kills with it and that was before the quirks. I got into the top 20 with it in one of the medium mech competitions before the quirks. You get that mech on Alpine or any open map and let fly. The max range of ERPPCs with it is like 1900 meters. Can do damage beyond the reach of most anything to shoot you back and full damage to 900. Great as a flanking sniper or overwatch mech.

The 1X with ml and 2 mpl reminds me of the Nova cat in MW4.

[Audacious Aubergine]

I've built an asymmetrical BJ-3 (2x ERPPC on one arm, MPL on the same side torso) in an attempt to have a dead side. Using a standard engine so I can do that without dying immediately, but just had a game were I was getting nailed in the CT despite facing all the way to one direction. Should I just put an XL in there so I'm not as slow as a heavy?

EDIT: Shaved even more armour for a STD 210 that I didn't realise I had lying around, so now it looks like BJ-3

Edited by Audacious Aubergine, 29 April 2016 - 11:57 PM.