23 replies to this topic

[Kravshera]

CRB 27B

I have tried many different builds.. laserls, pulse lasers, smalls and mediums in every conceivable configuration.

I have come to the realization that perhaps a energy only mech was a waste of several million cbills.

I can't compete with ssrm dps, and it's difficult to hold lasers on target long enough when fighting so fast enemies.

I am thusly contemplating an ER PPC build just to salvage this and be useful in scouting.
At least those are not "damage over time" and i can deal with projectile travel

Any ideas or suggestions? I'm afraid I've gotten myself in a rutt and the easiest solution is to create yet another mwo account, since i could get 20mill cbills in a day compared to weeks of grinding otherwise..

[Rogue Jedi]

for the purpose you describe I would use 6 MPL, or possibly 6 SPL.
ether way I would put on the largest possible XL engine ^{(I have found Crabs to be surprisingly XL sfreindly, more than once have I finished a match alive at below 10% health in an XL engined crab)}

unfortunately if you want an IS Light Hunter Mech you would be better off with a Jenner or Firestarter, if you want DPS to kill mediums then the Griffin would probably be the best bet.

if you do decide to go for a new account first rename this one and you should then be able to setup a new account with the same name as this one

[Kravshera]

That's another 5.5 million upgrade though.. and I would probably be better off getting a Griffin by the looks of it.. right? :S

This scouting mode is really screwed up as far as I can tell, seeing how it really, really narrows down what is even worth dropping in.

[Rushin Roulette]

Try dropping for the clans. Basically the only mechs worth bringing are Stormcrow, ACH and SRM Jenner IIC. just about every other mech is a serious downgrade in either punch, speed or punch and speed.

IS has a lot more choice.
Any 55 Ton mech with masses of SRM or laser
Hunchback
Crab
Centurion
any light mech with a large XL engine and large firepower (Oxide for example) Id also include the Cicada here to be honest, because it is just a fat Jenner minus the Jumpjets.

[Kravshera]

Dunno what I am doing wrong then.. cos i am using a crab laser boat, and if i am lucky i might get more than 100 damage in a scout drop.

The problem is I can't even fire my lasers enough to get there.. because i get obliterated by 4 streak crows so fast it's starting to get depressing.

I don't think it's just me, I see team mates performing just as badly.. and many are worse, but I am seriously considering helping my faction by not participating anymore because it really feels like they'd be better off with someone else on their side.

[Koniving]

The Casanova, on 03 May 2016 - 02:55 AM, said:

That's another 5.5 million upgrade though.. and I would probably be better off getting a Griffin by the looks of it.. right? :S

This scouting mode is really screwed up as far as I can tell, seeing how it really, really narrows down what is even worth dropping in.

Before you panic I'd like to bring something to you if you'd give me a moment.

This said: It sounds like you're jumping into the faction warfare before you've even finished your first 25 matches -- that is pretty much like jumping into Resident Evil 1: Director's Cut on Arrange mode, with the intention of winning the game with nothing more than a knife which you intend to only use in boss fights and swearing off all healing items. Or playing Five Nights at Freddy's 4 while deaf.

If I may, my first advice is to stop. It is far too early and if you're among many other newer players doing it... this may explain why some of the Clans are getting so much territory as of late.

-----------

Okay, so now I have produced two designs.
This one is meant more for combat. It has a two firing key system (LPL on one key and the 4 ML on another; the single LPL has a nasty, quick punch. The 4 ML last about a second but together they can double the punch of the LPL though slightly shorter range. It'll help you learn to focus in.)

This one is useful for scouting. It has a TAG to both mark enemies for missile strikes as well as improve their missile accuracy and lockon time. The 5 MPL isn't too hot, but it packs a nasty and very quick punch to scare things off. You are kinda screwed at range though. The BAP improves sensor range and gets you target information quicker which you'll need to make those precision strikes.

Edited by Koniving, 03 May 2016 - 04:08 AM.

[Kravshera]

You're right.. I haven't finished my first 25 quick plays.. on this account.
I have many, many drops on other redundant accounts though.. because for some reason it's better to delete all progress ever made, if you do noobish mistakes.

It just seems odd to be spending 15-20 million cbills on a medium for it to even be anywhere near competitive.


I'll give your suggested builds a good few tries and see where this takes me, thanks.

[JC Daxion]

Kravshera, on 03 May 2016 - 02:55 AM, said:

That's another 5.5 million upgrade though.. and I would probably be better off getting a Griffin by the looks of it.. right? :S

This scouting mode is really screwed up as far as I can tell, seeing how it really, really narrows down what is even worth dropping in.

Well honestly, CW is for the advanced vet to be successful. While every mode techically is for all players, CW is for groups of people that really understand the game. I'd get at least 500 matches under my belt before i ever considered to drop in CW.



As for Streakcrows, They are very easy to kill if you rock/paper/scissors them. Basically that means out range them, large lasers, PPC's, Long range AC's, gauss ext.., or out brawl with with Pulse lasers, SRM's and ac20's. Seeing how many people run the streakcrows, you just need to realize that and go with the mech that will give them fits.

Faster than 104KPH, and longer range, and they will never be able to even land a single shot.. If you brawl them you can run slower, but need to go all in on the push as a group and just pound them faster, as streaks have a very long recharge time. You can core a Streakcrow before his second recharge when done right with a proper brawl set up.

[WildVector]

Crabs are VERY GOOD on scouting matches, they are the 'black knight' of the medium class.

BUT on the current game state, you do need a GOOD GROUP with DECENT FOCUS FIRE to beat the STREAK/SRM splat builds.

EVEN on full pre-mades the tougher oponents are either 3+ oxide groups OR the FULL LASER IS team that FOCUS FIRE legs.

Energy boat teams (usually crabs+hunchbacks) leg, dismember and kill FASTER with focus fire than any other team comp.

But it REQUIRES coordination and individual competence.

[Kravshera]

Guess I'll need to find a unit and do organized drops.

I see much to my dismay that the Clan factions (Ghost Bear and Smoke Jag at least) seem to always be dropping with 2 or more people from the same unit.. where as I usually get drawn in with a bunch of freelancers.
(Which is an interesting topic for discussion; Why (if true) is it that Clan factions seem more organized than IS?

[Digital_Angel]

Crabs are good mechs. I love them, but they are definitely NOT what I've been using for the scouting missions. Crabs are usually fairly XL friendly, but not so much against a swarm of close in Firestarters/Cheetahs. My STD engine 5MPL CRB-27 has done OK defending intel.

With the event I've been relying mainly on a combination of my CDA-3M (2LL 2 ML, ECM, 120+KPH) and my X-5 (148KPH, 2ML, 2MPL, 2SRM4s).

Before the event started and I had to worry about match score, I was scouting the heck out of my ECM Spider (135KPH, lots of JJs, 2MPL, 1 SPL, ECM). Was great at getting lots of intel and staying out of combat to make the drop ship, but that doesn't get you the 80 match score required since intel gathering doesn't count to match score.

Edited by LadyDanams, 03 May 2016 - 10:03 AM.

[no one]

I have a 300 standard and 300XL variation of my 27B that are basically the same, though the standard sacrifices heat sinks for survivability (I usually run it with cheapo cool-shots) they boil down to this:

4ml (arms), 1ml (head), 1 LPL (CT)

That gives you an easily aimed 20 damage with fair range and if you're good at twisting you can pop-sickle and still have a lot of firepower at your disposal. The LPL is also a good weapon for sneaking in damage at range. Soften up a targets legs with that and you won't have to overheat once you close to brawl. The crab may not be the damage star in scouting but if you're careful it can be great at stalling actions. Pinch the enemy's toes! Pinch them!

[Kravshera]

Well.. with some trial and error, I am slowly getting some progress.

I've come to realize that a 90kph speed is meaningless.. anything below 110'ish seems to be too slow to make any difference in a scuffle anyway, so might as well settle for 80.

I think my biggest mistake so far, is not adapting my chosen approach to these battles. In Invasion and Quick Play, it usually turns into a rather uncoordinated mish mash of chaos and random chance, meaning it's easier to slip in and out of battle and adjust on the fly.. improvise and adjust as you go.

Scouting seems to be more about setting a common goal for the lance and comitting to it.
You don't really have time to start adjusting for mistakes and poor luck, but you need to stick to your guns and rely on individual skill to see you through, because there's simply not enough mechs in one place to allow one individual's immediate contribution to disappear for the 10-15 seconds needed to withdraw, reposition and engage from a different approach.

No doubt 4v3 is a lot worse than 12v11.

It seems I may have little choice but to give up my preferred "wildcard" role/approach and actually try to instruct my fellow potatowarriors to have a cohesive approach and focus targets.

I know this might seem as blatantly obvious to you all.. I guess I've just been fooling myself, blindly hoping I could retain my tactical freedom. Not that I've ever abandoned my lancemates in scouting.. but unified cohesion among 4 nubbs is probably more fruitfull than 4 potatoheads firing willy nilly at their own random targets.


Beware tankbred, dirty clanners.. this potato freebirth is hellbent on killing some crows.. and eventually I will get there.

[no one]

Kravshera, on 03 May 2016 - 02:28 PM, said:

No doubt 4v3 is a lot worse than 12v11.

Yesss. . . and no. Attrition is not just of numbers but also damage and mission effectiveness. Four legged or disarmed centurions will lose the game to a lone Jenner. If you lose a guy taking a leg or main gun off two enemy 'Mechs you're still ahead. If you can lead the enemy away from your drop or harass them so long they miss their ride, you've won. That said, you can call targets or take an info gathering module to make pick your shots and make them count. Scouting mode is one of the places that module's actually pretty useful.

Edited by no one, 03 May 2016 - 03:00 PM.

[Koniving]

Kravshera, on 03 May 2016 - 09:49 AM, said:

(Which is an interesting topic for discussion; Why (if true) is it that Clan factions seem more organized than IS?

IS mechs are cheaper, so lots more 'newer' people are dropping with them.

More experienced players tend to go for Clan versus Clan, IS versus IS fronts in small teams and the larger groups love going IS versus Clan -- but usually there's no room for single user stragglers in those fights so you will rarely see them.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

CRB-27B
XL300, 2lpl, 3ml.

but since you said you do not holding lasers on people there is also this

CRB-27B
XL320 with 5mpl
a little faster, less fire power. more heat efficient and much less laser duration. Much less range, which usually is not a big deal for scouting.

Edited by Boogie138, 03 May 2016 - 06:14 PM.

[Void Angel]

Kravshera, on 03 May 2016 - 02:28 PM, said:

Beware tankbred, dirty clanners.. this potato freebirth is hellbent on killing some crows.. and eventually I will get there.

Good for you! If you're actually running into all Streakcrows, I envy you - they can't focus fire on a component, so they're easy to take down if you focus.

As for Clan organization, it kinda depends. The big units will go back and forth periodically (I was Clan Wolf earlier today,) and of course loyalists will stay loyal. However, the buy-in cost for the Clans is higher (although the 'mechs cost about the same once upgraded,) and there are fewer Adjective Animal factions. So you're going to see more scattered people from the Inner Sphere, while the Clans will tend to have more consistent groups - but plenty of their own PuGs, too.

[Karl the Plumber]

Any mech you don't like is gonna end up being a bad mech for you, so you'll have to just find out whether or not you have a feel for it. That said, you're definitely on the right track with some thoughts. Speed isn't worth as much as you'd think unless you're under 80 or over 120 in scouting, and you definitely can't weave in and out—it's a brawl start to finish. MPLs and SPLs will get you competitive but you have to focus fire and honestly no matter how weird it feels, you've gotta go for the legs against clanners.
Also, in gather and whenever you run into a lone mech, leg 'em and leave em.

[Kravshera]

Boogie138, on 03 May 2016 - 06:13 PM, said:

CRB-27B
XL300, 2lpl, 3ml.

but since you said you do not holding lasers on people there is also this

CRB-27B
XL320 with 5mpl
a little faster, less fire power. more heat efficient and much less laser duration. Much less range, which usually is not a big deal for scouting.

I'll look into those thanks.

I guess what I meant to say is that holding lasers on a mech for the duration isn't all that difficult, but when focusing legs it can be a challenge to get it.. I guess this is why I see centurions with lbx ac.. probably better for ensuring you at least get some damage on target (legs)

[Not A Real RAbbi]

So, you're talking about my FAVORITE mech in the game so far. (Admittedly, there's easily 1/3 of all mechs that I've never driven at all.)

I like the CRB-27B with 2x LL (same arm), 4x ML (H, CT, and 2x in the off hand). But that's for Quick Play, and not Scouting. Not sure what'd work best for Scouting drops, honestly. I LIKE the suggestion of all MPLs or MLs, but something else comes to mind...

SRMs (Clan or IS) have a max range of 270 meters (297 with range module). Clan SSRMs extend that to like 330 (so, 363 with range module). Now, it's not the case that you can always dictate the terms of the engagement, but you can sure as s**t TRY to. So, LPLs and/or LLs are mighty useful to that end. Being able to start putting decent damage on the enemy before he can do ANY AT ALL in return? PRICELESS. And to that end, I might suggest sticking out the CRB chassis (though I think maybe the CRB-20, with its high engine cap and STD laser quirks, might be a better pick).

CRBs have a couple things going for them. 1.) They're tanky little dudes. 2.) They're actually pretty GOOD at the medium-weight laser skirmisher thing.

1.) You may already have noticed, that the CRB need not fully TWIST when spreading damage or shielding. In fact, it's counterproductive to do so. Rather, a smaller back-and-forth 'wiggle' of the mech's snout can be quite effective at spreading shots across all three torsos, and perhaps even onto an arm a little bit. Since the arms are awful for shielding, and the side profile gives the enemy almost a barn door to hit to take out that juicy XL engine, make 'em deal with you head-on. Streaks will still sandblast you, head-on or side-on, but they have more options to hit (and will therefore spread their damage more) from the front. So KEEP FACING THE ENEMY. And wiggle it. Just a little bit...

2.) Try THIS. That one uses all STANDARD lasers, and therefore invokes the 15% buff to their duration. YEAH, it's an expensive engine. You can downgrade it to XL 335 and get a couple more heat sinks in there (or AMS to water down the Streaks). Not a HUGE alpha, but remember the thing is a 50-tonner with nice structure buffs and goes >120 km/h with Speed Tweak and FULL ARMOR. Seriously, it's pretty wild. The lower duration helps concentrate your damage when trying to single-out legs (or any part of a SCR). With the quirks, the LLs have a 0.85 duration, and the MLs have 0.765 (give or take, I think). That's basically getting in your full alpha in about 0.8 seconds. Add a ML range module and a LL cooldown, and feel free to start engaging your enemy at about 500m with the LLs.

Something else to consider in Scouting. LEGS ALL DAY. More so in PROTECT than in GATHER, but still. A legged mech is pretty much useless in Scouting, unless its opponents STAY within its range. But even a Dire Wolf can outrun a legged ANYTHING. Most mechs can move fast enough going BACKWARD. May as well leg a target, then leave it and leg the next one, while moving outside the legged target's range (or putting cover between your team and the pegleg). You can come back for it later, since it can't get far on one leg.

While lasers aren't the BEST thing for legging, they're also not the WORST. Streaks pretty much are the worst thing for that. But lasers are pretty doggone GOOD for it, as you can (in a pinch) just drag the lasers across the target below waist level and get on the legs. At range, and especially if the enemy is moving straight toward or away from you, it's pretty easy to work a leg down to the nub. And being able to put FULL damage down with those LLs from more than 100 meters outside Clan Streak range is MIGHTY helpful.

Use VOIP, call targets, leg all four before killing any one, and you'll do fine. Seriously. IS has a real advantage in Scouting. Griffins are great for BRAWLS in scouting, but Shadow Hawks are doing well in there with ballistic weapons. Why? Because being able to slap big PPFLD on an enemy from outside SRM/SSRM range can make THE difference. Lasers can do that, too. And few mediums can do lasers as well as the Crab.

She's a fine mech. Maybe no one's FIRST choice for Scouting, but done right she can still punch well above her weight even against the (once-) mighty Storm Crow...

P.S.- my FAVORITE CRB-27B build, give or take...

Edited by Sister RAbbi, 03 May 2016 - 10:00 PM.