5 replies to this topic

[AncientRaig]

I'm looking for a bit of feedback on some builds I've started running. While I'm personally enjoying them and doing rather well, I'm wondering what you guys think of them:

Cicadas. These are built to fill a sort of "large light mech" role, with flanking and providing distraction to allow team mates the opportunity to move up with less danger being the primary goal. Much like a light mech, hit and run is the name of the game and the playstyle often focuses on finding a unattended, mostly concealed route around the main body of the enemy team, then dashing into their lines, cutting into rear armor and surprising the enemy before either disengaging or taking advantage of team support to finish off lighter or more heavily damaged enemies. Both builds have been used to get the mechs basic'd, and average 400 damage with a kill or two and a large number of assists as long as the team doesn't get steam rolled, or you run into something like a Dakka Wolf with no room to evade.

CDA-3F(L): http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5c8ebe9a16d6b74

CDA-X-5: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...149db44a313ccaa

Shadow Hawk. I'm still trying to feel my way into a good build, but I think this brawling build works well. I've had some good success, though it's not as tried and tested as my Cicadas, with only two matches under it's belt, one being a steam roll loss, and the other being a Domination match that ended very quickly. General tactic was sticking with a few other mechs and giving them a face-full of FLD at every reasonable opportunity. Both times the build got a kill and damage in the 3-450 range

SHD-2H(P): http://mwo.smurfy-ne...9bb704796966928

[Colonel Clunge]

Personally I've had a lot of success with using SRM6s on the X5 instead of streaks. This means dropping the engine size a bit but you don't need BAP so that frees up 2 tons. You then just need to find another ton. I prefer to use MLs rather than SPLs just to give you some poking ability at short range than close range. This means you can swoop in cause a lot of damage and then get out of there quickly. Because streaks require lock, the danger is you need to be more predictable in your attack angles whereas the SRMs you can come in at more oblique angles and straighten up at the last minute to deliver your payload. Also, bear in mind streaks spread damage more than SRMs so your ability to rupture components is much increases with regular SRMs. I've had a lot of success with this build.

4 MLs and 12 SRMs does a lot of damage to the rears of the fatties. 45 point alpha if well aimed will get through most mechs rear armour.

Have a play and see how you get on.

The L variant works really well with 2xERLL and 2xML. Because it has JJs, this variant makes a great sniper when combined with Advanced Zoom. You can create havoc on a map like HPG getting onto the wall and picking off targets from relative safety. When mastered, combining this with Radar Derp is very potent.

Have fun.

[DeamoBD]

For the shawk i have tried nearly every build since the phenix pack came out. My faves for the 2h(p) are

Ac5x2 and a ppc
Ac5x2 ac2×1
Lb10x mgx2 a few srm4s (complete troll build but fun and surprisingly effective as a late game finisher. Record dmg with it was over 1200)

[Spheroid]

The Shadowhawk-2H is the worst variant in my opinion. A single energy hardpoint is woefully inadequate. It is best to strip the arms and leave them empty.

I recommend either triple AC-2 or something like AC-20 + 3x SRM + 250 STD, endo, ferro. You might as well use another variant for a LBX build. The large ballistic cooldown helps sync the firing of your missiles and ballistics(AC-20 especially) while you torso twist between shots.

Edited by Spheroid, 28 August 2016 - 03:34 PM.

[jss78]

Sidefire, on 26 August 2016 - 12:01 AM, said:

CDA-X-5: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...149db44a313ccaa

Here I'd argue that the streaks are suboptimal. As you have to run BAP too to get locks, that's 6.5 tons on a weapon system that just doesn't do enough.

My favoured loadout for this mech is 4xML + 2xSRM4. Though it's a 'mech geared more towards hitting-and-running from the low end of medium range, and not necessarily going close to the target. I was never quite satisfied with the survivability of the Cicada is short-range work, it doesn't have the hitboxes of a good humanoid like an ACH (with shield arms and torso that distributes damage well).

Colonel Clunge, on 26 August 2016 - 03:17 AM, said:

The L variant works really well with 2xERLL and 2xML. Because it has JJs, this variant makes a great sniper when combined with Advanced Zoom. You can create havoc on a map like HPG getting onto the wall and picking off targets from relative safety. When mastered, combining this with Radar Derp is very potent.

Have fun.

This is also my favourite loadout for the Loyalty variant. You can run for example Endo+Ferro, XL280, 12 DHS, 2xERLL, 2xML, 8 JJ, full armour except head at 7 and arms empty. Zero slots remaining.

I cannot make a rational argument for running 8 JJ, it's one of those "because you can" things. It's a stupid fun 'mech!

Edited by jss78, 29 August 2016 - 03:08 AM.

[Old-dirty B]

The Cicada CDA-A & B can be used to make a better version of what your trying to do with the CDA-F build (because of quirks and/or hardpoints):

CDA-A
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f4229bfe3357dd4
CDA-B
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f9695fa1d798e18

Besides that, i think your heat efficiency is too high - you limit yourself in DPS to save yourself from over heating - learn to trigger control / heat management and you have more raw firepower and dps when you need it!