21 replies to this topic

[Chados]

Well, y'all know I do enjoy a Pixie.

But I'm forced to try to get at least one Arctic Cheetah into elites, because my unit wants to run Clans in FW and I have to have at least one light in my deck. Which means that I have to basic two others. Sooooo...one TC2, an ECM, and six ERSL later, I'm ready to try the Cheater for the very first time.

There is nothing-NOTHING-that draws more aggro. Seriously. LRM boats do not draw this much visceral, foaming-at-the-mouth hatred. But there are odd moments of perfect beauty. Like getting stripped of all weapons but one laser and running around all the assaults randomly doing drive-bys and kiting angry reds into the guns of a friendly Kodiak. Pixie territory!

Of course, the OMG-it's-fast speed means that you think you're just scouting and then you pop out from behind a rock and into about 35 enemy PPCs. They were still hitting me way after I was dead with only 40 damage exactly 12 seconds after first contact.

I'm seriously trying to learn how to do this. I hate lights with a pure and perfect hatred that comes from preferentially running Marauders and Catapults. But the angry Jennerites I have so often aggroed on these forums have convinced me that I'm being unfair and I'm going to really TRY to see life from their perspective.

And get back into tier 4. Tier 3 really sucks and I miss my steering wheel.

It's going to be a wild ride if the first two matches were any roadmap.

Edited by Chados, 06 September 2016 - 07:00 PM.

[Rock Roller]

Well you are choosing the right light. I mastered them the easy way. Buy three and change pods around as you level them to the same build. Check out the 6 SPL or 6 ERSL builds. The SPL is more powerful and very easy to take out many mechs in one shot to the back armor. The ERSL build is a bit more forgiving at first. You basically have a very small range advantage and noticeably better heat management. I use them both.

Other builds that work are out there but require more experience to use because you are generally really hot.


To avoid that scouting PPC face catching action follow these steps. There are many light pilots much better at these little beasts but this is what I learned and these basics work:

1st, use the terrain as much as possible. Stay low and peek around obstacles and over rocks till you make contact.
2nd, When you see then...duck and call the position.
3rd, Wait for your team to get there and let them be the focus.
4th, Circle around and kill bigger mechs.
5th, If they focus on you run in jagged lines till you get to cover. often if you are close you want to run at them and get behind. DONT FACE TANK.
6th, Other lights are what you need to practice fighting as they are the most danger to you. That is if you don't face tank heavy stuff. Aim for their legs or waist level. Legs are what kills lights more than anything else. A lights main weapon isn't actually a weapon. Its those legs. When the speed is gone you are a very lightly armored shooting target. Light pilots know this and fight with knives.

[FupDup]

Congrats, you've officially discovered that playing lights effectively is a lot harder than it looks.

[Chados]

Well, any time you get out of your comfort zone there's a learning curve. My comfort zone is 45-75 tons.

When I ran the Executioner for the first time I got beat up just as badly. Then I started treating it like a Victor and running the old Victor PPC/AC10 meta build. A "Sexecutioner" can actually poptart. I've managed two kills that way, with a jump over the heads of the pack and a two-PPC/uAC10 alpha shot. Suddenly I'm managing Marauder-style games every other match.

When I first set myself on mastering One Pixie I went with the worst possible variant (the PXH-1) and a lore build. I did it. And now Pixie is in my top five favorite platforms. By the time I basic, strip, and sell two Cheetahs I ought to have an idea of what works for me, for the one I need to get to mastery. I'll never be a primo light driver. But I mastered one Urbanmech with a big-cannon build, and elited two others. So I know I can do it. It's not going to be easy. But who wants easy? Plus, there is the fact that I'll beat my PSR back down a tier and that'll be a good thing for me, LOL.

[Hoffenstein]

Tier 4 = feeling godly and skilled
Tier 3 = why are people calling me names and angry that I'm not playing their way :`(

As for the Cheater, shame on you XD! Now you can feel the vitriolic hatred in game AND on the forums ^__^ !!

[Rock Roller]

As a side note: the light you can learn the most in the light category from is the Locust.

[Chuck Jager]

2 ermlas for high mounts and 4ish slas or srms mix as desired for leveling unless in uber low tiers where erllas kinda works because of PANDA reflexes.

[Chados]

I basiced the first of three tonight, the ACH-A with the standard meta loadout of 6xERSL, TC1, and a couple heat sinks.

I was just going to strip it and sell it but playing tonight changed my mind. They're real feast-or-famine for a total novice at the light game but I'm sort of playing it like a tiny Jester and...it can be interesting. I'll move the pods over to the ACH-B tomorrow and give it another try, I think.

I'm thinking about trying a couple SSRM2s and 4 ERSL instead, just for the heck of it and to mix things up a bit.

[LordNothing]

i got the last 5 non-omni lights in my bays, all are at least to basic, and one is elited. leveling lights seems a lot harder than it used to be. still its doable. i take so damn long because i usually level 10 mechs at a time and seldom run mechs i actually like to play.

[RestosIII]

I'm curious, and I can't currently check since I'm using my phone right now. Anyone know how much ammo you can cram into the ACH B variant for the LBX 2? I've been wanting to try a super stock ACH, and that is the only one that really interests me.

[Chados]

I have no clue! If you carry max armor you have something like 8 tons of pod space, I think. Enough for a TC 1, ECM, 6 ERSL, and three heat sinks.

[Brizna]

Rock Roller, on 06 September 2016 - 07:57 PM, said:

As a side note: the light you can learn the most in the light category from is the Locust.

I don't agree, the light that really teaches you how to play a light is the Mist Lynx with SPLs. Locust can get away with stuff no other light mech can and is thus a bad schooling mech.

EDIT: I'm gonna correct myself and say that currently Firestarters are probably a better mech to learn lights than MLX. Not so much because it's worst than MLX but because MLX in its own way can pull out stuff other lights simply can't.

Edited by Brizna, 08 September 2016 - 03:35 AM.

[Aleski]

The ACH is one of the most forgiving light mech and easy to use.

It's tough for a light, as hitboxes not so crappy, has ECM and pack the punch.

Need to learn ? Easy : play, die, repeat. Play, die, repeat. Play, die, repeat. Play, win, repeat. Play, win repeat. Play, die, repeat...

And repeat that again. And again and again.

When you will have reach something like a hundred matches with the cheatos, you will play very differently : fast strike from behind, learn the terrain, know where to jump or don't, scavage assault which go alone, be a f***ing ninja, support the heavies, etc... And you will enjoy this, i promess

Brizna, on 08 September 2016 - 03:34 AM, said:

I don't agree, the light that really teaches you how to play a light is the Mist Lynx with SPLs. Locust can get away with stuff no other light mech can and is thus a bad schooling mech.

EDIT: I'm gonna correct myself and say that currently Firestarters are probably a better mech to learn lights than MLX. Not so much because it's worst than MLX but because MLX in its own way can pull out stuff other lights simply can't.

Mist Lynx ??? Best way to be disgusting about lights... Really.

[Brizna]

Aleski, on 08 September 2016 - 03:37 AM, said:

Mist Lynx ??? Best way to be disgusting about lights... Really.

You are entitled to your opinion of course, but you are wrong

[Rock Roller]

Brizna, on 08 September 2016 - 03:34 AM, said:

I don't agree, the light that really teaches you how to play a light is the Mist Lynx with SPLs. Locust can get away with stuff no other light mech can and is thus a bad schooling mech.

EDIT: I'm gonna correct myself and say that currently Firestarters are probably a better mech to learn lights than MLX. Not so much because it's worst than MLX but because MLX in its own way can pull out stuff other lights simply can't.

I little while ago prior to the nerf on Locusts I would have agreed with you. Now not so much. Anyway its just an opinion so take free advise for what its worth. I would take that Locust for a drive again though. If you stop for a second a stiff breeze will kill you.

The MLX is a bit more able to take a hit. Its also a ton slower. I guess it comes down to the lessons you want to learn. One of the lessons that I think is vital is the need to keep moving. Heck any light will teach you not to face tank and depend on speed. For me a Locust makes that point the best.

Anyway have a great day all.

[Aleski]

Brizna, on 08 September 2016 - 03:57 AM, said:

You are entitled to your opinion of course, but you are wrong

Mist lynx is difficult for beginners in light cause he has paper armor. When i drive it, and i drive it safely, this is what happen in half of the match : i ninja to the ennemy flank, AND BOOM, an ennemy mech has saw me and one of my arm has instantly pop up !!!!

How frustrating is this ?! Half of the weapons get vaporized in one second !

The lynx is too slow for a light too, he can jump like a crazy, but it's all what he's got. Yeah very fun mech but not forgivable at all. You can't tell to a beginner to start with the lynx... IMO it's better to start with something more durable and faster.

[Requiemking]

Aleski, on 08 September 2016 - 04:10 AM, said:

Mist lynx is difficult for beginners in light cause he has paper armor. When i drive it, and i drive it safely, this is what happen in half of the match : i ninja to the ennemy flank, AND BOOM, an ennemy mech has saw me and one of my arm has instantly pop up !!!!

How frustrating is this ?! Half of the weapons get vaporized in one second !

The lynx is too slow for a light too, he can jump like a crazy, but it's all what he's got. Yeah very fun mech but not forgivable at all. You can't tell to a beginner to start with the lynx... IMO it's better to start with something more durable and faster.

Actually, the Mist Lynx can be a solid training mech. It's still pretty quick, but not so fast that you're bumping into everything. It's jumps well, and with the right build it is still an excellent mech even after you take the training wheels off. My preferred build is this:

Hellrunner

Edited by Requiemking, 08 September 2016 - 06:16 AM.

[Brizna]

Requiemking, on 08 September 2016 - 06:15 AM, said:

Actually, the Mist Lynx can be a solid training mech. It's still pretty quick, but not so fast that you're bumping into everything. It's jumps well, and with the right build it is still an excellent mech even after you take the training wheels off. My preferred build is this:

Hellrunner

I have up voted you but man that build is so under performing. I am going to tell you a secret, Machine Guns are only placebo, they make you feel you are firing but in reality all you are doing is noise and face tanking foes.

I have over 700 matches in different MLX and I am very convinced that the best build by far is 4xSPL, though there is a different sort of player who prefer ERPPC. If you want something mixed I suggest 3xSPL+2xSRM2, it has theoretically the highest DPS in a MLX build, it loses on precision from the 4xSPL build though, so it's not so useful damage as it sounds.

[Yosharian]

Personally I have great success with 6ERML. It's as hot as the blazing sun, but when you consider that you're basically doing 40 point alphas at 500 metres in a light with ECM, well, it works for me.

[topgun505]

I have to disagree.

The most feared light mech? The Oxide and to a lesser extent the Jenner IIC O (rightly so, since you CAN'T ignore them because if one gets behind you for more than 3 seconds or so, you're done).

The most hated? The Locust. Just from sheer hitbox size.