18 replies to this topic

[barcode120x]

Kinda broad, but I enjoy light mechs and I also like the ability to hit and run. I've been looking around, but in general, what mechs should I be targeting? In addition to that, what parts of the body should I be going for? I mean, I generally go for the torso, but when should I be going for their arms to get rid of their weapons? I did read somewhere that if it's a faster mech than you, go for its legs. A lot of broad questions, but some quick insight would be great, thanks.

Still saving up, but I do plan on picking up the cheetah and sticking to that for awhile.

Edited by barcode120x, 09 October 2016 - 06:37 PM.

[Poptimus Rhyme Wallace]

Rear Center Torso, Get yourself a buddy, then you both sneak up on any enemy assault mech, and go 3, 2, 1, dead.
run away, hide, rinse and repeat.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Kinda depends.

If it is an IS mech that I reasonably believe to be using an XL, then rear side torso.

[Koniving]

Is target busy and unaware? Rear CT or ST of choice.
Unaware but not busy? Legs (they won't know where you are, stay out of sight).
Aware OR dangerous OR fast? A leg.
Enemy has Streaks? Destroy launcher side.
Exposed structure? Shoot there first.

Unsure? Legs.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

^^^ Pretty much been said above.

What's important is to know the target. Ammo, for instance. In Clan mechs, all components have built-in CASE, so ammo tends to get stored first with the weapon that uses it. For IS mechs, head and legs are fun spots to stash your ammo in (though legs are becoming a bit less popular lately). Engine? If it's an IS XL engine, then either side torso will take the engine with it when it goes. That's a LOT less armor and structure than the CT. Some mechs have bonus armor or structure on some components. For instance, some Griffins have extra on the RA (tends to be a weapon there) and legs. And a lot of GRF builds are XL engine, so it's usually better to stick to the side torsos on those since it's a quicker kill (ammo explosions notwithstanding). And so on.

Generally speaking, though, as a hit-n-run light guy/gal, you should be plying the size/speed advantage set. That means Dire Wolf, Atlas, and Highlander (seriously, does anyone drive those anymore?) are your bread-n-butter. Also, Maulers tend to be slow (and tend to carry mostly torso armament, which has a harder time hitting small fast-movers due to range-of-motion restrictions). They're BIG, so it's not as hard to hit a specified component at speed. They're slow, so they can't give chase very well when you disengage. And they're BIG. Oh, and also, they're HUGE. Easy target is easy, so sayeth the interwebs. Best of all, you're pulling the major DPS machine's attention away from your teammates, if even for just a few seconds. That can be (and often IS) the difference in a fight.

P.S.- My first kill in an ACH? DWF. Came down to me and him, and he did the one thing I was hoping he wouldn't do--he went out in the open against my ACH's SPLs. (Also, jump jets are fun for leapfrogging Dire Wolves. Y'know. So you know.)

[Bohxim]

For me, no matter what mech I'm piloting, legs for fast lights and Meds, right torso (aim to the left if looking at you) as there are many right loaded mechs and you disable most or at least half their weapons by taking the right torso off or instant kill on XL IS mechs. Best thing about lights with lots of weaponry is hitting the RT (especially from the back) tends to crit out something there too which is always nice.

[Rogue Jedi]

It has been said before but if the enemy does not know you ate there rear center torso is the best target, if the enemy does know you are there or if you cannot get behind it then tarhet an open component or a leg.

If the enemy has SSRMs then ether stay out of range or get behind it. Streaks will not fire without a lock so make sure the enemy does not get one.

[SnagaDance]

Another priority target besides big small mechs are LRM-boats. See a lot of enemy LRMs being fired from a spot? Go and circle around to that position.

Many LRM boats carry pityfull back-up weaponry (or even nothing) and are bad at using it (that's why they're hanging back, competent LRM boats move with the team and get their own locks), so there's not much to fear from them. In addition, at close range IS LRMs do zero damage and Clan LRMs only a little bit (ina ddition to most missiles easily missing when you're moving around them at speed).

LRM boats also like to carry loads of ammo (especially the ones who shirk on back-up weaponry), and this often gets stored in the legs. To add insult to inadequate mech building injury, armor is also often stripped from the legs because "MOAR ammo!" and "I'm safe here in the back anyway". When you manage to ignite the ammo in a leg the whole mech often goes up like a bunch of fireworks.

[Koniving]

Yeah if talking about mechs to hit...
ANY lone lights/mediums.
Lone assaults.
Any LRM boat.
Long range combatants (Gauss Rifles, ER Large Lasers)
Heavy Hitters but only if it is safe (high digit ACs like 10/20, lots of SRMs).

[Hunka Junk]

This is horribly out of date but worth a read if you have to see hitboxes mapped out on various mechs.

http://raksarmory.bl...pots-guide.html

[Dalziel Hasek Davion]

What 'Mechs to target?

It's worth saying that sometimes your job may not be to shoot the enemy - providing spotting services (or TAG) might be more important than choosing to fire. Capturing a point may be more important than your damage output for certain game modes.

You might decide to support your team directly by lending your weight of fire to a colleague. In this case, your choice of target may be as simple as "what my buddy is shooting at". I think all light pilots at some point in their career have used a big friendly assault 'Mech as moveable and distracting hard cover and either peeked from behind their skirts - or gone behind the target to split the target's attention or turn them.

If you run more mobile/skirmish style of play, then I think your first job is finding the targets (good map knowledge is vital to understanding principal routes), then identifying the target and whether that target is alone, and likely to stay alone. Then you need to now what that target is armed with. Then make an assessment of the target's state of alertness.

The first target you tend to find is a single, or pack of enemy light 'Mechs doing a similar role to you. Hunting packs of coordinated lights can be deadly. Agreeing, with your pack, what component to target is a good idea and 'legging' a light 'Mech removes their primary form of defence. Shooting low is relatively easy with only two components (left leg / right leg) to drag a laser across at speed your damage is less likely to be too diluted.

If you get past the skirmish screen, then you would tend to avoid the main 'death ball' and look for stragglers or lone wolves. These are typically LRM 'Mechs or fire support 'Mechs on a perch some distance from the front, smug and magnificent. Some are more vulnerable than others - Stalkers, for example have poor turn speed and no arm traverse and will really struggle to defend against lights without support. Atlases might find it difficult to target (or even see) light 'Mechs standing below them. You really need to pilot assaults against good light pilots to really appreciate how best to attack the big guys. The back armour would seem to be the best choice.

Beware the faster assaults/heavies with arms - or those with Streaks. They can mount significant firepower and more easily track you at speed. A well-targeted alpha can leave you without a leg. Leave them until last - or strike when they are otherwise occupied.

Where to aim at the enemy 'Mech?

This does depend on many things and so good advice is simply to have a preference and communicate this to your pack mates and buddies, but stay flexible.

If you carry Streaks you have little choice in the matter, which is a big downside. Broadly, missiles spread damage all over - shoot SRMs to get as many missiles onto the target as you can - but in shot selection at speed you may be limited to "high" or "low" shots or leading the enemy by a lot, or not as much to try and prefer a side. Lasers drag damage across multiple locations unless you have a very steady hand.

Rear torso is fine if you can reach it but people are very aware of how weak their back is and will move to twist their back away from you. Legs can be hit from anywhere regardless of how an enemy twists/moves unless they are using terrain to hide. IS pilots often store ammo in legs and some have been known to reduce armour there to make space for more guns and ammo.

So - in summary - there is no right answer that covers every situation. If you bump into an enemy with an unarmoured CT - it would be a mistake not to hit it there. If you spot a completely undamaged enemy - perhaps choose carefully if you have a good chance of success (damaging without being damaged - turning or distracting the enemy) before you engage.

[BodakOfSseth]

Koniving, on 09 October 2016 - 07:36 PM, said:

Is target busy and unaware? Rear CT or ST of choice.
Unaware but not busy? Legs (they won't know where you are, stay out of sight).
Aware OR dangerous OR fast? A leg.
Enemy has Streaks? Destroy launcher side.
Exposed structure? Shoot there first.

Unsure? Legs.

This is something I realized this morning. I was circling wide around a fracas in the Trial Panther, expecting to find some good rear shots on enemy mechs to add chaos at range when I practically stumbled over an enemy Shadowcat (probably SHC-B ) sitting on a ridge, LRM-ing and spotting. So I backed off, aimed center torso and did my best to unleash death.

Sadly, two PPCs to the back center torso is never going to be enough to kill them when they are fresh.

Thus ensued a dance of death where the sad, little, much-lighter trial Panther was generally outclassed by the Shadowcat with 2 large lasers, similar speed, and no minimum range... Slowly he turned...


Fortunately this tale has a happy ending, because the heroic (read: foolish) Panther pilot's bacon was saved by a friendly Marauder and (some other small light mech) that had also circled around behind the Panther. With the Marauder closing in, the Shadowcat turned to face him. The three of them together took down the Shadowcat in seconds, and went on to win the match.

Also fortunately, the Panther pilot learns:
1. Shoulda picked a sniping point farther away.
2. Shoulda picked a sniping point that had cover to hide behind.
3. Shoulda gone for a leg (the side torso area looks pretty small for the shadowcat).
4. Shoulda made sure of a good escape route.

Edited by ScottAleric, 10 October 2016 - 06:06 AM.

[Morggo]

^^
Pretty much all these posts above.

My add is sometimes it also depends on the light mech you are piloting and it's loadout.
Example... you may zoom and boom in blinding fly-bys in the Jenner IIC if missile heavy.
Have machine guns (like say, a Huginn or something)? You'll be committing a bit more time in the exchange (hopefully still from behind but not always) to do your work.

Loadout will impact your targeting and style.

As for what to target, again I like Koniving's list, however I would also situationally re-order it depending on loadout. MG's are a good example. If target has an open component to two ... those are always top priority targets. Crit dat sucka and get the heck out of there. (watched some recent youtube vids on guys working MG's ... applied the learning this weekend. Kill Count took a spike up for sure)

Good hunting and keep enjoying those Lights!

[Remover of Obstacles]

Legs

Koniving, on 09 October 2016 - 07:36 PM, said:

Is target busy and unaware? Rear CT or ST of choice.
Unaware but not busy? Legs (they won't know where you are, stay out of sight).
Aware OR dangerous OR fast? A leg.
Enemy has Streaks? Destroy launcher side.
Exposed structure? Shoot there first.

Unsure? Legs.

[Morggo]

Have to agree with that general assessment: Legs

Aside from something obvious like a weak rear CT, or stripped components and MG's, etc.... my opinion is you just can't go wrong with Legs.

Big or Small... a legged Mech is far more ineffective to the Opfor, and much much easier to dispose of. And if you are in a short little light it's an easy component to strike quick either sniping or zoom and boom.

I've been trying to emulate many of the better pilots I've watched the past few weeks and their frequent focus on legging mechs. I've been guilty of aiming center mass as a general rule of thumb too often for my own good at times but find that, for example, the same amount of damage you pour into the CT of an Assault that it shrugs off can just as easily leave it hobbling around like a lame horse if applied to the leg. Plus, your friendly teammates in Lights will thank you for the tasty lunch you just served up for them.

[Koniving]

MWO founders used to refer to enemy lights as ankle biters.

Surely there's a reason for it.

Now this said if you are an assault or heavy and once you know you have a light gnawing on your ankles, throw it into 3/4s reverse and whirl in the opposite direction to their path while twisted in that same direction Their best response in the time they have is to stop... their more common response is to keep going which puts them in your sight for anywhere from 120 to 200 degrees plus arms if possible.

From there unload on the poor light.
This works up close and the farther away they are the better it works.

Just so we don't get a sudden surge of pro lights out there.

[Koniving]

Morggo, on 10 October 2016 - 10:26 AM, said:

Have to agree with that general assessment: Legs

Aside from something obvious like a weak rear CT, or stripped components and MG's, etc.... my opinion is you just can't go wrong with Legs.

Big or Small... a legged Mech is far more ineffective to the Opfor, and much much easier to dispose of. And if you are in a short little light it's an easy component to strike quick either sniping or zoom and boom.

I've been trying to emulate many of the better pilots I've watched the past few weeks and their frequent focus on legging mechs. I've been guilty of aiming center mass as a general rule of thumb too often for my own good at times but find that, for example, the same amount of damage you pour into the CT of an Assault that it shrugs off can just as easily leave it hobbling around like a lame horse if applied to the leg. Plus, your friendly teammates in Lights will thank you for the tasty lunch you just served up for them.

An early effective strategy in FW against Clan mechs was to leg and ignore. Literally storm in, leg them and move on toward objectives. They would suicide or eject and then come in with new mechs. Quick way to get rid of 24 or more mechs until they catch on.

Hard part is dealing with the fresh wave while battered but still alive.

[GenghisJr]

Best place to shoot a mech is the same place someone else shot before, especially if you are a light, otherwise L or R rear torso if you can pick an XL build is always good, right torso will disarm a lot of mechs.
I think l it would be more beneficial to ask -when is the best time to shoot a mech in a light and the answer is after the fighting has started and there are higher priorities than a pesky light.
The suicide light is the light pilot(esp locust pilots) who think that because they are in a light they can solo any mech at the start and escape using speed. Wrong, you cant outrun LL's, ERL's, PPC's and LRMS and if you are the only target, everyone is going to have a shot.
The best time to play a light is the end game, if you are alive at the end of the match there is almost nothing that can win against a JR7, at the start of the match almost anything can one shot you

[Willowleaf]

GenghisJr, on 10 October 2016 - 04:43 PM, said:

Best place to shoot a mech is the same place someone else shot before, especially if you are a light, otherwise L or R rear torso if you can pick an XL build is always good, right torso will disarm a lot of mechs.
I think l it would be more beneficial to ask -when is the best time to shoot a mech in a light and the answer is after the fighting has started and there are higher priorities than a pesky light.
The suicide light is the light pilot(esp locust pilots) who think that because they are in a light they can solo any mech at the start and escape using speed. Wrong, you cant outrun LL's, ERL's, PPC's and LRMS and if you are the only target, everyone is going to have a shot.
The best time to play a light is the end game, if you are alive at the end of the match there is almost nothing that can win against a JR7, at the start of the match almost anything can one shot you

As a Light pilot, I'd like to give my two cents on this. You're right about suicide Lights, since generally, a Light 'Mech pilot's first job is to figure out for the rest of the team where the enemy is. That usually ends up with a bit of a cluster of hits taken.

There is a bit of truth and not truth to being unable to run away from munitions, though. If you're smart and keep an eye on the terrain or proximity to heavy 'Mechs (just last night, I found myself staring at a Kodiak with four Gauss Rifles, got my leg blown off and still survived the match), you can keep a lock on for your big siblings. I'm partially suicidal, though, in terms of trying to keep my team posted on where the enemy is and what they're packing, and am a waffling a bit between whether or not a Light pilot should just wait and let the slowpokes fight whilst one is filing one's nails.

--

To the actual original topic, I'm with what most of these guys have said. People store ammo in legs and often skimp on leg armor because they're expecting to be... well, somewhat stationary and partially in cover. That's where a sneaky Light 'Mech comes handy, because if you can get behind them, pop a UAV or a Strike on them, they're panicking. I'd also like to reiterate what someone mentioned -- if you see a Hunchback 4G, left rear torso definitely. Generally, people aren't expecting to be stabbed in the back. Whether or not you have (as pointed out above) the firepower to get through the rear armor is a different thing, but especially with Locusts and Commandos, the fun part is --

Sometimes the big nasty Assault can't turn or aim low enough to hit you if you're hugging their legs.