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The KGC-0000 is my least favorite variant of one of my most beloved chassis, the King Crab, in fact i dislike it, in a way i hated it as it's the least ballistic-capable variant as not only it comes with no ballistic quirks, it has less ballistic hard-points too. A potentially shameless LRM-boat build, with large-lasers just to remove the "boat", though it can be one of the most powerful LRM boats its just that LRM-boating is generally not something one should do with an Assault mech, let alone 100-tons of it. Yes you can build SRMs with it, maybe 2x LB10x or even 2 AC20, but realistically just get an Atlas. Yes, you can also build Gauss-Vomit, and with the laser duration quirk, it's really quite something. But i found more success with PPC, and i would prefer the 000B for that instead for it's energy range bonus and ballistic velocity bonus.
Needless to say, the builds that made me like King Crab, can't be ran or ran better in this variant, and it's setup does allow shameless LRM builds that i think it shouldn't be done on a 100-ton assault. But i did find something that kind of works solely for this variant alone.
The King Crab "Frigate" build is a non-meta fun-build, it's not meant to always work, it's meant to be fun. As a "Frigate", it's main theme is the assortment of weapons in a spectacular alpha of different types of weapons at once, each are primary weapons and not just mere backups, and it can put out an astounding amount of suppressive fire that pummels the enemies, a battleship among your team. Think of it as playing as Battletech would have you, not the Meta.
Against the meta, it needs a somewhat long face-time equal to that of LRM-boats, which is played as such somewhat, still it's not only-indirect-fire, rather it's supposed to work either direct or indirect, but you should still get your own locks.
It is most effective when you have a team that will help you survive long enough to unload as much payload as you can. It's like a Lurm-boat, it will be usually Feast or Famine, likewise will not guarantee high damage of up to 800, but with less reliance on LRMs, you can have more control. You need to try to Feast with your team.
The following builds are primarily made with STD300, which is best used only with speed-tweaked King-Crabs to reach 52.2 kph and be sub-par. You can switch to XL360 and have moar ammo, and be fast, but that means you'd be much more vulnerable. Then again it's not fun anymore if you're stripped.
Also if a light breaches your teammates, you're pretty much F-ing F-ed.
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General Tips
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Keep the right distance, not to far and not too close. Too far, your damage drops off and your LRMs will take too long to land. Too close, your LRMs might not work likewise even not have enough height to lob over obstacles. Also you have to turn a bit more to aim and hit, ending up hectic. Long story short you need breathing room, else combat can be overwhelming at times.
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Keep close with your team, as the Frigate, your focus is fire-support, to pummel the enemy with so much firepower. While you can tank damage with your armor rating, and rightly so, it is best left with better mechs like Atlas if you have them in your team, as otherwise you do not have a powerful alpha that you can use to fend for yourself. The following build relies on focusing down on your opponents.
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You might be tempted to use the lrms above 600m, and that's fine, but understand that the best distance for LRM use is 400m as it does not take too long to hit enemies, 600m with reliable allied locks, and only up to 900m on extreme cases like reliable locks on Polar Highlands, but still only if you evaluated that it's extremely reliable like a dedicated spotter or narced. Otherwise, always only fire within 600 - 400m.
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General Consumables are usually Coolshots (9x9 if you have it), you can opt for UAV at most cases, but if you find yourself not as effective you can opt for Strikes -- Air for precision, Artillery for effect.
Mech Modules are Radar Deprivation and Seismic Sensor, and Weapon Modules are AC10-cooldown (or other ballistics) and LRM5-cooldown. Replace LRM5 CD with AMS-Overload if you are going to run with AMS.
Mech Modules are Radar Deprivation and Seismic Sensor, and Weapon Modules are AC10-cooldown (or other ballistics) and LRM5-cooldown. Replace LRM5 CD with AMS-Overload if you are going to run with AMS.
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Get your own locks, use your TAG, it is there for a reason. You have armor, share with your team.
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Pin-point damage is preferable, your AC10s and LLs are usually not chainfired, while LRM5s must be at most times chain-fired to not be penalized by ghost-heat, it does give a reasonably continuous stream when done so. If landing on hot maps, it's preferable to chainfire the LL or even the AC10 too, it's kind of pretty to look at too but PPFLD is still preferable.
The main culprit of overheating is the lasers, so even on normal maps you may have to opt chain-firing them. Lasers are mainly for hill-humping, but if you have a chance for sidepoking use your ACs, with your lasers if your mech is still cool enough, and only use all three main weapons if you have your team's support to pummel a poor soul.
Use a macro to toggle TAG, and only toggle it when you're engaged. This allows you to use TAG more easily, since you're already swamped with multiple weapons.
When on the verge of overheating, refrain from using your laser, and on extreme cases your AC10s, LRM5s are prefectly fine to shoot a continuous stream, but still if you want to cool down faster just stop using all of your weapons at once.
Close range where your LRMs are NOT viable, it becomes quite hectic with all of the turning, and you are defeated by brawlers. But still close range just use primarily your AC10, and LLs second. Use your large lasers first before shooting your AC10 at every volley, and wiggle around (torso twist) even arm-shield every after volley, and then just rely on your AC10s after a certain amount of heat.
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PRACTICE! This build requires understanding on how it works, and foresight on how to make it work on various situations by knowing how it works, it's not just something you slap in your mech, and you can run it perfectly in one game.
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Always unlock your arms near permanently, but rarely override shutdown. While it is far healthier to be able to move to cover with your heat-gauge above 100%, the LRMs while being shot has a fair amount of delay which can still loose a shot even if you don't intend to do so -- like when you're about to overheat. In which case it's a preferable option to just shut-down, after all you will be somewhat far.
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STD300 is slow, but it can work with immense help, it's best used with firing lines and prepared position, and only moving cover to cover after. Do your best to cooperate and coordinate with your teammate. Far from PUG experience, but if you happen to get it, the builds will work well.
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Skills
Frigate is armor, heat-containment and cool-run heavy, and the only fire-power skills is to address the ammunition. Speed-Tweak and torso turning is mandatory.
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Frigate is armor, heat-containment and cool-run heavy, and the only fire-power skills is to address the ammunition. Speed-Tweak and torso turning is mandatory.
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Build Rationale
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LRM5s, while Artemis gives faster lock-on time with LOS along with tighter spread, LRM5s are tight enough already, and the fact that you are reduced to LRM5s means that you don't have slots and/or tons to spare for moar tubes. Just compensate with TAG. Or you can sacrifice 1 for a NARC.
This also balances out the firepower between weapon-class, a single alpha will do 20 damage just as the 2x AC10s, and the LLs do 18 damage. If you have too much damage in the LRMs then it will be used far more often when it's just supposed to supplement additive damage. And with LRM5s already going to be your go-to weapon most of the time, heavier LRMs would need to allot more ammo and more tonnage and less weight for the other weapons.
If you constantly have LRM shortages, you can always redistribute ammo in favor of LRM5s. Even with just 2 tons of Ammo, the AC10 does 400 damage.
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AC/10 is the best ballistic weapon for this build, it has the most damage/ton so that even with less tons allotted for ammo you can still have plenty. Likewise it has the same maximum damage range as the LL, and have good PPFLD. Compared to AC20 which has low range, slow projectile and just damn heavy further aggrevated by low damage/ton. AC5 has low damage and low damage/ton, and even if you can allot more ammo through more free tonnage it has lower DPS. AC10 is the best choice as it's in-between total damage and DPS.
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Though GH limit for IS LL is 3, it's too hot so you need only use 2. You can also opt for ER-LLs but with the increased laser duration means that you do less damage at a smaller window of time where the exposure time of both enemies and allies are usually minimized. Likewise having 600m optimal range means it will have a bit more irregular ranges between weapon-types. The AC10 will be completely left out.
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Small Lasers are there to move the TAG closer in the middle of the body, it is generally not used unless you loose an Alpha Strike. In your own builds, you could do without and opt for a different utilization of the tonnage. You may also shave some leg and arm armor since they are usually not shot at because of the King Crab's inherent torso profile. If you can, you should bring AMS + Overload.
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The builds tries to use the most weapons at once, and so it can only opt with low engine rating. XL is kind of hard to use on King-Crab, likewise less slots which one must forgo the Endo-Steel upgrade for more slots. It is best used on speed-tweaked King-Crab. While it is still possible to switch to XL and have more ammo, it's for just boosting the speed, better weapons such as LRM10A is not possible without completely taking away firepower from one weapon class.
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The assortment of weapons is there to put pressure and constant damage, not pokes or alphas. Yes time to time you have to deal a least a bit of damage to contribute, hell your most used weapon is the LRMs, count on that.
You're a fire-support build, to attain good damage, you must be able to barrel down your target, and that requires your team to support you. A force multiplier in the battlefield, but the thing is that anything multiplied by zero is still zero. The following builds specializes in a very narrow range of combat, that they works best in around a certain range of distance. Needless to say, it's supposed to dominate enemies at a specific range, with an overwhelming amount of fire.
You're a fire-support build, to attain good damage, you must be able to barrel down your target, and that requires your team to support you. A force multiplier in the battlefield, but the thing is that anything multiplied by zero is still zero. The following builds specializes in a very narrow range of combat, that they works best in around a certain range of distance. Needless to say, it's supposed to dominate enemies at a specific range, with an overwhelming amount of fire.
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Example Builds
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1.) King Crab - 0000 - Frigate
It's THE "Frigate" build, optimized for between 400m - 500m, it's where the weapons are at their peak efficiency. LRMs don't take too long to hit, AC10s deal good PPFLD (pin-point front-loaded damage) at a better range than AC20 which is at 450m, Large Lasers' range is at 450m that has shorter duration which allows you to deal most of it's damage at a smaller window of time.
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate AMS
You may also remove some leg and arm armor, and some LRM ammo to opt for an AMS + Overload. While it's not advisable, sometime it's advantageous.
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate Tuned
Likewise you may forgo the small laser for extra LRM ammo, because you will be using it quite more often than your other weapons due to it's indirect-fire capability. Still, experiment and find what ammo distribution you prefer. Otherwise for best situation where you have the capacity to use all of your weapons at once, a near 50:50 distribution between your AC and LRM is preferable.
Barreling down a single enemy (not alpha strike but just holding down the trigger, the LRM5 is chainfired while LLs and AC10s are not), tested on the Academy turrets, yields around 210 damage before overheating at normal temperature, 240 at cool temperature. Hot areas, with all weapons chainfired, produced at around 180 damage before overheating.
Using alpha-strikes, provided that all weapons are available to fire, you can four-times on a cool area before shutting down for about 240 damage, about 170 damage on a normal and hot temperature area and three alpha strikes before shutting down.
It's THE "Frigate" build, optimized for between 400m - 500m, it's where the weapons are at their peak efficiency. LRMs don't take too long to hit, AC10s deal good PPFLD (pin-point front-loaded damage) at a better range than AC20 which is at 450m, Large Lasers' range is at 450m that has shorter duration which allows you to deal most of it's damage at a smaller window of time.
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate AMS
You may also remove some leg and arm armor, and some LRM ammo to opt for an AMS + Overload. While it's not advisable, sometime it's advantageous.
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate Tuned
Likewise you may forgo the small laser for extra LRM ammo, because you will be using it quite more often than your other weapons due to it's indirect-fire capability. Still, experiment and find what ammo distribution you prefer. Otherwise for best situation where you have the capacity to use all of your weapons at once, a near 50:50 distribution between your AC and LRM is preferable.
Barreling down a single enemy (not alpha strike but just holding down the trigger, the LRM5 is chainfired while LLs and AC10s are not), tested on the Academy turrets, yields around 210 damage before overheating at normal temperature, 240 at cool temperature. Hot areas, with all weapons chainfired, produced at around 180 damage before overheating.
Using alpha-strikes, provided that all weapons are available to fire, you can four-times on a cool area before shutting down for about 240 damage, about 170 damage on a normal and hot temperature area and three alpha strikes before shutting down.
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2.) King Crab - 0000 - Frigate XL
Forgoes the slow STD300 to the faster XL360, it has the same heat efficiency with the same amount of heat-sinks, but moar ammo. However it is far vulnerable, so you must use your speed to compensate. If you feel vulnerable against LRMs, you can always opt for an AMS in place of ammo. Replace the LRM5 CD module with the Overload.
While you won't survive with a lost side-torso, it's no longer fun if you got stripped anyways. Still, while it is advisable to spread damage, with XL on your easily-isolated hit-box, torso-twisting is preferable than side-shielding likewise actually staring down your enemies can be a boon since it usually means you'll exhaust the armor in your CT which is more than your ST. Still don't forget to wobble like crazy when under fire especially laser.
You'll know when you did fine if you died with lots of your compartment reddened and/or naked and even destroyed, and your ammo is near depleted and overwhelming majority hits an enemy within range.
Forgoes the slow STD300 to the faster XL360, it has the same heat efficiency with the same amount of heat-sinks, but moar ammo. However it is far vulnerable, so you must use your speed to compensate. If you feel vulnerable against LRMs, you can always opt for an AMS in place of ammo. Replace the LRM5 CD module with the Overload.
While you won't survive with a lost side-torso, it's no longer fun if you got stripped anyways. Still, while it is advisable to spread damage, with XL on your easily-isolated hit-box, torso-twisting is preferable than side-shielding likewise actually staring down your enemies can be a boon since it usually means you'll exhaust the armor in your CT which is more than your ST. Still don't forget to wobble like crazy when under fire especially laser.
You'll know when you did fine if you died with lots of your compartment reddened and/or naked and even destroyed, and your ammo is near depleted and overwhelming majority hits an enemy within range.
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3.) King Crab - 0000 - Frigate 2x AC10 [50] + 2x LL + LRM20A [540], LFE325, 13 DHS
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate XL350 LRM20A
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate XL350 2x LRM10A
If you want, you can forgo other stuff, and make use of LRM20s. It's far cooler, you can lob 20 missiles all at once. The lack of TAG means you need to rely on LOS for Artemis' bonuses. It can be done by either a single LRM20A or 2x LRM10A, depending on what speed you want to barrel down on your enemy, but the extra 1 ton of the LRM20A means that the 2x LRM10A would be even hotter with one less heat-sink, or less ammo, and now consider that the LRM10A has worse heat/s despite better CD.
Less dependency on the abundance of missile hardpoint hardpoint means you can use the 000B, or the 000.
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate XL350 LRM20A
King Crab - 0000 - Frigate XL350 2x LRM10A
If you want, you can forgo other stuff, and make use of LRM20s. It's far cooler, you can lob 20 missiles all at once. The lack of TAG means you need to rely on LOS for Artemis' bonuses. It can be done by either a single LRM20A or 2x LRM10A, depending on what speed you want to barrel down on your enemy, but the extra 1 ton of the LRM20A means that the 2x LRM10A would be even hotter with one less heat-sink, or less ammo, and now consider that the LRM10A has worse heat/s despite better CD.
Less dependency on the abundance of missile hardpoint hardpoint means you can use the 000B, or the 000.
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4.) King Crab - 0000 - Frigate LB10X
The lighter LB10X is used in place of the AC10 -- it offers incredibly less PPFLD, but it has more tonnage and slots free which can be utilized differently. LB10X runs cooler than the AC10. It also crits frequently, your main prey is those already exposed components, use with your LRM5s for component destruction. You may replace the LL with ERLL as well. The LB10X has longer range, of 540m, but with spread it is realistically more effective at closer ranges.
The lighter LB10X is used in place of the AC10 -- it offers incredibly less PPFLD, but it has more tonnage and slots free which can be utilized differently. LB10X runs cooler than the AC10. It also crits frequently, your main prey is those already exposed components, use with your LRM5s for component destruction. You may replace the LL with ERLL as well. The LB10X has longer range, of 540m, but with spread it is realistically more effective at closer ranges.
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5.) King Crab - 0000 - Light Frigate
Downgrade the AC10s to AC5s, and attaches Artemis with LRM5s to maximize slots. Large Lasers are switched to Extended-Range ones for consistent range with AC5s. Optimized for 500 - 600m instead, the LRMs are less useful, and the AC5s and ERLLs though with higher range, they require even more face time. Use your range with your advantage. It comes with moar ammo and more damage to go with it too.
Downgrade the AC10s to AC5s, and attaches Artemis with LRM5s to maximize slots. Large Lasers are switched to Extended-Range ones for consistent range with AC5s. Optimized for 500 - 600m instead, the LRMs are less useful, and the AC5s and ERLLs though with higher range, they require even more face time. Use your range with your advantage. It comes with moar ammo and more damage to go with it too.
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6.) King Crab - 0000 - Light Frigate UAC
The UAC build of the Light Frigate, this forgoes Artemis for the extra fire-speed the UAC5 can offer, however beware of the UAC-jam.
The UAC build of the Light Frigate, this forgoes Artemis for the extra fire-speed the UAC5 can offer, however beware of the UAC-jam.
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7.) King Crab - 0000 - Light Frigate XL UAC
A complete optimization into longer ranges, it has ERLLs, UAC5s, and Artemis LRM5s to boot instead, and with XL 360 engine allowing it to be more mobile albeit more vulnerable. It's best used by those intending to stay a little farther back.
A complete optimization into longer ranges, it has ERLLs, UAC5s, and Artemis LRM5s to boot instead, and with XL 360 engine allowing it to be more mobile albeit more vulnerable. It's best used by those intending to stay a little farther back.
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8.) King Crab - 0000 - Ship of the Line
A high-risk close-range variant, utilizing the XL350 engine for extra tonnage, it uses Large-Pulse-Lasers for high damage direct fire, but with LB10X for more ammo and more crit with naked compartments. Because of the weapons' effective range, this Ship of the Line variant is tuned at around 350m - 600m instead, and the XL engine further aggravating the build. Still it's a thing, you can do a whole lot of damage if you play it right. That being said, you are more likely to die early, make sure that you die guns blazing.
A high-risk close-range variant, utilizing the XL350 engine for extra tonnage, it uses Large-Pulse-Lasers for high damage direct fire, but with LB10X for more ammo and more crit with naked compartments. Because of the weapons' effective range, this Ship of the Line variant is tuned at around 350m - 600m instead, and the XL engine further aggravating the build. Still it's a thing, you can do a whole lot of damage if you play it right. That being said, you are more likely to die early, make sure that you die guns blazing.
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King Crab - KAIJU - Long-Range LRMer
King Crab - KAIJU - 2x UAC5 + LRM20A
The loss of the major ballistic arms gave it high mounted ballistic instead, that's only good for one large ballistic, or two LB10x and below. The KGC also does not flourish with lasers that well. However it can still host mixed builds albeit not balanced. Compared to the last builds though, because the lasers are the hot one, they are usually left out, and with the low-mounted ballistics you couldn't really use it well without completely exposing yourself. Now because of the ballistic and missiles, you can shoot your ballistics more without completely exposing yourself as before, and do so liberally because it's colder than the lasers.
You can opt for an LRM20A + UAC5 for the most balance top-mounts, or 2x LRM15A + Gauss Rifle + ER Lasers.
King Crab - KAIJU - 2x UAC5 + LRM20A
The loss of the major ballistic arms gave it high mounted ballistic instead, that's only good for one large ballistic, or two LB10x and below. The KGC also does not flourish with lasers that well. However it can still host mixed builds albeit not balanced. Compared to the last builds though, because the lasers are the hot one, they are usually left out, and with the low-mounted ballistics you couldn't really use it well without completely exposing yourself. Now because of the ballistic and missiles, you can shoot your ballistics more without completely exposing yourself as before, and do so liberally because it's colder than the lasers.
You can opt for an LRM20A + UAC5 for the most balance top-mounts, or 2x LRM15A + Gauss Rifle + ER Lasers.
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Good luck, Have fun!
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Some successful matches
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Edited by The6thMessenger, 22 November 2017 - 03:30 AM.
