2 replies to this topic

[Guile Votoms]

Many players are wondering why there's so much backlash against LRM boats.

The reason many players call the lrm boat "wasted tonnage" is because it piggybacks on the team who does half the work for it while it's not sharing it's armour with them and in most cases takes too long to take out mechs without artemis, tag or narc.

A coordinated lrm boat + spotter/tagger/narcer team can go a long way by taking out crucial targets or supressing firing lines, but a solo lrm boat spreads it's damage too much and often ends up getting killed by lights due to lack of backup weapons or being on the loosing team despite high damage scores because it can't take mechs down fast enough.

Damage done is not exactly a good indicator of how well you've done.

Compare these two similar scores.
This is in a Hunchback LRM boat: http://fs5.directupl...27/cvku28fm.jpg
And this is in a dual LBX Bushwacker: https://s29.postimg....17_06_19_53.jpg
Both have 5 KMDDs but the Hunchback has half as many destroyed components, took 2 minutes longer and has an excess of 200 damage.
And with the Hunchback I have Artemis and take my own locks, so a backseat lrm boat wastes even more damage by spreading it all over the place.

You may get the occasional perfect match where you're completely undisturbed and get a bunch of kills, kmdds and assists because your team happens to be holding locks, most likely on an lrm-friendly map like polar highlands, but remember how many matches you end up waiting for consistent locks, have your lrms hitting the ground because you're too far away and lost your lock and got barely 100 damage or got taken out by a single light mech because you lack backup weapons.

So, if you want to use LRMs effectively, get a BAP, Artemis and TAG and take your own locks.
Don't ask your team to do your work for you. Instead get in close and share your armour.
Be aware of which targets are worth shooting at or not, due to radar deprivation and AMS.
Don't waste half your ammo by standing 900 meters away. The sweet spot is ~300 meters.
Take backup weapons like medium lasers and actually use them when you have the opportunity
or even better, take LRMs as just a sideweapon instead.

[Guile Votoms]

Also, have a look at the LRM guide by Snuggles Time.

[Rogue Jedi]

Guile Votoms, on 29 January 2017 - 05:12 AM, said:

So, if you want to use LRMs effectively, get a BAP, Artemis and TAG and take your own locks.
Don't ask your team to do your work for you. Instead get in close and share your armour.
Be aware of which targets are worth shooting at or not, due to radar deprivation and AMS.
Don't waste half your ammo by standing 900 meters away. The sweet spot is ~300 meters.
Take backup weapons like medium lasers and actually use them when you have the opportunity
or even better, take LRMs as just a sideweapon instead.

I completely agree with this, but have more to add

if taking LRMs as a primary weapon stay with the main group but do not be on the front line early game, be behind the front but not too far behind, 50-100m.

if taking LRMs as a backup weapon e.g. on a slow brawler most of my slow ^{(80kph or lower)} Mechs take an LRM 10 so I can do something while waiting for the close in fighting to start, that LRM rack is not so much there to do damage, although it usualy does, it is there to distract the enemy, many people will see the "incoming missiles" and hide, and stay hiden in place for way too long. if you have a stalemate and the enemy hide from a small laser fired at 500m or missiles you have them pinned and that is a tactical advantage