26 replies to this topic

[ingramli]

I had a FP skirmish last week end, playing on the IS side. I ride warhammers in that game, and i got ST death twice, both were destroyed in less than 2 second or so, and i dont even spot them before i got hit and do anything (twist my torso or find a cover) to survive a little longer, and in the cause of death screen i found that it was ERPPCs and gauss.

I know IS mech with a XL will die by losing a ST, and i should twist my torso to avoid getting hit concentrate on a ST, but i am just not good enough to make the most out of it. The clanners know my warhammer can be kill with a ST gone when they know my loadout, and they go for it straightaway. My CT armor was either untouched or only light yellow when i died.

I know some veterans will say that "it is your fault! You need more situation awareness! And twist like hell!". Yeah, i do agree my skills is not good enough. Because i know i am by no mean a skilled pilot to do what they say, i guess my best bet would be a clanner, and i glad that i bought 3 Timberwolfs during the the sale last week, that is a mech for a noob like me, and no, i had enough defeats playing the IS side anyway. The result of that game was 10-48, terrific as usual.

GOOD BYE my Black Widow, hope i will have fun on it again the the future.

[WolvesX]

I rarely take STD engines, nearly all my mechs have XL, even Stalkers & Battlemasters.

I like it more and one can just leave the match and play an other one if one dies, so who cares! Its just a game!

Gotta go fast!

Edited by WolvesX, 07 February 2017 - 03:56 AM.

[Oberost]

WolvesX, on 07 February 2017 - 03:55 AM, said:

I rarely take STD engines, nearly all my mechs have XL, even Stalkers & Battlemasters.

I like it more and one can just leave the match and play an other one if one dies, so who cares! Its just a game!

Gotta go fast!

An XL Stalker?

[WolvesX]

You can load a lot of heatsinks when you take an XL 200.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...00340d80f5231f0

You have to chain fire all weapons, works well on polar highlands!

Edited by WolvesX, 07 February 2017 - 04:08 AM.

[Darth Hotz]

WolvesX, on 07 February 2017 - 04:03 AM, said:

You can load a lot of heatsinks when you take an XL 200.

I hope that this is just a joke.

[Champion of Khorne Lord of Blood]

Gauss and PPC is the meta, in general people running the meta happen to be good players, or at least competitive enough to study the game and know how to kill their opponent quickly. Frontloaded damage cannot be spread, which severely hurts the IS XL which gains durability from being able to spread damage better than a STD engine can due to faster torso twist and being lighter at the cost of dying on ST loss.

Basically gauss and PPC being good and having good players use those makes it impossible for you to beat them with an IS XL if you aren't hyper aware and move through cover to get to a brawl or just peek and trade very well without taking return fire. Back when laser vomit was the meta and IS had somewhat higher structure quirks all was good in the land of balance with a bit of a tilt to the IS's favor.

Personally I still use an all XL dropdeck as my main FP deck with all of the mechs setup with LPL and MPL. I do fairly well in that deck, but I'm used to spotting and avoiding gauss mechs from my time piloting Locusts, so I tend to rarely get hit by them, especially with my peek and trade playstyle I commonly use.

Alternatively if you still have problems you could use a bunch of STD engine mechs, like a couple Maulers, a 65 tonner, and a Locust as your only XL mech... unless you put a STD in that too, which won't help any because its CT is so weak anyway.

[WolvesX]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 04:05 AM, said:

I hope that this is just a joke.

Just played this match:

Even works well on River City!

Now what?

Edited by WolvesX, 07 February 2017 - 04:32 AM.

[Oberost]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 04:05 AM, said:

I hope that this is just a joke.

WolvesX, on 07 February 2017 - 04:03 AM, said:

You can load a lot of heatsinks when you take an XL 200.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...00340d80f5231f0

You have to chain fire all weapons, works well on polar highlands!

Please, tell me that this is a joke...

[Darth Hotz]

WolvesX, on 07 February 2017 - 04:31 AM, said:

Even works well on River City!

Now what?

Now comes a question: What is your Tier Level?

[Darth Hotz]

ingramli, on 07 February 2017 - 03:49 AM, said:

GOOD BYE my Black Widow, hope i will have fun on it again the the future.

Black Widow works with standard engine 270 and 3 UAC5, 2ML.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...baf99d90299a669

Check it out.

[WolvesX]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 04:54 AM, said:

Black Widow works with standard engine 270 and 3 UAC5, 2ML.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...baf99d90299a669

Check it out.

I has build too: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...47bd3560249ff8e

[Snazzy Dragon]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 04:54 AM, said:

Black Widow works with standard engine 270 and 3 UAC5, 2ML.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...baf99d90299a669

Check it out.

Ok but I can do that on a 50 ton clan mech with better mounts and survive a ST loss

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4c159911c1d6eaa

And that's not even an optimal build

edit: whoops, forgot ferro-- replaced link and added jumpjets

Edited by Snazzy Dragon, 07 February 2017 - 05:13 AM.

[Accused]

ingramli, on 07 February 2017 - 03:49 AM, said:

I know some veterans will say

you need to be playing quick play. Once you understand the strength and weaknesses of various loadouts you'll be in a better position to make an informed decision on what to take.

For instance, in FW, you're on the IS side. IS xl engines explode on side torso destruction. Now the opposing team (clans) may or may not know if you're sporting an xl, but they most certainly will go for the torso anyway as that houses most of your weapons (torso mounted, arm mounted, possible xl). Clan will not aim for your center torso.

Typically you want to take a standard engine and make it's weaknesses your strength. Risk vs reward type of deal here.

Also 12 man teams currently like to play clans, so solo drop isn't recommended at this time for Inner Sphere pilots. If dropping with a group then use XL's on your lights, stand on everything else except for lrms boats. Taking lrms into FW is another subject however.

[Darth Hotz]

Snazzy Dragon, on 07 February 2017 - 05:11 AM, said:

Ok but I can do that on a 50 ton clan mech with better mounts and survive a ST loss

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4c159911c1d6eaa

And that's not even an optimal build

edit: whoops, forgot ferro-- replaced link and added jumpjets

I agree and thats the current balance problem. Clan Medium = IS Heavies, Clan Heavie = IS Assault. Just wanted to point out that the Widow works with standard engine.

[ingramli]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 05:50 AM, said:

I agree and thats the current balance problem. Clan Medium = IS Heavies, Clan Heavie = IS Assault. Just wanted to point out that the Widow works with standard engine.

The highest tier rating meta build for Black Widow is Dakka (2UAC5 + 2AC5), which u cant do it in with a STD engine, and i dont really see other meta build of Black Widow worth mentioning in term of competitive build.

Edited by ingramli, 07 February 2017 - 07:25 AM.

[Dimento Graven]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 04:51 AM, said:

Now comes a question: What is your Tier Level?

Probably a self imposed perma-5 to have access to that many potatos...

[Darth Hotz]

ingramli, on 07 February 2017 - 07:13 AM, said:

The highest tier rating meta build for Black Widow is Dakka (2UAC5 + 2AC5), which u cant do it in with a STD engine, and i dont really see other meta rating of Black Widow worth mentioning in term of competitive build.

Basically this Widow is a Jaeger DD with standard and it works well for me. Meta Mechs listing is not always the ultimate truth...

Dimento Graven, on 07 February 2017 - 07:31 AM, said:

Probably a self imposed perma-5 to have access to that many potatos...

To restore faith: By PN i was told it was a joke.

[Dimento Graven]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 07:32 AM, said:

To restore faith: By PN i was told it was a joke.

Mmm, not funny.

[ingramli]

Darth Hotz, on 07 February 2017 - 07:32 AM, said:

Basically this Widow is a Jaeger DD with standard and it works well for me. Meta Mechs listing is not always the ultimate truth...



To restore faith: By PN i was told it was a joke.

No they are not always true. Having said that, dakka was the only build of BW which i can score 700~800+ dmg "often" for a potato like me. i have also tried 2PPC + 2 UAC5 on both STD and XL build, and i do almost always better with a XL loadout due to more speed and more heatsinks, more (hand) armor and faster twisting speed for me to spread damage, but then it is still inferior to Clan mech. I have much more consistent result with Clan mech (Timber Wolf), less "poor" result (<200 dmg due to early/sudden death, etc.).

[Roughneck45]

Warhammers are probably the most vulnerable to this, and not necessarily hitboxes, just general knowledge.

It's a deadly mech and all those deadly builds use XL's.