10 replies to this topic

[Old Fart 61]

Besides the X-5 being a hero and the ach prime. The X 5 is heavier and bigger than the prime and can go a little faster. I would think the x5 to be more forgiving. I notice I can do about the same on each mech for firepower. The x5 4 ml and 2 srm 4 and the ach prime 5 sm pluse but the prime also has JJ which I like.

Im wondering if I should spend the 10 mil for the ach. I like the idea of hit and run and never stop moving.

Is there any difference in play?

Edited by Old Fart 61, 22 February 2017 - 09:35 PM.

[Rintero Pryde]

Very little difference in play, you described it well: hit, run, and keep moving. The Cicada will have some more armor, but it comes at a price: it's the bigger target. If you're asking which of those two mechs will excell at hit and run, the Cheetah will win hands down. PGI did some kind of magic with the Cheetah and it's hit boxes. Of all the lights in this game, it can probably take hits the best while still dishing out impressive damage. C-er-small or c-small-pulse lasers will be your best bet on that mech.

Don't get me wrong, Cicadas are excellent hit and run mechs. If you favor that style of play, you wouldn't be wasting your money on a Cicada either. But you're comparing a Camaro to a Corvette; of course, the Corvette wins of the two. Doesn't mean the Camara isn't a good time

Good luck!

Edited by Rintero Pryde, 23 February 2017 - 02:22 AM.

[jss78]

I only have the X5, run it with XL320, 4xML, 2xSRM4, 12 DHS. I love it, and it's probably my favourite Cicada. "Hit and run" is a good description of my play style. Getting stuck in brawls is not something you should do, not unless you can stay in the enemy's blind spot and are receiving no fire.

That said, I think the ACH should be the objectively better 'mech. Clan vs. IS XL engine is a huge difference. Also hitboxes: generally humanoids have better hit boxes, as the arms shield the torso and the torso segments distribute damage well. Cicada is pretty much the opposite. Your arms are tiny and don't really shield your torso -- I'd suggest running them at 0 armour, but the X5 has lasers in them so I put some armour there. Also the chicken-walker legs are huge and catch a lot of fire.

Between the hit boxes and running an IS XL engine, it just emphasizes the hit and run nature of the Cicada. Your ability to weather fire is very poor compared to the ACH.

I'm not up to speed on ACH builds, but doesn't it get ECM too?

[JENNER llC]

definitely go the arctic cheetah ! it is wayyyy more forgiving, maybe the most forgiving mech in the entire game

[Rogue Jedi]

There are a few important diferances,

the ACH-prime has far more weapon options thanks to omnipods,
if you use all prime componants you have 4 Energy hardpoints, 2 Missile hardpoints and an ECM
you can have upto 7 E hardpoints (C arms and left torso, but you loose the ECM)
there is also an option for 1 balistic weapon ^{(B right arm)}.

the X5 cannot take jumpjets, while the ACH has enough fixed ^{(cannot be removed)} jets to jump very well ^{(albeit not as well as the Spider with max jets , the Viper or the Cicada which can take 8 jets, the Viper and Cicada with 8 jets jump higher than the spider with 12, which has never made sense to me, the 30 ton Spider putting 20% of its weight into jets cannot jump as high as a Viper or Cicada putting 10% of its weight into jets)}

With the ACHs fixed engine and jumpjets, assuming you want full armor you can only have 8 tons for weapons and other equipment

basicly they are very diferant Mechs, I think suffiscently diferant to justify having both, but ultimately that is your decision

JENNER llC, on 23 February 2017 - 04:07 AM, said:

definitely go the arctic cheetah ! it is wayyyy more forgiving, maybe the most forgiving mech in the entire game

more forgiving than the Cicada, maybe, but it is still lightly armored, it cannot survive hits that many other Mechs can, it is no-where near as forgiving as some heavier Mechs like the Marauder, Warhammer, Timber Wolf or Stormcrow, and even the Spider (another 30 tonner) tanks better than the ACH.
Light Mechs are fragile but hard to hit, so they can give the ilusion of durability, but in any Light if an enemy heavy or assualt manages just 1 solid hit on you that is often enough to remove an arm, leg or side torso, and remove you from the fight

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 23 February 2017 - 04:17 AM.

[TercieI]

Speaking as a pilot who specializes in lights (and fast mediums), this comparison wouldn't even have occurred to me, honestly. ACHs, properly built, are 100% energy. They don't actually handle missiles well (and they give them giant easy-to-shoot shoulders, exacerbating the "losing the arms" problem they already have). The ACH also has serious hops and ECM. As others have said, its hitboxes and speed (and stealth from the ECM) make it far more forgiving than the CDA, whose profile is sometimes described as a catcher's mitt.

From my POV, the difference in playstyle is fairly extreme. Again, this is my specialty, though, so I may overstate differences some pilots would consider small to moderate, but the simple presence/absence of JJ makes for a very different approach to the game, so I'd say not. If you do buy an ACH-Prime, this is the best build, though this is a bit more forgiving on both heat and range and might be a good place to start. Learn to use the JJs and a whole new world of piloting should open up to you.

Edited by TercieI, 23 February 2017 - 07:47 AM.

[Old Fart 61]

Looks like Im gonna try the ach prime on. Now another question. Could the torso on the ach take bigger lasers like a med pluse? and lose say 2 sml,,,

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Agree with Terciel, very different play styles.

Even if you gave them both very comparable weapons the ACH has far smaller (read: superior) hit boxes, where as the Cicada is a box with chicken legs. That alone means you cannot play them the same.

In most cases you can abuse the crap out of the ACH hit boxes and stay on a target for a considerable period of time (by running circles around them).

[TercieI]

Old Fart 61, on 23 February 2017 - 05:42 PM, said:

Looks like Im gonna try the ach prime on. Now another question. Could the torso on the ach take bigger lasers like a med pluse? and lose say 2 sml,,,

Well, it's pretty hot. Adding MPLs is gonna make that a lot worse. I like four ERMLs as an alternative (it's the same play style as the 2ERLL build but not horrible and douchey) and I know some people have run 3MPL but I'm underwhelmed. As a rule, stick to one kind of laser. And on lights, usually smaller ones.

[Rogue Jedi]

Old Fart 61, on 23 February 2017 - 05:42 PM, said:

Looks like Im gonna try the ach prime on. Now another question. Could the torso on the ach take bigger lasers like a med pluse? and lose say 2 sml,,,

At the end of the day what you put on the Mech is entirly your decision,

I do agree with Terciel's builds posted above, they seem to be the best options for the ACH, however I also am a firm believer that it is better to try things and find out what works for you ^{(another players most sucessfull Mech may be absolute rubbish in your hands, and your best build could be useless for others)} and that customising the Mech and finding my loadout is a significant part of the fun of this game, so cannot understand why many people sacrifice that aspect and just use builds designed by other people.

I rarely pay much attention to what others think of as good because "Meta" what many people concider to be the best builds tend to be much less effective than my custom builds for me, where as many people look at my custom builds and think they are rubbish, but they work for me.

the Arctic Cheetahs strenghs are that it is fast, can have ECM, can pack a lot of firepower for its size, jumps well, and spreads damage well, this means against most other Mechs the ACH can dictate the engaguement range, but being small and fast short range is ^{(for me)} easiest to use, allowing maximum firepower and minimum burn time ^{(so you are more likely to be able to put most of the damage on one componant)}.

[Amatsukaze]

Rogue Jedi, on 24 February 2017 - 02:47 AM, said:

I do agree with Terciel's builds posted above, they seem to be the best options for the ACH, however I also am a firm believer that it is better to try things and find out what works for you ^{(another players most sucessfull Mech may be absolute rubbish in your hands, and your best build could be useless for others)} and that customising the Mech and finding my loadout is a significant part of the fun of this game, ⁾.

RJ nailed it with this post. By all means try the meta & see if it works for you but have an eye towards your own playstyle & build the mech that suits it. I too enjoy playing "mech Barbie" & trying various loadouts to see what works well & what is rubbish. The tinkering for me is a major part of the fun. Consequently some of my builds are very meta & others are very fringe.

Have fun with this, don't be so focused on winning or your K/D that you lose sight of having FUN!