67 replies to this topic

[Bishop Steiner]

Due to unavoidable IRL fail (death of my computer... again... followed by death in the family) I have been offline for 2 weeks, essentially, and so my ASN leveling has stalled.

Got my base pack all elited, and was working on my DerpDeath (new come quickly!), but did not get to unlock the master slot on any of them yet.

That said... god I love them. roll damage well, agile as heck, fast (even stock), jumpy, etc. Weapons can be a bit limited, due to being a fast 40 ton mech, but that was to be expected. SRM4 nerf did impact things some, though hardly the kiss of death.

Anyhow, most of this, was, IMO a known commodity a week in. Just curious how many folks are still going all Assassin's Creed, how well they are doing and what is their "go to" pet model and build?

(I'm still partial to the 21, enough that I wish I had the Collector's version, even though I think I have better stats with my 23 and 101).

[Nameless King]

My go to is the Asn-21 4 srm 4's with 6 tons of ammo 2 jj's and I think I run an xl280 with almost full armor. Normally get 500-900 ish damage 3-5 kills.

Edited by King Alen, 18 April 2017 - 10:01 AM.

[Clownwarlord]

Well I can't tell you about piloting them but fighting against them it is kinda meh. Leg them like many faster mechs for me that are hard to shoot and then they become very easy to dispatch. Usually just one or two good alphas to a leg to make it a dead assassin.

[Paigan]

I don't own one, but I can say: I hardly see one anymore in matches.

[ChapeL]

I don't own the chassis either but the rare few I see seem to be used as scouts with mixed results. Well actually, the result pretty much always is the Assassin retreating as fast as it can with its CT a smoking mess. It's a surprise really, I was expecting people to use this mech as a backstabber, waiting for the main engagement to settle and do hit and run attacks from the flanks and rear. Instead it seems when ASN are on the field, they are the first solid contact you get... and it doesn't end well for them.

[Bishop Steiner]

Paigan, on 18 April 2017 - 10:00 AM, said:

I don't own one, but I can say: I hardly see one anymore in matches.

that was true even on patch day. And TBH, not terribly relevant. Not meta, not famous, not common. Pretty normal. Relevant is for those who do use them, and understand them. Solid design.

Clownwarlord, on 18 April 2017 - 10:00 AM, said:

Well I can't tell you about piloting them but fighting against them it is kinda meh. Leg them like many faster mechs for me that are hard to shoot and then they become very easy to dispatch. Usually just one or two good alphas to a leg to make it a dead assassin.

And yet oddly, over 100 matches...only been legged once, and that was near the very end of a good, drawn out match.

I reckon some folks are bad enough to expose themselves to legging, but since that is the usual tactic against anything over 120 kph..... most better fast robot pilots long ago figured out how to use terrain to mitigate that.

Whether bads get legged or not.. well, not really my concern. Bads will be bad.

ChapeL, on 18 April 2017 - 10:08 AM, said:

I don't own the chassis either but the rare few I see seem to be used as scouts with mixed results. Well actually, the result pretty much always is the Assassin retreating as fast as it can with its CT a smoking mess. It's a surprise really, I was expecting people to use this mech as a backstabber, waiting for the main engagement to settle and do hit and run attacks from the flanks and rear. Instead it seems when ASN are on the field, they are the first solid contact you get... and it doesn't end well for them.

Can't fix stupid. ASNs are fine...if used like their namesake. 40 tons don't a brawler make. Folk doing that need to go back to Griffins, I reckon.

[Monkey Lover]

All the small mediums relying on ammo based weapons have had time. The ammo holds them down from the speed they need. I would pick one up for energy sniping but then i look at the quirks on the cda-3f and say "maybe later".

[C E Dwyer]

I like it a lot, but as usual I've moved on to other mechs, it's earmarked as one I'm definitely going back to, I prefer it to the Cicada and the Phoenix Hawk

[Christophe Ivanov]

I played mine...not really impressed and cant build them like I want so...they sits in my mech bay. Maybe someday I'll garner interest in them again as I'm busy with my other ones at the moment.

[darqsyde]

ChapeL, on 18 April 2017 - 10:08 AM, said:

Instead it seems when ASN are on the field, they are the first solid contact you get... and it doesn't end well for them.

I think, in part, this has a fair bit to do with the lack of lights, particularly in the scouting role. I know that often when I take out my ASN, I'm often the fastest or fastest/ecm mech, therefore having to adopt the scout role, instead of setting up for a flank/backstab.

[Clownwarlord]

Bishop Steiner, on 18 April 2017 - 10:11 AM, said:

And yet oddly, over 100 matches...only been legged once, and that was near the very end of a good, drawn out match.

I reckon some folks are bad enough to expose themselves to legging, but since that is the usual tactic against anything over 120 kph..... most better fast robot pilots long ago figured out how to use terrain to mitigate that.

Whether bads get legged or not.. well, not really my concern. Bads will be bad.

Well, many assassins I have seen are brawling builds which is odd because I would use range on them but they would rush me. At close range the use of terrain to protect your legs becomes pointless and that is when blamm leg gone. Then blamm again mech dead, like you said anything that goes fast just shoot the leg.

So if it was me piloting an assassin I would just stay at range, even use lrm 5s if I had to just to be some what useful at range with damage counting.

[Bishop Steiner]

Cathy, on 18 April 2017 - 10:19 AM, said:

I like it a lot, but as usual I've moved on to other mechs, it's earmarked as one I'm definitely going back to, I prefer it to the Cicada and the Phoenix Hawk

I really wanted to like the Pixie. But once the ortho came out, and I saw that super wide motorcycle helmet, I was...offput. And the feeling did not improve after playing it. It's currently my least favorite 45 tonner.

Assassin on the other hand has become an instant favorite. Hoping the old Roughneck gives me a Heavy I can feel similarly about.

[Bishop Steiner]

Clownwarlord, on 18 April 2017 - 10:37 AM, said:

Well, many assassins I have seen are brawling builds which is odd because I would use range on them but they would rush me. At close range the use of terrain to protect your legs becomes pointless and that is when blamm leg gone. Then blamm again mech dead, like you said anything that goes fast just shoot the leg.

So if it was me piloting an assassin I would just stay at range, even use lrm 5s if I had to just to be some what useful at range with damage counting.

Most of mine are "brawling". One can still use terrain just fine, in most cases. It's mostly a matter of knowing when and where... and then not sticking around. Most people in this game seem to forget the phrase is "hit and RUN".... and just try to hang out after the hit. I only tend to stick around if I have isolated a fatty... because they seldom can track me well enough to worry about legging.

The whole point of having insane mobility is to use it. Not to run in circles like a light mech relying on bad aim and lagshield to save you. (the real reason so many Lights are mad... rescale etc, revealed how many were bads relying on lagshield to get by)

[Valleric]

They are amazing mechs in the hands of a skilled pilot and have become my new favorite medium in the game. The Oxide was my old fave mech before the re-scale, and the 21 with srm4's and a 300xl engine feels a lot like my Oxide, BUT WAY TANKIER. I feel very confident in the 21 and feel like I can stand toe to toe against any mech (even assaults). The way I play them mostly is to stick with the team, keep lights off em (the assassin is a superb light hunter), pick off stranded or left behind mechs, but mostly just taking opportunity attacks until things get close. When the brawl starts make sure you are with the team, then run into the enemy ranks causing mechs to turn they backs to the approaching allied advance. Torso twist like a mad man constantly. Then shoot the backs of the assault mechs or any mechs who don't turn to face me. Always stay moving though (hopefully you have light pilot experience). All in all I give it 10 out of 10 and wreck face in it. Though in saying all that I do think it requires skill and experience to get the most out of it.

Edited by Valleric, 18 April 2017 - 10:54 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Valleric, on 18 April 2017 - 10:50 AM, said:

They are amazing mechs in the hands of a skilled pilot and have become my new favorite medium in the game. The Oxide was my old fave mech before the re-scale, and the 21 with srm4's and a 300xl engine feels a lot like my Oxide, BUT WAY TANKIER. I feel very confident in the 21 and feel like I can stand toe to toe against any mech (even assaults). The way I play them mostly is to stick with the team, keep lights off em (the assassin is a superb light hunter), pick off stranded or left behind mechs, but mostly just taking opportunity attacks until things get close. When the brawl starts make sure you are with the team, then run into the enemy ranks causing mechs to turn they backs to the approaching allied advance. Torso twist like a mad man constantly. Then shoot the backs of the assault mechs or any mechs who don't turn to face me. Always stay moving though (hopefully you have light pilot experience). All in all I give it 10 out of 10 and wreck face in it. Though in saying all that I do think it requires skill and experience to get the most out of it.

agree with the above points. It's also one of the few mechs I drive I expect to run out of ammo every match. That said.. I don't really care.

[jper4]

I can never keep the chassis straight so couldn't say what loadout is on which. I like them so far generally- only a dozen matches or so in each chassis except the hero. just avoid the front rank and you can harass decently.

oddly my most effective build is my 2 ML 4 LRM5 one, 4 tons of ammo I believe. moves at around 100kph, I just run back and forth behind the big and tall mech firing line, streaming LRMs all across the battlefield and fast enough to maintain distance if they try to advance. can usually run out of ammo before dying or match ends. did go 1ML and tag early on until I discovered how horrible it is running around at the end of the match with only 1ML left to shoot with because my ammo was gone.

have one with dual LPLs and a ML, speed about 100ish, nice mid range poker. just switched to this build a few matches ago with it and it has bee doing decent.

do have a light hunter one, the one with everything on the right side, 3ML, 3 streaks and 110ish speed. nice to see locusts and cheetahs run AWAY from me for a change.

generic 4ML 2 srm 4s for the first one (101?)- speed 120ish. for some reason this mech just gets wins. only one under 10 matches because he double xp on the first match almost every time.

ecm one is um not liking me... 3 MPL and 2 LRM5s atm. also 120ish kph- tried srms on it but died horribly. only 1.5 tons of ammo so i just lob some lrms early and hop to clean up once I run out. haven't really found a comfortable build with this one though. thought about being pokey-mech but poor eyesight and zoom gives me a headache after a while. figured I could provide ecm for the lrming assaults and try to fit in with them my worst performing one of the bunch. has led me to many long losing streaks. may try LLs or something next with it.

[Jackal Noble]

Love it. Run my assassin at least once a day.
You know the ol saying, " An assassin a day keeps the haemonculus away.."

[Ruar]

I have a lot of fun in mine which surprised me because it didn't seem like a mech that I would mesh with.

I still have significant issues losing legs, so bad I honestly think something is messed up with the hitbox or they just made the hitbox too large.

I typically run some mix of medium lasers and SRM4s. Scout, move around, skirmish, flank, support the push, and pretty much anything else that I think needs doing can be done in this mech. I don't have a favorite variant yet, they all have pro's and con's for the most part.

All in all I'm very pleased with the Assassin even if the legs are made of paper mache.

[Dogstar]

Day 3:



Day 30:



Could be better.

One significant problem I've had with the ASN chassis is that it's been difficult to get a decent build together. The XL280 stock engines are fast but leave little space for weapons and the STD 200 engines are just too slow - so that means getting a new engine for each variant which is an expensive proposition - par for the course with MWO but still frustrating

The DD is especially problematic. I'd really like to use the AC2 but it just needs too much facetime, and that's one thing you simply can't afford in an ASN. I think if it was harder to spot where ACs shots are coming from it might be workably stealthy but pretty much all weapons other than gauss rifles are like a big shining arrow pointing back at you.

Edited by Dogstar, 18 April 2017 - 11:27 AM.

[Deathlike]

If the Assassin is used in any common theme, it's AssSplat. It does the SRM boating well.


ASN-21
Note: It's just posted as a concept and not optimized at all.

Edited by Deathlike, 18 April 2017 - 11:23 AM.