33 replies to this topic

[razenWing]

At first, I was ecstatic about the prospect of 6 energy hardpoints. I mean, this thing can be a beast of a machine.

But, having everything on the arms severely reduce the effectiveness. In this case, having the arms covering the body so well is a detriment as your weapons are often shot off well before your body armor is remotely cored. I can't recall the countless time that I've lost 1 limb and left with 3 E with 12 min left... or not soon after... running around with full yellow armor and no arms for a large remainder of the fight.

Simply put, it's a freaking mist lynx. Except that mist lynx is the size of commando, and Medusa is like... 3/4 of a stormcrow and super easy to hit.

Now, I've thought about a mix-omni build to increase the weapons to the torso, but the Medusa pods currently have some of the best performance quirk, especially after the engine desync compare to other Vipers. Losing those would be leaving the Medusa flavorless.

What I currently have:

Max movement Medusa: all M omnipods + prime left torso, giving me 50% acc/del + 10% turn rate, on top of skills. I lose 10% range and 5% heat from losing the M left, but gain 5/5/10 in return, so I am not sad about that trade-off, considering I'm only using SPL at the moment.

Now, to me, the personality of the mech is the tendrils of the legendary Medusa hair. So it does make sense for me to use 6 ERML, put the M- left back on, and give me an incredible 500 M optimal. This would put me out of harms way for most of the fight and saves my arms a bit longer. However, 6 ERML is just way too hot to handle for most maps on a mech this tiny.

I could move down to 4 or 5 and have 2 SPL or ERSL, but... I don't know... feels lame.

Or should I go ERLL? But again, I don't like single range weapon. Pairing ERLL is too heavy. (though 5 ERSL + 1 ERLL is not a bad combo by any stretch of the imagination)

Or just f it and go mix pods?? I know some people do the Super-C build with 6 e+ 4 B setup... but you are gaining 1 additional E hardpoint for piloting an worse piloting mech than the C stock.
I mean, it could be a worthy trade-off, but again... I don't like losing the personality and flavor of a mech in pursuit of being a more weaponized but worse version of another exact same mech.

(Or use less than all 6 E hardpoints... but eh... why use a Medusa then?)

If the new tech involves Clan getting some big launchers, the solution is easy... put a heavy MRM launcher + 6 supporting lasers (micro?). But unfortunately, MRM is IS only (I still don't get why new tech needs to be Clan/IS splits... so so dumb), so... that solution kinda gets thrown out the window.

Anyone got suggestions on what to do?

[Ced Riggs]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c17c57903dfcda5

That is the current metamech suggestion for the Medusa.

[razenWing]

Ced Riggs, on 30 May 2017 - 05:09 AM, said:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c17c57903dfcda5

That is the current metamech suggestion for the Medusa.

Yea, no I already run that, except heatsink is on body so that when my arm is gone, the heatsink is not lost.

Unless the heatsink is for crit blocking, I don't know. But either way, I don't think heatsink crit blocking is not that important, I have not lost weapons due to arm crit yet... most of the time, they are just gone, lol.

Edited by razenWing, 30 May 2017 - 05:35 AM.

[Snazzy Dragon]

Heat sink is there for crit padding, yeah. Regardless vipers lose their arms ALL the time so I've never felt obliged to pick up the medusa. Muh torso lasers and flamer hands

[Curccu]

Arm lazors are meh on vipers imo arms are just falling off too early almost always, only build I have used them is with 11 ERSL.
But I prefer 6SPL 4 in torsos and 2 in 1 arm.

[Roughneck45]

I went through the same thing you are.

In the end, the 6 small pulse build was the most lethal.

There were two that came close but were too situational. 3 Meds and 3 smalls, the meds give you a little more range to work with for trading but when the sh*t hits the fan the small pulse are more lethal. 6 smalls and a streak 6, but then you are more committed to hunting lights.

[razenWing]

Roughneck45, on 30 May 2017 - 05:49 AM, said:

I went through the same thing you are.

In the end, the 6 small pulse build was the most lethal.

There were two that came close but were too situational. 3 Meds and 3 smalls, the meds give you a little more range to work with for trading but when the sh*t hits the fan the small pulse are more lethal. 6 smalls and a streak 6, but then you are more committed to hunting lights.

I think in the end, I just have to use it exclusively as a front line cqc support. Use the massive maneuverability index to protect against harassers and/or circle around enemy heavies in a push. But it's very dependent on my teammates having the balls to push, I don't know... I just don't like the lack of initiative.

[Nameless King]

I prefer 6 ersmalls in arms and 4 machine gun in torso.

[Ced Riggs]

The most trollsome build is the dreaded Alpha Viper. That's 55 points of pinpoint damage. You just really, really have to be sure it'll kill your target.

With the Skilltree, dump it all into heat gen, heat dissapation and cool run. Screw burn time, screw range, anything that's heat related needs to be ticked. Ignore mobility, base line is fine. Get enhanced coolshots and added slots for them.

This is truly riding the heat.

[Felbombling]

The 6x ER Small 4x MG build is the one I settled on. Using the whole weapon package until you are forced into using the MGs exclusively when the heat rises too high, the Mech can constantly dish out punishment. Honestly, the MGs just chew through open locations like a buzz saw.

[Ced Riggs]

Felbombling, on 30 May 2017 - 06:15 AM, said:

The 6x ER Small 4x MG build is the one I settled on. Using the whole weapon package until you are forced into using the MGs exclusively when the heat rises too high, the Mech can constantly dish out punishment. Honestly, the MGs just chew through open locations like a buzz saw.

I'm just waiting for HMGs and ER Micros/Micro Pulses over here.

[razenWing]

Felbombling, on 30 May 2017 - 06:15 AM, said:

The 6x ER Small 4x MG build is the one I settled on. Using the whole weapon package until you are forced into using the MGs exclusively when the heat rises too high, the Mech can constantly dish out punishment. Honestly, the MGs just chew through open locations like a buzz saw.

Well, that's like a underperforming viper-C with 1 additional energy hardpoint. I mean, maybe it's worth it, but... I don't know.

[Felbombling]

Ced Riggs, on 30 May 2017 - 06:16 AM, said:

I'm just waiting for HMGs and ER Micros/Micro Pulses over here.

I'm thinking Hv Smalls and Lt MGs, myself. Should be able to afford a Targeting Computer with the Lt MG change.

[Natred]

6 small pulse is the best build on the medusa. Point your arms at the ground when torso twisting.. would be nice if it haf some armor oe structure quirks on the arms. Anyways it a good mech if your willing to ride on the wild side go ballz deep and solo wolf around. Also works well in brawl situations with team back up. Stay fly cause thats how the viper rides.

[Felbombling]

razenWing, on 30 May 2017 - 06:17 AM, said:

Well, that's like a underperforming viper-C with 1 additional energy hardpoint. I mean, maybe it's worth it, but... I don't know.

What can I say... works for me! I tried a bunch of combinations, but settled on the MG version for the high heat situations, which having six energy hard points tend to lead to.

[PyckenZot]

Imo, You either go 6SPL + 4MG for some fun dakka drops or go alpha viper leghumping but both are harassers. Get in, get out.. Vipers are fast and can fly. If you lose arms you're either sticking around too long or fighting a decent foe that can actually take your arms of fast enough.

[Lily from animove]

Snazzy Dragon, on 30 May 2017 - 05:37 AM, said:

Heat sink is there for crit padding, yeah. Regardless vipers lose their arms ALL the time so I've never felt obliged to pick up the medusa. Muh torso lasers and flamer hands

seriously? crit padding on a 12hp internal arm? thats a joke isn't it? This is for people who want to look pseudo pro and talk about crit padding but i am sure you will a load more often have a benefit form the remainign ehatsink comapred to how often those components get shot off vs that single heatsink prevents from critting out.

[Roughneck45]

Lily from animove, on 30 May 2017 - 07:02 AM, said:

seriously? crit padding on a 12hp internal arm? thats a joke isn't it? This is for people who want to look pseudo pro and talk about crit padding but i am sure you will a load more often have a benefit form the remainign ehatsink comapred to how often those components get shot off vs that single heatsink prevents from critting out.

Crit padding is more important than keeping an extra heatsink for 3 small pulse lasers.

3 small pulse can be cooled by your 10 engine heatsinks alone. Heat becomes a problem when you've lost a side torso, which means you are losing that extra HS anyway, so you may as well put it with the guns for crit padding.

Its a minor thing, but the logic is sound.

Edited by Roughneck45, 30 May 2017 - 07:15 AM.

[Snazzy Dragon]

Lily from animove, on 30 May 2017 - 07:02 AM, said:

seriously? crit padding on a 12hp internal arm? thats a joke isn't it? This is for people who want to look pseudo pro and talk about crit padding but i am sure you will a load more often have a benefit form the remainign ehatsink comapred to how often those components get shot off vs that single heatsink prevents from critting out.

If you manage to overheat yourself with only 3 small pulse lasers even with the torso loss cooling penalty then I'd be impressed.

[razenWing]

ok, heatsink padding aside, I was wondering if anyone else have any fresh ideas?

I don't actually think the new tech is going to help the Medusa much (unless you mix pods) as the limited weight is a limiting factor

What if... the alpha viper, but 4 flamers and 6 spl?

That MIGHT be worth the sacrifice to mobility... but another support role... hum...

Or replace an arm and do dual srm/ssrm with energy backup?