43 replies to this topic

[N a p e s]

....mom's spaghetti

[Roughneck45]

One of my favorites these days. Hot for sure, but the ECM, speed, and JJ's make it a blast for QP.

Just don't miss your shots and leave your team out to dry.

[Skanderborg]

With my experience in the mech , the shadowcat runs ridiculously hot with energy builds , and lacks armor to do any SRM build. The huntsman and HBK offer better poptart choices. I think the only redeeming quality of the mech is ECM.

Edited by Skanderborg, 08 June 2017 - 06:03 AM.

[Mystere]

Bud Crue, on 08 June 2017 - 04:01 AM, said:

Every time....every god damn time....I say to myself: "Try and stay back! Just a little. You don't have to always be out front. Stay back with the group. Play smart." Yet, I'd say 75% of the time where do I end up? Out in front. Doesn't matter if its a Shadow Cat or an Atlas, somehow I always seem to end up being the first moron in the circle, across the water, out in the open. Thank god for armor quirks or my stats would be even worse.

It looks like the Viper should be more your thing.

[LowSubmarino]

Garbage mech?

Hahahahaha.

The shadowcat is by far one of the most lethal mechs in the entire game.

The shadowcat is a rutheless evil god stalking the battlefield to cripple its prey in the most painful manner possible.

Shadowcat was a monster before the skill tree.

Now?

Its so evil that I am surprised every single day they havent completly and instantly taken the mech completly out of the game with a single word of explanation:

imba

[Ced Riggs]

Shadowkittens can serve many useful purposes.

They can ECM shield (if specced) mechs without ECM, counter annoying lights in your ranks and help share targetting data, they can provide additional firepower (2x cLPL, for example) to a firing line, they can hunt down lights or fast mediums, and they can put firepower into a flank quickly, either backcoring enemies or causing a shift in enemy positions. They aren't much for armor sharing, and they won't lead a push, but they can help a push get executed with their targetting shielding and decent firepower.

Sadly, Shadowkittens, like any pet, are often abused. You see people put LRMs on them, or double pepsi, and run away from the team instead of support it. These l33t snipers are usually just as usefull as LRM assaults - not. They don't scout, they don't support pushes, they don't share their ECM, and they don't do well or contribute much.

To the OP: Good work. You had a match where you managed to get good damage numbers, and kudos for that.
But in general: Don't. Double pepsi is a shite loadout for the Shadowkitten, as mentioned before (lack of TC4++ hurts, Hunchie IIC does it better), and double pepsi is also a shite loadout for a combined push. Twin pulses or SRMs & Mediums for a striker role are superior choices.

And as for the annoying wall snipers on HPG: You are useless. Stop that.

Yellonet, on 08 June 2017 - 04:56 AM, said:

Fantastic. It's amazing what can be done in an OP clan mech.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a knee jerk response in the wild. Notice how it doesn't take anything into account other than a single trigger, in this case "clan". We see these responses in many places and hear them in many discussions throughout our lives. The easiest way to deal with kneejerk responses is to categorize the source accordingly - someone who either parrots or repeats an opinion not based on fact or knowledge, but as an interned mantra. The response is thus, for the sake of furthering the conversation, useless, as it does not reflect on any factual information.

[Natred]

Just have fyi for my inner shere compadres the pheonix hawk is the inner sphere equivalent. It can do the same tactics as the shadow cat. Its fun and effective if used properly.

Do not try to build a heavy load out on the pheonix hawk. Same thing with the shadow cat. Effecriveness is the precison and speed. Remember that.

Edited by Natred, 08 June 2017 - 08:05 AM.

[Ryllen Kriel]

Natred, on 08 June 2017 - 08:00 AM, said:

Just have fyi for my inner shere compadres the pheonix hawk is the inner sphere equivalent. It can do the same tactics as the shadow cat. Its fun and effective if used properly.

Do not try to build a heavy load out on the pheonix hawk. Same thing with the shadow cat. Effecriveness is the precison and speed. Remember that.

Actually I wouldn't say that the Phoenix Hawk is the Inner Sphere equivalent. It's a much larger target, the ECM variants can't run MASC, the MASC variant has rough hardpoints and only the 1B has a high, singular weapon mount for energy as opposed to three for the Shadow Cat. Even with the single high right shoulder hard point the 1B has those huge jet intake pylons which telegraph any ridge peeking (also making the side torsos into a deathtrap) and makes the play style completely different for me. Instead of vertical and horizontal peeking from cover it mostly just does the horizontal well.

Both are fun mechs, but they aren't even close in this game from my experiences piloting the two. In tabletop, maybe.

If the Shadow Cat must have an equivalent I would say it's the Cicada 3M, despite being 5 tons lighter and lacking jumpjets and MASC. It's got the capability of similar energy hardpoints at a reasonably high placement, ECM and enjoys long range sniping load outs.

[N a p e s]

I do like the Shadowkitty quite a bit, nothing feels quite as good to pilot with its mix of speed, agility, MASC and jumpjets. There are also a few cool builds that it can do but I'm looking forward to that 4th missile hardpoint to increase its striker potential (I'll gladly trade ECM for another hardpoint).

[PurplePuke]

Ced Riggs, on 08 June 2017 - 07:52 AM, said:

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a knee jerk response in the wild. Notice how it doesn't take anything into account other than a single trigger, in this case "clan". We see these responses in many places and hear them in many discussions throughout our lives. The easiest way to deal with kneejerk responses is to categorize the source accordingly - someone who either parrots or repeats an opinion not based on fact or knowledge, but as an interned mantra. The response is thus, for the sake of furthering the conversation, useless, as it does not reflect on any factual information.

Cool story bro.

[Jay Leon Hart]

Paigan, on 08 June 2017 - 03:51 AM, said:

You know, even the name might give a hint. If it were a Mech for storming out in the open, it would be called something like "Sun Cat" instead of "Shadow Cat".

Nova Cat and Mad Cat spring to mind

Bud Crue, on 08 June 2017 - 04:01 AM, said:

Every time....every god damn time....I say to myself: "Try and stay back! Just a little. You don't have to always be out front. Stay back with the group. Play smart." Yet, I'd say 75% of the time where do I end up? Out in front. Doesn't matter if its a Shadow Cat or an Atlas, somehow I always seem to end up being the first moron in the circle, across the water, out in the open. Thank god for armor quirks or my stats would be even worse.

I just embrace it - be the tip of the spear!

[fat4eyes]

The Shadowcat's a great mech. As an alternative to sniping, try using it as an escort mech. Put on a UAC10, stay with the assaults and heavies and wonder in awe how the combination of ECM and being near bigger targets leads to no-one shooting at you. As long as your ECM is active and you're not the the first one peeking, you'd be surprised how long you last in a big brawl. Putting on streaks and hunting lights is fun too, even though you're a bit undergunned compared to the alternatives (skillcrow just has way too many hardpoints).

[Wyald Katt]

fat4eyes, on 08 June 2017 - 10:11 AM, said:

Put on a UAC10...

I did that before the Skill Tree, but my baby always let me down and jammed first double-tap, every time I needed her the most. EVERY. TIME.

Maybe I'll try again, ask Jobu to come, take jam from uAC. I offer him CBills, XP. He will come.

Edited by Wyald Katt, 08 June 2017 - 10:17 AM.

[Natred]

Your mistaken bud ryllen kriel. Honestly i do not even know why i bother trying to help you stubburn incompetent inner sphere pilots.. but i will for the sake of everyone else who may not be like you.

The pheonix hawk can actually run faster on average with similar loadouts no masc required and full jump jets.

From my memory
2 large pulse in the arms xl engine which goes i believe 119 wiitout masc.
6 mediums in the arms ecm goes 117 without masc plays similar to a jump viper
2 ppc which goes 119 i believe with the ppc in the arms
I also have one that goes 125 with 3 regular large i think with 2 mg

Shadow cat goes 105 i believe with speed tweek and masc 120kph.. so the pheonix hawk actually out performs the shadow cat in some regards.

If you do not know what your talking about its best to listen and learn. Shadow cats and pheonix hawk shine in a projected battle where they do considerable damage over time. Watch my video this is my favorite pheonix hawk build.

Before skill tree and on my old computer mind you i have got much better.
https://youtu.be/ajAPhDXAU3A

Edited by Natred, 08 June 2017 - 01:51 PM.

[Johnny Z]

I know right now that if I piloted Clan mechs I would love the Shadow Cat. An excellent looking mech, way better than one of my favourites the Cicada.

Clan envy intensifies.

[Wyald Katt]

Johnny Z, on 08 June 2017 - 10:35 AM, said:

An excellent looking mech...

You don't pilot a mech because of how it looks. You pilot it because it has a cat in the name!

[Natred]

Actually i have the mechwarrior 4 nostalgia thing going for me and the shadow cat and puma. I actually do not really like domestic cats they piss on everything and stink. I can tolerate them if my friends have one will be nice but will never have one as a pet. Lol

[Zolaz]

I love playing my SC in QP. I run a 2 LRM, 2 SL, TAG. ECM and MASC help you get good positioning for the TAG and you just rack up the assists from the LRM potatoes. LRM SC should be a force multiplier and not a REMF. If Lights come for you just run them back to your team.

Learning the MASC, JJ, dodge and weave that makes it hard for QP potatoes to hit you and start crying is also helpful.

[ByteHacker]

Ced Riggs, on 08 June 2017 - 07:52 AM, said:

To the OP: Good work. You had a match where you managed to get good damage numbers, and kudos for that.
But in general: Don't. Double pepsi is a shite loadout for the Shadowkitten, as mentioned before (lack of TC4++ hurts, Hunchie IIC does it better), and double pepsi is also a shite loadout for a combined push. Twin pulses or SRMs & Mediums for a striker role are superior choices.

And as for the annoying wall snipers on HPG: You are useless. Stop that.

I see where you're coming from and do have a point like the others who have pointed out that the PPC Hunchback IIc is objectively more effective at sustained fire. In my opinion, when armed with dual ppcs, both chassis serve a similar role as a sniper fire support albeit with a different playstyle and purpose.

The hunchback is better suited as a second line fire support that fires from behind friendly lines into the enemy front lines or even the flank if the enemy gets sloppy as it has more heat sinks to support the sustained fire. The TC4 also helps it in terms of landing the shot more accurately because of the faster projectile speed.

However, I would argue that the shadowcat does a better job of being a sniper-skirmisher. This means that as a pilot, you need to find spots that are obscure and difficult to reach and at the same time to the flank of the enemy using the hypermobility bestowed onto you. In this case, elevation becomes your best friend. The reason is that most light mechs won't be able to hit you from behind because of the height difference. It also makes return fire from the enemy much more difficult. At the same time, you actually want the enemy to return fire as that means they'll be blindly firing into a shrub or a rock in the general direction your in due to the ECM masking the magic dorito that hovers over your head. By doing so, you distract the enemy from the front line and make sometimes multiple mechs target a shadow(pun intended) which exposes their flank to your own friendly front firing line. And if they don't return fire, then you can just continually fire into their backs and watch their precious CT turn red.

Overall, I would say that it's entirely up to preference. Some people prefer higher damage which is reasonable. Some people prefer stealth and mobility. I pick stealth and mobility because it's a playstyle that I do better in. I may not be getting the most bang for buck out of the 45 tons I'm taking up, but if I can function on par with someone in a 60-70 ton mech I think it's safe to say I'm not dragging down the team.

[BD RAIDR]

Lurmcat is the best Shadowcat. jking