36 replies to this topic

[Grognard1965]

Hello,

I'm still a bit hazy on this subject, and I think its holding me back. By targeting priorities, I dont mean which Mech to target in a match, I'm talking about the state of a Mech, and what to aim at, situationally.

As some examples:

1. If a Mech is missing a torso, would it be best to keep plugging away at the weak point, or switch to the other side? I am aware of engine crit sizes (3 on IS XLs, 2 on Clan etc).

2. Ive also heard things like damage transfers at half from one destroyed location to an inner location, true? If true, does the damage you applied, or the adjusted half go towards scoring?

3. Machine guns, better to fire at a blown torso to try to transfer crits inward? if that even works... Also, do all machine guns have the same crit rating now that we have "new tech"?

4. At what weight class does one attempt to slash legs vs torso, or is it purely speed based?

***5. Other questions you feel should have been asked.

Im guessing there is a lot that plays into it, given different builds that require a first effort at a certain location... Hellbringer meta, left shoulder, etc. But, there should be some general guidlines for specific weapons, and situations/mech conditions.

Sorry, I know this is probably a very complicated subject, hence why Im asking. If I managed to ask the right questions, are there any takers? As always, thank you.

Edited by Grognard1965, 25 July 2017 - 11:05 PM.

[kesmai]

Pewpewprrrrt>zapshhrrrt>cajingpewprrrt.

I hope it helped.

[DaMuchi]

Shoot side torsos if you are alone, CT if your team is focusing that target. If you see a weak point, just shoot it off, ignore arms. Shoot legs of all lights. Whether to shoot legs on other weight classes is skill. You have to judge based on their weapons. If you see a medium with large ballistic weapons for example, then shoot the legs.

I'm not sure if Mgs have same crit rates but the lighter the mg the less crit it does. I think a post rated hmg at 2.4 dps (acounting for crit) while lmgs do 2.1 dps. This is of course only relevant to cored components

Edited by DaMuchi, 25 July 2017 - 11:23 PM.

[Funk1777]

Depends on the mech and on its loadout. It depends on your loadout too. Just do what I do and spray roughly in the middle with srms unless the damn thing moves too fast then aim roughly at its legs.

[Vellron2005]

Simple.. Always go for the weakest component.. if a CT is open, kill it. If a mech is legged, shoot it's other leg off to kill it. If a side torso is open, perform an XL check..

Avoid arms if possible.

On lights, shoot legs only.

If LURMING, just keep softening up. Something will give up eventually or someone else will be able to exploit the above options.

[El Bandito]

Safest way to kill Linebackers is to leg them. They tend to have short ranged weapons. Youre welcome.

[Carl Vickers]

Dont shoot Commando's in the legs, they have decent buffs on them, easier to CT or ST them.

[Ghogiel]

1: plug the weak poin until it's destroyed. A mech will be fighting at full capacity while you have switched away from the dmg'd leg or side, so while you try to take off the non dmg'd component it's still running full speed, at full heat sinks and with all it's weaps.

2: dmg reduction through destroyed components is 60% when it transfers. Not 100% sure, but I think only dmg you do is clocked for end of match score, so not including anything disapated via dmg reduction. Would be fubar to think that you can just farm more dmg out of a mech by keeping it alive while shooting a destroyed leg and having a double reduction to kill it through CT. you would be able to get a couple 100 dmg off a mech extra it couldn't possibly mount if you did that on leg on one side and an arm stub on the other.

Edited by Ghogiel, 26 July 2017 - 06:43 AM.

[Grognard1965]

DaMuchi, on 25 July 2017 - 11:20 PM, said:

I'm not sure if Mgs have same crit rates but the lighter the mg the less crit it does. I think a post rated hmg at 2.4 dps (acounting for crit) while lmgs do 2.1 dps. This is of course only relevant to cored components

That sounds like a big win for LMGs considering weight and range vs DPS over all.

[Grognard1965]

Ghogiel, on 26 July 2017 - 03:56 AM, said:

1: plug the weak point. A mech will be fighting at full capacity while you have switched away from the dmg'd leg or side, so while you try to take off the non dmg'd component it's still running full speed, at full heat sinks and with all it's weaps.

2: dmg reduction through destroyed components is 60% when it transfers. Not 100% sure, but I think only dmg you do is clocked for end of match score, so not including anything disapated via dmg reduction. Would be fubar to think that you can just farm more dmg out of a mech by keeping it alive while shooting a destroyed leg and having a double reduction to kill it through CT. you would be able to get a couple 100 dmg off a mech extra it couldn't possibly mount if you did that on leg on one side and an arm stub on the other.

Ok interesting, I have always had a natural tendency to hammer a weak point, and it seems that its not a good idea, given the reduced transfer rate to... basically what amounts to trying to core the Mech from the destroyed torso. Im just castigating my own damage. Especially when in close with the LMGs my KitFox ussually has. Im hitting nothing basically...

[Lostdragon]

1. Don't shoot at a missing torso. You are wasting heat/ammo, you only transfer a fraction of damage into the CT. You would be much better off to just shoot the CT directly and do 100% damage to it.

2. Only actual damage counts, so if you hit a missing torso for 100 pts 60 pts transfers to the CT and you only get credit for 60 damage.

3. See #1, never shoot at a missing component when you can shoot something else. Different machine guns have different crit multipliers, the more base damage the lower the multiplier.

4. If you catch a mech in the open it is a good idea to check its leg armor. A lot of people strip tons of armor off legs because most of the time (esp in QP) people don't shoot legs. Legging a mech can be very beneficial. It effectively takes the mech out of the fight and leaves it as a sitting duck. You can try to get behind the legged mech to finish it, but often times it is a good idea to bug out and help the rest of the team, especially if the legged mech is relatively fresh and outweighs you.

5. Learn how mechs are built. Play with Smurfy and get familiar with what kinds of engines a mech needs to take to fit a certain loadout. Being able to recognize XL engines can win matches. It's a bit tougher with LFEs now, but still very viable. Visually examine the enemhy mech to see if it is using a sword and board build and shoot only at the weapon side if possible. If a mech is down to one ML or completely weaponless then for god's sake, target something that has more guns if possible.

[Lucian Nostra]

Never shoot something that's missing like others said, the damage transfers at a lower rate and you can't crit components in the next section till it's armorless so it's really pointless.

Don't listen to the person that said to shoot side torsos when solo, because that has a TON of caviats. Like if it's an IS mech that is known for running an XL ok sure it'll take you less damage to side torso it. If it's a clan mech or a STD/lfe IS mech than shooting side torsos will take you longer than coring the machine out (which is more likely to be the case now). How close is your team? Gonna alpha it's side than have them start beating it's chest? I mean there is a big reason most people go for CT, gauranteed kill and it's center mass

If it's fresh blast it in the chest. If it's heavily damaged in a torso/leg knock that part off.

Lights are generally easier to knock the legs off than try to core out, a few others as well like the mentioned linebackers and centurions but again... Can you see the legs clearly? Sucks to rip up a mechs legs than have it start ridge humping.

Edited by Lucian Nostra, 26 July 2017 - 05:43 AM.

[Kargush]

And don't forget that some mechs are heavily slanted in terms of hardpoints. If you see a Hunchback, nuke the hump side (unless the other one is open or otherwise severely damaged). Some mechs can be neutered with a bit of careful shooting.

[Natred]

If an arm or side torso is destroyed by hitting it again does reduced damage to the next nearest component. So prettt much that is wasted damage. If you blow of one side torso on a clan mech if the other one is destroyed they will go down unless they are running a standard engine. Is mechs aiming for the center torso or legs is usually the best way to go. Generally aiming for the legs on lights and mediums is good to slow them down.

[Kiiyor]

• If you don't have targeting data: always a safe bet to go for center mass.
  
• If you DO have targeting data, go for the weakest component.
  
• Forget all about that in the heat of battle, and just shoot for the CT anyway.
  
• Belatedly tell yourself to go for the damaged bits first in future.
  
• Also remind yourself to go for specific components on specific builds - the arm of a Dragon, for instance.
  
• Forget all about that in a moment of keyboard mashing panic and aim for the vague center of the red box instead.
  
• Leg a mech. Shoot at the wrong leg when trying to get the other one.
  
• WHY WON'T IT DIE!? WAS IT MY LEFT OR STAGE LEFT? Aim for the CT in frustration. Take an embarrassing amount of damage from legged mech before you finally kill it.
  
• OOH! Remind yourself to aim for the crotch when back shooting.
  
• Fire at crotch once, mech doesn't die.
  
• Sigh. Back to aiming at CT.
  
• Good ol' CT. Never fails.

[JC Daxion]

Vellron2005, on 25 July 2017 - 11:27 PM, said:

Avoid arms if possible.

I dunno why people say this, i see it pop up in a few peoples posts.. While maybe not all mechs should arms be a high target, but especially some of the lighter ones, taking off an arm is often a very good idea. Getting that Dual PPC arm, or ac20, or what ever boated up weapons are in it.. (typically it's the right arm, but some mechs it's the left)

Low armor, and low structure means that arm can be gone in a few shots and they just lost a huge portion of fire power, especially if they are like me, and forget which side the main weapon is one and start taking with the wrong arm.. CURSE YOU LEFT ARM PRIMARY WEAPONS!


But yea, as a rule, Go for ST or CT first, if you have a shot, but many mechs especially if someone is lurming, getting off that arm is a good thing, and sometimes very easy to do

[FireStoat]

It's taken me months but I've become much better at looking at my target's paper doll and picking out damaged components to destroy. Hooray, me. Seriously though, it's worth the practice and effort. In general I will always go for center mass unless it's a 35 to 50 ton mech that's less than mobile, in which case I'll go for the legs nearly always.

In terms of enemy mech priority, I'll assist on targets just to mow down the enemy numbers as quickly as possible. An exception to this would be when I see a mech on our flank being harassed by a light or medium that snuck up close. I will turn and help deal with that because the odds are good the rest of the team is still facing forward and doing assist targeting. In general, I try to save team mates who are part of the main group as much as I can. The team mates that are not a part of the main group who are absurdly slow because they are an assault who started AFK or are sniper / lurm boats that can't fire a weapon without coming to a complete stop can be left to die.

[MischiefSC]

Priorities - dangerous mechs you can kill/cripple with minimal exposure. KDK3, MAD IIC for example. Big STs and often require FaceTime to get their blistering firepower deployed. Also slow and clumsy. Poke and move such targets first.

Mechs that are one hit. Identify them (you hit R every chance you get, right? Cycling targets when multiples available to check weak spots and condition, right?) and try to position to finish thrm, but never suicide to do so.

Against a damaged enemy, finished damaged locations first. If a ST is gone focus the other ST. If the leg armor is open always pull the leg first - a legged mech in the open is doomed. That's all but a guaranteed kill. In fact if you see an assault out in the open, SWEEP THE LEG.

Killing is the goal but the first priority is to cripple the enemy or reduce his firepower. Also whenever possible leg mechs to leave them vulnerable to your teammates.

[jss78]

These are my general, simple rules I tend to go by.

- If no targetting information --> CT

- If no targetting information, but you just saw a friendly put in a heavy hit --> hit same component

- If targetting information shows a component ready to go --> hit that component

- If targetting information suggests 'mech running XL --> ST

- If 'mech completely still or shut down --> HD. Worst case it hits CT.

- If 'mech clearly runs most weaponry in a single component --> hit that component

- If target hard to hit --> just go for centre mass.

- If target fast --> legs

Vellron2005, on 25 July 2017 - 11:27 PM, said:

Avoid arms if possible.

As a proud owner of the Yen-Lo-Wang, I support this message.

Edited by jss78, 26 July 2017 - 09:43 AM.

[HGAK47]

Shoot legs off the small stuff and the Rear ST / CT of everything else. I find that to be the optimum engagement tactics. Obviously it isnt always that easy and this is a very general rule but it mostly works.

jss78, on 26 July 2017 - 09:42 AM, said:

These are my general, simple rules I tend to go by.

- If no targetting information --> CT

- If no targetting information, but you just saw a friendly put in a heavy hit --> hit same component

- If targetting information shows a component ready to go --> hit that component

- If targetting information suggests 'mech running XL --> ST

- If 'mech completely still or shut down --> HD. Worst case it hits CT.

- If 'mech clearly runs most weaponry in a single component --> hit that component

- If target hard to hit --> just go for centre mass.

- If target fast --> legs




As a proud owner of the Yen-Lo-Wang, I support this message.

Yes only ever shoot a Yen lo`s left arm..... it even has a nice big shield for you to hit! Anyone saying to shoot at the right arm is lying... totally nothing on that right arm that might be of any consequence.