17 replies to this topic

[Garfuncle]

There are plenty of IS mechs that feel new again due to new tech, but how about we share some clan mechs that feel the same? Personally I've been loving ATMs on the Orion IIC.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...fafc080feaf0bc9

Three ATM 12s and 3 Heavy Smalls for self defense. Don't bother shooting until you are in the first and second most effective range brackets, use your high mounted missiles to peak over hills to quickly lock and rain targets. Has been netting me plenty of KMDD.

Heavy Mediums, 4 on the Ice Ferret and 8 on the Gargoyle has also been working well for me.

[Jackal Noble]

Saw an Exe the other day with 3 heavy mediums and 3 heavy large lasers.

Still undecided on this ebj build, but it's been putting up decent numbers... I don't normally run all energy builds
2-ER large top and 1 heavy medium on LT
1 heavy medium laser on RT
4 Medium pulse on LA, RA.
DHS galore.

SuperNova BR - 325XL
2 Gauss
3 Heavy Large Lasers
- 66 point alpha + 18 point additional light saber

By far my favorite cougar build for the H ecm var.
1 UAC 10
3 Heavy Medium lasers

[White Heat]

Summoner Brawler with 4 heavy mediums and a uac20.

Something you couldn't do before.

[panzer1b]

Id have to say the biggest contender is my shadowcats, both the 6 MG variant and the more tame ECM model. The HLL is by no means a super competitive nor insanely strong weapon due to its burn time, but it actually opens the door to something resembling alfa striking on a mech that was basically locked at roughly 30-33 alfa strike nomatter what energy weapons you gave it. being able to do up to 46 alfa strike is huge imo for that mech, since its too squishy to be able to work with DPS oriented laser builds (and its too light for any ballistics besides the aforementioned 6x MG). The 2 builds i run on it that ive had very good luck with is 2 HLL and 6 LMGs (LMGs may lack DPS, but the range coupled with insanely high crit rates is worth it over the other 2 options), and the more conventional 2 HLL and 1 ERML (you can get 3 more alfa with HML but the range loss isnt worth imo). The HLL is just huge for people that want a workable amount of damage out of very few energy hardpoints (4 HMLs is equal to 6 ERMLs, 2 HLLs is equal to 2 ERLL and 2 ERML or like 5 ERMLs in raw alfa strike), but is fairly subpar on e-boats since you are almost always better off taking 2 LPL/ERLL and 6 ERML then some combo of HLL and HML/ERML.

Pretty much every other mech or build isnt hugely affected. ATMs are one of those weapons ill bring when im not in the mood for meta trash and my aim isnt top notch (too many beers...), but they are by no means very strong weapons outside of that very narrow band from 120 to 300m (and even there the damage spreads so much you need to hit them with 2-3 ATM-48 alfa strikes before they really die). HMLs and HSLs are too range limited for my tastes (only legit use ive found for HMLs is as a secondary for my ATM-48 scorch since id rather have 20 dmg less often then 14 more often and i dont care about range here). And HMGs are beyond useless outside of point blank (DPS is nice out of 6 but thats the only redeeming feature of them). I have alot fun running stupid things like 78 alfa strike HBR (2HLL+6ERML) but even that i wouldnt consider a build id run competitively since its too hot to be practical and i just do better in my 2ERLL+6ERML version since its got the utility of 2 hit anything at any range lasers and 64 alfa strike is still plenty to 2 shot someone's ST off. Technically 78 alfa is enough to instantly skin the armor off a ST on most mechs, but you still need a followup hit to actually destroy that ST, besides the psychological effect of having something go from 100% to 0 armor in 1 shot, its effectiveness over the slightly lower 64 alfa strike is questionable when i can fire the full 64 alfa twice on most maps when off cooldown and i cannot fire the 78 alfa twice.

I really like the new tech overall, as it opens up a few new playstyles (and the HLL is huge for mechs with very few energy hardpoints that want some sort of damage out of em), but i dont think that the tech has truly altered the dominant clan meta gameplay and at best its helped maybee 2-3 mechs like seriously get better but even now those mechs are far from super competitive (doing 43-46 alfa out of a SHC doesnt magically render that mech super strong or anything, just a little less bad at trading damage and able to backstab light mechs fairly reliably).

At least the IS tech is a game changer, with the main things being LFEs, light ferro (i had a few IS mechs that could use half a ton of ammo or a heatsink or something and have like 8-9 slots empty), ERMLs, and uac-10. The LFE is basically a straight upgrade for 90% of STD mechs (almost all assaults can grab this and gain tonnage/speed, brawler heavys can finally have survivability and not have to give up too much in any department, ect). The ERML is prolly the best thing IS got energy wise (ppcs are fun but not really game changing) since it gives mechs that are starved on tonnage the ability to play the mid range game (yeah LPLs are still better, but you can get 6 ERMLs and a heatsink for the tonnage of but 1 LPL) and they are sorta in that sweet spot range for IS, not too short that you have to brawl, but long enough to harass long range and play mid range. Uac10 is something i really like especially on mediums since its just about light enough that you can bring it on any mech with enough ammo and some secondary ERMLs+heatsinks, and unlike uac5s, a single one is powerful enough on its own to use as a primary weapon system (1 uac5 is pitiful dmg, 2 uac5 is too heavy for most mediums if you dont wanna be a slug or have an XL). I sorta wish i could like the uac20, but its just got so little going for it since if it was 2 shot and not 3 shot itd be great, but 3 shots is about as much spread as clan tech would get, not to mention the abyssmal range that things got (clan one can at least hit assaults easily at 400m and still do good dmg).

[Alexander of Macedon]

Shadow Cat, full stop.

[BTGbullseye]

Myst Lynx C, Heavy Large Laser + Heavy Medium... Makes it a halfway useful little bug. (I nicknamed it the "Gnat")

[Brain Cancer]

It was a renaissance for my Orion IIC. Trading some LRMs for ATMs turned it into a flexible fire support machine, and the ATMs can still get flicked effectively over hills to missilepoke and I can get much tighter, nastier hits at under-600m where I liked to LRM.

But I have to agree that hardpoint-starved machines like the Shadow Cat got the prize here. Even the MGs can get swapped to LMGs, and it can maximize it's energy punch with heavy lasers. I'm sorta sad we didn't get chemical lasers, though.

[El Bandito]

I am experimenting with the HLLs. Currently I am running 2xHLL+3xERML Hellbringer for hill humping. And 2xHLL Viper.

[Khobai]

I tried the x2 HLL x4 CERML Hellbringer but then I came to the realization that I might as well just go back to CERLL instead.

I find the Hellbringer is a much better long range mech than a medium range mech. For medium range I prefer the Ebon Jaguar for the ballistics.


I definitely agree the Shadowcat benefits from new tech though. Because its one of the few mechs that can benefit from Heavy Lasers. And LMGs are awesome.

I really like the LMG on the Viper too. It gives the Viper better range it didnt have before. But I dont like heavy medium lasers on the Viper because the beam duration is too long for poking/poptarting. I prefer something with shorter beam duration so I can poke/poptart better.

Edited by Khobai, 10 August 2017 - 05:06 PM.

[Mole]

BTGbullseye, on 10 August 2017 - 11:59 AM, said:

Myst Lynx C, Heavy Large Laser + Heavy Medium... Makes it a halfway useful little bug. (I nicknamed it the "Gnat")

I... I'm going to have to try this...

[Davegt27]

How about the Ice Ferret?

did it get any better?

Edited by Davegt27, 15 August 2017 - 03:53 PM.

[Brain Cancer]

Davegt27, on 10 August 2017 - 06:03 PM, said:

How about the Ice Ferret?

did get any better?

Because I hardly see either MLX or IFRs on the field and I mixed two pieces of "I'm not an [i[Arctic Cheetah[/i]" up (the below is for the Mist Lynx:

Ice Ferrets suffer purely from having near zero podspace. That's something no amount of new equipment will really fix.

That being said playing with newtech, you can do things like an HLL/2 LMG + ECM on it, since HLLs are pretty much maximum damage to tonnage. Or the aformentioned HLL+HML/ERML + ECM depending on whether you want maximum punch or a second laser that nearly reaches as far as the big one.

Or ditch the ECM and you could do something minimalistic like HML + 2xATM-3 and 2 1/2 tons of ammo, but it's really not enough podspace to do ATMs proper justice.

Edited by Brain Cancer, 10 August 2017 - 09:51 PM.

[Davegt27]

ECM?

did I miss something
never mind I forgot I went to tier 1

wolfhound showed up with its heavy armor and killed me like
I was a fly

Edited by Davegt27, 10 August 2017 - 08:15 PM.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Brain Cancer, on 10 August 2017 - 07:14 PM, said:

Ice Ferrets suffer purely from having near zero podspace. That's something no amount of new equipment will really fix.

That being said playing with newtech, you can do things like an HLL/2 LMG + ECM on it, since HLLs are pretty much maximum damage to tonnage. Or the aformentioned HLL+HML/ERML + ECM depending on whether you want maximum punch or a second laser that nearly reaches as far as the big one.

Or ditch the ECM and you could do something minimalistic like HML + 2xATM-3 and 2 1/2 tons of ammo, but it's really not enough podspace to do ATMs proper justice.

AFAIK no IFR pod or variant has ECM.

I think though, given the IFR's agility and relative shortage of podspace, something with high damage per ton can make it into a relatively useful hit-and-run mech. Something like 4 HML + Light CAP could make it work as an escort for bigger mechs. It's got the armor and speed to hunt down enemy lights.

[Davegt27]

IFRs work in lower tiers (like always)

but in tier 1 they just laugh and shoot the legs

[Cy Mitchell]

Fox With A Shotgun, on 10 August 2017 - 08:19 PM, said:

AFAIK no IFR pod or variant has ECM.

Until Tuesday.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Rampage, on 10 August 2017 - 09:30 PM, said:

Until Tuesday.

Ah, yes. New pods for some mechs.

What I would give for a KFX-U, which has 4M hardpoints on each arm. Yay for 8M 4E kitfox!

[White Heat]

Heavy lasers we're a bit of a boon for the ice ferret imo.