43 replies to this topic

[Chappie69]

so I am looking into converting from my 4raven 2xer ppc sniper to either an Adder or a Nova, or any other better clan choice. I'm \considering the Nova, but I'm skeptical about converting to a medium mech and the lights are currently on sale. What do you think?

Edited by Chappie69, 01 August 2016 - 12:54 AM.

[zudukai]

while the panther can also do 2xPPC, the resize has changed it's ability from good to poor.

the Kitfox cannot comfortably run 2,but can do one and SRM or ERS backups
the Shadow cat can run 2 pretty well, it is much lighter on armor and needs to be played more like a light, ECM helps.
the huntsman should be able to do 2xPPC really well with more free tonnage, but less free pod space.
Obviously the stormcrow can run 2 ppc, and if you use the side torso mounts they are cockpit level, but no jets.

are you familiar with Omni pods?

Edited by zudukai, 01 August 2016 - 01:25 AM.

[PhoenixFire55]

A "sniper" light mech is a waste of a light mech. Either Nova or ShadowCat make an excellent 2xERPPC sniper, the former runs cooler and is tankier, but the latter has ECM and is faster.

[B0oN]

It got ERPPCs, buddies ... why stay away from the fight when you´re in a horrifyingly fast and agile weaponplatform ?

Get in on the dance and stop hiding ^^

[The Basilisk]

So ...you are saying you want to drive a mech that refuses to:

-- Deliver intel ( you have to be close to do so, lights are fast and nimble and therfore made to get close and back in a moment
-- take damage, a light has a very limited capacity to contribute to the teams ability to draw fire and take damge and share armor
-- Deliver meaningfull dps, PPCs are among the lowest dps weapons in game
-- scare off other lights, with PPCs you just can't
-- deliver ECM or other electronics coverage amidst your group, thats what a raven is for
-- be at least a LRM spotter or NARCer

Wow that looks dismal if you ask me. Are you sure you want to be that guy ?

Edited by The Basilisk, 01 August 2016 - 02:02 AM.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Shadowcat all day long.

Masc is excellent for jumping in and out of cover as well as simply getting the hell out of dodge.

Ecm is is great for keeping you incognito at distance.

I highly recomend copying the champion build as a starting point. I prefer the large pulses as they run cooler and much easier to use. Plus with a range module you can still reach pretty far out.

However, PPCs could reasonably substituted. Tracking a ppc to its shooter is a little harder than tracing a laser. Plus they allow for snap shooting.

[jss78]

Another vote for the Shadow Cat champion build, but with the LPL's replaced with ER-PPCs. Between the good speed, jump ability, the ECM, and the high weapon mounts, it's pretty optimal for this role.

Note that the Shadow Cat champion is available as a trial 'mech, so you can try before buying.

I'll second though the suggestion to try with LPL's instead of ERPPCs. The problem of ERPPCs vs. LPL's is that you're paying with great heat increase for a range increase that isn't very commonly needed. With a range module LPL's do full damage out to 660 m, and passable damage a few hundred metres beyond that. This covers virtually all combat in MWO.

[VitriolicViolet]

I like the Enforcer 5P you give it one UAC5 and one ER PPC. Then three MGs and the biggest engine you can fit. usually hits at least 81 kph and with cooldown modules on the UAC and PPC (and quirks) you can really hammer out shots and the PPC/UAC combo has similiar velocity so range is fine too.

[SlightlyMobileTurret]

The adder has a huge CT and survivability issues due to lack of lag shield (no amount of quirks can help a 104 kph light), but it's the strongest "ERPPC sniper" "light mech".

Both in quotes since the adder is stronger with MPLs than with the ERPPC build, and since it has a third of the Dire's free tonnage, which is a LOT.

Adder can run some really strong builds like 5MPL, 4SRM6+A, 4SSRM4 + smalls, UAC20 + 2 ERSL etc which are all easily IS medium or higher firepower. It's not a "great" mech, but it's good, and it's fun.

[Blind Baku]

zudukai, on 01 August 2016 - 01:15 AM, said:

while the panther can also do 2xPPC, the resize has changed it's ability from good to poor.

PhoenixFire55, on 01 August 2016 - 01:21 AM, said:

A "sniper" light mech is a waste of a light mech. Either Nova or ShadowCat make an excellent 2xERPPC sniper, the former runs cooler and is tankier, but the latter has ECM and is faster.

These statements are not exactly correct. Though if you are limiting yourself to ER PPC's only, then the 2nd statement might be correct.

As to Panthers, the PNT-10K is still one of the best PPC boats in the game. Rescale hurt it a lot, and it has REALLY low mounts but side peeks right very well. If you play at longish ranges it can still apply acceptable damage and reposition quickly. While most matches it wont compete in total damage application with the meta lights like Jenners or ACH's (best I've done during this event is ~600). Snap shots are life. (I've seriously been running this mech for 3 days straight, I'm a terrible shot and still manage to have fun and contribute well)

The advice for the Shadow cat is also pretty solid, mediums or even heavies bringing a good deal more heat sinks to the table makes them far more efficient.

If you want to get crazy with it, a LCT with an ERPPC is a suicide machine that can be great fun. Personally I would recommend the PB, stripping back the armor even further, lower the engine to the 180 (I believe) and have fun with no min-ranges, so engage all the targets and never stop moving. (obviously a 1V with an LPL is a better mech but better was not the qualifier used here )

[Spleenslitta]

The Basilisk, on 01 August 2016 - 01:55 AM, said:

So ...you are saying you want to drive a mech that refuses to:

-- Deliver intel ( you have to be close to do so, lights are fast and nimble and therfore made to get close and back in a moment
-- take damage, a light has a very limited capacity to contribute to the teams ability to draw fire and take damge and share armor
-- Deliver meaningfull dps, PPCs are among the lowest dps weapons in game
-- scare off other lights, with PPCs you just can't
-- deliver ECM or other electronics coverage amidst your group, thats what a raven is for
-- be at least a LRM spotter or NARCer

Wow that looks dismal if you ask me. Are you sure you want to be that guy ?

Whoa....talk about ignorant.

- Intel delivery. Why does he have to get close to press R? And why is a light mech automaticly a scout? It can be a harraser too.

- Take damage? Share armor? Why the heck does a light who has limited armor have to stand about and get hit? If he avoids getting hit while hurting the enemy i'd say he is doing things right and the rest of the team that trade damage back and forth are the ones doing it wrong.

-Dealiver meaningfull DPS? If he manages to lower the amount of incoming damage in comparison to his damage output i don't give a damn what the ER PPC's DPS is.

- Scare off other lights? Why is that automaticly a light mechs duty? Why do light mechs automaticly get the babysitting duty?

- Ravens with ECM is only meant for that? You want ECM? Get your own or use your smarts and make proper use of cover rather than peeking out of the same piece of cover over and over.

- If you want to get a target lock for your LRM's go forward and shoot at middle range rather than hang back...share your armor and such as your so obsessed about.

Why should light mechs stay still and be the servants of the heavier mechs? If you get into such a huge powerfull mech you better be able to pull your weight like the light mech users do.
Look at real life warfare...what does real life and games like these have in common?

Answer is this. Shoot the enemy without getting shot yourself. Light mechs strenght lies in mobility and when they are staying alongside a slowmoving behemoth they are not playing to their strenghts.

Edited by Spleenslitta, 01 August 2016 - 05:40 AM.

[process]

I can't recommend any mech more highly than the Adder. Yes, it's slow for a light. The trick is to treat it like a small medium and stay with the group, providing fire support for you heavier buddies. It has a fairly low profile, and with A side torso omnipods your PPCs will be grouped tightly near the cockpit.

Edited by process, 01 August 2016 - 08:28 AM.

[D A T A]

adder 2 erppcs is the best light of the game (on torsos) with the adder 5 meds (check the tournment scoreboard for confirm.)

it is the best use you can do with a light

[SlightlyMobileTurret]

If all you want is gun and more gun..nothing better than an adder.

I think all we gentlemen agree that those side torsos with the high mounted lasers are evil...Not to mention the quirks..

[Tier5 Kerensky]

My wins per defeat rate is best with Mist Lynx sniper, been running it with one ERL laser build, two ERL lasers build, and one ER PPC build. I also do nearly as much damage with it, than with my Mad Dog LRM build. Plus Mist Lynx is considered the weakest of light mechs.

I think some people above underestime the power of light mechs and ECM in the fights we new and moderately new players get.

I usually jump into high visibility spot, and then start shooting whatever heavies and few assults I see, little outside of optimal range. From that range I can't target them yet. The enemy I'm shooting can see me, not target, but they don't usually have very effective weapons. They take so damage, not alot, but they rarely come forward. And I'm still somewhat in front or side of my team, in case something too fast comes forward so I can run into cover.

Later on I get little closer and deal more damage. I have very high surviability, even with the two ERL laser build which can't carry really any armor at all. So, the way I see it, sniping with light mech, specially with ECM, really works well, at least when you are tier 4.

[Syanis]

If you can't do serious damage in one hit as a sniper then its just not worth it. I'd say 4 ppc's or erppc's is the minimum then which means 2 shot bursts and after 4 shots its time to cooldown. Best suggestion I have FOR a sniper is a Dire Star (Dire Wolf) with I believe its 11 ppc's. Yes, its insta death but hilarious watching someone just pop from a single hit!

But really, if your going to play a light then do your job for the team which is NOT sniping. We have enough soloist players already out there.

[SirSoggyDog]

There a particular reason your looking at Clanners? IS PPCs run quite a bit cooler, and the BJ makes a great PPC boat (I run twin ERPPCs and one regular PPC on mine) The Awesome and Warhawk both make sensible choices too.

[Spleenslitta]

Syanis, on 01 August 2016 - 06:12 PM, said:

If you can't do serious damage in one hit as a sniper then its just not worth it. I'd say 4 ppc's or erppc's is the minimum then which means 2 shot bursts and after 4 shots its time to cooldown. Best suggestion I have FOR a sniper is a Dire Star (Dire Wolf) with I believe its 11 ppc's. Yes, its insta death but hilarious watching someone just pop from a single hit!

But really, if your going to play a light then do your job for the team which is NOT sniping. We have enough soloist players already out there.

Pardon me but you do not get to set the rules for what goes or not for the same reason you do not get to decide what i get for dinner today.
People have a right to make their own choices.

Besides you suggested a Dire Wolf filled with PPC's which is destroyed after firing only once. That is a mech that only pulls it's weight if you find a target that is worth the death of an assault mech.
What if you miss? Then you have destroyed your own mech and done absolutly zero damage. I'd say you did far poorer than any newbie out there then.

Oh yeah...i go solo all the time. As a matter of fact i stay away from my team as much as possible for two reasons which i'll list below.

1) Staying with my team gets me the same attention they get.
If i stay near my team the enemy is allready looking in my every time i pop out of cover it's highly likely i'll get shot. I don't have the armor to spare in my light mech.
Shoot the enemy but do not get shot in return.

2) When i stay on the flank or rear of the enemy i can make the enemy chase me. The time they spend chasing after me is time they are not spending killing my teammates.

If you think all i say is just crap...well take a look inside this link - http://mwomercs.com/...-tactics-guide/
It's a massive 5 post long textwall guide on how to be successfull as a SOLO flanker in a light mech or fast medium.
The numbers and information there is all real.

Here is 2 of several things that my tactics are superior in -

1) I can shoot the enemy without getting shot back and do so repeatedly by tricking the enemy to look for where i'm not.
I make light mechs chase me but i can quite often make them run in the wrong compass direction through trickery.

Have you ever done 450 damage while receiving only 10 damage in return?
Imagine a lance of light mechs doing 450 damage each and only receiving 10 damage each. I'd say the team that has players like that will win no matter what.

I once even did 270 damage without a laser scratch or bump damage on my mech.
Furthermore i played a crucial role in that i kept half the enemy team from shooting at my teammates for roughly half the match.
That half of the team was only shooting at me...all that firepower focused on me alone and yet they never hit me because i kept tricking them.
Because of me my teammates had little resistance when they made the final push. I did little damage yes...but i made all the difference even so.

270 damage times infinite since i received ZERO damage plus heavy distraction of the enemy beats your oneshot wonder Dire Wolf.

2) Stability no matter what PGI changes in the game. That guide was made in APRIL 6 2015 and i developed those tactics about a year before i made the guide.
My tactics have not changed for about 2 years because i didn't need to change anything. I easily adapted to anything PGI threw our way throughout all these years.
Back when we had information warfare quirks on our mechs i was stronger than ever. Ghostheat does not matter at all for me.

If PGI decided to remove all quirks from mechs tomorrow i'd shrug my shoulders because i don't give a rats diarretic crappuddle about the quirks in the first place.
If they decide to put an energy draw system into the game i still won't need to change anything.

Meta builds and tactics have a hard time adapting to the stuff PGI changes in MWO. So your meta doesn't matter squat for me.

Edited by Spleenslitta, 02 August 2016 - 01:44 AM.

[Elizander]

Well, if you really want maximum annoyance you'd need JJs to get on the walls in HPG :3

[Spleenslitta]

Elizander, on 02 August 2016 - 02:09 AM, said:

Well, if you really want maximum annoyance you'd need JJs to get on the walls in HPG :3

Indeed. JJ's are the extra mobility that allows one to take shortcuts too. So you can do long relocations between shots using the shortest route using JJ's to get over big obstacles.