17 replies to this topic

[Bud Crue]

Anyone else using RAC-2s as basically an old style flammer for blinding your opponent and generally making them miserable?

I hadn't yet tried them, but last night I saw 2 different mechs using a pair of them (Atlas and a Marauder) and at first I scoffed (pfft 2 RAC-2s? All that face time, all that weight for what? Etc.). Then I had them turned on me and I could not see a damn thing. Could only fire at where I thought the enemy was at. After the match I mentioned the experience to some unit mates and a few lauded the use of RAC-2s as well, both for their low heat and tendency to make enemies seek cover.
So having most of my IS mechs still not skilled out or rebuilt with new tech...I tried em.

So much fun.
Now I freely admit that solo or against a good team they will likely not pan out very frequently, but boyo in the two matches I played em on a Marauder they were really great at making Assaults lose their **** and turn away, then the team had free back shots.
Just aim for the head and let em rip. You're not decimating anything but it is hard for lots of folks not to freak out a little the hud is a wall of white light and all those "whaps" of ballistics are hitting/deafening you.

On paper I never thought I would waste a 75 ton mech for the apparent measly weaponry of a 2 RAC2s and 4ERML and an LFE350 (not sure if I will keep the build I just threw it together quick so as to not keep folks waiting) but I did and I loved it.

Any well thought out builds using RAC-2s that folks have found enjoyable (I'm thinking a Jagger, for the hardpoints and arm mounts, but I think maybe you need a mech that has armor and better hit boxes so as to handle the face time better...maybe a Cataphract 4X?), or is this just really a bad idea?

[kesmai]

Racs are bad.
No exception.
Don't get me wrong, you CAN have good games with racs, but there is no incentive to use them over uacs.
Not one.

[Battlemaster56]

Yea RAC's are good suppression weapons, and can be real difficult for a heavy or an assault to face you without taking alot of screen shake. Haven't found a mech to use them other than my Maulers. I may put them in my Warhammer or spare Marauder.

[Nema Nabojiv]

Try RAC5's. They have twice the dps and twice the heat and weight only two tons more. And yes, they are OP AF in terms of tactical advantage they give to your team.

[Bud Crue]

Nema Nabojiv, on 30 August 2017 - 04:07 AM, said:

Try RAC5's. They have twice the dps and twice the heat and weight only two tons more. And yes, they are OP AF in terms of tactical advantage they give to your team.

The heat and slow spin up of RAC-5s combined with the weight just makes a weapon that doesn't fit me. This may eventually prove to be the case with RAC2s as well, as I have only tried them twice. But the 5s I tried em on a bunch of mechs in singles and in pairs and as Kesmai indicated, UAC5s were better in every instance...at least for me. Only time I found RAC5s to be useful is if you can focus on a shut down target or one occupied with someone else for extended periods of time. I found that to be too niche even for me (I build for aesthetics, variety and fun and on moist builds.). Again, RAC2s may prove to be the same, but in my very limited play thus far, they have worked far more effectively for me than 5s did.

[El Bandito]

I simply keep calm and shoot the middle of the screen when blinded. My UAC build comes out on top every time vs. RAC builds.

[Hell in a Helmet]

Mess around with a Cent using one RAC5 and LBX2 on the arm for suppression and three srms (forget the sizes) mounted in the opposite torso for up close. Ballistics are set to fire together so while the rac is spinning up the lbx is already firing. Most will sit in the open or even move further into the open in the first couple of seconds.... "pfffft it's just an lbx2 hitting me" until the rac starts putting out. Mostly aiming for the face with the ballistics keeps a good number of pug players backing up from the blinding effect. I find it to be a fun build.

Edited by LCPL 4, 30 August 2017 - 05:03 AM.

[xengk]

Reason why I stick RAC on shadow hawk.
Follow a friendly assault, blind his target.

[Methanoid]

they do at least seem good for blinding your opponent and making them shake like an electrified mech with parkinsons.

[MechaBattler]

Triple RAC2 Shadowhawk 2H is one of my new favorite builds. It's great suppression and harassment.

And I've been having a ball with RAC2+4ERSmall on my Urbie. You'd be surprised how many times people ignore me and end up eating a lot of damage.

I even put a RAC5 on my Ember Firestarter and find using it much like my Urbie is a fun build.

[PAYWALL]

Battlemaster56, on 30 August 2017 - 03:57 AM, said:

Yea RAC's are good suppression weapons, and can be real difficult for a heavy or an assault to face you without taking alot of screen shake. Haven't found a mech to use them other than my Maulers. I may put them in my Warhammer or spare Marauder.

2x RAC 5s on a bushwacker with 4 er-sml backup lasers. Bestest RAC mech i tried so far.

[Jackofallpots]

I put dual RAC 2 on my Zeus a while back just because I liked the way it looked in the mechlab

Actually got some kills in it but was totally cored after facing the enemy for so long

[Battlemaster56]

PAYWALL, on 30 August 2017 - 09:07 AM, said:

2x RAC 5s on a bushwacker with 4 er-sml backup lasers. Bestest RAC mech i tried so far.

Did you use an xl or have it std for the engine?

[Gristle Missile]

Anyone who says RACs are bad aren't using them properly

They can blind enemies - even a medium can make an Annihilator back off...this makes them a strong support weapon for your team. It also has the highest DPS weapon in the game - a single RAC5 has over TWICE the DPS of an AC20.

but, but, the face time!

Yes, I am aware - but there are plenty of mechs that can use them that have high mounts and/or a slim profile, mitigating the risk of exposure. Bushwacker, Rifleman, Jaegermech, etc - don't use them on big mech with bad geometry- but you shouldn't even be getting shot much in the first place. Its a fire support weapon. That means someone else shoots at your friend, you shoot at them and blind them, then take them down together. RACs have an advantage in a 1v1 situation as well as anyone shooting at you wont be able to hit you if you blind them. Don't go out there guns blazing into the entire enemy team - yeah they are bad for that.

This thing can really drill into enemies - its particularly good against assualts. Their CT armor will be gone in just a few seconds of exposure and they will struggle to get away.

You think it would also be bad against lights, but if you can lead shots well, you can gnaw off their legs pretty quickly. Legs in general are a good target sometimes. Just rail on a leg of a stationary target - maybe one that doesn't see you - and you can take it off before they realize what is going on. I've had games where I legged half the enemy team mid-way through the match and my team just rolled them.


I average about 500-700 damage in a game with 2 RAC5s...yeah that may seem a little bit low to some people - but most of that is good damage to CTs, Legs, or blinding people...so they are pretty effective OTHER than damage numbers (and as I already said, it has huge DPS)


Now if only they were slightly cooler and didn't jam as fast - would be perfect (maybe too perfect)

Edited by Gristle Missile, 30 August 2017 - 11:30 AM.

[Ruccus]

Battlemaster56, on 30 August 2017 - 09:20 AM, said:

Did you use an xl or have it std for the engine?

He probably used an LFE 250, though the 300XL is a straight swap for the LFE 250. Here's the build on a BSW-P2 but it can also be made on the High Roller.

[Champion of Khorne Lord of Blood]

RACs are the equivalent of a flash grenade in this game. They don't do much important damage, and are easily spread, but they panic players and make it harder for them to see things they need to shoot back at.

An RAC2 is a decent investment for a support build, though if they're looking to go all in on suppression they should just macro fire some UAC2s, the same blinding effect but with much more damage, shell velocity, range, and no spin up time. That really gets people twisting rather than firing back.

[PAYWALL]

Battlemaster56, on 30 August 2017 - 09:20 AM, said:

Did you use an xl or have it std for the engine?

xl 280, but lfe is also possible.

[Kitty Bacon]

I run 2 Rac 5s on my Annihilator with 2 LB10s as backup. If another assault face tanks me, I can strip their armor off fast and crit it off. The only problem is if I ether run out of ammo, jam or my team ignore the fact an annihilator is pushing and stop to smell the roses while the enemy team shoots them.

Have had 1k games with multiple kills in that mech. Its a bit niche though since it requires a team.