12 replies to this topic

[Odd Thomas]

Asking because i just put together an LRM boat for some fun.

Just ended a match on Frozen. Last guy on one team was an ECM light with LR lasers. Other team was a LRM MC-4 with 4 ML (I think, not sure).

Took forever to end..ECM light kept picking away and running. MC's couldn't get lock, had trouble chasing & finding him.

Team kept ripping into MC- "Learn to press R" (ECM), "just close in" (on a light twice his speed), "whadaya expect from an LRM assault", etc.

Thought it was entertaining until I realized I wouldn't know what to do either....

Again, noob here...how does one handle that situation?

[Champion of Khorne Lord of Blood]

The guy would have had to get into range with the ERMLs and focus on using those. Alternatively he should have brought along a build that could have more hope in such a situation by bringing an ERPPC or ERLL or something for long range to counter an ERLL ECM mech out of his range.

If hes still using that build then he needs to learn the map a bit better and use cover. Rather than chasing the light, he should move to a place in which he is safe from the enemy's poking and force the enemy to come to him. Frozen city has many places like this such as the cave on the map, the crashed dropship, the city, under the bridge in some places, and more.

[Odd Thomas]

Good points.

Chasing was a mistake. MC should have nestled into a crevice or dropship and wait.

Will keep that in mind. TY.

Edited by Odd Thomas, 04 September 2017 - 07:12 PM.

[Trissila]

Should have brought an active probe and/or a TAG.

Taking LRMs without taking an ECM counter is just silly. You should never put yourself in a situation where you have to pray that your teammates are doing something other than their primary job to make you effective. Aside from the whole "LRMs are wasted tonnage on an Assault 'mech" issue.

Other than that? Use those ERMLs. Optimal range is ~400, but they go out to 800 while still doing damage.

[Felix von Buelow]

The most important things for a successful LRM mech are:

1 Bring backup weapons
2 Bring a TAG
3 Share armor

Good thing is he at least brought backup lasers, which are always good as a deterrent for lights, when the enemy underruns your min range or when you run out of ammo. But nowadays, with the vast number of mechs capable to run ECM, there will always be a number of enemy mechs which are untargetable. That's why it is mandatory to bring a TAG. Also gives LRM mechs the motivation to get their own locks and share armor.

To answer your question: The thing you had to do differently wasn't in the match itself but rather in the mechlab.

[Mad Dog Morgan]

Whenever I used to commit the sin of LRM assault, I'd play aggressively and move into a direct line of fire to be the fire support mech. As for ecm, BAP or TAG is the way to go. Play to your position if you can't get lock. Make him come to you if you can force him.

So as to prevent yourself from being last man standing vs that erll ecm sniper, move with your team. Soak some of that damage if they have to rotate out. The MC-II can keep with the team and perform that role. It can rotate into the fray if needed and still dish out a world of pain. LRMs don't have to be the cowardly weapon. You can use them aggressively.

They serve the purpose of blinding your enemy with a volley of explosions.

If you have direct-fire long range weapons, use them if you can.

Edited by Mad Dog Morgan, 10 September 2017 - 09:30 AM.

[B0oN]

1: ALWAYS bring DIRECTFIRING backup weapons on your LRM derpthing, plus BAP and/or TAG .
2: Lure the enemy in, preferably with a juicy bait, preferably in such a spot that the enemy has a hard time making best of his abilities and you can bring your abilities to full potential .

Basically, make the enemy play on your playground, under your rules, not the other way round .

This is known as tactics 102 .

[Chados]

Definitely pack an active probe when using lock missiles. Especially if you're rolling streak SRMs. But full size active probes will negate one ECM at 360m and that's well outside min range for IS LRMs (180m) and Clan ATMs (125m). I don't know what the ECM counter range for a Clan light active probe is.

It's going to be a real pain for any assault to counter a speedy ECM-carrying light mech one on one. If you can hit him he's done-aim for the legs and try to leg him. As long as he can run and hide and use terrain masking against you, it's going to be tough-he's going for your back all day long and that is one of the most annoying types of play to be the victim of. LRMs are a good choice for area denial but a bad one for light hunting, because they can raderp you easily even if you have TAG or an active probe and break your locks. If you're committed to LRMs then Artemis isn't optional because it speeds lock times dramatically and you need that for situations like this one. You also need at least a 20-point alpha strike in secondaries that aren't lock-dependent, such as SRMs, lasers, or MRMs, because he will boom and zoom you until you can get that leg. Once you leg him, he's yours.

[justcallme A S H]

With 4 cERML.

Simple

Aim legs on the light.

[The 4th Amigo]

Odd Thomas, on 04 September 2017 - 06:07 PM, said:

Again, noob here...how does one handle that situation?

Power down and just wait for death's embrace. Much less frustration that way.

[Koniving]

Odd Thomas, on 04 September 2017 - 06:07 PM, said:

Thought it was entertaining until I realized I wouldn't know what to do either....

Again, noob here...how does one handle that situation?

A sample can be found here.


In the end, its an LRM assault against a pesky ECM light after a daring 3 versus 7 turnaround...and concludes in a tie.

(Background on the noise.. I was bored, LRM boating casually alongside some friends that were more of a direct approach and so I'd alt tab til someone called out a target, then I'd flip back in and level them and flip back out and watch another youtube video. Ended up watching some sort of cinematic created with EVE when I got told "They're taking our base" and "They're mopping the floor with our guys." Sure enough it went from 12 versus 10 to our base almost being captured (in the sense that all but 2 turrets were taken down; not that someone stood on the point) and we're down to 3 guys. By the time I hit record, the 3rd guy is down and now it's 2 versus 7.... 2 versus 6... 2 versus 5... 2 versus 4... 1 versus 4... 1 versus 3... 1 versus 2... 1 versus 1...

Note: Sometimes the LRMs are being fired at a location to dumb fire and hit the pests as they emerge. Sometimes it is being done exclusively to buy some time (aka suppression fire).

Edited by Koniving, 22 September 2017 - 08:14 AM.

[WobblyShooter]

on frozen, in that situation, the MC II should have backed into the dropship and made the raven come to him. dropship is in E-5 methinks.

[Shade4x]

Odd Thomas, on 04 September 2017 - 06:07 PM, said:

Asking because i just put together an LRM boat for some fun.

Just ended a match on Frozen. Last guy on one team was an ECM light with LR lasers. Other team was a LRM MC-4 with 4 ML (I think, not sure).

Took forever to end..ECM light kept picking away and running. MC's couldn't get lock, had trouble chasing & finding him.

Team kept ripping into MC- "Learn to press R" (ECM), "just close in" (on a light twice his speed), "whadaya expect from an LRM assault", etc.

Thought it was entertaining until I realized I wouldn't know what to do either....

Again, noob here...how does one handle that situation?

If your going to take LRM's on an assault, it can't be the only weapon.... Is a general rule, 2 LRM 15's with 6 tons of ammo is about all you need for a primary LRM boat to be quite honest. So you should have room for other weapons. Next thing, like others said, you NEED a BAP and TC-1 on any LRM, and at least both target retention skills and 2 nodes of target decay. Without these, your missing 70% of your missiles.

4 med lasers (IS) is more for brawling, which is not a stupid choice on an assault with LRM's. But a tag wouldn't be bad either. The thing is if he had just that loadout on an assault, he should of been able to kill the light, and and thats a very light loadout for an assault. Though it is worth noted that an ECM light with LL is a direct hard counter to an LRM Assault. They should win that match up most of the time, it's why i never run pure LRM's ... i always go hybrid