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Crb-27B Advice


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#21 Xavier

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Posted 27 November 2017 - 11:19 AM

CRB-27B try this build.....you will be surprised how much you like it

#22 PeeWrinkle

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Posted 27 November 2017 - 12:59 PM

I loved the crabs, although I have not played them since the release of the civil war tech.

In the past I ran all my with STD engines because I always seemed to loss a torso early.

With the new tech I would probably try these builds below. They are what I used to use, but with a LXL in place of the STD engine to get more speed.
MPL version. This is what I ran, but with a STD 275 and FF.

Since I noticed you had an LXL 285 on your build, since engines are expensive you may want to try this using your LXL285 instead. It is slower, but cooler and to be honest with you it is probably the better build, 5KPH is nothing.

These are a few other builds you can try with the same engine.
LPL Version. You can always go with less DHS and ERML instead, but it gets very hot that way.
ERLL Version. You can get ERML and more DHS if you drop to two ERLL instead. It actually has slightly more fire power and is cooler, but the same DPS.

These are similar to what have already been posted, but you really want to make sure on the 4mil engine your bought!

#23 Koniving

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 11:12 AM

Decided to set Thursday (late night, so check Friday) as my upload date. 12 hour work shifts in an industrial factory making large plastic things almost as tall as I am (and I'm 6'5") of several hundred pounds each and the like can really sap the strength out of someone. Hopefully the added time gives me the time I need to do some edits and make it look good, too.

In the mean time... I know I've been passing this one around a lot lately, but it was so much fun.

#24 Jiro Yamada

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 03:14 PM

I'd just like to thank all of you for the awesome suggestions and discussion, both for how helpful it's been and the overwhelmingly positive tone.
I've made a few adjustments to my Crab and already feel like I'm doing a lot better then I have been. It's still packing the ERLL at moment but I'm keen to try one with pulse lasers like a few of you have suggested as well in the near future. Trying to save up my C-Bills for the alleged c-bill sale in early Dec atm though so I can afford to get something cool when it hits (maybe a catapult or a stalker?) so that will have to wait for now.

I'm still reading and learning, so thanks a million, and apologies to anyone who's been saddled with me on a team! :P

#25 Koniving

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Posted 16 December 2017 - 11:45 AM

So I know my videos are super overdue.

I actually have one that I put a lot of work into uploading at the moment -- and all the others I had I've scrapped and I'm filming fresh today (these will have considerably less 'production' done to them as they will be much more gameplay oriented and thus will be churned considerably faster. This special one took me about 3 hours of work and its not terribly long either... but it's the most epic crab battle. ;) ).

#26 Not A Real RAbbi

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Posted 30 December 2017 - 09:29 PM

View PostJiro Yamada, on 26 November 2017 - 10:47 AM, said:

Soooo, I'm kinda new and I kind of suck at the game, but trying to get better.
The CRB-27B is the first, and only, mech I've bought so far, and I did so before understanding much of the game simply because I thought it looked cool.

I've messed around with the build a bit, but I'm not sure it's doing me any favours. My current build is this abomination. I've only just noticed I could upgrade the structure to endo-steel to make it a little tougher with the loss of nothing else, and gain enough tonnage to max out the armour while I'm at it.

However before I spend 500k of my limited c-bills on doing so I thought I might come to you lot for some advice just in case I need to rip the whole thing apart.

On a related note, if I were to change the structure to endo-steel, then need to change it back to normal, then want to change it back yet again, would I need to pay that 500k a second time or is it a once paid it's an option forever kind of deal?


Since I assume you already have the LFE285 engine, try THIS. It uses the same engine, since those are pretty much the most expensive thing. Trade the Ferro for Light Ferro, and swap to EndoSteel internals. Twin LLs on the SAME arm (grouping thing; feel free to split 'em up if you like). Keeps you in ERMLs. Etc. The heat gets REALLY manageable if you swap to regular MLs. I used to run the CRB-27B with 2x LL, 4x ML, XL280, Endo, and DHS to fill in the tonnage. That was well before Civil War tech like IS ERMLs and LFEs came along. (I'm just coming off another year-plus hiatus, and finding most of the new tech a bit underwhelming).

That was my highest-KDR mech for a good while, and I still adore the CRB chassis.

Old Metamechs advice was to go triple-LPL, big engine, and as few DHS as you could still manage reasonably. The triple-LPL CRBs are vicious in their range, no doubt.

One other thing about my build suggestion: Remember to try to throw damage off to the non-LL side. The low arms don't match well with the torso for damage spreading, but they DO still cover one another serviceably. If you had to choose between losing two LARGE lasers or two MEDIUM ones, you tell me...

And that's one more reason to group 'em up on one side. ;) Works some times, sucks others. Good luck, mechwarrior!

#27 Zh0u

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 01:52 AM

I need help. :(

My Crab-27B dies too fast on the battlefield, I used 3x LPL with XL280.

Link: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...233294f0f67c4de

I'm not sure what to do, each time I peak and I get hit, and sometimes I just die before dealing 100 damage.

Something wrong with the build or is it more of a playstyle issue?

#28 Horseman

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 02:24 AM

Try to twist less. Mechs with long protruding torsos like the Crab are usually better off taking advantage of that to "wiggle" their "nose" and spreading damage all over rather than trying to take it on one side. Another thing you could do is switch to 3xLL and a LFE 280.

#29 Zh0u

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 02:41 AM

View PostHorseman, on 04 January 2018 - 02:24 AM, said:

Try to twist less. Mechs with long protruding torsos like the Crab are usually better off taking advantage of that to "wiggle" their "nose" and spreading damage all over rather than trying to take it on one side. Another thing you could do is switch to 3xLL and a LFE 280.

Sorry to sound very noobish, but what is the difference between XL and LFE and STD? >.<

#30 Bishop Six

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 04:57 AM

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 02:41 AM, said:

Sorry to sound very noobish, but what is the difference between XL and LFE and STD? >.<


STD= most weight, at least usage of chassis slots, only destructible in CT (Center Torso)
XL= at least weight, need most chassis slots, destructible in CT and both ST (the reason why you die fast)
LFE= middle weight, middle usage of chassis slots, only destructible in CT (atm best choice for most mechs except lights)

#31 Zh0u

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 06:14 AM

Dang, looks like I got conned by YT videos and mechspecs? The engines are soooo expensive. T_T

And should I use arm lock? I did hotkey the toggle arm lock to one of my mouse button, when I need precision I just hold the arm lock and shoot, then wiggle around when I got hit back while going back to cover.

Should I change my engine? :( Probably need to sell all my cache and unused engines to fund for that.

#32 Jonathan8883

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 06:25 AM

Hang on to any unused engine, unless it's a junk one like a Std <180. It's not worth selling one, and possibly later buying it back for millions more.

#33 CFC Conky

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 08:24 AM

You have pretty good speed with your mech at the moment with the xl280, so my advice would be to keep moving all the time, dart from cover to cover. Pulse lasers have a short burn time, facilitating snapshots.

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

#34 Horseman

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 08:53 AM

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 02:41 AM, said:

Sorry to sound very noobish, but what is the difference between XL and LFE and STD? >.<
  • STD: Only takes slots in CT. Losing side torsos does not affect your cooling or mobility. Mechs with CT / head hardpoints can "zombie", which is slang for retaining - and using - combat capability after losing both side torsos. The only way to kill these mechs is by destroying head, CT or both legs.
  • IS LFE: Lighter than STD, but more expensive. Takes up extra space - 2 slots in each side torso. Losing a side torso will reduce your top speed and take away some of the cooling provided by in-engine heat sinks. Losing both side torsos will destroy your mech.
  • IS XL:Lighter than LFE, but more expensive. Takes up 3 slots in each side torso. Losing a side torso will kill your mech on the spot.
  • Clan XL: Weight of an IS XL with the space requirements and durability of an IS LFE.

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 06:14 AM, said:

Dang, looks like I got conned by YT videos and mechspecs? The engines are soooo expensive. T_T
When you're playing with an XL, you need to be more careful about peeking - it's something you'll learn over time, but until then a LFE might be a safer idea.

Quote

Should I change my engine? Posted Image Probably need to sell all my cache and unused engines to fund for that.
Sell caches unless they have blue-tier MC rewards (those tend to pay off relatively often). Don't sell engines unless you have like 5-6 of the same type and rating.

#35 Bishop Six

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 08:59 AM

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 06:14 AM, said:

Dang, looks like I got conned by YT videos and mechspecs? The engines are soooo expensive. T_T

And should I use arm lock? I did hotkey the toggle arm lock to one of my mouse button, when I need precision I just hold the arm lock and shoot, then wiggle around when I got hit back while going back to cover.

Should I change my engine? Posted Image Probably need to sell all my cache and unused engines to fund for that.


Engines are (careful! pun!) the core of every mech setup. It is the most important part to think about, because with the engine you dictate the following structure of your loadout (free chassis slots, free weight, speed).

For example:

Almost never use XL for brawling mechs, because XL is fragile (1 Sidetorso down -> dead)

Assaults with LFE can tank with good speed and weapon loadout (STD is too heavy, XL is suicidal)

Lights with XL is the best choice -> speed and some tons for weapons

Your Crab with XL is hard to play...better take LFE with at least 90 kph...perhaps you can take Endo Steel Armour AND Light Ferro Fibrous Armour in combination with LFE.

#36 Tesunie

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 09:39 AM

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 01:52 AM, said:

I need help. Posted Image

My Crab-27B dies too fast on the battlefield, I used 3x LPL with XL280.

Link: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...233294f0f67c4de

I'm not sure what to do, each time I peak and I get hit, and sometimes I just die before dealing 100 damage.

Something wrong with the build or is it more of a playstyle issue?


I know it's already been covered, but it's your engine that is making you so squishy.

When considering the type of engine you place into your mech, consider it's shape and hit boxes (how it takes damage and where that damage tends to land). For the Crab, it's got good hit boxes with rather large side torsos. This means it's easy to shift damage to a side torso with enough practice. However, the larger your side torsos, the more susceptible it is to losing your side torsos.

A Crab is a mech that honestly loves Standard engines most, with a good tolerance for a LFE as well. It actually can work very well with an XL, but you have to know what you are doing with it and realize you are going to have to shield damaged side torsos if you wish to survive (something the mech can do with enough practice). If you find you are going "poof" too quickly, change out of that XL engine. (This is similar to the Stalker, which has huge side torsos. For the Stalker though, taking an XL engine is on the verge of suicide, but a LFE can operate well though a STD engine is best.)

The video you probably saw was most likely a little aged, before LFEs where introduced into the game. Back then, it was STD engines or XL engines, and a lot of people felt that you "had" to have an XL engine or "you'd run too slowly or not have enough weapons". (Lets just say, I disagreed with them on this, as at the time my STD engine Crabs worked really well and maintained a good mix of speed, cooling and firepower for the typical play at the time.)

Personally, I have five Crabs. Two of which still use XL engines (last i recalled), and the other two use LFEs. The builds with the XLs are more suited to them, such as my PPC jumping Crab and my "Speed" Crab 20 which moves 120 KPH, each are less likely to take concentrated firepower. They can get away with the XL due to how they play, more than how the mech handles.


I think I'm starting to ramble, so I'm going to stop there.

#37 Zh0u

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 11:31 AM

View PostHorseman, on 04 January 2018 - 08:53 AM, said:

  • STD: Only takes slots in CT. Losing side torsos does not affect your cooling or mobility. Mechs with CT / head hardpoints can "zombie", which is slang for retaining - and using - combat capability after losing both side torsos. The only way to kill these mechs is by destroying head, CT or both legs.
  • IS LFE: Lighter than STD, but more expensive. Takes up extra space - 2 slots in each side torso. Losing a side torso will reduce your top speed and take away some of the cooling provided by in-engine heat sinks. Losing both side torsos will destroy your mech.
  • IS XL:Lighter than LFE, but more expensive. Takes up 3 slots in each side torso. Losing a side torso will kill your mech on the spot.
  • Clan XL: Weight of an IS XL with the space requirements and durability of an IS LFE.
When you're playing with an XL, you need to be more careful about peeking - it's something you'll learn over time, but until then a LFE might be a safer idea.

Sell caches unless they have blue-tier MC rewards (those tend to pay off relatively often). Don't sell engines unless you have like 5-6 of the same type and rating.

View PostBishop Six, on 04 January 2018 - 08:59 AM, said:



Engines are (careful! pun!) the core of every mech setup. It is the most important part to think about, because with the engine you dictate the following structure of your loadout (free chassis slots, free weight, speed).

For example:

Almost never use XL for brawling mechs, because XL is fragile (1 Sidetorso down -> dead)

Assaults with LFE can tank with good speed and weapon loadout (STD is too heavy, XL is suicidal)

Lights with XL is the best choice -> speed and some tons for weapons

Your Crab with XL is hard to play...better take LFE with at least 90 kph...perhaps you can take Endo Steel Armour AND Light Ferro Fibrous Armour in combination with LFE.

View PostTesunie, on 04 January 2018 - 09:39 AM, said:



I know it's already been covered, but it's your engine that is making you so squishy.

When considering the type of engine you place into your mech, consider it's shape and hit boxes (how it takes damage and where that damage tends to land). For the Crab, it's got good hit boxes with rather large side torsos. This means it's easy to shift damage to a side torso with enough practice. However, the larger your side torsos, the more susceptible it is to losing your side torsos.

A Crab is a mech that honestly loves Standard engines most, with a good tolerance for a LFE as well. It actually can work very well with an XL, but you have to know what you are doing with it and realize you are going to have to shield damaged side torsos if you wish to survive (something the mech can do with enough practice). If you find you are going "poof" too quickly, change out of that XL engine. (This is similar to the Stalker, which has huge side torsos. For the Stalker though, taking an XL engine is on the verge of suicide, but a LFE can operate well though a STD engine is best.)

The video you probably saw was most likely a little aged, before LFEs where introduced into the game. Back then, it was STD engines or XL engines, and a lot of people felt that you "had" to have an XL engine or "you'd run too slowly or not have enough weapons". (Lets just say, I disagreed with them on this, as at the time my STD engine Crabs worked really well and maintained a good mix of speed, cooling and firepower for the typical play at the time.)

Personally, I have five Crabs. Two of which still use XL engines (last i recalled), and the other two use LFEs. The builds with the XLs are more suited to them, such as my PPC jumping Crab and my "Speed" Crab 20 which moves 120 KPH, each are less likely to take concentrated firepower. They can get away with the XL due to how they play, more than how the mech handles.


I think I'm starting to ramble, so I'm going to stop there.

Awesome stuff everyone!! I'm truly blessed.

If XL is squishy why most builds recommend it then? I guess it's due to the Crab's frontal hitboxes?

Any smurfy build that you guys recommend if I continue LPLx3? Or even ERLL? I guess I have to rebuild from scratch. :(

#38 Horseman

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 11:48 AM

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 11:31 AM, said:

If XL is squishy why most builds recommend it then? I guess it's due to the Crab's frontal hitboxes?
Payload space. If you want the most firepower possible, you pay for it by turning your mech into a glass cannon.

#39 Tesunie

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 11:55 AM

View PostZh0u, on 04 January 2018 - 11:31 AM, said:

Awesome stuff everyone!! I'm truly blessed.

If XL is squishy why most builds recommend it then? I guess it's due to the Crab's frontal hitboxes?

Any smurfy build that you guys recommend if I continue LPLx3? Or even ERLL? I guess I have to rebuild from scratch. Posted Image


What is the time frame from where you are getting this advice? From most recent? Or posts laying around for some time?

Most people believe in firepower over survivability. There is a point to this, as if you can deal enough damage in a couple of hits, you can kill them before they kill you. The other half depends upon not being shot back as much as you shoot out (hide among other higher priority targets, such as the assaults, or attack from odd angles and flanks). An XL engine lets to do this better, at better speeds, at the cost of being easier to kill.

I personally don't recommend XLs on anything heavier than a light mech, depending upon the mech and the build. A Crab is iffy with XLs, if you know what you are doing. A Grasshopper (heavy mech) loves XLs because of how hard their side torsos are to reliably hit and destroy. On the flip side, a Wolfhound can work with an XL, but actually likes LFEs much more than an XL...

For Crabs, I strongly recommend anyone who wishes to be more of a linesmen (not flanking, sticking to the team, and wants to take a few hits) to take a LFE or STD engine. Due to it's CT and HD hard points, there is strong merit for a STD engine in a Crab, but sometimes you need some weight so a LFE is a reasonable choice. If you are relatively newish to the game, than avoid an XL on your Crab for the moment. As you get better, you may end up feeling more confident in your abilities and may revert back to the XL at a later time.

Honestly, I find there are rarely any "wrong answers" when it comes to mech construction. A lot of it depends upon what you are expecting out of the mech, what role you are intending to play and how much of a risk you are willing to take. I'm a low risk taker, so I don't like using XLs unless I either have/need to or I'm light enough that it isn't as much of a risk because of size and speed. Some people like to go high risk to try and reap the largest rewards, or know how to mitigate that risk by the way they play.

If you want to have more survivability, try to switch to a LFE instead of an XL. As long as you keep at least a 250 engine rating, it should work out well for a Crab. That's reasonably good speed, with ten built in heat sinks (which are better than externally added heat sinks).

#40 Steel Raven

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Posted 04 January 2018 - 01:20 PM

My Griffin Sparky has a XL and does fairly well in support roles thanks to it's Alpha. The Crab has a much more narrow profile so it's far from the worst mech to mount a XL though I would recommend a LFE if your a Brawler. Using a STD myself, does great in PUG matches as a hit and run skirmisher but doesn't have the heat curve needed for Scouting.





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