26 replies to this topic

[Zh0u]

Hi guys,

I am deciding which mech I should play and level next, was thinking of the MAD-3R which I bought during the sales not too long ago.

What is currently the best build on it? Which engine should I use? How about 3xAC5 + 3xML? Skil trees to focus on Ballistics and Survival mainly?

Thank you!

[Zmicier]

2xRAC/5 in a hunch and some backup lazors. Point your guns at the enemy, press fire and watch them melt away.

UAC/20 + 4 MedPulses on LFE 300 works well for me.

Never use XL engine. Always try to use LFE if possible (just like majority of IS mechs)

Edited by Zmicier, 23 January 2018 - 06:06 PM.

[Zh0u]

Zmicier, on 23 January 2018 - 06:05 PM, said:

2xRAC/5 in a hunch and some backup lazors. Point your guns at the enemy, press fire and watch them melt away.

UAC/20 + 4 MedPulses on LFE 300 works well for me.

Never use XL engine. Always try to use LFE if possible (just like majority of IS mechs)

RAC5? What about AC5 instead?

[Metus regem]

MAD-3R

This is what I have been using on mine, when I take it out once in a while.

I'm not a fan of the RAC series, as I find them too unreliable and too much face time required to be effective.

The UAC/10 while not as nice for snap shots like the AC/10, does give me the option to double tap when needed. The Snubs give me a bit more CQB snap shot punch when needed.

AC/5 is okay, when used in groups, but I'd rather take an AC/10 in place of a pair of AC/5's, same damage to the same location, for a lot less tonnage investment.

[Horseman]

Zmicier, on 23 January 2018 - 06:05 PM, said:

UAC/20 + 4 MedPulses on LFE 300 works well for me.

I second this. That build is at the forefront of my default FP drop deck, and 1K damage runs on that mech alone are not uncommon.

Edited by Horseman, 24 January 2018 - 09:56 AM.

[Zh0u]

Thanks guys. What about Heavy Gauss?

[Imperialus]

So the Maruader is probably my favorite mech, and the 3R is probably the best of the bunch. Its ballistics are nice and high mounted, it's set up to spread damage very well when face on and it's got structure quirks like you wouldn't believe. I typically use a std engine in it, just to improve its tankyness, and a 300 rating seems to be my sweet spot.

The MAD3R is a very versatile ballistic mech. The UAC20 with Med Pulse lasers is an absolute monster when it comes to burst damage and leading a push. 3 AC5's with some mediums (or ER mediums) pumps out 15 damage every 1.5 seconds with 20 points of laser backup every few seconds making it a beast at mid range.

The 3R is probably one of the best Heavy Gauss carriers outside of a few assault chassis' that can carry two. It has the structure quirks to help protect it from crit explosions and the high mount lets you play the poke game pretty well.

[Steel Raven]

Zh0u, on 24 January 2018 - 10:38 AM, said:

Thanks guys. What about Heavy Gauss?

Got one mounted on my BH, some games are better than others as it is easy to crit but does some nice damage without the heat of the AC/20s.

All the same, my history with the Mad-3R left me with the impression it better with a pair of mid range ballistic guns vs one big gun. Duel LB-10X still gets me high score while others still prefer Duel Ultra 5s or the duel RAC 5s. It really comes down to play style.

[Zh0u]

Ok thanks guys. I'll try out some builds. Still the most expensive is the engine, so still unsure which engine should I settle on. Can't afford to test out engines.

[Imperialus]

I've always built mine around 300. Either Standard or Light. The 3R comes with a STD 300 so honestly, I'd just use that, at least to start. I'll occasionally use a STD 290 that I have kicking around from somewhere for that extra ton, and I'll use the Lt 325 on some of my 5M builds but really you can't go too far wrong with the stock engine that the 3R comes with.

Good engine advice in general is to buy one of the each of the following ratings: 200, 225, 250, 280, 300, 325, 350. Get each flavor, (LT STD XL) and swap them between mechs building your mechs around engine ratings rather than finding engine ratings that fit the rest of your build.

Edited by Imperialus, 24 January 2018 - 01:18 PM.

[Metus regem]

Zh0u, on 24 January 2018 - 12:22 PM, said:

Ok thanks guys. I'll try out some builds. Still the most expensive is the engine, so still unsure which engine should I settle on. Can't afford to test out engines.

Yea... that's the down side of IS mechs, all the engines...

Still if you want to stick with the stock engine for a bit, this is a build I used for a while on it, till it earned enough to pay for the engine upgrade I gave it. (tweaked to account for the tech advancement)

MAD-3R


edit:

As you can see with this build, it has a lot of synergy with the range, standard Large Lasers and the UAC/10 have about the same optimal range.

Edited by Metus regem, 24 January 2018 - 01:05 PM.

[Steel Raven]

I would stick with a STD for the 3R, cheaper than a Light and gives you room for large ballistics. The 300 STD has been my go to for IS heavies and Assaults for a couple of years now.

[Horseman]

Zh0u, on 24 January 2018 - 10:38 AM, said:

Thanks guys. What about Heavy Gauss?

Workable. You can go 4xMPL+HG+5 tons with full Ferro or 4xML+HG+8.5 tons with LFF.

Zh0u, on 24 January 2018 - 12:22 PM, said:

Ok thanks guys. I'll try out some builds. Still the most expensive is the engine, so still unsure which engine should I settle on. Can't afford to test out engines.

300 STD (which you got stock) and 300 LFE.

Edited by Horseman, 24 January 2018 - 03:26 PM.

[Zh0u]

Ok thanks guys. I'll stick to the stock engine for now. I'll try UAC20 + 4MPL first.

[Seranov]

I swear by the 2 LB10X + 4 ML -3R, but I bought a second -3R that uses a Heavy Gauss + 4 MPLs. It's not as good as the LB10X version, in my experience, but man it's fun to play.

[Horseman]

Zh0u, on 24 January 2018 - 04:01 PM, said:

Ok thanks guys. I'll stick to the stock engine for now. I'll try UAC20 + 4MPL first.

I would recommend LFE for that build. With LFE you can pack 6 tons of ammo and a TCII. With STD you can only pack 4.5 tons of ammo, no TC.

[Zh0u]

Horseman, on 24 January 2018 - 11:56 PM, said:

I would recommend LFE for that build. With LFE you can pack 6 tons of ammo and a TCII. With STD you can only pack 4.5 tons of ammo, no TC.

Ok, once I test out the build and liking it I'll invest in the engine.

[Zh0u]

Argh, struggling to do well in this mech. Currently I max out survival, but I couldn't ditch out a decent amount of damage. Usually for this mech, should I get into the sweet spot of 250m to engage? Its kinda frustrating for me at the moment.

Oh and how should I skill the other trees? Is the UAC jam duration reduction worth it? And go full Magazine Capacity increase?

What about mobility, is it worth investing? For Sensors do I need radar dep and seismic?

Edited by Zh0u, 25 January 2018 - 03:44 PM.

[Imperialus]

60% radar derp is totally worth it, as is seismic. The way I run my UAC20 MAD is to move quickly from cover to cover firing while on the move at around the 200 meter mark. You've got some crazy burst damage, but don't facehug, you can't sustain the DPS as you'll either jam or overheat. Just a question of which happens first.

I'd also avoid full torso twists. The MAD spreads damage really well when facing head on, but the side torsos are barn doors from the side. Just wiggle your nose back and forth a bit when you are getting shot at and try to present the left side more than the right.

It's a really tanky mech, but with a 300 engine you're also moving at assault speeds so it's important to time your pushes' well and make sure you're not getting caught out by the entire enemy team. This is where seismic comes in very handy.

[Horseman]

Zh0u, on 25 January 2018 - 03:28 PM, said:

Argh, struggling to do well in this mech. Currently I max out survival, but I couldn't ditch out a decent amount of damage. Usually for this mech, should I get into the sweet spot of 250m to engage? Its kinda frustrating for me at the moment.

Teamwork and patience. Stick with your team and conserve your armor until the entire team is pushing or countering the enemy push.

Exactly as Imperialus said, the build can pump out a brutal burst of firepower, but not sustain that for prolonged time. You need to be ready to withdraw from the line of fire once your mech starts running too hot - I run it in override most of the time - and have an ally ready to fill that position while you cool down or wait for jams to clear.

Also keep your arms unlocked - the pulse lasers are useful for fighting off faster mechs.

Quote

Oh and how should I skill the other trees? Is the UAC jam duration reduction worth it? And go full Magazine Capacity increase?

Yes to both. They are the first things to purchase in the Firepower tree for any build that runs UACs.

Quote

What about mobility, is it worth investing?

Not particularly.

Quote

For Sensors do I need radar dep and seismic?

Derp yes, seismic no. IMO one point of seismic has too little range and going for full seismic would require stripping too much stuff from firepower and/or survival trees to be worth it. Mileage may vary, of course

Here are the exact Smurfy and Skill Planner links for the build I'm running:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...66508816662dc30
https://kitlaan.gitl...07fc2#s=Weapons
The armor tree could be redone to get 9 of 10 armor nodes, but at the expense of structure nodes (which kind of help survive overrides)