20 replies to this topic

[Exilyth]

Is there any way to build the ARC-T and not make it an exploration of suffering?

I tried 4x ML with various PPCs.
I tried 3x ML + 3x LPL
I tried 6x MPL with a large engine
I tried various combinations of lasers and SRM/MRM

Low & wide arms, low cockpit, huge STs...
Geometry on this thing sucks hard.

The WHM does laser builds much better.

Sure, I could build something with LRM and derp along with the assaults, but I wouldn't want to waste a heavy on LRMs.

[Zookeeper Dan]

It's been a while since I played mine, but I was having luck in an MRM/ML build. I don't remember the exact makup but I think it had 1 MRM10, 2 MRM 20's, 4 ML's, ECM, and a Standard 300. Probably Endo and Ferro with the rest ammo and heat sinks.

I tried using all 6 energy hardpoints and it was too hot for my liking. And I could see using a LFE, but Archers definitely aren't XL friendly!

[Aidan Crenshaw]

This is how i run my TEMPEST.

[Audacious Aubergine]

Well part of your problem is making a laser boat build on a mech designed for missiles

[Exilyth]

Aidan Crenshaw, on 27 February 2018 - 02:47 AM, said:

This is how i run my TEMPEST.

Funny - I'm running almost exactly the same build atm.
Except for armour being more frontloaded.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Nice, don't mind the armour values on smurfy, I don't fiddle with those on smurfy. If it's max, i'm fine with them.

[A Headless Chicken]

meme mrms and mls: https://mwo.smurfy-n...1b68c25605b48be

alternatively ditch stealth and go for a larger engine and more heatsinks, personally would rather bring mls and downgrade mrm30s to 20s since you need some pinpoint firepower that actually hurts things.

[Ruccus]

Of all my mechs, I think my Tempest build is the one I need the most fire control to avoid overheating. This build is what I use, but it's one of my few mechs where I don't normally use the lasers and rarely try for the full 90 point alpha strike. I also keep one eye on the enemy and the other on the heat level - you do not want to alpha strike at high heat because you'll make yourself a sitting duck.

With this build you want to hit the heavy and assault mechs with the MRMs, and only if you get a good shot at a light use the lasers to try to open up its legs. The -10% missile heat generation quirk allows you to deliver some good damage but don't chase the MRMs with a medium laser alpha unless you know you're going to be able to get back into cover and cool off - it's better to hold your fire until the MRMs cycle and let the armour quirks do their job. Only when you know you can deliver a killshot do you chase the MRMs with the 30 point medium laser alpha.

Some other things to note; get the armour skill nodes, get the ECM skill nodes if your skill node plan allows, and remember the Archer has missile doors (the '/' key if I remember correctly) so open them to eliminate the missile firing delay and close them to increase side torso durability. As a side note, because the cockpit is very low you have to make certain you're in cover when you think you're in cover - it's not a hill-peeking mech. With its armour quirks and skilled ECM you can survive out in the open pretty well, but be part of a group to reduce the chance of being focused and use your ECM to help shield your teammates.

With its missile and armour quirks the Tempest does make for a good direct-fire LRM platform with minimal alterations of the above build. Same general rules; the LRMs are the main damage, the lasers are for sweeping the legs of light mechs and mechs underrunning the LRM minimum range. With LRMs you're trying to stay back in the 400m range but the medium lasers are a good deterrent for light mechs trying to underrun your LRMs, so you can keep closer to the front line to reduce missile travel time and allow you to share armour. This build swaps out one CT laser for TAG, though keeping 6 MLs works too.

[Exilyth]

I'll waste a heavy on lurming for now until I've got enough XP for reskilling my build.
Will probably go with MRM60 after that.

Thank you everyone.

[Wulfe09]

Exilyth, on 26 February 2018 - 06:28 PM, said:

Is there any way to build the ARC-T and not make it an exploration of suffering?

I tried 4x ML with various PPCs.
I tried 3x ML + 3x LPL
I tried 6x MPL with a large engine
I tried various combinations of lasers and SRM/MRM

Low & wide arms, low cockpit, huge STs...
Geometry on this thing sucks hard.

The WHM does laser builds much better.

Sure, I could build something with LRM and derp along with the assaults, but I wouldn't want to waste a heavy on LRMs.

2MRM30 4ISERML

[buhatkj]

Recently, my tempest has been my most successful c-bill maker. Despite its not so awful armor, it became quickly apparent that this mech was by no means meant to spend the whole fight on the front line. So I stand in the middle-ish of the group, unloading a constant stream of LRMs, and I have 4xML which are for basically potshots if an enemy comes into view, and adding some little bit of damage to the brawl once I'm out of missiles, which might occur near the end of a round. Its a support mech, you LRMs and ECM are there to help your assaults survive longer. Trying to play it as anything other than purely support didn't work for me at all anyways. Playing in this way I'll see a reliable 500+ damage and 1 or 2 kills and like 10-12 assists and 300k-ish c-bills per match. Maybe that nothing special for most, but for me, thats a good performance, and decent money.

[Tarl Cabot]

I think for most people with an archer the one major issue is the cockpit location. PGI could at least move it up to the halfway mark.

[IllCaesar]

Exilyth, on 26 February 2018 - 06:28 PM, said:

Somebody help me build my Tempest, my clan is dying!

- 6 low mounted energy hardpoints with MLs and PPCs
- 1 AMS Hardpoint with AMS and a ton of ammo
- 2 high mounted missile hardpoints with missile heatgen quirks and nothing equipped and a third missile hardpoint in the CT
- 1 ECM hardpoint with ECM mounted

Use your missile hardpoints.

[Xeno Phalcon]

Huh weird my ARC-T is one of my favorite mechs, the low cockpit combined with arm mounted back up lasers make it a fine missile mech while letting its arms/low cockpit track and counter lighter mechs with remarkable ease. Typically I prefer four medium lasers and either 2xaLRM15 or 2MRM20 - if you want to forgo the comfortable range of motion provided by the arms you can slap a snub nose ppc or ERLL into the CT for direct fire support with rather nice clearance as the CT energy port of the ARC-T is at the VERY top of the mount.

[BoldricKent]

Archers are quite durable and Tempest due to ECM can do well as a skirmisher or even a brawler, but you ll need to use it as a missile platform, CT energy gets a TAG not an offensive system, simply for convergence issue with arm mounted ones. Those issues are lesser with missile hard points. So secondary weapons would be 4ML/ERML/MPLs with primary SRM/MRM/LRM, i tend to carry a BAP for faster target acquisition. SRM and MRM setup works really well, LRMS seem to do better on others (2R),
light engine, armor buffs and not huge agility loss on decoupling made Archer almost in line with other Unseen. Its a solid damage dealer, just dont run around with bunny ears all the time..

[Horseman]

You don't need a TAG or BAP for MRMs or normal SRMs - they're not affected, only LRMs and SSRMs are.

[Koniving]

If you fail to equip some kind of missile launchers, the missile doors will not provide their 20% damage resistance while closed.

If there is no launcher, the door does not function, if it does not function, it does not provide protection.

Thus you may be dying faster than you should be.

[BoldricKent]

Thats true, but this is a team play game...Tag and Narc do wonders to players who get caught, very few will play offensive when taged or narced, countering ECM etc...

[Koniving]

One side equipped with missiles, one functioning door, and it takes more abuse than the side without.


(This is true for any mech with missile doors.)

[Shadey99]

I've done fairly well with a non-skilled Tempest running a pair of ERMLs in the CT (for peeking, because those suckers are right up top), a pair of MRM30s, and a set of 4 ERSLs in the arms if something is up close. May not be the best, but it does ok.