80 replies to this topic

[MechaBattler]

There's a case to be made for LBX-2s being cooler. And even Twin LBX20s have the advantage of not triggering GH and being individually cooler. But what about the LBX5? An AC5 isn't so hot that you need the heat savings. And you'd be hard pressed to hit the GH limit. So does anyone really get any use out of LBX-5s?

[Eisenhorne]

I have never seen one used.

[Bombast]

LB-5Xs are useless garbage.

[Athom83]

If you're talking clan; Their only real upside is an immediate salvo instead of a burst, otherwise not really. Strangely, I seem to be doing better with LB-5s on the Vangaurd than swapping them out with UAC/5s.

For IS; They have a expanded optimal range and a 3x max range instead of a 2x the normal AC has. They are pretty decent when doing ranged suppression, but otherwise not worth it over other options.

[Nema Nabojiv]

I tried quad LBX5 on sleipnir. It was too short on ammo for my taste and not very effective, so I figured I'm doing better with just two UAC10 and lasers.

[BrunoSSace]

I have a roughneck that use 3 lbx 5's and 3 er medium lasers well. Apart from that, don't use them.

[Metus regem]

Sadly, the entire IS side of LB's aside from the 10, are overly punished in MWO for a pair of abilities that they lack...

Dual ammo types
Crit Splitting


Dual ammo types should be enough to explain the larger crit sizes of all other LB's aside from the 10 for the IS... Now in TT this isn't as much of an issue, thanks to crit splitting. The ability to dump some crits into an adjacent section in exchange for a reduced firing arc. For example, there is a Crusader mech that uses an IS XL engine and a HGR, by putting two HGR crits into the CT from the ST, what this does is reduces the fring arc of that HGR to CT or a 90 degree cone from the forward hex of the mech. Hell there is a Bushwacker that mounts a LB-20X in the arm but crit splits into the adjoining ST, reducing the firing arc to that ST.

[Bombast]

Nema Nabojiv, on 27 March 2018 - 12:16 PM, said:

I tried quad LBX5 on sleipnir. It was too short on ammo for my taste and not very effective, so I figured I'm doing better with just two UAC10 and lasers.

Sleipnirs are for quad LB-10Xs.

[Jay Leon Hart]

I use a single LB5X on a single variation of a NCT-D build (ignore front/rear armour distribution)

It's not great, but I like it

[Zergling]

Nobody that has any clue about what they are doing will use them outside of messing around.

Edited by Zergling, 27 March 2018 - 12:48 PM.

[KodiakGW]

Ammo is a big reason why I don't use them besides space requirements. LBX10 does 50 damage more per ton of ammo.

Metus regem, on 27 March 2018 - 12:23 PM, said:

Dual ammo types should be enough to explain the larger crit sizes of all other LB's aside from the 10 for the IS...

This has been my reasoning for a while. It makes sense that when you have ammo switching. You need a mechanism in place to do that. May not weigh anything more, but it would take up room in the mech. Otherwise, on the Clan side, no reason why a fixed barrel system is larger than a rotating barrel system (UAC) that weigh the same. ACs don't exist in the TRO. But, I guess since it is in the TRO that way, needs to be in the game that way...

But, there is no way ammo switching is ever going to get into this game. Not possible with the current game engine. So is that extra crit slot still necessary?

Edited by KodiakGW, 27 March 2018 - 01:03 PM.

[Nema Nabojiv]

Bombast, on 27 March 2018 - 12:28 PM, said:

Sleipnirs are for quad LB-10Xs.

I dont want to know at which speed it goes. Probably some negative speed value, breaking the laws of reality and moving back in time.

[Metus regem]

KodiakGW, on 27 March 2018 - 01:00 PM, said:

Ammo is a big reason why I don't use them besides space requirements. LBX10 does twice as much damage per ton of ammo...because it has twice as much.



This has been my reasoning for a while. It makes sense that when you have ammo switching. You need a mechanism in place to do that. May not weigh anything more, but it would take up room in the mech. Otherwise, on the Clan side, no reason why a fixed barrel system is larger than a rotating barrel system (UAC) that weigh the same. ACs don't exist in the TRO. But, I guess since it is in the TRO that way, needs to be in the game that way...

But, there is no way ammo switching is ever going to get into this game. Not possible with the current game engine. So is that extra crit slot still necessary?

That's been my complaint as well, specifically on the LB-20X, that weapon is so heavily punished for the lack of dual ammo types and crit splitting on top of being a sand blaster weapon...

I've been advocating for the IS LB-20X to be 8 or 9 crits, to make it mountable in arms with LAA or LAA and Hand, with my preference to be 8 crits due to the scatter nature of the shot and how ineffective crit damage really is from low damage weapons like LB sub-munitions.

Then again, I'd also make the HGR 9 crits, but with a new hard point type just for it that could only be found on ST's, just so that we could one day get mechs like the Crusader 8S that use a HGR and isXL engine...

What I hear back from some players is "That's not TRO accurate!" to that I say, neither is MWO!

[Jay Leon Hart]

Metus regem, on 27 March 2018 - 01:07 PM, said:

What I hear back from some players is "That's not TRO accurate!" to that I say, neither is MWO!

That line of thinking still irks me.

Aren't the rules for choosing an engine that the rating must be wholly divisible by your tonnage? So, for example, an AS7 with a 350 STD would not be TT legal?

[Eisenhorne]

Nema Nabojiv, on 27 March 2018 - 01:06 PM, said:

I dont want to know at which speed it goes. Probably some negative speed value, breaking the laws of reality and moving back in time.

I just mocked it up in smurfy, you can get max armor everywhere but arms, 7 tons of ammo (so 1400 dmg worth before skills), going at annihilator speed (48.6kph). So, it gets you the same firepower as a quad LBX anni, with better convergence and torso mobility at the cost of armor, for 10 tons less. Not a bad choice in FP. I still prefer the dual HGR CP-S though, it's slightly faster and can put out a damn fine hurting.

[Bombast]

Nema Nabojiv, on 27 March 2018 - 01:06 PM, said:

I dont want to know at which speed it goes.

Too bad.

https://mwo.smurfy-n...2b74e0a5ab18b61

50.4kph.

[Metus regem]

Jay Leon Hart, on 27 March 2018 - 01:12 PM, said:

That line of thinking still irks me.

Aren't the rules for choosing an engine that the rating must be wholly divisible by your tonnage? So, for example, an AS7 with a 350 STD would not be TT legal?

Yup.... That's not to say that you couldn't do it, there are rules for it, but it doesn't change your speed, that Atlas is still going to be a 3/5.

[vettie]

Tried them both in IS mech and Clan mech. Didnt like, dont use.

[Athom83]

KodiakGW, on 27 March 2018 - 01:00 PM, said:

Ammo is a big reason why I don't use them besides space requirements. LBX10 does 50 damage more per ton of ammo.



This has been my reasoning for a while. It makes sense that when you have ammo switching. You need a mechanism in place to do that. May not weigh anything more, but it would take up room in the mech. Otherwise, on the Clan side, no reason why a fixed barrel system is larger than a rotating barrel system (UAC) that weigh the same. ACs don't exist in the TRO. But, I guess since it is in the TRO that way, needs to be in the game that way...

But, there is no way ammo switching is ever going to get into this game. Not possible with the current game engine. So is that extra crit slot still necessary?

Instead of ammo switching, I made 2 suggestions that would add a lot more flavor.

1) Airburst. The rounds stays a single slug the entire flight to a target, but when it gets within a certain distance the round bursts into the shotgun effect we all know.

2) Preset airburst. Like above, the round flies along then burst into the shotgun effect. However what's different is that it stays the single slug the entire duration of its optimal range (including when hitting a target) and only then airbursts into a shotgun effect when it passes that range.

[LT. HARDCASE]

LB5s hold no advantages over the over 5 class cannons, so why use them. Before someone responds to me with the 3x max range, know that the pellet spread negates that.