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Lf Advice; Ppc, Gauss, Peakaboo

Loadout BattleMechs Metagame

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#1 Zombie Landfill

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 06:22 AM

Looking to figure out an ideal Mech to achieve the peakaboo play style.

Going down the list I initially was concerned with picking out an efficient Laser Boat Mech (i.e. Stormcrow Prime). Not a huge fan of a majority of Heavy or Assault Mechs as I primarily play Light and sometimes Medium.

I have my eye on the Warhawk Prime variant or C. Would be my first assault Mech purchase in years (as I've taken a long break). Not sure how Ghost Heat and etc. has changed since the launch of Faction play.

I'd like input and your thoughts. What builds have you made that have achieved good statistics with this play style?

Way back when, Spider with one PPC or ER Large was my jam. Locust was the follow up. Nowadays, I'm sporting Kitfox C, MLX-G and Adder A.

Oh, as a final sentiment I'm focusing on Clan Mechs.

Thanks!

P.S. - My biggest concern on the Warhawk is the efficiency of taking a purely long range loadout on an Assault Mech.

#2 Aidan Crenshaw

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 06:33 AM

I think the Summoner is considered the best PPC poptart.

#3 Cnaiur

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 06:58 AM

For laser vomit, Hunchback IIC-A, Hellbringer or Ebon Jaguar.

For CERPPC, Summoner, Hunchback IIC, or Huntsman can all do the pop tart build well.

For gauss, Hunchback IIC or Madcat-1.

Noticing a theme here? The Hunchback’s combination of hard points and jump jets make it shine in any kind of hill humping or peek and poke gameplay.



#4 TWIAFU

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 07:39 AM

View PostZombie Landfill, on 02 May 2018 - 06:22 AM, said:


Looking to figure out an ideal Mech to achieve the peakaboo play style.




If you plan to use that "playstyle" in CW, rethink it.

If you plan to use this "playstyle" as a primary tactic, Move Forward, Alpha, Retreat, Repeat, any experienced pilot will make short work of whatever peekaboo mech you pilot. If you plan to stick to QP and use this like every other QP lemming, you will find that the non-lemmings will make short work of your mech.

You will do yourself a favor and your side by not being a lemming.

Using the Clan rang advantage as a crutch will do you no favors when your enemy decides to not allow you to use it. Then what? Your walking backwards, under fire, and seconds from being dead.

Don't think 'How can this mech beat my enemy', instead think ' How will my enemy be able to beat this mech'.

Know your enemy to know yourself.

#5 Verilligo

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 07:48 AM

View PostTWIAFU, on 02 May 2018 - 07:39 AM, said:


If you plan to use that "playstyle" in CW, rethink it.

If you plan to use this "playstyle" as a primary tactic, Move Forward, Alpha, Retreat, Repeat, any experienced pilot will make short work of whatever peekaboo mech you pilot. If you plan to stick to QP and use this like every other QP lemming, you will find that the non-lemmings will make short work of your mech.

You will do yourself a favor and your side by not being a lemming.

Using the Clan rang advantage as a crutch will do you no favors when your enemy decides to not allow you to use it. Then what? Your walking backwards, under fire, and seconds from being dead.

Don't think 'How can this mech beat my enemy', instead think ' How will my enemy be able to beat this mech'.

Know your enemy to know yourself.

I mean that's a lot of neat, inspirational stuff. But it's wrong.

#6 Mister Glitchdragon

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 08:11 AM

If you're playing in solo queue, remember speed. NASCAR is a strategic evolutionary counter to big-sniper poking in the PUG. Assaults that stop to Gauss/PPC-snipe from cover (on either team in a NASCAR match) will be left behind and get the big zerg when the opfor comes around on them.

If your build can't do at least 65kph, prepare to spend the first half of your solo pug matches running your fat @ss off, cutting corners (KNOW YOUR MAPS) and trying to take snap shots on the move while you keep up with the herd. Practice your situational awareness and watch the battlemap like a hawk to get a sense of the endgame, when the reds and blues finally circle in on each other and the NASCAR brakes down. At that point you can find a good position and start really laying in your damage.

This is one of the big reasons assaults have it so hard in solo right now. NASCAR keeps both teams moving, and big slow mechs that depend on static geography from which to "poke" are handicapped in that tactical environment.

Also take some ECM if you can.

#7 Stridercal

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 08:30 AM

What you want is a Huntsman H. Join me in asking PGI for it!

#8 MischiefSC

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 09:22 AM

Summoner.

For QP.

Please dear god don't take a poke build to pugging in FW. You may as well just focus on TKing (that was sarcasm) for what that does to your teams success.

In a coordinated team on a handful of map/mode combos one absolute deadeye pilot with one can be helpful but for FW either Erlls for long range or play a mid range build yoh can both poke and push with.

#9 Vorpal Puppy

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 09:42 AM

With the new Sunspider hit boxes, I am having a lot of fun with the free SNS-VG. Ditch the arm ominpods and replace them with ones from the A variant. Load up 3 erppcs and all the heatsinks you can get. Goes 81 kph, all the mounts are high, esp the 2 in the arms. When you have the heat to spare, you can get away with an Alpha. Otherwise, once you get the timing down your exposure from firing 2 then 1 is less than any ER or heavy laser. You want to hill peak like crazy. Keep a coolshot in your inventory, but I generally don't use it unless I get pushed by a brawler/mg light and need to be able to temporarily up my dps as this is the builds weakest point. You have enough speed to continually reposition. It would be even better with jump jets, but you can't have everything, and the SNS-VG should be a mech you already have if you've been playing for at least a few months.

#10 LowSubmarino

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 10:48 AM

Summoner is very good in terms of hardpoints, jjs, speed, especially agility and you can boat 22 or 23 Dhs.

Arctic Wolf is surprisingly good for a mobile ppc sniper with 16 dhs, perfect hardpoints, faster than a summoner, smaller, harder to hit, but much more fragile and you have to cool off a lot.

Before the skill tree the hunchi IICA was one of the best ppc snipers in the game. if not the best.

But for some reason, no matter how much points you pump into agility...it feels much more sluggish than the summoner, which can absorb significantly more dmg while being basically as fast as the hunchback IICA with max engine. I dont know what happened there but the hunchback IICA moves too slow and skill points dont really change anything whatsoever. It was my favorit ppc sniper but the skill tree changes kinda killed it.

I wouldnt use slow heavies or assaults as ppc snipers.

Fast mechs with high hardpoints and jjs are the best ppc snipers.

Id take the summoner or the arctic wolf. Both very solid.

If youre not that experienced with sniping or mwo in general....Id take the Summoner.

I just checked my build.

You can boat 23 DHs.

With that kind of cooling I completly skipped operations and went full firepower for max cooldown reduction, 85 % of the heat gen skill points, full speed tweak, the three radar derp nodes, advanced zoom (you dont have to take it but I always take it on ppc snipers) and then you still have enough points to go pretty deep into survival.

I have tested it hundreds of matches.

Your heat is so good that you can alpha a lot.

Sure. With operations it would be even better but in a lotof scenarios you wont be able to fire nonstop anyway. Youll reposition a lot which you should as a sniper.

Going 50 % into survival enhances to already pretty solid durability of the summoner.

Youll have max ppc cooldown, you can also take all velocity nodes, almost all heat gen nodes.

Youll be able to absorb quite a lot of incoming fire.

if you know how to avoid dmg and know the good sniping positions and youre also not prone to overheat....you can take the arctic wolf too. But you cant get hit in that mech. Fun little sniper though.

If you take arctic wolf, forget survival tree. Go completly into firepower and operations. Take any and all heat nodes you can get.

Edited by LowSubmarino, 02 May 2018 - 10:58 AM.


#11 TWIAFU

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 11:03 AM

View PostVerilligo, on 02 May 2018 - 07:48 AM, said:

I mean that's a lot of neat, inspirational stuff. But it's wrong.


How?

Peekaboo players are the easiest to beat because that is all they know, why I always advise against it. It is the LCD 'tactic' used in QP and then those pilots bring it to CW where they fail in epic fashion.

You play peekaboo and I'll play Mechwarrior. You play for pretty numbers, I'll play to win.

Enjoy.

#12 LowSubmarino

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 11:16 AM

View PostTWIAFU, on 02 May 2018 - 11:03 AM, said:


How?

Peekaboo players are the easiest to beat because that is all they know, why I always advise against it. It is the LCD 'tactic' used in QP and then those pilots bring it to CW where they fail in epic fashion.

You play peekaboo and I'll play Mechwarrior. You play for pretty numbers, I'll play to win.

Enjoy.


hahaha.

You hate them ppc peekaboos, eh?

If a pilot knows how to use them in good mechs....its quite lethal actually.

#13 Cnaiur

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 11:19 AM

View PostTWIAFU, on 02 May 2018 - 11:03 AM, said:


How?

Peekaboo players are the easiest to beat because that is all they know, why I always advise against it. It is the LCD 'tactic' used in QP and then those pilots bring it to CW where they fail in epic fashion.

You play peekaboo and I'll play Mechwarrior. You play for pretty numbers, I'll play to win.

Enjoy.


Pretty numbers result in wins. Doing more damage results in higher match scores, and players with high average match scores have significantly better W/L records than players with low average match scores.

#14 TWIAFU

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 12:09 PM

View PostLowSubmarino, on 02 May 2018 - 11:16 AM, said:


hahaha.

You hate them ppc peekaboos, eh?

If a pilot knows how to use them in good mechs....its quite lethal actually.


Quite lethal, until you don't let them do that, then they fold.

Key is to NOT play their game. Deny them the ability to play that way and you have won. It is the only trick they have and once you deny them that trick, well, they are salvage.

#15 TWIAFU

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 12:12 PM

View PostCnaiur, on 02 May 2018 - 11:19 AM, said:

Pretty numbers result in wins. Doing more damage results in higher match scores, and players with high average match scores have significantly better W/L records than players with low average match scores.


Glad you don't play CW, have a rude awakening waiting for you.

#16 Zombie Landfill

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 12:46 PM

View PostTWIAFU, on 02 May 2018 - 12:12 PM, said:


Glad you don't play CW, have a rude awakening waiting for you.


Really glad to have someone so passionate in this thread. Except the part where literally everything you've contributed is subjective and circumstantial. Almost hijacking my thread to debate whether or not sniping is a legitimate format for combat in MWO. I'm like 99.24% sure that most people play multiple Mechs.

"That's all they know..." is a very incorrect statement by itself. How many games on Polar Highlands have you been LRM'd to a stick and left dead 500m away from any opponent? How many Frozen City matches has someone gone through the valley to end up with a cherry red CT?

I don't see many games won or loss without tickle fights breaking out from across the map. All I'm looking to do is have a fourth option of play style out of my newly purchased Clan Mechs. I have probably 30 IS Mechs, including 4 Atlas, 4 Battlemasters, 4 Locusts, Shadow Hawks, Thunder Bolts, Hunchbacks, Etc. I've played them all fervently. I played Mech Warrior in the 90s and played this version in closed Beta.

I'd appreciate it if you would kindly stop pulling off topic because clearly you have some anger towards snipers.

View PostLowSubmarino, on 02 May 2018 - 10:48 AM, said:

Summoner is very good in terms of hardpoints, jjs, speed, especially agility and you can boat 22 or 23 Dhs.

Arctic Wolf is surprisingly good for a mobile ppc sniper with 16 dhs, perfect hardpoints, faster than a summoner, smaller, harder to hit, but much more fragile and you have to cool off a lot.

Before the skill tree the hunchi IICA was one of the best ppc snipers in the game. if not the best.

But for some reason, no matter how much points you pump into agility...it feels much more sluggish than the summoner, which can absorb significantly more dmg while being basically as fast as the hunchback IICA with max engine. I dont know what happened there but the hunchback IICA moves too slow and skill points dont really change anything whatsoever. It was my favorit ppc sniper but the skill tree changes kinda killed it.

I wouldnt use slow heavies or assaults as ppc snipers.

Fast mechs with high hardpoints and jjs are the best ppc snipers.

Id take the summoner or the arctic wolf. Both very solid.

If youre not that experienced with sniping or mwo in general....Id take the Summoner.

I just checked my build.

You can boat 23 DHs.

With that kind of cooling I completly skipped operations and went full firepower for max cooldown reduction, 85 % of the heat gen skill points, full speed tweak, the three radar derp nodes, advanced zoom (you dont have to take it but I always take it on ppc snipers) and then you still have enough points to go pretty deep into survival.

I have tested it hundreds of matches.

Your heat is so good that you can alpha a lot.

Sure. With operations it would be even better but in a lotof scenarios you wont be able to fire nonstop anyway. Youll reposition a lot which you should as a sniper.

Going 50 % into survival enhances to already pretty solid durability of the summoner.

Youll have max ppc cooldown, you can also take all velocity nodes, almost all heat gen nodes.

Youll be able to absorb quite a lot of incoming fire.

if you know how to avoid dmg and know the good sniping positions and youre also not prone to overheat....you can take the arctic wolf too. But you cant get hit in that mech. Fun little sniper though.

If you take arctic wolf, forget survival tree. Go completly into firepower and operations. Take any and all heat nodes you can get.


Thank you, I'm going to take a look at Summoners when I get a chance. It's a pile of patch notes and skill tree updates I have to wade through. It's actually been easier just to buy new mechs the last few days than to play my old ones. Appreciate the input!

#17 Verilligo

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 01:02 PM

View PostTWIAFU, on 02 May 2018 - 11:03 AM, said:


How?

Peekaboo players are the easiest to beat because that is all they know, why I always advise against it. It is the LCD 'tactic' used in QP and then those pilots bring it to CW where they fail in epic fashion.

You play peekaboo and I'll play Mechwarrior. You play for pretty numbers, I'll play to win.

Enjoy.

You seem to be implying that pretty numbers and winning do not go hand-in-hand. Admittedly, inflating your damage score just to inflate your damage score rather than contributing in a meaningful way does not, in fact, mean you will win. But if you are winning, chances are decent that you are turning out good numbers as well.

One can make the argument that ERPPC poptart is probably not a great match up with FW. I can't comment on that one, given I haven't done any FW. But to say that intelligent poking with high alpha builds is a sure path to failure is just a silly statement to make. The fact that poke gameplay is so strong is the reason the HBR with 2 HLL, 4/6 ERML, and ECM is so popular. It works exceptionally well. It's not the only thing you need to do in order to perform well, but that statement goes for any game mode.

#18 Dogstar

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Posted 02 May 2018 - 10:29 PM

I run a summoner PPC build and a Hellbringer laser vomit build in QP - guess which does significantly better - that's right the laser vomit build.

CERPPCs are a sub optimal weapon at the moment, to hot for sustained fire, can't be boated for huge alpha.





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