28 replies to this topic

[PaquIS]

Spheroid, on 28 May 2018 - 09:18 AM, said:

That's a junk build. You say you are getting one shotted through the CT. Whats' the point of a LFE? Answer: nothing. Low end LFEs are garbage anyway, you barely save any weight. At 15.5 tons you could be using a 300XL with much better results.

A singe UAC-5 is in no way threatening. Either switch to a RAC-5 or run ER laser spam and rack up a large match score with damage assists.

I would argue that a single RAC5 is worse in Cicada-3M case. It has really good ballistic cooldown and UAC jam chance quirks which are useless for RAC's but makes the UAC5 fire at good rate while having low jam chance.

I have liked using it with 4xMedium lasers, UAC5, ECM and as big XL engine as you can make fit. I think it was XL280.

[Noey Bunny]

PaquIS, on 28 May 2018 - 09:37 AM, said:

I would argue that a single RAC5 is worse in Cicada-3M case. It has really good ballistic cooldown and UAC jam chance quirks which are useless for RAC's but makes the UAC5 fire at good rate while having low jam chance.

I have liked using it with 4xMedium lasers, UAC5, ECM and as big XL engine as you can make fit. I think it was XL280.

yeah, and it's a little late to the party, I don't know why @spheroid decided to post this; clearly didn't read the thread. I think the over all build with the UAC/5 is fine, I took LFE because in the absence of armor talents side torsos popped off like rock em sock em robot heads and it's a healthy alternative to dying immediately.

In reality, once I have my CDA-3m skilled up, I'll likely go back and try the very same uac/5+4ersl+ECM build again, but the laser vomit that was suggested to me earlier in this thread is working out okay to catch me some passive/poking damage and I'll likely have to go through some rigorous playstyle adjustments before I'm really comfortable with the CDA as a platform in general.

[Old dirty B]

NaniCat, on 28 May 2018 - 09:42 AM, said:

yeah, and it's a little late to the party, I don't know why @spheroid decided to post this; clearly didn't read the thread. I think the over all build with the UAC/5 is fine, I took LFE because in the absence of armor talents side torsos popped off like rock em sock em robot heads and it's a healthy alternative to dying immediately.

In reality, once I have my CDA-3m skilled up, I'll likely go back and try the very same uac/5+4ersl+ECM build again, but the laser vomit that was suggested to me earlier in this thread is working out okay to catch me some passive/poking damage and I'll likely have to go through some rigorous playstyle adjustments before I'm really comfortable with the CDA as a platform in general.

Lightweight mediums and everything lighter should always go XL given a few special exceptions (for example i very low engine cap). The main advantage of the mechs at the lightweight end of the spectrum is mobility, thats what you want to emphasise by opting for a big XL engine.

You mentioned earlier that you have been playing lights but found these mediums to be much harder to play, easier to get destroyed in. Sounds to me you developed a bad habit while playing lights and rely to much on the inability of your opponents to hit you. While these fast mediums play like lights, they are bigger, are easier to hit and thus catch more attention - resulting in your disappointment with these mechs.

I think you should do a little back step and improve your play-style to avoid damage, not simply by relying on speed and size but by avoiding attention - work on your stealth! This will also benefit your light gameplay big time.

Good luck.

[Jon Gotham]

NaniCat, on 28 May 2018 - 03:48 AM, said:

I've been trying to use the current (2x)-Experience weekend to work on skills on some of my neglected mechs; Most of which have been mediums. However, every time I've been dropping with them I just can't manage to stay alive on any but the heaviest of them - which I've already maxed out.

but mechs like my cicada, or viper are the absolute, most discouraging things to try to play. it's like I have a giant target on my CT, and even with heavily front-loaded armor, I'm geting nearly one shot straight through the CT just for being seen, (last game was against 2 mechs and I died instantly).

I don't necessarily have these problems with my lights, and I try to play as a skirmisher, I'm a PSR2 pilot (about half way through) - if that even matters; and i'm generally pretty decent on any other weight class. but on mediums it feels like I'm being horribly punished simply for existing. looking at the size of my cicada, I realize it's a massive target by comparison to my lights, but has less armor than many of them (46 front loaded on my cicada-3M CT vs 54 on my Urban mech, or 43 on ach, 35 even on my MLX). Am I just getting nuked because i'm a bigger target now?

I'm not really sure, I don't want to come across as complaining! At this point I'm simply baffled at how horrible I am with these mechs and I can't seem to break into any kind of stride of effective gameplay with them.

((For Reference, I've been trying lots of builds, lately I'm trying the cicada 3m with 4xERSL 1x UAC/5, ECM and a light 250 engine))

I honestly don't know if i'll go back to trying it again, I'm pretty well at my wits end, however I'd still like to know what other peoples experiences are like and what kind of tips or feedback on the situation could be provided.

From my experience good medium play isn't about gunnery, or alpha strikes or even build so much. It's about AWARENESS. Your ability to read what's going on where, when and how fast.
Remember you are mobile-more so than assaults and heavies. You shouldn't be poking or trading. Sides and rear of engagements. Also ideally you should never be alone.
Also the awareness i mentioned earlier, be aware of what enemy are damaged and what locations! Remember you are mobile and agile, who better to get that killstrike in?
You are supposed to move in a match-a LOT. you don't want to be wandering about in front of the alphatards:)

[Noey Bunny]

Old dirty B, on 28 May 2018 - 09:57 AM, said:

Lightweight mediums and everything lighter should always go XL given a few special exceptions (for example i very low engine cap). The main advantage of the mechs at the lightweight end of the spectrum is mobility, thats what you want to emphasise by opting for a big XL engine.

You mentioned earlier that you have been playing lights but found these mediums to be much harder to play, easier to get destroyed in. Sounds to me you developed a bad habit while playing lights and rely to much on the inability of your opponents to hit you. While these fast mediums play like lights, they are bigger, are easier to hit and thus catch more attention - resulting in your disappointment with these mechs.

I think you should do a little back step and improve your play-style to avoid damage, not simply by relying on speed and size but by avoiding attention - work on your stealth! This will also benefit your light gameplay big time.

Good luck.

you're probably right, there's always more to learn as well, I'd be a fool to reject earnest feedback, especially when I approached the topic generally. I'll put playing the sneaky-sneaks through it's paces; worst case scenario, I don't like the mech still but i learn to play better either way!

Thanks again!

[MechaBattler]

Yeah I wasn't having too much fun with the Viper. That is until I went with a simple 4xC-Medium Pulse build and dropped on Solaris. With the JJS you have and the shorter duration of pulse lasers you can hit and run and jump on the freeway over passes. It was the most fun I'd had in a while to be honest. :3

Also Cicadas do suck. I'm sorry. They're just soo big. And they're basically walking cube. So it's hard not to hit them in the CT or ST. At least the viper has a weird shape to better disperse damage.

[PaquIS]

NaniCat, on 28 May 2018 - 09:42 AM, said:

yeah, and it's a little late to the party, I don't know why @spheroid decided to post this; clearly didn't read the thread. I think the over all build with the UAC/5 is fine, I took LFE because in the absence of armor talents side torsos popped off like rock em sock em robot heads and it's a healthy alternative to dying immediately.

In reality, once I have my CDA-3m skilled up, I'll likely go back and try the very same uac/5+4ersl+ECM build again, but the laser vomit that was suggested to me earlier in this thread is working out okay to catch me some passive/poking damage and I'll likely have to go through some rigorous playstyle adjustments before I'm really comfortable with the CDA as a platform in general.

As you mentioned earlier you usually get your CT destryoed. That indeed is the case with Cicada. So ditch the LFE and put in as big XL as you can. More speed = better survivability.

Also dont put 4xERSL when you can use Medium lasers instead. More range and more damage. With a double tap on UAC5 + 4 Medium lasers will give you decent 30 point "alpha". Stay on mid range and try to attack from multiple places/angles. ECM will help you a bit so enemies cant see you quite as fast. Make sure to have both ECM nodes from the skill tree tho.

If the enemy is occupied at shooting someone else or you catch someone in the open you can just go to town with the UAC5. The cooldown and Jam quirks really help here.

Here is my build on it:
https://www.dropbox....ada-3m.jpg?dl=0

[Neverone]

Cicada isnt so bad, just have to play it like a big light tbh. The viper, best builds i've found were the many er smalls build and the 4 heavy med + 4 machineguns. 40 alpha at 250meterish range, enough to open up a component on many mechs that you will find (unless super fresh, and you shouldnt engage those head on...hit run is fine), and the mechs that it cannot open up a component on at all with 2 alphas you should not be facing from the front. Works decently.

Edited by Neverone, 28 May 2018 - 10:50 AM.

[BrunoSSace]

Cicada speed is life, so largest Xl that the build lets you carry. With fast mediums never be the first mech that pushes or if you are poke from an angle where the enermy are not watching.
Always think of light mediums a little bit like dodge ball. "If you can dodge a rench you can dodge a ball,"
Number one rull of thumb, dont get shot, trade in your favor. This all comes with practice and knowing what enermy mech you are fighting. Gl