22 replies to this topic

[Renzor the Red]

Lately, I've been on a twin RAC5 kick. Running dual RAC5's definitely has its challenges with facetime, spin-up, heat, etc., but I'm determined to get good with them anyway. Up until now, I've been running a Catapult K2 with dual RAC5's (named 'Facetime' forum post link here), but I was thinking of what I could use to make something that could tank that facetime better. I came down to the Atlas and the Mauler, but the Atlas had better defenses, even though those ballistic hardpoints are at its belly.

I made and have been running my 'Dark Reaver'. It's been a lot of fun. First thing I noticed was the god-awful torso pitch; holy s***. After putting some skills into that, it's becoming a pretty tough front-ish line support fire mech.

Edited by renzor51, 29 January 2019 - 01:11 AM.

[tutzdes]

renzor51, on 29 January 2019 - 01:00 AM, said:

I made and have been running my 'Dark Reaver'. It's been a lot of fun. First thing I noticed was the god-awful torso pitch; holy s***. After putting some skills into that, it's becoming a pretty tough front-ish line support fire mech.

Can I bash the build a bit?

1) It is a weapon loadout of 50t Medium mech.
2) Never take ferro over endo. Endo takes the same amount of slots while being twice as effective.
3) If you're using AMS, take both AMS skill nodes in surv tree instead of Shock Absorbance ones.
4) If you are using ECM, skill into both ECM nodes, always. Also you don't need so many nodes in Sensor, just take those needed to pick both ECM skills and maybe one Seismic.
5) Full speed tweak is not an affective skill investment for assaults.
6) Don't use standard engines THAT huge. It should be either a really big Light engine or reasonably sized standard. Big standard engines are super-tonnage-inefficient.
7) Probe is not needed if you don't use lock-on missiles.
8) Just by switching to Endo without even downgrading the engine, you would have enough tonnage to put several extra SRM or MRM launchers with ammo, no problem.

/bashing off

[justcallme A S H]

Yeah if you want pointers to make the build, decent... Sing out.

There is a lot of wrong there in terms of building a build to perform at a high level.

[justcallme A S H]

Meh - did it anyway. This is the new player help section afterall.

AS7-D-DC
Skills

Beagle - Not needed.
CASE - Not needed - ever.
Speedtweak - largely a waste
More Firepower - you really need more. RAC5s generate piles of heat.
Thus - Fixed up everything around it as a result. Kept the torso pitch, which really isn't that much of a requirement as you're not gonna be able to high a light-leg hugger even with max nodes. So kept some in there anyway even if my better judgement says it's a total waste and nodes are better elsewhere.


Also another option for a build/skill, still not great IMO
AS7-D-DC
Skill

[Renzor the Red]

tutzdes, on 29 January 2019 - 03:42 PM, said:

Can I bash the build a bit?

1) It is a weapon loadout of 50t Medium mech.
2) Never take ferro over endo. Endo takes the same amount of slots while being twice as effective.
3) If you're using AMS, take both AMS skill nodes in surv tree instead of Shock Absorbance ones.
4) If you are using ECM, skill into both ECM nodes, always. Also you don't need so many nodes in Sensor, just take those needed to pick both ECM skills and maybe one Seismic.
5) Full speed tweak is not an affective skill investment for assaults.
6) Don't use standard engines THAT huge. It should be either a really big Light engine or reasonably sized standard. Big standard engines are super-tonnage-inefficient.
7) Probe is not needed if you don't use lock-on missiles.
8) Just by switching to Endo without even downgrading the engine, you would have enough tonnage to put several extra SRM or MRM launchers with ammo, no problem.

/bashing off

Yeah , sure man. Criticism's always good. I've learned a lot about builds, but I'm always open to more.

Thanks for all of that. I'll have to check, but I think I intended to use a Light engine in the first place, but for some reason thought I couldn't. It was blocked out. I assumed that Atlases couldn't use Light engines, though maybe it was a slot problem. I'd be happy to put a Light engine in there instead. This build would be useless as a zombie. Maybe I could even put a faster engine in there. I just used Speed Tweak because I had to invest in torso pitch/movement and thought 'why not' while I was already in there. Assaults are freaking slow.

Think a bigger targeting comp is better than Probe? I chose a probe so that I could see ECM mechs and lights better and counter ECM for the team.

[Renzor the Red]

So, yeah. Looks like I can't equip a Light or XL engine. Only Standards. Is that an Atlas thing? Or am I missing something? It's just not available as something I can drag into the loadout. All 'redded out'.

[Koniving]

renzor51, on 29 January 2019 - 05:10 PM, said:

So, yeah. Looks like I can't equip a Light or XL engine. Only Standards. Is that an Atlas thing? Or am I missing something? It's just not available as something I can drag into the loadout. All 'redded out'.

Slots in side torso. Need 2 for Light, 3 for XL

Per side.

[Renzor the Red]

Koniving, on 29 January 2019 - 05:30 PM, said:

Slots in side torso. Need 2 for Light, 3 for XL
Per side.

Ah. That's the reason. The two RAC5's take up the entire right side.

[Renzor the Red]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Now it'll be faster and cooler.

I guess I don't really need to counteract enemy ECM because I'll be engaging with facetime anyway, and I don't need faster targeting, because I move with the group and they help target anyway. Added more heatsinks, culled the unneeded crap, a little ammo, swapped the Ferro for Endo, and increased the engine. It'd be nice to put a light in there, but that's impossible with two Rac5's looks like.

Edited by renzor51, 29 January 2019 - 08:05 PM.

[Koniving]

If it was a D-D.C. you could possibly wing one with 3 Rac/2s, ecm, etc. But beyond that no, not gonna happen with an Atlas running this. Honestly an XL is a bit of a liability and you don't have the slots to spare.

LFE alongside the racs... if the heat is high enough there's the cut to heat threshold due to the damage to the engine as opposed to constant heat generation of the source material/past games. People like to gripe about how unfair it is but really just switch override before losing the ST or cool the guns for a few seconds.

I like Racs but I prefer them in arms myself. If this works for you more power to you. Myself I'd probably have the rac supplement another ac that I could safely hold without consequence and instead fill those missile slots while eating a speed cut.
Fast Atlas has its quirks, I know. And given the time it has some bite too. But I think once a light got wind of what you have your only legitimate defense are those 2 medium lasers...So be sure to stick close to others and be in good communication so you don't end up some anklebiter's snack.

[justcallme A S H]

You do not need Radar Dep nodes if you have ECM. It is a total waste. Only get the ones you are forced to get.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

Honestly, ditch the RACs. The Atlas has v e r y w i d e hitboxes from the front, and most competent enemies will be able to focus down your torso sections easily if you aren't aggressively twisting. Constantly. RACs are staring weapons, which means you can't twist and still expect to deal good damage. That will work against you on this chassis, every single time.

What you want is high burst damage- especially on the D-DC, which has structure rather than armor quirks. You're going to lose your armor very quickly. Very quickly. So, maximize your burst so you can twist out and use your massive arms as shields between shots (turn with both your torso and legs to swing out as fast as possible, to 90 degrees). Think AC20+ASRM, or UAC20+MRM combos. You want to be able to puke a big alpha up, then swing out and soak return fire with an arm, swing back for the next shot and rotate all the way to the other side to soak the next shot with your other arm. Otherwise, you might as well be running a different 'Mech (like the Annihilator, which has way better hitboxes for running sustained-fire weapons like RACs).

[justcallme A S H]

Atlas torso twist is garbage though. It still needs more of a buff.

I run RAC2/LRM10/EMRL on my DDC. Not even joking, 1k games easily.

For the silliest build I could think of it's quite good.

[Khazad Boom]

justcallme A S H, on 03 February 2019 - 08:59 PM, said:

Atlas torso twist is garbage though. It still needs more of a buff.

I run RAC2/LRM10/EMRL on my DDC. Not even joking, 1k games easily.

For the silliest build I could think of it's quite good.

I bought an Atlas D-DC during the last sale. Would you mind sharing your rac2 build so I can shamelessly steal it?

[justcallme A S H]

RAC2 x 2 - LRM10 x 3 - 2 ERML in arms.


Work out the rest to suit yourself, pretty easy. It's a stupid mech to bring and people will rage in SoloQ at you which I always enjoy cause I'm usually the one carrying the win anyway.

[Khazad Boom]

Thanks.

[Princeps Ibram Cain]

Please remember the sacred code of the Atlas:

1) No Gauss
2) No LRM
3) No XL Engine
4) And NO RACs

[TWLT S]

justcallme A S H, on 03 February 2019 - 09:31 PM, said:

RAC2 x 2 - LRM10 x 3 - 2 ERML in arms.


Work out the rest to suit yourself, pretty easy. It's a stupid mech to bring and people will rage in SoloQ at you which I always enjoy cause I'm usually the one carrying the win anyway.

Does this still work these days? Really looking for some difference for my various Atlases.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Atlas got some serious mobility buffs ever since. So I'd say you're better off with a loadout that utilizes that instead of immobilizing yourself with RACs and LRM stare.

[justcallme A S H]

TWLT S, on 03 August 2021 - 01:58 AM, said:

Does this still work these days? Really looking for some difference for my various Atlases.

It's complete junk. If you position correctly you can farm quite well with it however.