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Rifleman Iic: First Impressions

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#101 justcallme A S H

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Posted 28 May 2019 - 10:33 PM

View PostArnold The Governator, on 28 May 2019 - 10:03 PM, said:

True, but I think in the case of most clan omnimechs that run a standard 81 kmph aren't really comparable to slower heavies like the Rifleman IIC. Speed tweak isn't necessary on them since they are equipped with engines that allow them to run meta speeds. I initially wanted all of the limited 235 engine variants to have an engine cap of 260 so I wouldn't have to invest in speed tweak or anything in mobility, but I don't mind the slower speeds of the mech since the raw firepower has to be balanced somehow. It only becomes a real problem when nascar is apparent which in case your team starts doing, you are pretty much dead anyways.

I'd like to see Bows3r's screen capped scoreboard and his builds with the Rifleman IIC if he can crank out 1500+ dmg games because that is rather impressive. Not that I don't believe you but do you have his builds that he is running?


Well my point was more around the entire game slowed down when Skill Tree came out, and desync, because no longer on Battlemechs we're bigger engines as important.

As for Bows, of course... Now I can't say it's the same build for the same screenshot but it's been done a few times. He also did some while streaming. I never make up stories :)

Build wise
Posted Image

Damage wise
Posted Image


And yes I know it's not the end game screenshot... I cant find that one. You'll just have to have a little faith that it's accurate. Plus Bows never lies lol. If anything he's way too honest!

Edited by justcallme A S H, 28 May 2019 - 10:34 PM.


#102 RickySpanish

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 04:04 AM

View Postjustcallme A S H, on 28 May 2019 - 10:33 PM, said:


Well my point was more around the entire game slowed down when Skill Tree came out, and desync, because no longer on Battlemechs we're bigger engines as important.

As for Bows, of course... Now I can't say it's the same build for the same screenshot but it's been done a few times. He also did some while streaming. I never make up stories :)

Build wise
Posted Image

Damage wise
Posted Image


And yes I know it's not the end game screenshot... I cant find that one. You'll just have to have a little faith that it's accurate. Plus Bows never lies lol. If anything he's way too honest!


And to think I didn't try this build because I thought nah, it would be *too* slow. As if there is such a thing for the Rifleman IIC. Thanks for posting but perhaps you can take this down now to keep this build between us? ;)

#103 Valdarion Silarius

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 11:16 AM

View Postjustcallme A S H, on 28 May 2019 - 10:33 PM, said:

Well my point was more around the entire game slowed down when Skill Tree came out, and desync, because no longer on Battlemechs we're bigger engines as important.

As for Bows, of course... Now I can't say it's the same build for the same screenshot but it's been done a few times. He also did some while streaming. I never make up stories Posted Image

Build wise
Posted Image

Damage wise
Posted Image


And yes I know it's not the end game screenshot... I cant find that one. You'll just have to have a little faith that it's accurate. Plus Bows never lies lol. If anything he's way too honest!

Damn, that is rather impressive. It's probably a build that I would never personally run but looks solid, like a miniature Mad Cat MK2 with better hard points. Might have to try it out one day.

#104 justcallme A S H

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 05:14 PM

View PostRickySpanish, on 29 May 2019 - 04:04 AM, said:

And to think I didn't try this build because I thought nah, it would be *too* slow. As if there is such a thing for the Rifleman IIC. Thanks for posting but perhaps you can take this down now to keep this build between us? Posted Image


lol dude I show pretty much all my builds on stream any time. So will Bows3r or anyone else for that matter and then show you how to play it.

Some of the comp stuff maybe not as it is specific/has a purpose and you're runinng a strat, but that's about it and that is super rare. Most players can roughly work out the make up/engine and weak points just from a paperdoll.

You will also see at times Comp players in the YoloQ testing out things - always find it interesting to have a look and see who is running what. Sometimes it is just for a change of pace and sometimes it's maybe a secret gem stumbled upon.

View PostArnold The Governator, on 29 May 2019 - 11:16 AM, said:

Damn, that is rather impressive. It's probably a build that I would never personally run but looks solid, like a miniature Mad Cat MK2 with better hard points. Might have to try it out one day.


Bows does Bows things, amazing player. Better than I am for sure.

Hardpoints aren't better, MCIIB are higher if memory serves correct. Rifleman arms are actually, compared to cockpit, very low which is definately contributing to the CT thing.

Edited by justcallme A S H, 29 May 2019 - 05:16 PM.


#105 Battlemaster56

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 05:50 PM

View PostArnold The Governator, on 29 May 2019 - 11:16 AM, said:

Damn, that is rather impressive. It's probably a build that I would never personally run but looks solid, like a miniature Mad Cat MK2 with better hard points. Might have to try it out one day.

I used the same build on the 3 with max engine,it super effective just hot with the lack of DHS, I just drop the extra 10 for another 5 and still get results.

Edited by Battlemaster56, 29 May 2019 - 05:50 PM.


#106 Gas Guzzler

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 06:07 PM

Are the side torsos really that small?

#107 justcallme A S H

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 06:22 PM

View PostGas Guzzler, on 29 May 2019 - 06:07 PM, said:

Are the side torsos really that small?


Yep. The arms shield regardless as they are SOOOOOO long.

#108 Valdarion Silarius

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 07:54 PM

View PostGas Guzzler, on 29 May 2019 - 06:07 PM, said:

Are the side torsos really that small?

My side torsos still get hit from time to time, but it's the fact that most of your deaths will result from the CT being bloated and unnecessarily huge. You can't even torso twist properly because your fragile CT just absorbs most of the hits, and you can't afford to lose your arms since they shield you from damage but have a majority of your firepower.

Edited by Arnold The Governator, 29 May 2019 - 07:56 PM.


#109 Dalatecht

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 08:54 PM

Have the standard and reinforcement Riflemans and have played at least an hour in all of them. The lower engine cap isn't much of a problem at all. 235 will get you going 58 kph which is square in assault mech territory. But because you're slow like an assault, you gotta position like an assault. You can't maneuver out of a bad spot and, coupled with its fragileness, you will pay dearly for any stupid mistakes you make.

I feel the more glaring problem, as others have stated, is its CT hitbox. Can't remember any time I've not died from my CT being cored out. That thing is just huge. And it's compounded by the fact that your arms are your fighting ability, deterring their use for shielding, making you have to stare at your enemy most of the time.

My personal, final verdict: The Rifleman IIC is an exacting chassis that requires a certain finesse to make work but even then, it's not guaranteed. I really like my Riflemans and am glad to have them but they need work. They have potential.

#110 RickySpanish

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 09:04 PM

I put 4 uac 5s onto the 2 variant and it was OK, I also tried 2 5s and 2 10s and it was very cool indeed. Even so, The base variant is still my favourite. I put speed twerk on it to see the difference and yeah, there's not much of one. The neatest thing I did was as others have done - drop ST hitpoints to free up space. I managed to get another heatsink onboard and bring the engine up to a 235 for speed twerk. 63 kph I got it to but it's a bit of an investment. I will try survival next or perhaps a hybrid of mobility and survival. Despite the CT it's a flipping good 'Mech imo.

#111 Valdarion Silarius

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 04:11 PM

View PostRickySpanish, on 29 May 2019 - 09:04 PM, said:

I put 4 uac 5s onto the 2 variant and it was OK, I also tried 2 5s and 2 10s and it was very cool indeed. Even so, The base variant is still my favourite. I put speed twerk on it to see the difference and yeah, there's not much of one. The neatest thing I did was as others have done - drop ST hitpoints to free up space. I managed to get another heatsink onboard and bring the engine up to a 235 for speed twerk. 63 kph I got it to but it's a bit of an investment. I will try survival next or perhaps a hybrid of mobility and survival. Despite the CT it's a flipping good 'Mech imo.

I'm running 6xac2's on the 2. I might sacrifice an autocannon for a little bit more ammo, but had some really good games with just basic autocannon 2's so far.

#112 RickySpanish

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 07:44 PM

View PostArnold The Governator, on 30 May 2019 - 04:11 PM, said:

I'm running 6xac2's on the 2. I might sacrifice an autocannon for a little bit more ammo, but had some really good games with just basic autocannon 2's so far.


5 acs is doable on the VGL 2 really nicely though, that doesn't make it bad on the Rifleman of course but it does raise the question of why you couldn't use it instead. Both particular builds are about equally fragile thanks to the VGL loading 3/5 guns on one arm. Now 6 acs you can't do, so there you go. I considered doing 6 lb-2xs and just taping the fire button down...

#113 justcallme A S H

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 11:37 PM

View PostRickySpanish, on 30 May 2019 - 07:44 PM, said:

5 acs is doable on the VGL 2 really nicely though, that doesn't make it bad on the Rifleman of course but it does raise the question of why you couldn't use it instead. Both particular builds are about equally fragile thanks to the VGL loading 3/5 guns on one arm. Now 6 acs you can't do, so there you go. I considered doing 6 lb-2xs and just taping the fire button down...

VGL has less range and also it is super limited on ammo where the RLF-IIC-A does not have as much of an issue. It's just slower.

#114 RickySpanish

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Posted 31 May 2019 - 04:51 AM

View Postjustcallme A S H, on 30 May 2019 - 11:37 PM, said:

VGL has less range and also it is super limited on ammo where the RLF-IIC-A does not have as much of an issue. It's just slower.


From a QP perspective I didn't find the ammo count to be bad, unless your team just isn't helping. I think my UAC 2 VGL has about 600 rounds although that is with the ammo nodes unlocked. ~1200 damage is plenty, but yes the range is less and I only run with one jump jet out of necessity. Still, go big or go home on the IIC as Bows3r demonstrated.

#115 Valdarion Silarius

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Posted 31 May 2019 - 08:23 AM

View Postjustcallme A S H, on 30 May 2019 - 11:37 PM, said:

VGL has less range and also it is super limited on ammo where the RLF-IIC-A does not have as much of an issue. It's just slower.

VGL are the new Piranhas from my experience. They can be so cancerous in pug que's and I have been roflstomped multiple times from them in my Rifleman IIC. They don't even view the mechs as a thread due to how quickly they die. The Rifleman IIC might be able to hold more ammo, but that ammo hardly makes a difference if it dies quickly in a match.

#116 RickySpanish

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Posted 31 May 2019 - 08:57 AM

View PostArnold The Governator, on 31 May 2019 - 08:23 AM, said:

VGL are the new Piranhas from my experience. They can be so cancerous in pug que's and I have been roflstomped multiple times from them in my Rifleman IIC. They don't even view the mechs as a thread due to how quickly they die. The Rifleman IIC might be able to hold more ammo, but that ammo hardly makes a difference if it dies quickly in a match.


I killed an ATM VGL with my IIC the night before, it was an epic duel of him trying to get LOS at 280m and me trying to get LOS below 120. In the end I caught him trying to advance and I put the pedal to the metal and sprinted into range at a huge 63 kph. Yep, speed tweak actually saved my *** there!

#117 FupDup

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Posted 31 May 2019 - 11:31 AM

View PostRickySpanish, on 31 May 2019 - 08:57 AM, said:

I killed an ATM VGL with my IIC the night before, it was an epic duel of him trying to get LOS at 280m and me trying to get LOS below 120. In the end I caught him trying to advance and I put the pedal to the metal and sprinted into range at a huge 63 kph. Yep, speed tweak actually saved my *** there!

This is why I always take MPLs on my ATM Veagle.

#118 Nightbird

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Posted 31 May 2019 - 12:19 PM

Need to make the STs wider but otherwise a solid mech.

#119 RickySpanish

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Posted 01 June 2019 - 04:32 PM

View PostFupDup, on 31 May 2019 - 11:31 AM, said:

This is why I always take MPLs on my ATM Veagle.


He had backup lasers, but obviously being within the ATM minimum range put the odds against him. Even so I died while my warhorn was still going off to someone elses shots that were no doubt directed at my remaining arm, but hit my CT instead because.

#120 Valdarion Silarius

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Posted 02 June 2019 - 04:04 PM

So, maxed out everything out of all of the Rifleman IIC variants except for the hero (which I don't own currently but will pick up in the future). My final thoughts on each of the variants (might be subjective to change in the future depending on patches, hitbox fixes, etc.) :


1. Rifleman IIC Prime (s) - Personally, with the more field time with the other Rifleman IIC variants I'm starting to think that this might be the weakest one. It runs fantastic with quad ER PPCs with max cool run and decent firepower invested into the skill tree. The quad cLPL's seem quite lackluster in terms of DPS, but I think it's more suitable for FP when ammo has to be accounted more so. I think when you run large pulse laser vomit it really does show off how PGI hit clan lasers in general pretty hard with the nerfs. I'd like to see clan pulse lasers get a cool down buff sometime in the future to help with general DPS, since this thing can average 350-500 damage per match, but sometimes you'll get lucky with a 700 damage game.

2. Rifleman IIC 2 - This was the third mech I decided to max out in the skill tree, and by far imo the best variant tied with the IIC A. This variant doesn't break a sweat in QP, but still doesn't struggle in FP either. Either alpha'ing AC2s, UAC2s, or LBX2s this thing has versatility and it's a monster. I like the fact that I don't have to heavily invest into firepower in the skill tree since those points can be invested into max survival, radar deprivation, and speed tweak to help keep it alive on the battlefield. Really solid mech overall, and I can easily see why people would just want this variation only.

3. Rifleman IIC 3 - Having this thing maxed out, it's pretty solid almost to the point of the IIC 2. It has the capabilities of running quad ballistics and the lasers can be used for backup, even though the heavy large laser quirks do make it stand out more so than the other possible variations. Just have to watch your heat with the HLL's, however dual guass complement the heat while 2/5 ballistics would be ideal for lower heat generation. It's a mech that I honestly misjudged but turned out to be pretty good.

4. Rifleman IIC 4 - I think the best set up for this mech is anything with LRM's. ATM's are ok for mid range brawling and complement the quirks with the mech, but the mech still struggles with trades so I'd personally advise anything mid to close range until the hitboxes are fixed properly. However with that being said, it does provide LRM support rather nicely with dual cLPL's being really nice backup weapons. Probably the only mech out of all of the packs that sits well as a long range support mech, but kinda falls flat on it's face with SRM's since close range trading isn't ideal at the moment. Once the hitboxes are fixed globally across all of the variants I might revisit this one with alternative builds.

5. Rifleman IIC A - Right up there with the 2 in terms of performance largely thanks due to the engine cap not being an issue and finally some energy torso hard points. What other can I say than it's a solid performer and has fantastic DPS with some great build options. Baradul's build suggestion for this variant was excellent as this can mid range brawl without having to worry about damage output. Definitely an A+ from me.

6. Rifleman IIC CH - I don't own this one yet, but once I do I'll report on it. I have some theory crafted builds ready once I do obtain it and might do something like a Jade Falcon build tribute or something similar.


Overall synopsis of all the variants? I give them a solid 8/10, but that score will go higher once we get our CT hitbox fix and possibly some armor structural quirks on the arms.

Edited by Arnold The Governator, 02 June 2019 - 04:18 PM.






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