24 replies to this topic

[FRAGTAST1C]

Yeah, I was leaning towards a shorter-range build and limit as much face time as possible. I don't like MGs and having only 2 of them is almost meaningless. I definitely want to use Stealth on the PB and the Flea, not just ECM.

[Maddermax]

FRAGTAST1C, on 09 January 2020 - 12:15 AM, said:

Yeah, I was leaning towards a shorter-range build and limit as much face time as possible. I don't like MGs and having only 2 of them is almost meaningless. I definitely want to use Stealth on the PB and the Flea, not just ECM.

You don't limit facetime with Small/Small Pulse lasers, you knife fight, so it's all facetime really. Most decent cover in maps tends to be 150-300m apart, so it's hard to really peek effectively when that's close/beyond your max range, so you generally have to get pretty involved. Staring at the enemy isn't usually an issue as long as you're moving and keeping him from getting a good shot on you - it's the enemies you're not staring at that kill you.

For myself, I generally see games as two separate parts when playing a light. You peek from cover at mid (200-400m) range, till you find an opening - a lone heavy/assault, a mech with an open component, distracted enemies already in a firefight ect - and you pounce, go knife fighting mode, get a kill or component, and get out. Then go lurk some more, taking shots when you can while you look for another opening.

If you have a short range build, you're relying on just the knife fighting to do nearly all the damage because of range issues - however, you have to wait to find those opportunities, and engaging too early will get you killed very quickly. That said, when you get into that knife fighting range, you're far more effective - that's the payoff of the short range build.

I use the FLE-17 with Small pulses myself, as MASC really helps with getting in and out safely, and gives you more opportunities for knife fighting. Pirates Bane, I like to be effective at both, master of none, so I can be effective without having to wait around lurking for too long without having much to shoot.

[Capt Deadpool]

So one of the important things lights can do to help their team win doesn't even require kills; but simply distracting the assault lance long enough to give your team an advantage. I frequently can have multiple assaults turned around facing me (instead of joining their team) because I cored them out from behind, and sometimes a couple lights coming back to help them, and even still I can keep them all from joining up with their team.

If my team is decent, we will have a few kills before the enemy is able to finally group up, and then the battle is over even before it starts. But extra range helps with being able to use cover to continuously poke and evade, which is why I prefer smalls to small pulses on my Flea, and medium pulses on my PB (don't need to save tonnage for MASC or arm armor). My duration is still short enough for knife fighting with duration nodes.

But you need to make sure you really have better than average aim to be effective with builds that have the lowest firepower in the game, and better than average evasive skills to make sure you don't die while trying to get in range, knowing how to bait shots out of enemies, and I would say you really need superior situation awareness compared to playing other mechs, etc. But once you get it figured out, it is a play style that is highly satisfying.

Hope this is helpful.

Edited by Capt Deadpool, 09 January 2020 - 02:50 PM.

[Appogee]

I don't think there's any point in taking Range Nodes. Fighting at greater range just makes it easier for enemies to hit you, and any gain you would make in range can instead be covered by simply running towards the target for a half second more.

For Skills, I chose every single heat, dissipation, cooldown, duration and Speed/Agility Node. My theory is: get in fast, do as much damage as you can in as short a time as possible, and make it hard for them to aim at you as you reposition out of there.

[Y E O N N E]

FRAGTAST1C, on 05 January 2020 - 08:10 PM, said:

I've never piloted any 20t mech other than the Piranha Cipher. I bought the Locust booster pack a couple of months ago when it was on sale. So, I have the Locust Pirate's Bane, 3M and 1E(C).

Unfortunately, the GrimMech's database has a build for the PB which I'm not too keen on (as I rather have 2 MPLs + 2 ERSL and no MGs) and for the missile Locust. Build-wise, I'll probably keep doing a mix of MPLs and SML or SPLs + SL.

The problem is the skills. I can't have all of the consumables, so 2 Coolshots, 2 Arty/Air strikes and 1 UAV is what I'll go for. All the Range nodes and get the Heat Gen. and Cooldown nodes as I go along the Firepower tree, nothing in the Survival but max Speed Tweak. ECM nodes for the PB and full Radar Dep. for the other variants.

Other than those, am I missing anything?

My experience:



LCT-1E(C) is your money maker among those three variants. Run it with Medium Lasers or a combination of Medium Pulse and Smalls. Poke aggressively from odd angles, but try not to poke from the same place too many times because that's going to get you smashed. For skills, I recommend:

• Firepower: minimum required to get maximum Heat Gen and Laser Duration Reduction
  
• Mobility: minimum required to get full Speed Tweak
  
• Operations: minimum required to get maximum Cool Run
  
• Sensors: minimum required to get 60% Radar Deprivation
  
• Auxiliary: minimum required to run double Cool Shot

I believe this is the code for my LCT-1E(C) skill tree:

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LCT-3M is just another version of the LCT-1E that trades a laser away for a cool-down quirk and a second AMS slot. Ignore the AMS, run the 'Mech with Medium Pulse and Smalls. Same skill tree as the LCT-1E.

The LCT-PB is a meme to me, but I would also run it with Medium Pulse and an ER Small if I played it regularly. No Stealth Armor because I prefer playing to do damage and kill things and I don't have a problem staying alive when I draw aggro without it. Skill tree should be similar to the LCT-1E, but you need to adjust it to obtain the ECM nodes. Here's how I would adjust my LCT-1E(C) skill tree to accomodate ECM:

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General tips for Locust:

• Try not to rely on your agility being better than most peoples' aim to avoid getting smashed; fight from angles that reduce the probability of return fire and/or wait for other team mates to engage before you pop out and add to their firepower
  
• Keep your head on a swivel for red smoke, strikes are death
  
• Keep your head on a swivel for skill boats streaks, streaks are death
  
• Don't poke a Gauss user twice in the face, the second attempt will likely kill you
  
• You don't have to be always moving; know when it is advantageous to stop to to improve tracking on a target or help you get into a better position in a duel
  
• Agility for all 'Mechs is higher at the begining of acceleration than at the end; try to minimize the distance you have to travel to expose your weapons so your pokes can be fast
  
• If you have to make a long poke, do not try to reverse back into position; press W and zip to the next piece of cover instead or you will get smashed
  
• Buy an LCT-3S, throw 4x SRM2 on it, and maximize your weapon cooldown tree; be agile enough to make a Flea on MASC envious

Edited by Y E O N N E, 11 January 2020 - 02:06 PM.