51 replies to this topic

[Natural Predator]

Triple PPC jump threat.

[Wildstreak]

Wolfos31, on 11 February 2021 - 10:49 AM, said:

Going to share those builds or... ? lol

Which just the HMN or the ACW-1 too?

VonBruinwald, on 11 February 2021 - 12:28 PM, said:

As someone who runs a single UAC build regularly (UAC-10 Cicada) the best trick I can advise to to not treat them like a regular dakka build (ie. poke and spam click till they jam) it's far better to fire them like a regular AC, and only double click when you've got cover you can hide behind in the event of a jam or if it's do or die time.

UAC-20 incubus is also a fun build.

But on the Clan side where they got cACs due to coding problem, it can make sense to choose those over UACs and LBX for PPFLD. Clan UACs got 1 more shot than IS UACs.

AncientRaig, on 11 February 2021 - 01:25 PM, said:

I don't know what game you're playing, but an SRM bombing Griffin 2N is still an excellent build. 4 ASRM4s and 2 MLs, or 4 ASRM6s and 2 MLs are still very strong.

Except for 4ASRM6 you have to run STD engine that lowers your speed.

Davegt27, on 11 February 2021 - 02:27 PM, said:

I bought my Huntsman with real money years ago, they all pretty much suck but this one is my most fun

One of my current builds uses cUAC2 and only 3.

[Gagis]

Wildstreak, on 12 February 2021 - 06:56 AM, said:

Except for 4ASRM6 you have to run STD engine that lowers your speed.

False. Only runs tight on crits if you use Stealth Armour, but that is not worth the investment in the first place. It fits just fine with ECM sans stealth.

Stealth is fun if your enemies are cadets who don't know stealth exists, but pretty much useless otherwise.

[Wolfos31]

Wildstreak, on 12 February 2021 - 06:56 AM, said:

Which just the HMN or the ACW-1 too?

Mostly interested in the 2 HMN builds you mentioned as that is the goal of this thread. But I'm always curious to see what builds people run!

[II Marauder II]

Running an UAC20 and 4 heavy mediums to take advantage of the 10% colldown on the UAC´s.

Big alpha but then its just the ac/20, had some amazing games, but i woulnt call it good...

[Wildstreak]

Gagis, on 12 February 2021 - 07:14 AM, said:

False. Only runs tight on crits if you use Stealth Armour, but that is not worth the investment in the first place. It fits just fine with ECM sans stealth.

Stealth is fun if your enemies are cadets who don't know stealth exists, but pretty much useless otherwise.

Oh I see, you and AncientRaig forgot there is a second Griffin besides the 2N with 4 Missile and 2 Energy.

Remember the 3M that to run 4ASRM6, you HAVE to do something like this minimum.

No LFE or XL possible though you can if you go down to 4ASRM4 or mix 2ASRM4 + 2ASRM6. Still the least seen I'll bet and I have 1, used to be a blast back years ago with 4 Streaks especially for anti-Light work but now with so few Lights around, Stealth Armor on top of ECM making Streaks hard to impossible and the position + type of hardpoints the 3M has, it sees so little action.

Edited by Wildstreak, 12 February 2021 - 08:14 PM.

[Wildstreak]

Wolfos31, on 12 February 2021 - 07:22 AM, said:

Mostly interested in the 2 HMN builds you mentioned as that is the goal of this thread. But I'm always curious to see what builds people run!

Alright. Bear in mind all the following builds have 1 less space in the arms since I use Lower Arm Actuators for greater range of arm weapons. BTW I sold my Prime and got a P instead but all these builds except 1 can be done on any variant with the right pods.

First I tried that had some value was this partly for using cUAC2s, disturbingly one of the best I had so far. I also learned cUACs are better than cAC2s and do not get why this RFL-IIC-2 build is recommended when this one is superior.

Second tried this one with cUAC5 because each shot from it is 2.5 damage vs 2 damage from cUAC2. Did almost the same but with only 2 UACs, the chances of both cUACs being jammed was worse than with 3 cUAC2s. I also now realized these were similar to builds I tested years ago on the Hunchback-IIC and that Mech does it better due to ability to modify engine and JJs not available on the Huntsman.

A third build I recently experimented with was this hybrid, did as well as the previous two. It is less heat than a 2 cERPPC but oh look, the Deathwish Hero does it better.

So far every build I tried with pod mixing, some other 50 ton Clan Mech does it better so what's the point? Only thing original I found was the reason I got the P variant and built this thing that has actually worked attempting to use P Set of 8. ER Range makes the cERML almost range sync with the cHLL and the CDs are not that far apart. cSSRM6s because I have a bunch sitting around doing nothing maybe the measly Streak quirk does something. Actually better than anything else so far, just if not used on a stock pod P you miss the So8 stuff.

I really have to see how some of these Mechs rate on quirks, offhand I still think Griffins are the worst in mediums but Huntsman has some issues too. I was going to try a all SRM build but for 2 problems.
1 - The best seems to need the Hero for the 2 Missile Torso points.
2 - I disagree with meta builds that are all SRM right now. I know they can be put into 2 groups to avoid GH but you can use 4SRM + 3 Streak with no GH too. This is my lone Arctic Wolf owned with no GH, arm cSSRM for anti-Light work and the NARC for experimenting and finding it BROKEN in live match. NARC could be replaced with another cSSRM4 though it would run hotter.

[Gagis]

Wildstreak, on 12 February 2021 - 08:13 PM, said:

do not get why this RFL-IIC-2 build is recommended when this one is superior.

Heat and range. UAC2 produce significantly more heat and have slightly less range than AC2. The uac build is okayish too, but serves only a burst damage role and will run into heat issues if you try to sustain dps or range issues if you try to use it in extreme range maps.

Quote

you can use 4SRM + 3 Streak with no GH too

There is no synergy between SRM and streaks. Different aiming mechanism, different damage spread, different cooldowns and for clans even different ranges. I'd rather complement SRM with a ballistic, a PPC or even dumbfired ATM than with streaks. Those all you can fire simultaneously with SRM's and expect them to go to roughly the same place.

Edited by Gagis, 13 February 2021 - 12:34 AM.

[Wildstreak]

After a post I made in another topic thinking if I should give this theory build a try. Missiles for all ranges.

Gagis, on 13 February 2021 - 12:33 AM, said:

Heat and range. UAC2 produce significantly more heat and have slightly less range than AC2. The uac build is okayish too, but serves only a burst damage role and will run into heat issues if you try to sustain dps or range issues if you try to use it in extreme range maps.

While true, it is also true the cUAC build lets you remove ammo from torsos, despite Clans having CASE in all sections torso ammo makes it easier for opponents to blow out those areas especially CT.
cUAC build can also change between fire modes. Sure you can rapid tap 6cUAC2 and run jam risk OR you can set to chain fire, hold fire button and never jam just like cAC and cLBX do thus no heat issue.

Gagis, on 13 February 2021 - 12:33 AM, said:

There is no synergy between SRM and streaks. Different aiming mechanism, different damage spread, different cooldowns and for clans even different ranges. I'd rather complement SRM with a ballistic, a PPC or even dumbfired ATM than with streaks. Those all you can fire simultaneously with SRM's and expect them to go to roughly the same place.

cSRM4 and cSSRM4 have minimal difference in CD, I find on my ACW in the same time I can get 3 shots of cSRM and 2 shots of cSSRM off if just holding fire buttons on the same target.
This can also lead to when requirking is seriously considered petitioning PGI to look at Mechs like the ACW-1 and giving them SSRM cooldown reduction to help with that.

Edited by Wildstreak, 13 February 2021 - 09:49 AM.

[Steel Claws]

I am more of a medium mech pilot than anything else anymore. The Huntsman has long been one of my favorite go to mediums. This is my 5th. My current setups:

• Streaks bap and light tag (4 SSRM 6 - 2 SSRM 2) - good when there are lots of lights and mediums. It brawls OK as well.
  
• 2 x ATM 12 with 4 ERSL with a tag - This is OKish but these days there is really too much ECM and AMS to be real effective.
  
• 2 ERPPC 4 SRM2. - My bread and butter
  
• 5 ERML and UAC10 - Good midrange damage - more DPS than the gauss build.
  
• 4 ERML and UAC 20 - real strong burst damage.

I may swap either the ATM Build back to 8 MPL. It works pretty well.

[G2SC]

2 LB10s for me

[ScrapIron Prime]

FupDup, on 11 February 2021 - 03:35 PM, said:

The only issue I had with the Huntsman was that I kept keeping cored too much, but when I painted its shoulders bright red I then started taking normal levels of side torso damage. Weird but whatever.

Noted!

I am actually going to cover mine in target decals, because I prefer playing Inner Sphere mechs. Clanners are just targets to me!