50 replies to this topic

[Richard Hazen]

I recently got the Mad Cat II and I've tried four builds for it.

x2LBX10s/4MPLs/2SRM4s

x2AC20s/4ERMLs

x2Gauss/15LRMs/4ERML

x2UAC10s/2LRM15s/4ERMRLs.

I suck with gauss so that build didn't last long, I had some good games with first two but I very rarely ended up surviving the match, my most recent build is the last one and it kind of worked but I've not had a lot of games with it so far. Anyway I feel atm it's either hit or miss, people weren't joking about how vulnerable the arms are. Which do you suggest is the better way to play the mech? stand offish or get into their face and kill them before they kill you?

[D A T A]

your basic concept is wrong.

stop trying to put a baton, a laser, a pizza, a coffe machine, a toilet and a horse.

chose what you want to do and optimize the build for what you want to do, then go on the battlefield and do it, also, you must equip heat sinks to run your weapons: too many weapons with inadequate cooling eff is bad

Edited by D A T A, 05 December 2021 - 07:39 AM.

[Richard Hazen]

D A T A, on 05 December 2021 - 07:32 AM, said:

your basic concept is wrong.

stop trying to put a baton, a laser, a pizza, a coffe machine, a toilet and a horse.

chose what you want to do and optimize the build for what you want to do, then go on the battlefield and do it, also, you must equip heat sinks to run your weapons: too many weapons with inadequate cooling eff is bad

It's just I feel like out of other clan assaults the Mad Cat II is vulnerable to losing limbs easily and maybe that means it's better not to fit it for brawl to be most effective, although that might just be my piloting skills.

Edit: I don't run that hot in most of my builds so far.

Edited by Will Hawker, 05 December 2021 - 07:57 AM.

[Saved By The Bell]

Range.

Not so thick armor. And they dont see lights under nose (cockpit design).

[MrTBSC]

dont use LRMs, gauss and ermls are more than enough .. put in more ammo and definitively some cooling .. if you can upgrade the engine .. every bit of speed counts (don´t invest inte the mobilitytree though) ..
assaultmechs should have at least enginerating 300 to 315

Edited by MrTBSC, 05 December 2021 - 12:22 PM.

[Richard Hazen]

I have 2xUACs and 4 Heavy Large Lasers now with as many heatsinks as I can take, it runs a bit hot, I have to cycle the lasers but it does mega damage, scares the hell out of people.

[martian]

Will Hawker, on 05 December 2021 - 01:29 PM, said:

I have 2xUACs and 4 Heavy Large Lasers now with as many heatsinks as I can take, it runs a bit hot, I have to cycle the lasers but it does mega damage, scares the hell out of people.

Chain firing of lasers is usually not recommended, especially if you are running Heavy lasers with a long burn time.

The point is to melt away armor from one section of the enemy 'Mech and then go for the internals, if possible. The faster you kill him, the less damage he can do to you.

You do not want the enemy 'Mech to twist its torso and spread all that damage across all sections and survive your fire.

[Richard Hazen]

Decided I'm just not good with slower mechs, anything sub 80 I have a problem with.

[justcallme A S H]

Which variant or all of them?

Either way your builds listed really aren't any brawlers in there.

[Richard Hazen]

justcallme A S H, on 05 December 2021 - 05:41 PM, said:

Which variant or all of them?

Either way your builds listed really aren't any brawlers in there.

The one I am using atm is MCII-1 but in general I don't think I do well with slower mechs, it doesn't suit my playstyle imo, I do better with like fast heavies and mediums, allows me to be more proactive than I'm able to be in assaults.

[justcallme A S H]

Some options

mcii-1
mcii-1
mcii-1
mcii-1

You can swap UAC10 for AC10 with the ERPPC build if you want it cooler running/find it too hot.

[ScrapIron Prime]

ASH's first mech build link has the limitation that DATA was alluding to earlier. Three different weapons types with three different methods of aiming. The pulse lasers hitscan, the autocannons lead a little bit, and the SRM's lead completely differently. Difficult to alpha strike, you end up firing the three weapon groups separately much of the time except at very short range.

The other three links are simpler to manage your firing, having only two weapon types on the first two, and PPC's combined with autocannons lead the target almost identically (except at long range when the different projectile velocities might complicate things, as the two weapons are different by 400 m/s).

as a newer player, you may find it easier to use builds with just one or two types of weapons so you're not worrying about half your weaponry plowing into a hillside just behind your moving target.

[martian]

ScrapIron Prime, on 05 December 2021 - 07:28 PM, said:

ASH's first mech build link has the limitation that DATA was alluding to earlier. Three different weapons types with three different methods of aiming. The pulse lasers hitscan, the autocannons lead a little bit, and the SRM's lead completely differently. Difficult to alpha strike, you end up firing the three weapon groups separately much of the time except at very short range.

Sure, but you are supposed to fight within 270 m from your target (the effective range of Clan MPLs and SRMs). At that range all your weapons hit almost simultaneously.

[justcallme A S H]

ScrapIron Prime, on 05 December 2021 - 07:28 PM, said:

ASH's first mech build link has the limitation that DATA was alluding to earlier. Three different weapons types with three different methods of aiming. The pulse lasers hitscan, the autocannons lead a little bit, and the SRM's lead completely differently. Difficult to alpha strike, you end up firing the three weapon groups separately much of the time except at very short range.

Doesn't mean the build is neccesarily bad.

I had plenty of Assaults with 3 different weapon systems. Atlas+ others are well known for it - AC20/MRM/MedLaser etc.

To say to just focus on 1 or 2 is not entirely accurate.

[Richard Hazen]

justcallme A S H, on 05 December 2021 - 06:30 PM, said:

Some options

mcii-1
mcii-1
mcii-1
mcii-1

You can swap UAC10 for AC10 with the ERPPC build if you want it cooler running/find it too hot.

Tried the second one out in a couple of games, did quite well, pretty good damage and a lot easier to handle. I still take quite a pounding though, but I guess thats to be expected, may as well put a big target on the front of my mech

[pbiggz]

Will Hawker, on 06 December 2021 - 06:39 AM, said:

Tried the second one out in a couple of games, did quite well, pretty good damage and a lot easier to handle. I still take quite a pounding though, but I guess thats to be expected, may as well put a big target on the front of my mech

I've had a lot of success with double UAC10 double CERPPC on a highlander IIC-C. It's generally underestimated so I suspect people ignore me more.

[Curccu]

Will Hawker, on 05 December 2021 - 06:01 PM, said:

The one I am using atm is MCII-1 but in general I don't think I do well with slower mechs, it doesn't suit my playstyle imo, I do better with like fast heavies and mediums, allows me to be more proactive than I'm able to be in assaults.

Most likely you would get better at playing assaults if you play more, giving up is an option but I would try playing a game or ten... or twenty more before giving up

Same for myself I have played a lot of lights, fast mediums etc past few months I'm playing like **** with assault mechs atm... So gotta play more of those to become even decent in those again.

[Navid A1]

The builds you mentioned are not recommended if you've just started playing the MKII.

Try to keep it simple for start. Simple setup with good synergy between weapons and good cooling... free up the amount of thinking and micro managing the build will need (weapon groups, too hot builds, etc. being things that can take away from your focus). Then focus on your position according to the build you've made. And on mechanical shooting and trading.

When you get those etched into your muscle memory, you can start trying out of the box builds.

On the MKII-1, you can try:
double gauss + LPLs +ERMLs
double gauss and triple ERLLs
double gauss + double ERPPC
quad ERPPC.

[martian]

Will Hawker, on 05 December 2021 - 04:48 PM, said:

Decided I'm just not good with slower mechs, anything sub 80 I have a problem with.

You should learn how to use such 'Mechs effectively.

Sooner or later there will be some challenge requiring you to use some specific slow/Assault 'Mechs.

[Richard Hazen]

martian, on 07 December 2021 - 11:25 AM, said:

You should learn how to use such 'Mechs effectively.

Sooner or later there will be some challenge requiring you to use some specific slow/Assault 'Mechs.

I can use them and I have the occasional good game, it's just I don't get as much enjoyment out of using them, like I did all the event missions with them easily.