

Exactly How Is Tag Supposed To Work?
#1
Posted 31 May 2023 - 12:36 AM
I was playing a black lanner with streak SRMs and put a TAG on it with the idea of hunting light mechs. I was under the impression that if you had the TAG laser on a mech with ECM it would ignore his ECM and allow you to lock them with the Streak SRM's.
However, in my recent game I found that if a mech had ECM then TAG did nothing to help. I Cornered a Kit Fox, legged him, but even with TAG on him I couldn't lock him for the streaks. This was point blank range and he was pretty much holding still. This happened again later with another Kit Fox in the same game.
here is the build: bkl-d
#2
Posted 31 May 2023 - 01:08 AM
In your build, the AP does nothing for you, because its ability to counter enemy ECM is disabled by your own ECM.
#3
Posted 31 May 2023 - 01:31 AM
I did try switching my ECM to "counter" on the second Kit Fox and I was still unable to lock it.
Thanks
-Matt
#4
Posted 31 May 2023 - 02:09 AM
#5
Posted 31 May 2023 - 02:22 AM
Aidan Crenshaw, on 31 May 2023 - 02:09 AM, said:
There was some weird lag during that fight as well, so it may have been related to that.
The 87th Corgi Guard (group I'm in) often does "light mech hunting" and this mech is my attempt to build something made specifically for this task. We all play fast mediums and either hunt down or lure in light mechs. It's a great deal of fun and a well laid trap that ends up working is extremely rewarding!
Edited by Matt85, 31 May 2023 - 02:23 AM.
#6
Posted 31 May 2023 - 03:24 AM
Matt85, on 31 May 2023 - 12:36 AM, said:
I was playing a black lanner with streak SRMs and put a TAG on it with the idea of hunting light mechs. I was under the impression that if you had the TAG laser on a mech with ECM it would ignore his ECM and allow you to lock them with the Streak SRM's.
However, in my recent game I found that if a mech had ECM then TAG did nothing to help. I Cornered a Kit Fox, legged him, but even with TAG on him I couldn't lock him for the streaks. This was point blank range and he was pretty much holding still. This happened again later with another Kit Fox in the same game.
here is the build: bkl-d
You can't lock being countered by ECM. Streaks cannot be shot without lock ... in this game. They should work as usual SRMs.
Hence you must disable the enemy ECM by your ECM or PPC. Probably there was another ECM nearby.
By my exprience BAP can't counter ECM to let you lock. So if you are on a pure streak boat and there is a ECM nearby - you are doomed.
Its very ridiculous issue

#7
Posted 31 May 2023 - 03:45 AM
Storky, on 31 May 2023 - 03:24 AM, said:
Well, all active probes do exactly that, even up to twice the range than an ECM in countermode.
#8
Posted 31 May 2023 - 05:49 AM
Matt85, on 31 May 2023 - 02:22 AM, said:
There was some weird lag during that fight as well, so it may have been related to that.
The 87th Corgi Guard (group I'm in) often does "light mech hunting" and this mech is my attempt to build something made specifically for this task. We all play fast mediums and either hunt down or lure in light mechs. It's a great deal of fun and a well laid trap that ends up working is extremely rewarding!
I've done this with my brother where I've run an IS stealth light and we worked together to hunt down isolated enemies. It can be pretty fun! But we haven't run that for a while, in part because our 2-man of lights gimps our team's total match tonnage more and the opportunities are just not as common as you'd like. It works best with Conquest on a larger map where you can dogfight lights in some isolation.
#9
Posted 31 May 2023 - 08:07 AM
I think carry streaks worth only if your mech also has ECM or has a friendly ECM-mech to counter enemy ECM. Otherwise common SRMs may act better (less spread with Artemis).
#11
Posted 01 June 2023 - 12:58 AM
I'm going with HMG and pulse lasers instead.
bkl-d
or
bkl-d
or
bkl-d
Will try each of these builds for a bit to see what I like.
Edited by Matt85, 01 June 2023 - 01:03 AM.
#12
#14
Posted 08 June 2023 - 07:17 PM
TAG counters enemy ECM - but it only counters an ECM if it hits an ECM-equipped enemy unit. If you encounter a Raven (with ECM) and a Kodiak (without ECM), most pilots will engage the Kodiak first - because its obviously the much greater threat. But when you TAG a Kodiak when jammed, the enemy ECM that is causing low signal isn't being countered. Your SSRMs will not work. You need to engage the Raven instead, and the TAG will counter its ECM.
TAG also reduces missile target lock time. So unless you are shooting enemies that have no idea that you exist, always tag them.
A Beagle Active Probe or Clan Active Probe also reduces missile lock time further - and also detects shut-down enemies. So when someone overheats in front of you, you can keep pumping streaks into them. Even if you have ECM yourself, bring this piece of equipment.
Your ECM (in counter mode) or your BAP will automatically counter one nearby ECM. Your TAG can counter a second ECM. You only have a problem if three or more enemy ECMs are within 120 metes of you. If this happens, then you either messed up really bad and need to get out of the enemy murderball right now (and to hell with shooting!) - or you need to back away slightly. Your place isn't in the middle of the furball, it's at the edges of the furball, where you will be out of range of most enemy ECM's.
ECM lights will sneak in and give you low signal - but as long as you have BAP, TAG, and moderately good situational awareness, you will ruin them. If they survive initial contact with your streaks, they will spend the rest of the match in fear of you.
Edited by Falconer Sword, 08 June 2023 - 07:26 PM.
#15
Posted 09 June 2023 - 05:45 AM
Falconer Sword, on 08 June 2023 - 07:17 PM, said:
Only to the extent that it allows you to lock onto an ECM target faster than without TAG. Against a normal target, there is no difference.
From the wiki "TAG is a beam style energy weapon that 'paints' a target with a targeting laser. TAG'ing a 'Mech within an ECM field allows targeting of even the ECM carrying 'Mech. Indirect targets painted by TAG are treated as if they are in direct LOS for the purposes weapon lock-on time and missile spread. TAG provides no lock-on or spread benefit for direct line of sight (LOS) targets. "
Quote
Again, only in the sense that it speeds up target locking against an ECM'd opponent. Otherwise, no difference in lock time. See below.
Quote
Your ECM (in counter mode) or your BAP will automatically counter one nearby ECM. Your TAG can counter a second ECM. You only have a problem if three or more enemy ECMs are within 120 metes of you.
From the wiki again: "The active probe (called "Beagle Active Probe" (BAP) by the Inner Sphere) is an enhanced sensor suite that improves several aspects of your 'Mech's sensors.
- Able to counter the effects of 1 ECM within its radius
- Increases sensor range by 25%
- Increases information gathering rate by 25%
- Allows detection of shutdown 'Mechs within 120 meters for IS and 150 meters for Clan
- Increases sensor range by 15%
- Increases information gathering rate by 15%
- Allows detection of shutdown 'Mechs within 90 meters
Where "information gathering" is referring to the enemy mech paperdoll readout, not a missile lock.
Few players would equip both ECM and BAP/AP because the best feature is the ability to counter ECM, but this is deliberately taken away if your mech also has ECM, making it far less important to have. Best to spend that 1 ton on something else. Even if your ECM is destroyed the (B)AP won't counter ECMs the rest of the match. The ability to lock onto shutdown mechs could be useful for Streakboats, but would be a situationally specific reason to carry it and, imo, it is still best to put that ton to something else like a heatsink or medium laser. TAG + BAP or TAG + ECM is sufficient. You shouldn't need all 3.
#16
Posted 11 June 2023 - 10:34 PM
Falconer Sword, on 08 June 2023 - 07:17 PM, said:
TAG counters enemy ECM - but it only counters an ECM if it hits an ECM-equipped enemy unit. If you encounter a Raven (with ECM) and a Kodiak (without ECM), most pilots will engage the Kodiak first - because its obviously the much greater threat. But when you TAG a Kodiak when jammed, the enemy ECM that is causing low signal isn't being countered. Your SSRMs will not work. You need to engage the Raven instead, and the TAG will counter its ECM.
TAG also reduces missile target lock time. So unless you are shooting enemies that have no idea that you exist, always tag them.
A Beagle Active Probe or Clan Active Probe also reduces missile lock time further - and also detects shut-down enemies. So when someone overheats in front of you, you can keep pumping streaks into them. Even if you have ECM yourself, bring this piece of equipment.
Your ECM (in counter mode) or your BAP will automatically counter one nearby ECM. Your TAG can counter a second ECM. You only have a problem if three or more enemy ECMs are within 120 metes of you. If this happens, then you either messed up really bad and need to get out of the enemy murderball right now (and to hell with shooting!) - or you need to back away slightly. Your place isn't in the middle of the furball, it's at the edges of the furball, where you will be out of range of most enemy ECM's.
ECM lights will sneak in and give you low signal - but as long as you have BAP, TAG, and moderately good situational awareness, you will ruin them. If they survive initial contact with your streaks, they will spend the rest of the match in fear of you.
1 - TAG does not disable ECM. It makes the painted target lockable. An active enemy ECM within 120m will leave your TAG non-functional
2 - TAG does reduce missile lock time only for target not in LOS, the tagging unit is always in LOS though, and lock time doesn't get ay faster than that.
3 - An active probe does not reduce missile lock time, except minimally for IDF locks because it increases your sensor-range
#17
Posted 15 June 2023 - 12:37 AM
TheCaptainJZ, on 09 June 2023 - 05:45 AM, said:
Few players would equip both ECM and BAP/AP because the best feature is the ability to counter ECM, but this is deliberately taken away if your mech also has ECM, making it far less important to have.
It's actually unexpected case. I've tested Timber Wolf with BAP and ECM, and there was no sign that BAP is active. Even after BAP was destroyed nothing changed as well.
Another interesting effect with active BAP. Stealth armor cannot be reactivated within the BAP range. In the HUD the Stealth shown as activated. But BAP mech can still target it. ECM mech have to move outside the range or maybe just hide to fully reeactivate the Stealth.
#18
Posted 15 June 2023 - 05:22 AM
Matt85, on 31 May 2023 - 12:36 AM, said:
I was playing a black lanner with streak SRMs and put a TAG on it with the idea of hunting light mechs. I was under the impression that if you had the TAG laser on a mech with ECM it would ignore his ECM and allow you to lock them with the Streak SRM's.
However, in my recent game I found that if a mech had ECM then TAG did nothing to help. I Cornered a Kit Fox, legged him, but even with TAG on him I couldn't lock him for the streaks. This was point blank range and he was pretty much holding still. This happened again later with another Kit Fox in the same game.
here is the build: bkl-d
I imagine tag still works within ECM range but I'm willing to guess that if your in ECM range your Tag will only allow you to target an ECM mech as ECM probably blocks the out going signal to your allies, could be wrong on that, but pretty
Narc on the other hand will never work on an ecm mech because the narc will be blocked by the ECM were as Tag does work on ecm mechs if your outside the range I think someone should do some testing on that.
Personally I never use Clan Streaks anymore since they reduced their damage awhile back...
Tag is very useful for close range missiles like streaks and ATMs to get a quick lock on or to cut through ECM.
For me personally it's not usually worth spending a energy slot and one ton for it, but that doesn't mean it's not useful i've just not found a good use for it.
Edited by KursedVixen, 15 June 2023 - 05:26 AM.
#19
Posted 15 June 2023 - 06:11 AM
KursedVixen, on 15 June 2023 - 05:22 AM, said:
On the ECM mech NARC works just like PPC but longer, as far as I tested.
But if you mean simple mech under ECM umbrella of other mech, then yes, NARC doesn't work.
Haven't tested yet a TAG without BAP, guess there is also some surprise
#20
Posted 15 June 2023 - 08:38 AM


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