73 replies to this topic

[juxstapo]

After realizing how many people share my favorite heavy choice I wanted to query... how do you use your MAD to its greatest capacity?

(This is an attempt at a tactica, not a collection of enthusiastic "I Pwn with the PPCs cuz the Marauder ROxorS!" rants. And please don't segue into another chassis entirely.)

[this is all subjective opinion of course:]

To me it seems the Maud's (MAD-3R that is) primary purpose for existance is a long-living pair of PPC's. The support weapons are just that, I'd personally save the AC for non-mech targets (not that we will have any in MWO, but... for the BTech universe in general), and the MLas' feel "standard issue"... like here's your first aid kit, survival knife, twin medium lasers..

From playing MP3.1 over at Mektek (I'm sure everything will be vastly different in MWO, but for the sake of discussion), I've noticed the MAD doesn't like holding the highground as much as other chassis. The weapons don't want to depress as much, leaving many targets unreachably under your crosshairs. Kinda found a niche in lurking in the valleys and nailing whomever dared take the heights.

The limited track of the weapons pods (will we get backwards pointing arms in this game? Hmmm), and the direct-fire only arsenal, I feel, makes the Marauder shine as an heavy urban attack mech. With city streets lending themselves to medium length fire lanes where the MAD can use its weapons to full effect. Just a thought.

According to the 3025 TRO it's "Originally intended as a heavy attack/support Mech, the addition of sophisticated Dalban Micronics comgear enabled the Marauder to function as a command vehicle in areas of heavy fighting." I sincerely hope MechWarrior online gets a Marauder like this. Able to coordinate as a command mech, awesomeness.

[Razor Kotovsky]

2 PPC + Gauss, screening support mechs and sniping poptarts errryday.

[juxstapo]

thats what I'm talking about! Poptart sniping is the perfect use for this chassis.

[Hayden]

On the MAD-3R I maintain distance, keep the AC-5 going pretty much continuously, and use the PPCs as often as my heat sinks allow. I try to keep heat low in case anything gets close: when that happens I keep on the AC-5 and use my medium lasers, bringing in the PPCs if things get dangerous. I use the terrain to my advantage as much as I can, but life without jump jets make this a bit harder than normal. If there is water to be found I usually climb in to help with heat dissipation.

[Corsair114]

I tend to use the MAD for hunting big game. That means big weapons. In terms of the only game I've played where it is a choice, I generally run 2 Clan Plasma Cannons and a Heavy Gauss rifle. Pull in close (600m at least) and even a 100 ton assault 'mech will find itself very heavily damaged. Then back to cover to cool off.

[Belial]

I always liked the Marauder for its heavy punch and solid heat management. Basically same tactica as what hayden said.

juxstapo, on 04 November 2011 - 06:35 PM, said:

And please don't segue into another chassis entirely.)

Am I allowed to mention the IIC version at all?

Edited by Belial, 04 November 2011 - 08:02 PM.

[Sheogorath]

If we are talking a stock 3R then yes, its a direct fire support boat. However if they decide to throw in the one they had in the orrigonal 3050 TRO than who knows.

[CaveMan]

The key to using a 3025 Marauder effectively is managing your heat. It may be tempting to fire both PPCs all the time, but you really can't afford it, not if you don't want those 20 AC/5 rounds to detonate while they're still next to your soft, human brain.

The difference between a PPC and the AC/5 in terms of damage isn't as much as you'd think, particularly when you compare the 10 heat of the PPC to the 1 heat of the AC/5. Strictly speaking, the AC's damage/heat ratio is 5x better than the PPC's.

So you cycle. PPC 1 + PPC 2, PPC 1 + AC, PPC 2 + AC, PPC 1 + PPC 2.... and so on. Keeps the heat to a manageable level and your average damage is still withering. The medium lasers are basically just there for when you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being within the minimum range of your main weapons.

Aside from that, you shoot and scoot. Find cover, find concealment, and don't stay in the same spot too long. You're basically a mobile artillery piece, you don't have the armor to go toe-to-toe with other heavy 'Mechs at close range. Stay out of range and pound your opponents into scrap. Or when faced with an enemy toting lots of LRMs, you ***-rush him and get inside the minimum range where you can hit him but he can't hit you.

[GreenHell]

I sense an urban game of hide and seek, where the seekers are constantly being shot at by the hiding poptarts.

[Razor Kotovsky]

CaveMan, on 04 November 2011 - 10:06 PM, said:

AC's damage/heat ratio is 5x better than the PPC's.

This is a completely unpredicted turn of events, good sir.

[Reoh]

2 er ppcs at range, or a hailstorm of er meds if something is foolish enough to get close. Find some water & Kill everything that moves.

[Kumakichi]

Ok I'll ask....... isn't the Marauder one of the mechs still in rights dispute? So MWO can't use the Marauder, Warhammer, Stone Rhino (***!) and a few others. Not trying to be a bubble burster but just sayin......

Edited by Kumakichi, 05 November 2011 - 08:40 AM.

[juxstapo]

We may yet get the unseens... or we may get "reseen" substitutes. (I'd be happy with that).

But mostly this is a topic for BattleTech Marauder fans in general. Even though gameplay is vastly different between the tabletop, MechWarrior games, Assault Tech, etc. Lots of folks still love using their favorite mech (whichever that is) in any setting. This is a discussion for any and all games but for only one mech, capice?

[juxstapo]

Belial, on 04 November 2011 - 08:01 PM, said:

Am I allowed to mention the IIC version at all?

Absolutely, I'd be interested to learn as much as possible about my favorite chassis (and it's derivatives), from as many knowledgeable pilots I can find.
Although I resisted the reseens for quite awhile, I have subsequently developed a serious crush on the 5R. Anyone have any experience piloting/gaming one of those? I set up one-ish in the MP3.1, Ok... I mean "I Put a RAC on a 3R"... but.. y'know.

Caveman, that was one of the best guides for using a stock Marauder I've read to date. <S>

I honestly hadn't done the math about the damage curve of the AC/5 vs. the PPCs. And to be truthful, until I started playing online a lot I used the autocannon in much the same fashion. Kept it on my primary trigger and laid into it constantly.. until I deviated from my beloved TRO build and started experimenting, with capacitated PPCs the cannon didn't seem worth the effort so I started saving it for in-between recharges.

Corsair114, if it won't offend, I might have to test drive your dual plasma cannon variant.

Thusfar we've mostly agreed that the Marauder shines as a medium range city fighter or as a water-locked direct fire support sniper.

What is everyone's opinions on having the thing be a dedicated command mech with a advanced communications suite for the new game?

Edited by juxstapo, 05 November 2011 - 09:03 AM.

[K Wilson]

Considering that it's canon that the Marauder, due to its profile and weapon loadout is, as previously-mentioned, a sniper, having it also be a C3-capable 'mech makes sense. Hell, there's a reason there was an entire mercenary command that exclusively used Marauders (and, eventually Marauder 2) that only got crushed by an entire Clan Galaxy in 3064.

As for the MAD-5R? You are missing out if you haven't tried one. The PPCs are still the same old armour-flayers, but the RAC, when spun up to maximum speed will shear off Limbs from anything lighter than 65 tons, and cause internal damage to most anything that's bigger. Of course, at that speed you'll be out of ammo in a few seconds, The Project phoenix layout is even more brutal, but with lowered 'zombie' status due to an XL engine. The Double heatsinks, ER PPCs, 14 tons of armour, ECM and C3slave however make it a shitwrecker par excellence, but it still runs hot if you Alphastrike. (up to 12 heat accumulated with a max burst from the RAC, after the DHS do their magic)

As for it being a Dedicated command 'mech, I have no problems with that, so long as I get the opportunity to utterly ruin some poor slob in a hunter-killer capacity if I want to; It is a multirole machine, after all, just with a focus on long-range armourflaying and being toasty warm.

[Bubba Gump]

My tactic was to aproach my targets slowly keeping one ppc and the ac/5 going the whole time wittleing them down. then when I got close enought would hammer them at close range with both ppc's. But yeah try to avoid slugging fest melee with a maruader they don't do so well in a scrap but it can be done

[FireBlood]

I usually use the AC/5 first to get rid of all that very explosive ammo. then just use good heat management skills while I close on my enemy with PPC's and Medium Lasers.

[Sheogorath]

Or you could cheat by dropping the AC5 for an AC2 and add 2 more heatsinks(I know it would be time comsuming and labour intensive to do that) and fire the thing like a warhammer (2PPC, 2PPC, 1PPC ect). However that leads to another issue with having 45 rounds of ammo to fire off.

Edited by Sheogorath, 05 November 2011 - 05:30 PM.

[CaveMan]

What about a Marauder that exchanges the PPCs for AC/5s? Dump the 6 extra heat sinks and carry shitloads of ammo, so you can fire those guns all day long. Might lack the psychological effect of the PPCs, but those 5-point damage clusters add up.

[Michael Fury]

Standard use was to use the AC/Medium Lasers to "pin/shock/stun" their target, then whack them with the twin PPC's.

AC's to "trip" the target, headshot to shake them up. Back stab to stun them. Medium lasers to keep their attention while rangeing with the PPC's.