134 replies to this topic

[Mechteric]

Sounds to me like a waste of drop tonnage and a burden to your team (for the most part). The least you could do is throw on an AC/2 or AC/5 in support of those two dinky lasers, while still going really fast.

[Vechs]

CapperDeluxe, on 09 November 2012 - 06:51 AM, said:

Sounds to me like a waste of drop tonnage and a burden to your team (for the most part). The least you could do is throw on an AC/2 or AC/5 in support of those two dinky lasers, while still going really fast.

You'd be really surprised.




Seriously, this match had me about to flip my table.

Burden to the team? Really? I'll tell you what's a burden. Bad players.

Bad players are the only thing that's a burden to the team. I've PUGed exclusively so far on this game, but the quality of the players in Open Beta is making me seriously consider joining a unit, or at least getting on Teamspeak, just so I can drop with people who can be relied on to do more than 100 damage in a match, and not chase a scout around in the open while they alpha the thing and overheat constantly while the enemy team picks them apart with LRMs.

>______<;

[Mechteric]

Vechs, on 09 November 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

Burden to the team? Really? I'll tell you what's a burden. Bad players.

Well sure, but you can't control Bad players, so its an external variable. I would prefer to be wrong here, but to me it seems like doing this with a yen-lo-wang is grinding selfishly for your own benefit.

[Vechs]

CapperDeluxe, on 09 November 2012 - 12:39 PM, said:

Well sure, but you can't control Bad players, so its an external variable. I would prefer to be wrong here, but to me it seems like doing this with a yen-lo-wang is grinding selfishly for your own benefit.

I'd understand your point more if it was posted on page 1 or 2, but all you have to do is glance over the past 5 pages and you'll see lots of people having success with the build.

Not only is it great for grinding C-Bills, but I'll go ahead and say that it's better than a build using the arm hardpoint.

The arm gets blown off way too easily. Even the smallest AC is going to be a 7+ ton investment with ammo. That's way too much tonnage to invest in that dinky arm.

[0d1n]

Even if this thing doesn't have much firepower it's tanky as hell.

Win or lose I almost always survive and can go toe-to-toe with an Atlas if I use my arms and side torsos as armor plating while coring him easily.

Don't underestimate those 2 med pulses over time, they'll dish out more damage than you think, especially when the enemy overheats trying to alpha-strike you to death.

[RedrumnCoke]

Vechs, on 08 November 2012 - 02:10 AM, said:

I'm grinding a 9A right now as well.

Running 2 Medium Lasers and 3 SSRM2, and the 260 Standard Engine.

Our builds for it are really similar.

I think I downgraded to normal lasers in favor of more ammo and less total heat.

Firing both lasers and all 3 launchers I can still overheat, so I'm thinking pulse lasers would be too much.

Good call on the heat issue. Most maps it wasn't an issue but if I got into extended fights w/o a break or was on Caustic Valley it would occasionally overheat. I've updated my build as follows:

Centurion CN9-A

Head: Heat Sink
Right Torso: empty
Left Torso: Streak SRM 2 x 3, Streak SRM Ammo x 3, C.A.S.E.
Center Torso: Standard Engine 260, Medium Laser x 2
Right Arm: empty
Left Arm: empty
Right Leg: Heat Sink x 2
Left Leg: Heat Sink x 2

Speed: 84.2
Armor: 336 out of 338 (have to drop 2 to have .5 available for C.A.S.E.)

For those that question the utility of a zombie build, I would like to say that after playing a Centurion you will realize that your arms are too easy to lose. They are simply too large and stick out too much (unlike the Hunchback with it's T-Rex arms). Placing an AC 20 there only to have it blown off in battle is not nearly as good as using that available weight for a fast engine. A standard Engine 260 will serve you well the entire round whereas your right arm will only benefit you until it falls off.

When I run with my friends and am playing competitively, I still use this build. The only difference then is that I fully repair after a match. With my armor at max, it takes a lot longer for them to eat through my left/right arm and then my right torso so my survivability goes up a lot. Taking the obvious target away from your opponent is always good strategy.

This build is great vs light mechs and good vs med mechs. Against anything heavier you will definitely want to use your speed and hit & run. Speaking of speed, you will find that having your speed maxed out is good for either taking the enemy's point before they take yours, or quickly getting back to your base to defend. I've helped win matches doing this.

[Wizard Steve]

CapperDeluxe, on 09 November 2012 - 06:51 AM, said:

Sounds to me like a waste of drop tonnage and a burden to your team (for the most part). The least you could do is throw on an AC/2 or AC/5 in support of those two dinky lasers, while still going really fast.

Give it a go. You'll be surprised how effective it is.

[Joxx]

Vechs, thanks for this build. It is a tonne of fun! I do not feel ineffective at all. I am frequently the last mech standing (with no arms!).

[Malzel]

This might be a stupid question, but this thread mentions repairing only the CT. Is there a trick or option to do this that I'm missing? The only option I have is to "repair all".

[Mechteric]

Wizard Steve, on 09 November 2012 - 03:58 PM, said:

Give it a go. You'll be surprised how effective it is.

well thing is use a yen lo wang with AC20/2 meds, and the full speed and armor package the zombie is doing. Sure the weapon gets blown off once in a while, but I still get to use the big gun quite a lot and it really helps when trying to take down the more armored mechs.

there's a difference between being merely effective, and being super effective

[spcogg]

Malzel, on 10 November 2012 - 10:11 PM, said:

This might be a stupid question, but this thread mentions repairing only the CT. Is there a trick or option to do this that I'm missing? The only option I have is to "repair all".

Go to load out->select the CT look for the repair button near the top where it tells you what % heatlh that part is on.

Also have to say thanks Vechs, this build has made the MWO experience a hilarious one for one nooblet at least.

Edited by spcogg, 11 November 2012 - 02:42 AM.

[qki]

Well, once you are past grinding, you can get back to the original loadout.

I roll with an AC20 /w 3t. ammo, 2 ML, and CASE, on an Endo-Steel chassis, 338 pts (9.5t) FF armour, 250 engine.
Still a zombie - last game I tangled with a Cat, an Atlas, and a centurion and my mech just wouldn't go down.

You no mess with Lo Wang!

[Cognus]

Love the build; I gave it a spin or two right after I read the guide... I'm a little surprised at the effectiveness! I dropped an ams on it to lend a little more utility to the group, and will probably fudge a small AC in there at some point, just for my own enjoyment, if for nothing else. Thanks for the post, Vechs!

Edited by Cognus, 11 November 2012 - 10:06 AM.

[Elizander]

Thanks, I didn't know you could repair just the CT.

[Wizard Steve]

CapperDeluxe, on 10 November 2012 - 10:16 PM, said:

there's a difference between being merely effective, and being super effective

The difference is that the AC/20 the zombie lacks is replaced by more speed, more armour and greater heat efficiency.

My best effort with the Zombie Wang is 5 kills, 2 assists and over 500 damage dealt. That's more than merely effective.

[Wiggy1990]

I just started playing today so ive been scouring the forums for any and all useful info. Needing so much c-bills to even start off, this thread jumped at me. But i have one question, since this is open beta will out accounts be wiped upon full release? I dont mind that unless i spend $ on a mech.

[Wizard Steve]

There shouldn't be any more wipes.

[Vechs]

Wiggy1990, on 11 November 2012 - 07:00 PM, said:

I just started playing today so ive been scouring the forums for any and all useful info. Needing so much c-bills to even start off, this thread jumped at me. But i have one question, since this is open beta will out accounts be wiped upon full release? I dont mind that unless i spend $ on a mech.

For everyone in tents, and all their purposes, the game is live. It's launched. It's called Open Beta, but for the F2P industry, it's basically live.

[Lightfoot]

Interesting. Hadn't thought that the CBill bonus would pay back the cash outlay after awhile.

As far as tanking goes, this can often be a more valuable asset than firepower. If you are taking the attention off your more heavily armed teammates, making them waste shots on you, your team will be the one doing all the damage.

[qki]

Wizard Steve, on 11 November 2012 - 03:07 PM, said:

The difference is that the AC/20 the zombie lacks is replaced by more speed, more armour and greater heat efficiency.

My best effort with the Zombie Wang is 5 kills, 2 assists and over 500 damage dealt. That's more than merely effective.

Not really - I run an AC20 Wang with a 250 engine (81 km/h, max is 280 ~90 km/h), max armour (as in literally max armour - 338 points of FF), and I never shut down because of heat, even with just 10 DHS, shooting 2 ML and an AC20.

It's not for grinding cash, since my repair bills eat a good portion of my rewards (30-65k repair bills)