7 replies to this topic

[Narcissistic Martyr]

Currently the match making system dictates that each team will be balanced by weight class. i.e. if you have 2 lights, the enemy gets two lights, etc.

So I am looking for ways that one can turn this fact to their advantage.

Here are a few ideas (some if not all of dubious quality) that I had.

Varying the role of a light mech

Normally light mechs are used as fast scouts. This is of course their intended role and one they do quite well. However, what are some ways we can alter this role to fill one normally occupied by a heavier mech and thus deny the opponent some heavy fire power?

Currently I have two main alteration choices that I've though of, The Lilipult and The Backstabbing Baby.

Lilipult

Yes as in Lilluputian from Gulliver's travels

Basically the idea is to take a light mech and cram as many LRMs onto it as possible.

Pros:

Speed: A lrm Atlas, Awesome, Catapult, or Hunchback LRM boat is slow. A Lilipult on the other hand is usually quick due to the dimenishing returns of dropping engine size with the extra weight of the heat sinks. They can be fast even if you choose to reduce the total number of LRMs carried. This means that you can maneuver quickly into an advantagous position to say unleash a swarm of LRMs into that damaged Atlas' tender rear armor. It also helps you reposition to get away from slower mechs and dictate the range against anything that isn't a scout so you can keep up the bombardment.

Cost: A Raven 2X can be had with the stock engine, 4 Small Lasers, and an LRM15 with 3 tons of ammo, all without any fancy lostech while maintaining decent armor. Making it an inexpensive way to get into indirect fire support.

Matchmaking benefits: Your team just got extra LRM spam at the cost of a scout mech. Whether or not that's a good trade depends on the rest of your team's set up. Your Lilipult doesn't give your opponents a gaussapult or another cheestastic build.

Cons:

Reduced firepower: You have less fire power than a normal missile boat.

Weak against light mechs: A fast light can tear you up since you most likely aren't fast enough to out turn them and have much lower direct fire power than they do.

Example Lilipults

Cheap and Cheerful Raven 2X

Raven 2X
std 175 engine (stock in the mech)
std armor
std structure

1 LRM 15 w/3 tons of ammo
4 Small Lasers

This mech is inexpensive, has almost exactly half the power of a catapult and about half the armor. It is an almost every way half a catapult (including hitbox size). Due to the 4 small lasers this build can in fact deal with close up enemies fairly well which I have myself used on occaision to fend off pesky light mechs trying to cap the base.

Commandopult

Commando 2D
XL175 (a generally useful engine for light mech role alteration IMO)
Std or Ferro Armor
Std or Endosteel

3X LRM5
1 Medium Laser or MPL or a small laser and extra ammo

The commandopult is fast with a speed of 117 kph, if you need even more speed the 1D (with 2 missile hard points) can mount an extra laser and a bigger engine in exchange for less indirect fire ability. It is mobile, it can move with the enemy and generally be a PITA due to the high rate of fire of the LRM5s (giving combined DPS of 9.24 for just 6 tons vs )

Lilipult:

This is the most LRM spam you can reasonably carry on a light mech and it costs more than a stock catapult by a wide margin. However, making your enemy fight in the shade with a light mech is worth it.

Raven 3L
XL 175
Endo Steel Structure
Ferro Fibrous Armor

2 LRM 15 with as much ammo as you can cram in
2 Small Laser

This is the ultimate Lilipult, the Arm mounted LRM fires missiles 1 at time making it great for constantly inducing cockpit shake. It has as much LRM spam as a stock C1 catapult and in general can give your opponents a bad day so long as they're lit up. It is however lightly armored and is very weak against anything that gets close to it. It does still move at 81 KPH so it can out run everything that isn't a scout or a dragon but it is still very vulnerable. On the otherhand you're adding

The Backstabbing Baby

The backstabbing baby or BB for short is a slower light mech with redicuously high focused firepower.

While lasers are the order of the day for light mechs, at high speeds they just don't don't focus the damage as well as we might like. So there is only one good alternative, bigger guns. As big as possible.

Pros:

Firepower: You bring the firepower of a medium mech while denying that same firepower to the enemy.

Superior Mobility: You can dance around mediums, heavies, and assaults like a graceful balerina all the while dumping hundreds of kilos of hot lead into their weak rear armor.

The "It's only a light" effect: When you attack with your assaults and mediums the enemy ignores you unless they're light as well. This combined with your superior speed allows you to sneak around back for a nice backside attack. Because the only thing worse than an AC20 to the face, is one up the tailpipe.

Unstoppable force, meet immovable object: Other light mechs have to be wary around you since your superior firepower allows you to blow off limbs and reduce armor to nothing with but a single shot.

Range: With an UAC5, gauss, PPC, or even AC20 you have it and other light mechs just don't.

Cons:

Cost: Expensive. Almost every build requires an XL engine, endosteel, and FF armor.

Weak Armor: Lightly armored compared to a medium or heavy. While you can obliterate enemy light mechs in one or two shots if they're careless or you're a good shot (I'm not I'm affraid), a skilled light mech or anyone with streaks can tear you to shreds. Once you become a target, usually by landing 2 alpha strikes in the rear armor or CT you can go down quickly if they can focus on your CT. So do the twist baby.

Low Ammo Capacity: You can cary maybe 3-4 tons of ammo and that's it

Example Builds

More Dakka!

When you absolutely, positively want to throw as much lead downrange as possible in a light mech, this is the build for you.

Raven 4X
std175
ES+FF

2x AC2 w/2 tons ammo
2x small lasers

This build is for those who wanted to play an AC2 dragon but didn't feel like giving the enemy a gaussapult. It has high long range DPS, runs reasonably cool, and is dragon speed. It is also fairly inexpensive and can make a good starter build for the Raven enthusiast on the way to

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!

Raven 4X

Time to put those ballistics slots to good use.

XL175
ES+FF

AC20 w/3 tons ammo
1 Medium Laser

That's right, it's an AC20 in an arm, moving at 81 kph in a light mech with a small target profile, without an obvious place to shoot like in a hunchie. Can you say AC20 to face? This is probably the most lolworthy build in this category because it is completely rediculus. I mean who (besides the closed beta people) would expect a little tiny mech to completely decimate your rear armor before you can turn around (or pretty much instantly on medium mechs). If a comando gets hit by an AC20 shell, it no longer has armor in that location and if it's an arm, it's pretty much just gone. If it's a jenner, AC20 to face does some serious damage especially if the jenner pilot wisely evened out their armor since they're going to be weaving in and out of the enemy.

There is also the closely related build.

I am the hollander

See the above build but replace the AC20 and Medium Laser with a Gauss Rifle to duplicate the mighty post clan invasion Hollander. The gauss alleviates the range and poor AC aiming mechanics in the AC20 build. It only has 30 shots with no backup weapons, so make sure they count.

These builds die quickly if they're in the open or attacking from the front since they only move at 81kph and a skilled light mech pilot will tear you apart if you're alone or they have lots of streaks. So, stay with your friends and don't scout.

When I grow up... I want to be an Awesome

This build can be done by any Jenner or Raven

Take light mech, add 2 PPC, cram double HS and ES on with FF if space allows. Add armor and speed to taste and either be a fast moving mobile supression force attacking from the rear at great range, run to cap, and scout or be a slower direct fire support sniper.

This can also be done with 1PPC and 3 SSRM on a lightly armored Commando 2D with all the trimmings, but it will run hot, very very hot.

A Raven 3L can run 2 LRM5, 1 PPC, and a pair of small lasers combining Lilipult and BB in one quick package with decent armor.

Summary:

Need more LRMS or more Direct firepower and want to deny the same to your opponents? Take 1 part light mech, add a bit of speed, some armor, and abuse those hardpoints to the best of your ability and all your dreams can come true. Well, dreams about more firepower anyways, I cannot guarentee that the man/woman/____ of your dreams will fall for you due to your enlightened use of the matchmaking system but if it does then you've found a keeper.

Got a fun way to use the matchmaking system to your advantage? Write it out below, any and all superior suggestions will get edited into the original post with acknowledgements of how awesome you are. So get cracking already!

[w0rm]

Narcissistic Martyr, on 04 November 2012 - 09:46 AM, said:

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!

Raven 4X

Time to put those ballistics slots to good use.

XL175
ES+FF

AC20 w/3 tons ammo
1 Medium Laser

lol gonna try this next time

[Adrienne Vorton]

interesting^^ did think alot about such rediculous builds, but never really serious^^

[Exilyth]

If you want to play a light, try taking the Cicada instead. Unlike a light, you don't risk placing another Jenner on the enemy team.

Same goes for any heavy and gauss-/streakcats.

btw... tried the LRMmando before I found this thread, the way many pug games tend to go, you're better off taking ssrm instead. They way most players tend to completely ignore lights often means you're the one having to chase off the opponents lights. Ofc, this will be different in a premade vs. premade game.

Edited by Exilyth, 04 November 2012 - 03:27 PM.

[Locan Ravok]

They way to beat the MM system is to make a mech that is very good to fight you weigh class, since you will have to face a entire enemy complement of similar mechs. So, use light mechs that are good against light mechs ou heavy mechs that are good against heavy mechs. If you are a premade, it will be fun to field a entire medium or light force.

[Gwaihirou]

martchmaking in this game is very sucks...

all games are 3-4 suicide because the devs let them win money in a fast game.

Why dont plus other variable for calculate the rewards? more time with life more money.

and the big parties vs 8 random is ... the more stupid that i see in my life... u go with ur mech trying play a good game... and u watch 8 mech together and making focus... and in 30s can read as all ur suicide are death and u with other 2 mech waiting be killed because try kill someone is lost the time

useless system!!! this game lost too many points because 75% are very sucks... or win easy(the other team with suicide) or u lost very fast. only 1-10 games is a funny game.

[Walk]

We had a group before where we had 5 lights. The rest ran streakcats or mechs with pulse lasers, which are good vs light mechs, and all of our lights were outfitted to be scout hunters. The amount of tears shed by the enemy teams were rather amusing.

[Hersaint]

Thanks for the Raven builds to abuse the poor MM. Im going to try that RAven AC/20 build. BTW Does a TAG help your own LRMS? What if you throw a TAG on your Raven LRM build? I think you might be able to take out the scout as he approaches you and weave around assaults tag and lrm. Thanks for the advice.