21 replies to this topic

[Rooikat]

Hei ladies and gents,

I need some build advice for my Com-1B.

I bought this to play around with and either I need to take it further or shelve it and get my next upgrade (a Jenner or Hunchback). Generally play role of scout and rusher so speed is important for me. Skill upgrades have been for heat mngt, acceleration, turning and braking.

The next upgrades which I am considering are for an XL engine and dbl HS instead of standard.

Current build is:

Armour: Endo & FF maxed out (138pts I think)
Engine: 170 std (118kph)
RA: x2 ML
LA: x1 ML
AMS + 1 ton
HS: 9 std

I sometimes roll with x3 SPLs or combo with a flamer.

But here are my biggest concerns:
Speed - my current speed could be faster. Would an XL make a better option? I doubt that I can match the top speed of Jenner though. Or can I?
Other lights - Have found that this build is not the best against other lights, especially those packing x3 SSRMs!

So far this little mech has earned more for me in a few matches (makes a great forward spotter!) than the past several days in prebuilts, even with repair costs.

But should I plonk down the extra 3,6mil for an XL and SSRM in center torso or skip it and go for a Jenner or Hunchback?

As a side question - is there a point to using the TAG or NARC on this mech to fulfill the forward spotter role?

Cheers
Rooikat

[Mason Grimm]

Here is someones idea of a c-bill grinder in the 1b using medium lasers

http://www.mechspecs...Bill-Grinder%29

There are other builds in the Commando chassis that involve SSRM builds which are pretty popular but I'm not sure if the 1B can fit 3 SSRMs as I think thats the 2D.

As for your speed? I'm of the mind set that, in a light, "speed is life" and that faster is better. Whether you need to RTB to defend it or close with an enemy light who is spotting for the LRM-Cheese Fest that is coming over the hill. If you are happy with your weapons on it (their DPS, ranges, heat profiles etc) and can put in an engine which will make it go faster; do so.

Agile, Mobile, Hostile.

[bloodydemon6]

i love commando so i will try to help , even if my english is not that great xD.
for the Xl engine the best is the 195 it the most efficient ton/speed you will reach 126.4 kmph, jenner go faster, our advantage is simply our arms that can turn well.

If u want other light you can , they can all go faster than us, but no one of them have arms that can aim like our. the only advice for fight a light wiht streak is to hide behind something, or someone, when he shoot.

and yeah the only one commando that can have 3 streak is the 2D i also like the 1D because its balance and have 2 energie and 2 missile hardpoint, anyway i hope i help a bit even if i write and explain bad D: have a nice day

[Rooikat]

Checked out the mechspecs for the cash crusader but I'd already upgraded FF and Endo by then...not to mention buying plenty of toys to try out

The 1B is limited to x1 missile. Since the armour is so light, even maxed out, thinking is that the limitation of an XL is balanced out by SPEED being my armour.

Speaking of speed - what is the max speed of the Com-1B? Have seen various numbers from 129kph up to 136kph. But unfortunately have seen Jenners up to 146kph! Any tips here?

Edited by Rooikat, 05 November 2012 - 05:18 AM.

[stjobe]

Before ES/FF I ran my 1B thusly:
XL195
3xMPL
5xSHS

I haven't recreated it yet, but I'm pretty sure I'd go with ES and DHS for even more pew-pew.

As for top speeds, without any unlocks the COM has a maximum top speed of 136.1 kph, against the Jenner's 138.9. A 5% speed increase on top of that makes the COM go 142.9 and the Jenner 145.9 kph.

[Rooikat]

Ahhh...that explains the speed differentials. Havent unlocked the speed skill yet...maybe I shall tonight

Thanks for the tips everyone!

[Rooikat]

Just a final update: I have found the sweet spot for this mech...at least for me

x2 MPLs - 1 each arm
x1 SRM2 - center + 1ton
AMS
FF & Endo maxed out - 178 pts
x4 dbl heatsinks - 1.6

Enging is still Std 170, but will upgrade when cash allows

[Silra]

Hehloes there!

I guess I'll butt in here aswell, after all I have sunk in over 200 games on my Commandos now since open beta began.

The main point about choosing armaments on your Commando is to decide what you want to hunt. Light mechs? Small/Med pulse lasers and Streak SRMs. Big, slow moving mechs? Some lasers (don't need to be Pulses for hitting big boys) and straight SRM rack (I suggest something bigger than SRM2 to really make them feel the impact when you do that first shot into their back armor).
Just accept that you have to make this decision, and that you will be worse against one or the other kind.

After having chosen your prefered prey you can start making other decisions.
If you want to fight other Light mechs, then speed is what you need. The 210 XL Engine and Speed Tweak Elite (if you are willing to get Basics open on 3 different Commandos for it) gives you 146kph speed, enough to match or outrun most other Lights.
For fighting the big guys you can get away with smaller engine, though I wouldn't recommend it. Once you start peppering a Catapult or an Atlas at the enemy backlines, their light mechs will come to try to hunt you, so that speed will help you stay alive longer against them.

About them upgrades. Both Endo-Steel and Ferro-Fibrous are essentially unneccessary. If you absolutely must have one of them, then it's Endo-Steel. Double Heatsinks are not needed, you do not need to try to be heat neutral on Commando if you have the speed to break out of the fight to allow your heat meter to cool down and then re-engage.

Finally once you have upgraded to XL 210 engine, you can even drop the AMS entirely and simply rely on your speed and sharp turning (Anchor Turn is so so so good to have) to avoid LRMs almost entirely or to get cover between you and the incoming missiles.

As for the Armor values, you do not need maxed armor, as your main means of defense is speed and not armor. Just ensure you have atleast 10 in rear armors and 18 center torso front (so you don't get cored in a single volley from front). You can sacrifice some leg armor even because Commando legs are harder to hit than any other Light mech's legs.

Also don't forget TAG, especially if you have friends who like to run anything with LRMs. It's also a really good practise item for keeping your crosshair on a target while circling it.
Speaking of which, I'll drop here one of my favourite practises: You can point TAG on a target you have not selected for yourself (with the default R key) to allow others to still benefit from it. So pick an enemy big boy, an Atlas or something such, circle them and keep TAG on them while having the enemy Light mech chasing you targeted for yourself. Try and maintain the TAG on the big boy of choice while killing the Light mech at the same time.
Hard to pull off, but boy is it satisfying when you get it right.

Hopefully that gave you some insight to it.

Edited by Silra, 05 November 2012 - 12:15 PM.

[Nokkeli]

I agree that you should get the xl195. Top speed is just over 126 and that is about 13kph faster then the standard jenner if i remember correctly. What weapons you choose is up to you, i went with 2x SSRM2, 1x ML, 1x MPL and AMS on my COM-3A and seems to be very effective against both light and heavier mechs.

[Rooikat]

ok, thanks for tip. going to try down graded x2 MLs & SRM6 instead...maybe can have more fun then

[Nokkeli]

Depends on what you want to hunt. I prefer the SSRM because it's just so much easier to hit when going at full speed, especially against other light mechs. I tried the SRM6 but discarded it after I noticed that I was just spewing missiles in every direction and not hitting anything besides trees and rocks. Although that might just be me.

[Silra]

Nokkeli, on 05 November 2012 - 12:43 PM, said:

Depends on what you want to hunt. I prefer the SSRM because it's just so much easier to hit when going at full speed, especially against other light mechs. I tried the SRM6 but discarded it after I noticed that I was just spewing missiles in every direction and not hitting anything besides trees and rocks. Although that might just be me.

As you said, it depends entirely what you want to hunt. My go-to build for COM-2D has pretty much been 2 SRM2s in arm, SRM6 in torso and Small Pulse Laser. My chosen prey are Atlases, Awesomes, Catapults and such things. With 146kph speed and small stature, I usually start those fights with 10 SRMs into their back armor and then wear them down over time if no light mech comes to help them out.
And when those light mechs show up, if they ain't matching me in speed, I can disengage the fight and drag the lights on a merry chase.

COM-1B is more flexible in this manner with multiple Energy hard points, so it's mostly a choice between Streaks or straight SRM in the torso.

Edited by Silra, 05 November 2012 - 01:15 PM.

[stjobe]

So I re-created my 1B "Li'l Horror" today.

It's not cheap, with 3xMPL, a 195XL, DHS, and 5 extra heat sinks (12 total) - all in all it set me back 6.8 millon CB*, more than a stock Awesome 8Q - but it's dead cheap to run (10-30k repair bills) and it sure lived up to its name in the game I just exited with five kills to my name

I'm debating whether to put Endo Steel in for an additional heat sink, the lure of even more pew-pew is great, but the repair bill will skyrocket... Decisions, decisions...

*Here's how it breaks down:
COM-1B: 1.694.542
3xMPL: 3x120.000 = 360.000
195XL: 3.184,750
DHS: 1.500.000
5xDHS: 5x12.000 = 60.000

Total: 6.799.292

Edited by stjobe, 05 November 2012 - 03:22 PM.

[Rooikat]

Rooikat, on 05 November 2012 - 12:35 PM, said:

going to try down graded x2 MLs & SRM6 instead...maybe can have more fun then

this was not a fun build - found the MLs are not very effective against lights - takes too long to focus damage, MPLs were better. And the SRM6 while good against slow & large targets, is not very effective against fast movers. Downgrading to SRM4 was more effective for me.

Still need the better engine though...will have to wait a bit til cash is available

stjobe, on 05 November 2012 - 03:19 PM, said:

1B "Li'l Horror" ... It's not cheap ... but it's dead cheap to run (10-30k repair bills) and it sure lived up to its name in the game I just exited with five kills to my name

*Here's how it breaks down:
COM-1B: 1.694.542
3xMPL: 3x120.000 = 360.000
195XL: 3.184,750
DHS: 1.500.000
5xDHS: 5x12.000 = 60.000

Total: 6.799.292

This is what I am also aiming for, but with the weight savings of Endo, I would like the SRM4 in center torso. AMS could be dropped with the additional speed of 195XL & skill upgrade if need be.

But cbills cbills cbills ... as in life, so in game - everything costs money!

[Terrien]

The Posts in this thread are over 3 years old. Any new advice for the COM-1B in the current era?

[InspectorG]

Terrien, on 11 November 2015 - 07:45 AM, said:

The Posts in this thread are over 3 years old. Any new advice for the COM-1B in the current era?

Likely the best thing to do, be sneaky and dont get seen.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d9d0f393bb36209

Or you could drop the SRM and a ML for a LL for longer pokes.

Commandos are fun but not competitive.

[Terrien]

So for right now I've set up my Commie B with SRM4 in the chest and a ML on each arm. Standard 180 engine, standard structure, armor and HS, 1 tons of SRM and the rest almost maxing the armor. *legs are 1 shy each* Does 116 so it can outrun most LRM. It is the tiniest brawler i have ever run, but has been surprisingly hardy in a mix up with the big boys. Still cant handle a Arctic Cheetah Lazboat, but it has been very fun to play. I have even picked up a 1D to mess with. ES, DSH(4) Std 150 LRM5x2 and MPLx2 2tons LRM and maxed armor. I'll let you know how my "Mini Missile Boat" turns out.

Edited by Terrien, 12 November 2015 - 09:49 AM.

[Terrien]

InspectorG, on 11 November 2015 - 08:32 AM, said:

Likely the best thing to do, be sneaky and dont get seen. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d9d0f393bb36209 Or you could drop the SRM and a ML for a LL for longer pokes. Commandos are fun but not competitive.

I have to agree with not being competitive, but I feel that mastering out three different commies is teaching me many valuable lessons on the fundamentals of mech piloting. Adopting the "fragile coward" mentality needed to run a commie has greatly improved my survive-ability and damage scores in my Timberwolf.

[sycocys]

XL240, 1 extra DHS, 3 MPL.

Be the ninja your heart knows you to be.

[InspectorG]

Terrien, on 12 November 2015 - 09:53 AM, said:

I have to agree with not being competitive, but I feel that mastering out three different commies is teaching me many valuable lessons on the fundamentals of mech piloting. Adopting the "fragile coward" mentality needed to run a commie has greatly improved my survive-ability and damage scores in my Timberwolf.

yeah, thats how i learned, most of 2014 in a Command doing 100 damage a match.

But it does teach you things and i generally advize light players to play like cowardly rats. Once they get skills, then go ball out like the good FS/AC pilots.